Litchfield enquirer., 1829-02-19


 operations and entire condition of the De 1lftnlent sinco it was placed under it's present afektl. Have elevated its character and greatly extended its usefulness. By the annexed let- terit will be seen, that the discOntin,ance or the~SabhWth mail will not only depriye Nur inportant commercial towns 0f the seventh 4nnil, but that great delays must occur in the Other six weekly mails. The injurious con sequences of these delays are easily seen. "
 If at New York, fnr instance, intelligence be received On Saturday evening Of great increase Of price in England or elsewhere, of four, cotton or any other staples Ofthe cOun- try, the mSli will aot convey this intelligence t0lhc south Or'west until Monday morning. after a lapse of more than twenty -four hours fiom the time it was received; and under the most favorable circumstances, every one of the six mails must be delayed day 0n d routs. Of a few hundred miles, by the intervention of the Sabbath. ss@t
 Isit to be believed that men of enterprise and capital will, under such circumstances, wait the tarhy movements of the mail! Ex presses will be sent in every direction. and spcculations tom unlimited amount will be made in the productions ofthe country. Here is a great evil the government has failed tu afford the means Of information to the honest AVlUCt0 Vk Vtt0 NUVPVtSyt uuu lUCy UcCOU1G a prey to the specuMtor, N hO takes the property for perhaps one half its intrinsic value. By the expresses, the Sabbath is violated, and many citizens injured. The committee be lleve, that such are the fluctuations of prices In many articles of commerce, that greater number of persons would be employed on the Sabbath, than are now engaged in the trans. nortation of the mail. If this impression be correct the cause of morality would not be promoted by the suspension of the mail upon the Sabbath. But when, in addition to this consideration, the committees consider that the first duty OPthc government Is to protect its citizens irther property (and under no cir | cumstances can protection be more needed | than in the cases above stated,) and the in- furious consequence experienced by the in- dustrious citizen whuse property is sacrificed, they cannot hesitate in coming to the c0nclu- sion, that the suspension of the mail on Sum day would be deeply injurious to the import ant interest of the country, and that the mea- sure would probably produce greater d. mount ofmoral eyllthan the present system.
 If. as suggested by the Postmaster General all travel 0nthe Sabbath, in accommodation stages or expresses were prohibited, to s,ls- pend the Sunday mail would produce an in- fury 0fa more limited extent; but such reg ulation will not probably he adopted by the states, and, ifadopted, could not be enforced against public opinion. M
 The reduction in the revenue cf the depart. ment, is viewed, by the committee, as the smallest injury that would be likely to result from the. change. It would, however, para lyxe the operations of the department, and render more uncertain the attainment of the primary objects for whichit was established.
 A well regulated mail establishment Is an indispensable requisite. to free government, and to the. commercial, agricultural, and man. facturng interest of an enterprising and grow. ing people. Every buyer and seller should be informed of the state of the market, at home and abroad, with the greatest possible certainty and expedition. This can only be accomplished through the operations of the mail, regulated and directed by discrimina , ting mind, intimately acquainted with the lo- cal interest Of the country. Every part must harmonise like we'll regulated machine, which thongh complicated in its construction, has nu disorder in Us movements.
 On the other branch of the case, that of Postmasters being compelled, by law to keep open their offices and deliver letters, newspa pers. Sc. on the Sabbath, this, the committee believe, is not absolutely necessary for the successful transaction of any branch cf busi- UeHest lIe6 uleTGllNuS OE tuHtutWCtUGTa COuau l. call at the POst-olIice on Monday morning. receive his letters, and be informed of any changes in the market. before he commences business, It has been suggested, and is be- lieyed, that the most disorder is accustomed by n class of individuals not of business hahits aud who seldom receive letters by mail. hav- ing leisure on the Sabbath, resort to the Post Office to hear the news and for pastime
 Ifno distribution Ufletters were to be made on Sunday, the arrival of n nnall stage in town or yillage would excite no unusual at- tention and consequently could occasion nO | material interruption to religious worship.
 If as is believed, the House will concur with the Committee in opinion, that no re. straint ought to be imposed on the conscien- ces of individuals by the force of human law, 1t will present an, ahsurdity. if we permit to remain, amongst oug legislative acts. an ex- press provision, requiring apOrti0n of our cit izens to perform certain duties on the Sabbath which they conscientiously believe to be mo- rally wrong. ;, ~.
 The Committee cannot see why it would not be equally proper to require, by law, our courts Ofjustice to sit on the Sabbath, and that executive and legislative duties should be performed on that dayl Would the pcos pie approve of 1t, when it might drive from she public service many ofthe ablest and most useful ailicers. who would relinquish their sta ti0ns, rather than violate their consciences
 So respectful was the legislature of Penn eylvauia Co the conscientious scruplps of very