Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1841-09-07

4 FACTIOUS MINORITY.
Never did a minority better deserve the ep-
bet Of "actious,' than the present opposl-
bon party in Congress. Their whole object,
'tor highest, aim, seems TO be 10 embarrass
ae action Of the National Legislature, and
tog the wheels of tho General Government.
TO secure this end there are no means so base,
81 p%itiul, so dlshonorablc, to which they will
POI readily resort. The discussion IN the
House on Tuesday last, on the Post Office
bin, revealed in all It's dcformity the %factious
md dishonest disposition of the Van Buren,
%uinority, 1t IS well known that for two or
more years past. the General Post Office has
been struggling with lis cmbarrassments, and
| Ike n strong man IN n morruss' has, under
| the auspices of Kendall and Niles. become
| more and more involved with every effort to
eVrjcate itself from It's difficulties. Mr. Ken
| dali was altogether too busy with his election
,cring projects 10 attend TO the duties of his
Department, and the utter lncompetcncy of
NiuHatur Niles, is no longer, we fancy, denied
by friend or foe. Between the two, the Post
Office Department was haif a million doH0rs in
fdt when the Wings came into power. In
hs first official report, the new Postmaster
General called the attention of Congress to
the embarrassment surrounding his Depart
ment, and solicited their AID III paying of the
heavy debts due contractors and others. A
bll appropriatlng the necessary funds for
this object, was accordingly introduced into
The House OF Representative some time since,
end on Tuesday II came up for discussion.-
Vi Briggs, the chairman of the committee on
The post office and post roads, briefly explain
Cd the circumstances Of the Department, and
pointed out the necessity Of making provision
Mr lis debts. Ii was shown, moreover, that
these debts were already oilong standing and
that the contractors were greatly IN want oil
the money due them by the Department; Sc
much SO that in some cases their stock wa.
under execution, IN others had already beer
sold. TWAS insisted, farther, that the faitl
and honor of the Government were Direct,
interested IN the prompt payment OF these men
and that II would be a crying disgrace To re
fuse TO pay what was fairly and Justly thei
due.
One would think that such arguments woul,
have secured the immediate passage of tn
Post Office bill by a unanimous vote. 1t NIGH
be well supposed that in the Congress Of tn
United States. the Just and undisputed claim
Of large class Of useful public servants, woul
have mot with instant recognition and prom
settlement. But IT would seem as If Loco-Fc
colsm held equally light the faith Of the Gov
crumcnt and the obligations Of justice. A
though none attempted TO question the exii
,ence of this dcbt-alihough It was admitic
that the contractors had fairly earned, an
were greatly in want Of their money, still IL
co-Focoism opposed the bill with the utmo
Ychcmence, and for reasons, some of whiC
are thus summed up in the National INTEL
gencer;
Because the contractors, when they mao
their contracts, looked only 10 the receipts
the Department for their security; and, yhe
rrrc insufficient fhcg could not complain thi
never looked to the Treasury for their pay.
Because the Postmaster General differ,
in opinion from the President, and ought
resign.
Because he vas incompetent to his Ollie
Because he had three times been reject,
by the people ofhis own State.
Because he had stopped : SUNDAY mail b
tween New York and Boston, which look,
Ike an attempt to introduce a system Win
had once before been pressed by a ccrta
portion oflhe community. and utterly reject
and put down by public opinion. Becau
be had carried out a system OF prescription
the removal of postmaslcrs, contrary to WI
professions aud promises before the elect,
One postmaster had been appointed becal
lis recommendations stated that be was
slesmboa, in politics
Because Amos Kendall was the best Pc
ussicrGeneral the country had ever seen sin
Tie foundation of the government, and D
been removed 10 make way Tor the present
cumbcnt."
such were among the rcas,ns offered
LCCO-Focu members of Congress fer q rtfa
20 pay ds5b iao4rred BY he,r orE political frie
shiie ia the management Of the Post-Od
Department. We DO not ask what will
Mail Contractors and those IN their emp.
say TO such gross injustice; but what wall
People say tothe exhibition Of such a spiril
ne halls Of our National Legislature; "
hsy not cry shane upon the faeuous min