Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1841-06-12

power aud influence, VIII be grehlly alHlni' heu'
The payment Of taxes often the most neon
venient and oppressive mode, will be exacied In
place Of contributions for the most part vnun>
tariy made and therefore comparatively unop.
pressive. The States are emphatically the con
s,tuents of this Government and we should be
entirely rega rdless Of the objects held in view
by them, in the creation OF this Government, II
we could be Indifferent 10 their good. The
happy effects Of such n measure upon all the
States, would Immediately be manifested.
With The debtor States it would effect the re-
| lief, to great extent, OF the citizens from
heavy burthen Of direct taxation, which press
es with severity on the aboring classes, and
emnently assist IN restoring the general pros
periy. An immediate advance would take
place in the price Of the State securities, aud
the attitude Of the SAFES would become once
more. as il should ever be, lofty and erect
| With States laboring under no extreme pres
sure from debt, the fund which they would de
rive from this source would enable them to i'm
prove their condition in an eminent degree So
far as this Government is concerned, approprl'
atoms to domestic objects approaching in
amount the revenue derived from the land sales
nigh, be abandoned and thus system of IN
equal, and therefore, unjust legislation, would
be substituted by one dispensing equality 10 al
|
such distribution should be made directly to
the States in the proceeds Of the sales, or in
form of profits by virtue Of the operations Of
any fiscal agency having those proceeds as its
basis, should such measure be contemplated by
Congress, would well deserve its consideration.
Nor would such disposition of the proceeds oil
the ISLES, in any manner, prevent Congress
| from time TO time from passing all necessary
pre-emrtion laws for the benefit Of the actual
setters-or from making any new arrange
ment as 10 the price Of the public lands which
might in future be deemed desirable.
The state of the Navy pension fund requires
the immediate attention Of Congress- by the
operation Of the act Of the Sd Of March, 1887,
entitled Gan act for The more equitable admins.
,ration of the Navy Pension fund"-that fund
has been exhausted 1t will be seen, from the
accompanying report Of the Commissioner Of
Pensions, that there will be required, for the
payment OF Navy pensions, on the first Of July
next, S84,006 1>3, and on the first Of January,
I849, the sum Of 100000. In addition to these
sums, about $4,000 will be required to pay ar
rears Of pensions which will probably be al
lowed between the first of July and the first of
January, l842, making in the whole $l5o,oO6
sc l,3. To meet these payments, there is
within the control Of the Department, the sum
O6 1-3. The public faith requires that imme-
date provision should be made for the payment
Of these sums.
In order to introduce to the Navy desra-
BILE efficiency, new system Of accountability
may be found TO be ndispensaby necessary
To mature plan Of having for its object the
accomplishment Of an end so important, and 10
meet the just expectation Of the country, re
quirc more time than has yet been allowed to
; the Secretary at the head Of that Department
The hope is INDUCED that, by the time Of your
next regular session, measures of Importance,
in connection with this branch Of the public
service, may be matured for your consdera-
ton.
/ Although The laws regulating the Post Office
Department only require from The officer char
ged with its direction 10 report al the usual annu
al session Of Congress, the Postmaster General
has presented to me some facts connected with
the financial condition of the Department,
which are deemed worthy the attention Of Con,
gress. BY the accompanying report Of thai!
officer, it appears the existing liabilities OF that
Department, beyond the means Of payment a,
its command, cannot be less than 100000
AS the laws organizing that branch Of the public
service, confne the expenditure to its own rev.
enues, deficiencies therein cannot be presented
under the usual estimates for the expenses Of
Government. 1t must, therefore, be left to
Congress to determine whether the moneys
now due the contractors shall be paid from the
public Treasury, or whether that Department
shall continue under its present emba rrass-
ments 1t will be seen by the report of the
+ Postmaster General, that the recent etiings OF
contracts in several Of the States, have been
made at such reduced rates of compensation, as
TO encourage the belief that if the Department
was relieved from. existing difficulties, It's future
operations might he conducted without any fur,
Their call upon the general Treasury.
The power of appointing to Office is one OF
a character the most delicate and responsible
The appointing power is even more exposed to
be led into error, with anxious solicitude 10
select the most trustworthy for official station,
cannot be supposed to possess a personal
knowledge Of the qualifications Of every sppl.
cant. deem 1t therefore proper in this most
public manner, TO invite OH the part of the
Senate just scrutiny into the character and
rretensIons Of every person may bring to
} their notice IN the regular form Of u nominal
ton for office. Unless persons every way
trustworthy are employed in the public SER
vice. corruption and irregularity will ineyita>
bly, follow. | shall with the greatest cheerful,
ness acquiesce in the decision of that body, and
regarding II as wisely constituted 10 aid the
Executive Department in the performance of
this delicate duty, | shall look to its " Consent
and advice as given only ia furtherance Of the
best interests of the country. | shall also. at
the earliest proper opportunity, invite the at
tention oil Congress to such measures as, in
my judgment, will be best calculated to regu.
"a "a and 81 ~