Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1841-06-26

the work, the Department resolved TINT
the highest degree Of ~permanence md
utility attained by the nse Of the means
placed at it's disposal should be accomplish
cd, directed tliat an officer Of the highest
credit for skill and Judgment should pro-
coed without delay 10 ascertain the nattre,
extent, and Causes IF the Instructions
which interrupt the navigation Of that
river, md to submit h plan for their re-
fnoyal. Tint officer has not yet reported
to the Department. 1t il intended that
the steam and snag boats, after being re-
paired, shall ascend Red river, while it
continues in II navigable state, to the point
Of obstruction, but it il not designed to
enter upon the work until autumn. This
policy, as will fully appear from tho report
Of the chief Of the Typographical En-
ginecrs, and the accompanying letter Of
the superintendent, was dictated by Il
sound economy, if not by the necessity Of
ffea case u 49,
The abuses in the Indian Department
referred I'd in the Presidents message, arc
sthted in the report. They are Of 30
grave n character that we give them to
our readers:
"a practice has prevailed in tho Indian
Department Of making payments from
moneys drawn from the Treasury under
appropriations by Congress, without re-
garding, in all cases, the objects of the
appropriations as specified in the ,tw.
This practice virtually defeats that pro.
vision Of the Constitution which declares
that no motley shall be drawn from the
Treasury except under appropriations by
Congress.
The practice Of making payments I'M
der such circumstances, that il, Of taking
money from the Treasury Under an apprd.
p~riation for one object, and applying it to
the payment Of accounts, and for objects
for which no appropriation has been made
renders the reports Of the condition Of
the Treasury entirely ~fallacioIs, and utter.
ly destroys all confidence in them. The
true condition Of the Treasury, or Of its
liabilities, is not md cannot be presented
under such practice.
The frauds that have been practiscl in
the Southwest have been to some extent
inquired into, but a full disclosure Of all
the facts has not been arrived al. Enough
has, however, been brought to light to e.
tablish the conviction that certain con.
tractors have realized the most 0
profits, the greater portion Of which is
believed to have been the direct fruit Of
gross fraud upon the government or the
Indians, praetlsed by bribing sorne Of the
subordinate Instruments in the public en-
p%loyment, or through the raisinanagement
Of higher public agents, who can only
screen themselves from public suspicion Of
u connivance in the frauds by submitting
to the imputation Of gross negligence, ig-
n~orance, or lncompetency in the perfor-
nance Of their duty.
From the involved character Of these
transactions and the difficulty Of procur.
ing full and precise information, it has
been found impossible yet to fix upon the
point where these frauds commenced, or
To ascertain the boundaries Of responsible
t$ among the numerous public officers
and agents through whose direct Or indi-
rect instrumcntality,~ connlvanco, or igncr-
ancc the contractors were able to consira-
mate their unprincipled designs"
REPORT OF THE Post MASTER GENr.
RAL.-Mr. Granger makes no formal re-
port to the extra session, but sends in hst
a letter to the President, with a brief his,
tory Of the state of affairs in his depart
ment. We copy the following statements:
The department isat present near $780,
900 In debt, and is at a loss to extricate
itself.
Tae railroad companies impose the high
est possible prices Oh the department.
prices which amount 10 downright extortion,
being, in general, more than 200 per cent.
higher than is charged by the coaches.
Upon this the Post Master General says:
"Nor is the extravasant price demanded
for mail transportation, upon railroads, the
only manner in which these interpretations
affect the revenue Of this department. The
facilities secured by this mode of convey
ance for sending letters by private hands,
very seriously diminish the receipts Of the
offices upon these routes. A single Illus.
tration will establish this assertion.
Boston is one Of the most important
points of. RAILROAD concentration in the
Union. Its business prosperity Is proven,
bal and yet, In that city, the quarter
ending 31st March last, shows, as cornpar,
ed with the corresponding quarter Of the
wear before, a decrease in postage receipts
of three Thousand one hundred and ninety
fire dollars, being double the amount OF
diminution to be found within the same
time, in any other post office in the
nation, with the single exception Of PhIla-
delphia, which is another great terminus OF
railroad communication"
In many places where the mail was car
RED under Mfr. Kendall seven times pei
week, the late head of the department
limited it to six. This Mr.G. considers an
economical measure, although not alto
gether satisfactory. The new building fo
the general post office will not be done b,
the 1st of December next.
The SADDEsT SIGHT UNDER THE SES
A man willing to work and unable f.
find work is perhaps the saddest sight tia
fortunes CAPABILITIES exhibit under the st.f
Burns expresses feelingly the Thoughts
gave .iim-a poor man seeking acork-
se,aine ieaYe to toll, that he Nigh. be fe,
and s~heltered-that he might b., put on
level with the four-focted workers Of til
Iuos ,.l;cf. 70 bisl There 10 not . hors