The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1841-07-29
THE LABoRs os SMEMBER OF con


GRESS.
The farmer is apt e suppose that, when
Congress adlourns for day, his Represen-
tative is idle, and that he ought to have
his pay and rations stopped. This is a
great error, as is Obvious 10 those who may
happen, Oh Saturdays, OF any day of Con-
gressional recess, to go through The Pub.
Tic Offices. There is not Member who
is not charged with innumerable commits
sions, Of one sort or other, by his constit-
uents, with the Public Departments at
Washington. Mere Legislation is but
small part Of the business of many Of them.
This perhaps is more especially the case
with the Members from new and growing
States where every thing is in rapid pro-
gross of growth and development, and all
is comparatively unsettled. Step, on Sat
urday, into the room of the Postmaster
General for example, and you will see per-
haps twenty Members of Congress wait
ing forsihelr turn--oDe wants 10 have
post Office established at point some
where between Dan and Beersheba.-
Nothing 10 nature can be clearer than the
propriety and necessity of the case
True, there are already Offices on each side
of the one proposed, within two miles of the
spot; but then there will be no additional
expense--somc clever fellow will get the
fraukina privilege, and the neighborhood
will be gratified. To show how II is de-
manded by the public voice, here is me-
Dloria signed by one hundred people, not
two Of whom perhaps expect to get let
ter there in year. That case being dis
missed, another wants 10 have the name of
posi- Office changed from Poughquay or
Skaneatelcs, TO some more euphonical,
[can't fad eophonious in Webster, as
Tuckaeeehee Cove, or Maintoowoc Ra-
pids, or Wanbesopinecoux or, for name
shorter, and still more convenient, as
" City Of the -Four lakes or " Mouth OF
q rkansas RIVER r
These requests being all disposed Of in
.hc " twnkling Of 40 eye" the next gen.
tleman represents the cases Of numerous
contractors in ----- district, petitlonlng for
remission Of fines and here it is to be OBJ
snreod that the louder have been the com
plants Of the Press, and the People, and
the Chambers of Commerce, and the grand
juries, about irregularities of the mail, the
stronger the under-current of Importantly
to the Postmaster General to hayc fines
remilted--drifts Of SNOW, heavy rains, deep
ruts, SICK horses, bridges swept away, cows
run on, and engines off the track, &c. &c.
4 dozen members yot remain, with
pockets full of memoriais--some to get
postmasiers 10, some to got them turned
oui, some to get Sunday mail service and
pay restored. Ia the midst oil all this, in
steps the Messenger, 10 the relief of his
boss, and lays on his table two hundred
letters by the last mail All these are to
be examined, their contents weighed and
compared. a man is recommended for
posi- office, whose qualifications, if You be-
heve all that is said in his behalf, fit him
10 be Postmaster General, or any other
member of the Presidents Cabinet
Well he gets tho appoln;ment--and what
thenl Why, all the builders OF Babel,
when God cenfounded their tongues, raised
not greater confusion than the complaints
raised, sometimes, at the appointment Of
the recommended who was thus extolled
- the very skies Thus passes the NOR
ming in one Department, until these men,
bers, laboring for their constituents, with
poor pay, and perhaps less thanks, get
back 10 their clearinghouse, leaving the
bead of the head Of the Department, If it
be NOT hard MS iron and as clear us glass,
eonfounded with their conflicting claims
and applications, and with all his regular
work lying still before him TO be despatch
cd to prevent accumulation yet these off
res are thought by many OF our agrcultu-
raj friends to be sinccures--pldces without
care and without labor. While some
members are thus going the rounds from
one Department to another, swallowing
dust, and gasplng for breath, the thermcm,
c;er at Sc, others are get harder at work
in their own or 10 committee rooms, IN
the uork Of prepdraiion--so much more
irving to the physical and the intellectual
powers than the work Of hdraagUiag on
he floor, on which so many rely to gain
reputation in Bankgm." This is but a
faint sketch of the labors of public men at
Washington, who are too generally sup
posed to be enjoying otsutn cum dignltdte.--
American Farmer.