The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1842-04-14

10 this department, also, there has been
a vast augmentation of the expenses, and
such an one as calls for thorough invesli
CATION. The amount Of the appropriation
for the Judicial department, has sprung up
from $500, 900, which it was IN 1894, TO
S47l 900, at which it stood for the year
1910. Can any man believe that this has
all been fairly done that that department
actually requires the expenditure every
wear of nearly half million Of dollars!
have no doub, that the district judges and
the marshas, who have great control Of the
expenditure of the fund, and the clerks,
ought to be held responsible for this ecor.
nous increase. Without any intention to
indulge 10 any invidous distinctions, think
| could name a district IN which great
abuses prevail, and the expenditures are
four or five times greater than they are IN
any other district throughout the country.
hope this whole matter will be thorough
ly investigated, and that some necessary re.
siraints viii be imposed upon this branch OF
the public service. am truly sorry that
in branch Of the government which, tor
its purity and uprightness, has ever been
distinguished, and which so well merits the
admiration Of the whole country, there
should have occurred so discredilable an 10.
crease 10 the expenses of IFS practical ad.
ministration.
The next resolution asserts
"That the diplomatic relations of the United
States with foreign Powers have been unnesessa-
rily extended during the last twelve years, and
ought to be reduced"
will not dwell long on this subject. l
must remark, however, that since the days
of Mr.. Adams's administration she uumbe T
Of foreign ministers Of the first grade has
nearly doubled, and that Of ministers Of the
second grade has nearly tripled. Why.
we have ministers abroad who are seeking
for the governments to which they are &C.
credited, and the governments are not TO be
found We have ministers al CONSTANT.
nope and Venna-and for what We
have an unreciprocated mission TO Naples
and for whail There was at the last
session an attempt to abolish this appoint
meDt, but il unfortunately failed. One
would think that in such one sided, unre
ciprocated diplomacy, If regard to cere.
mony did no, prompt US TO discontinue the
relation, national pride would. In like
manner, we might look around the coasts
of Eorope and this continent, and find mis-
sion after mission which there seems 10
be no earthly utility 10 retaining. But
! fog bear.
On the subjec, of mileage, I hope there
may be an etfor, TO equaize it justly, and
render II uniform, and that the same allow.
ance will be made for the same distance
travelled, whether by land, BY water, or by
steam route, or whether the distance be
asccrtalned by horizontal or surface mea
surement. think the former the best
mode, because it limits US TO single and
simple inquiry, and leaves no open door for
abuses. hope, therefore, that we shall
adopt it.
The next resolution Of the series reads
thus:
Resoired, That the ranking privilege ought
to be further restricted, the abusive of it re-
strained and punished, the postage on letters re.
duced, the mode of estimating distances more
clearly defined and prescribed, and a small add
ton to postage made on books pamphlets, and
packages transmitted By the mail to be gradual
ed and increased according to their respective
weights
The ranking privilege has been most
direlully abused. We have already reach
IF nktca In
though the Government has beeu IN opera.
tlon but about fifty years, which 1t has ia
ken Great Britain centuries to attain
Blank enyelops, have heard 1t said, rea.
/ dy franked, have been enclosed TO indivld.
uals at a distance, who have openly boosted
that their correspondence IS free of charge.
! The limitation as TO weight Is now exten.
| ded, believe, two ounces. But what OF
that if man may send under his frank a
thousand Of these two ounce packages p
The limitation should be 10 the total weight
included IN any single mail, whether the
packages be few or many. The report Of
the Postmaster General, at a former SEES.
sion, states the astounding fact, that, Of the
whole amount transported 10 the mails,
ninety fire per cent. goes free OF all duty,
and letters of business and private CORES.
pondence have TO defray the expense Of the
whole. |, is nonstrous, and calls loudly
for some provision 10 equalizc the charge.
The presen, postage on letters IS enormous
" high IN proportion to She other business
Of the country. IT, you will refuse TO carry
those packages, which are nov transmitted
by mail, simply because, IN that mode, they
can travel free Of cost, you vii! greatly re
{, lieve the business interests Of the country,
which now bear nearly the whole burden
/ for all the rest. THIS tits your duty 10 do.
Let US throw, al least, ialr portion OF the
burden On those who receive, at present.
/ the whole Of the benefit. Again. The
law IS very loose and uncertain as 10 the es.
tlmatlon Of distances. Since the introduc.
ton u s,eam'rave, the distance travelled
has, 10 many cases, been increased, while
he time consumed has teen shortened. -
Take, - au illustration, o case near at
F hand. The nearest distance IRON here TO
Frederick city, N Maryland, Is forty four
miles; but If you 90 hence to the depot on
2 q II IL