The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1842-03-26

h''ohto'
The ranking privilege has been most
dlrelully abused. We have already reach
ed ii point Of abuse. not 10 say corrup~
ton, though the Government has been in
operation hut about fifty Years, which it
has taken Great Bilaln centuries to at
tain, Blank envelopes, have heard it
said, ready Irankcd, have been enclose to
individuals at Il distance, who have openly
boaslCd that their Jurisprudence is free
of charge. The limitation Us to weight
is now extended. believe, to two ounces.
d 1t what of that il ii man NAV send under
his frank thousand of thcsa two ounce
packages2 The limitation should be to
| the total weight included in any single
mail, whether the packages be few or
many. The report of the Postmaster
/ General at lormer session. states the
astounding fact. that, Of the vi hole amount
| transported i'll the mails ninciy-Grc per
ctm. goes free of all duty, and letters Of
| business and private correspondence have
TO delGay the expense Of the whole. 1t
| is monslrous, and calls loudly for some
! provision 10 cGuallZG the charge. The
/ present postage on letters is enormously
1 high in proportion to the other business
Of the country. II YOU will refuse to car
| ry those packages, which are now lraus-
united ny II, simply because, in inat
mode, they can travel free of cost, you
will greatly relieve the business interests
of the country, which now bear nearly
the whGIe burden for all the rest. This
it is your duty TO do. Let MS throw. at
least, fair portion of the burden on those
who receive. al present, the whole oflhe
benefit. Again. The law Is very loose
and uncertain as To the estimation of dis
tances Since the introduction Of Steam
travel, til, distance travelled has. in many
cases. been increased, while the tine con-
sumcd has been shortened. Take, as an
| Illustration, a case near at hand The
nearest distance from here to Frederick
city. in Mary ald. is !urlv-luur miles; but
lfyou 90 hence to the depot on the Bal
| tlmorc read, and thence take the train to
! frederick, you arrive sooner, but the dis
lance is increased to one hundred miles.
Now as letters are charged according TO
the miles travelled, hold it very wrong
to subject IA letter 10 This more than dou-
bic charge in consequence of adopting u
longer route in distance, through "A shor-
ter in time. Such CASES ought to be pro-
vidcd against 10y specific rules.
come now TO the last resolution offer
ed; which is as follows:
Rcsolrcd Tha' the Secretaries Of STATE, orthe
Treasury, of War, and of the Navy Departments,
| and the Postmaster GeEcral be scvcrallv dircc-
ted rs as practicable to report what offices
can he abolished and what retrcnchme nts pub
lie expenditure can he made, without public de-
trmcnl, IN the respective branches of the public
service under their charge
We all know that, if the heads Of De-
partmenls will not 90 to work with us
honestly and faithfully. in truth and sim
cerelv. Congress. Thus unaidph. can effect
comparatively but little. hope they
will enter with us on This good work of
retrenChmPnt and reform. shall he the
last to express in advance any diSlust of
Ihcr upright Intentions in this respect
The only thing that alarms me is. that
two Of these departments have come tous
asking for appropriations far beyond any
that have heretofore been dnnarhad in
time oG peace, and that with a full knowl-
edge of the fact of an empty Treasury.
But still hope, when they shall scc Con-
gress heartily. in Parne t. engaged in re.
lrenchng useless expenditure. and rrduc-
ing estimates thar cannot be complied
with, that they will boldly bring ont to
view all abuses which exist in their sever
al spheres Of action and let us annlv the
pruning knife so as to reduce the national
expenditure within some proper and rea-
sonablr amount. A ail events. thew are,
of course. most familiar with the details
Of the subject as it relates to their several
branches of the Administration. Among
other items there arc several useless mints
which only operate to waste the public
money. A friend, occupied in invesrigat-
eating this subject. has told me that tho
mint in New Orleant has already cost
The country holfa million of dollars for
getting ready to com bullion not yet Gug
ont Of the mine,
Mr. BEkRIEN here spoke across somr-
thing not heard by the Reporter in rela-
ton 10 the mint al Dahlnnega. which ex-
cited much mirrh in the neighboring part
Of the Chamber.
While every piece Of coin made by
those useless establishments could irs' as
well he c med Ivy the central mint al Phil
adelphia.
And now. having gone through with all
! the details of this series of resolutions,
which | Il ought it my duty TO notice, al
low me. in drawing to a conclusion of
these remarks. 10 present some Of the
advantages which it appears 10 me should
urge us to adopt the system Of financial
arrangement contcn plated in the resolu-
tons.