Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1842-04-16


ed point of abuse. not to say corruption,
though the Government has been in opera
ton but about fifty years, which it has ia
ken Great Britain centuries to attain.
Blank envelopes, have heard it said, ready
franked, have been enclosed to individuals
at a distance who have openly boosted that
their correspondence is free of charge
The limitation as to weight is now extend
ed, believe, to two ounces But what of
that, if man may send under his frank
thousand of these two-ounce packagesl--
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 former ses-
sion states the astounding fact, that, of the
whole amount transported in the mails,
n'nefy-fUe per cent. goes free of all duty,
and letters of business and private cores
pondence have to defray the expenses Of
the whole. 1t is monstrous, and calls loud
y for some provision to equalize the charge.
The present postage on letters is enormous
ly high in proportion to the other business
of the country. If you will refuse to car
ry those packages, which are now trans
mitted by mail, simply because, in that
will greatly relieve the business interests Of
the country, which now bear nearly the
whole burden for all the rest. This it is
your duty to do. Let us throw, at least,
fair portion of the burden on those who re-
ceive, at present, the whole of the benefit.
Again. The law is very loose and uncer-
tain as to the estimation Of distances
Since the introduction of steam-travel the
distance travelled has in many cases ben
increased, while the time consumed vs.
been shortened. Take as an illustration,
case near at hand. The nearest distance
from here to Frederick City, in Maryland,
is forty-four miles; but if you go hence TO
the depot on the Baltimore road, and
thence take the train to Frederick, you ar
rive sooner, but the distance is increased
to one hundred miles. Now, as letters arc
charged according to the miles travelled,
hold it very wrong to subject a letter to
this more than double charge in conse-
quence of adopting longer route in dis
lance, though shorter in time. Such
cases ought to be provided against by spe
cifc rules.
come now to the last resolution offer
ed; which is as follows:
"Resolred, That the Secretaries OF State
Of the Treasury, Of War and Of the Navy Depart
ment and the Postmaster General, be severally
directed, as soon as practicable, TO report wha
offices can be abolished, and what reirenchment
OF public expenditure can be made, without pub
lie detriment in the respective branches Of thu
public service under their charge"
We all know thai, if the heads of De
partments will not go to work with us hon
estly and faithfully, in truth and sincerely
Congress thus unaided, can effect compar a
lively but little. Hope they will enter will
us on this good work of retrenchment ant
reform. | shall be the last to express in ad
vance any distrust of their upright inten,
tons in this respect. The only thing that
alarms me u.s. that two Of these department.
have come to US asking for appropriation
} far beyond any that have heretofore beel
demanded in time of peace, and thatwith
; full knowledge of the fact of an empt,
Treasury But still hope, when they shaI
see Congress heartily, in earnest, engage
in retrenching useless expenditure, and re
ducing estimates that cannot be compile
with, that they will boldly bring out t
view all abuses which exist in their severa
spheres of action, and let us apply the pru
ning-knife so as to reduce the national y
penditure within some proper and reason
5 able amount. AT all events, they are. c
: course, most familiar with the details of tn
5 subject as relates to their several branche
, of the administration. Among other item
, there are several useless minis which onl
r operate to waste the public money.
: friend, occupied in investigating this sui
: iect, has told me that the mint in New o.
= leans has already cost the country half
c million of dollars for getting ready to col
d bullion not yet dug out of the mine!
n Mr.. BERRIEN here spoke across SONS
It thing not heard by the Reporter in relatio
k to the mint at Dahlonega, which excite
! much mrth in the neighboring part of II
1t Chamber.
l. While every piece of coin made by the'
e useless establishments could just as well
d coined by the central mint at PHILADELPHIA
r And now, having gone through with ;
l. the details of this series Of resolution
which thought it my duty to notice, allo
C me, in drawing a conclusion of these +
d marks, to present some of the advantag
y which it appears to me should urge us
.e adopt the system of financial arrangeme
" contemplated in the resolutions.
s. And first. The Government will, in II
s. way, secure to itself an adequate amou
st of revenue, without being obliged to
i'd pend on temporary and disreputable EXP
Or dents, and thus preserve the public cree
III unsu!ied-which deem great advanta
of the plan. Credit is of incaculable Vi
Is ne, whether to nation or an individual