The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-05-07

according 10 certain rates OF per eenum, upon the
revenues received at the respective post Offices.
Now this position OF the gentleman presented no
difficulty TO his mind. IL was foreseen that the rev.
enues Of the department would be deficient A pro-
vision was made TO supply that deficiency. The
compensation Of postmasters is TO be calculated
upon the amount Of revenue. Now, If the revenues
were TO be increased from any quarter to supply de-
hciencies, it was but an equitable and reasonable
rule OF construction that the compensation Of post
masters should be measured by the increased rev
enue as supplied from the treasury Their per
centum as cut down and destroyed by the diminu-
ton Of hostages, should Keep pace with The neeessa
nv revenue as should be increased according 10 the
necessities OF the service. This consideration struck
him as one forciby presenting ITSELF growing Of
the two laws referred TO- and forming fair ground
Of equitable construction. IL seemed TO him 10 meet
the objection urged by the gentleman from Ken
lucky and, together with the arguments presented
in the opinion Of the Attorney General len no doubt
upon his mind 70 the soundness oi that epin-
ion.
This was all he intended to say and he therefore
yielded the aoor.
Mr. McfiENRY said that postmaster had Ger
tain commissions Upon the receipts OF thsir Offices,
and the law in this way fixed their compensation as
explicitly If il had done il by dollars and cents.
| And discretion whatever Was given 10 The Post
master General in reference TO compensation exeep4
in cases where the commission Is less than S25 per
annum IN which case h may be increased but not
| 10 exceed 50 per cent. OF the receipts The de-
hciency contemplated 10 be supplied Was not for the
compensation Of po5lmasiers, but In their otfoes
| and for other expenses. He was emphaiically in
favor Of retaining the prosiso, and Of regulating the
matter far possible by law, and leaving nothing
| TO the discretion Of the executive department
Mr.. seldom had listened with attention 10 tho
argument Of the gentleman from Kentucky ON this
subject. BY the Law Of 1875 mode was prescribed
by which the rates Of compensation 10 deputy pos.
masters should be determined. That was general
| provision by which the compensation Of postmas-
lers was made TO depend on the receipts OF their
Offices But under the law Of l645 great roduc-
ton made in the rates Of postage, and upon that
reduction il was foreseen that great and serious DIFF
fculties would arise, but which could not be fully
anticipated and provided for. There was on the
part Of the trainers Of this law desire TO provide
Tor the mail service OF the country, and TO make
provision for any difficulty which might arse.
Among the provisions thus incorporated into this
bill with reference TO this state Of things, there
were two which bore directly on this question, and
which were found in the 2lst and 22d sections.
The 2lst was introduced on the superstition that
there would be deficiency. A calculation was
made as TO what would be the probable allng Oh I'M
der this new system, and this 2ls section was do
signed to supply the deficiency in this service.
|, The aim and design Of Congress in passing the
bill Of l845, prevent any embarrassment that
might arise out Of the experiment which Il conten-
plated. This the object Of the twentyhrst sec
lion, and went on further, and added another and
more general provision for the same object. There
was desire the part Of Congress TO provide for
all the deficiencies which might be expected TO arise
The purposes Of the appropriation ofthe seven hun
bred and fifty thousand dollars were expressly de-
clared in the 2lst section. This apprepna-
ton for deficiencies anticipated; and the next
ton provided that any deficiency that occurred
should TO the extent Of four and half millions, be
paid out Of the treasury 1t utterly Impossible
TO foresee all the difficulties that might embanass
, the experiment.; but some were forcseen, and ex-
| pressly provided for. The difficulties TO the
compensation Of postmasters were not foreseen, but
these were covered by the general provision for do
6ciencies. He contended, therefore, that the pro-
, vision made by former laws for the payment Of
, postmssters did not exclude them from the pro-
. visions Of the law of l645. s......
+ Mr.. BAKER said the Postmaster General had
expended a million Of dollars in addition to what hs
was authorized to expend by law, and this was de-
; Tended under construction of law which he (Mr.
b. did not concur in. This was too important
subject to be passed in haste. Universal aston
, ishment was expressed in the country when this
, order Of the Postmaster General was promulgated
when il was ordered by that officer that amount
: Of million Of dollars be added to the oomPensa-
ton that the postmasters were supposed TO he entr
. tied to under the law. & ...-- lr... ......
| He (Mr. b. for one, would say that he did not
believe the opinion to be sound one, under which
: the Postmaster General had regulated his conduct
By the law of lS45 the rates Of postage were redu-
, revenues of the department. The mode Of compen-
satiig the pos,masters Of the large and small Offices
q was regulated by law. Congress had fully examirr
ed the whole subject, and had acted upon IT. The
I question was, by what authority the Postmaster
: General undertook to reverse the opinion Of Con
gress If Congress did anticipate difficulty, as the
gentleman from Virginia Mr.. SEDDoNl had suppo-
: sed then why did they not provide for IT. DID they
authorize the Postmaster General to legsaie on the
subject rna -st. .....,............
!. Mr.. Seldom explained, that the law, in his
opinion, provided first for the difficulties that were
: proven, and next made general provision for al
T deficiencies that might occur.
r Mr.. BAKER continued. Congress knew what
1 difficulties to be provided against They knew
that the whole subject of compensation for postmas
G tiers was provided for by law ~
e He appealed to the common sense Of the House,
Q who Their the law of ls45 could have passed il i
0 had been understood that the Postmaster General
was to add 81 ,0OO, 900 to the expenditure by COZ
struction. The Attorney General had justified the
s construction put upon the law by the Postmaster
e General, upon the ground that the appropriation
S750, 600 was intended to cover all contingencies,
but others had justified it upon different grounds
v The postmasters were, under the law, to be pad
1 according to the receipts Of their post offces a.
n the compensation was governed by law, how could
il be regulated by any other ruler There could b
no deficiency in the compensation of postmasters,
= because their compensation was fixed. .-,..g
= Mr.. Seldom here remarked that It was anticr
pated that the labors Of the postmasters would b
+ increased by the bill The object Of the bill was 70
increase the number Of letters passing through The
n mails. ih'i o5,h El4 ah'la,a 90 li8Hf5la a taf
v Mr.. BAKER said Congress could not forsses
/, whether the law would increase or diminish ths
/ labors Of pestmasters, and if they should be ut
q mately increased, their compensation might y
n increased by law. m-bs7iofn eha 7. III
d The construction Of the Postmaster General would
n not have been tolerated by Congress- could il have
been anticipated; yet now 81 ,0000 900 had ben
p spent; and upon whom, and by what rules ~
" could not help expressing his opinion ofth act ana
a Of the principle, or rather the want Of pripcps
d which governed il. He was willing 10 give the pcH
& masters whatever they earned, but he pfo.eass
= ngainst the unheard of principle Of expendhar
IF which had been adopted by the Postmaster Genss
J. There was class Of expenses which were neces
ct sarily provided for and that was the payment q
NJ contractors. They must be paid or the mail csae
Ut ishment must stop; and for that class Of expenses
alone was the appropriation Of S750,000 provided
IL. ~