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

} postmasters additional compensation and was al
liberty, according TO his recollection, to allow them
} any amount not exceeding the amount they receiv-
ed under tho previous law, BY this means these
resgnations were stopped. The effect of this pro-
yso would be 10 override the decision Of the Ator-
ney Genera and the action Of the Postmaster Gen
eral under that decision and the postmasters Of the
small Offices, being reduced to the same compensa-
uon as they received before this construction was
put upon the law, il might be apprehended that q
similar state Of things would be brought about--to
vii, that very many Of these postmasers would re-
sign, and our people be deprived Of the privileges Of
| inc post office 10 the smSll towns and villages. He
desired TO leave the matter where 1t now stood, and
was unwilling that this law--to the passage Of
which he was opposed, and which he believed was
| working iniurousy to the eountry-should operate
TO deprive the people in the small towns and villages
OF the privileges Of the post Office. He therefore
| moved TO strike out the proviso OF the section.
Mr.. PETIT thought, for the very reason the
gentleman from Georgia had assigned, the proylso
ought not 10 be stricken out. While he admitted
that and the country had well-deserved respect
| and esteem for the Attorney General and Postmas-
Ter General, yet he satisfied that no portion OF
the country aequiesced in the decision OF the Post
master General, based upon the construction by the
Attorney General Of the law. He had heard but
| one opinion, and the gentleman did not conrovert
IT, that that construction was IN violation Of the law
| of Congress. He had always gone for full and
i sufficient compensation for men In Office; but he
wanted IL to be provided by law that the officer may
4 know what il shall be, and there be no dscre-
| uonary power in another TO alter il. Small salaries,
| reduced pay, penurious living to public men, were
In his opinion, greater cause Of corruption, profit
gacy and wickedness ay and stealing than all others
| IL was tho cause Of the bribery in your legislative
hals-a cause ofihe attempt in old and respectable
State Of our Union to practice what has been prao-
He was ssssaised by the opinion Of legal men
| throughout the country, that the practice Of the
| POSTMASTER General in allowing the same compensa-
| tion to postnasters as received under the old
law, was unsastained by the law now in force
| The law of Congress provides that a certain per
cent upon the receipts Of the Office should go TO the
postmaster for their compensation. Congress
changed the law, reducing the receipts TO one-sxh
OF their former amount. perhaps and does not alter
the per centage; and what can be palmer than that
1 their compensation must be reduced accordingly
What metaphysical reasoning, what miserable
subterfuges must be resorted to to prove that not
outstanding this charge in the law, they may re-
ceive the same compensation
| He believed that neither of these functionares
/ pretended 10 sustain this construction and this
practice on any legal principle at ALL but that they
| resorted to what they called the necessity Of the
| case to justify them. And the Postmaster General
| informed Of the fact-of which there could be no
doubt, for all through his Mr.. PSI district constant
designations were being made and applications for
| appointment TO the vacances-that the department
| under the new law, had received at no time regu-
larry more than one hundred designations a day
| Why Because it understood that their com
pensation fell the incomes of their respective
Offices fell; and such was the plain letter and Ian
| guage Of the law.
| Mr.. p. repudisted in every view the principle of
| leaving to any officer the determining the amount
| OF compensation to an officer, was done in this
case, not only without authority Of law, but in d.
| rect violation oflaw.
He knew this matter OF cheap postage was often
| made an electioneering hobby at home. He had
had II undertaken against him. But he was willing
to meet that issue; and when the farmers or plant
| ers, who received, perhaps, ten letters year, and
we're taxed at the old rates 25 cents each they
| would willingly pay It when they became acquaint-
with the fact that the mercantile establishments in
the East wrote, some Of them, from hundred to
five hundred letters day, employing in some cases
twenty clerks TO write them, and on these paid the
same rate Of postage according to their mail accommo
dations, and an amount which, upon all the letters
| SENT was sufficient to sustain the mail service Of the
country. He contended that those who have the
benefit Of the department should pay its expenses
and dwelt upon the injustice of reducing the
| rates Of postage as to make the department a bur.
den upon the general treasury thus taxing the
| farmers of the West, who seldom sent letter,
equally for its support with the mercantile classes
| of our cities, who sent thousands of letters per
year. All the latter class clamorous for low
| rates of postage; and il was very natural they
should be- But he wished them to pay the same in
proportion to their greater use of the mail transport
ation, as did those who used it less, for the quantity
| they sent.
This proviso limited the Postmaster General to
the amount he should allow them; it fixed it defn-
itely, certainly. While he said nothing as to the
exact amount which should be allowed, and
content to leave to Congress to determine, he hearth
ly approved Of this provision, and wanted the COM
| wi a t,Vaa eff Yed hui
He therefore hoped the proviso would not be
stricken out.
| Mr.. MCKAY said tho committee would observe
| (what all were aware Of that these appropriations
were payable out Of the revenues of the Post Office
Department, which, by law, kept distinct from
| other moneys in the treasury. He read from the
first section Of the BILL and referred to the act Of Ju-
y 2, 1886, to which it alludes to show this fact.
But while this was the regulation of law, it was
well known consequence Of the act of the last SEES
sion reducing the rates of postage that these appro-
prations would be insufficient to defay the necessary
expenses of the department. And from this cause in
the act of the last session. appropratng for the ex
penses Of the Post Office Department, provision was
made that the deficiency in the revenues of that de-
partmen should be supplied out of the general reve-
nues Of the treasury. Yet no one supposed that
anything would be taken from the treasury for the
purpose of making up the compensation of the dep
uty postmasters.
Some conversation occurred between Mr. A. D.
|
audible at the reporters desk to be reported
| Mr.. Mckay (continuing) said he was going on
to say when interrupted, that at the time these sew
eral acts were passed, it was not in the conempa-
ton at least Of the friends Of this measure, that the
deficiency for compensation Of postmasters should
be paid out Of the general funds of the treasury.
But, in anticipation Of the reduction Of the reven-
ues Of the department, which everybody, even the
friends of the measure foresaw, special provision
was made in the law itself, from which he read
that when the commissions of deputy postmasters
are less than S25 per annum, it shall be lawful for
the Postmaster General to increase them, provided
they shall not exceed SO per cent. of the postage
accruing at the respective Offices
But it was well known that the Attorney General
said we had authority under these laws to make up
the deficiency out Of the general sum in the treas
ury. 1t was estimated by the Postmaster General
that the deficiency in the revenues of the depart
men for the next fiscal year would be the gross
of one million of dollars. All they proposed in this
bill was that deficiency for compensation of post
masters should be taken from the general revenues