The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-24

be tolerated. Knowing the amount ofexpendlture by
estimating the value OF the service we could deter
mine whether we would incur the expense. But
il did not stop there. There were various propos
tons in this bill, and, among others, one section
very much like the section IN the harbor and river
bill in reference 10 the Louisville and Portland canal
a section making specific appropriaton-not
limiting the action Of the Post Office Department,
but providing that in case the revenues Of the de-
partment shall prove insufficient, appropriations TO
meet the deficiency shall be paid out of any
money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated
For himself he was opposed to any increase Of
the expenditures Of the Post Office Department UNI
Ill the revenues of the department authorized it, and
especially was he opposed to an indefinite appro-
priation like that proposed In this section. He was
opposed 10 il in principle. Who was benefited by
the Post Office Department Was it not those who
are engaged in writing letters' And if so, ought they
not 10 bear the burden Of its expenses! But instead
Of placing the burdens thus upon those who re-
ceiyed It's benefits, you require individuals IN the
country who perhaps do not write one letter year,
to pay their equal proportion to meet the expendi-
lures of this Post Office Department In other
words we taxed the coat the salt, the shirt Of the
aboring man, TO pay the postage upon the letters
written by the commercial men OF the country and
others who write them. Il was unjust; because they
threw the burdens Of this department not on those
who participated in its advantages, but upon those
who scarcely wrote a letter,
This was unjust, and he yentured the prediction
that that injustice would be glaring, that it would
strike all with such force, If there were not u-
terror object behind-to wit the quartering the
whole expenditures Of every department Of the gov
eminent on customs--that il would not find an adj
yocate on this floor
But il was argued that these steamers were so to
be constructed "A 70 - fit for war-steafners in
Of an emergency. He knew little concerning the
construction Of steamers, but he was unwilling,
il that the object, 70 make the expenditure un-
lees the necessity arose. lfwar were contemplated
betwees this and any other government any dis
tinct proposition brought forward for the increase Of
our army or navy, with direct reference TO that
result let the cost be what might he ready to
support. But he was unwilling 10 sustain a PROPOSE.
ton Of the description ofthst before the committee
taxing the laboring classes for the benefit Of the
merchants of Boston, New York, Philadelphia,
Baltimore, &c.
If the revenues Of the department were equal to it,
then and not all then, was he willing TO enlarge
the operations Of the department. He willing
and desirous that every dollar derived through the
Post Office Department should be applied to the ex-
tension Of mail conveyances throughout the whole
country. In this government its benefits and adj
vantages ought to be dsbursed equally the
whole country; and he was opposed to taxing one
portion of the community for the benefit Of another
portion.
Mr.. " w. Chmf hdlu u was now Ten
years since the first English steamer, the Sirius,
made its appearance on the bay and harbor of New
York; and he we'll remembered the thrill that ran
through the whole community, and the prophecies
made, that the experiment having been tried, Amer
lean enterprise and American industry would car
ry our steamers across the ocean to every part Of
Europe. During that time, Great Britain had lite
rally sent her steamers over the whole earth, and
was now destroying trade, and interfering with
the enterprise Of our people, and she would quadru-
pie her operations for the ten years to come In
view of this, he repudisted the idea that we should
supineIy remain without making any movements our
selves until all the experiments were tried They
would continue to be tried, and if waited for
this we should wait forever. We now proposed
to do but little. This was the first proposition of
the American Government, government which had
now four-ffths of the commerce Of Great Britain;
and while Great Britain reaping the benefit OF
all these measures, she was reaping the benefit at
the expense Of the American government and the
American people.
He agreed with Mr. THURMAN that we should
have check these contractors; and he read from
the contract with Mr.. Mills, to show that, under it,
we already had that check; and that, during the
period of their construction, or subsequent thereto,
the steamers we're liable to the supervision Of the
government, and if not found ft for war service, it
was in our power fairly to withhold any further
compensation. f.-
promptly TO fulfil the eontrucs, and that these means
Of mail communicates would be established without
delay-not for the benefit OF the commercial inter-
ests alone, as the gentleman from Alabama Mr.
PAYNE seemed to think, but of all the interests Of
the country. The agricultural and other interests
found their market and their supply Of foreign i'm
ports through the commercial interests and all were
alike interested in this plan of facilitating mail COM
munication.
Mr.. HAMLIN would not detain the committee
long. He concurred substantially with the able re-
port of the gentleman from Alabama, Mr.. Hn-
LARD. He was in favor Of this measure because
it was designed to extend the facilities of mail com
munication to own people at home, and those
abroad and incidentally to aid the commercial inter.
ests ofthe country. And what were they but the in
terests Of the constituents Of the gentleman from
Alabama, Mr.. PAYNE,] and the interests of the
whole country'
He did not design to repeat the general views of
this question 1t was enough for him to know that
the reasons in its favor were sufficiently strong for
him to give it a cordial affirmative vote.
But he had risen for the purpose Of replying to
the remarks Of the gentleman from Alabama, Mr..
PAYNE, in reference to the subject Of cheap post
age. He hoped the time had not yet arrived
when his friends here would march hack from the
advance which they had made in liberal system of
free postage. He was in favor of it well for the
vantage of the commerce as well as because it was
beneficial to the great interests Of the country.
The genteman's first objection was, that n was
designed eventually to throw the expenditures Of the
Post Office Department upon the treasury. To that
he was as much opposed could be the gentleman
from Alabama and he denied entirely that even
the present rates of postage would ultimately bring
the burden Of particle of expense on account of
the Post Office Department upon the treasury. And
he defed the gentleman from Alabama to point to
single man who had nelligenuy Investigated the
subject, who prophesed that for & he first year the