The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-12-24
Afr.,r. In w..h,Dgson, Yesterday.

I
| Nothing is yet doing, In either house OF Con
gress, but preliminary matters. Yesterday
| Mr.. Johnson, of Maryland, presented resolu.
ton requiring the Executive to furnish accounts
of the several battles fought in Mexico, the nui
| Der of troops engaged, and the number OF killed
and wounded, and all other facts connected
with those remarkable events. Whether this is
to furnish Mr. Johnson with materials tor writing
history of the campaign, we do not know
| perhaps he does not know himself. There are,
probably, fifteen or twenty resolutions before
both houses connected with the Mexican war
| for and aganst-reposlng on the tables, and
waiting for the orators and speakers on both
sides If an explosion do not take place
till after New Years, II will be mi
racle. There seems to be as much efier-
vescing in both houses on the Mexican
question, as there is among the newspapers.
No one knows what to do, or what is necessary
to be done. Peace is desired by all; but no one
can tell which is the readiest method by which
to reach it. According TO the best information,
there is large majority of both houses favor
able to peace, even at some sacrifice; but 1t -
difficult to say what proportion are inclined to
hold our present position in Mexico until Mex
lean government can be formed to make peace,
or how many are willing to retire to line OF
defence, or retire from that country altogether.
While Congress is thus boiling and bubbling,
we understand there is serious difficulty be-
tween the President and certain portions of his
cabinet This difficulty probably arises more
from the presidential question than the Mexican
question. The veto message created difference
of opinion in the cabinet. Again, the Presi-
10 in
with the House of Representatives. According
to our private advices, we would notbe surprised
to see the contract between that body and the
present printers repudiated, and the printing of
Congress taken from Van Benthuysen 4 Wen
dell, and given to Gales & Seaton. The new
method of reporting the debates in the Senate
gives great satisfaction to that body, and 1t Is
probable the House may follow the same PLAN
In fact, the journals of Washington have, as yet,
given few or no reports of the debates. The whole
of the press there seems to be sinking down
into imbecility and wretchedness. The journals
which gave the first full reports of the recent
important brief debates and motions, in both
houses, on the Mexican war, were the Ne,c York
Herald and another New York paper.
On the presidential question, the friends of
General Taylor, in both houses, are very busy
in concentrating their forces, and they will soon
be ready to operate on the country at large. In
fact, every thing is in a state of confusion, and
will remain 80 for weeks, if not months, to come
PUBLIC MEETING IN RELATION TO THE MAILS
We give, this day, full report of the public meet
ing held yesterday, in the Exchange, on the sub
ject of the arrangement of the mails, caused by
the incapacity and obstlnacy of Cave Johnson,
the present Postmaster General
We trust that this is only the commencement
of similar meetings, in all our commercial cities,
throughout the country. Nothing will ever be
able to convince that obstinate and laundering
functionary of his errors in the conduct of the
department, but the decided voice of the people.
Nothing will be able to compel him to conduct
his business properly, but the action of Congress.
We trust the present Congress is as convinced as
ourselves Of the necessity that something should
be done, and that it will remove every difficulty
in the way, and every obstruction by law, which
can afford Cave Johnson pretext for his bad
management and for his ridiculous obstinacy
and self-will.
We observe that one of our cotemporaries-the
Journal of Cou,merce-has put forth an excuse for
Cave Johnson, casting the blame of his disorders
upon the Richmond Railroad Company, and ex-
cusing the Postmaster General, on the ground
that he is tied up by law from paying the addi-
tional two or three thousand dollars demanded
by the company This is all an impudent sub
terfuge of the Postmaster General. The existing
law sufficiently authorises all that is necessary
in the case. The pamphlet published by the
company has explained the whole matter, and
exhibits the wilful perversity of Cave Johnson,
L c,,n lar hat
by his own seli-imposed and self.willed construc
ton of the law, he has arranged the prices in
such way as to bring this company under his
own unreasonable and unwarranted construction
Of the law. Cave Johnson pretends that the law
orbids him to payit is not the law; but 1t is his
own self-made construction Of the law. The
law itself is sufficient and satisfactory, if he
were willing to construe it fairly and honestly.
We trust that Congress will Immediately pass a
law authorising him to pay the fair demands Of
the company, and thus let the mails be carried
again as usual.
This, however, is not the only instance of the
arrangement, mismanagement and failures COM
mitted by Cave Johnson. They can never be
remedied untlla complete change is effected in
the department, and among many of the men,
bers who at present compose it, The mails are
in horrible condition,
The PeLIcH.-From the many remarks and
observations which have been made upon our
various articles, in relation to the police system
Of our city, we are persuaded that great deal
of interest is felt upon this subject, and that
much public good will result from just, Impair
tial and energetic examination Of the existing
system, together with the causes which have
produced it's present inefficiency in many re-
speets. We do NOT desire, in tho comments we
have made, or may make, to do any injustice to
the members of the city government and
upon an examination of the police law,
finding by it that the Mayor of the city is the