Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-12-08


wears Immediately preceding the passage oil 'he
az, o. the third OF March, 1885, by the sum OF
six thousand TOUR hundred and flty-lhree dollars,
and exceeding the amount received Tor Inc yedI
ending the lhiltcen'h OF June, l8i7, by me SUN
of four hundred and twenty-five thousand QUO
hundred and eshty-iour dollars. .,.,a;,a tho
The expenditures for the year, e1c.uuans Wv
sum Of ninety four thousand SIX nuuuleu ana ~,
venty-two dollars, allowed oy CoheiesS a. 10 ~.
session TO individual claimants, anu ,heiue'e al,
sun, - ono hnnd red thousand five hundred dol
lars maid for The services oil the line oil steamers
hs,vrsn Rramen and New York, amounted 10
,,,nr m ,l;nn una huncrcd and ninety elsh. thou-
sana e:,ht hnrdr,d and toity-flve aooais' "hie"
! I..s ,ban The annual average l"r me niue
100. ,,av,nns TO Inc act OF is45, By three nun
~ ,b,nsaod seven nunlied and iofty-el2h' uol'
lars. on, ~, of limo lasi
u.,c one huodled ard Sixty Three ihousahu wv
bnnireA aud eight miles IN rxteht-oe'hs "h M
crease during The last year o. niue t'ousa"a
,br.e hnnjrcd and nicely miles. Inc mars
were TRANSPORTED over them curing The same
lime tolty.one million twelve thousand I'VE
hundred and seveny-Dine miles, ma"ins au
increase of transportation Tor the year u
iwo milton one hundred aud twenty tonr lhoa-
sand six hundred and eighty miles, whilst the e1-
nan>e WAS less Than haI OF the previous yea! ny
tour thousand Two hundred and thifty'nvs ooi'ais'
The ioc,e ease ct ne mail transportation "ilh'n
the last three wears has been 5,oto3Iu 'nUts
whilst The expenses were reduced St'o, 'oo-n6n
ing an increase of service al the ra'c vi 10 per
cent. and reduction in the expenses OF more
than 10 per cent
During the past year there nave oeeh EN-
ployed under C ntracts win tne ros' oiiioe 10
n.rtmen, Two ocean steamers III conveying tho
NpIy
and one since October last. performing semi
monthly service between Charleston and Ha-
yana. and contrac; has been made Tor Inc
transportation of the Paclhc mails across ms
isthmus from Chaeres to Panama
Under the authority given 10 the secretary OF
the Nayy three ocean steamers have neeh con
s,ructed and sent to the Pacific, and ar expect
Cd IN eorer upon the mail service between Pana-
ma and Oregon and the intermediate ports, on
the first of January next, and fourth has been
engaged by him for the service between Havana
and Chagres so that regular monthly mail line
will be kept up after that time between Inc
limited States and our territories on the facinc
Notwithstanding this great increase IN The
mail service, should the revenue continue 10 IN
crease the present year it did IN the last
there will be received near four hundred and
fifty thousand dollars more than the eSpendI
lures
these considerations have satisfied the Post
master General that, with certain modlhcations
Of HE act of 1916 the revenue may be still fur
Their increased, and reduction OF hostages
made TO a uniform rate Of five cents, without
an interference with the principle, which has
been constantly and properly enforced, oil ma
king that d. partment sustain itself.
A well digested cheap postage system IS Inc
best means OF difusing intelligence among the
people, and is Of so much Importance IN coun-
try SO extensive as that of the United States
that | recommend to your favorable consldera-
lion the suggestions of the Postmaster General
for its improvement,
Nothing can re,an The onward progress OF our
country. and prevent Us from assuming aud
maintaining The first rank among nations hui
disregard Of the experience oil The past, and re-
currence 10 an unwise public policy. We nave
lust closed foreign war by al honorable peace,
a war rendered necessary and unavoidable IN
yindicalion OF The national rights and honor.
The present condition Of the country, is SINH
lar in some respects 10 that which existed imme-
dately alter me close OF the war with Great
Britain in 1915, AL The occasion is deemed 10 DC
a proper one 10 lake a retrospect oil HE measures
OF public POLICY which followed that war. lh're
was at that period Of our history departure
from our earlier poicy.-The enlargement OF
The powers OF The federal government, by corr
s;rucuon, which obtained, was not warranted
by any just Interpretation OF the constitution
A few years after the close OF that war, series
OF measures was adopted, which, united and
combined, constituted what was termed by
their authors and advocates, the american sys-
tem."
The introduction of the new policy was Tor a
time favored by The condition OF The country by
the heavy debt which had been contracted during
the war; by the depression Of the public crecii ];
rency and nv he ,nercial and pecuniary en-
barfassinpni which extensively prevailed. These
we're not iae only causes which led 10 lis estan-
ishmeul. The events II The war with Grea BIZ.
ia in and the em5afraSsments which had attend
el lis prosecution, had LETT on The minis OF many
OF Gu. statesmen The impression hat our govern
ucnt ngt strong enough, aud thai TO weld
lis resources successfully in great emergencies
ard especially in vat, more power should be
concentrated IN lis hands
This decreased power they did not seek 10 OBJ
tain by The legitimate and prescribed mode-an
amendment OF the constitution by construc-
ton. They saw governments in The old world
based upon different orders OF society, and so
constituted as 10 throw the whole power Of ma
lions INFO The hands OF a few, who taxed and con-
trolled The many without responsibility or res
tIaint. In that arrangement they conceived Inc
strength Of nations in war consisted. There was
also something fascinating in The ease, luxury
and display oi The higher orders, who drew their
wealth from the toll OF the laboring millions
The authors OF The system drew their IDEAS OF
political economy from what they had witnessed
in Europe, and particularly in Great Britain
They had viewed The enormous wealth concen-
iraed in Jew hands, and had seen the splendoF
Of The o:erqrown establishments Of an aisIGcra-
cy which was upheld By The restrictive policy
They lc.so, 10 look down ppon The poorer elias.
>es u IT, Eac.isn population upon whose daily
aud yearly labor The great establishments they So
much admired were sustained and supported -
They tailed Ia perceive hat The ScantlY ted and
halt clad operatives were no, Only in abI"c pc
yer y, bu were bound in chains OF oppressive
servitude for The benefit Of favored classes, who
were the exclusive objects OF The care OF the gov.
ernmeDt.
II was not possible 10 reconstruct society in
the Untel States upon the European plan Here
there was a written constitution, by which orders
and titles were not rec snsed or tolerated.
system OF measure was therefore devised, cacn-
lated, ii not intended IN Withdraw power gradual
ly and silently from he States and the mass Of
the people, and by congrustion to Approximate
our government 10 the European models substi-
tuing an aristocfacs of wealth for that of orders
and Jules.
Without refec;ine uron The dissmilaIty OF our
institutions, aui II me condition OF our people
and those OF Europe, they conceived the vain idea
OF building W in III United S aes system SIM
liar 10 tina, which hey admired abroad. Gra'
Britain had a national bank Of large capital in
whose hands was concentrated The contolluc
monetary and financial power OF The nation; an
institution welding aima<, kingly power, ard
exerl,ng vast influence upon all the operations IL
usde, and upon III policy OF The government il
self Great Britain ia! an enormous public
debt, anu il had become par 81 her public policy
to regard this IS 8 ubic blessing"
Great Britain mad also a restrictive policy,
which placed letters and burdens on trade, and
trammeled The productive industry Of the mass
of the nation. BY her combined system OF po-
Icy, The landlords and other property. holders
were projected and enriched by the enormous
taxes which were levied upon The labor OF The
country for their advantage.
Initiating this foreign policy, the frs, step in