The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-12-16


department for the past year.
Ii is gratifying to find The revenues of the
department, under the rates of postage now
established by law, so rapidly increasing.
| The gross amount of hostages during the last
| fiscal year amounted TO four million three
hundred and seventy one thousand and sew
en- dollars, exceeding the annual average re-
ceived for the nine years Immediately pre-
ceding tho passage of the net of the third Of
March, 1S45, by the sum of six thousand four
hundred aud fifty three dollars, aud exceed
! ing the amount received for the year ending
The iliirlieth of June, lS47, by the sum Of four
hundred and twenty five thousand one hun
dred and eighty four dollars.
The expenditures for The yenr, excluding
The sum of ninety four thousand six hundred
and seventy two dolars,n allowed 10y Congress
Ut It's last session 10 individual claimants, and
including the sum of one hundred thousand
five hundred dollars paid for the services OF
the line of steamers between Bremen and
New York, amounted to four millions one
hundred & ninety eight thousand eight hun
| drcd and forty five dollars, which is less than
! the annual average FOR the nine years prcyi-
Gus to the act Of lS45, by three hundred thou
sand seven hundred and forty eight dollars.
The mail routes, on The 30th day of June
! last, were one hundred aud sixty three thou
sand two hundred aud eight niles in extent
hGiug nm increase during The last year OF nine
thousand three hundred aud ninety miles.
The mails were transported over them, dur
ing the same time forty one millions twelve
thousand five hundred s. seventy nine miles;
making an increase Of transportation for the
year OF two millions one hundred and TWEEN
~ four thousand six hundred and eighty
miles, while The expense WAS less than thai
ofthc previous year by four thousand two
he'd aud thirty five dollars.
The Increase in the mail transportation
within the last three years has been five mill
ion irrce hundred and seventy eight thou
sand three hundred and ten miles, willie tic
expenses were reduced four hundred aud
fifty six thousand seven hundred and thirty
eight dularS-naking an increase Of service
al the rate Of fifteen per cent. and reduction
| in the expenses Of more than fifteen per cent.
During the past year there lave been Cni-
| ploycd, under contracts with the Post Office
| Department, two ocean steamers in convey
ing the mails monthly between New York
aud Bremen, aud one, since October last, per,
! forming sem; monthly service between
Charleston and HarNnaI and coutrHct has
been made for The transportation ofthc Pa
cific mails across the isthmus from Chugres
TO Panama.
! Under tho authority given to the Secretary
! of the Navy, three ocean steamers have been
| constructed and sent to the Pacific, aud are
expected to enter upon the mail service be-
tween Panam Rnuh Oregon, aud the uterine
dinie ports, on the LIST of January next, and tt
! fourth has been engaged Ivy him for the ser
vice between Havana and Chagrcs; so that II
regular monthly mail line will be kept up af-
ter that time between the United States aud
our territories on the Pacific.
Notwithstanding this great increase in the
mail ser, ice, should the revenue continue 10
increase the present year as il did in the last,
there will be received near $450,000 more
than the expenditures.
These considerations have satisfied the
Postmaster General that, with certain mod-
fications ofthe net of 1Si5, the revenue may
be still farther increased, aud II reduction Of
hostages nude to uniform rate offive cents,
without an interference with the principle,
which has been constantly and properly en-
forced, Of making that department sustain it.
self ....
a well dgcsted cheap postage system is
the lest means of diilising intelligence a.
mong the people, and is of so much impor-
lance in n country so extensive as that of the
United States, that recommend 10 your ia
vorabie consideration the suggestions Of the
Postmaster General for It's employment.
Notling can retard the onward progress of
our country and prevent us from assuming
and maintaining the first rank among nations,
but n disregard Of the experience of the past,
and recurrence to an unwise public policy.
We have Just closed foreign war by an hon
Orahle peucc--n war rendered necessary and
unavoidable in viudicauon of the national
rights and honor. The present condition Of
the country is similar in some respects 10
that which existed Immediately after the
close of the war with Grea, Britain in 1915,
aud the occasion is deemed to be proper
| one TO take retrospect of the measures Of
public policy which followed that war. There
was at that period ofour history departure
from our earlier policy. The enlargement
of the powers of the federal government by
construction, which obtained, was not war
ranted by any just interpretation ofthe con
siitution. A few years after the close Of that
war, a series of measures was adopted which,
united and combined, constituted, what wns
| termed by their authors nnd ad, COATES the
"Amerlcan system"
The introduction ofthc new policy was for
Il time favored by the condition ofthe coun-
try; by the heavy debt which had heen con-
tructed during the war; by the depression of
the public credit; by the dcranged state ofthe
| finances and the currency; and by the conI-
ncrcial and pccunary embarrassment which
extensively prevailed. These were not the
only causes which led to its establishments
The events Of the war with Great Britain,
and the elnburrnssncnts which had attended
| its prosecution, had left on tho minds OF many
our statesmen the impression that our gov
eminent was not strong enough, and that to
WELD It's resources successfully in great en-
ergencies, and especially in war, more pow
er should be concentrated IN its hands. This
increased power they did not seek TO obtain
bv the Legitimate and prescribed mode-an
amendment of the cunstiullion-bu hy con-
St,liclion They saw government in the old
world bascd upon different orders Of society
and sn constituted us to throw tho whole pow