The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-02-10

right 10 enter; when we entered upon this business
establishing ocean mail routes. then we abandoned the
idea OF making the Post Office Department pay It's own
expenses If we had not abandoned this idea, wha
woHd have been condition in relation to this ocean
mail route Here is line that runs over nothing but
wilderness OF waters mail to any intervening
points, merely carries the letters of few merchants from
one point TO another, and pay this line four hundred
thousand dollars and IN return receive from the line
the pary sum OF twenty nine thousand dollars
But sir IN the very same yearand repeat this, be-
cause intend to make it take hold upon the public at
tenton-n the very same year that we voting one
million and third of dollars 10 keep up this and the
other lonr ocean mail lines, knocked down two hun
dred and ninety post offices from among the people. We
knocked them down; and for what, sir! Because the
revenue arising IRON these two hundred and ninety post
Offices did not pay Tor keeping them up therefore down
they went They were not in England, in Bremen,
nor IN iavf out ,hey were among the people and while
we were putting up these European post Offices and esab
fishing our ocean maroutes where the expense quad
rupes fve times overhe income. we were knocking down
the post offices where consttuonally bound to
keep them up, because they did pay for themselves
Because the people of Iowa and Wisconsin, where the
country was not thickly settled did not write letters
keep up post offices within distance of ten miles from
them therefore the inhabitants of those parts of the
country must travel thirty miles to deposte letter in the
post offices and il these people complain, they told
your post Offices do pay for themselves and therefore
we must down with them But il is not So sir, when
the polished and moneyed gentlemen who visit this city
about the opening OF session OF Congress, and take
quarters at the magnificent hotels, and get jobs from the
servants OF the peoplehese gentlemen who spend the
vacatonsof Congress in planning and plotting, and in
employing all the of fnesse and mathematics
determine the shortest means and most infaible manner
by which they can enrich themselves out of the public
treasury and that in single session-when these
their abodes, as | have said before, in the mag
nlfcent hotels and have their papers sent in pro-
posing to carry the mail between New York and Liver
pool, and have spent three or four months in billing
and coolng with the members; in iaering this man and
that-"if can only get your support such is your in
uence with the Senate and the country.my bill will be
on thar man nm
iuence, my dear sir that II you oppose my BILL your
very name will crush it, for your name stands
tura antagonist to corruption of every kind = and end
with agentle request thAt if he cannot vote for it, just
to step out of the way whenever il up and not
throw his influence against ;after all this billing and
cooling, and fattering, in which dozen twenty
compllshed gentlemen engaged around obbies,
from the commencement 10 the termination of every
sion; after all these appliances that are visible. have
passed and have found that it is far easy to
pass bill under that kind of influence than to pass it
under the influence OF the whole public mind Of the
try besides Yes, sir; these lobby-men, these under
takers these obbers, these polished nancies, whose
ardent patriotism prompts them to here and suggest
these gigantic schemes every yearthey say and dare
government than million of farmers at home, at work
upon their FARMS Yes, may be passed through
IN that way which all the petitions and all the memorials
OF all the farmer, in America could not stir in the two
houses OF Congress Such is the great difference between
a remote request and present personal importantly
Hence it is that. though we started out upon the
and post.roads. and make the people in their vicinity
pay the expenses yet, when we come to giving out
Jobs for contracts for ocean postage we abandoned the
idea of making the system pay Tor ITSELF and prefer
here have done within the last three years, to
make contracts to the amount OF million three
hundred and thrty-four thousand dollars Why, sir,
as | will show from another document, the whole of
the contracts for the transportation of the mails of
the United States between sixteen thousand post Of
fees, over foriyone million miles per annum in steam
boats, railroads, coaches and on horseback. amount
to about two millions and a third; but here is this
external transportation got up, like fungus grow
ing upon sound body, got up within four years, given
out in jobs to individuals for whom We had right to
legislate, and quite alien to people; this external
transportation has up four years to than half
the expense OF the internal transportation. Yet, when
we ask in behalf of three millions OF people, that you
would diminish your taxes to the extent OF four hun
dred thousand dollars per annum on the privilege of read
ing that you would encourage the intelligence OF the
country, and open the channels OF communication still
wider between the people with each other, and between
the people and the the money IDEA instantly
not do It? Because there are three or four gentlemen
behind the bar here.accompshed gentlemen gentle
men of fortune and of acknowledgements gentlemen
who desire just that sum-three hundred and ninetyhve
thousand dollars per annum under the of another
contract, to carry the mail from New York tonot Bre
mcn-but Liverpool.
contract was also entered into by the same officer
with certain individuals to carry the mail from New York
to New Orleans, in mail steamers for which 100000
per was to be given After the Secretary of the
Navy has committed the government to the extent OF
100000 per dnnum, the Postmaster General comes for
ward and tells that that will not do that the mail can
be carried much expedtiously safely, and surely in
the old way, by railroad the country But we
never stop TO examine matters very carefully when job
is wanted by any of these lobby men to whom have
referred. A job was wanted when this contact
entered no and the matter could not be delayed 1t
not a question between us and the people, which we
could argue twevemonth about but it was between
and the gentleman behind the bar and he informed that
he could wait, and told him take the money
and after he had got the money the Postmaster General
comes out and says that it is all mistake that do not
~ lnt hat M hn ma III nm
and believe it is that has been assigned Why, sir
some of these Jobs were rendered negotiable, and the
probability is that they will before long attain the char
acter OF circulating medium. An Individual may get a
thousand dollars and then go the great money streets
IN New York and hawk it about for sale. Here have
been five contracts entered into for carrying mails in
steamships, and believehat two three contracts out
of the five have been assigned One obtained by
gentleman living in Cincinnati believe whose name is
Sloo who has assigned his contract Another was OBJ
ained by gentleman Of the of Harris to cirry the
mail to Panama, believe; and he, too has assigned his
contract
Mr. NILES lin his seat) Allfhe contracts have been
assigned to Mr.. Collins
Mr.. ALLEN. They have all been assigned so that it
contracts through Congress, and contracts have been
tered into IN four years to the amount OF per
dnnum.
Mr. President, in this state of things think have said
enough to make the local presses OF this country and the
city presses likewise if they to assert the rights OF
the people as well as their put their members OF
Congress upon the ALERT and make them cural and re-
trench these external expenses in order to enable to
curta the internal expenses II they want free circu-
laion they must take hold of the subject Two thou
sand newspapers, lifting up their voices to three millions
of men in this country will make themselves head it
81 had hah lind haro