The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-02-10
CITY OF WASHINGTON SATURDAY MORNING. FEBRUARY TO- S49


AS II is, although the form of power passes out OF the
constituent to the representative through the action of the
ballot box yet. by having open communication between
the twosy bringing the actor, who is the representative
directly IN front OF the men in whose he acts
and holding him there while he acts-he constituents
secure, to some extent the Just exposition of their
wishes say sir 10 extent, because truth is my
object and because truth compes to say, that
with the aid of the press the people not always
able to make their will and their interests they should
be, the sole rule of our legislative action Sir many
time and oft does it happen that things deeply injurious
to the public interests are done here under influences
mighty indeed, but quiet, and which unseen and I'M
felt beyond the limits of this city What, sir, do be.
hold here session after session Do we not see the
crowd of cunning iobbers and spectators, who flock to
to enrich themselves out of the public treasury by
obtaining acts OF special legislation Do not
see these men, by solicitations, by opportunities, by
fatteries and other obtain the passage OF acts
through Congress which all the petitions OF all the
farmers in America could not mover Sir, | will give
an illustration | will take the one which, from its
very nature connects itself with the subject in hand
will take that great class of corrupt and corruptng
jobs-the spawn OF our recent legsation-the Jobs of
ocean mail routes.
| Sir, have said that Congress has established the
internal mail routes because the constitution conferred
upon Congress the power, andmposed the obligation TO do
so. Otherwise, Congress would have had right
to provide, at the public expense, for the
portatlon OF mems private letters than for the trans
portaton of produce and merchandise. Well, sir, how
Are they authorized by the constitution No, sir; not a
word OF it. How came they then, into existence' Has
Congress right to establish at the public expense, the
means OF transportation OF mems produce and merchan
disc from our ports to all the ports of the world No.
sir How is II. then, that Congress has the right to do
this with regard to merchants letters This, however,
has been done and done too at expense OF one mil
lion and third of dollars per annum to this nation
done in flat violation of the constituondone TO give
fat fortunes out OF the public treasury TO few comPa
MES OF Incorporated jobbers who seeking, by the
aid OF the peoples money, to monopolize navigation
and the carrying trade, to the deep injury of the
millions of our citizens who are engaged in those
dpDartuenS of buSinps9 Yes. SUch the mighty
expenditure made for this unconstitutional, unjust,
and, to the people. ruinous object an object, the
whole expenditure of million and third upon which
from the public treasury last year. brought back TO that
treasury return of twenty thousand dollars only
This we did, and this we are doing at the very time when
we are pulling down post offices at home, at the rate OF
two hundred and nney-s per annum, and disseminating
mail routes through the hinly settled parts of
try, upon the plea that they DO not pay their own sx-
penses But, sir, in order to illustrate fully the in
justice OF our legislation in this particular, will take
single one OF these ocean mal-routes.
Well, sir we have now one contract for carrying the
mail between New York and Bremen, with a discretion
the part OF the carrier to stop at Havre where there
nothing between heaven and earth carry but letters
and probably few leading city newspapers. On this
route between its points of termination there is inter-
venng population of a million srong--nothing but
barren waste of intervening waters. What do we pay
for carrying these few letters We are to pay four hun
dred thousand dollars per annum for this contrac-an
amount equal in itself to all the dimnution of the
which will be effected by the proposition now upon
The table of the Senate said the other day that could
demonstrate, if demonstration is word applicable to
moral reasoning, that could extend this privilege, that
have shown would reach three millions OF people, with
out losing more money than pay for carrying single
mail twelve times year between New York. Have, and
Bremen That is what said But, sir there was econ
omy then. There other contracts of this kind which
will name. AS | told you when this question was up
before the Senate few days ago, | intend to bring the
local interests of this country in competition with its for
egn interests. will bring the value and Importance OF
the local home postoce system in competition with this
foreign system. have shown you that this one-mall
line running between two points, costs as much money
as this measure will take from the public revenue The
mail running from here to St Louis scaers It's benefits
over thousand points The mail running between this
city and Augusta in Maine, or Savannah, in Georgia,
scaers its benefits all along the road through popuous
country, and to thousand points, difusng its blessings
as it goes along 10 millions OF peoples but here one
mail running acr sss rackess waste OF waters touch
ing only at point except that from which 1t starts;
and pay for that mall for carrying merchants letters
twelve times a year. as much money as we shall lose by
diminishing this tax upon reading proposed by the amend
ment now submitted to the Senate
But there is more, sir, great deal more We have
another OF these ma. lines between New York and Law.
erpool Mark you the other was between New York and
Bremen, with the discretion to take in avre, and this line
TO be paid four hundred thousand dollars per annnm
The actual expenditure last year was but hundred
thousand dollars in consequence of the company not hav.
ing complied with the contract and not having put all
the steamers agreed upon Well sir, this four hundred
thousand dollar contract has illustrated, during the past
year and the year before the force Of that great I @
proposing 10 establish this line was under discussion in
the Senate il argued that the British steamers were
getting all the prOntS O OF
American citizens between the two countries 1t was then
stated that the profits this mail route were enormous,
and that if we did not establish this line OF steamers and
thus for share OF these profits, the British gov
eminent would soon realize enough from the ranspora-
ton of our letters TO pay off the national debt Why
sir, gentlemen then talked about the profits expected to
arise from the transportation of these letters many in
the phrenzy of their imagnaons, now talk about the
exhausess wealth of California. Just give rs, said
they, this line OF steamers just bring us IN competition
with the British and you will see such an amount of
revenue as would make tho very mouths OF senator's
water [Laughterl
WELL sir, we have had the experience, We have laid
out four hundred thousand dollars OF our money, and
what is the result. The Postmaster General tells u.s.
very modestly, in little corner OF his reportha has
put it In manner which would seem to say this Is in
tended merely parenthesis and may be omitted with
out spelling the Sir, when heard those flaming
accounts of anticipated profits that were to be reaped
from this enterprise thought that we might be able
from this immense pYerpus OF wealth. to construct
canopy your head something like that described as
shading the head of the great Mogu which according to
the description constructed of solid diamonds. -Four
pillars supported the canopy, and they composed of
the same material, and on each corner was perchen
large. sized peacock, and they also made oil dla
monds Yet sir, Notwithstanding all these brilliant ex
peca,ions the sum total of the immense that we
TO derive from carrying these letters comes down
to the wastcoat- pocket of twenty nine thousand
dollars Four hundred thousand dollars has been SPENT
or il to be SPENT under this contract in order to compete
| win the English in order to break down the English
monopoly in carrying letters, and, by Withholding from
them that source OF eyehus, further TO en-
extended four hundred thousand dollars in order to do
this-o crafty our love of money and hatred of the
British; and in the latter most cordially participate, so
lar as the government is concerned do speak of the
oeople In order to do this have made this expendl
ture and here are profits The profit on four hun
4 A I,o (fnr n mi nn