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


Atlantic cities that never heard any complaint from thea
because they had TO pay for the transportation of the
letters across the Atlantic. They would have
thought OF calling upon the government to contribute to
defray the expenses attendant upon the transportation oil
their merchandise as the postage upon their letters
The merchants OF New York would have scorned the
baseness OF such conduct No. this scheme to get into
the public treasury was devised, matured and accom-
pshed by the jobbers They looked to the example of
thing had been done-hey saw that the government
there wanted an excuse to augment the navy in time of
peace, in order to find cradles for the nobility
and the jobbes. wanted to the mail system with
the defensive SYSTEM IN order to get Jobs and
to make fortunes out of them This is the corrupting
feature Of that government, which consider by far the
most odious in the world. The high aristocracy who
WELD the political power have also interest coincident
with the stock obbes, and therefore these classes
the high arisocatc and the stock obbng money power,
Up to that time, sir, up to the time when the obbers
hit upon the happy idea OF getting into the public treas
ury after the English fashion-up to that tme had
been taught to believe that navy the great
OF the public defence. BVt all at once it found
out that unless the government employed these men
to build vessels OF certain kind TO carry the mails.
and entered INTO arrangements with them, by which
these vessels could be converted, in of emer-
gency, into ships of war; that we could not expect
to cope with enemies at sea II was necessary to
enter into some arrangement with these obbers by which
these vessels. after carrying cargoes OF flour and
chandse Of all kinds for twenty years, until they had
gone into decay could be brought into the service of the
navy; SO that when some fifteen or twenty years hence
it may be convenient for to stretch little arm over
to Canada, and her Majesty Victoria the First shall send
her fleet around here protect her possessions such an
event we may be able to drive our enemies from our
waters and have gone to the expense of 81 1884 900
per annum Tor fear such contingency may arise We
have gone to this expense to do that which have no
constitutional power to doo establish mail routes the
world over, making determinations between the ports of
the United States in express opposition to the consttu
ton But what is the constitution when jobs waned
That will do barrier when appropriations wanted
for the benefit OF the people, but not when jobs
wanted matter of genty between officers OF the
he har Than
no constitution is known. Some time other this thing
will be changed But. Mr. President, fear have de-
had been speaking for such length of time. Though
have something more to say, will not detan the Senate
longer at this time, but will reserve what urhec have
TO say for OF these Jobs that behind the bar
Mr. Aliens second speech on the same subject as the first
and IN ans,oer to Mr. Miles, delivered IN the Senate
the 5ht instant.
Mr. ALLEN rose and said
Mr.. PRESIDENT regret that the prevailing epidemic,
the influenza renders me at this time incapable OF speak
ing TO the Senate in a manner | should desire | will
rheless, proceed feeling fully assured that the bust
ness have in hand is ola character easy, that it may
be performed even by an unwell man.
At the commencement of this discussion announced
to the Senate that was my intention to bring the inter
nal postoice establishment OF this country in contrast
with the external mailroute establishment. said, Sir,
that thought it monsrous policy in this government
IN the very year when they were disseminating. and did
discontinue, two hundred and nnetysx post Offices pre-
established among the people the sole
equal to their expenses say that thought
srous policy that the government when doing this
should spend one million and third per annum to carry
five mails from two ports in the United States four
ports in foreign countries. said that, Mr.. President
and appears that this system is monstrous that
its friends dare stand forth and defend it without
sorting preext utterly falsefalse in its toalty and
false in its every parcuar-tha this system of ocean
mail pang INTO being out OF the apprehension we
entertained OF with England The friends OF this
system feel to be such outrage upon this country
that il has grown up to its present monstrous size,
that in order to justify themselves for its creation and
its perpetuty they have to resort to national deence and
falsely resort to national defence, for the
and continuance of this system OF mail
And shall show, sir, not by words but by acts,
by my acts, but by legislative acis that this pretence
utterly false and furthermore, that it impossible il
could be anything else but false.
Sir it is said that the system of ocean mal-routes arose
out Of the apprehension Of with England, and that
had much to do with exciting that apprehension by
speech which delivered in this hail. Now, sir, how
record upon this subject? What the late of the dis
cussion upon the Oregon bill And what was the date
of the first act passed by Congress originating this sys
tenn OF mail routes The first act establishing these
routes bears date the third day of March, 1s45one
day before the present administration into power
The discussion upon the Oregon question took place one
year after being in 1916. Up to that lineup to the
time Of that discussionno man believed that there was
the remotest probability of war with Great Britain
and pending that discussion no man who knew the state
of things in this body had the slightest apprehension of
any with Great Britain; but, above ALL the SEN
ator from Connecticut could not have been in1u-
to be of those who contributed to the yielding up
of the cause of quarrel out of which this anticipated
war was expected to arise But have shown you that
this system originated year before any apprehension
OF with England was entertained even by children
This system originated before the present administration
was installed in powerone year before that speech was
made to which the senator from Connecticut ascrbes
the power OF producing apprehension of war with
En- gland. But, sir, have said this system Is
monsous and has become appalling in the eyes
of its projectors that they willing to violate the un-
devating laws of me and resort to reason which is
junior to the for which that reason is given.
What was that first act upon which this system has
been built! 1t act which authorized the Post
master General to contract for the transportation of the
mail between the ports of the United States and the ports
raj at liberty to contract with sailing vessels, making it
only incumbent upon him to give the preference to steam
vessels where vessels bid for the contract But
cautious Congress upon this subject that they
Qured the express language of that act that the Post
master General should send the contracts to Congress at
the next session. order that Congress might the
contracts before they should become obligatory upon the
government.
Now sir, mark that this first act did not require posi-
lively that the mails should be carried in steamers 1t
only gave steamers preference over sailing vessels
when steamers, all other circumstances being equal bid
this having been designed war measure, twelve
months before any OF existed 1t did not even
provide that these should be constructed with
view to The only thing in the act that mas the
clause which says that "he United States shall be at
liberty appropriate these steamers to Its own use IN the
event of a war" That power was utter surplusaye,
utterly unnecessary because without 1t the government
would have had the power to appropriate every steamer
and every sailing vessel upon the that belonged
the peopie of the United States for that purpose, without
any law upon the subject other than that great law OF
national nece ssy recognised in the constitution of the