The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-03-04
THE UNION.

settlers under the acts for the armed occuaton OF Florida
III the lstday OF October, 1879 81 800
motion TO adjourn was here made and nesauved-
ayes ~, noes 30.
Mr.. SE8AS FIAN moved 10 amend the bill by insert
ing the following Item; which agreed 10:
And for correcting, restoring aud refacing OF surveys IN
the State of Arkansas, 81, 900.
Mr.. TURNEY moved to amend the bill by aiding the
following section; which was agreed to:
Bsa 'hsr ealctsd ruat the missioner of the Cen
era LtnI on; be authorized con nus three Temporary
eleks u'lt4 u recess OF N'hS1' uh'i thc Ptg 70, "
bounty lands shall be isued said clerks 10 be paid OUT oil
the contingent fund
Mr.. NILES moved to amenl the bill by ling the fol.
lowing item; which agreed to:
For additional mpsaaon the messengers the Post
Office Dsp iment as 10 place them on tbs same iooung
Sl3).
Mr. also moved to ameai The bill by aiding the fol-
lowing item:
For com pensaton to R. Hobbie Assistant Postmaster
General for his services as special agent Bremen and
England make arrangements in respect he mails OF
OF s2 ,25o,
Mr. NILES said This is compensation proposed for
special services by officer OF the government II does
not come here in the form of private CLAIM 1t is pub
lie service that has usually been provided Tor IN tins way
and in two similar cases IT has been appended 10 the
naval bill. The individual was absent on THIS service
about six months engaged IN negotiations concerning
the United States mails Bremen, making an agreement
not only with the authorities there but with two other
Germanlc States he has received no compensation
whatever. have in my hand letter which !, Is not
ing The Postmaster General has recommended that
compen son be made, by allowing hlni pay daring the
six months charge. | need say nothing concerning
this officer. lie has been very busy, that he has not
had time 10 attend TO this matter
hr. JOHNSON OF Naryla thought this was rather
bad precedent, 10 allow the Postmaster General TO send
this abroad when there no power vested IN The
Postmaster to do so, and then to make application Tor
pay. - =, =
vilual during the time OF his absence receiving
his regular salary, and whether he did not have his
penses pad!
MIR JOHNSON Of Maryland said that he understood
Mr. ALLEN shall oppose this amendment. II in
wolves in the first place the principle OF allowing man
to hold two Offices and in the next place, another princi-
Pile OF allowing the department TO create by its own ap
ponlment. without the Intervention OF The Senate,
batch OF foreign officers deny their authority to send
charges from the Post Office Department TO the countries
of the Old World But above ALL this thing OF letting
men hold two offices at once is thing which believe
the government has never sanctioned It's not case Ike
chage-lke British legation II is case OF an otcer
of the government going on an GRAND alleged to be IN
conneXion with the duties OF his office. and at the same
time drawing salary and having his expenses paid That
is what it snoihing else. There are no extra services
abont it, If there any extra services he was al
lowed for it in the payment OF his expenses; because
he had been at home he would have had to pay ms own
expense But this being extra business, imposing
upon him expenses those expenses were pad We
cannot give two offices. There are too many oil
our friends who want office
Mr.. RUSK. The senator from Ohio misapprehends
the nature of this claim. 1t stands upoa the footing OF
the claims which we have already allowed for the pay
men' Of messengers Of the Post Once Department n,
why oppose IT. II implies some right on the part OF
persons employed 10 cone here and ask to be paid.
There is no right But there will be right when we
pay the money; and tina, precedent will sand as an ever.
lasting right for everybody else to apply IN similar CIR
Gu instances.
Mt RUSK have no fear of presidents of this de-
scrpton Such precedens exist in regard to most OF the
government officers. Unless claims come here well sus-
tanned they frequently opposed, as they ought to be
This who is OF the most efficient officers IN the
city OF Washington, faithful in the discharge of his du
ties has had his salary luced by that economy which
think begins at the wrong end. We vote thousands
for useless Objects and reduce the salaries OF efficient and
faithful officers This officer receives less by $500 than
all the rest OF the heads of the bureaus lie has been
sent out by the Postmaster General, and think very
properly, TO effect important object-one which will,
in It's operalion in very few years, save thousands OF
dollars 10 the government by extending The mai facilities
10 foreign countries This has been effected mainly
through the fundamentally and active energy of this 9th
He has performed the service for the United States.
He has faithfully succeeded in the discharge of the du
ties The Postmaster General, and not he-for he is a
modest unassunlng officer, and makes no application
here-asks Congress TO make an appropriation TO com
pensae him for these extra services. There Is consd
cradle difference between the services which he has per-
formed and those performed by the heads OF the depart
ment here a, home And Iake for granted when the
Postmaster General, who is economical man, recog
nses thing of this description, that is not improper
allowance that the government OF the United States have
received the benefit OF the services, and Is just that
they should pay for them
lT.
have nothing to say. But Mr. President, what abuse is
there in this worlds history, that did not fake It's rise IN
some mertorous individual nsance! They all com.
menced in that way If YOU bring in bad man. you
not support abuse. You must get highly meritoous
il you want to put abuse on foot You must Sc
the dangerous principle by the bancy OF the char
acter of the that be benefited the particular
| instances. That is the way such things commence
Now, sir utterly deny the power OF this government
under the constitution of the United States to in
have anything TO do with the post office system beyond
the limits of the United States. deny the legality OF
this mission. deny that there power anywhere to
appoint this individual or send him abroad such an
except in clause of the constitution, and there
the power expressly limited TO this country. made
that point on another occasion.
But are told that the Postmaster General is
nomleal manlhat this particular gentleman is mero-
rious man Grant all that; and does that confer on us
authority to deal out from the pubic treasury as we
would from our private property! Are TO legisla,e
of action If the righteousness OF the man Is to be the
rule we shall get rid OF what have in
ury-very soon.
But there is another thing do not like in this
This high officer of the government should not sci the
example by coming here and asking the charity of Con
gress That should be left for the petty officers to do
the men in whom such things would he excusabe Ii is
much the more is the argument against hun. DID not
ask il himself! Wny Because, sir, take IT thai
he is ashamed TO ask it himself! This is begin
ming, sir, of system OF double commissioned
holding two Offices and going into Congress, and ask
ing to draw two salaes-one by law, and the other by
special legislation. do think it is time for US to look
little about We what spectacle this bill already
presents-a picture far more curious will be when Is
done, than any OF Mr. Catlins collection of curioslies
Here comes appropriation bill OF an unlimited length