Democratic banner., 1850-12-16

Ria accompanying report Of the Post
Nfsstsr Generslpresents Q satiSfactory view
nftbe operations aud condition Of that De.
partment.
AZ the close Of the last fiscal year, the
length of the inland mail routes in the Uni
tad States, not embracing the services in O.
recon and California, was 1858 miles,
.he aoursl transportation thereof, 46,64l,-
aga miles, and the annual cost ofsuch trans.
narration, SO, ,426 81. The increase Of
the snnual transportation over that OF the
p~rsceding year, was 1897 1854 miles, and
The increase of cost was $342,44O So. The
number Of Post Offices on the frst day OF
July last, was ls.4lT, being an increase OF
1870 during the preceding year.
The gross Revenues Of the Department
for the fscalyear ending June 3Oth, 1860,
amounted to $5,552,27 So, including the
annual appropriation ofthe $4,000 for the
franked matter of the Departments, and En-
GLIDING the foreign hostages collected for,
and payable to, the British Government
The expenditures for the same period were,
$6,2l2 s6s So, leaving Q balance Of Revs.
nus over expenditures, Of $340.Ole %. ]
an hsppy to find, that the fiscal condition
of the Department 10 such as to justify the
Post Master General in recommending q
reduction Of our inland postage TO three
cents the single letter, when prepaid, or Eve
cents when not prepaid. He also recon.
msnds, that the prepaid rates shall be re-
4duced whenever the Revenue Of the De.
partment, .sftef the reduction, shall exceed
rs expenditures by more than Eve per cent.
for two consecutive years; that the postage
upon the California, and those letters sent
By our Ocean steamers, shall be much re-
duced, and that the rates Of postage on
newspapers, pamphlets, periodicals and o.
ther printed matter, shsh be modified, and
some reduction thereon made.
Il cannot be doubted, that the proposed
reduction will. for the present, diminish che
Revenues Of the Department. Iii believ-
ed,-thst the deficiency, sfter the already
accumulated surplus shall be exhausted,
may be almost fully met, BY sbolishing the
privilege of sending Tree matter through the
mails, or BY paying out Of the Treasury TO
the Post Okice, Q sum equivalent to the
postage Of which it 10 deprived by those
privileges. The last 10 supposed TO be the
preferable mode, snd will, If not entirely,
% nearly supply thatdehcisncy, As to make
any further appropriation unnecessary. 1t
may be found 90 uncomfortable 10 to .orm
no obstacle to the reduction.
entertain no doubt Of the authority Of
Congress to make appropriations for lead.
SnGf6bjects 10 thHt ciass-ef- pablo works,
called by the general name of Internal I'm.
provements. This authority I suppose 10
ibe derived chiefly from the power Of reg
sslatiag commerce with foreign nations.
and among the States, aRd the power Of
laying and collecting imposts. When COM
merce 10 to be carried on, and imposts col
lected, there must be ports and harbors, %
we'll a. whsrves and custom houses. Ifships
laden with yslable cargoes approach the shore,
essary It suitable points for the protection Of
life and property, other facilities and securities
for commerce and navigation are not less impor.
tant; and these clauses Of the Constitution, there.
fore, to which / have referred, have received,
from the orign Of the Government, q liberal and
beneficial construction. Not vnly have light
houses, buoys, and beacons been established, and
Aoeing lights been NsintaiAed, but harbcrs have
been cleared and improved, piers constructed, and
even breakwaters for the safety Of shipping, and
ssa-walls TO protect harbors from being filled up
and rendered useless BY the action of the ocean,
have been erected At very great expense. This
construction ofthe Constitution appears the more
wsrrantabls from the consideration, that If these
works, Of such evident Importance and utility.
are not to be accomplished by Congress, they
cannot be accomplished at ill. BY the adoption
Of the Constitution, the several States voIuntari.
" parted with the power OF collecting duties on
imports within their own ports, and il 10 not 10
Inspected that they should raise money by in
t~axaticn, direct or indirect, for the benefit
6t4 commerce-he revenues from which do
moi, either in whole or in part, 60 into their own
treasury; nor do ! perceive any difference be-
tween the power ofCongress to make appropria-
items for objects Of this kind on The Ocean, and
The power 70 mako appropriations for similar oh.
iects oo Lakes and Rivers, whenever they are
large enough to bear on their waters an extern
sivs tra6e. The magnificent Mississippi and its
tributaries, and the vast Lakes Of the North and
Northwest, sppear to me to fall within the exer-|
else Of the power. as Justly and - clearly a. the
Oeesn and the Gulf Of Mexico. It is q mistake
10 rsssrd expenditures judiciously made for these
oelsess q expenditures for local purposes.
In fethhinE our constitutional duties, fellow