The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1850-12-13

important, are not essentially naval
A revision OF the code for the govern
menl OF the navy seems 10 require the I'M
mediate consideration OF Congress. It's
system o! crimes aud punshmenls had un-
dergone no change for halt century, IN
I'll The last session, though its defects have
been often and ably pointed OUT, and the
abolition OF particular species of corpor.
al punishment, which then took place,
without providing any substitute, has left
the service 10 q stale Of effectiveness
which calls for prnmp, correction. there.
fore recommend that the whole subject be
revised without delay. and such system
established for the enforcement of dIscip.
line, as shall be at once humane and enec
lual.
The accompanying report Of the Pn>tmas
ter General presents satisfactory view oi
the operations and condition Of that depart.
mcnt.
At the close of the las, t<cn yenr the
l'ngth of the inland mail routes in the Uni.
ted States not embracing tho service in
Oregon AMI Culliornn) wns one hundred
and seventy -elghl thousand six hundred md
s.sen,ydwO miles: tho ANNA iranSpor,a-
tiOn thereon tor,v.>ix million five hundred
md ioriy-une Thousand four hundred aud
twenty three miles; and the annual cost OF
such transportation twn millions seven hun.
dred and twenty -four Thousand four hun
dred aud tweny.slx dollars.
The Increas" of tho annual transpor:n ton
over that of the preceding year, was three
millions nine hundr d and Ninety seven.
thousand three hundred and tii'y'fnur miles
and the increase in cost was three hundred
and forly.,wU thousand four hundred md
forty dollars.
States on the lat day Of July last, was
eighteen Thousand four hundred and seven
teen being an increase of sixteen hundred
aud seventy during the preceding year,
The gross revenues of the Department
for the fiscal wear end ng June 3O'h. 1850,
amounted to five mlIlons five hundred and
fifty two thousand nine hundred aud sew n
ty one dollars md fur'y eight cents, lncud.
ing the annual appropriation Of two hundred
thousand dollars for the ranked matter of
the departments, und excluding the foreign
postages collected for and payable to the
British Government.
were five millions two hundred and twelve
thousand nine hundred and fifty three dol
lars and forty three ccn's-'eaving balance
of revenue over expenditures Of three hun.
dred and forty thousand and eighteen dol
lars and five cents.
lam happy 10 find that the fiscal cond-
ton of the Department Is such rs TO Justify
the Postmaster General in recommending
the reduction of our inland letter postage
to three cents the single letter when pre-
paid, and five cents when NOT prepaid. He
also recommends that the prrpnld rate, shall
be reduced to two cents whenever the re.
venues Of the Dep'r ment, after the reGuc.
ton, shall exceed its expenditure by more
than five per cent FOR two consecutive years;
that the postage upon California and other
letters sent by our ocean steamers shall be
much reduced; and that the rates OF post.
age on newspapers, pamphlets, periodical Is.
and other printed matter shall be- modified.
aud some reduction thereon made.
Ii cannot be doubted Tint the proposed
reductions Wi. for HE present, diminish
the revenues of the department.. 1t is he
Iievcd that the deficiency. after the surplus
already accumulated shull be exhausted;
may be almost wholly met, either BY IDOL
ishing the existing privileges of sending
free matter through the mails, or by paying
out of the Treasury to the Post Office De,
partmcnt sum equivalent to The postage of
which il is deprived by such priviIeges.-
The last is supposed to he the preferable
mode, and wi |, if not entirely, so nearly
supply that deficiency, as to nuke any fur.
Their appropriation thu. may be found ne.
cessary so inconsidernble as TO form no OBJ
stacle to the proposed reductions.
| entertain no doubt of the authority of
Congress 10 make appropriations for leading
objects in that class Of public works com
prIsing what are usually called works of
internal improvement. Tins authority |
suppose 10 be derived chiefly from The pow.
Or Of regulating commerce with foreign ma.
tons. and among the States. and the power
Of laying and collecting Impo,,s. Where
commerce Is to ba carried on, and imposts
collected, there must be ports and harbors,
a. we'll as wharves aud custom. houses. If
ships, Iadcn with valuable cargoes, approach
the shore, or sail along the coast, light hon,
ses are necessary al suitable poin's for the
protection Of lilo aud property. Other ia.
cilities and securities for commerce and ma.
vigation ore hardly less important, and
those clauses of the Constitution, therefore,
10 which | have referred. have received
from the origin of the Government liberal
and beneficial construction. Not only have
light houses. buoys, and beacons been es-
tablished, and houtIng lights mqinlain, d,
but harbOrs have been cleared and improved,
Tiers constructed, ard even break waters for
tho safety of shipping. and sea walls to pros
tect huroors from being fill d up, and ren>
dered useless, by the action Of the ocean,
have been erected at very great expense.
And this construction of the Constitution
appears the more reasonable from the consi.
deratinn, that if these works, OF such eyi.
dent Importance and utility, are not to be
accomplished by Congress, they cannot be
accomplished a, oil. By the adoption Of the
Constitution the several States voluntarily
parted with tn. power of collecting duties
Of impost III their own pcrts and 1t is not
to be expected that they should raise money
BY internal taxation, direct or indirect, for
the benefit Of that commerce, the revenues
derived from which do not. either in whole
or in part, 60 into their own treasures
Nor do perceive any difference between
the power Of Congress to make oppropra-
lions for objects Of this kind on the ocean
n0d the power 10 make appropriations for