The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-09-24
Mail Steamship system.

sppi In the debate upon the Naval Appro-
pIiation bill, he remarks:
81 am opposed to the ocean mail steam system,
because it subverts the we'll established policy of
the Post Office Department. policy founded in
Justice and equity. What is that policy? 1t sthat
the Poet Office Department should sustain itself,
and not become a tax upon the general treasury;
that the revenues derived from the Offices of that
branch Of the public service should pay the
penses of that department of the Government.
That policy never departed from in time of
peace until this mail system established
in March, 1885,
Now, we differ with this gentleman in regard
both to the policy and to the history of the Post
Office Department The Constitution gives to
| Congress the power "to establish post offices
| and post roads" 1t imposes upon it the duty
to provide facilities for the transmission of in
teligence. The policy of the Post Office De-
partments, therefore, to perform this great duty
to the people of the Union. Its operations
should be conducted with economy; there should
be no expenditure that the public interest does
| not demand; but no plan for complying effectu-
ally with the great duty which the Constitu-
| ton imposes upon Congress should be rejected
because it does not pay its own expenses. We
opposed the former rates of postage as grossly
| unequal; letters passing between points of great
commercial intercourse were charged with an
| excessive rate of postage; private enterprise
would have performed the service at much
lower rate-indeed it did So These rates
were defended upon the ground that though
correspondents in New York OF Philadelphia
| were paying higher rates of postage than was
proper, yet it was essential to the independence
Of the Post Office system that it should bear its
own expenses, and that the profit upon the
transportation CT the mail between points of great
commercial intercourse enabled the Department
to supply mail facilities to the remote interior
where the post routes were unproductive, and
the mail carried at loss. 1t is evident that
those who paid rate Of postage higher than
the mail service could be performed for, were
directly taxed to supply those whose mail routes
did not pay their own expenses. All this was
| necessary to maintain the policy that the Post
Office should sustain itself Now. our opinion
is. that the Government is bound TO furnish
mail facilities, and the treasury is bound to pay
for them, and not TO tax one portion of the citi-
zens with the supply of mail facilities to an
other. IL follows from this doctrine, that if the
correspondence and intercourse between the
United States and other nations require the
establishment Of mail-steamers, it is the duty
Of the Government to establish or employ them.
Butw are surprised that Mr. T. does not sup
port the present bill upon the economical policy
announced by him. The Constitution says that
Congress shall "provide and maintain navy"
Now there is no more obligation upon the Navy
Department to Sustain tself' without "be-
coming tax upon the general treasury" than
there is upon the Post Office Department. Both
are branches Of the public service which Con-
gress is bound to perform. Here is the propo-
sition introduced and advocated by Mr.. STAN
TON. In regard TO this very system Of ocean
mail-stesmers, he says:
"The adoption and reasonable extension Of this
system will enable 10 keep the peace establish
ment Of the navy within proper limits, without
exposing our commerce 10 the imminent hazard Of
destruction upon the sudden occurrence Of war.
We will be thus cheaply providing and maintain
ing the most ample means Of defence for every
emergency. At the same time, we will be protect
ing, defending, and charging our commerce, arm
ing Il with the resources OF this Government 10
enable It to cope with tho combined power Of Bit
ish capital and the British crown"
Thesystem Of employing mail -sieamers should
therefore commend itself to Mr.. F., because il
proposes TO reduce the expenses Of the navy by
making the naval appropriations extend our
commerce during peace, and enabling these
commercial steamers to protect the country in
time Of war.
But Mr.. f. states that the policy that the |
Post Office should sustain itself was never de- |
parted from, in time Of peace, until this ocean
mail system was established in March, ls45 |
We suppose that the policy Of the Department
was to make it's business pay its expenses, if |
possible. But its policy has been one thing,
and its practice another. Thus Mr.. FEATHER
sroS may have proclaimed, upon the stump. |
that it is the policy" Of the Locofocos to avoid
national debt. lie perhaps never informed his
auditors that the Government has been in
volved in debt by the administration Of his
choice, and that his favorite policy has been
controlled by the acts Of his political party. But
II 80 happens that this independent and cconomi-
cal branch Of the public service has scarcely
ever paid Its own expenses, and that, in
stead Of Sustaining ITSELF" it has often been
a "tax upon the general treasury" We pass
over the memorable alterations between Mr..
BARRY and Congress, when he had borrowed a
large sum for the purposes and upon the credit
Of this independent department. When Mr.. f.
affirms that this policy "was never departed
from, in time Of peace, until this ocean mail
system was established in March, 1885," we
him TO say that the Post Office De
partment paid its own expenses up to the date ,
referred to. Now, it 30 happens that, from q
1897 TO lS45, during period Of profound peace, .
the Post Office Department did not pay it's own
expenses 90 far from Sustaining ITSELF it be-
'sme Ajax upon the general treasury" of nearly
million and aqusrter Of dollars. The reduc- Ii