The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-12-02

$40, 500 40, paid under an award OF the AUDITOR
in pursuance Of resolution Of the last Congress-
for mail service ON the Ohio and Mississippi rivers
in 1882 and 1885, and the amount paid TO the Brit
ish post office for foreign hostages collected for and
payable to that ofice) amounted to S6,O24,566 10;
leaving a balance Of revenue over the proper en-.
penditures Of the year Of ss703.299 80.
The receipts for postages during the year Eek
GLIDING the foreign hostages collected for and pay
able to the British post ofce) amounted to 6,3io-
TAT 81 being increased 1897 ,6lO 1907 1866 100
per cent. over the like receipts for the preceding
year
The reduction Of postage, under the act OF
March last did not take effect until the commence
ment Of the present fiscal year. The accounts for
the first quarter, under the operation OF the re-
duced rates, will not be settled before January
next; and no reliable estimate Of the receipts for
the present year can yet be made II is believed,
however, that they will fall far short Of those Of
the last year. The surplus Of the revenues now
on hand is, however, SO large that no further APP
preparation from the treasury, in aid OF the reye-
nues Of the Department, is required for the cur.
rent fiscal year; but an additional appropriation
for the year ending June 80, 1884, will probably be
found necessary when the receipts OF the hfst two
quarters Of the fiscal year fully asceriainr.,
In his last annual report the Postmaster General
recommended reduction Of postage to rates which
he deemed as low as could be prudentiy adopted,
unless Congress prepared to appropriate from
the treasury, for the support of the Department,
sum more than equivalent to the mail services
performed by 1t for the Government The recon-
mendatons of the Postmaster General, in respect
to letter postage, except on letters from and to Cal
ifornia and Oregon, were substantially adopted by
tho last Congress. He now recommends adherence
TO the present letter rates, and advises against
further reduction until justified by the revenue of
the Department
lie also recommends that the rates Of postage on
printed matter be so revised to render them
more simple, and more uniform in their operation
upon oil classes Of printed matter. submit the
recommendations Of the report to your favorable
consideration.
The public statutes of the United States have
now been accumulating for more than sixty years,
and, interpreted with private acts, are scattered
through numerous volumes, and, from the cost of
the whole, have become almost inaccessible 10 the
great mass Of the community. They also exhibit
much Of the incongruity and imperfection Of hasty
legislation. As it seems to be generally conceded
that there is common law" Of the United
States to supply the defects Of their legislation, it
is most important that that Legislation should be
perfect as possible. defining every power intended
to be conferred, every crime intended to be made
punishable, and prescribing the punishment to be
inflicted. In addition to some particular cases
spoken Of more at length, the whole criminal code
is now lamentably defective. Some offences are
imperiectiy described, and others are entirely
omitted; SO that fragrant crimes may be commit
ted with mpunity. The scale of punishment is
not in all cases graduated according to the degree
and nature Of the offence, and is often rendered
more unequal by the different modes Of imprison-
ment. or penitentary confinement, in the differ
ent States.
Many laws Of permanent character have been
introduced into appropriation bills, and il is often
difficult to determine whether the particular clause
expires with the temporary act of which II is a
part, or continues in force. Ii has also frequent
iy happened that enactments and provisions Of
law have been introduced into bills, with the title
or general subject Of which they have little or
no EXON or relation. In this mode Of le-
gisation many enactments have been heaped
upon each other, and often with but little con-
alteration, that, in many instances, It is difficult
to search out and determine what ia the law.
The Government OF the United States Is emphat-
ically government Of written laws. The statutes
should, therefore, as far practicable, not only
be made accessible TO all, but be expressed in Ian
guage so plain and simple as to be understood by
all, and arranged In such method as to give per-
spicuity to every subject. Many Of the States
have revised their public acts with great and
manifest benefit; and recommend that provision
be made by law for the appointment Of a com.
mission to revise the public statutes Of the United
States, arranging them in order, supplying def
ciencics correcting ncongruties, simplifying their
language, and reporting them to Congress for it's
action.
An act of Congress approved 30th September,
1850, contained provision for the extension Of the
Capitol, according to such plan as might be ap.
proved by the President, and appropriated one
hundred thousand dollars to be expended under
his direction, by such architect as he should ap.
point 10 execute the same. On examining the va.
rious plans which had been submitted by differ.
cnt architects, in pursuance of an advertisement
by committee Of the Senate, no one was found
TO be entirely satisfactory, and II was therefore
deemed advisable to combine and adopt the adyan.
tages Of several.
The great object to be accomplished was to make
such an addition as would afford ample and con.
venient halls for the deliberations Of the two Houses
OF Congress. with sufficient accommodations for
spectators, and suitable apartments for the com
mit,ees and officers Of the two branches Of tho lie.
gislaturo II was also desirable not TO mar the
harmony and beauty Of the present structure,
which, specimen Of architecture, IL so univer-
sally admired. Keeping these objects in view,
concluded to make the addition by wings, detach-
cd from the present building, yet connected with IL
by corridors. This mode Of enlargement will leave
the present Capitol uninjured, and afford grcatad-
yantages for ventilation and the admission Of
light, and will enable the work to progress without
interupting the deliberations Of Congress. To
carry this plan into effect have appointed an