American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-12-02

for mail service on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers
In 1882 and 1888. and the amount paid to the Brit
sh post Office for foreign hostages collected for and
payable to that ofce) amounted to $6,024, 500 10;
leaving balance of revenue the proper ex-
penditures of the year Of $703,299 SO.
The receipts for hostages during the year Eek
GLIDING the foreign hostages collected for and pay
able to the British post ofce) amounted to $685.,
7472l, being increased 1897 ,6l0 70, 100
per cent. 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 reliable estimate of the receipts for
the present year yet be made. II lie 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 ap-
preparation from the treasury, in aid of the
nues Of the Department, is required for the cur
rent fiscal year; but an additional appropriation
for the year ending June 80, 1862 will probably be
found necessary when the receipts of the first two
quarters of the fiscal year fully ascertained.
In his last annual report the Postmaster General
recommended reduction of postage to rates which
he deemed as low as could be prudently adopted,
unless Congress was prepared to appropriate from
the treasury, for the support of the Department,
sum more than equivalent to the mail services
performed by it for the Government. The recon-
mendations of the Postmaster General, in respect
to letter postage except on letters from and to Cal
ifornia and Oregon, were substantially adopted by
the last Congress. He now recommends adherence
to the present letter rates, and advises against
further reduction until justified by the revenue of
the Department
He also recommends that the rates of postage
printed matter be so revised as 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 accumuating for more than sixty years,
and, interspersed with private acts, 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 no 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
imperfectly described, and others are entirely
omitted; SO that fragrant crimes may be commit
ted with impunity. The scale of punishment is
not in all graduated according to the degree
and nature Of the offence, and is often rendered
more unequal by the different modes of imprson-
ment, or penitentary confinement, in the differ
ent States.
Many laws of permanent character have been
introduced into appropriation bills, and it is often
difficult to determine whether the particular clause
expires with the temporary act of which it is
part, or continues in force. II has also frequent
ly happened that enactments and provisions of
law have been introduced into bills with the title
general subject of which they have little or
connection relation. In this mode of le-
gislation many cnactments have been heaped
upon each other, and often with but little con-
sderaton, that, in many instances, it is difficult
to search out and determine what is the law.
The Government of the United States is emphat-
icaly government of written laws. The statutes
should, therefore, 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 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
cencies, correcting incongruites, 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 APP
proved by the President, and appropriated one
hundred thousand dollars to be expended under
his direction, by such architect as he should ap-
point to 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 it was therefore
deemed advisable to combine and adopt the advan-
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.
mttees and officers of the two branches of the Lc-
gslature. II was also desirable not TO mar the
harmony and beauty of the present structure,
which, as specimen OF architecture, is so univer-
sally admired. Keeping these objects in view,
concluded to make the addition by winos detacb