The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1851-12-05


Auditor, in pursuance Of resolution Of the
last Congress, for mail service on the Ohio and
MISSISSIPPI rivers in 1882 and 1888, and the
amount paid to the British post Office for for
eign postages collected for and PAYABLE to that
oficel amounted to S6,024,5 ,566 10, leaving
balance Of revenue over the proper expendi-
lures OF the year Of $7O3, ,299 So. ,tss.
The receiptsfor postages during the year(ex-
Guiding the foreign postages, collected for and
payable to the British post office) amounted to
$3.50, III 2l being an increase Of S997, $40 rs
or lS,b5-lO0 per cent. over the like receipts for
the preceding year. e@r ee
The reduction Of postage, under the act of
March last, did not take effect until the com
mencement OF the present fiscal year. The ac-
counts Tor the first quarter, under the operation
of the reduced rates, will not be settled before
January next; and no reliable estimate of the
receipts ior the present year can be made. It 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 appropriation from the Treasury, in
aid OF the revenues Of the Department, is requi.
red for the current fiscal year; but an addi-
tional appropriation for the year ending Jue
80, 1883, will probably be found necessary
when the receipts of the first two quarters Of
the fiscal year are 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 pre-
pared to appropriate from the Treasury, for
the support of the Department, sum more
than equivalent to the mail services performed
by itfof the Government The recommends
tions Of the Postmaster General, in respect to
letter postage, except on letters from California
and Oregon, were substantially adopted by the
last Congress. He now recommends adherence
to the pr sent letterrates, and advises against
further reduction until justified by the revenue
Of the Department..
He also recommends thatthe rates of postage
on printed matter be so revised as to render
them more simple, and more uniform in their
operation, upon all classes of printed matter,
| submit the accommodation Of the report to
your favorable consideration.
The public statutes Of the United States have
now been accumulating for more than sixty
years, and, interspersed with private acts, are
scattered throuuh numerous vo.umes, and
from the cost Of the whole, have become almost
inaccessible to the great mass of the communi.
ty. They also exhibit much of the incongrui-
ty and imperfection Of hasty legislation. AS
1t seems to be generally conceded that there is
no common law of the United States to sup
ply the defects OF their legislation, it is most
important that that legislation should be as
perfect as possible, defining every power in
tended 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 de-
fective. Some offences are imperfectly describ-
ed, and others are entirely omitted; SO that fla
grant crimes may be committed with impunity
The scale of punishment is not in all cases
graduated according to the degree and nature
OF the offence, and is often rendered more une-
quail by the different modes of Imprisonment,
or penitentiary confinement, in the different
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 1t is part, or continues in force
1t has also frequently happened that enact.
ments and provisions of law have beer intro
duced into bills, with the title or general sub
ject of which they have little or no connexior
or relation. In this mode Of legislation sc
many enactments have been heaped upon each
other, and with but little consideration, that
in many instances, it is difficult to search ou
and determine what is law.
The Government of the United States is EN-
phatically government of written laws. Th
statutes should, therefore, as far as practicable
not only be made accessible to all, but be ex
pressed in language so plain and simple as t.
be unders ood by all, and arranged in sucl
method as to give perspecuity to every subject
Man nf fha SfofAo hnv Al.
acts with great and manifest benefit; and | rec
ommend that provision be made by law for the
appointment ola commission to revise the pub
Lie statutes of the United States, arranging
them in order, supplying deficiencies, correct
ing incongruities, simplifying their language
and reporting them to Congress for its action
An act of Congress approved 3Oth Septem
Der, 1850, contained provision for the exten
sion Of the Capitol, according to such plan a:
might be approved by the President, and ap
propriated one hundred thousand dollars to s.
expended under his direction, by such arch
tect as he should appoint to execute the same
On examining the various plans which haC
been submitted by different architects, in pur
suance Of an advertisement by committee O
the Senate, no one was found TO be entirely
satisfactory, and it was therefore deemed ad
visable to combine and adopt the advantages
of several.
The great object to be accomplished was
to make such an addition as would afforG
ample and convenient halls for the deliber
ations of the the two houses of Congress
with sufficient accommodations for spec
tators, and suitable apartments for the
committees and officers of the two branch
es Of the Legislature. 1t was desirable
not to mar the harmony and beauty of the
present structure. which as a specimen O.
architecture, is so universally admired
Keeping these objects in view, I conclu
ded to make the addition by wings, de-
tached from the present building, yet con
nected with it by corridors. This mode
of enlargement will leave the presen
Capitol uninjured, and afford great ad
vantages for ventilation and the admis
sion Of light, and will enable the work t.
progress without interrupting the delibe
rations of Congress. To carry this plal
into effect l have appointed an expe
rienced and competent architect TIL
cornerstone was laid on the 4th Of Jul,
last, with suitable ceremonies, since whicl
time the ework has advanced with com
mendable rapidity, and the foundation Q
both wings are now nearly complete.
I again commend to your favorable re
gard the interests of the District of Co
lumbia. and deem II onlv necessary tn re-