Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1854-01-13
THE INTELbIGENCER R,
FRIDAY MORNING. JANUARY is, 1854.
SOMETHING'S OF INTEREST TO THE GOVERNMENT,

SOMETHING'S OF INrEEEsr TO THE GOVERNMENTS
Nearlya year ago we pointed out the reasons which
rendered ii highly expedent 10 erect in this city
4 United States building 10 be occupie,lby The
Surveyor aud Collector OF Customs, tile Post or.
fee and the United States District Court. We
have sgain and again referred TO this subject, and
now renew it with the conviction that the reasons
which then rendered such an edifce expedient,
now render it absolutely essential TO The proper
MANAGEMENT of the business comiided to the exc.
cpt,on Of the Government officers in this city
We will give our reasons for this positions.
We have here port Of entry estab lished byCon-
press IN 1871. The tonnage of the vessels Registered
At this port and now having constant comnunica-
lion with it, amounts to over ten thousand tons md
sIsrdty increasing. Tie Surveyor and Collector
Of Customs here is required 10 perform tue various
duties pertaining to regularly established Custom
House, such as the registration of vessels The coll
lection Of duties GU foreign importatons, the col
lection Of hospital dues and their disbursement 10
SICK and disabled seamen, aud the faithful execu-
Ton OF the quarantine laws, &c. For the trans
action OF thiS BUSINESS there is no Office provided
Jy Government, aud the valuable Coz ernment re
cords e this port are thus constantly exposed 10
destruction, aud the Surveyor and Collector of Gus
toS without ihe usual facilities afforded fer tile
performance of his duties. s l.sf a.. .l.
2. BY recent acts OF Congress-, four overland
routes In addition to that by The river when
Wheeling was made port of entry have been
established for direct impoItations by way Of the
Atlantic seaboard. thus greatly increasing the du-
ties of the Custom House here --..l.
3. We have here one of tue largest distributing
Post OFF Is III the nited States. Even under the
cIeup, three C, ut rate OF letter postage The DIS.
triDutlou at this Office amounts to the enormous
sum Of $4,000, annually, besides the immense
newspaper distribution, which We believe is not
exceeded by any office i'll the West. This large
business, with :haI Of tile delivery, is rapidly in
creaslng, aud yet, Government has not provided
any building for the convenient and safe diStribu
ten and delivery OF this vast and important
amount of mail matter, our Postmaster having to
depend on the pIecsrious chance of renting the
most suitable building he afford consistent
with his per centage and his obligations to his
clerks. A; the present advancing Iates OF prop
erty in city, 1t easily be demonstrated that
Uncle Sam Will save money by erecting such
building as we propose. Do.
i. The United States District Court for the West
ern District of Virginia, With meets here, is
very important body, and lranSacts vast amount
OF important business for the Government. II is
also subjected to much Inconvenience for The want
of proper place to hold its meetings and tie safe
keeping Of its records.
5. There are nav some six railroads flushed,
in course of construction 10 this city. The in-
creased business which will follow the opening OF
all these great avenues of communication alIL
traffic, will so swell the transportation OF mail
matte: to this point and the business of. tue Post
Office, and the tonnage of our port, as to render
the transaction OF such business without the usual
facilities afforded by Congress, exceedingly embar-
rass ny TO our officers, if not dangerous TO the III
tereSts OF the Government.
Ifthese facts are not before Congress, they should
be, and i'll the hauds Of representatives who VIII
press them vigorously, aud to the procurement oil
the requisite appropriation.
The precise amount OF that appropriation can
only be de determined by minute estimates, which,
we understand will shortly be made, but We should
think that $50, 900 would be amply sufficient.
We mish hit here go into estimate OF revenue to
be derived from such portions Of the building as
could be rented at the highest rates for ohere Pur-
poses than the transaction Of III. United States
business, but we will defer such speculntion> as
unlmnortunt present, promising That 1t IS nppn-
rent that such commanding etlfce would amply
repay the Government for every cent invested /"
ii.
Let us3then, have an Improvement so lmpeFa-
lively demanded. We look 10 Government 10 aid
us in this matter, aud 10 aid the promotion Of
its most important interests IN Western Virginia
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The WEATHER AMI RlvEs.-Nevet have WEBB