The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1855-03-16
National penditgrss--Approrriation

Congress has just appropriated The follow.
;ny sums t,,r The Ocean Mail service.
'O su da isssrpooI. per Collin. line, ssss,coo
ror TRANSPORTATION u malls from New-iork 70
New Orleans, Charleston, Savannah Havana a., a.,
for tran IRAN .T srsso =. mans ' $4,000
For t,a %sps Gao u. Tampicc, oo'so
For ,,rSOa'iS~ 90 % g.a %, sraas june 1850 $4,000
For t,, ms Of mails 0s''''" 5000
For transportation OF mans Ae'0'' '"' ,' 10000
For transportation Of mails between New.York
ami Lverpool-dencieney In approprAion'or 40 c,s
year ending June, 1855 o'
FGS saa Observation-Disclosures 2oasIs
FT s, iTsa,r.I.si,Se mans '
Por transportation Of mails between Sew.fork
and Bremen, under act Of July 2, lst6, 35ooW
For sa iran, sr 0,s'" mass 10000
For transportation Of malls across the I''hmus ~,
VI Panama, i~o'S
Total, sasoi,oos
About 50, SOC, 900 Of this sum, Il may be
seen, are for current expenses, and The ie-
mainder Tor deficiencies. No one mol
directly Interested ~ maintaining the Gov
er,lmen, monopoly Of the mnll service can,
upon due reflection, doubt the advantages oil
putting il IN private hands. Probably one
iuu,lll Of the above SUN would IN private
hands be ample, leavin: the capitalists a
lair return. But politicians arc only grea'
men when they have rairouage TO besiow or
seize upon, aud should The people diminish
essentially the distribution aud command
Of aictiibwealih. the relations Of these pol.
iiicians TO society would be- Immediately
Ichanped. Hence we do not see any move.
menl IN Congress 10 abolish The Pos, Office
system, moi 10 mention other useless Gov
ernmeni appendages. That must come
from the proples themselves before their
representatives, will act.
A staple in the rhetoric OF our national
self graduation is the readiness OF our pro
ple 10 abolish abuses, compared with The
ignorance and irresoluiion Of Europeans IN
The same particular. When, however, We
look n, The imbecile manner in which our
coun,rymen leave every department OF the
Federal Government essentially the same,
except in the matter Of exa2geraiion or
abuse. MS il was set down originally in the
C. n,titu,ion. We cannot but think thai our
good opinions of ourselves need some qualiii'
cation. Reduce the powers ol the Govern
ment 10 their least proportions. and Congress
need not know long. hot session, with It's
corrupiions nor the country he stirred by
agitation during a Presidential Canvass =
The matter in hand, the Ocean Mail service.
has rs we all know. caused nm amount Of Cur
ruption openly charged upon Congress. Of
| itself forming good and sufficient reason for
putting the whole Mail Department into psi
lva'c hands.
After al. the Government cannot carry
the mails they are now all carried by PR
waite companies hut Government reserves
to itself the appointments of the receiving
recording and distributing agents, and the
trading politician thereby finds great
source Of power. patronage and corruption
Why should not the people Of the United
States. instead 81 comniscratlng tho condi
ton of those OF Europe. dcv're their attcn
ton to the reform Of their own Government
aud simplify the business of Congress an'
the Executive in accordance with the light
of the century and the immense extempor
T lied resources of private citizens to do pub
lie work now MT allotted them! The Post
Office system as now in the control Of tn
Government. is unnecessary. The mail
IRE carried. il is true, and hating The wretch
Cd Post Office provisions of our large cities
no great fault Is found but the whole sys
TEN Of deputing such work to the Govern.
mcnt is an inheritance of monarchical and
aristocratic Europe, and of the times when
the people knew NOT their own strength, and
delegated Others to do that which could best
be done by themselves. The amount, of job,
ing and corruption involved in tho present
system is too rreat for analysis, and only
the more salient points. such as the Collins
Line business, or the ordinary rewards for
partisan service contained in the appoint
mems to leading Offices. arc to be estimated
II is possible, however, to purify the Gov
crnmpni and economic, expenses by abro
eating the whole system ns nt present de
vised, and leaving it to individual enterprise
Take another branch Of Federal expense
the army-and see how tho appropriation
swells for the fiscal year ending with June,
1856:
Fay ofthe army, ssGo,.oiC
Communication ~ officers subsistence, G.S i6s