American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1857-12-18


we may indulge Tie agreesble snticipstio.
that at no very distant day they wilt b. 10.
cofpoIsled into the uGi1u as one ot tho 50,
eieign States.
u will DO scsn from the report of the Pos,D,,
ter General that tte post Office D"pat,nsnl 49, 4
contIucs AZ depend un tha treasury ssi,b,
been compelled to do ior several years past. la
an Important P0rtiop OF the means OF snstsini,s
aud extending its operations. Thee rssii grown
| and expansion arc shawn by n decenniSl stat.
Dcnt oil the numbe, of post Offices, and the lenv,
| ofpost roads, commencing with the yoar 1871
| In that year there were 2 900 post otices: !,
1897, MN; in lSi7, 10, ia6i and In 1857 The,
number 26,5 1856. In this year .725 POST ufie
have been established and 7O4 discontinuoS
| leaving n net increase Of l,02i. The pos,n,.
tors of3GS oficss are appointed by the Presidep,
| The length Of pos, roads in 1897 was l05. SAG
! miles; in 1897, al, 2i2 mile,; in lSaI, ,SIy
miles and IN the year 1897 there ara e4f COZ
miles of post yosd, including 22,5S0 miles az
| railroad, on which the mails are transported.
The expenditures Of the department for tbs
fiscal year ending ON the 3o,h june, 1867, as sd-
justed ny the Auditor, amounted TO $fl ,60T, go
10 dctray these expenditures there was to tn,
credit o! tho department on the list July, 1855
| the sum of $7Sg.099; tho gross revenue or IN.
| year, Including ibe annual allowances for. tho
transportation of free mail matter, produces
s. ,053, 95l and ihc remainder was supplied b,
| the appropriation from the treasury of 50, 400
| 600, granted by the act of Congress approved
August Is, 1886, and by the appropriation Of
| S66o,sS3 made by the act of March 3, 1857,
leaving 1852 ,763 to be carried to the crsdI, Of
| the department in tho accounts of the current
! year. i commend to your consideration the re-
| port OF tho department in relation to the cstab-
| lishment of tho overland mail route from the
| Mississippi river to San Francisco, California.
| The route was selected with my full coseur>,
renee, asthc one, in my judgment, best calcu.
lated to attain the important objects contem-
| plated by Congress.
1
The late disastrous monetary rovulson NAV
have one good effect should il cause both IN,
| government and the people to return to tbe
| practice of wise and judicous economy both
| IN public and private expenditures.
| An OVERLOOKING treasury has led to habits Of
prodigaiity and extravaganza in our Legislation,
IL mas induced Congress to make largo appro.
priauons to objects for which they never wonId
bave provided had il been necessary to raise the
amount 81 revenue required to meet them by
| Increased taxation or by loans. We are now
completes to pause in our career, and TO scrutin-
| ize cur expenditures with tho utmost vigilance.
and in performing this duty, pledge my CO.
| operation to the extent of my constitutional
competency. ...
| 1t ought to be observed at the same time that
true public economy does not consist in with.
| holding the means necessary to accomplish i'm.
| portant national objects intrustcd to us by the
! constitution, and especially such as may be
| necessary for the common defence. In the pre-
sent crisis O. the country it is our duty TO con.
| fine our appropriations to objects of this char.c-
ter, unless in cares where justice to individuals
may demand different course. In all casos
| care ought to DO taken that tho money granted
| by Congress shall be faithfully and economically
| applied
Undor the federal constitution, .'erery bill
| which shall have passed the House of Represen-
/ tatiVes and the Senate shall, before il become.
a law" be approved and signed by the Pres,
dent; and, IL not approved, /" he shall return It
with his objections to that house in which il
originated" In order to perform this high and
! responsible duty, sufficient time must DO allowed
the Preside ht TO read and examine every bill pre.
I scented to him for approval. Unless this be az
forded, the constitution becomes de ad letter in
! this particular; and even worse, it becomes
means Of deception. Our constituents, seeing
| the Presidents approval and signature attached
! to each act of Congress, are induce 10 believe
! that he has actually performed this duty, when
IN truth, nothing is, in many cases, more un-
! founded.
| From tho practice Of Congress, such an OK.
animation of each bill as the constitution requires
| has been rendered impossible. The most i'm
| portant business of each session is generally
crowded into its last hours, and the alternative
| presented 10 the President is either to violate
! the constitutional duty which he owes to the
! people, and approve bills which, 70 want OF
! time, II is impossible he should have examined,
or, by his refusal to do this, the country
and individuals to great loss and inc onyens nee.
Besides, practice has grown up OF late years
! 10 iegislate in appropriation bills, at the last
!
Ject'. This practice constrains tho President
| either to suffer measures TO become laws which
| he does not approve, or to incur thu risk OF
stopping the wheels ofthe government by vetoing
| an appropriation bill. Formerly, such bills were
| confined TO specific appropriations for carving
| INTO elect existing laws and the well -esa bshcd
| policy OF the country, and little time was then
required by the President for their examination.
Formy own part, have deliberately deter>
| mined that shall approve no bill which have
| examined, bn cpac Of
| ana most urgent necessity which shall ever in,
| duce me TO depart from this rule. l therefore
| respectfully, but earnestly, recommend that the
two Houses would allow the President at least
| TWO days previous TO the adjournment of each
| session within which new bill shall be prc~
| scented to him for approval Under the existing
Joint rule one day is allowed; but this rule has
| been hitherto so constantly sn spcnded in prnc>
| ticc, that important bills continue to be- present.
| cd TO him up till the very last moments OF the
session. In n large majority Of cases no great
pnohc Inconvenience can arise from the want Of
| time to examine their provisions, because the
| constitution VAS declared that if a bill be pres
sentcd to the Prcsiden within the last ten DAYS
| OF the session he Is not required to return il.
ei,hcr with an approval or with veto, " in
which case il shall not be n law" 1t may then
lie overj and be tnken up and passed at tho next
session. Grea. Inconvenience would only be
eXpcHenceu in regard TO appropriation bills
but fortunately. under tho late excellent law
allowing salary, instead of a per diem, 10
members of Congress, the expense and inconvo.
nienco Of called session will be greatly re-
duced.
cannot conclude without commenting to
your favorable consideration the interests OF tho
people OF this District. Without a representa-
two on the floor of Congress, they hnye for this
very reason peculiar claims upon our jusi regard.
TO this know, from my long acquaintance with
them, they are emnentIy entitled.
JAMES BUCHANAN.
WAsHtNGroN, Dec. 8, 1857