True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1857-12-16

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habits of industry. So far as the expeTi.
ment has been tried it has worked well
in practice, and it will doubtless prove I'd
be less expensive than the present system,
The length of post road in 1881 was
los, 1886 miles; in 1887 l4I, ,242 miles in
l947, 53,Sl6 miles; and in the year 1857
there were 242, ,6Ol miles, of postroad, in.
Guiding 22,5s6 miles, ofrailroad, on which
the mails are transported.
The expenditures for the department
Tor the fiscal year ending on the SOth June,
1857, as adjusted by the Auditor amount.
ed TO- ll,5O7,67O. To defray these ex.
pendltures, there was to the credit of the
department on the lat July, 1856, the sum
OF S799, 500, the gross revenue of the year;
including the annual allowances for the
transportation of free mail matter, produ.
ced $S,O53 ,95l, and the remainder was
supplied by the appropriation from the
treasury of $780, 900 granted by the act
OF Congress approved August 1886,
and by the appropriation Of 5000, ,ss3,
made by the act of March 8, 1857, leaving
$252,76S 10 be carried to The department
in the accounts Of the current year.
commend to your consideration the report
of the department in relation TO the estab.
ishment of the overland mail route FROM
the Mississippi river 10 San Francisco,
California. The route was selected with
my full concurrence as the one, in nv
judgment, best calculated to attain the inn
poItant objects contemplated by Congress.
The late disastrous monetary revnlsion
may have one good effect should it cause
both the government and the people to re-
turn to the practice of wise and judicious
economy both in public and private expen-
ditures. '"t.
An overaowing treasury has led to hab.
its of prodigaity and extravaganza in our
legislation. 1t has induced Congress 10
make some large appropriations to objects
for which they never would have provided
had it been necessary to raise the amount
of revenue required to meet them by in
creased taxation Or by loans. We are
now compelled to pause in our career, and
to scrutinize our expenditures with the
utmost vigilance and in performing this
duty, I pledge my corporation to the
extent of my constitutional competency.
1t ought to be observed, at the same
time, that true public economy does not
consist in Withholding the means necessa.
ry to accomplish important national objects
intrusted to us by the constitution, and
especially such as may be necessary for
common defence. In the present crisis of
the country it is our duty to con6ne our
appropriations to objects of this character,
unless in cases where justice to indiyidu-
ais may demand different course. In all
cases, care ought 10 be taken that the mon-
ey granted by Congress shall be faith
fully and economically applied. r,
Under the federal Constitution every
bill which shall have passed the House
of Representatives and the Senate shall
: before it becomes law, be approved and
signed by the President; and, if not ap-
proved, he shall return it with objections
to that House in which it origina,ed."-
In order TO perform this high and respon-
sible duty, sufficient time must be allowed
the President to read and examine every
bill presented to him for approval. Unless
this be afforded, the Constitution becomes
dead letter in this particular; and even
worse, it becomes means of deception.
Our constituents seeingthe Presidents
approval and signature attached 10 each
act of Congress, are induced to believe
that he has actually performed this duty,
when, in truth, nothing is, in many cases,
more unfounded.
From the practice of Congress, such an
examination Of each bill as the Conslitu-
: ton requires, has been rendered impossi-
D BILE. The most important business of each
session is generally crowded into its last
hours, and the alternative presented to the
: President is either to violate the Consti.
tuiIonal duty which he owes to the people,
and approve bills which, for want of
time, II is impossible he should have ex-
amined, or by his refusal to do that, sub
ject the country and individuals to great
loss and Inconvenience.
Besides, practice has grown up of
, late years to legislate in appropriation
bills at the last hours of the session, on
new and important subjects. This prac-
tice constrains the President either to suf-
fer measures to become laws which he
f does not approve, or to incur the risk of
, stopping the wheels of the government by
vctoting an appropriation bill. =.
Formerly such bills were confined to
, specific appropriations for carrying into
3 effect existing laws and the we'll establish
ed policy of tha country, and little time
D was then required by the President for
3 their examination. '. tt'
For my own part, I have deliberately
determined that / shall approve no bill
which have not examined, and it will be
case of extreme necessity which shall
ever induce me to depart from this rule. I
e therefore. respectfully, but earnestly rec
g ommend that the two Houses would allow
: the Presideas! at least two days previous
h to the al;a@.~..vns q each session within
which no bills shall be presented to
him for approval. Under the existing
Joint rule, one day is allowed but this
rule has hitherto been so constantly sus-
pended in practice, that important bills
4 continue to be presented 10 him up till the
Y very last moments of the session.
= In large majority Of cases no great
public inconvenience can arise from the
= want Of time to examine their provisions,
$ because The constitution has declared that
: if a bill be presented to the President with
L In Tho Last ton dnus nr Tho sassinn hn ID