The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1858-06-22
CONGRESS

Adjourned on Monday, the 18th. All the neccs-
sary appropriation bills were passed, and bill pro-
viding for an increase Of about 60 guns to the
Navy. 1t is said that the appropriations made by
this session amount to $50, 900 900.
Some sensation was created by the announce
ment that provision for q new mail route from
Portland to New Orleans via the principal Allan
tic cities had been smugged into the post office
route bill. Nobody i'll the House knew how it
came there but it was repealed by that body. eve
learn this by Geographic reports, but what route it
means We don't know, unless it is the via vii
mngton. Can any one give us information?)
1t had I5ae1. usual the last day and night of
session to pass many private bills, but Dir David
son, of Louisiana, announced that if any such were
passed they would not be examined by the Presi-
dent
The late session of Congress was remarkable for
fewer scenes Of disorder in its closing hours than
any Of it's predecessors. Mr. Florence, of Penn,
took the lead after midnight of Saturday in pro-
testing against the Dissertation Of the Sabbath by
the transaction of business
The Senate, in extra session on Tuesday, passed
resolutions condemning the late British aggres-
sions and declaring that the matter should now be
settled in such way as to prevent similar occur
rcnces in future.
ELOODS.-In the North and West they had
very heavy rains last week, doing immense dam
age to property and growing crops. At n. York
and Philadelphia on the 18th, it rained for 40
h5bss, causing the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers
at the latter city to overflow their banks In Ohio,
Indiana and Kentucky, the rivers generally have
overfowed. Nearly all the houses in one town,
Cairo, were washed down. The Mississippi River
took another swell and broke over its banks, de-
stroying everything in the way.
On Friday the 18th, the city Of Baltimore was
flooded, filing cellars and in some instances run
ming through houses. 1t is stated that nothing
since 1887 has equalled the late rise Of waters.
The amount Of Sugar destroyed in Louisiana by
the overflow is estimated at so 900 hogsheads, and
Cotton on the banks of the Mississippi at 100000
bales.
SHAME-The late attempts of the e. S.
Senate to increase the rates of postage and to
cripple the newspaper business is an outrage that
cannot be justified unless Senators are willing to
plead ignorance. In the very Oil tiaI prOpO> eS
the change it was provided for another assistant
Postmaster General. Now, the country knows
that there are too many ofice-holders in Washing
ton already. The most Of them do not have to at
tend III their offices more than or hours each
day, and hardly have anything to do when there;
but here is bill passed by the U. S. Senate for
imposing taxes on the people, (reducing their mail
facilites) and at the same time creating use
less Offices This is retrenchment with ven
geance. But the most significant part of the mat
ter is, that while some Of the members voted for
raising letter postage and adopting measure that
would injure the circulation of newspapers, they
were very careful not to vote for oboIishing the
tranhiag Irtr7ege, whereby they (the said men,
bers) never have to pay cent of postage of any
kind.
OF course we have no objections to abolishing
the franking privilege, as there is no doubt but
what it is much abused; and it is said that by re-
quiring members Of Congress to pay their own
postage two or three millions Of dollars would be
saved to the government. Such eeonomizing as
that would be right and proper