The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-01-15
[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT

There Is no longer any doubt that the Govern
ment will be compelled to ask authority for the
negotiation of loan, at an early day. Even
if a modification of the Tariff with a view to in
creased revenue, were to be provided for at once,
it would be some months before additional means
for the support of the Government could be derived
from that source. Meantime, the balance on hand
is being rapidly exhausted, and the Treasury must
soon be bankrupt unless measure is adopted
which shall almost instantaneously bring
new contribution to its Golfers. The
prospect is not pleasant to the Admin
istration and its friends in Congress. The largest
wing OF the Administration party in the House is
utterly opposed to any tnkerng of the existing
Tariff lest if the subject is taken up at all, very eX
tensive and serious notifications should be effected.
But if they could be sure of restricting lepis-
lation upon the subject to the points of amendment
suggested in Mr.. CGBB's annual report, there is a
growing conviction that the results would still be
inadequate to the pecuniary requirements of the
Government. On the whole the disposition of the
Democratic party in Congress is to let the subject
alone, trusting to increased revenue before long
from increased importations, and hoping that the
temporary evil of an increasing national debt will
be compensated, in part by the greater economy in
national expenses which it is likely to provoke
On the other hand the Republicans are utterly
opposed to granting any new loan without an in
crease of the Tariff, insisting that the country has
no business to into debt so rapjdly without
providing some measure to secure the means of flu
ture liquidation. There a good many Demo-
Gratis who lean towards the same view and there is
serious danger that between the two opposing
forces the session may close without either loan or
tariff modification, especially as another squad of
Democrats oppose the loan because they fear that
1T would involve the necessity of the proposed
tariff revision. Should these approximations be re-
Allied the PRESIDENT will not hesitate to call Con-
gress together in extra session, notwithstanding
the tlme-honored maxim, that ''an extra session of
Parliament is sure to take off the Kings head.''
The reply of Post Master General BRowN to
Senator HUNTER's request for plan by which the
Post Office Department can be made seif-sustaining
presents very sensible view of the entire subject
After plea in sel-defence to show that he did NOT
go into the Department with the expectation of
administering it as selfsustanng institution, and
that his predecessor had notified Congress of an
anticipated deficit of four millions, Mr.. BRowy
states that the deficit next year will be seven mil
lions OF dollars, and that either the service must be
reduced or the revenue from hostages be increased if
the expenses are not to exceed the receipts He
estimates that the plan heretofore proposed by Mr.
HUNTER will increase the revenue six millions four
hundred thousand dollars per annum, provided the
franking privilege were abolished. nearly
equivalent result he thinks, would be ACCOMPLISHED
by reviving the law of 1915, providing for uniform
postage rates of five and ten cents with the aboi-
ton OF the Thanking privilege the substitution of
postage stamps to be given to members of Congress-
to be charged to the Treasury and not to the Post
Office Department.
Mr.. BRowN suggests that the ocean steam mail
anu tne overland mails eXpecteQ to
be self sustaining. These were established for
great national purposes, independent altogether of
the postal facilities expected to be derived from
them. This, certainly, is very true; and indeed it
may well be questioned whether there is any justice
in requiring any branch of the postal service
to be sef-sustainng. The public mail is national
of vast public Importance independent
of its service as a letter express. 1t should be
managed OF course with wise economy; but, if its
advantages of keeping up constant currents of COM
munication between all parts of the country at
low rates, cannot be achieved without some aid
from the general Treasury, there is more
justice in begrudging that aid than there
would be in requiring the Navy or the Army to be
sel-sustaining 1t is fallacy, however, to charge
that the Post Office Department does not sustain
ITSELF for if the postage was paid on all the printed
and written matter now passing free through the
mails in accordance with policy which Congress
has held to be wise one and if the ocean and over
land mail service-established for commercial and
political rather than postal reasons-were paid for
out of the Treasury in far the postage receipts
therefrom prove inadequate the deficit in the Pos
tai revenue would nearly quite disappear do
not believe Congress can be induced to increase
the postage rates or to abolish--whe it may re-
street.-The ranking privilege.
The bill to amend the laws prohibiting the Atri-
can slave trade introduced in the Senate yesterday
by Mr.. SEWARD, is very searching one, and will
probably elicit an interesting discussion. The bill
evidently has two objects: First to meet and de-
feat the many invasions of the existing law on the
subject; and secondly, to provide means to sup
press attempts which may be made in certain
Southern Localities to reopen the slave trade in de-
fance OF the general sentiment of the South, par
ties engaged therein reyng for escape from the
penalty through lack of evidence of the character
necessary to meet the requirements of the present
law: The chief objection likely to be urged
against the measure is that it imposes dis
eliminating restrictions upon our commerce:
but it remains to be whether that evil will be
considered to be more than compensated by the
good to flow from the adoption of the proposition
The provision for an addition of ten war steamers
to the preventive squadron the African coast, is
evidently designed to secure the services of swift
vessels of light draft able to into the rivers and
harbors of the coast, and to give effective chase to
slayers, when discovered, 1t may be better to
make this policy obligatory, by an amendment
to the bill directing rather than authorizing its
adoption.
The Senate Pacific Railroad Bill seems to be in
for it, As / write, the vote is taking on various
amendments, with prospect of the adoption of
some that will defeat the entire project 1t is
question whether there are many Senators who
really desire its success in the present low state of
the Treasury, although those who favor it in the
abstract are exceedingly anxious to evade response
plllty for its defeat upon any pretext.