The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-03-23
An Extra Sessf0n mot Co be ed
-PrOspects OF the Post Onico De-
partmenf.

Tho Washington papers publish q letter from
Post Master General Holt, in reply to mail con
tractor, who asks him If any provision is contsm.
plated for extinguishing the liabilities Of the De.
partment which have already matured aad are nos
payable. After intimatisg that, had the nexl
Congress been already elected, tho President
would have called an extra session, the p. NJ. Gen.
eral says;
Upon carefu, examination and investigation, it
has been ascertained that the deficiency will
amount to about the sum of 81 1856 Isl 95. IL
June next, the sum of S7uo000 granted to the oe-
partmens by the acts of March Sd, IS49 and March
81 is9l for the transportation and delivery Of free
ments. may be applied in part to The extingusll-
ment OF this dtiiciency This will leave the balance
e es ss. ya, provided VI r g OF this sum Of
quarter ending on the 3ist December amounted
That for quartet ending s.s March "a ~ g g
Thas fer quarter ending Both June to-. I67i 2s5 OF
81 1856 2Sl g5
quarters l;sbiites cio sing 3st December and pay.
able 18th febrnary--can aud will be paid BY the
department. within sixty days from this date; the
sithin thirty days The effect of this viii be- to
divide the entire deficit of 81 235 2S 95 between hs
payable 3lss May and 3lst August, so that The sus
pension OF aSment on no part Of this Indebtedness
VIII exceed, oeyond . feW days, six months before
the regular meeting OF Congress; on nearly one
half OF il the usfearion will be hut for few tIa
moro than three months
II is greyous misfortune to the centrac ors that
the department. has been left without the ms Of
discnar ging this debt at its maturity Undsr ex
isting circumstances. however. it would be impos
sponsi5ities without virtually excluding from th at
body the representatives of several the sovereign
be 4 Just cause OF serious complaint
The choice of the President has been undoubtedly
choice between great evils; bat in his Judgment,
the lesser evil would be TO wait until the first Mon
dsy of December, when Congress will be full
The debts due. aud to become due, 10 the contrac-
tors are OF sacred character The contrasts out of
winch these debts arise, have been entered into
under the express authority of existing laws of
Congress. To appropriate moEey for their pay
gress as it is TO provide for the nrinojns, and
interest OF the nationaid debt. There never viii be-
there never can bea Reputation of this debt by the
representatives OF the American neopie. After the
amount due tosach contractor shall have been sscer
tanned and finally settled according to law, this
amount becomes specific debt of record against the
u states Its payment is inevitable, aod If the con-
sfacsor desires to borrow meney upon it the lender
could have no better security. Besides. Conzres
TO met this debt, it would be no more than strict
iust:ce Tor tbem to provide foe the payment of
lnterest on these accounts from the time of their
nhsi adjustment bv the accounting officers of tine
department, and when warrant would have issued
M LOT tnelr payment had an appropriation beeu made.
rnis ioterest-e2ciuding from view that on the
S49 sal now in the course of pay ment and sppIying
on the st July. to the exiting uishment of the prin-
clpa me S70 coo for free matter which will be hen
aVsiiabe-s6ould Congress think proper to allow
IT, would amount to less than $lG0O00s sum not 10
oe compared with the great difficulties ard eurbar-
would result from holding . special session of Cen
gress to say nothing of the pense that would ne
cessariiy be incurred. even though the members
should receive no additional pay.
Asystem Oh resrenchment, - far as it may be
practcao'e unfer existia2 laws, is now an impers-
tive duty in the adm in tration of tho 4epsrtnent
By the act approved June IA, 1883. Congress estsb
lished six h1ndred and ninety five new post routes
The service cf which-including the ST. Paul's and
Puget Sound route. eat tsb!ished in March 1855 Int
not yet put into opeEation-it has been estimated
woaid require an annual appropriation from the
treasury OF 1904 nSS, over ana above the reseipts
accruing thereb ON. Not a llar. however, has
bcan appropriated for this purpose, and as = ne
cessary result, the contracts for these routes
though they have been advertised aud proposals
received, cannot be closed until the necessarg
finds shall have been provided by law
Very respectfully. your obedient servant.
/ IIlI