Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1859-04-01

pCnsCS Of the War Department or the
expenses of the Navy Department arc
more than commensurate to the demands
and requirements of the public service.
| cannot see, at this time, how less than
two millions Of dollars will answer the
wants Of the service in the eight navy
yards in tue United States. If you re-
duco it below What is necessary you only
lay the foundation for larger appropri-
alton. at some future day There is nc
economy in refusing necessary appropri-
atoms. Keep up your navy yards and
keep your vessels in good repair, and
you will not only give efficiency 10 the
service, but you will save money to the
| Government.
And now as to the Post Office De-
partment Our postal system, dates from
l775, when DR.. benjamin Franklin was
elected Postmaster General by the Colo
NAL Congress then in session at Phila-
delphia. When the present Government
went into operation in 1889, William
Osgood, Of Massachusetts,, was appointed
Postmaster General by Gen Washing
ton. There were then scventy-fve post
offices in the United States and about two
thousand miles Of post road. There
was one main line from Wiscasset, in
Maine, to Savannah, in Georgia, with
about ten cross lines towards the West
ern country. From time to time Con
gress has increased the post roads in the
United States until the number of post
Offices Oh the LIST of December, 1855.
was twcnty-eight thousand five hundred
and soyenty-thrco; Of mail routes eight
thousand two hundred and niuety-six,
and the length of post roads two hundred
and sixty thousand six hundred and three
miles Our postal system has grown up
like magic; and | may say, too, that in
its rise, its progress, and its expansion,
has furnished to the people of this coun-
try as much solid comfort and advantage
as any other Department Of the Govern
ment. Gentlemen charge extravaganza
upon the Post Office Department; and
yet see at every session of Congress from
one hundred to one thousand additional
mail routes created, which must increase
largely the expenses Of the Department.
They allow these new mail routes to be
established without making any obec-
ton; and yet upon these routes the
Postmaster General is bound to put mail
service These routes are established
without regard to the cost Of the service;
and the action of Congress is an inslruc-
ton to the Postmaster General. lie has
no discretion he is bound TO put the
service upon these routes. We have,
have said, two hundred and sixty thou
sand six hundred and three miles Of post
roads established by Congress; and on
the LIST day Of Jauury, 1859, there were
in operation in the United States 27 1851
miles Of railroad the cost Of which was
1861 ,047, 1854.
This is another great fact to show the
rapid progress Of our country, its al
vancement in wealth power, and every
thing that can minister to the physical
or intellectual comfort Of man. Your
mails are carried on these railroads,
which gives to them such accelerated
speed as to almost annihllato space, and
enables the rcmotest parts Of our country
in a few hours or few days to commit
nicatc with the capital Of the nation
This has grown up within the last few
years, and, as a matter Of course, the
expenses have largely increased When
ever Congress establishes new mail
route it must increase the expenses still
more. Again, sir, the cost Of everything
has gone up. At the last lettings had
occasion to examine the bids, because
they covered my section of the country,
and | know that they were from fifty to
one hundred per cent. higher upon an
average than they were four years before,
when ! first came to Congress
Sir, ! would not countenance a useless
expenditure Of money by any Depart
ment of the Government; but. when
properly expended, / would as soon vote
money out Of the public Treasury for the
Post Office Department as for the civil
list, the army, or the navy. 1t comes
more directly in contact with the people
than any other branch Of the Govern
mcut. It is through that Department
all your correspondence, public and pri-
yate, business and social, must pass (;
and he who receives or sends but half q
dozen letters a year appreciates the con-
ycnieuce as highly as the merchant who
sends and receives bis thousands. Every
man is willing to bear his part Of the
expense, because the comfort and con-
venionce derived from it, seen and felt
every day, arc Invaluable. ! have no
hesitation in saying, then that while the
Government reserves to itself the cXclu-
siye right Of carrying the mail, and re-
fuses to allow individuals to do it, !
would have sufficient mail service to sup
ply tho whole country, If every dollar Of
the cost had to come from the public
Treasury.
But Congress goes on, from time to
time, TO establish overland mail routes
steamship lines, and mail routes upon
rivers which now arc Of very little use.
They require the Postmaster General to
put service upon them; and then, when
an appropriation bin comes up, gentle
men rise and attack the Postmaster Cen
oral because The expenses are too high.
why did Congress pass bill establish
ing a post road from the Mississippi river
to the Pacific ocean? That was done
the last day Of the session, previous 10
the incoming Of the present Administra-
ton. Neither this Congress nor this
Administration had anything to do with
the establishment Of the overland mail
route to California. If they had had,