Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-03-28
From the National Intelligencer, March -.
Temporary Provision for the Servic,
of the Post Office Department.

We need hardly dir, ct the attention of our
readers to an important document which ap-
pears in our paper today in III" shape of a
letter addressed by the Post Office Depart
ment to one of the mail contractors of the
United States.
By the terms of this letter it will be seen
that, after protracted deliberation in repeated
Cabinet councils the Administration has de-
termined not TO call an extra session Of Con-
grcss; and in order to sustain the Post Office
Department will rely, we suppose, upon the
expedient of issuing Post Office certificates.
which il is hoped To make available in the
money markets for cash, and thus afford a
contingent adequate to the maintenance. in
some degree. of the postal facilities tor which
Congress neglected to provide the necessary
appropriations at its late session.
Without entering minutely into the obvious
objections to this plan, considered as prac-
ticd Observation-Disclosures too obvious to
need formal dcsignation-we may simply say
in the general, that it can hardly fail TO
strike the mind of every intelligent citizen as
involving "A strange evasion of the direct and
appropriate remedy provided for the eXigency
by the terms of the Constitution. That
instrument, in expressly declaring that the
President ''mav, on extraordinary occasions,
convene both Houses, or either OF them" has
clearly pointed to the obvious aud natural
tration was called TO determine in the case Of
the Post Office Department. IL the total fail
ure OF one of the annual appropriation bills
and that OF a bill providing for the service
Of a Department which, more literally than
any other in the Government, comes home 10
the business and bosom Of the people-does
not deserve to be deemed an 'extraortilnary
occasion" we are at some loss TO divine what
precise contingency affecting the public inter
.s.fah
stitutional power. When the army appro-
priation bill fell through between the two
Houses Of Congress, some years ago, Presl-
dent Pierce rr.isseInbled Congress for the pur-
pose of repairing the dctriment likely To be
occasioned to the public service, aud Presi-
dent Buchanan, awaiting himself of the coli
stitutioual prerogative, summoned the Senate
to an extraordinary session immediately on
the the adjournment OF the Congress whose
sessions have just closed.
We know il will be said that called ses-
sion of Congress in both branches s always
90 be avoided If possible, aud that at the
present time the proposition is encountered
with serious difficulties, arising mainly from
the fact that 80 many of the States have not
yet chosen their Representatives. But these
dinienltics relate merely.to the details of the
transac iion aud la fact~whOlly resolve them
sslyes iutO a question a. 30 the time when the
extraordinary session might BE- held In rea-
.oaable justice 10 all the States, aud equally
in justice TO the pressing wants Of the Gov
erament.
Extraordinary And, Ia our Judgment, an
iustintabic A. il the decislon TO which the Adj
mintstration has come la the premises. We
eaanOt say that NC were eanTely anpFrpare
TO expect H. And this from certain oracular
iutimatioa- Of the Official joaraal In iis NUM-
ber 81 the 18th inst, when. being called TO
consider abe sabject OF cur postal revenues,
it beld the following language;
1T h 90 be considered whether Congress
eau be eonvened la time 10 avert the evils
which the Departmeat mast saner by the iail-
are Of tbe annual postal ball; and whether, u
convened la the summit. u woald address IT.
self promptly and efiicaeloasly 10 the exigen-
ey which called IL together.
at il thoagkt By many. We might s@iely
say by nlne-lenshs u tAs DsnecFaiae n.e1ss-Es oi
tn next Congress who we're members 81 the
lasi. thai the service Of abe Department Eay
b. Cured oa ~ ssesss II sestsa1ails sahseA ~ "a
b. ap5sIakke ~ L.s aaAs5 HssFkefs for es<A - bs
AsAas NJ ea,.i,acogs sad gosFs engsgnf % u< At
ses. II il aot unusual ior esftihcalea 10 Dc