The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-12-30

hsnH
of their accounts before the Department
could be called upon for payment.
The great difficulty and the great hard
ship consisted in the failure to provide fer
the payment of the deficiency in the fiscal
year ending the 3Oth June, 1859. The De-
partment had entered into contracts, in
obedience to existing laws, for the service
of that fiscal year, and the contractors were
fairly entitled to their compensation as it
becomes due The deficiency as stated in the
bill, amounted to So, 838, 72S, bat after a
careful settlement of all these accounts, it
has been ascertained that it amounts to ST.
296,O09
With the scanty means at his command
the Postmaster General has managed to pay
that portion of this deficiency which occur
red in the first two quarters in the past fs-
cal year, ending on the 3lst December last
In the meantime the contractors them
selves, under these trying circumstances
have behaved in manner worthy of all
commentator. They had one resource in
the midst OF their enibarrassments. After
the amount due to each of them had been
ascertained and finally settled according to
law, this became n specific debt of record
against the United States, " hich enabled
them to borrow money on this unquestion-
able security Still they were obliged to
pay interest in consequence of the default
of Congress, and Oh every principle of JUS
tice ought to receive interest from the Gov
eminent. This interest should commence
from the date when warrant would have
issued for the payment OF the principal had
an appropriation been made for this pur-
pose. Calculated up to the LIST December, it
will not exceed $40, Goa not to he
taken into account when contrasted with
the great difficulties and embarrassments OF
a public and private character both to the
people and the States, which would have re-
suited from cOuvcnug and holding n special
session Of Congress.
For these reasons, / recommend the pass
age of n bill, ut carly day as may he
practicable, to provide for the payment of
the amount, with interest, due to these last
mentioned contractors, As well so make
the necessary appropriations for the service
of the PostOffice Department for the cur
rent fiscal year.
The failure to pass the Posteliice Bill ne
cessarily gives birth to serious reflections
Congress, by refusing to pass the general ap-
preparation bills necessary to carry on the
Government, may not only arrest its action.
but might even destroy its existence.
The army, the snavy, the Judiciary, in
short every department of the Government,
can no longer perform their functions il
Congress refuse the money necessary for
their support. If this failure should teach
the country the necessity of electing a full
Congress in sufficient time to enable the
President to convene them III any emergen-
cy, even Immediately after the old Congress
has expired, it will have been productive of
great good. In time of sudden and alarm
ing DANGER foreign or domestic which all
nations must expect to encounter in their
progress, the very salvato naf our institu-
tions may be staked upon the assembling OF
Congress without delay. If under SUCH
circumstances, the President find himself in
the condition in which he was placed at the
close of the last Congress, with nearly half
the States OF the Union destitute of repre-
sentatiVes, the consequences might be disas-
trous I, therefore recommend to Congress.
to carry-iHto effect the provisions of the con-
stitution on this subject and to pass law
appointing some day previous to the 4th of
March in each year of odd number for the
election of representatives throughout tlte
States. They have already appointed a day
for the election of electors of President and
Vice President, and this measure has been
approved by the country.
! would again express most decided
opinion in favor OF the construction OF a
Pacific railroad for the reasons stated in
my two last annual messages. When | re-
fleet upon what would be the defcnceless
condition of our States and Territories
west Of the Rocky Mountains in case Of a
war with a naval power sufficiently strong
to interrupt all intercourse with them by
the routes across the Isthmus, | am still
more convinced than ever of the vast i'm
portance of this railroad | have never
IonhfaI ba constitutional e
Congress to provide for its construction but
this exclusively under the war making pow
er. Besides, the Constitution expressly re
quires, us an imperative duty, that the "Uni-
ted States shall protect each of them 1.-THE
States against INVASION I am at a loss to
conceive how this protection can he affor led
to California ard Oregon against such ma
val power by any other means. ! repeat the
opinion contained in my last annual mess
age, that it would be inexpedient for the
Government to undertake this work by
agents of its own appointment, and under
its direct and exclusive control.
This would increase the patronage of the
Executive to a dangerous extent, and would
foster system of jObbng and corruption
which no vigilance on the part of Federal
officials could prevent. The construction of
this road ought, therefore, to be intrusted to
Incorporated companies, OF Otner agencies
who would exercise that active and vigilant
supervision over it which can be inspired
alone by Il sense of corporate and individ ual
| interest. | venture to assert that the adsii-
tional cost of transporting troops, munitions
of war, and necessary supplies for the army
across the vast intervening plains to oar
| possessions on the Pacific coast, would lie
| greater i'll such IA war than the whole amount
required to construct the road. And vet
this resort would after all, be inadequate
for their defence and protection.
| We have yet scarcely recovered from the
! habits of eXtravaganteX expenditures, produced
| by our overlooking Treasury, during several
! years prior TO the commandments of my
administration. The financial reverses which
| we have since experienced, ought To teach
us all to scrutinize our expenditures with
| the greatest vigilance, aud TO reduce them
TO the lowest possible point. The Executive
| Departments of the Government have de
voted themselves to the accomplishment oil
this object with considerable success, as will
| appear from their recent reports and esti-