Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1859-03-30
No Extra Session.

The President and Cabinet have deli
uitely concluded not to call an eXtrasessiOn
Of Congress. This determination is foun-
dcd upon the conviction that the Post
Office D apartment can be sustained, until
the regular time for the Assembling of
Congress, by a system of rigid economy.
If this can be done, no Ierson will regret
that the President has refused to sum
mon an extra session, which might be
iraught with evil to the country.
Post Master General Holt has written a
letter, giving an accurate statement oI the
condition of the Department. From this
it appears that the fiscal year commences
on the first of July; that the first quar-
tcrlv service of the contractors will not be
completed until the first of October, and
that under the rule of the Department
they would rot be entitled to pay until
the first of December. As far as they are
concerned tho regular session Of Con-
gress will assemble in time to provide for
the payment of their claims. But tho
embarrassment arises from the failure OF
Congress to appropriate money for the de-
ficiencv existing for the quarter ending
June 30th. The bill which was lost APP
propriated nearly four millions Of dollars
to supply this deficiency. When the debt
natures, and the contractors come up TO
the Department with their just demands,
the question will be, how are they to be
paid? This difficulty could not have been
obvated by an extra session, because oil
/ the impossiblity of summoning Congress
before August, at least six weeks after the
maturity of these obligations-and had
/ tho President called session before Au-
gust, large number Of districts, that elect
members in that month, would have been
DISTINGUISHED.
The plan for satisfying the holders Of
claims against the Department falling due
on the 3Oth of June, is to give them GER
tifcates of Indebtedness and if the con-
tractor desires to borrow money thereon
the lender could have no better security
because Congress is bound TO mako pro
vision for its payment, As the Post Mas
. ter General remarks, "to appropriate mo-
ney for their payment is as obligatory
and binding upon Congress, as 1t Is to
provide for the principal and interest OF
tho national debt" No doubt can eXi-I
of the payment of these debts, admitted
by the bill, which was lost on a mere pune
tilio, to be just.
Mr.. Gillet has published a second com
munication respecting the power of the
Post Office Department to use the accru'
ing postal receipts to pay the current cN
penses, without a special appropl iatlon. -
This view seems to have been adopted by
the administration, and to have, in part
led to the determination to weather the
storm, by instituting a rigid system o.
economy, until the regular session o
Congress. Retrenchment is the ordor o.
the day, and the Post Muster General ha'
already struck blow with that object a.
he announces when he says "a system o
iretrenchment, so far rs it may be practi
cable under existing laws, is now an i'm
peratlve duty in the administration OF The
department. By the act approved june
ii, 1858, Congress established six hundred
and nine.y-fve new post routes, the ser
vice of which--includlng the st, Paul
, and Puget Sound route, established il
March, 1858, and not yet put into opera
tiun-it has been estimated would requir,
an annual appropriation from the treas
ury of S604.0SS, over and above the re
ceipts accruing therelrom. Not dollar
however has been appropriated for thi
purpose, and rs a necessary result, tn,
contracts for these routes, though the!
have been advertised and proposals re
ceived, cannot he closed until the neces
sary funds shall have been provided b.
+ law.-Eariot d Un.or.