The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1859-03-15
DEFEAT OF THE POSTAL BILL.
Us Effect upon the Mil Serniice


the existing mail service, and then adds:
The department. at most, can use the accruing
receipts up to the close of the fiscal year. the 30th
OF June. Nearly all moneys appropriated at the
last session have been exhausted, so that the &C
cruing income is all that is available and even this
income will not be available after the 1st OF July
next. OF course it is the duty of the administra-
ton at once to adjust the service to the means in
Its hands. This will require prompt suspension
OF great many routes, and general reduction of
all the others. Within few weeks the country
will be able to determine the wisdom of the policy
which controlled its representatives in thus strik-
ing down the most important and necessary branch
of its public business.
SENATOR CLINGMAN'S LETTER.
We have received letter from the Hon. T. L.
Clingman, dated "Senate Chamber, March 7th
1852" giving explanation of the causes which
led to the defeat of the Postal Appropriation Bill
He says that it has been usual for Congress- here
tofore, in passing the appropriations to originate
the bill in the House and then send it to the SEN
ate for its concurrence. The Senate, if so dis
posed, made amendments, and returned it to the
House for ratification. If the House disagreed a
committee of conference settled the matter
to the Senate as usual, and making appropriations
to the amount of s20O0O,OOO The Senate made
amendments, abolishing the franking privilege of
members of Congress and raising letter postage
from three to five CENTS &C., and sent it back to
the House. That body refused for some time to
consider the amended bill. At length, on the last
night of the session, it taken up, but instead of
+bo
majority passed a resolution, in substance, that
the Senate had violated the constitution by its
amendments; and the resolution, with the bill, was
sent to the Senate. This insulting resolution was Of
fered by Mr. Grow, noted aboltionst of Pennsyl-
vania, and supported by his party, by the know
nothings, and by several democrats. This was an
insult and a violation of parliamentary usage. The
black republicans thought the Senate would not,
consistently with its selfrespect, take any fur
Their notice of the matter, and thus the bill be al
lowed to die quietly. to the serious dctriment of
the public service. But the Senate asked, and
the House agreed, for committee of conference.
When that committee assembled, the House branch
refused to consider the bill in any way; but insist
ed that the Senate branch should accept an entire
new bill, represented to be similar to the original
one As nothing else could be done, the commit
tee reported it to the Senate just forty minutes
before II o'clock, the hour which, by the consti-
tuition, the session terminated The bill was an
but it was very clear there was no time
for reading and considering its provisions. The
alternative presented then, to pass this twen-
ty millions bill without knowing whether it viola
ted the constitution or for what it provided, or
else allow the whole appropriation to fail. de-
bate sprung up and exhausted the remaining min
utes, which was the thing desired by the black
republicans.
AS this bill was not in fact proposition to raise
revenue by taxation, the Senate did not violate
the constitution by its amendments 1t was thought
that the abolition of the franking privilege and
the raising of letter postage would 60 far towards
making the department self-sustaining If the
department is not self-sustanng then the defcien-
cy must come from the public treasury, and be
raised by tariff operations; bearing heavily upon
agricultural States, which write few letters by an
increase upon the price of their sugar. salt, iron,
&c. Thus, the people of North Carolina in paying
their quota of the deficiency, would loose larger
sum than they would by an increase of postage.
But why did the House, asks MIR c., pursue
this unusual course? The black republicans ex-
pect to be stronger in the next Congress than in
the last one There are few democrats and some
now -nothings who have been laboring to get an
increase of the tariff. All these classes seem to
have been acting in concert to defeat the appro-
priation bills and render extra session necessary
1t was supposed that an extra session must be
called Immediately To enable the southern States
to be represented at ALL their elections must be
hurried up; while California and Oregon, it was
supposed could not probably be represented at all
Both of these States democratic; and, as the
black republicans had made gains in the northern
elections, they doubtless supposed that they might
in this way, with the aid of their allies, get the
control of the House, force through tariff, and
make arrangements to help their party in the
presidential election to come off next year.
New HAMPSHIRE ELECTIoN.-At the election
in New Hampshire on Tuesday, Sth inst, the Re-
publicans carried the State including the Govern
Or and three Congressman.
Accidental boy about years of age, son of
MIR w. r. Robertson of Winnsboro', was killed re-
Gently by the accidental discharge of gun while
he was blowing in the muzze.