American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1859-03-24
The post-Oalce Appropriation Failure.


priation Bill, as our readers are aware, is
due solely to the obstinate persistence Of
Senator TooMBs, in maintaining point Of
parliamentary etiquette. In our judg-
OF, he is clearly in the wrong as TO tie
mere technicality insisted on. Wero il
otherwise, he certainly took upon him
self a serious responsibility in defeating
necessary appropriation on such fimsy
ground. No important principal was in
volved. 1t was question of courtesy of
form, Of nice and trivial construction
merely. Mr.. TooMBs thought the House
did not show quite the proper degree OF
respect for the august body to which he
belongs, and that an unwarrsntable limita-
tion was put upon its powers by the refu-
sal Of the House to recognise the right Of
the Senate either to tack a revenue clause
upon bill Of the House. or to originate a
revenue measure by bill of its own
The House did right to insist on compli-
ance with the requirements Of the Consti-
tuition in this respect, and to "shut down"
on an attempt to etade its plain spirit and
intent. This abuse on the part Of the
Secate, in smuggling in revenue clauses as
amendments to bills entirely distinct, has
existed quite too long. The check was
timely.
The resolution OF Mr.. Grow. assertin G
the constitutional doctrine on this subject
passed the House by a vote of II to 76.
Of course it had the votes Of many demo.
Gratis. This action, however.did not prop
erly interfere with the Post, Office Appro-
priation Bill. The Senate had appended
to that bill an amendment raising the rates
of letter postage, to five and ten cents.
and matterislly increasing that upon print
ed matter. The House refused to act on
this, for constitutional reasons, as explain
ed in their resolution. II was also well
that this amendment would have been vo.
ted down on its own merits that it stood
no chance whatever Of passing the
House. In order to save the Post Office
appropriation, q bill was promptly passed,
containing all the other provisions Of that
which came from the Senate, except this
one raising the rates Of postage. 1t went
back into the Senate, where 1t required
unaI imous cons ant at that late stage OF the
session, under the rules, TO secure it 9
hearing. All Senators fully understood
that the two houses were at variance about
mere technicality only, and that, IN
point OF fact. the Senate did not conceede
The principal asserted by the House, in sa'
wing the bill on the proposed terms
Save Mr.. TooMBs, with perhaps two ol
three Southern associates, the Senate wat
unanimous for taking up the bill. His OBJ
stinacy and shallow capriCe caused its de-
feat.
So thoroughly sectional has the rem
nant of Democracy become, that Mr.
TooMDs receives no rebuke from the party
leaders or presses in general. Had {
Northern Democrat done this mischisvou'
; act-Mr. .PUGi, for instance, or Mr.
DoUoLAs-- be would have encountered {
storm of denunciation which would hav'
only ceased with his retirement from pub
lie life. But Northern Democrats are
meek race. They live upon Southern in
, diligence and favor, and are ready to kis
the hand that most savagely smitss them
The failure of the Post Offie appropria
, tions, for aught we can see, must prett
l effectually block the whesls OF that depart
ment, unless an extra session is called 70
at an early day. Already there is def
oiencly of from three to four millions Z
s dollars. Even the receipts for postage
n unless the commissions of postmasteri
{, cannot be appropriated to the expenses G
!! the department, after the 3oth OF June
: These receipts are required to be paid int
{ the Treasury, along with those from tn
IS other sources Of the national income, an
b conuot be paid without an express provii
ion Of law.
To the pefverse caprice OF Hon. RoBEH
X TooMBs OF Georgia, let it be Iememheret
a the country owes the pleasure OF being
o thi, delightful predicrment.-Cin. Gaz.