New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-03-23
LETTER OF TIE POSTMASTER GENERAL

WASHINGTON, March Il, 1859.
SIR: have Just learned tina, it Is the determine
ton If The Ps,ldent call session Of Congress-
Al In Wv of Til. failure Of the Post Office Appro
,iSp S .S9I IS r.. s 70 f he ei Of IL
oI' ana especially sty zion is conteInps,ed io ettn
sushus its ab which have already maiaied and are nov
payable. ..,s.r- .,. L.ai.,. ..,
want, GEO MArtlHfLY,
Superintendent Potomac StsAmboA, Company.
Hon JosErH Hon, Po.tusster-GenerA
PosT-OFrIcE DEPARTMENT. March q, 1859.
SIR: In answer 10 the inquiries contained In your
pote just received beg ~ submit the following state
ment:
Congress, for the first time since the organization OF
the Government, he's expired without having made
appropriations for the service Of the POst-Ohce De-
partment during the next iscal year. which will CON
meDce on the LIST OF July. III ad the members oil tue
next Coz gress been elected from all the States the
President might on the ith Of March have called an
extra session and this omission OF the late Congress
might have been thus supplied TGs was, however,
impossible without dsfranchisirg the people OF nearly
halt of the Ststes of the Union which had not elected
members. At that date, there were niteen States
without Representatives. New.Hampshire hiss since
elected. Rhode Island ard Connecticut will elect N
the bepipnipg Of Anil; Oregon in the beginnipg OF
June; Virginia or the fourth Thursdsy OF Msyi Men
tucky Alabama, North Carolina and Texas IN the De-
Georgia. Mississippi and MinHesoL, in the beginning
of October and Louisiana and Maryland not until the
frat Monday and Wecnes day in November. This IL
most unfortunate. There ought 10 be no interval
q
To be hoped that there never viii be hereafter.
Had The Appropriation bill which failed made pro-
vision only tor the fiscal year commencing on the LIST
Of July next there would obviously have been no ne
cessiiy for an extra session. The first quarterly ser-
vice OF contractors for that year viii not have been
performed 20 as to eatitle them to pay until the lst
of October ard by the terms OF their contradictions
for railroad routes only eIceptei-eU,y days more
nust e!spss before their accounts can be finally set
tied which would postpone the day of payment TIL the
4 na.a ~ la-s a
regular meeting # Compress. II i should be deemed
adsiss bic Congress might be convened tor tue middle
Of November, in ample time TO provide Tor the pay
ment Of what will be cue contractors for the tst sr-
ters service OF the next fiscal year, before 1t VIII DC
In fact pay able This statement makes !. manifest
hers FORE that had the spproPnanots proposed 10 tne
bill which failed been intended 10 meet only the so-
les Of !he next Escsl year. there woGd have been no
sufficient tor ealing Congress together pe4OIo
the regular period of its assembling
Such, hOsever, Is Lot the case. ihat Dli also pro-
vOed " that the Of - So - BE- anu tue 50 Ne Is
hereby appropriated, out OF any moLey N tne IIess
cry not otherwise appropriated 10 supply deicercies
in the revenues OF the Post Office Department ior
" the yesr ending the 9th OF June, lc9 poh
careful examination aud inve resignation II has been as
ccItaDcd that the deficiency will amount to about the
sum Of -, <Sl -. II Ought however, to be o.
served that, after the 3th Of june next, the sum OF
500 600 granted to the Department. by the sets Of
March s. 1872 and March 3 lSJl, for the usnspo''a;
ton and delivery Of free mail matter for Congress ana
I
the eatnguishIueIt OF this d6cency. nls VIII leave
the balance be provided FOR - 90 81 % Or tins
sum Of 81 So Isl %, the deficiency which existed II
The quarter ending Dee ST. .Enooned ~ sh g
That quarter eIdII 5l.t MAch - 'i -
Tia, the garter ending Slh Ju-e VI
'ss''''''''' $50 |f''-'-
TIE = %, 81 6S-beirg the unpaid balance OF the
quarter liabilities closing 3lst December atd sysoe
| 18th FebIuary-esl and viii be paid " the Depart
MEET within SIXTY days from this date. The ps! mem
Of the pribci pal part Of il will BE- made within tauty
days. The eiien, Of this will be TO dyte tue en,u
deficit Of IS, Isl % between toe quarters ending
3lst March and 30th June, and payable jls May and
3st August; that the suspension Of payment 90 DO
pant OF this Indebtedness VII exceed beyond lew
dsys Elk months before the regular meeting o. Con-
gIes- nearly one-haf Of Il the suspension VII DC
| bot for few dsys ole th>n three months.
lis grievous misfortune 70 the Contractors Ias.
the DepsTtmen. las been left without tae meaus OF
cschsrgirg this debt at liz maturity. Under eIsaos
| ciIcnustaices, however, II you'd be imPosSiose -
convene C0pgr,s. IN time TO meet toe-e responsioI
ties without virtually excluding from that body the u
pie-ertaiyes OF several OF the sovereign States o tn'
cop.ederaeo Gov, rrneLt This would De Jnst cause
| OF serious complaint.
TIE cfo.ce Of the President ba. 'eeu undouote1y
N