Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-12-19


the thirty three States which had not elected any repre-
senatives to the present Congress Had Congress ee
called together Immediately, these States would nave
been virtually DISTINGUISHED. II an intermediate peiiou
had been selected several OF the States would nave oee
compelled to hold extra sessions OF their legislatures ~
great inconvenience and expense to provide Tor eeclohS
at an earlier day than that previously hxea ny law. IN
the regular course ten of these States would not elect
until after the beginning Of August ana i've o thee Ten
not until October anti November
On the other hand, when came 10 examine carefully
the condition OF the Post Office Department, d,d not
meet ms many great difficulties as had alptee-
ed Had the bill which failed been confined 70 appo
nrians for the fiscal year ending on the 30th June next
tber. would have been OF pressing Importance
for the call OF extra session Nothing woua oecohe
dpe IN contracts those with railroad companies only eX-
cepte for carving the mail for the inst quarter OF inc
present fiscal year. commencing the lst OF july uhtii
the ls of Dccember--less than one week before Tue
meeting of the present Congress The reason : that
the mail contractors for this the current year an not
complete their first quarters service until the ioth sep
temter last and by the Of their contracts sixty
DAYS more are allowed for the settlement OF iheir ac-
counts before the Department could DC Called upon ot
payment.
The great difficulty and the great hardship consisted IN
the failure to provide for the payment OF the decehc!
in the fiscal year ending the 30th June, lSoy IN be
patmcn had entered into contracts, III obedience 10 eA-
listing laws for the service Of that fiscal year, ana the
Contractors were fairly entitled to their compensation u
il became due The deficiency rs stated IN the mi
ted to
of all these accounts, it has been aSccIieu '''
amounts to 81 900 OO9 With the scty means ut his
command the Postmaster General has mailged 70 pay
that portion Of this deficiency which occurred III Tue iSt
two quarters Of the past fiscal year ending Q" the DIST
December last In the mean time the contractors 'h,i-
.Is under these irving circumstances have behaved III
a manner worthy Of all commentator. They iiii one
resource in the midst Of their advertisements After
thayamount due to each OF them had been asccrluned
nd finally settled according to law this became Specc
r,;puf flIaI NIT
them 10 borrow money on this unqnes"naelc security.
Still they obliged to pay interest III consequence"
the default of Congress and on every principle OF justice
ought to receive interest nom In" GoVehhehl lhis
interest should commence from the date when warrant
would have issued for the payment OF the principal '
an appropriation been made Tor this purpose Calculated
NJ to lst December il will not exceed S9doto-a sum
not To be taken into account when contrste,i Win tue
great difficulties aud advertisements {" puhc anu pr
waite character both the people and the States which
would have resulted from convcnnS and holding specm
session of Congress. -,
For these reasons recommend the passage Of bill at
as early day be practicable to provide Tor 'he
PAYMENT Of the amount with interest dine 10 these Last
mentioned contractors rs well to make the necessary
appropriations the service Of the Post Office Depart
ment for the current fiscal year,
The failure to pass the Post Office bill necessarily gives
birth to serious reflections Congress hy refusing to pas
the general appropriation bills necessary to carry on Tue
Government NAV not only arrest its action, but might
even destroy its existence The amy the navy, the u
dietary in short every department I" the Government can
no longer perform their functions il Congress retnc INC
money necessary their support If this failure should
teach the country the necessity OF ccctns full Congress
in sufficient time to enable the Presdentto convene them
in any emergency even immediately after the old Con
gress has expired it will have been productive OIL Sira
good In a time Of sudden and alarming danger, ioeiS
or domestic which all nations must expect 70 encounter
in their Progress the very salvation ii institutions
NAV he staked upon the assembling OF Congress without
delay H. under such circumstances. the President should
find himself in the condition in which he VAS pldccd al
the close Of the last Congress with nearly hall the States
of the Union destitute Of representatives, the con'e-
uuencss might be disastrous therefore, recommend
to Congress carry into effect the provisions u The ION
stituton on this subject, aud to pass law appointing
some cay previous the It'll March III each year !" odd
number for the election Of representatives, Throughout
all the States They have already appointed day io the
election Of electors President and Vice President aud
this measure has been approved by the country
would again express most decided opinion III itvor
of the construction of Pacific railroad FOL the reasons
stated in my two last annual messages When leicc'
upon what would be the delcncccss condition OF oni
States and Territories vest Of the Eocky mountains III
case Of with naval power sufficiently strong 70 IN
terrup all intercourse with them by the routes across Tue
sthmuS am still more convinced t.l ever OF me vast
Importance of this railroad. have mevct doubted the
constitutional competency !" C"nSItaS to poEe ioi rs
construction but this exclusively under the wat-mikS
power Besides the Constitution expressly requires, Is
an imperative duty that te United States shall protect
loss to conceive how this protection be afforded t"
California and Oregon against such naval power ny any
other means repeat the opinion contained III my last
annual message that it would I've incXpcent for the Gov
eminent to undertake this great work by agents OF rs
own appointment and under its direct and exclusive con
troll This would increase the patronage OF the Executive
10 dangerous extent and would foster system ot job
bling and corruption which vigilance on the part OF
Federal officials could prevent The construction OF this
road ought therefore he ntrsted to Incorporated
oil
active and vigilan supervision over it which can he IN
spircd alone by OF corporate ana individual inter
est venture to assert that the additional cost OF trans
portng troops munitions of and eccssary supplies
for the army across the vast intervening plains 70 oui
possessons on the Pacific coast would he greater IN suc
war than the whole amount required to construct inc
road And vet this resort would, after all, be made
u,I.te for their defence and protection
We have vet scarcely recovered from the hatS 9" cN
trayagant expenditure, produced by our Overlooking
Treasury during several prior u the commencement
of nv administration. The financial revcseS when we
have since experienced ought to teach rs all to scutz
our expenditures with the greatest vigilance ana 10 reduce
them to the lowest possible point Inc Executive De'
partmens of the Government have devoted themselves
70 the accomplishment Of this object with considerable
success as will appear from their different reports and
estimates To these invite the scrutiny OF Congress
for the purpose OF reducing them still lower, II TINS DC
nrocticabe consistent with the great public interests oil
the country In aid Of the policy OF retrenchment
nledpe myself to examine closely the bills appiopia'hS
lands or money that if any OF these should hVcrteh
10 mass both houses, must sometimes he the case
may afford them opportunity Tor recosae'a'io ~
nonv consists not in withholding the means ncctssa-
- IN accomplish important national objects conted to
s bv the Constitutions but IN taking care that the money
concentrated for these purposes shall be faithfully and