The eastern clarion. [volume] (Paulding, Miss.) 1837-1863, 1859-04-06
PosT OFFICE DEPARTMENT,

SIR: In answer to the inquiries contain
ed in your note. just received, | beg to
submit the following statement:
Congress for the first time since the or
ganizatiOn Of the Government has expir-
ed without having made appropriations
for the service Of the Post Office Depart
ment during the next fiscal year, which
viii commence on the lst of July. Had
the members Of the next Congress been
elected from all the States. the President
might on the 4th of March have called an
extra session. and this omission of the
late Congress might have been thus sup
piled. This was. however. impossible with
out DISTINGUISHING the people of nearly
half Of the States Of the Union which had
not elected members. Atthat date there
were fifteen States without representatives.
New Hampshire has since elected Rhode
Island and Connecticut Will elect in the
beginning Of April; Oregon in the begin
ming Of June; Virginia on the fourth
Thursday of May; Kentucky. Tennessee.
Alabama North Carolina and Texas in
the beginning Of August California early
in September; Georgia, Mississippi. and
Minnesota in the beginning of October !:
and Louisiana and Maryland not until the
first Monday and Wednesday in Noyem-
Der. This is most unfortunate. There
ought to he no interval when full Com
gress could not be convened, and it Is to
be hoped that there never Will be one
hereafter.
Had the appropriation bill which failed
omitted provision only for the fiscal year
commencing on the first of July next,
there would obviously have been no ne
ce,-ity for an extra session. The first
| quarterly service Of contractors for that
| year viii not have been performed. so as
10 entitle them to pay, until the first Of
| October: and 10y the terms Of their con-
| tTacts-thCse for railroad routes only eX-
| cepted--IXty days more must elapSe be
| fore their accounts can be finally settled,
| which would postpone the day Of pay
| mcut till the first of December. within
/ less than aweek from the regular meeting
/ of Congress. II it should be deemed al.
| yisable. Congress might be convened fo1
| the middle Of November. in ample time
! 10 provide for the payment Of what will
| be due contractors for the first quarter
| services oil the next fiscal wear. before il
! viii he, in fact. payable. This statement
| makes il manifest. therefore that had the
! appropriations proposed in the lill which
failed been intended to meet only the La
! hil.tie- of the next fiscal year. there would
have been no sufficient reason for calm.
Congress together before the regular pc
| rod of its assembling.
Such, however. i not the case. Tha
bill also provided that the sum OF s..
S3S,I-S be, and the same Is hereby, ap
Propriated, out OF any money in the treas
ury not otherwise appropriated, to supply
deficiencies in the revenues Of the Pos
Office Department for the year ending tn
5Jth June, 1859" Upon a careful exam
nation and investigation. it has been a.
cartaiued that the deficiency will amour
TO about the sum OF Si,3o5.2 PSI %.
ought. however. to be observed that. afte
the 3uth June next. the sum Of $4,000
granted to the department by the acts O
March ID, 1871, and March Sd. 1851. 70
the transportation and delivery of FIRE
mail matter for Congress and the execu
tive departments, may be applied in par
to the eXtingui,hment of this deficiency
This will leave the balance to be provide,
for sos, PSI %. OF this sum Of S4.3S5
Isl -, the deficiency which existed in tn
quarter ending on the 3lst Decembe
! amounted to...................... : 49,N4l d
That for the quarter ending
! Dist March tO...................l9O 4. l55 >
That for the quarter ending
5oth June to.....................l,61 PSI q