Wabash express., 1860-01-04

4
chised. If an intermediate period had been
selected, several Of the States would have
been compelled to hold extra sessions ol
their Legislatures, at great Inconvenience and
expense, to provide for elections at an ear
lier day than that previously fixed by law.
In the regular course, ten Of these States
would not elect until after the beginning Of
August, and five of these ten not until Dc.
tober aud November.
On the other hand, whenI came to exam.
inc csl slefully the condition Of the Post Office
Department, did not meet as many or a.
great difficulties as / had spprehended.- =
Had the bill which failed been confined 10
| appropriations for the fiscal year ending ON
the 3Oth of June next, there would have
been no reason Of pressing Importance for
the call of an extra session. Nothing would
become due on contracts (those with railroad
companies only excepted) for carrying the
mail for the first quarter Of the present fis.
cal year, commencing on the lst of Julv
until the LIST of Dccember-less than one
week before the meeting of the present
| Congress. The reason is that the mail con-
tractors for this, the current year, did not
complete their first quarters service until
the 3Oth of September last; and by the
terms of their contracts sixty days more are
allowed for the settlement Of their accounts
before the Department could be called upon
fo- payment.
The great difficulty and the great hard.
ship consisted in the failure to provide for
the deficiency in the fiscal year ending the
Goth June, 1859. The Department had en-
tered into contracts, in obedience 10 existing
laws, for the service Of that fiscal year. and
the contractors were fairly entitled TO their
:. y n
cheney as stated in the bill amounted to
81 .63S, ,72S, but after careful settlement of
all these accounts, it has been ascertaiped
that it amounts TO 81 ,296 ,609. With the
scanty means at his command the Postmas.
ter General has managed to pay that portion
Of this deficiency which occurred in the first
two quarters Of the past fiscal year, ending
on the 3lst December last. In the mean.
time the contractors themselves, under these
trying circumstances, have behaved in a
manner worthy of all commendation. They
had one resource in the midst Of their en-
barrassments. After the amount due TO
each Of them had been ascertained and
finally settled according to law, this became
aspecific debt of record against the United
States, which enabled them 10 borrow mon.
ey on this unquestionablc security. Still
they were Obliged to pay interest in conse-
quence OF the default OF Congress, and on
every principle of justice ought to receive
interest from the Government. This inter.
est should commence from the date when a
warrant would have issued for the payment
of the principal had an appropriation been
made for this purpose. Calculated up to
LIST December, it viii not exceed $96, ,660-a
sum not TO be taken into account when con-
trasted with the great difficulties and em.
baTassments of a public and private char
acter, both to the people and the States,
which would have resulted from converting
and holding special session Of Congress.
For these reasons / recommend the pass
age of bill, al as early day as may be
practicable, to provide for the payment Of
the amount, with interest due TO these last
mentioned contractors, as well as to make
the necessary appropriations for the service
of the Post Office Department. for the current
fiscal year.
The failure to pass the Postofice bill nee
essarlly gives birth TO serious reflections
Congress, by refusing to pass the general
appropriation bills necessary to carry on the
Government, may not only arrest its action,
but might even destroy its existence. The
cry department of the Government, can no
longer perform their functions il Congress
refuse the money necessary for their support.
If this failure should teach the country the
necessity of electing full Congress in suf-
ficient time to enable the President to con.
vene them In any emergency, even immcdi-
ately after the old Congress has expired
it will have been productive of great good.
In time Of sudden alarming danger. for
eign or domestic, which all nations must
expect to encounter in their progress, the
very salvation OF our institutions may be
staked upon the assembling Of Congress
without delay. If, under such clrcumstsn-
ces, the President should find himself iu
the condition in which he was placed at
the close of the last Congress, with nearly
half the States of the Union destitute Of
representatives; the consequences might be
disastrous. i, therefore, recommend to
Congress to carry into effect the provisions
of the Constitution on this subject, and to
pass law appointing some day previous
10 the 4th of March in each year of odd
number for the election of representatives
throughout all the States. They have al.
ready appointed day for the election Of
electors for President and Vice President,
aud this measure has been approved by the
country. a-a
would again express a most decided
opinion in favor OF the constructien Of a
Pacific railroad, for the reasons stated in
my two last annual messages. When /
reflect upon what would be the defenceless
condition of our States and Territories
west of the Rocky mountains in case of q
war with a naval power sufficiently strong
10 interrupt all intercourse with them by
the routes across the Isthmus, am still
more convinced than ever of the vast im-
portance of this railroad. have never
doubted the constitutional competency of
Congress 10 provide for its construction.
but this exclusively under the war.making
power.
Besides, the Constitution expressly re-
xuires. as an imperative duty. that "the
United States shall protect each Of them
the States-against invasion" am at q
loss to conceive how this protection can be
afforded to California and Oregon against
such a naval power by any other means
| repeat the opinion contained in my last
annual message, that it would be inexpe-
dient for the Governnent to undertake this
great work by agents of its swn appoint
ment and under its direct and exclusive
control. This would increase the patron
age of the Executive to dangerous extent.
and would foster q system of jobbing and
corruption which no vigilance on the part
} of Federal officials could prevent.
J The construction of this road ought,
, therefore, TO be intrusted to incorporated
companies, or other agencies, who would
! exercise that active and vigilant supervis-
ion over it which can be inspired alone by
sense of corporate and individual inter.
est. venture to assert that the additional
I cost of transporting troops, manitions OF
! war, and necessary supplies for the army
7, across the vast intervening plains 10 oul
e possession, on the Pacific coast would bs
Il greater in such a war than the whole
amount required 10 construct the road
q And yet this resort would, after all, be in
q adequate for their defense aud protection
e We have yet scarcely recovered from th'
y habits Of extrsvagant expenditure. produc
u ed By our overfiowing treasury, during sew
: eral years prior 10 the commencement o.
/ nv administration. The financial reverse.
s which we have since experienced ought e
teach US all 10 scrutinize our expenditures
N with the greatest vigilance, and to reduc'
g them to the lowest possible point Th'
" Executive Departments Of the Governmen
II have devoted themselves to the accom-
|" plishment Of this object with considerable
n success, as will appear from their differen