Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1860-01-05

Continued from first page.
Post Office Department for the current
fiscal year.
The failure to pass the Post. Office bill
necessarily gives birth to serious reAec-
tions. Congress, by refusing to pass the
general appropriation bills necessary to
carry on the Government, NAV not only
arrest Its action, but mighs even destroy
Its existance. The arriy, the navy, the
judiciary-in short. every department of
Government--cssn no longer perform their
functions if Congress refuses the money
necessary for their support. If this fail
urss should teach the country the necessi-
ty of electing full Congress in sufficient
time to enable the President to convene
them in any emergency, even immedia'ely
after the old Congress has expired itwlii
have been productive of great good. In
a time of sudden and alarming danger,
foreign or domestic, which all nations
must expect to encounter in their progress
the yery salvation of our institutions may
be staked upon the assembling of Con-
gress without delay. If. under these cir
cumstances, the President should find him
self in the condition in which be was pla-
ced at the close of the last Congress, with
nearly half the States of the Union desti-
tute of representatives, the consequence
might be disastrous. /, therefore, recon-
mend to Congress to carry into effect the
provisions of the Constitution on this
subject, and to pass law appointing
some day previous to the 4:h of March in
each year of odd number for the election
of representatives throughout all the
States. They have already appointed a
day for the election of electors for Presi-
dent and Vice President, and this measure
has been approved by the country.
I would again express most decided
opinion in favor of the construction of
8 Pacific railroad, for the reasons stated
in my two last annual Messages. When
I reflect upon what would be the defence
less condition of our States and Terrific
ries west of the Rockey Mountains in case
of war with a naval power sufficiently
strong to interrupt all intercourse with
them by the routes across the Isthmus, l
am still more convinced than ever of the
vast importance of this railroad. have
never doubted the constitutional compe-
tency of Congress to provide for its con-
struction, but this exclusively under the
war-making power. Besides, the Consti-
tuition expressly requires, as an impera-
tive duty, that "the United States shall
protect each of them 1.-THE States) against
invasion" I am at loss to conceive
how this protection can be afforded to
California end Oregon against such ma
val Power by any other means. l repeat
the opinion contained in my last annual
Message, that it would be inexpedient for
the Government to undertake this great
work by agents of its own appointment,
and under its direct and exclusive control.
This would increase the patronage of the
Executive to dangerous extent, and it
would foster a system of fjobbing and cor
ruption which no vigilance on the part of
federal official could prevent. The con-
struction of this road ought, therefore, to
be entrusted to incorporated companies,
or other agencies, who would exercise that
active and vigilant supervision over it
which can be inspired alone by sense Of
corporate and individal interest. I ven
ture to assert that the additional cost of
transporting troops, munitions of war,
and necessary supplies for the army across
the vast intervening plains to our posses
sions on the Pacific coast, would be
greater in such war than the whole a.
mount required to construct the road. And
yet this resort would, after all, be made.
quate for their defence and protection.
We have yet scarcely recovered from
the habits of extravagant expenditures,
produced by our overhowing Treasury,
during the several years prior to the the
commencement of my Administration.
The financial reverses which we have since
experienced ought to teach us all to scru-
tinize our expenditures with the greatest
vigilance, and to reduce them to the low
est possible point. The Executive De-
partment of the Government have all de-
voted themselves to the accomplishment
of this object with considerable success,
as will appear fran the different reports
and estimates. To these invite the scru-
tiny of Congress, for the purpose of redu-
cling them still lower, if this be practica-
BILE, consistent with the great public inter-
ests of the the country. In aid of the pol
icy of retrenchment 1 pledge myself to
examine closely the bills appropriatiating
lands or money, SO that if any OF these
should inadvertently pass both houses, as
must sometimes be the case, I may afford
them an opportunity for reconsideration.
At the same time we ought never to for
get that true public economy consists, not
in Withholding the means necessary to ac-
complish important national objects con-
fded to us by the Constitution, but in
taking care that the money appropriated
for these purpose shall be faithfully and
frugally expended.
1t will appear from the report of the
Secretary of the Treasurythat it was ex-
tremely doubtful, to say the least, wheth-
er we shall be able to pass through the
present and the next fiscal year without
providing additional revenue. This can
only be accomplished by confning the
appropriations within the estimates of the
different Departments without making al
lowance for any additional expenditures
which Congress may think proper, in
their discretion, to authorize, and without
providing for the redemption of the $780,
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