The Kenosha telegraph and tribune. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1859-1860, 1860-01-05

ment OF the principle had an appropriation been
made for this purpose. Calculated up to the 1st
December. 1T will not exceed 1896, 660-a sum
not TO be taken into account when contrasted
with the great difficulties and embarrassments
OF public and private character, both to the
people and the States which would have result
e. from converting and holding a special session
of Congress.
For these reasons recommend the passage of
a bill, at as early day as may be practicable, to
provide for the payment of the amount, With in
terest, due to these last mentioned contractors,
as well'as to make the necessary appropriations
for the service of the Post Office Department for
the present fiscal year.
The failure to pass the Post Office bill necessari-
| ly gives birth to Sc rious 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 des-
troy its existence. The army, the navy, the ju-
diciary-in short, every department of govern
| ment-can not perform their functions if Con-
| gress refuse the money necessary for their sup
port If this failure should teach the country
the necessity of electing full Congress in sutf
cient time to enable the President to convene
them in any emergency, even Immediately at
ter the old Congress had expired, it will have
been productive of great good. In time of
sudden and alarming danger, foreign or domes-
tic, which all nations must expect to encouGtAr
IN their progress, the very salvation of our in
stitutions may be staked upon the assembling of
Congress without delay. If, under such cir
cumstauees, the President should find himselc
in the condition in which he was pliced >. .hn
close OF the last Congress, with near}" boit tho
States in the Union destitute of w. la: sl0
the consequences might be dis> 49,,
fore, recommend to CONE ss to carry into nf-
feet the provisions =, the constitution on tb;s
nuoJ?o.' anu W pass law appointing some day
| IA 800, " me 4th of March in each year of
III for the election of Representatives
vS"t"'cdghout the States They have already ap-
pointed day for the election of electors for Pres
ident and Vice President, and this measure has
been approved by the country.
THE PACIFIC RAILROAD:
would again express decidee opinion in
favor of the construction of Pacific Railroad,
for the reasons stated in my two last annual
Messages. When l reflect upon what would
be the defenceless condition of our States and
Territories west of the Rocky Mountains in case
of war with a naval power sufficiently strong
to interrupt all intercourse with them by the
routes across the lsthmus, / am still more con-
WINGED than ever of the vast importance of this
railroad. l have never doubted the constitu-
tional competency of Congress to provide for its
construction, but this exclusively under the war
making power. Besides, the constitution ex-
pressly requires, as an imperative duty,
that the United States shall protect each of
them, the States, against inv aston" l am at a
loss to conceive how this pr election can be af-
forded to California and Oregon against such q
naval Power by any other means repeat the
opinion contained in my last annual Message,
that 1t would be lnexped lent for the government
| to undertake this great work by agents of its
own appointment and under its direct and ex-
elusive control. This, would increase the pat
ronage OF the Executive to a dangerous extent,
and would foster system for jobbing and cor.
ruptlon which no vigilance on the part of federal
officials could Prevent The construction of
this road, ought. therefore, to be entrusted to
incorporated be dies, or other agencies, who VOID
exercise that active and vigilant supervision
over it which can be inspired alone by sense of
corporate ard individual interest. / venture to
assert that the additional cost of ansporting
troops, munitions of war, and necessary supplies
for the army across the vast intervening plains
/ to our possessions on the Pacific Coast would be
greater IN such war than the whole amount
required 10 construct the road. And yet this
resort would, after all, be inadequate for their
defencr and protection.
! RETRENCHMENT IN THE DEPART
MENTS.
| We have scarcely recovered from the habits of
ex.ravagant expenditure produced by our over
h1wlng Treasury during several years prior to
| che commencement of my administration. The
! financial reverses which we have since expert
enced ought to teach us all to scrutinize our ex>
penditures with the greatest vigilance, and to
reduce them to the lowest possible point Elk
ecutive Departments of the Government have
devoted themselves to the accomplishment of tbs
object with considerable success, as will appear
from their different reports and estimates To
these / invite the attention of Congress, TOR the
purpose of reducing them still lower, if this be
practicable, consistent with the great public in
terests of the country In aid of the policy of
retrenchment 1 pledge myself to examine close
ly the bills appropriating lands or moneys that
| if any Of these should Inadvertently pass both
| Houses, as must sometimes be the case, ] may
afford them an opportunity for reconsideration.
At the same time we ought not to forget that
true public economy consists, not in Withholding
the means necessary to accomplish important
national objects confided to us by the Constitu-
ton, but in taking care that the money appro-
priated for these purposes shall be carefully and
frugaly expended.
ADDITIONAL REVENUE NEEDED.
1t will appear from the report of the Secretary
of the Treasury that it is extremely doubtful, to
say the least, whether we shall be able to pass
through the present and the next fiscal year
without additional revenue. This only be
accomplished by strictly combining the appropri-
atoms within the estimates of the different de-
partments without making an allowance for any
additional expenditures which Congress may
think proper, in theirdiscretion, to authorize and
without providing for the redemption Of any
portion of the $4,000, 900 of Treasury notes
which will have been already issued: In the
event OF defciency,which consider probable,
this ought never to be supplied by resort to
additional loans, 1t would be a ruinous prac-
tice. in the day of peace and prosperityto go on
increasing the national debt to meet the ordinary
expenses of the government. This policy wo'd
cripple our resources and impair our credit in
case the existence of war should render it nee
essary to borrow money. If such deficiency
occurs as l apprehend, | ommend that the
pnU 1,o~ "a Nv e
our present duties on imports. 1 need not re.
peat the opinions expressed in my last annual
message as to the best mode and manner of &C.
comprising this object, and shall now merely
observe that these have since undergone no
change.
But this balance, as we'll as that estimated to
remain IN the treasury on the 1st of July, 1850
will be reduced by such appropriations as shall
be made by law to carry into effect certain In
dian treaties during the present fiscal year asked
f by the Secretary of the Interior, to the amount
OF $599, $50, and upon the estimates of the Post
master General for the service of his department
Tor the last fiscal year, ending 30th June, 1850,
f amounting to $4,286,009, together with the
further estimate of that Offices for the service of
the present fiscal year, ending 30th June, 1861,
being 500, 1874, making an aggregate Of $10,-
SCI 1888.
The public expenditures during the fiscal
year ending 30th June, 1859 amounting to $83,-
oo1 iolI'of' vi thls sum $ll .4U5,2S A were
applied to the payment of interest on the public
debt and the redemption of the issues of treasu-
ny notes. The expenditure for all of the other
branches of the public service during that fiscal
year were therefore $66,346,2 PIG ID.
The balance remaining in the treasury on the
lst July, 1859, being the commencement of the
present fiscal year, was $4,398 ,275 Sd,
TREASURY DEPARTMENT.
The receipts into the treasury during the first
quarter of the present fiscal year, commencing in
y |, 1859, were $2O,6lS, 1865, IS. Of this amount
1921 800 was received on account of the loan and