Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1860-01-05


his command the Postmaster General
has manngeo to pay that portion Of this
deficiency which occurred in the FIRST
two quarters of the fiscal year, ending
on the 3lst December last. In The
meantime the contractors themselves,
under these trying circumstances, have
behaves in manner worthy of all CON.
incubation. They had but one resource
in the midst OF their embarrsssmen,s
After the amount due to each OF them
had been ascertained aud finally settled
according to law. this became a specific
debt of record against the United States,
which enabled them to borrow m,ney
on this unquestionable security. Still
they were obliged to pay interest in con.
sequence Of the default OF s,and
on every principle of justice ought to
receive interest from the Government.
This interest should commence from the
date when warrant would have issued
for the payment of the principal had an
appropriation been made for this pur.
pose. Calculated up to LIST December,
1t will not exceed SU6 Coca sum not
to be taken into account when contrast
ed with the great difficulties and EN-
barrassmcnts Of public and private char.
ac,er, both to the people and 10 the
States, which would have resulted from
convening aud holding special session
Of congress.
For these reasons | recommend the
passage OF bill, at as early day as
may be practicsble, to provide for the
payment OF the amount, with Interest,
due 10 these las, mentioned contractors,
as well as to the necessary appropria
tions FOR the service of the Post Office
department for the current & seal year.
The failure TO pass the Pos. Oflie bill,
necessarily gives birth to serious re1ec.
tons Congress, by refusing to pass
The gensral appropriation bills necessary
to carry on The Government, may no,
only arrest its action, but might even
destroy its existence. The army, the
navy, the Judiciary, in short, every de
partment OF the Government, can nc
longer perform their functions if Con
gress refuse the money necessary ful
their support. II this failure should
teach the country the necessity of eIec
tisg q full Congress in time 10 enabl,
the President 10 sonvsHs then in AM
emergency, svsa Immediately after tn,
old Congress has expired, it would hav,
been productive of great coed. In
time Of sudden and alarming danger
foreign or domestic, the very salvation
Of our Institutions may be slaksd upor
the assemblago Of Congress, withou
delay. Ii. under such circumstance. e.
the PRECEDENT should find hinsef in IL,
condition in which he was placed at III,
close Of the last Congress, with nearl,
half OF the States of the Union dvs,itut,
Of representatives,, the cInselueuc,
might be disastrous. thcrsfors re-
commend to Congress to carry into e.
: ltct The provisions Of the constitution
on this subject. and TO PASS law ~
pointing some day previous to the All
OF March in each year of odd numbv
: for the election Of representatives thro'
: out all the States. They have alrsad,
appointed day tor the eiec,iuA o
: electors for President and Vice presi
dent, and this measure has been appro
we'd by the country.
would again express q m ost decide,
: 1apinion in favor Oh the, construction @
II Pacific railroad, for the reasons . ate,
in my two last annual messages. Whel
reflect uron what wouil be the dp
) fenceless condition OF our States IN,
Territories west Of the Rocky Noun
, tains in case of war with naya
power sufficiently strong to interrupt al
l intercourse with them by the route,
across the isthmus, | am still more coa
! vinced than ever Of the vast impor,anc,
$ OF this railroad. have never double,
! the constitutional competency Of Con
gress to provide for its construction bu
this exclusively under the war making
power. Besides, the Constitution ex
= pressly requires, as an imperative du
~. that "the United States shall protec
E each of them ('he Slates) against inva
, sion" lam ut /. loss to conceive hov
! this protection can be afforded to Cali
iornia and Oregon against such nava
power by any other means. repea
= the opinion contained in my last annua
: message, that it would be inexpedien
E for the Government to undertake. thi
great work by agents Of its own appoint
+ ment and under It's direct and excIusiy,
: control. This would increase the pa
patronage of the Executive to u danger
: Gus extent. and would foster n system
: Of jobbing and corruption which no y
lance on the part OF the Federal official
: could prevent. The construction of thi
road ought, therefore, TO be inlrusteJ tt
. Incorporated companies, or other ogen
ces, who would exercise that acliy,
! and vigi'ant supervision over it which
, can be inspired alone by sense of cor
pora,e and individual interest. | ven
ture to assert that the additional cost u
Transporting troops, munitions Of war
: : and necessary supplies for The arm,
across the vast intervening plains TO ou
possessions on the Pacific coast woul,
: be greater IN such war than the Who'll,
: amount required to construct the road
And yet this resort, would, after all, b,
ii