The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1860-01-06


of June, 1859" | believe this Is the first
instance since the origin of :he Federal
Government, now more than seventy years
ago, when any Congress went out of ex-
istence without having passed all the gen
eral appropriation bills necessary to carry
on the government until the regular peri
Cd for the meeting of a new Congress -
This event imposed on the Executive a
grave responsibility. 1t presented a
choice of evils
Had this omission of duty occurred at
the first session of the last Congress, the
remedy would have been plain. might
| then have instantly recalled them to COM
pIete their work-and this without ex-
pense to the Government. But on the
of March last, there were fifteen of the
thirty three States which had not elected
any representatives to thepresent Congress.
Had Congress been called together imme-
tually disfranchised. If an immediate
period had been selected, several of the
States would have been compelled to hold
extra sessions of the;r legislatures at great
Inconvenience and expense, to provide for
elections at an earlier day than 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
len not until October and November.
On the other hanI when | came to ex-
anime carefully the condition of the Post
Office Department, did not meet as ma, Y
or as great difficulties as had apprehend-
ed. Had the bill which failed been con-
fined to appropriations for the fiscal year
ending on the 3Oth of June next, there
would have bee no reason Of the pressing
importance for the call of an extra session.
Nothing would become due on contracts
those with railroad companies only excepted
for carving the mail for the first quarter of the
present fiscal year, commencing the first
of July until the lst of d c.Hbcr-less than
one week before the meeting Of the present cen>
giess. The reason is that the mail contractors
for this the currelt year, did not complete their
first quarters service until the 80 of Septem>
Der last and by the terms of their contracts six
ty days more are allowed for the settlement of
their accounts before the Department: could be
called upon for payment.
The great difficulty and the great hardship
consisted in the ftiluIc to provide fer the pay
met of the deficiency in the tiscal year ending
June so 1859. THc Departments had entered
ito contracts in obedience TO existing laws for
the service of that f>Cal year, ana the contract
6 ors ware fairly Untitled TO their compensation as
! t became due The d, 6ciercy, as stated in the
2 bin, amounted to 3S3S 72S doll r., but, af er 0
t careful settlement Of all these accounts, it has
seen asccrtAined that it amounts to 1896 009
dollars. With the scanty means at his cons
> maad the Post Master General has managed to
pay that portion of this deficiency which occur
= red in the frst two quarters Of The past fSca
0 ear, ending tie Slst December last La the
! meantime the contractors themselves, un e.
these irving circumstances, have behaved in
!, manner worthy of all commendaton. They haC
} ore resource in the midst Of their embsrrass
G ments After the amount DE to each Of then
S had been ascertained and finally settled accor
:. ding to law, this became specific debt OF recor
J against the United States, which enables then
: to borrow money on this unquestioDab security
n Sill they were obliged to pay interest in con
S Sequence of the default Of Congress and o.
f every principle OF justica, ought TO receive in
tere-t from the Government. This iateres
, SHOULD commence from the dte when i waCrau
Il would hive issued for the payne Of the rrin
/ ciple had an appropriate n been made fot thi
Y parrose. Calculated up to first Of December
u il will not exceed So $50 dollars a SUM not t
be taken into account when contT4steG with Ii
great difficulties and embarrasSnCntS of publ
u and private char tcter, both to the people an
= the Staes, which would have e uted from con
e venng and holding special Session Of Congress
Y For these reasons | recommend the pas
: sage of q bill, at as early day as may b
= practicable, to provide for the payment {
t lie amount with interest, due to these las
Y mentioned contractors, as well as 10 max
j the necessary appropriations for the servic
h of the Post Office Department for tn
d current fiscal year.
The failure to pass the Post Office bi
e necessarily gives birth to serious rehec
{? tons. Congress by refusing to pass til
e general appropriation bill necessary to car
: ry on the government may not only arres
= lis action, but might even destroy its exis
tence. The army, the navy, the judiciary
5 in short every department of the govern
' ment can no longer perform their function
S if Congress refuse the money necessar,
: for their support. If this failure SHOULD
, teach the country the necessity of electin!
! q full Congress in sufficient time to enabl,
the President to convene them in any EN-
, ereencv, even Immediately after the ole
Congress has expired, it will have beer
, productive of great good. In time o
, sudden and alarming danger, foreign o.
! domestic, which all nations must expec
to encounter in their progress, the very
salvation of our institutions may be stakec
| upon the assembling Of Congress without
delay. If, under such circumstances, The
President should find himself in the cond
, ton in which he was placed at the close
of the last Congress with nearly half The
States of the Union destitute of represen
tatives, the consequence might be disas
trous. !, therefore, recommend to Con
gress to carry into effect the provisions O
; the Constitution on this subject, and to pass
a law appointing some day previous to the
4th March in each year of odd number fol
, the election of representatives throughout
all the States. They have already appoin
ted day for the election of electors o.
President and Vice President, and this
measure has been approved by the coun
try.
would again express a most decided
opinion in favor of the construction of a
Pacific Railroad, for the reasons stated in