Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1860-01-04

uanoe 10 employ the army and navy upon
the happening Of contingent future events
and this most certainly Is embraced within
the power TO declare war.
Now, II this conditional and continksnt
power could be constitutionally conferred up
on the President in the case Of Paraguay,
why may it not be conferred for the purpose
Of protecting the lives and properly Of Amer
loan citizeDs in tho event that they may bo
violently aud unlagfully attacked In pass
ing over the transit routes 10 aud from Cali
fornia or assailed BY the seizure Of their ves-
sells in foreign port2 To deny this power
is TO render the navy in great degree use
less for the protection Of the liyeH and prop
erty Of American citizens IN countries whore
neither protection nor redress can be other
wise obtained.
The Thirty-sftb Congress terminated on
the Sd Of March, 1859, without having pass
ed the ''act making appropriations for the
service of the Post Office Department during
the fiscal year ending the Both Of June 1902
This act also contained an appropriation ato
supply deficiencies in the revenue Of the Post
Office Department for the year ending the
Both of June, 1882 believe this
the first instance since the fOrms-
tion of the Federal Government, now
more than seventy years ago, when any
Congress went out of existence without hay
ing passed all the general appropriation bills
necessary to carry on the government until
the regular period for the meeting Of "a new
Congress. This event imposed on the exeou-
tive grave responsibility. It presented q
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 complete their work
- and this without expense to government. But
on the 4th of March last there were ffteon Of
the thirty-three States which had not elected
any representatives to the present Congress.
Had Congress been called together immedi-
ately, these States would have bssn virtually
disfranchised. If an intermediate period had
been selected, several Of the States would have
been compelled to hold extra sessions Of
their Legislatures, at great Inconvenience and
expense, to provide for elections at an earlier
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 October and
November.
On the other hand, when came to examine
carefully the condition of the Post Office De-
partment, | did not meet as many or as great
difficulties as had apprehended. Had the
bill which failed been confined 10 appropria-
tions for the fiscal year ending on the Both
June next, there would have been no reason
VI Pieseihs ini niPVt'en0o i"H lhc 0oh VI an CA
IRA session. Nothing "ould become que on
contracts (those with railroad companies only
exeepted) for carrying the mail for the first
quarter of the present fiscal year, commencing
on the lst of July, until the 1st Of December
less than one week before the meeting Of
the present Congress The reason is that the
mail contractors for this the current year did
ho' oounpiv'e 'uelr hrsI quarteIs serVite u"-
u. tne own oeP,eineer last anu uy vac tvrins
VI tneiI eon'iaolo slAey usys nnoro aIe sito"-
Gu lDr thehset'leinenI oi tneir accounts peiore
tne department coulu De ealleu upon lor pay
ment'
The great difficulty and the great hardship
consisted in the failure TO provide for the pay
ment of the deficiency of the fiscal year end
ing the 3Oth June, 1859. The Department
had entered into contracts, in obedience to
existing laws, for the service Of that fiscal
year, and the contractors were fairly entitled
to their compensation as It became due. The
deficiency, as stated in the bill, amounted to
SS,oootZo, puI alter careiui settiement OF
az these dn mas so Seeh tnat
II alnouI,s S W 9i,zoo,o@vY. ~ WIN tne scenty
means a az ms uolIniahu lils rost hlsseer usn-
slsl mas ninnneeN " pay .nsl Pvl4on % .His
uehclehcy Which ocouFrsu IN tne hrsI tSV
91aI'1ls 9S VI Ine pas. sTli ysaf, ehulng On ,ne
contractors theuseFss, unoer these erylng
Iaaa ,Nnwa hawrl L..N.a
clrcunlstshGes, ;s nave 9ehaVeo ~ ~ = manner
worlhy oi al eop lneneAlSn. they hAu one
resources ln tne must Oh tnelr emoarrass-
nehis. i Al'er .ne al1ouns que 70 each Oh them
rau peen Nsoet s anu nnaily ses.s1 ny
cSrulhg " raw, uais ueo1ne . speeinee uege
Vi IeSeIu "setns' 'ne ohi'eu o'@'ee, Which
enaoled tnem 10 norroW money on ms un,
questiohaoles security stlll uney were epngesu
10 pay interest ih consequences OF tne eelauie a.p
ol Congress, anu On eHery prlncip,e n 81 yus.lco
ougn' W te0elte In'elss' i,oni 'ne oosetn-
Aris ss' snvulu w ..on,
Sne ua'e WIZ warLen. Wouiu W., ns's @ issusu
lol ele . pay nisnS " tns Pt.n0ips. n@u ~ Up
pia.' Prvpria.ion osen nauS ior 'nlS putpyyse
oa'cu,assa ,ooa Up up 70 ISL Decelnoer y wn nv
sAoeeu sum no; ~ 49,, W S. ssss n.ssO
Ic9ount Mneh Sontias'eu WIN .ne sIes. sas ui..l,
cui'ieS anu " puonS slu
private cnerSc'er, Do'n " tne PeVPie anu 1ne
STATES Wh,cI Touiu nave rssuileo from So Gun
Nehlhg anu holuihg sPeelAi session Vi NoA-
gress' 3v ts
For these reasons recommend the passage
OF bill, at as early day as may Do praeti-
cable, to provide for the payment OF the
amount, with interest, due to these last men
! TONED contractors, as well as 10 make the
necessary appropriations for the service oil
the Post oihee department for the current
Z hseal year. .-sita.a-g -,e
The failure to pass the Post Once bill ne
cessarIly gives birth to serious rehectiona.--
Congress- by refusing to pass the general ap-
preparation bills necessary TO carry on the
Government, may not only arrest its action,