M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1860-01-12

instantly recalled .hem 10 complete their
wotk-and this without expense to the Gov
ernment; But on the 4th Of March last,
there were fifteen Of the thirty three States
which had not elected any representatives to
the present Congress. Had Congress been
called together Immediately, these States
would have been virtually disfianchised. II
an intermediate period hid been selected,
several of the States would have been ccm-
PEELED to hold extra sessions OF their legisla-
lures, at great in COW enience and expense, TO
provide for elections at nm 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 Noyem-
Der. .r.#
On the other hand, when came toexam-
inc carefully the condition Of the Post Office
Department, | did not meet as many or as
great difficulties as had apprehended.-
Had the bill which failed been confined to
appropriations for the fiscal year ending oil
the 30lh June next, there would have been
no reason OF pressing importance for the
call OF an extra session. Nothing would
become due on contracts Chose with rail-
road compsnes only excepted) for carrying
the mail Tor the hrst quarter OF the present
fiscal year, commencing on the lst Of July,
until the Is; Of December, less than one
week before the meeting of the present Con-
gress The reason is that the mail contrac-
tors of this the current year did not COM
plete the first quarters service until the Both
September last, and by the terms of their
contracts sixty days more are allowed for the
settlement of their accounts before the De-
partment could be called upon for payment.
The great difficulty and the great hard
ship consisted in the failure TO provide for
the payment; of the deficiency ia the fiscal
year ending the 30th June, 1859. The De.
partment entered into contracts, in obpdience
TO existing laws, for the service of that fiscal
year, and me contractors were lairly entl tied
to their compensation as it became due
The deficiency as stated in the bill amount.
ell 10 So ,S3S, ,72S, but, after careful settle
ment of all these amounts, it has been asce T.
.ained that it amounts to S4,296,00O.-
With the scanty means at his command the
Postmaster General has managed to pay
that portion oi this deficiency which occur
red in the first two quarters OF the fiscal year.
ending On the 3 let December last. In the
meantime the contractors themselves under
these trying circumstances, have behaved
in manner worthy ol all commenddtion.
They had one recource in the udsl Of their
embarrassments. After the amount due 10
each OF them had been ascertained and fl
naIy settled according to law, this became u
specific debt of record against the United
States, which enabled item to borrow mon
ey on This uuquestunable security, Still
they were obliged to pay interest in conse-
quence of the default OF Congress, and on
every piuciple Of justice ought to receive in
teresl from the Government. This interest
should commence from the date when a war
rant would have issued for the payment OF the
principal had an appropriation been made for
this purpose. Calculated up to lst Decem.
Der, it will not exceed S96 ,660--a sun not
TO be taken into account when cUntrasted
with the gIeot difficulties aud embarrass,
nents Of public and private character, both
to The people and the States which could
have resulted from conveuing aud holding
special session of Congress.
For these reasons | recommend the pas.
sage oil bill, at as early d day as may be
practicable, to provide Tor the paymen! ol
the amount, with interest, due to these las;
mentioned cOnlTac ctOrs, as well as to make the
necessary appropriations for the service oI
the Post Office Department for tie current
fiscal year.
The failure to pass the Post Office bill me-
cessarlly gives birth to serious reflections -
Congress by refusing 10 pass the general
appropriation bills necessary TO carry on the
Government, may not only arrest lis action
but might even destroy It's existence. The
army, the navy, the judiciary, in short every
department oil the Government, can no lon
GER perform their functions ii Congress re.
Iuse the money necessary Tor their support
If this failure should teach the country the
necessity OF eiecting full Congress in suili
cient time to enable the President 10 convene
them in any emergency, even Immediately
alter the old Congress had expired, 1t viii
have been productive OF great good. In time
oil sudden and alarming danger, foreign Of
domestic, which all Ealiuns must expect t.
encounter in their'prugress, the,very saliva
lion oil our institutions may be staked upoI
the assembling OF Congress without delay
Ii under such circumstances, the President
SHOULD find himself in the condition in which
he was. placed at the close OF the last Con
grcss, with nearly halt the States of lht
Union destitute Of representatives, the con,
sequences might De disastrous. |, therefore
recommend 10 Congress to carry into efiec
The provisions of the Constitution on thi'
subject, and to pass law appointing sont
day previous TO the 4th oi March in each yea
OF odd numbe for the election of representa-
tlyes throughout all the States. They bav'
already appointed day Tor the election 0
electors for President aud Vice President
and this measure has been approved by, tht
country.
would again express most decided opin
ion in favor ul the construction OF Paclli
railroad, for the reasons stated in my two
last annna! messages. When reflect upor
what would be the deienceess condition .
our States aud Territories west OF the Rocky
mountains in case oi war with ID navd
power sufficiently strong 10 interrupt all in
tercourse with them by the routes across th'
Istnmus, am stl ii more convinced than ey
er OF the vast importance Ot this railroad. -
ii have never doubted the constitutions
competency of Congress to provide for it
construction, but this exclusively under tht
war msking power. Besides, the Constilu
/, ton expressly requires as an imperative duty
that the United States shall protect each o