The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1860-01-03

ING the mail for the first quarter of the present fiscal year.
commencing the list July, until the LIST DecenDer-ss
than week before the meeting OF the present
The reason is that the mail contractors for this the current
year did complete their first quarter service until the
Both Sept last and by the terms OF their contracts oO Gays
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 failure to provide the payment of the deficiency in
the fiscal wear ending Both June, 1879 The Department
had entered contracts in obedience to existing laws
for the service of that fiscal year, and the contractors were
fairly entitled to their compensation it became due The
deficiency as stated in the BILL amounted to 1898 72S,
Lu after careful settlement of all these accounts it has
been ascertained that it amounts to S4296Ot9 With the
scantv his command, the Postmaster General has
managed pay shat portion of this deficiency which
CURED in the first quarters the past fiscal year. end
inc, ON 3st Dec last In the meantime the contractors
themselves under these trying circumstances, have be-
Lav.d in q manner worthy of all commentator. They
had one resource the midst of their embaTassmtnz
Afr the amount due each of them had been ascertain
ed and finally settled according to law. this became spe-
rifc debt of record against the United States. which
;,hcd tI.m borrow money OH this unqucsonable Sc
c,iy Still they obliged TO pay interest in conse-
qumcc the default of Congress, and every principle OF
Justice ought receive interest from the Government Tins
interest should commence from the date when warrant
would have issued for the of the principal had an
appropriation been made for this purpose Calculated up
to LIST December, it will exceed $50 G6O-a sum not
be taken into when contrasGd with the great
difficulties and embaITassnIents of public and private
character both the people and the States, which would
have resulted from converting and holding special ses-
sion Of Congress. $500
For these reasons recommend the passage of a bill,
ut As early day piacticabe provide for the
Of thu, amount with interest. due to these aforementioned
contractors as wei make necessary appropriate
lions for the service offs the Post Office DrPaTmenttor
th, fiscal year
% failure to pass the Post Office bill necessarily gives
rise to serious reflections Congress- by refusing TO pass
the appropriation bills necessary carry til" Govern
urnt may only arrest its action. but mi ht even de-
.roy existence. The army the navy, the Judiciary, IN
short every department of the Government, no longer
perform their functions if Congress refuse the money nee
ssay for their support If this failure should teach the
country the Necessity of clrcting full Congress in sut
tn O
emergency Immediately after the old Congress has
,xrir it will have been productive great good. In
Of sudden and alarming danger, foreign OF domestic
which all expect encounter in their progress
the very salvation of institutions may BE- stakcd upon
the assembling of Congress without delay. If, under such
circumstances, the President should find himself III the
condition in which he placed the close OF the last
Congress, wi nearly hfthe States of the mon destitute
Representatives the consequences might De disastrous
j, therefore recommend to Congress to carry into effect
the provisions Of the Constitution his subject, and TO
pass law appointing day previous to the 4th OF
March in each year of odd number for the election of
representatives throughout all the States They have
already appointed day for the election of electors for
President aud Vice President, and this has been
approved by the country.
would again express most decided opinion in favor of
the construction of Pacific Railroad for the reasons stated
my last annual messages. When / reflect upon
what would be the drncetss condition of States and
Territories west from the rock mountains in of war
with naval power sufficiently strong to interrupt all
intercourse with them by the the lsthms
still more convinced than of the vast Importance of
this railroad. | have never doubted the constitutional
competency Of Congress to provide for its construction,
but this exclusively under the making power Besides
tn" Constitution expressly requires imperative duty
that the United States shall protect each of them the
states against ihNaSioh am at ,o'S TO cOhc,lIe now
this protection BE- afford, California and Oregon
against such naval power by any other repeat
the opinion contained in my last annual mrssagr that
would be incXp 'dcnt for the Government undertake
this great work by agents of its appointment and
undr its dirccC and exclusive control. This would
incrras the patronage of the Executive dangerous
and would foster system ofobbng and corruption
which no vigilance the part of Federal officials could
therefore.
tobc nSd tn inc 0rpOraed companies agencies
who would exercise. that ACTIVE. and vigant survison
over which can be- inspired alone T sense of corpoltr
and individual interest vcnur' to assert that the
additional of transporting troops munitions of war
and necessary supplies for the army across the vast
intervening plains 10 our possessions ON the PacIhc coast
would he greater in such than the whole amount
required to construct the road And yet this resort would
after ALL be- inadequate for their defence and protection
We have scarcely recovered from the habits of
travagtnt exp 'ndturc produced by our over-lowing
Treasury during several years prior to the commence
mrnt of my administration. The financial oversees
which have since experienced ought to teach all
to scrutnize expenditures with the greatest vigilance
and to reduce them the lowest possible pOiut The
Executive Departments of the Government have devoted
themselves to the accomplishment of this obj CT with
siderable will appear from their diff ntrp0rts
and estimates To these invite the scrutiny ofCongss
for the purpose of reducing them still lower, if tins BE-
practicable, consistent with the great public interests of
The country. In aid OF the policy ct rctrPnchm"nt
pedgr myself to examn closely the bills apprOpriating
lands money. that fany oft these should nadvcent
ly pass both houses be the may
afford them opportunity for reconsideration. At the
time We ought never to forget that tue-pubc economy
consists, not in withholding the necessary to accom-
pSh important national objects contdCd TO by the
Constitution but in taking that the appropriate
cd for these purposes shall be faithfully and tuglly
pended.
1t will appear from the report of the Secretary of the
Treasury tait is extremely doubtful, to say the least.
whether shall be able pass through the present and
the fiscal year without providing additional vcruc
This only be accomplished by strictly combining the
appropriations within the imatcs of the different De
partments, without making allowance for any addi-
eli,
their dscreton to AUTHORIZE and without providing for
the redemption Of portion of the 2O 100000 of Trta
sury notes which have been air ady issued In the
OF a deficiency. which consider probable this ought
never to be supplied by resort to additional loans 1t
would be nous practice in the d. of peace and pros
Pery tn increasing the national debt meet the
ordinary of the Government This policy would
cripple our resources and impair credit the
Strncr of shoud rcnder necessary borrow money
should such efficiency apprrhCnd, / would
recommend that the be raised by
increase of our present duties imports need not
repeat the opinions expressed i'll last annual message
as To the best mode and manner of accomplishing this OBJ
Ject and shall merely observe that these since
undergone change.
The report thu crrtary of the Treasury will explain
IN detail the operations of that Compartment of the Govern
ment.
We here omit the statement in regard to the condition
OF the Treasury, and will publish it next werkl
In conclusion would again commend to the Just lib
eaY ct Congress the local interests of the District of
Coumha Surely the city bearing the name of Washing
united " and prosperous Conederacy, has strong claims
on our favorable regard
JAMES BUCHANAN
Washington City, December 49, 1859
ANOTHER OUTBREAK.-On the niuht of the