Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-12-16

| may gain upon the revenue and cause an in
creased deficiency to be shown at its close.
| Yet after no long period of reawakened pros
perity, by proper economy it is confidently
anticipated that even the present low rates,
| now as favorable as any country affords, will
| be adequate to sustain the cost of the service.
| The operation Of the post-office department
| is for the convenience and benefit OF the peo-
| pie; and the method by which they pay the
| charges of this useful arm of their public SER
vice. SO that it be just and impartial is of less
Importance to them than the economical ex-
| penditure of the means they provide for its
maintenance and the due improvement of its
| agencies, SO that they may enjoy its highest
usefulness A proper attention has been di-
rected to the prevention of waste or extrava-
\ gance, and good results appear from the re-
port to have already been accomplished.
| approve the recommendation of the post
master general to reduce the charges on
domestic money orders of five dollars and less
from eight to five cents. This change will
materially aid those of our people who most
| of all avail themselves of this instrumental
| ty, but to whom the element of cheapnesS is
of the greatest Importance. With this reduc-
ton the system would still remain self-sup-
porting.
The free-delivery system has been extend
ed to nineteen additional cities during the
year, and IT'S now enjoy its conveniences.
| Experience has commended it to those who
enjoy its benefits, and further enlargement of
| its facilities is due to other communities to
which it is adapted. In the cities where it
| has been established, taken together, the local
postage exceeds its maintenance by nearly
| 81 ,000 The limit to which this system is
now confined by law has been nearly reached,
and the reasons given justify its extension,
which is proposed.
1t was decided, with my appreciation, after
Saia
| for the postoffice department to contract for
carrying our foreign mails under the addi-
tional authority given by the last Congress.
The amount limited was inadequate to pay
| all within the purview of the law the full rate
of fifty cents per mile, and it would have
been unjust and unwise to have given it to
some and denied it to Others Nor could con-
tracts have been let under the law to all
at rate to have brought the aggregate
within the appropriation, without such prac-
teal Encouragement of terms as would have
violated it,
The rate of sea and inland postage, which
was proffered under another statute, clearly
appears to be a fair compensation for the de-
sired service, being three times the price nee
| essary to secure transportation by other YES
sells upon any route, and much beyond the
charges made to private persons for services
not less burdenSome.
Some of the steamship companies, upon the
refusal of the postmaster general to attempt,
by the means provided, the distribution of
the sum appropriated as an extra compensa-
ton, withdrew the services of their vessels
and thereby occasioned slight inconvenience,
though no considerable injury, the mails
having been dispatched by other means.
Whatever may be thought of the policy of
Substituting any line of public conveyance or
travel, l am satisfied that it should not be
done under cover of an expenditure incident
to the administration of a department, nor
should there be any uncertainty as to the re-
cipients of the subsidy, or any discretion left
to an executive officer as to its distribution
If such gifts of the public money are to be
made for the purpose of aiding any enter
prise, in the supposed interest of the public, L
cannot but think that the amount to be paid,
and the beneficiary, might better be deter
mined by Congress than any other way
The International congress of delegates
from the postal-union countries con-
vened at Lisbon, in Portugal, in Feb
ruary last, and after a session of some
weeks, the delegates signed conven-
ton amendatory of the present postal
union convention in some particulars designed
to advance its purposes. This additional act
has had my approval and will be laid before
you with the departmental report.
I approve the Recommendation of the post
master-general that another assistant be pro-
vided for his department. invite your con-
sideration to the several other recommenda-
tions contained in his report.
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
The report of the encouragement contains
history of the conduct of the department of
justice during the last year, and number of
valuable suggestions as to needed legislation;
and / invite your careful attention to the
same.
The condition of business in the courts of
the United States is such that there
seems to be an imperative necessity
for remedial legislation on the subject.
Some of these courts are so over
burdened with pending causes that the de-
lays in determining litigation amount often
to denial of justice Among the plans sug-
gested for relief is one submitted by the at
torney- general Its main features are: The
transfer of all the original jurisdiction of the
circuit courts to the district courts and an
increase of judges for the latter where neces-
sary; an addition of judges to the circuit
courts of appeal constituting them exclu-
sively courts of appeal, and reasonably limit
ing appeals thereto; further restric-
lions of the right to remove causes from the
State to Federal courts; permitting appeals
to the supreme court from the courts of the
District of Columbia and the Territories only
in the same cases as they are allowed from
State courts, and guarding against an I'M
necessary number of appeals from the circuit
courts. l approve the plan thus outlined, and
recommend the legislation necessary for its
application to our Judicial system.
The present mode of compromising United
States marshals and district attorneys should
in my opinion be changed. They are allowed
to charge against the government certain
fees for services, their income being measured
by the amount of such fees within fixed
limit as to their annual aggregate. This is
direct inducement for them to make their
fees in criminal cases as large as possible
in an effort to reach the maximum
sum permitted. As an entirely natu-
raj consequence, INSCRIPTIONS marshals are
found encouraging frivolous prosecutions,
arresting people on petty charges of crime
and transporting them to distant places for
examination and trial, for the purpose of
earning mileage and other fees. And dis
trict attorneys uselessly attend criminal
examinations far from their places of resi-
dence for the express purpose of swelling
their accounts against the government
| The actual expenses incurred in these trans
actions are also charged against the govern
ment. Thus the rights and freedom of our
citizens are outraged and public expenditures
| increased for the purpose of furnishing pub
lie officers pretexts for increasing the meas
ure of their compensation.
| 1 think marshals and district attorneys
should be paid salaries adjusted by rule
which will make them commensurate with
services fairly rendered
| In connection with this subject desire to
suggest the ACCESSIBILITY, if it be found not
obnoxious to constitutional objection, of in
vesting United States Commissioners with the