the writings-2-第8章

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through　the　agency　of　the　Post…office　Department；　to　newspapers

and　periodicals　which　diffuse　daily；　weekly；　or　monthly

intelligence　of　passing　events。　　Compliance　with　this　general

wish　is　deemed　to　be　in　accordance　with　our　republican

institutions；　which　can　be　best　sustained　by　the　diffusion　of

knowledge　and　the　due　encouragement　of　a　universal；　national

spirit　of　inquiry　and　discussion　of　public　events　through　the

medium　of　the　public　press。　　The　committee；　however；　has　not　been

insensible　to　its　duty　of　guarding　the　Post…office　Department

against　injurious　sacrifices　for　the　accomplishment　of　this

object；　whereby　its　ordinary　efficacy　might　be　impaired　or

embarrassed。　　It　has　therefore　been　a　subject　of　much

consideration；　but　it　is　now　confidently　hoped　that　the　bill

herewith　submitted　effectually　obviates　all　objections　which

might　exist　with　regard　to　a　less　matured　proposition。



The　committee　learned；　upon　inquiry；　that　the　Post…office

Department；　in　view　of　meeting　the　general　wish　on　this　subject；

made　the　experiment　through　one　if　its　own　internal　regulations；

when　the　new　postage　system　went　into　operation　on　the　first　of

July；　1845；　and　that　it　was　continued　until　the　thirtieth　of

September；　1847。　　But　this　experiment；　for　reasons　hereafter

stated；　proved　unsatisfactory；　and　it　was　discontinued　by　order

of　the　Postmaster…General。　　As　far　as　the　committee　can　at

present　ascertain；　the　following　seem　to　have　been　the　principal

grounds　of　dissatisfaction　in　this　experiment：



（1）　The　legal　responsibility　of　postmasters　receiving　newspaper

subscriptions；　or　of　their　sureties；　was　not　defined。



（2）　The　authority　was　open　to　all　postmasters　instead　of　being

limited　to　those　of　specific　offices。



（3）　The　consequence　of　this　extension　of　authority　was　that；　in

innumerable　instances；　the　money；　without　the　previous　knowledge

or　control　of　the　officers　of　the　department　who　are　responsible

for　the　good　management　of　its　finances；　was　deposited　in　offices

where　it　was　improper　such　funds　should　be　placed；　and　the

repayment　was　ordered；　not　by　the　financial　officers；　but　by　the

postmasters；　at　points　where　it　was　inconvenient　to　the

department　so　to　disburse　its　funds。



（4）　The　inconvenience　of　accumulating　uncertain　and　fluctuating

sums　at　small　offices　was　felt　seriously　in　consequent

overpayments　to　contractors　on　their　quarterly　collecting　orders；

and；　in　case　of　private　mail　routes；　in　litigation　concerning　the

misapplication　of　such　funds　to　the　special　service　of　supplying

mails。



（5）　The　accumulation　of　such　funds　on　draft　offices　could　not　be

known　to　the　financial　clerks　of　the　department　in　time　to

control　it；　and　too　often　this　rendered　uncertain　all　their

calculations　of　funds　in　hand。



（6）　The　orders　of　payment　were　for　the　most　part　issued　upon　the

principal　offices；　such　as　New　York；　Philadelphia；　Boston；

Baltimore；　etc。；　where　the　large　offices　of　publishers　are

located；　causing　an　illimitable　and　uncontrollable　drain　of　the

department　funds　from　those　points　where　it　was　essential　to

husband　them　for　its　own　regular　disbursements。　　In　Philadelphia

alone　this　drain　averaged　5000　per　quarter；　and　in　other　cities

of　the　seaboard　it　was　proportionate。



（7）　The　embarrassment　of　the　department　was　increased　by　the

illimitable；　uncontrollable；　and　irresponsible　scattering　of　its

funds　from　concentrated　points　suitable　for　its　distributions；　to

remote；　unsafe；　and　inconvenient　offices；　where　they　could　not　be

again　made　available　till　collected　by　special　agents；　or　were

transferred　at　considerable　expense　into　the　principal　disbursing

offices　again。



（8）　There　was　a　vast　increase　of　duties　thrown　upon　the　limited

force　before　necessary　to　conduct　the　business　of　the　department；

and　from　the　delay　of　obtaining　vouchers　impediments　arose　to　the

speedy　settlement　of　accounts　with　present　or　retired　post…

masters；　causing　postponements　which　endangered　the　liability　of

sureties　under　the　act　of　limitations；　and　causing　much　danger　of

an　increase　of　such　cases。



（9）　The　most　responsible　postmasters　（at　the　large　offices）　were

ordered　by　the　least　responsible　（at　small　offices）　to　make

payments　upon　their　vouchers；　without　having　the　means　of

ascertaining　whether　these　vouchers　were　genuine　or　forged；　or　if

genuine；　whether　the　signers　were　in　or　out　of　office；　or　solvent

or　defaulters。



（10）　The　transaction　of　this　business　for　subscribers　and

publishers　at　the　public　expense；　an　the　embarrassment；

inconvenience；　and　delay　of　th　department's　own　business

occasioned　by　it；　were　not　justified　by　any　sufficient

remuneration　of　revenue　to　sustain　the　department；　as　required　in

every　other　respect　with　regard　to　its　agency。



The　committee；　in　view　of　these　objections；　has　been　solicitous

to　frame　a　bill　which　would　not　be　obnoxious　to　them　in　principle

or　in　practical　effect。



It　is　confidently　believed　that　by　limiting　the　offices　for

receiving　subscriptions　to　less　than　one　tenth　of　the　number

authorized　by　the　experiment　already　tried；　and　designating　the

county　seat　in　each　county　for　the　purpose；　the　control　of　the

department　will　be　rendered　satisfactory；　particularly　as　it　will

be　in　the　power　of　the　Auditor；　who　is　the　officer　required　by

law　to　check　the　accounts；　to　approve　or　disapprove　of　the

deposits；　and　to　sanction　not　only　the　payments；　but　to　point　out

the　place　of　payment。　　If　these　payments　should　cause　a　drain　on

the　principal　offices　of　the　seaboard；　it　will　be　compensated　by

the　accumulation　of　funds　at　county　seats；　where　the　contractors

on　those　routes　can　be　paid　to　that　extent　by　the　department's

drafts；　with　more　local　convenience　to　themselves　than　by　drafts

on　the　seaboard　offices。



The　legal　responsibility　for　these　deposits　is　defined；　and　the

accumulation　of　funds　at　the　point　of　deposit；　and　the　repayment

at　points　drawn　upon；　being　known　to　and　controlled　by　the

Auditor；　will　not　occasion　any　such　embarrassments　as　were　before

felt；　the　record　kept　by　the　Auditor　on　the　passing　of　the

certificates　through　his　hands　will　enable　him　to　settle　accounts

without　the　delay　occasioned　by　vouchers　being　withheld；　all

doubt　or　uncertainty　as　to　the　genuineness　of　certificates；　or

the　propriety　of　their　issue；　will　be　removed　by　the　Auditor's

examination　and　approval；　and　there　can　be　no　risk　of　loss　of

funds　by　transmission；　as　the　certificate　will　not　be　payable

till　sanctioned　by　the　Auditor；　and　after　his　sanction　the　payor

need　not　pay　it　unless　it　is　presented　by　the　publisher　or　his

known　clerk　or　agent。



The　main　principle　of　equivalent　for　the　agency　of　the　department

is　secured　by　the　postage　required　to　be　paid　upon　the

transmission　of　the　certificates；　augmenting　adequately　the　post…

office　revenue。



The　committee；　conceiving　that　in　this　report　all　the

difficulties　of　the　subject　have　been　fully　and　fairly　stated；

and　that　these　difficulties　have　been　obviated　by　the　plan

proposed　in　the　accompanying　bill；　and　believing　that　the　measure

will　satisfactorily　meet　the　wants　and　wishes　of　a　very　large

portion　of　the　community；　beg　leave　to　recommend　its　adoption。









REPORT　IN　THE　HOUSE　OF　REPRESENTATIVES；



MARCH　9；　1848。



Mr。　Lincoln；　from　the　Committee　on　the　Postoffice　and　Post　Roads；

made　the　following　report：



The　Committee　on　the　Post…office　and　Post　Roads；　to　whom　was

referred　the　petition　of　H。　　M。　　Barney；　postmaster　at　Brimfield；

Peoria　County；　Illinois；　report：　That　they　have　been　satisfied　by

evidence；　that　on　the　15th　of　December；　1847；　said　petitioner　had

his　store；　with　some　fifteen　hundred　dollars'　worth　of　goods；

together　with　all　the　papers　of　the　post…office；　entirely

destroyed　by　fire；　and　that　the　specie　funds　of　the　office　were

melted　down；　partially　lost　and　partially　destroyed；　that　this

large　individual　loss　entirely　precludes　the　idea　of

embezzlement；　that　the　balances　due　the　department　of　former

quarters　had　been　only　about　twenty…five　dollars；　and　that　owing

to　the　destruction　of　papers；　the　exact　amount　due　for　the

quarter　ending　December　31；　1847；　cannot　be　ascertained。　　They

therefore　report　a　joint　resolution；　releasing　said　petitioner

from　paying　anything　for　the　quarter　last　mentioned。









REMARKS　IN　THE　UNITED　STATES　HOUSE　OF　REPRESENTATIVES；

MARCH　29；　1848。



The　bill　for　raising　additional　military　force　for　limited　time；

etc。；　was　reported　from　Committee　on　judiciary；　similar　bills　had

been　reported　from　Committee　on；　Public　Lands　and　Military

Committee。



Mr。　Lincoln　said　if　there　was　a　general　desire　on　the　part　of　the

House　to　pass　the　bill　now　he　should　be　glad　to　have　it　done

concurring；　as　he　did　generally；　with　the　gentleman　from　Arkansas

＇Mr。　Johnson＇　that　the　postponement　might　jeopard　the　safety　of

the　proposition。　If；　however；　a　reference　was　to　be　made；　he

wished　to　make　a　very　few　remarks　in　relation　to　the　several

subjects　desired　by　the　gentlemen　to　be　embraced　in　amendments　to

the　ninth　section　of　the　act　of　the　last　session　of　Congress。

The　first　amendment　desired　by　members　of　this　House　had　for　its

only　object　to　give　bounty　lands　to　such　persons　as　had　served

for　a　time　as　privates；　but　had　never　been　discharged　as　such；

because　promoted　to　office。　　That　subject；　and　no　other；　was

embraced　in　this　bill。　　There　were　some　others　who　desired；　while

they　were　legislating　on　this　subject；　that　they　should　also　give

bounty　lands　to　the　volunteers　of　the　War　of　1812。　　His　friend

from　Maryland　said　there　were　no　such　men。　　He　＇Mr。　L。＇　did　not

say　there　were　many；　but　he　was　very　confident　there　were　some。

His　friend　from　Kentucky　near　him；　＇Mr。　Gaines＇　told　him　he

himself　was　one。



There　was　still　another　proposition　touching　this　matter；　that

was；　that　persons　entitled　to　bounty　lands　should　by　law　be

entitled　to　locate　these　lands　in　parcels；　and　not　be　required　to

locate　them　in　one　body；　as　was　provided　by　the　existing　law。



Now　he　had　carefully　drawn　up　a　bill　embracing　these　three

separate　propositions；　which　he　intended　to　propose　as　a

substitute　for　all　these　bills　in　the　House；　or　in　Committee　of

the　Whole　on　the　State　of　the　Union；　at　some　suitable　time。　　If

there　was　a　disposition　on　the　part　of　the　House　to　act　at　once

on　this　separate　proposition；　he　repeated　that；　with　the

gentlemen　from　Arkansas；　he　should　prefer　it　lest　they　should

lose　all。　　But　if　there　was　to　be　a　reference；　he　desired　to

introduce　his　bill　embracing　the　three　propositions；　thus

enabling　the　committee　and　the　House　to　act　at　the　same　time；

whether　favorably　or　unfavorably；　upon　all。　　He　inquired　whether

an　amendment　was　now　in　order。



The　Speaker　replied　in　the　negative。









TO　ARCHIBALD　WILLIAMS。



WASHINGTON；　April　30；　1848。