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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。



DEAR　WILLIAMS：I　have　not　seen　in　the　papers　any　evidence　of　a

movement　to　send　a　delegate　from　your　circuit　to　the　June

convention。　　I　wish　to　say　that　I　think　it　all…important　that　a

delegate　should　be　sent。　　Mr。　Clay's　chance　for　an　election　is

just　no　chance　at　all。　　He　might　get　New　York；　and　that　would

have　elected　in　1844；　but　it　will　not　now；　because　he　must　now；

at　the　least；　lose　Tennessee；　which　he　had　then；　and　in　addition

the　fifteen　new　votes　of　Florida；　Texas；　Iowa；　and　Wisconsin。　　I

know　our　good　friend　Browning　is　a　great　admirer　of　Mr。　Clay；　and

I　therefore　fear　he　is　favoring　his　nomination。　　If　he　is；　ask

him　to　discard　feeling；　and　try　if　he　can　possibly；　as　a　matter

of　judgment；　count　the　votes　necessary　to　elect　him。



In　my　judgment　we　can　elect　nobody　but　General　Taylor；　and　we

cannot　elect　him　without　a　nomination。　　Therefore　don't　fail　to

send　a　delegate。　　Your　friend　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。









REMARKS　IN　THE　HOUSE　OF　REPRESENTATIVES；



MAY　11；　1848。



A　bill　for　the　admission　of　Wisconsin　into　the　Union　had　been

passed。




Mr。　Lincoln　moved　to　reconsider　the　vote　by　which　the　bill　was

passed。　　He　stated　to　the　House　that　he　had　made　this　motion　for

the　purpose　of　obtaining　an　opportunity　to　say　a　few　words　in

relation　to　a　point　raised　in　the　course　of　the　debate　on　this

bill；　which　he　would　now　proceed　to　make　if　in　order。　　The　point

in　the　case　to　which　he　referred　arose　on　the　amendment　that　was

submitted　by　the　gentleman　from　Vermont　＇Mr。　Collamer＇　in

Committee　of　the　Whole　on　the　State　of　the　Union；　and　which　was

afterward　renewed　in　the　House；　in　relation　to　the　question

whether　the　reserved　sections；　which；　by　some　bills　heretofore

passed；　by　which　an　appropriation　of　land　had　been　made　to

Wisconsin；　had　been　enhanced　in　value；　should　be　reduced　to　the

minimum　price　of　the　public　lands。　　The　question　of　the　reduction

in　value　of　those　sections　was　to　him　at　this　time