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