# American Pocket Library of Useful Knowledge/United States

UNITED STATES.
ARMY.
Army of the United States.–A Secretary of War; three Brigadier Generals; Qr. Master General; Paymaster General; Surgeon General; Chief Engineer. The whole army consists of four regiments of artillery, and seven regiments of infantry. The regular army numbers 12,539, officers and men. There are 58 military posts and arsenals in the United Stales, besides others in a state of forwardness. In times of foreign invasion, insurrection, or rebellion, the militia of the several states is under the command of the general government.
The Military Academy at West Point, in New York, was established in 1802. The number of cadets is limited to 230. From the establishment of this institution to September 2, 1828, there had been 1,289 cadets admitted; 340 commissioned; 477 resigned; 162 discharged; 20 had died; and in 1830, 213 remained. The cost of this establishment to 1828, was 1,185,421 dollars.
From 1795 to 1817 inclusive, there were made at the Armory, at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia, 82,720 muskets, 11,870 repaired, and 4,100 pistols; at Springfield, Mass., there were made 128,559 muskets, 1,202 carbines, and 45,800 repaired. The expenses at the latter place for purchases, buildings, repairs, &c., was 1,820,122 dollars. The number of muskets manufactured in the United States’ armories in 1832, was 25,500; Hall’s rifles, 4,360; screw drivers, 16,960; wipers, 26,560; arm chests, 716; and various other articles. Expenditures, 405,944 dollars.
Militia of the United States, 1,492,444.
NAVY.
Navy of the United States.–A Secretary of the Navy and Board of Commissioners. There are 55 Captains; 37 Masters Commandant; 290 Lieutenants; 64 Surgeons; 42 Pursers; 9 Chaplains; and 12 Navy Agents. A Chief Naval Constructor. There are 7 Navy Yards in the United States. One at Portsmouth, N. H.; one at Charlestown, Mass.; one at Brooklyn, N. Y.; one at Philadelphia, Penn.; one at Washington, D. C.; one at Gosport, Va.; one at Pensacola, Florida.
The number of vessels in our Navy is 56; viz.: 11 ships of the line, 12 frigates of the first class, 2 frigates of the second class, 21 sloops of war, 4 brigs, and 8 schooners. In addition to the above, are the 2 steam vessels, Missouri and Mississippi. The expense of which, for the past 25 years, was 18,503,584 dollars.
The annual cost of a 74 gun ship on a cruise, is 180,360 dollars; in ordinary, 6,433 dollars. Of a 44 gun frigate on a cruise, 112,000 dollars; in ordinary, 5,000 dollars. Complement of a 74, 656 men; of a 44, 430; and of a sloop of war, first class, 184 men. The cost of a 36 to a 74 gun ship, is estimated at 4,500 dollars per gun; of a 32, 4,000 dollars; and of a 20 gun ship, 3,500 dollars per gun.
Two Dry Docks, one at Norfolk, the other at Charlestown; constructed of hewn granite of unrivalled masonry. The latter is 341 feet in length, 80 in width, and 30 in depth, and cost 652,482 dollars. The dock at Norfolk cost 872,220 dollars.
POST OFFICE.
General Post Office.–Rates of Postage:–For every letter of a single sheet, not over 30 miles, six cents; over 30 to 80 miles, ten cents; over 80 to 150 miles, twelve and a half cents; over 150 to 400 miles, eighteen and three quarter cents; over 400 miles, twenty-five cents. Double, triple, and quadruple letters, in the same ratio. No letter can be charged with more than quadruple postage unless its weight exceeds one ounce, avoirdupois.
Newspapers, or one sheet of printed paper, not over 100 miles to any state, and to any distance in the slate where printed, one cent; over 100 miles out of the state where printed, one and a half cents. Magazines and pamphlets, for every 100 miles, four cents per sheet; over 100 miles, six cents. If published periodically, for 100 miles, one and a half cents; over 100 miles, two and a half cents.
Expenses, 1840, 4,705,396 dollars. Receipts, 4,539,009 dollars.
The privilege of franking, and receiving letters free of postage, is given to the following persons, viz.:–
President and Vice President o.f the United States; Secretaries of State, Treasury, War, and Navy; Post Master General and Assistants Post Master General; Attorney General; Compt’s. of the Treasury; Audt’s.; Reg. Treas.; Commissioner of the Gen. Land Office; Ex-Presidents of the United States; Members of Congress (during the Session, and 60 days before and after the same;) Commissioners of the Navy Board; Adj’t. Gen.; Comm’y. Gen.; Insp’r. Gen.; Quart. Mas. Gen.; Pay Mast. Gen.; Sect’y. of the Senate; Clerk of the House of Representatives; Superintendent of the Patent Office; and Post Masters, not to exceed half an ounce in weight, and one daily newspaper.
MINT.
United States Mint.–Commenced in 1792 at Philadelphia. The coinage effected from the time of its establishment to 1838, including gold, silver, and copper, amounted to 77,346,448 dollars. In 1840, there were coined at Philadelphia, 2,260,667 dollars; at New Orleans, 915,600 dollars; at Charlotte, 127,055 dollars; at Dahlonega, 123,310 dollars,–total, 3,426,632 dollars. The number of pieces coined at Philadelphia was 7,053,074; at New Orleans, 3,446,900; at Charlotte, 31,828; at Dahlonega, 26,831,–total number of pieces, 10,558,626. The deposites in gold in Philadelphia during the year, were 1,201,998 dollars, of which 176,776 dollars were derived from mines in the United States.
An eagle of gold, valued at ten dollars, must weigh eleven penny-weights and six grains. A dollar must weigh seventeen penny-weights and seven grains of silver; and a cent must weigh eleven pennyweights of copper. All coins ceased to be a legal lender in the United States on the 15th October, 1797, except federal coins and Spanish milted dollars.
PUBLIC LANDS.
Public Lands of the United States.–The public lands within the states and territories of the United States, consist of those lands ceded by many of the sates to the United States; the latter taking the responsibility of extinguishing the Indian titles, together with those lands obtained from France by the purchase of Louisiana, and those by the cession of the Floridas from Spain.
The minimum price of these lands is one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre; and, since 1820, no credit is given to purchasers. These lands are surveyed before they are offered for sale. They are divided into townships of six miles square, which are divided into thirty-six sections, one mile square, containing each 640 acres; and sold in sections and parts of sections. One mile square in each township is reserved for a school fund. They hold out a most inviting prospect to the enterprising emigrant.
The quantity of unceded lands belonging to the Indians, and lying north and west of the states and territories of the United States, but within the limits of the United States, has been estimated at about 750,000,000 acres.
Allowing that the public domain was sold at the low price of seventy five cents an acre, it would supply ample means for constructing a double track Rail-road of Quincy granite and wrought iron, from Eastport to New Orleans, and furnish a fund to procure locomotive engines, cars, &c., and keep the whole in repair forever. It might also give to each state and territory a school fund of three million dollars, and leave a balance in the treasury of many millions for miscellaneous expenditures. These lands are becoming more valuable every day, and are not only worth looking at, but after.