The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-12-17 00:00:00

INTERIOR.

The Secretary of this department, after arguing
that the labours upon the Department is quite
sufficient, and that no more burdens should be
imposed upon it, states that :
The survey of public lands has progressed rapidly—
the quantity, exclusive of school sections, surveyed since
the last report, and up to the 30th of September, being
16,873,699 acres. In the execution of the graduation
act, many grave questions have arisen, some of which
cannot he satisfactorily seltled without the interposition
of Congress. The loosness with which it has been, in
many respects, drafted is particularly complained of.
The quantity of land sold for cash during the last fiscal
year is 9,227,878 acres, for which the sum of 8,821,414
dols. was received ; the quantity located with military
scrip and land warrants is 8,382,480 ; the Swamp lands
approved to the State 6,036,874, that granted for railroad
purposes 15,680,875, making a total of 39,32808
acres. The Secretary remarks that the difficulties
in executing satisfactent, tstants dillexist. In reviewing the-land system for the past four
years, the report states that it has been extended with
entire success and unprecedented rapidity along the whole
Pacific slope,.embracing California, Oregon and Wash-
ington Territories, and into Kansas, Nebraska, New
Mexico and Utah. This immense geographical surface
has been organised into six new surveying departments.
During this period there have been sold for cash
30,935,174 acres, for which there has been received
27,940,151 dollars ; located for military bounties,
15,806 260, approved under swamp land grants
30,199,056, and granted for railroads 17,036,282 ;
making the aggregate of 93,976,772 acres, disposed of
lin part for farms by direct grants. As one illustration of
the great labour incident to the accomplishment of these
operations, it is mentioned that the records of cor-
respondence cover ninety thousand folio pages. Eight
thousand accounts have been adjusted, and tour hundred
thousand land patents have been issued by the govern-
ment. The discontinuance of four offices of Surveyors-
General is recommended, and initiatory steps have been
taken to that end. The number of applications under the
recently enacted bounty land laws, to the 25th of Nov.,
was 265.268; those examined, 239,726, of which 182.070
have been allowed, and warrants issued covering 22.003,290
acres ; 57,656 have been suspended or rejected, leaving
25,542 original cases not yet examined. The report re-
commends that further power be given to the Commis-
sioner of Pensions to suspend, diminish, or discontinue
pensions when the reason for granting them has partially
or totally ceased, and the Secretary is convinced from
ex per knee and reflection that the only true principle upon
which to Ince nensions is that of indigence. In the opinion
of the Secretary, there are distinctions and discriminations
between army and navy pensions which are unreasonable,
and should not be permitted longer to exist. On the 30th
of June last there were 13,932 pensioners, and the amount
disbursed for their benefit during the fiscal year was
1,360,694 dols. The continued perpetration of frauds in
connection with pensions is noted. Particulars of the
applications for pensions, and the warrants issued, will be

found in the Secretary's report. The field-work of the
Mexican Boundary Commission has been all accomplished,
as stated in the last report. The Mexican Commissioner,
according to agreement with the American Commissioner
repttired to Washington about the Ist of July lag*,
for the purpose of constructing the maps required
by the treaty to show the boundary, and three
maps will be furnished by the Ist of March next. The
first part of the report is already in the hands of the printer,
and nothing retards its publication but the necessary delays in
engraving the maps. Since the Ist of January last the patent
office,bas issued 2,255 patents, and within the year the number
will: probably be increased to 2,500: The income of the office
this year will be about 200,000 dollars. This branch of the
department receives a lengthened notice from the Secretary.
The report again calls attention to the extraordinary expenses
of 'the judiciary, and urges the absolute necessity for a
radical change or modification of such :of the saws
as-, relate thereto. The Indian lands in the tern
tory of, Kansas, which were to be sold, the proceeds to be
applied to the use of the Indians, are in a state of preparation
for sale. A portion of the, Delaware lands were advertised
to be sold on the 17th of November, and every precaution
wis adopted to secure fairness.—During the present
Administratiofi there have been negotiated fifty-two Indian
treaties, and of these, thirty-two were ratified by the
Senate, and twenty remain to be acted on. By these
treaties the Indian title has been extinguished to lands
amounting to 174,184,710 acres, of which about 52,000,000
arts itichided in the ratified treaties, and about 122,030,000
acres are secrired by those now before the Senate, besides
19,343,800 acres reserved for Indian purposes. The
aggregate money consideration involved is 11,184,203 (lots.
The report enters into some interesting statistics respect-
ing negotiations and dealings with the Indians. and closes
with testimony to the able manner in which the. Chiefs of
Bureaus and the employes of the Department have dis:
charged their official duties.

. ARMY:
The fcilloVihig Eire the chief points of this volu-
minous document •

The• authorised strength of the ainef is 17,6g4; the
actual strength on the first day of July was 15,662 The
number of enlistments during the twelve months ending
September 30, wa5.4,440 ; the number of persons offering
to enlist, but who were rejected for minority or unfitness,
was 5,594. Tho number of casualties during the last fiscal
year, by deaths, discharges and desertions, was 6,096, of
which 3,223 were by desert ion. The Indian difficulties on
the Western plains have been successfully terminated,
except with the Cheyennes. In Texas, though the
military force has been reduced during the last year,
there has been S. dOnsiderable decrease of Indian dis_
tnrbances. It snggests the propriety of removing the
fragmentary tribes of Indians i❑ Texas to teservations on the
United States lands north of the Red River, wiiiett would
greatly reduce the expenditures for keeping them in subjectient
by rendering the maintenance of so many military posts unneees-
saty. The Indian war on the Pacific is ended. The possessory
rights of the Hudson's Bay and Puget's Sound Companies are
held by persons who owe no allegiance to us, but whose influ-
ence for evil is unbounded with the Indians. The report
suggests the extinguishment of these rights. If sufficient
garrisons were kept at all the posts now established for the
purpose of making expeditions at any time among the
neighbouring tribes, it is not believed they would be
equally effective with marching detachments of the
same numerical strength. Their position would be
known, their preparations for taking the field observed,
and a' considerable force, if necessary, could be
left behind for the protection of the public property at
each post. The instruction and discipline in quarters would be
inferior to that of large garrisons, and the capacity of troops
suddenly emerging from quarters to begin forced marches of
pursuit, would be less than that of men inured by long marches,
turd frequent bivouacs, to bear fatigue, and protect themselves
against exposure incident to service in the field. The occupation
of Algeria by the French is cited as a case parallel to our
frontier service, affording an instance of the practical working
of a sys'em similar to this proposed. A critical examination
of this proposed radical change in our army distributions is
invited, and legislation to carry them into effect is suggested.
The sea coast fortifications are progressing, but there is much
yet to be done before many of the most important will be
effieient. The fortifications for harbour defence are held to be
most efficient, and reference is made to the failure of formidable
naval armaments against fortified places in the Black Sea,
and the Baltic, as showing conclusively that properly construct.
ed fortifications are a sure reliance against the most formidable
fleets. The report urges the importance of completing the
fortifications in progress, and of making liberal appropriations
for new ones. Time is necessary to make them efficient, and
it ought to be done while the country is in a state of peace,
because it cannot be done hastily except at increased expense,
and then not reliable. The Secretary asks a law for liberal
appropriations for armaments for new .torts, improvements in
small arms, and the accumulation of supplies of ammunition.
The report recommends the substitution of wrought.iron for
wooden gun carriages ; asks for an appropriation for experi-
ments to determine the expediency of mounting, in certain
positions covering channels, guns of large calibre, to throw
hollow projectiles of great diameter and weight, containing
sufficient charges of powder to render a single one destructive
of any vessel which it may penetrate. The operations of the
national armories have been restricted to the completion of
new models for small arms, and the alteration of old models
to the long range rifled arms, and to the preparations requ site
for the exclusive manufacture of the adopted new model,
which is a rifled arm, such as is commonly called the
M no rifts, wit r an imacovement of the lock atter Maynard's
plan. The alteration of the common flint lock to the self.
priming has been effected to a limited extent. Tire report
recommends the alteration to this model of all the old
arms of the United States, including those distributed to the
States. There are, altogether, upwards of half a million, and
the alteration recommended is absolutely necessary, to prepare
the country to meet any sudden emergency. It also recom-
mended a law providing for a better system of accountability
for arms furnished by the General Government to the States.
The department has not yet been able to determine which, if
any, breach loading rifle is. the best to adopt in the service.
The arsenals at Watervliet, N.Y., and Fayetteville, N.C., are
recommended to be used as arsenals of construction, for which
an extension of the buildings is required. The movements of
the military commission sent to Europe during the late war are
briefly detailed, and the courtesy with which they were treated
by Russia and England acknowledged. In regard
to France on this point, the Secretary maintains a significant
silence. Increased pay to the officers is earnestly urged. The
Secretary renews his recommendation for a retired list of
disabled officers, as indispenrable to the efficiency of the
service. The new military roads for which appropriations have
been made are rapidly progressing, and money is asked to
complete them. The report recommends that pmaions be
provided for the widows and orphans of officers and soldiers of
the army, the same as the navy, and suggests legislation in
improve and simplify the system of army accounts.