The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-12-16 00:00:00

}or; wits N.

and in the documents communicated
with from the Departmentspf State and War.
3 the report of the Secretary of the Treasury
cerning the financial condi

filar informitiolV

- „
tiion of the_government, and ,the various branches of the
public seriice connected with the Treasury Department.

During the last fiscal year the receipts from, customs
were, for the first time, more than 64,000;000 'dols, and
from all sources, 73,918,141 dols; which, with the balance
on hand up to the Ist 'of July, 1855; made the total
resources of the year to amount to 92,850,117 dols.
The expenditures, including 3,000,000 dols in execution
of the treaty with: Mexico,. and .excluding sums paid on
account of the public debt, amounted to 60,172,401 dols;
and, including the latter, to 72,948,792 dols, the payment
,on this account having amounted. to 12,776,390 do..s.
•

On the 4th of Mara, 1853, the amount of the public
debt was sixty-nine million one, htmdred-and twenty-nine
thousand nine hundred and thirty-seven dollars. There

was a subsequent increase of two million seven hundred
and fifty thousand dollars for the debt of Texas—making
a total of seven' y-one million eight hundred and seventy-
nine thousand nine hundred and thirty-seven dollars.

Of this sum of forty-five millions five hundred and
twenty-five thousand three hundred and nineteen dollars,

including premium, has beeitidischarged, reducing the old
debt to thirty million seven hundred and thirty-seven
thousand one hundred and twenty-nine dollars ; all which

public service, but being not yet due, and only44theniable
at the option of the holder, cannot be pressed to payment
by the government.
On examining the expenditures of the last five years, it
will he seen that the average, 'deducting payments on
account of the public debt and ten millions paid by treaty

to Mexico, has been but about forty-s
It is believed that, under an ecooomii

zht million dollars

the Government, the average-expenditur

five bears will notf,exceeil:thit sum, unle

a extraor

dina-iy occasion for its increase should occur.
The acts granting bounty lands will soon' have been
executed, while the extensien, of our frontier settlements
will cause a continued demand for lands and augmented
receipts, probably from that source. These considerations
will justify a reduction of the revenue from customs, so
as nut to exceed forty-eight or fifty million dollars. I
think the exigency for such reduction is imperative, and
again urge it upon the consideration of Congress.'.

-The amount of reduction, as well as the - manner of
effecting it, are questions or great and general interest ;
it being essential to industrial enterprise and the public
prosperity, as well as the dictates of obvious justice. that
the burden of taxation be made to rest as equally as
possible upon all classes, and all sections and interests of
the country.
_ . _ .

I have heretofore recommended to your consideration
the revision of the revenue laws, prepared under the
direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, and also legis-
lation upon some special questions' affecting the business
of that department, more especially the enactment of a
law to punish the abstraction of official books or papers
from the files of the government, and requiring all such
books and papers and all other public property to be
turned over by the out-doing officer to his successor ; of 'a
law requiring disbursing officers to: deposit all public
money in the vaults of the treasury or :in other legal
depositories, where the same are conveniently accessible ;
and a law to extend existing penal provisions to all per-
sons Who may become possessed of public money by
deposit or otherwise, and who shall refuse or neglect, on
due demand, to• pay the same into the treasury. I invite
your attention anew to each of these objects.
The army during the past. year has been so constantly
employed against hostile Indians in various quarters that
it can scarcely be said, with propriety of language, to
have been a peace establishment. Its duties have been
satisfactorily performed, and we have reason to expect,
as a result of the year's operations, greater security to
the frontier inhabitants than has been hitherto enjoyed.
Extensive combinations . among the hostile Indians of
the territories of Washington and Oregon at one time
threatened the devastation of the newly-formed settlements
of that remote portion of the country. From recent infor-
mation we are permitted to = hope that the energetic and
successful operations conducted there will prevent such
combinations in future, and secure to those territories an
opportunity to make steady progress in the development
of their agricultural and mental resources.

Legislation has been recommended by me ou previous
occasions to cure defects in the existing organisation, and
to increase the efficiency of the army, and further obser-
vation has but served'to confirm me in the views then ex-
pressed, and to enforce on my mind the conviction that
such measures are not only proper but necessary.
I have, in, in addition, to invite the attention of Congress
to a change of policy in the distribution of troops, and to
the necessity of providrng a more rapid increase of the
military armament. For details of these and other
subjects relating to the army, I refer to the report of the
Secretary of War.

The condition of the navy is not merely satisfactory,
but exhibits the most gratifying evidences of increased
vigour. As it is comparatively small, it is more import-
ant that it should be as complete as possible in all the
elements of strength—that it should be efficient in the
character of its officers, in the zeal and discipline of its
men, in tho reliability of its ordnance, and in the capacity
of its ships.
In all these various qualities the navy has male great
progress within the last few years. The execution of the
law of Congress, of February 28th, 1855, " to promote the
efficiency of the navy," has beers attended bv the most
advantageous results. The law for promoting discipline
among the men is found convenient and salutary.
The system of grantiyg an honourable discharge to faith