The Arkansas advocate., 1831-01-05

] rcd aud forty two thousand .sr~c tfs;;id rcd
 and eleven dollars; and the payment on l account of public debt for the same period will have been eleven millions three han-' dred and fifty four thousand six hundred and thirty doll lars; leaving 9 balance in the
 treasury, on the first of January, eighteen hundred and thirty one, of four millions eight hundred and nineteen thousand seven I hundred and eighty one dollars.
 I In connexion with the condition of our l finances, it affords me pleasure to remark that judicious and efficient arrangements have been mad 2 by the Treasury Depart ment for securing the pecuniary resPonsi-
 biiity of the public officers, and the more punctual payment of the public dues. The revenue cutter service has been organiz~ ed. and placed on a good footing and aid ed by an increase of inspectors at exposed points; and the regulations adopted under the act of May 1880, for the inspection and appraisement of inerehandize, nave pro- daced much improvemen in the execution of the laws, and more security against the commission of frauds upon the revenue.
 Abuses in the allowances for fishing bouRties have also been corrected, and Q material saving in that branch of the ser vice thereby effected. In addition to these l improvements, the system of expenditure for sickseamen belonging to the merchant service has been revised; and, by being rendered uniform andeconomicsi, the ben- efts of the fund applicable to the object have been usefully extended.
 The prosperity of our country is also farther eyineed by the increased revenue
 arising from tie sale of public lands, as
 viii appear from the report of the Com- missioner of the General Land Office, and the documents accompanying 1t, which are
 herewith transmitted. beg leave to draw your attention to this report, and to the propriety of making early appropriations for the objects which 1t specifies.
 1 Your attention is again invited to the subjects connected with that portion of the public interests intrusted to the War De- partment. Some of them were referred to in my former message; and they are pre- lsented in detail in the report of the Sec retary of War, herewith submitted. l re- fer yon, also, to the report of that officer for knowledge of the state of the Army Notifications, arsenals and Indian affairs; all of which, ii will be perceived, have
 been guarded with zealous attention and care. 1t is worthy of your consideration whether the armaments necessary for the Notifications on our maritime frontier,
 which are now, or shortly will be, complet- ed, should not be in readiness sooner than the customary appropriations will enable
 the Department to provide them. This tprecaution seems to be due to the general system of fortiGcation which has been sanctioned by Congress, and Is recom- mendea by that maxim of wisdom which
 tells HIS in peace to prepare for war.
 l refer you to the report of the Secreta- ry of the Navy for highly satisfactory account of tie manner in which the con- ceras of that Department have beefn con dutted during the present year. Cur po- sition i'll relation to all the most powerful nations of the earth, and the present con- dition of Europe, admonish Us to cherish l this arm of our national defence with pe- euliar care. Separated by wide seas from all those Governments whose power we might have reason to dread, we have noth- l ing to apprehend from attempts at con- quest. 1t is chiefly attacks upon our com merce, and harrassing inroads upon our coast, against which we have to guard l A respectable naval force, airy avs afoat, with all accumulation of the means to give 1t a rapid extension in case of need, fur nishes the power by which all such aggres- isions may be prevented or repelied. The attention of the government has, therefore, been recently directed more to preserving the public vessels already built, and pro- viding materials to be placed in depot for future use, than to increasing their nnn~ Der. With the aid of Congress, in a few years, the government will be prepared in case of emergency, to put alloat a pow erful Navy of new ships almost as soon as old ones could be repaired.
 fhe notifications in this part Of the ser vice suggested in my last annual message, which are noticed more in detail in the re- port of the Secretary of the Navy, are a. gain recommended to your serious atten- 1 ton.
 The report of the Postmaster General, Tn like manner, exhibits satisfactory view ef the important branch Of govern ment under his charge. In addition to the benefits already extended by the opera tions of the Post'Ofic Department, con siderable improvements within the present l year have been secured, by an increase in the accommodation of stage coaches, and Tn the frequency and celerity of the trans portation of the mail between some of the most important points of the Union.
 Under the late contracts, improvements have been provided for the southern sec tion of the country; and at the same time, an annual saving made ofnpwards ofscven- ty-two thousand dollars. Notwithstanding the excess of expenditure beyond the cur rent receipts for few years past, necessa- rily incurred in the fulflment of existing contracts, and in the additional expenses, between the periods of contracting to meet the demands created by the rapid growth and extension of our fourishing country; yet the satisfactory assurance Is given, that the future revenue of the Department will be sufficient to meet its extensive en-