The Arkansas advocate., 1834-12-26


 crlaw policy has been heretofore wisely di- rect to the constant employment of a'force q sufent to guard our commerce. and to the ra,iaecumulation. of the materials, which areressary to repair our vessels, and con
 struwith ease such new ones as may be re- quir ina state of war.
 s19ccordailce= with this policy recom-, mehsto your consideration the erection ofs theIaitional Dry Dock described by the Sedrary of the Navy, and alsosthe construc- tion the Steam Batteries to which he has rerred, for the purpose of testing theif eflica as auxilaries to hesysteaa of defence now1iuse.
 Th report of the Postmaster General, sherewh submitted, exhibits the condition and Respects of that Department. From that dumentit appears that there was ade- ficit 1.-the funds of the Department, at the commencement of the present year, beyond its avsable means, of three hundred and fit- teen fusand five hundred and ninety-nines dellasand ninety ght cents, which on the first olIuly last had been reduced two hum dred al sixty weight thousand ninety-twe dol- lars a9 seventy four cents. 1t appears, al so. tha the revenues for the coming year will dseed the expenditures about two l4tin-s' dred ad seventy thousand dollars, which with tk excess of revenue which will result from tb operations of the current half year, may b expected, independently of any in- creaseln the gross amount of postages, to supplythe entire deficit before the end of 1885. But as this calculation IS based on the gross mount of postages which had accrued withilithe period embraced by the times of string the balances, 1t Is obvious that witholia progressive increase in the amount of postges, the existing retrenchments must be peibveredin through the year 1886, that this ddartment may accumulate a surplus fund suicient to place 1t in condition of per feet eab.
 It wil be observed that the revenues of the Rst Office Department, though they have indeased, and their amount is above that of any former year, have yet fallen short of the esimates more than hundred thou sand dohrs. This is attributed in q great degree tt the increase of free letters grow ing outef the extension and abuse of the iran- ngprvlege. There has been a gradual in- crease ih the number of executive officers to which t has been granted, and by an act passed in March, 1853, 1t was extended to members of Congress throughout the whole year. It is believed that revision of the laws relative to the franking privilege, with some efaaetss.e s,ts to orfarce more rIgldly the under which 1t Is granted, would operate beneficially to the country, by ena- bling the department at anearly period to re- store the mail facilities that have been with drawn, and to extend them more widely as the growing settlements of the country may require.
 To measure so important to the Govern ment, and so just to our constituents, who ask no exclusive privileges for themselves, and are not willing to coneede them to oth- CTS, earnestly recommend the serious atten- tion of Congress-
 The importance of the Post Office Depart ment, and the magnitude to which 1t has grown. both in it's revenues, and in it's opera tions, seem to demand it's Reorganization by law. The whole of its receipts and disburse- ments have hitherto been left entirely to Executive control, and individual discretion The principle is as sound in relation to this as to any other Department of the Govern ment, that as little discretion should beconf- ded to the Executive officer who controls 1t, as is compatible with its efficiency. It is therefore earnestly recommended that 1t be organized with an Auditor and Treasurer of it's own appointed by the President and Se- nate, who shall be branches of the Treasury Department.
 Your attention is again respectfully invited to the defect which exists in the Judicial System of the U. $. Nothing can be more desirable than the uniform operation of the Federal Judiciary throughout the several States, all of which, standing on the same footing as members the Union, have equal rights to the advantages and benefits re- sulting from its laws. This object is not at tained by the judicial acts now in force. be- cause they leave one-fourth of the States without Circuit Courts. fs
 It is undoubtedly the duty of Congress to place all the States on the same footing in this respect, either by the creation of an ad- ditlonal number of associate judges, or by an enlargement of the circuits assigned to those already appointed, so as to include the new States Whatever may be the difficulty ifl proper organization of the judicial system, so as to secure its efficiencv and rpifnrmitv