The Yazoo City Whig and political register. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 183?-1840, 1840-01-24

should nave Jailed. But after entering into
solemn engagements with the COMMANDING
General, the Indians, without any provoca.
ton, recommended their acts Of treacherv
and murder. The renewal of hostilities in
that Territory renders it necessary that I
should recommend to your favorable consid-
Grafton the plan which will be submitted to
you by the Secretary of War, in order to
enaele that department to conduct them to a
successful issue.
Having had an opportunity of personally
inspecting portion of the troops during the
last summer, it gives me pleasure to bear tes-
timony to the success ofthe effort toimproye
their discipline, by keeping them together
IN as large bodies as the nature ofour service
will permit. | recommend therefore, that
commodlous and permanent barracks be con-
structed at the several posts designated by
1.-THE Secretary of War. Notwithstanding the
high state OF their discipline and excellent
police, the evils resulting to the service from
the deficiency of company officers, were very
apparent, and | recommend that the staff
officers be permanently separated from the
line.
The Navy has been usefuy and honorably
employed in protecting the rights and prop
erty of ou citizens, wherever the condition
With the exception ofone instance where an
outrage, accompanied by murder, was COM
mitted on a vessel of the United States, while
engaged in lawful commerce, nothing is
known to have occurred to impede or modest
the enterprise of our citizens on that element
where it is signally displayed. On learning
this daring act OF piracy, Commodore Reed
proceeded Immediately to the spot, and re-
ceiving no satisfaction, either in the surren-
der of the murderers or the restoration of the
plundered property, inflicted severe and
merited chastisement on the barbarians.
1t will be seen by the report of the Secre-
tary of the Navy respecting the disposition
Of our ships of war, that it has been deemed
necessary to station competent force OH the
coast OF Africa, to prevent fraudulent use
of our flag by foreigners.
Recent experience has shown that the pro-
visions i'll our existing laws which relates to
the sale and transfer of American vessels
while abroad, are extremely defective. Ad-
vantage has been taken of these defects to
give to vessels wholly belonging to foreign
ers, and navigating the ocean, an apparent
American ownership. This character has
been so we'll stimulated as to afford them
comparative security in prosecuting the slave
trade, a traffic emphaticaIly denounced in |
our statues, regarded with adherence by our
citizens and of which the effectual suppress
sion is no where more sincerely desired than |
in the United States. These circumstances |
make it proper to recommend to your early |
attention a careful revision of these laws, SO
that without impeding the freedom and fa-
Cilities of our navigation, or impairing an inn
portant branch of our industry connected
with it, the integrity and honor of our flag
may be carefully preserved Information
derived from our consul at Havana, shew-
ing the necessity of this, was communicated
to a committee of the Senate near the close
of the last session, but too late, as it appear
ed, to be acted upon. 1t will be brought to
your notice by the proper department, with
additional communication from other sources. |
The latest accounts from the Exploring Ex- |
petition represent it as proceeding success
fully in it's objects, and promising results no
less useful to trade and navigation, than to |
science.
The extent of post roads covered by mail
service on the first of July last, was about
1873 500 miles, and the rate of annual trans !
portation upon them "a, 496 878 miles,
The number of post Offices on that day was
twelve thousand seven hundred and eighty, |
and on the 18th ult., thirteen thousand and |
tWenty-elght.
The revenue of the Post Office Department
for the year ending with the 30th of June |
last, was four million four hundred and twen- |
ty six thousand six hundred and thirty ight |
an increase over the pre- |
ceeding year of two hundred and forty-one /
thousand five hundred and sixty dollars
The engagements and liabilities OF the De-
partment for the same period are four millions |
"A ND ,ot
hundred and seventeen dollars.
Some difficulties have arisen in relation to |
contracts for the transportation of the mails |
by railroad and steamboat companies, 1t
appears that the maximum of compensation |
provided by congress for the transportation |
of the mails upon railroads, is not sufficient
TO induce some of the companies to convex
them at such hours as are required for the
accommodation of the public. 1t is one Of
the most important duties of the General
Government to provide and maintain for the
use ofthe people of the states, the best Prac-
ticabe mail establishment. To arrive at that
end it is indispensi BILE that the Post Office
Department should be enabled to control the
hours which the mails shall be carried over
rail roads, as it does over all other roads,
Should serious inconvenience arise from the
inadequancy of the compensation now pro-
vided by law, or from unreasonable demands
by any of the railroad companies, the subject
is of such general importance as to require
the prompt attention of congress.
In relation to steamboat lines, the most eff
fcient remedy is obvious. and has been sug-
gested by the Postmaster General. The war
and Navy Departments already employ steam
boats in their service, and although it is by
no means desirable that the Government
should undertake the transportation of pas
sengers or freight as business, there can be
no reasonable objection to running boats,
whenever it may be necessary
to put down attempts at extortion, to be dis
continued as soon as reasonable contracts
can be obtained.
The suggestions ofthe Postmaster General
relative to the inadequancy ofthe legal allow
ance to witnesses in cases ofprosecutions for
mail depredations, merit your serious consid-
Grafton. The safety of the mails require that