Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1845-12-04

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TIE saeres,f.l p.s 81 Steam nsv;Essiol q he
ocean has been folis.st ~ he iailodaciioa 81
uss-sRaners n great and incre.sitg numesr,
] inso ths nsyics IL me principai martins Pouef'
Of the World. a due regard % cur oun safety
and 70 % efieienl prnleelIon 70 o1t hiee and III
creasing eemmeIce D9and a corresponding 10,
crease a onf para No county has greater r..
e,litiss f,r The construction Of vessels Of this de-
serip,ioa than our, o. can promise tfself great
e. sdvsnssees Iron their smploymenk They
ere admirably adapted 10 the rroleciion e on.
e6nnsrcr, 70 The rapid irsnsmi.sioa Of inlelii.
renee, snd 10 The coast defence. 10 pursuance
d. she wise policy Of gradual increase Of our
pasr, large surplies Of live cek iimbrr. and
oahef maiefiak for ship building, have heen col.
leeied. and are nos under shelter and In q STATE
Of good prrsersaIion, While iron steamer, can BE-
built via great facility 10 various parts Of liz
Usinn. 1hs use Of nen, a. . material, espe-
eially4in he construction Of steamers. which
can enter With safety many Of the hafbors along
osf coast now inaccessible 10 vessels IL grester
drsnshi, snd the probability Of eoasiructine
Them in The interior, strongly recommends that
liberal appropriations should be made for This
important object. Whatever may have been
our policy in the earlier slsges cf the govern.
meni, when The nation wss IN is i.fsscy, cur
shipping interests ard commerce comparatively
small, our resources limited, or popnlatlon
sparse and scarcely e1tesdiag beyond The limits
of,he original thirteen States, that policy must
be essentially diGereni nov that % have grown
from three to more than twenty millions Of PEG.
pie,-that our commerce, carried In cur oxn
ship, j. found in every ses, and that our terrific.
rial hOundsties and settlements have been: so
greatly expanded. Neiihsrenr commerce, nor
aur long lioe Of essst ~ he c.ah and on the
lakes, can be successfully defended against 70.
reign aggression hy means Of for;ifcaiions q
loae. Theseare essential ~ i'm poriant CONNER
eial end military poini., but our chief r.iianee
for this object must be on well. eanised. eff
eieni navy. This heneis resulting from such
navy are moi confued TO- the Atlantic States
The predictions Of The inferior which seek a
market lahr"ad, are directly dependent on The
sa'ety and freedom II our enmmerce The &C.
cupation Of the Balsae beloT New Orleans BY a
hostile force would embsrrsss, Il not siasnae.
ne whole export trade Of The Mississippi, and
ahec' The value II The agriculiarsl products Of
the entire vaissyef that mighty river and It's vi
butaIiee.
!, has never been our policy to maintainiaree
standing armies ID lime OF peace. They are
contrary to the senious II COR fee institutions,
would impose heavy burdens on the people, and
be dangerous To publ liberty. Our reliance for
protection and defence 90 The ian.z must be main
" on our citizen soldiers, Who villlbe ever rea.
dy, ss they ever have been resdy in times past.
e. rush with aiacry, ii the call Of their eoutty,
10 her defence. This description Of force, how
ever, cannot defend our coast, bar boIs, and in
land seas, nor project 5out commerce on the O..
cesn or the lakes. These must DO projected BY
our navy.
4G 4 q
Considering an increased naval force, and es.
pecislly 81 siesurvessels, corresponding With orr
growth and importance as q nation, and prorer
toned to The increased nd increasing naval
power Of Other nations, of vast importance as 70.
CARDS ou1saftiy, and the great and stoving in
terests 70 be protected by il, recommend The
subject 10 the favorable consideration OF Con-
siess u
SThe report Of The Postmaster General here.
with communicated, conrsins a detailed state
n ent ofrhe operations Of his dsrart nj during
the past year, Il will be seen that the income
from postsges will f&fl short OF the expenditures
fol The year between one and two millions of
dollars This deficiency has been caused hy the
reduction Of the rates OF postage, which was
made by the act Of the third of March last. No
principle has been mere generally acquiesced 10
ty the people than that This department should
sustain itself BY limiting its expenditures 10 its
income. Congress han never sought 10 make il
a source Of revenue for general pat poses, exctpl
for short period during tho lasl war with Great
Britain, nor should il ever become charge on
the general treasury. lf Congress shall adhere
10 this principle, a. .hiak lhsy ought, il will
be necessary titEer 10 eutIAii he present NAL
service, so as to reduce the expenditures or 40
TO modify The act Of the third of March last as 10
inprOve lis revenues. The extension If the mail
service, aud the additional facilities which will
be demanded BY the rapid extension and increase
ofpopulalion on our western frontier, will not
admit of such punishment rs will materially re.
duce the present expenditures. In the adjust.
ment Of the tariff of poslsges the interests OF the
people demand, tina. the lowest rates be adopted
which. will produce The necessary revenue to
meet the expenditures Of the department in.
viie the attention of Congress TO the suggestions
of the Postmaster General on this sutieci, under
the belief that such modification Of The late
law may be made as will yield sufficient revenue
without further calls :on the treasury, and with
very little changein the present ra,es Of postage
> Pepper measures have been taken, in pursu-
ance Of the sci of the third of March last, for
the establishment; Of lines Of mail steamers be.
tween This and foreign countries. The impor.
lance Of this service commends itself strongly 10
favorable consideration.
With the grUwth Of our country, the public
business which devolves on The heads Of the Sc.
veral Executive Departments has grea,Jy in.
creased. 10 some respects, The disirit a ion OF
duties among them seems to be incongruoas, and
many OF these might be tranlferred from one 10
another with advantage 10 the public Interests
more anspcious time for the considerations +
lhis subject by Congress, With q view 10 system.
lin The ofgtn cation ot the several d-pana,en 8.
and . more apprnprisie 6isisi"n, If the public
business, will not probably occu-.
The most imponsni duties of the State De-
psrtment relate TO our fnrs;gn Affairs By The
grest enlargement Of The family If ations, n e
increase of OR commerce, and the correspond.
ness Of lais department has heen greatly increas.
ed. In i,s present organization, many duties Of
domestic nature, and consisting IL detsils; are
dev"lved on The Secretary Of s,aie, which 70
not appropriately belong 10 the fpreen depart
ment ii the government, and may properly b.
transferred 10 some other department. One Of
these grows ON RI ihe present state If The law
concern irg the Patent Offer, ehich, few Years
since, vas a suho,dinsle rlefkship, bui has be-
come distinct bureso # great imndnce.-
With On sreellept internal organ Bt is
still connected with the Stale Dep1 In
The transaction &c lis business, cpestl uch
% inventors, and 10 the gu, lity.
[requen:lv arise, which, BY eeiesine y us, are re-
tered for aecisIan IL . hoard, Of Which the Sc.
cretary ef State isa member. These questions
are legal, and he cnupexion which now exists
leiveen he State Department and the Patent
ofine, may, vlh great prorrieiy and advantage,
be transferred TO the Attorney General.
4. "a a. Cruw 49,