Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1846-12-16

If custom-h houses, and Of post offices and II
,oast roads, and provisions for the trans a.
of the mail on such routes as the =,
public convenience will suggest, require c.
legislative authority. 1t will be proper, al
10, to establish surveyor generals Office
n that Territory, and to make the neces- .
'ary provision for surveying the public
ands, and bringing them into market. AS ,
our citizens who now reside inAthat distant
region have been subjected to many hard e
ships, privations, and sacrifices in their en- a
igration, and by their improvements have p
the value of the public lands in Q
the neighborhood of their settlements, it is
recommended that liberal grants be made :
to them of such portions of these lands as !
they may occupy, and similar grants or
rights ofpre-emption be made to all who l.
may igrate thither within q limited peri c
cd, to be prescribed by law. a
The report of the Secretary of War con-
tains detailed information relative to the $
several branches Of the public service con- J.
nected with that department. The opera ,
tons of the army have been Of satisfac-
tory and highly gratifying character.
| recommend to your early and favorable
consideration the measures proposed by the {
Secretary of War for speedily filling up
the rank and file Of the regular army, for
its greater efficiency in the field, and tor
raising an additional force to serve during
I the war with Mexico.
Embarrassment is likely to arise for the
want oflegal provision authorizing COM
pensation to be made to the agents employ
ed in the several States and Territories to
pay the revolutionary and other pensioners
: the amounts allowed them by law. Your
S attention is invited to the recommendations
!, of the Secretary of War on this subject.
: These agents incur heavy responsibilities
e and perform important duties, and no rea-
# son exists why they should nosbe placed on
is the same footing, as to compensation, with
n other disbursing officers.
q Our relations with the various Indian
i i tribes continue to be of a pacific charac-
y ter. The unhappy dissentions which have
% existed among the Cherokees for many
y years past have been healed. Since my
a a last annual message,important treaties have
Is been negotiated with some Of the tribes, by
y which the Indian title to large tracts of val
10 liable land, within the limits Of the States
~ and Territories, has been extinguished and
II arrangements made for removing them to
) the country west of the Mississippi. Be-
* tween three and four thousand, of different
IT tribes, have been removed to the country
10 provided for them by treaty stipulations,
II and arrangements have been made for 9TH
ers to follow.
e In our intercourse with the several tribes,
= particular attention has been given to the
:, important subject of education. The num-
! ber of schools established among them has
- been increased, and additional means pro-
9 vided, not only for teaching them the rudi-
! ments of education, but of instructing them
I in agriculture and the mechanic arts.
@ refer you to the report ofthe Secretary
f of the Navy for satisfactory view Of the
). operations Of the department under his
4 charge during the past year.-lt is crafty
@ ing to perceive, that while the war with
d Mexico has rendered it necessary to employ
,s an unusual number Of our armed vessels on
d her coasts, the protection due to our com.
Is merce in other quarters of the world has
4 not proved insufficient. No means will be
ID spared to give efficiency to the naval SER
v vice in the prosecution of the war; and |
J. am happy to know that officers and men
J. anxiously desire to devote themselves to the
ID service of their country in any enterprise
O however difficult of execution.
h I recommend to your favorable conside-
e ration the proposition to add to each of our
foreign squadrons an efficient sea steamer,
d and, as especially demanding attention, the
@ establishment at Pensacola of the necessa.
: ry means ofrepairing and reftting the yes,
S sells of the navy employed in the Gulf OF
l. Mexico.
$ There are other suggestions in the re-
v port which deserve, and doubt not will re.
r ceive your consideration.
: The progress and condition of the mail
t service for the past year are fully presented
in the report Of the Postmaster General
$ The revenue for the year ending on the
i Both of June last, amounted to three million
r four hundred and eighty-seven thousand
u one hundred and ninety nine dollars which
is eight hundred and two thousand six
hundred forty-two dollars and fifty five
i cents less than that Of the preceding year.
$ The payments for that department during
i the same time amounted to four million
eighty-four thousand two hundred and
: ninety-seven dollars and twenty-five cents.
Of this sum five hundred and ninety-seven
; thousand and ninety-seven dollars and
IS eighty cents have been drawn from the
q treasury. The disbursements for the year
9 were two hundred and thirty.six thousand
"a four hundred and thirty-four dollars and
5 seventy-seven cents less than those Of the
preceding year.
:. While the disbursements have been thus di
!. mnshed the mail facilities have been enlarged
d by new mail routes of five thousand seven hun.
Q dred and thirty.nine miles, an increase Of trans
+ portation one million seven hundred and sixt,
four thousand one hundred and forty ,fivs miles
g and the establishment Of four hundred g. eighteer
,, new post Offices Contractors postmasters. ant
h others engaged in this branch of the service
. have nerfotn,ad THAR drt;o, ,,;,L ..a.-..