Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-01-05

oIranizalion. and suggested such an enlarge
mcnt as will make il efficient ~ inc present
emergency. Ii is proposed 10 give II 'he same
oIgsn,zaion as 10 the rank and number VI o.
fcers. as that of the corps oil engineers. an,
fully convinced that The service IS emodllaSseu
in consequence OF The deficiency OF ordnance o.
Gcers and would respectfully renew Inc recon-
nendarion. made al the last session, for an IN
crease oil them. That suggested in the ordnance
report would nof in my judgment be more IMAM
the pubic exigency al this Time cemaEas.
II is proper that | should direct your attention
IL he repor,s of the Paymasler General ana sur
eeon General Both urge The necessity oil iur-
lher aid TO enable them 10 execute 10 sa.lssdc-
tory manner the duties oil their respective depart
mems, increased as they are by The large NUMBER
Of troops in The field and the different desliha.
lions n Them. There is no doubt that the incon-
venieEces and embaHassments ~ lhese pidhehes
OF The public service are Of such magnitude anu
imnnrtance as 10 claim The attention ana receive
the favorable notice Of Congress-.
The deficiency in the medical stan WIN lne
army has been Inc suffice, OF repeated complaints
by our commanding generals. regard TO me
comfort OF the troops, as well as the good OF Inc
service requires that the department should nave
The power 10 remove the causes oi then. Con-
siderations OF economy also commend 'his SUI
i,c, 10 The favor OF Congress. Where Inc at'eh-
dance OF army surgeons and assistants cannot ne
Obtained, physicians in private life are employed;
and the amount oi claims aga inst Ihs government
for their services far exceed the pay ana emolh-
mcn,s which The additional number asked Tor IN
The report OF the Surgeon General would receive
As The management 81 The mineral lands mas
been devoIyed upon one Of The military bureaus
Of this department. ii is proper that should hrel-
IL notice the subject lar as relates 10 The opera
lions oil the last year
From the first of October, lS45, 10 The time
when Inc ACT OF Congress OF the eleventh OF July
last became known TO the agents oil The govern
meni, six hundred and tweny-one leases were
granted. OF these, Two hundred and nineIy-Iwo
will expire before the earliest day fixed for the sale
of the leased lands, anu The remainder before The
irstu; August mex. Tho small number since grant
I'd will expire on The sale oi the premises Inc
amount OF rent received during the year ending
the lhirlieh Of September, excee;s The expenses
oil management BY the sum OF 5,794 dollars and
Is cents; and The excess Of receipts over expendl-
lures for the whole time the lead mines have been
in charge oil The department, is Ss4 ,9O2 o.
On the Eth Of July, 1915, the department sus-
pended lie granting OF permits Tor locations in
lc copper region about Lake Superior, but con-
inued 10 execute leases on those ISSUED PRIOR 10
that period until tie SIKH day OF May last, when
il was decided by you that thr existing laws dld
no, authorize leases for his kind oil mineral land
Since The latter period none has been executed
As The mining operations in The copper region
have scarcely become productive TO The lessees,
very little rent ha, vet been received.
The attention of Congress was directed 10 This
subject and the views Of the department, suggest
ing he necessity Of legislation thereon, were pre-
sen,ed in several communications lad before MAJ
body a, the last session. The ore, in this part OF
the public domain, is rich and inexhaustihlc, ant
under prurar management might ne made 10 con.
tribute no inconsiderable sum 10 The public trea
sury.
Tie number OF pension agencies is forty-our,
exclusive OF agencies for navy pensions, ana me
number of pensioners 10 be paid is about twenty
thousand. Two payments arc made 10 eacn IN
every year. The law prescribing Inc mode o.
paying pensions as i, Stood previous " 'he o'm
of August last declares "tha, such payments shali
be hcl ealter made at such times ana places, BY
such persons or corporations, and under such
regulations az the Secretary OF War may direct;
bur no compensation Of allowance shall be made
10 such persons or corporations Tor making such
payments without authority OF law. Under
this law which expressly wilhhoids compensa-
lion, tie main, il not The only, Inducement Tor
persons 10 accept agencies we're The incidental
advantages derived from The occasional balances
oil pubic money in their hands Nearly all Of
Them aie officers Of, or interested in, banks
have used banks fnr repositories, and derived
; AID from them in the discharge OF their duties.
The sixth section Of "he acl 10 provide for
The letter organization Of The treasury, and Tor
Tie collection safe keeping, transfer, and DIS
pursement If The public revenue" seems TO con-
template the employment OF the oftcers therein
named as agents Tor paying pensions, ana rem
der, il doubtful whether those hitherto employed
are moi supersedcd But if there be authority to
continue them, the department is advised that IN
most instances they will decline their agencies
unless some compensation can be allowed 10:
their services.
The restrictions imposed by the ACT referred Ia
have deprived them oi ncsi Of their iacilities
they had in exccu'n, their duties, and Of all the
resulting advantages, aud al the same ime rem
lered these duties more onerons. Under these
circumstances il is not 10 BE- expected hat they
would remain Gs aoens, IL The law permitted IT.
with The j. avg resp 'nsibl'i'y imposed.
In most cases the officers upon whom these
duties NAV b. dcvclved by The act al The 9Th Of
August cannot perform hem wlihontas>Isance.
Legislation, therefore, npUn this subject has be-
come Indispensable. II tAe collecting and dis
bursting officers mentioned in The SIKH section 81:
thai aci are 10 be charged with this suaeradded
, duly they must be authorized 10 procure assist
| ance 10 enable them 10 perform II or, u II IS 10
be execu.ed by hers they must be allowed a
reasonable compensation 10 enable The depart
meDt 10 procure their services. As The preiera-
: bic cou.ss, respectfully recommend that aulho'
rily shoald be given 10 continue The present
!, agents OF appoint oher, in their places, ant thai
a reasonable compensation be allowed 10! their
. services.
Immediate action on this subject is urged
The nrxt payment is 10 he made on Inc 9TH OF
: March, and i will require some time 10 place
the redui.e funds in the HANDS oil the several
|, agen,s, particularly those in remote states anu
4 | territories.
' By the report oirhc Commissioner on Indian AT.
fairs. and those by he Indian agents which accom-
! pany il. you will be informed otthe complicated
and important transactions OF the last year in
;, that extensive branch OF the public service
, Since the last annual report 3,i3t Indians have
: been removed from the east 10 The west Of The
), Mississippi river, consisting principally OF The
= Chociaws from the Stale o Mississippi, and The
: Miamies ron Indiana. About Two hundred
! haze also been removed from the STATE Of New
" York. Nv The first oil june il is expected hai
. The remaining Choc;aws will have lett the State
OF Mississippi and Joined their prosperous brelh-
rem in The West.
. By The treaties concluded with The Kansas, and
the kindred bands OF Chippewas OtIawas, and
Pottawatames, common home has been provd-
ed for the latter, where they can unite and reside
, Ioge Their with community OF interests and thus
il is hoped The causes OF jealousy and dissalis-
, faction n,ong them will be removed.
The treaty with The Cherokees has, so far, had
the happiest effect in putting stop TO violence
, and bloodshed among them, and there is reason
10 believe il will electually heal the bitter euds,
political ard domestic, which have so long dis
lraced that tribe. Not murder or outrage, pre-.
viously OF snch frequent occurrence, has been
: exported since the equitable and judicious provl-
sions OF The treaty were made known among them
: Those who had lied for refuge TO Arkansas and
!. Missouri from Justly apprehendei violence and
onirage ale returning TO III, ir homes 10 resume
their won,cd pursuits; and a commendable spirit
among all parties seems 10 be cherished 10 forgel
their pas. dissensions and 10 become a united and
prosperous community. An important treaty has
been recon " negotiated at this place with the
Winnebaso Indians, BY which, il ratified, The U
States will acquire all The lands owned or claim
ed by this tribe in Iowa, estimated a, several mil.
lions Of acres, and known 10 be OF excellent qua.
, lily.