The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-12-12

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20 present session.
a Within the last four years, eight impertan
treaties have been negotiated with different Ind
e an tribes, and at cost of one million eioht buu
;e bred and fortytwo thousand dollars. Indian land
TO the amount of more than eighteen millions fiv
Il hundred thousand acres, have been ceded TO tn
United States; and provision has been made 70
IL settling IN the country west of the Mssissippi
the tribes which occupied this large extent of tn
=, public domain. The title to all the Indian land
within the several States within our Union will
the exception of a few small reservations, is nov
extInguished, and vast region open for settle
i, ment and cultivation.
The accompanying report of the Secretary o
the Navy gives satisfactory exhibit of the oper
atoms and condition of that branch of the public
service.
: A number Of small vessels suitable for enter
/ ing the mouth of rivers were judicously purchas
ed during the war, and gave great efficiency to
the squadron in the Gulf of Mexico. On the re-
turn of peace, when no longer valuable for naval
] purposes and liable to deterioration, they were
sold, and the money placed in the treasury
The number of men in the naval service an
thorized by law during the war, has been reduced
by by discharges below the maximum fixed for
the peace establishment. Adequate squadrons
are mainainedin the several quarters of the globe
where experience has shown their services NAV
be most usefully employed and the naval SER
or greater efficiency.
/ invite attention to the recommendation of
the Secretary of the Navy on the subject of the
| marine corps. The reduction of the corps at the
end of the war required that four officers of each
OF the three lower grades should be dropped from
the rolls. A board Of officers made the selection:
| and those designated were necessarily dismissed
but without any alleged fault. l concur in opin-
ion with the Secretary, that the service would be
improved by reducing the number of landsmen,
and increasing marines. Such measure would
Justify an increase of the number of officers to
the extent of the reduction by dismissal and still
the corps would have fewer officers than CORES
ponding number of men in the army
The contracts for the transportation of the
| mail in steam ships, convertible into war steam
ers promise to realize all the benefits TO our COM
merce and to the navy. which were anticipated
The first steamer thus secured TO the government
was launched in January, IS47. There are now
seven: and in another year there will probably.
be not less than seventeen afloat. While this
great national advantage is secured our social G.
commercial intercourse is increased and promo |
ted with Germany, Great Britain and other parts |
of Europe, with all the countries on the West
Coast OF our Continent, especially with Oregon |
and California, and between the northern and |
southern sections of the United States Consid- |
cradle revenue may be expected from hostages
but the connected line from New York TO Cha |
grcs, and thence across the isthmus 10 Oregon |
cannot fail TO exert a beneficial influence not now
to be estimated on the interest of the manufactu-
rers, commerce, navigation and currency of the |
United States. AS an important part of the syy-
TEN, recommend to your favorable consideration |
the establishment of the proposed line of steam.
ers between New Orleans and Vera Cruz. II |
promises the most happy results in cementing
friendship between the two republics, and in ex-
tending reciprocal benefits to the trade and man.
ufactures of both. The report of the Postmaster
General Will make known to you the operations
of that department, for the past year.
1t is gratifying to find the revenues of the de-
partment, urdcr the rates of postage now estab.
lished by law, so rapidly increasing The gross
amount OF postage during the last fiscal year, a.
mounted to four million three hundred and sew
enty-one thousand and seventv-one dollars ex-
ceeding the annual average received for the nine
years Immediately preceding the passage of the
act of the third of March, 1876, bv the sum of
SIX thousand four hundred and fifty three dollars.
and exceeding the amount received for the rear
ending the 3Oth of June, ls47, by the sum of four
hundred and twenty-five thousand one hundred
and eighty -four dollars
The expenditures for the year, excluding the
sum OF ninety-four thousand six hundred and
seventy-two dollars, allowed by Congress at its
last session 10 individual claimants. and inclu-
ding the sum OF one hundred thousand five hun
cred dollars paid for the services of The line of
steamers between Bremen and New York a.
mounted TO four millions one hundred and nine
ty-eight thousand eight hundred & forty-fye dol
lars, which is less than the annual average for
the nine years previous TO the act of 1916 by
three hundred thousand seven hundred and forty-
eight dollars.
The mail routes, on the thirteenthdav of June
last, were one hundred and sxty.three thousand |
two hundred and eight miles in extent-being an |
increase during the last year of nine thousand |
three hundred and ninety miles. The mails |
were transported over them. during the sameti |
foIty-one million twelve thousand and five hun |
dIed and seventy-nine miles, ma king an increase
OF transportation for the year of two million one
hundred and twenty-four thousand six hundred |
and eighty miles, whilst the expense was less |
than that OF the previous year by four thousand |
two hundred and thirty dollars.
The increase in the mail transportation with |
IN the last three years has been five million three
hundred and seventy eight thousand three huu- |
bred and ten miles, whilst the expenses were re-
duced four hundred and fifty-six thousand seven
hundred and ihirty-eight dollars-making an in |
crease OF service al the rate of fifteen per cent,
and reduction in the expenses of more than if-
teen per cent. I
During the past year there have been employ |
ed, nnder contracts with the Post Office Depart
ment,,two ocean steamers in conveying the mails
monthly, between New York and Bremen, and
one, since October last, performing semi-month-
ly service between Charlestown and Havana
and contract has been made for the transporta-
ton OF the Pacific mails across the isthmus from
Chagres 10 Panama.
Under the authority given 10 the Secretary of
the Navy, three ocean steamers have been con-
structed and sent to the Pacific, and are expected
| 10 enter upon the mail service between Panama
and Oregon, and the intermediate ports, on the
first of January next, and fourth has been en-
gaged by him for the service between Havana
and Chagres; so that regular monthly mail
line will be kept up after that time between the
United States and our territories on the Pacific
| Notwithstanding this great increase in the
mail service, should the revenue continue to in
crease the present year it did in the last there
VIII be received near four hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars more than the expenditures.
These considerations have satisfied the Post
master General that, with certain notifications
OF the act Of lS45, the revenue may be still fur
Their increased, and reduction Of hostages made
\ to uniform rate of five cents, without an inter-
ference with the principle, which has been con-
stantly and properly enforced, of making that