Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1848-12-13

The pubiic expenditures should bc economical,
and he confined to such necessary objects as are
clearly within the powers of Congress. All such
as are not absolu ely demanded should be postponed,
and the payment of the public debt at the earliest
practicable period should be cardinal principle OIL
our public policy.
For the reason assigned in my last annual mes,
sage, repeat the recommendation Una, o,a'e" VI
the mint of the United States be established at the
ci,y OF New York. The Importance OF this mea-
sure is greatly increased by the acquisition OF inc
rich mines of the precious metals IN New Mexico
and California, and especially in the latter.
Irepeat the recommendation, heretofore made, in
favor of the graduation and reduction of the price OF
such Of the public lands rs have been long offered
inthe market, and have remained unsod, and In
favor of extending the rights OF pre- emp'lou to ac-
tual settlers on the unsurveyed as well as the
surveyed lands.
The conditions and operations of the army and
the state of other branches of the public service I'M
der the supervision of the War Department are sa
tisfactory presented in the accompanying report OF
the Secretary of War. :,
On the return of peace, our forces were with
drawn from Mexico, and the volunteers and that
norton of the REGULAR army engaged for the war
were disbanded. Orders have been issued for sta
tioning the forces of our permanent establishment
at various Positions in our extended country where
troops NAV be required. Owing TO the remoeness
of some of these positions, the detachinenis nave
not yet reached their destination. Notwithstand-
ing the extension of the limits of our country and
the forces required in the territories 1t Is CON
fidently believed that our present military establish
ment is sufficient for all eygencles so long as our
peaceful relations remain undis,urbed.
or the amount of military contributions collected
in Mexico. the sum of seven hundred and sixty
nine thousand six hundred and fifty dollars was APP
piled towards the payment ut the first Insialment
due under the treaty with Mexico. The further
NJ houJ and thpuSaad thrpp
hundred and sixty nine dollars and thirty cents has
been paid into the Treasury, and uneXpended bal
still remain the hands of disbursug officers
and those who were engaged in the collection Of
these moneys. After the proclamation OF peace no
further disbursements were made Of any uneXpend-
cd moneys arising from this source. The balances
on hand were directed 10 be paid into the Treasury,
and individual claims on the fund will remain un-
adjusted until Congress shall authorize their settle
ment and payment These claims are not conslde
rable in number amount.
| recommend to your favorable consideration the
Suggestions of the Secretary of War and the Sccre
tary of the Navy in regard TO Legislation on this
subject
Our Indian relations are presented in most ia
vurable view in the report from the War Depart
ment. The wisdom of our policy in regard To the
tribes within limits is clearly manifested by
their improved and rapidly improving condition.
a most important treaty with the Menomones
has been recently negotiated by the Commissioners
Of Indian Affairs in persons by which all their land
in the State of MISUNDERSTANDING about four mil
lions of acreS-has been coded to the United States
This treaty will he submitted to the Senate for a,i
fcation at early period Of your present session.
Within the last four years eight important trea
ties have been negotiated with different Indian
tribes, and at a cost of one million eight hundred
and fortytwo thousand dollars Indian lands to the
amount Of more than eighteen million five hundred
THOUSAND acres have been coded to the u. States
and provision has been made for settling In the
country west of the Mississippi the tribes which oc
cupied this large extent of the public domain. The
title to all the indian lands within the several States
Of OUR Union, with the exception @! lew small re-
servations, is eXtnguished, and vast region
opened for settlement and cultivation.
The accompanying report oil the Secretary OF the
Navy gives satisfactory exhibit OF the operations
and condition of that branch of the public service.
A number of small vessels suitable for entering
the mouths of rivers were judiciously purchased du
ring the war, and gave great efficiency to the squad
in the Gulf of Mexico. On the return of peace,
when no longer valuable for naval purposes, and Ii
able to constant deterioration, they were sold, and
the money placed in the Treasury.
The number of men in the naval service auiho-
rized by law during the war has been reduced by
discharges below the maximum fixed for the peace
establishment. Adequate squadrons are maintained
in the several quarters ofhe globe where experience
has shown their services may be most usefully en-
ployed; and the naval service was never in a con-
dlton of higher discipline or greater efficiency.
invite attention to the recommendation Of the
Secretary Of the Navy 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 selections and those
designated were necessarily dismissed, but without
any alleged fault. | concur in opinion with the
Secretary that the service would be improved by
reducing the number of andsmen and increasing
the marines. Such measure would justify an in
crease of the number of officers TO the extent of the
reduction by dismissal, and still the corps would
have fewer officers than corresponding number of
men in the army.
The contracts for the transportation Of the mail in
steamships convertible into war steamers promise
to realize all the benefits to commerce and TO
the navy which were antci pated. The first steam
er thus secured to the Government was launched
IN January, lS47. There are now seven and in
another year there will probably be not less than
seventeen afioat. While this great national ad-
vantage is secured, our social and commercial in
tercourse is increased and promoted with Germany.
Great Britain, and other parts of Europe with all
the countries on the west coast of our continent es
peclally with Oregon and California, and between
The northern and southern sections of the United
States. Considerable revenue NAV be expected
from hostages but the connected line from New
YORK to Chagres, and thence across the isthmus to
Oregon, cannot fail TO exert beneficial influence
not now to be estimated, on the interests of the
manufactures, commerce, navigation, and currency
"l 'he Oni'ed States AS an important part of the
system, recommend to your favorable cons,dera-
ton the establishment of the proposed line of steam
ers between New Orleans and Vera Cruz. # pro.
misses the most happy results in cementinp friend
ship between the two republics, and in extending
reciprocal benefits 10 the trade and manufactures Of
both.
The report Of the Postmaster General will make
known TO you the operations of that Department for
the past year.