The Port Gibson herald, and correspondent., 1850-12-13

IEI5 appears 10 me 10 De an unjust and heavy TAX
/ upon the labor of those employed in extracting
1 this precious meta and, doubt not you will be
disposed at the eaIies period possible, relieve
\ them from il, BY The establishment OF mint.
/ In the meantime, as an Assayers Office is es-
! tablished there, would respectfully submit TO
! your consideration the proprety OF atthonsfhS
/ gold bullons which has been assayed and SIAM
| ped. TO be received IN payment of Government
/ dues cannot conceive that the Treasury
would suffer ary loss by such provision,
which viii at once raise bullion 10 its par value,
and thereby save, If am rightly informed, ma
/ ny millions of dollars to the la borers, which are
now paid in brokerage, TO convert this precious
metal into available funds This discount upon
| their hard earnings is heavy tax, and every
! effort should be made by the Government TO re.
/ lieye them from this burthen.
/ More than three-fourths of our population
are engaged in the cultivation oi the soil. The
commercial, manufacturing and navigating Iff-
terests, arc all, 10 great extent. dependent up
on The agricultural. II is. therefore, the most
important interest of the nation, and has a Just
claim to th@ fostering care ard protection OF the
/ Government. SO far they can be extendedt
| consistently with the provisions Of the Consti-
tuition. As this scannot be done by the ordinary
| modes OF legislation, respectfully recommend
| the establishment of an Agricultural Bureau, to
| be charged with the duty of giving TO this lead
/ ing branch of American industry the enconr-
i
! the immense mineral resources Of our country.
provision should also be made for the employ
/ ment os competent mineralogist and chemist,
/ who should be required, under the direction OF
/ the Bureau to collect specimens of the various
| minerals of our country, and ascertain, by care
| fnl analy sis their respective elements and their
| ada ptaton to useful purposes. He should. also.
be required to 9. anime and report upon the
| qualities of different soils and the manures
/ best calculated 10 impro-e their productiveness.
/ By publishing these experiments, with suitable
| explanations, and by the collection and distri.
button Of rare seeds and plants, with Instruc-
tons to the best system of cultivation. much
may be done to promote this great national In
te-est.
In compliance with the act of Congress-
passed on the 23d of May, providing. among
/ other things, for taking the seventh census, u
Superintendent was appointed, and all other
measures adopted which were deemed necessa-
ry, to insure the prompt and faithiul performs
ance of that duty. The appropriations already
made, will, it is believed, be sf1thelent to deray
the whole expenses of the work, but further
! legislation NAV be necessary in regard to the
compensation of some of the Marshals oil the
Territories
Il 1t will also be proper to make provision by
law, at an early date for the publication oi
f such abstracts Of the returns as the public in-
terests may require.
II
on the Pacific, in wealth and population, and
the consequent increase of their social and
commercial rela tons with the Atlantic States,
seem to render it the duty of the Government
to use all its constitutional power to improvs
the means Of intercourse with them. Ihe I'M
portance of opening line OF communication
The best and most expeditions Of which the ma
ture of the country viii admit-hetween the
! Valley of the Mississippi and Pacific, was
brought to your notice by my predecessor IN
his annual message, and, as the reasons which
: he presented in favor of the measure still exist
in fall force, | beg leave 10 call your attention
to them, and to repeat the recommendations
there made by him.
The uncertainty which exists in regard to the
e validity of Land Titles in California, is sub
: iect which demands yonr early consideration.
r Large bodies of lands in that State are claimed
under grants said TO ha We heen nude BY author
J. ity of the Spani sh and Mexican Governments.
4 Many of these have not been periected--others
have been revoked, and some are believed to be
fraudulent; but until they shall have been judi
! cialIy investigated, they will continue TO retard
the settlement and improvement of the coun
: try. / therefore, respectfully suggest, that
= provision be made by law fol- the appointment
/ of Commissioners % examine all such claims.
e with view to their final adjustment.
:; also beg leave to call your attention to tHs
S propriety Of extending, at an early day, our
: system Of Land Laws, with such modiieatlons
! as NAV be necessary, over the State of Caiifor-
s mia, and the Territories Of Utah and New Mex.
leo. The mineral lands of California will, Of
Il course, form an exception TO any general sys-
!. tenn which may be adopted Various methods
| Of disuosino of them have been suggested i
was al first inclined to favor the system Of leas.
ing, as i. seemed to promise tho largest reven-
! ue to the Government, and to afford the best Sc
! I curitv against monopolies; but further refsc-
:, ton, and our experience in leasing the lead
!. mines, and selling lands upon credit, have
; | brought my mind to the conclusion, that there
!, would be great dithcuty IN collecting the rents
! The relation of debtor and CREDITOR between
: : the citizens and Government, would be atten-
!. ded with many mischferons resnlts.--1, there
= fore. recommend that, instead of retaining the
= mineral lands under the permanent control OF
: the Government, that they be divided into
= small parcels and sold at such time as will en-
: sure the best price, and guard most effectualy
: against combinations of capitalists 10 obtein
!. monopol-s
y The annex tion of Texas, and the acquisition
q 2 Of California and New Mexico, have given in
= creased Importance to our Indian relations
: The various tribes brought under our Jurisdie-
9 tion by these engagements OF our boundaries.
. are estimated to embrace population OF l24,-
= 900.
.e Texas and New Mexico are surrounded by
u powerful tribes of indians, who are source of
r. constant terror and annoyance to the inhabl-
IS tants: separating into small predatory bands,
u and always mounted, they overrun the country,
4 devastating farms, destroying crops, and mur.
dering the inhabitants or carrying them into
le captivity. The great roads leading info the
Us country are infested BY them; whereby travel
a. ling is rendered extremely dangerous. and emit
al grafton Amost entirely arrested. The Mexi.
20 ~ ca frorf which, by the eleventh aFticfe OF
OF the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgot we are
ad bound to protect against the Indians within ouI
ne borders, is exposed to their incursions equally
We with our own The military forces stationed in
RS that country, although forming a large Prepor
ns ion Of the army, is represented as entirely ina
en- dequate to our ewn protection and the tulhi.
be ment Of our treaty stipuiations with Mexico
ai- The principal deficiency is in cavalry. ! recon-
m mend that Congress should, at as early perio
J as possible. provide for the raising Of one o
s- more Regiments of mounted men
int For further suggestions on this subject, an
~ others connected with our domestic interests
ID il references to our frontier. refer you to tn
By Reports Of the Secretary Of the Interior and o
IS, the Secretary of War;
recommend, also, to your favorable consd
re, Grafton. the suggestions containsd in the las
IN mentioned Report, and in letter Of the Gen
I'M eraI in Chief relative to the establishing of a.