Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1850-12-05

| from a generous citizen of New York and placed
uuder the command of officer of the Navy, to pro-
coed TO the Arctic Seas in quest of the British CON-
mander Sir John Franklin, and his companions,
pIiance with the Act of Congress, approved in May
last had, when last heard from, penetrated into high
northern latitude but the of this noble and hu
name enterprise is yet uncertain.
invite your attention TO the view of present Ma
val establishment and resources presented in the report
oil the Secretary oil the Navy and IN the suggestions
herin made for its Improvement together with the Ma.
val policy recommended for the security eff the Pacific
coast and the protection and extension of
with Eastern ASIA Our facilities Tor larger particpa
ton the trade of the East by of recent set
Elements the shores of the Pacific, obvious
be overlooked or disregarded.
The question in relation rank in the army and
and the relative rank between officers of the branch
es OF the service presented TO the Executive by certain
resolutions Of the House of Representatives at the last
session of Congress- have been submitted a board of
officers in each branch OF the SERVICES and their report
may be expected at early day
! also earnestly recommend the enactment Of a law
authorizing officers of the army and navy to be relieved
from the Services when incompetent Tor IFS vigorous and
active duties, taking to make suitable provision for
those who have faithfully served their country, and
awarding distinctions by retaining in appropriate
mands those who have been particularly conspicuous for
gallantry and good conduct While the obligation of
the country to maintain and honor those who to the
cuon OF other pursuits have devoted themselves to its
arduous services this obligation should be permitted
to interfere with the efficiency of the service ITSELF
am grat6ed in being able to state that the estimates
oil expenditures for the in he ensuing less
/
ing the appropriation which may become necessary for
the construction of dock the of the Pacific.
propositions for which being considered, and on
which special report may be expected early in your
present session.
There is evident business in the suggestion Of the
same reports, that appropriations for the naval service
proper should be separated from those for the fixed and
permanent Objects such building docks and navy yards
and the fixtures attached and from the extraordinary
objects under the Of the departments which, howcv
er important not essentially naval.
revision of the code for the government Of the navy
reqre the immediate consideration Of Congress
Its system of crimes and punshments has undergone
no change for half century until the last session,
though its defects have been often and ably pointed out
and the abolition of particular species of corporeal
punishment, which then took place without providing
any substitute has left the service state OF defect
veness which calls for prompt correction. therefore
recommend that the whole subject be revised without
delay, and such system established for the enforce
ment of discipline shall be humane and efec
tual.
The accompanying report Of the Post Master Gene
raj presents satisfactory view of the operations and
conditions of that Department.
At the close of the last fiscal year the length of the
inland mail in the United States and not embracing
the service in Oregon and California 1852 miles
The annual transportation thereon 46 Sal 423 miles and
the annual cost of such transportation 81 724 APO co.
The increase of the annual transportation that of
the preceding year, 1897 1854 miles. and the in
crease in cost was S342, 440
The numbc' IF Post Offices in the United States
the lst day July last Is, 4l7 being increase
The gross of the Department for the fiscal
year ending June 30, 1880 amounted to So 552 97 a.
including the annual appropriation of S2OOO 00 for the
ranked matter OF the departments, and excluding the
foreign hostages collected for and payable to the British
government.
The expenditures for the period were 5,2l2-
953 43, leaving balance OF revenue over expenditures
of S340,01S o..
| am happy to find that the fiscal condition Of the De-
partment such to Justify the Postmaster General in
recommending the reduction of inland letter postage
to the single letter when pre- paid, and
when not prepaid He also recommends that the pre-
paid shall be reduced two whenever the
venue of the Department after the reduction, shall ex
coed its expenditures by than five per cent for two
consecutive years. that the postage upon California and
other letters sent by steamers shall be much
reduced and that the of postage newspapers
pamphlets periodicals. and other printed matter shall be
modified, and some reduction thereon made.
IL cannot be doubted that the proposed reduction, will
for the present diminish the of the department
is believed that the deficiency after the surplus already
accumulated shall he exhausted, may be almost wholly
met either 10y aboshing the existing privileges of send
ing free matter through the mails, by paying out OF
the treasury to the post office department sum equiva-
lent to the postage of which is deprived by such priv
iges. The last is supposed to be the preferable mode
and will If not entirely, nearly supply that deficiency
make any further appropriation that may be found
necessary nconsiderabe to form obstacle the
proposed reductions.
entertain no doubt Of the authority Of Congress to
make appropriations for leading objects in that class of
public works comprising what usually called works Of
internal improvement This authority suppose to be de-
rived chiefly from the power of regulating with
foreign nations and the several States and the
er Of laying and collecting imports When commerce is
to be carried on and imports collected there be
ports and harbors well wharfs and houses
If ships laden with valuable cargoes approach the shore
or sail along the coast light houses necessary suit
able points for the protection OF life and property. 9th
er facilities and securities for and navigation
hardly less important and those clauses of the Con-
stituton, therefore, TO which have referred, have
ceved from the origin Of the government liberal and
beneficial construction Not only have light houses
buoys and beacons been established and floating lights
maintained but harbors have been cleared and mprov.
ed, piers constructed and break-waters for the
safety of shipping and vessels, protect harbors
from being filed up and rendered useless by the action
OF the ocean, have become erected at very great
pense. And this construction of the Constitution ap-
pears the reasonable from the consideration that
if these WORKS of such evident import and utility
TO be accomplished by Congress, they cannot be accom-
pished at all By the adoption of the Constitution, the
several States voluntarily parted with the power of COL
ecng duties of import in their ports and il is
70 he expected that they Should raise money by internal
taxation direct, indirect, for the benefit Of that
commerce. the revenues derived from which, do not
either in whole part, into their treasures
nor do perceive any difference between the power
oil Congress to make appropriations for objects of this
kind on the and the power to make appropriations
Tor similar Objects on lakes and rivers, wherever they
are large enough bear their waters extensive
traffic.
The magnificent Mississippi and lis tributaries and the
vast Lakes of the North and North West appear
to fall within the power Justly and clearly the
Ocean and the Gulf Of Mexico. II is mistake to re-
gard expenditures judcously made for these objects as
expenditures Tor local purposes the position site of
the work is necessarily local but its utility is general
ship canal around the falls Of ST Mary OF less than
mile in length though local in its would yet
be national in its purpose and benefits, il would
move the only obstruction navigation of more than
a thousand miles, affecting several States well