The North-Carolina standard., 1850-01-09

The whole numbar Of invalid pensioners the &c.,
retasy states 10 be four thousand one hundred and 6
leen. Tho increase during the past year is min.
hundred and eighty-nine The amount Of claims e..
bounty land warrants, fled prior to the sth Novem-
Der last was about eightythree thousand; of these
about nine thousand have been suspended OF rejected
leaving, with some twenty thousand more to be filed
an aggregate of one hundred and three thousand,
The Secretary dwells at some length upon the
mineral lands in California. He recommends that
the mines should be laid off in lots by skilful En-.
ginesr, and then leased by the Government 70, =,
term Of years. He says:
and. thousands Of persons, Of all nations and lan'
gnages flock there obtain the gold and depart with
out rendering any remuneration to the government
Our laws, strict in the preservation of public Do
perty, that they punish our citizens for cutting tim
Der upon the public lands, ought not to permit stran
gers, who are not and who never intend to become
citizens, to enter at pleasure these lands and take
from them the gold which constitutes nearly all their
value.
When the land is properly divided, it will, in nv
opinion, be best to dispose of it, whether by lease
SALE SO as create an estate to be held only on con
dition that the gold collected from the mine shall be
delivered into the custody of officer of the branch
mint. Out of the gold SO deposited there should be
retained, for rent and assay. or coinage, fixed Der
cent, such as may be deemed reasonable, and the
residue passed to the credit of the miner and paid
to him at his option in coin or stamped bullion, or
its value in drafts on the Treasury or mint of the
United States. The gold in the mine and after il s
gathered until brought into the mint, should be and
remain the property of the United States. The bar
ter, sale gift, or expectation of any portion of it be-
g. Sket,nfI hA~v@ horv> .l~vSrv Il
coined, or assayed and stamped, or its conceament
with intent to avoid the payment of rent or seipno
rage, should involve forfeiture of the gold itself
and also of the mine. The terms of lease or sale
should be favorable to the MINER and the law should
be stringent to enforce the payment of seignoraee
and rents.
So far as the surface deposites extend, I am Of
opinion that leases will, for yet further reason, be
preferable to sales of the lands. If sold thev will
pass at once into the hands of large capitalists; if
leased, industrious men without capital may become
the propretors, as they work the mines and paw
the rent out of the proceeds. But where gold is
found in the rocks in placers, the case is different
These must necessarily fall at into the hands of
large capitalists or joint-stock companies, as thew
cannot be wrought without heavy investment
The Secretary recommends the building Road to
the Pacific; but, he adds, " what the Road will be-
and where and by whom constructed, must depend
upon the action of Congress, founded such nfor-
nation as careful reconnaissance of the country by
scientific corps may furnish.''
The Secretary also recommends continuation of
the policy of the Government towards the Indian
tribes, and suggests the importance of appointing
agents to manage our Indian affairs in Oregon, Cali.
fornia, and New Mexico. He likewise suggests that
the wild tribes of Indians, who have their hunting
grounds in the great prairie through which our emf
grants pass to California, should be compensated for
the grass and game consumed by the emigrants on
theirroute.
Tire Report of the Secretary Of tie Macy is a long
and abored document. 1t opens by giving the posi-
tons of the squadrons in tho various seas to guard
commerce, and the Secretary concludes this pat
of his Report by the statement that flag has been
universally respected, and no interruption has oc
CURED to the fair and legal commercial pursuits of our
citizens abroad.''
The Secretary states that the four first class steam
ers, provided for by act of Congress- March, ls47,
will shortly be ready for sea. He is of the opinion
that these sea-going steamships will add greatly
the force, the efficiency, and the usefulness of
Navy and he submits to Congress the proprety of
further appropriations for such additions our
force.
The Secretary also speaks favorably of the Naval
School at Annapolis, and recommends it to the fos
tering care Of Congress.
We quote as follows from the Report, as to the
estimates for the Naval service for the ensuing fiscal
year:
81 have the honor to submit herewith the reports
from the several bureaus of this Department. together
with the estimates for the naval service and for other
objects placed under the control of the Department
for the fiscal year ending the 30th Of June, 1856
the gross amount of which is % ,20S 1856 Is, from
which should be deducted the sums for special Objects
viz
For transportation of the mail, $s74,60O 90
For dry-dock at New York, 10000 90
For floating docks, l,095, 1862 90
For improvement of navy yards, 645, 1866 90
For nautical almanac, 1850 90
Amounting to the sum Of $2,99S 1913 90
And leaving for one years expense Of
the naval service the sum Of $6, ,2O4 1878 Is
The total amount drawn from the Treasury during
the fiscal year ending the 30th of June 1849 as shown
by the statement Of appropriations for the naval ser
vice prepared by the Second Comptroller oshe Treas.
ury, is $l3, 3,l67 ,966 Sc; from which deduct repay.
ments $2.269,623 80, and the sum of $40, ,89s,34s
81 is shown as the expense of the navy and marine
corps and including all objects placed under the con-
troll of the Navy Department for that year.
The unexpended balance in the Treasury of the
appropriations for the naval service and marine corps
on the 30th of June l049, g. 1893 l3, all Of
which will be required to meet the outstanding ob'
cations due from the appropriations made for thatyear
The value of stores and materials on hand at navy
yards for naval purposes, exclusive of ships building
In ordinary, undergoing repairs and in commission
navy yards and other public lands required for pur'
poses OF the navy, with their Improvements, is w.