The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1852-12-15

Ealarm and irritate the Indians, but to cnrnp
them 10 resort to plunder for Subsistence. 4
also dcpriyes this Government OF that lntiuenc
and control over them without which no durabl
peace can ever exist between them and tn
whites. | trust, therefore that due regard fe
her own interests, apart from conslderal ions {
humanity and justice, will induce that State +
assign small portion Of her vast domain TO
the provisional occupancy OF the small remn
ants Of tribes within her borders, subject o
course to her ownership and event ual jurisdic
ton. lfshe should fail to dc this, the fulfil
ment of our treaty stipuaions with Mexico, am
our duty to the Indians themselves, will, it i
feared become subject Of serious embarrass
ments to the Government. 1t is hoped, how
ever, that timely and just provision by Texas
may avert this evil.
No appropriations for Notifications were made
at the last two sessions of fConyress.-1he cause
Of this omission is, probably to be found In
belief, that the system of Publications adopted
in 1876, and heretofore acted ON, requires revi
sion
The subject certainly deserves full and care
ful investigation but it should not be delayed
longer than can be avoided In the meantime
there are certain works which have been com
menced-some of them nearly completed-de.
signed to protect our principal seaports from
Bosom to New Orleans, and few other irnpor-
tant points. In regard to the necessity fo
these works, it Is believed that little difference
of opinion exists among military men.
therefore recommends that the appropriate
ons necessary to prosecute them be made.
Invite your attention to the remarks on thi.
subject and on others connected with his Depart
ment, contained in the accompanying report o
the Secretary of War.
Measures have been taken to carry into effec
the law Of the last session making provision fo
the improvement Of certain rivers and harb0rs
and it is believed that the arrangements made
for that purpose will combine efficiency with
economy. Owing chiefly to the advanced seas
on when the act was passed, little has yet been
done in regard to many of the works beyond
making the necessary preparations. With res
pect to few Of the improvements, the sum al
ready appropriated will suffice to complete them
but most Of them will require additional appro
priations. l trust that these appropriations will
be made, and that this wise and benefcent poll.
cy, so ausplciously resumed, will be continued
Great care should be taken, however, to com
mence no work which 10 not of sufficient i'm.
portance to the commerce of the conn.ry to be
viewed as national in its character. But works
which have been commenced shoHld not be dis.
continued until completed, rs otherwise the
sums expended will, in NEST cases be lost.
The report. from the Navy Department will
inform you of the prosperous condition OF the
branch of the public service committed to its
charge. 1t presents to your consideration many
topics and suggestions of which ask your sp-
proval. Il exhibits an unusual degree Of activity
| in the operations of the department during the
past year. The preparation for the Japan ex-
petition, to which have l'eldy alluded; the
arrangements made for the exploration and sur
vey Of the China Seas, the Northern Pacific, and
| ~ %l,o a aEor
te wards reconnaissance ofthe continent Of At
RIGA eastward of Libcra the preparation for an
early examination Of the tributaries of the River
| La Plata, which recent decree of the provis
ional chief of the Argentine Confederation has
opened to navigation: all these enterprises, ano
the means by which they are proposed to be ac
compIished, have commanded my full approba
tion and have no doubt will be productive Of
most useful results.
Two officers Of the the navy were heretofore
Instructed to explore the whole extent of the
Amazon river from the confines Of Peru to its
mouth. The return of one of them has placed
in the possession ofthe Government an interes-
ting a nd valuable account of the character and
recources of a country ab,unding in the mate
rials of commerce, and which, if opened to the
industry of the world, will prove an inexhaus
tbe fund OF wealth. The report Of this explo
ration will be communicated to you as soon as II
is completed,
Among other subjects offered to your notice
by the Secretary OF the Navy, select for spe
cial conmendation, in view of its connection
with the interests of the navy, the plan submit
ted by him for the establishment of perm1-
nent corps Of seamen, and the suggestions he
has presented for the reorganization of the Ma
val Academy. s. .#g
| In reference to the first of these, take oc-
casion to say that think it will greatly improve
the efficiency Of the service, and that regard
it as still more entitled to favor for the salutary
| influence it must exert upon the naval d'scip-
line, now greatly disturbed by the increasing
spirit of characterization re sultlng from our pres
ent system The plan proposed for the organ
ization of the seamen, furnishes judicious
substitute for the law of September, 1850, "a
bolishing corporeal punishment and satisfactorily
sustains the policy Of that act, under conditions
we'll adapted to MAINTAIN the authority OF com
mand and the order and security OF our ships
II is believed that any change which proposes
permanently to dispence W ith this mode OF pun
ishment should be preceded by system o
enlistment which shall supply the navy with
seamen of the most meritorous class, whose
good department and pride OF character may
preclude all occasion for resort to penalties OF
| a harsh or degrading nature. The safety of
ship and her crew is often dependant upon i'm
mediate obedience to q command, and the au
thority to enforce it must be equally ready The
arrest of a refractory seaman, in such moments
not only deprives the ship ofindispensable OF aid
but imposes necessity for double service or
others whose fidelity to their duties may be re
lied upon in such an emergency. The expo
sure to this to this increased and orduous labor
since the passage Of the act Of 1850, has already
had, to a most observable and injurious exten
the effect of preventing the enlistment of th'
best seamen in the navy. The plan now sug
sested is desgned TO promote condition o
service IN which this objection will no longe
exist The details Of this plan may be estab
lished in great part, if not altogether, by th'
Executive, under the authority of existing laws
but have thought proper, in accordance will
the suggestion of the Secretary OF the Navy, t
submit it to your approval.
i The establishment ofa corps ofapprentic's $ to
the navy, or boys to be enlisted until they be
come of age, and to be employed under sucl
regulations as the Navy Department may devis'
as proposed in the report, cordially approv'
and commend TO your nsideration; and ais
! concur in the suggestion that this system TO
the early training of seam n may be most use
fully engrafted upon the service OF our mer
chant marine.
The other proposition Of the report to whic
have referred--ihe re organization of tn
Naval Academy recommend toyonr atten
ton as project worthy ofyour encouragement
and support The valuable services alread
rendered by this institution enttle ii to the cor
tinuance of your fostering care.
Your attention is respectfully called to tn
report of tho Postmaster General for the detaI
led operation of his Department during the la'
fiscal wear, from which it will be seen that tn
receipts from postages for that time were les
: by $l, 43l 500 than for the preceding fisc
wear, being a decrease of about twenty-thre
per cent.
This diminution is attributable to the redu'
tion in the rates Of postage made by the act
March 3, 1851, which reduction took effect
, the commencement of the last fiscal year:
Although in its operation during the last ye'
the act referred to has not fulfilled The prediction
, of its friends by increasing the correspondent
of the country in proportion to the REDUCTION
hostage, | should nevertheless question the &c
, cy of returning to higher rates
Experience warrants the expectation that I
4 the community becomes accustomed to cnea
, postage, correspondence will increase. IL
belle we'd that from this cause, and from the raj
id growth of the country in population and bus
mess. the receipts of the Department must u