Washington telegraph., 1852-12-22
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
coNrlNuED FROM FIRST PAGE.l

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objection to that part Of the line which ex
tended along the channel of the Rio Grande.
But the terms of the law are such as to
forbid the use of any part o. the money for
tn, pros ton OF the work or even the
payment Of the officers and agents ci
the arrearages for which are justly due
them. I earnestly invite your prompt at
tention to this subject, and recommend a
modification of the term of the proviso. so as to
enable the department. to use as much Of the
appropriation as will be necessary to dis
charge the existing obligations Of the Govern
ment, and to complete the survey Of the Rio
Grande to its mouth 1t will also be pro-
per to make farther provision by law for the
fulfllment of our treaty with Mexico. for
running and marking the residue Of a bound
ary line between the two countries,
Permit me to invite your particular atten-
ton to the interests of the District of Colum-
bia, which are. conHded by the constitution
to your peculiar care. Among the measures
which seem to me Of the greatest Importance
to its prosperity. are the introduction Of a
copious supply Of water into the City of
Washington, and tie construction OF suitable
bridges across the Potomac, to replace those
which were destroyed by high water in the
early part of the present year.
At the last session of Congress an appro-
priation was made to defray the cost Of the
surveys necessary for determining the best
measure Of afording an unfailing supply Of
good and who,s,me water Some progress
has been made in the survey, and as soon as
it is completed, the result viii be laid before
you.
Further appropriation, will also be neces-
sary for grading and paving the streets and
avenues and closing and embeilishing the
public grounds within the City Of Washing
ton. | commend all these objects, together
with the charitable institutions Of the district,
to your favorable regard.
Every effort has been made to protect our
frontiers, and that of the adjoining Mexican
States, from the incursion of the Indian
tribes. OF about eleven thousand men, of
which the army is composed, nearly eight
thousand are engaged in the defence of the
newly acquired territories including Texas,
and Of emigrants proceeding thereto. am
gratiied to say that these efforts have been
unusually successful, with the exception Of
some particular outbreaks in California and
Oregon, and occasional depredations on
portion of the Rio Grande. owing, it is be-
ieved, to the disturbed state of that border
region The inroads of the Indians have
been efectually restrained. Experience
has shown. however, that whenever two races
are brought into contact. collisions will In
evitablv occur. To prevent these collisions,
the United States have generally set apart
portion of the territories for the exclusive
occupation of the Indian tribes. A difficult
ty occurs, however in the application Of this
policy to Texas. BY the terms Of the COM
pact by which that State was admitted into
the Union, she retained the ownership of ali
the vacant lands within her limits. The
Government of this State, it is understood,
has assigned portion Of her territory to the
Indians, but as fast as her settlements ad-
vance, she lays it of into counties, and pro-
ceeds to survey and sell it.
This policy manifestly tends not only to
alarm and irritate the Indians but to compel
them to resort to plunder for subsistence
1t also deprives this Government of that
influence and control oven them, without
which no durable peace can ever exist be-
tween them and the Indians. But | trust,
however, that a due regard for her own In
terests, apart from considerations OF human
ity and Justice, will induce the State to as
sign portion Of her vast domain for the
provisional occupancy Of the small remnants
OF tribes within her borders, subject to her
ownership and eventual jurisdiction. If
she should fail to do this, the fulfillment Of
our treaty stipulations with Mexico, and
our duty to the Indians themselves, it is
feared will become subject of serious EN-.
barrassment to the Government. 1t is hoped,
however, that a timely and just provision by
Texas may avert this evil.
No appropriation for fortifcations were
made at the two last sessions of Congress.
The cause of this omission is probably to be
found in the growing belief that the system
of Notifications erected in 1916. and here.
tofore acted on, demands revision.
The subject certainly deserves full and
careful nvestigation, but it should not be de-
layed longer than can be avoided. In the
meantime, there are certain works which
have been commenced; some Of them have
been nearly completed; designed to protec.
our principal seaports from Boston to New
Orleans, and few other important points
In regard to the necessity for these works,
it is believed that little difference of opinion
exist among military men. | therefore re-
commend that the appropriations necessary
to prosecute them be made. l invite your
attention to the remarks on this subject and
others connected with his department., con-
tanned in the accompanying report of the
Secretary of War. Measures have been
taken to carry into effect the improvement Of
certain harbors, and it is believed that the ar
rangements made for that purpose will COM