Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-12-08

he june 3t1is5s, amour ted to S6si93l,s65 from
customs, and TO 50, 405, Jos from pubic lanus anu
olhet niScelaneous souTceS, amounting toseiher'
10 SCI, ss7, 574 while the public expenditures ior
the same period, exclusive of payments on &C
count of the public debt. amounted TO 2b2
leaving a. balance of S34, 425, 44TAot receipts
nbove expenditures.
This fact, of increasing surplus in the treasury
became the subject of anxious consideration al
very early peTiod of my administration aud Tue
path Of duty in regardto it, seemed TO me obvious
md clear, namely: first, 10 apply the surplus EeSJ
enue to the discharge of the public debt SO lar us
it'coutd judicousiy be done; and secondly 10 de-
vise means for ths ACCOMPLISHMENTS the EeVe-
nue 10 the standard OF the public exee. a,
0fthese objects, the first has been IN the course
Of accomTliS hment, in manner and TO degree
highly satisfactory. The amount 81 The puolc
debt, of Hll classes, was, on the 4th of March,
1858, $50, 100, 037, payments on account OF winch
have been made, since that period, tothe amount
of Sl2, 703, 329, leaving unpaid, and nthe contln-
uous eoutse Of liquidation, the sum Of los
These payments, although made atthe maFketi
price OF the respective classes OF stocks, have been
effected readily, and to the general advantage OF
the treasury, and have al the same time proved OF
signal ability tile relief they have Incidentally
afforded to the money market. and to the inGustri
al and commercial pursuits ofthe country. 90 Z
The second of tue above mentioned OBJECTS
that Of the reduction of the tariff, is OF great m-
portance, and the plan suggested by the Secretary
OF the Treasury, whiehis to Tednce lie, duties on
certain articles, and to add to the free list many
articles now taxed, and especially such as enter
into manufactures, and are not largely, or at all,
produced in the country, is commended to youri
candid and careful consideration. ne'H
You will find iuthe report 'ofthe Secretary of
the Treasury, also, abundant proof oil the entAe
adequacy of the present fiscal system, 10 met all
the requirements OF tlepublic service, aud that,
while properly administered, it operates 10 the nd
vantage of the community in ordinary business re-
lations. az IL A-tSs w 40 '-asA
Respectfully ask your attention to sundry sng-
gestonS of Improvements in the s, Element OF &C
counts, especially MS regards the large sums ont
standing OF urrepIs due to the government, and OF
other reforms in the administrative action of his
department, which are indicated by the Secretary;
as also 10 the progress mate in the construction oil
marine hospitals, custom houses, and OF new
MINT in Cali ornia, an assay Office i12the city of
New York. heretofore provided for by Congress;
and also to the eminently successful progress OF
Const Survey and of the Light house board.
Among tue objects mritiHg your attention. VIII
be important Recommendations from the SecEela-
rieS of War and the Navy. | am fully satisfied
that the navy ofthe United States is moi in n con
lition of strength and etficisncs commensurate
with the magnitude OF our commercial and other
interests; and commend to your especial attention
the suggestions this subject by the Secretary OF
the Navy, t.
1 respectfully submit that The army. which, un-
der our system, must always lie regarded with the
highest interest, is nucleus around which tie
volunteer forces OF The nation gather IN the hour
OF danger, requires augmentation, or modification,
to adapt it to the present extended limits from
tier relations of the country, and the condition oil
the Indian tribes in the interior OF the continents
the necessity of which will appear in. the commu-
nicationS OF the Secretaries OF War and the lnte-
nor. - a., 70. ..Ut sa...... .r.5. .-,f .g-
In the administration ofthe Post Office Depart
meni, for the fiscal year ending lime 80 1893, the
gross expenditure was 81, 1856; and the gross
receipts, during thtiSame PERIOD S5942, TSfi Show
ing that the current revenue failed TO meet The
current expenses Of the department by the sum Of
S2,H42 80. The causes which, under the present
postal system and laws, led inevitably TO this re-
suit and fully explained by the report of the Post
master. General; one great cause Ieng the enor-
nous rates the department has been compelled 10
pay for mail service rendered by railroad conlpa-
IIieS. ra
The exhibit in the report of the Postmaster
General oflhe income and expenditures by mail
steamers win be found peculiarly tereStIng, and
of q character to demand theimmediate acIUn Of
Congress. '7a ''' -
Numerous and fragrant frauds upon the Pension
Bureau have been brought 10 light within the last
year. aud, in some instances, merited punlShments
inflicted; but. unfortunately, others guilty par
ties have escaped, not through the want OF Suttl
cient evidence 10 warrant a conviction, but IN
consequence of the provisions OF limitation in The
existing laws. .-
From the nature Of these claims, the remoteness
OF the tribunals TO pass upon them. and the mode
in which tie proof is, Of necessity, ;uTniShed
temptations 10 crime have been greatly stimulated
Ivy the obvious difficulties OF detection. The de-
fectS i'll The law upon this subject are SO apparent
and so fatal to the ends Of justice, that your early
action relating 1T is most desirable. rH..a H. r
During the last fiscal year, 9,Sl9,4Il acres oil
the public lanes have been surveyed, and 10, $685.
S9I acres brought into market. Within the same
ueriod, the sales by public purchase and private
I'm, tEi ~
military bounty land warrants, 6,142,360 acres
located under ether certificates, ,421 acTesj cedeL
TO tue States swamp lands, 16, 6S4, 253 ncreSi Sc
lected for railroad and other objects, under acts
Of Congress, 1,427,457 acres. q E
To;a amount oil land disposed Of within the ifs
cal year, 25, 34s, 992 scresi which is increase
in quantity sold, and located under lard warrants
and grants, of 1918 acres over the fiscal year
Immediately preceding. The quantity Of lard sold
during the second aud thir quarters OF 1852, was
1874, 45l acres. The amount received therefor,
was SG23, 6sT.g The'quantitysod the second and
third quarters Of the year 1883, was 1,609,9l9
acres; and the amount received therefor, S2,226,
s16. ts.nl H"'a te' as'l,
The whole number Of land warrants issued I'M
der existing laws, prior TO r30rh September last,
was two hundred and sixty -sx thousand and lor-
ty two; Of which there were outstanding, at that
date Sky six thousand nine hundred and forty
seven. The quantIty of land required TO satisfy
these outstanding warrants, is four million seven
hunuTeu NM SeVehly-elShL thousaHuone huhuIeu
and twenty acres; H t. d. q L
.dWarrants have been iSsuedto. SOtlof Septem-
Der last, under tie act Of 11th February, 1917,
calling for twelve million eight hundred and seven
ty.-nine thousand two hundred and eighty aires;
under acts of September %, 1850, and March %,
1852, calling for twe.ve llion FIVE hui dred and
five thous- nd three hundred and sixty acres; max
Ing. total of twenty-five million three hundred
and eiglty-foIr thousand six hundred and forty
acres. ae7ta, ,o. B. 5.-s 5is- st.iy. = ....@-f
lpllt is believed that experience has verified the
wisdom aud justice of the present system with re-
81 tSitp1 i1=SSs pa
tcul1TSsi ssrl7 sftr .Ia.,aLT rTrlET U--EgL-ETf"g
You viii preceiye. from the report of The Secre-
tary of the Interior that opinions, which have Oft
en- been EXPRESSED in relation totlIe operation of
the land system, as not being source of revenue
to tie federal treasury, were erroneous. The net
profits from the sale of the public landst TO June
80, 1858, amounted to the sumof fifty three mil
lion Two hundred and eighty nine thousand four
hm ndred aud sixty fv dollars. - -a- z1ssrer,..
i recommend the extension of the land system