The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-12-14

iscal wear, ending June 80, 1883 amount. d 10
S,o, 93I 500 from customs, an 50 a0a ,70S from
public lands, end other miscellaneous sources,
amounting together to Sol 1886 ,537, while the
public expenditure for the period, cxclu
siye of payments on account Of The public debt
amounted TO 3,554 ,262, leaving balance OF
So 42o, 4i7 of receipts above expenditures.
This fact of increasing surplus i'll the Treas
ury became the subject of anxious cons idera-
tiou at very early period of my administration,
< the path of duty in regard 10 il eeus tom" OBJ
vious * clear, namely, first 10 apply the surplus
revenues to the discharge OF the public BIT, so
far as it could judicously be dcnc, & secondly 10
devise measures for the gradual! reduction ofthc
revenue to the standard OF the public exi.en
ces or these objects, the frs. has en- IN the
course of accomplishment in a manner aud 10
degree highly satisfactory The amount of
public debt of all classes. was, on the dth OF
March, 1853, $50 ,190,03I, pay,"e;t's ON ac-,
count of which have been made since tha' period
to the amrunt of Si2,703.32,. leaving unpaid
and in the continuous course OF liquidation the
sum of $56,iS6,70o.
These payments, althou yh made AT the mark
ct p ica of the respective classes -! s'"cks have
been eifece ed ready,and L" the general advant-
are Of the Treasury, and have at The same
time proved Of signal utility in the relief they
have incidentally afforded TO the money market
Of the country.
You will find in the report of the Secretary
Of the Treasury also, abundant proof of the en-
tire adequacy of the present fiscal system to
meet all the requirements Of thu public service,
and that while properly administered, it operates
to the advantage of the community in ordinary
business relations
| respectfully ask your attention I, snndry
| suggestions of improvement in the s.ttienen'
Of accounts especially, as regards the large
! sums of on Standing accounts due to the gov.
| eminent, and of other reforms ia the ad ,ninis-
| trative action Of his department, VIII ca are in-
dca!ed by the Secretary; also 10 the progress
made in the construction If Marine Hospitals
Custom Houses, and Of a new Mint IN Ca'itor
MA and Assay Offices in the cry of New York
| heretofore provided for BY Congress and a>c
| to the em;nen,ly successful progress Of the
Coast Survey aud of the Lighthouse b nard
Among the objects needing your attention
will be importan, commentators from the s..
cretares of War and Navy. am fully salts
fed that the navy Of the y 8 is not in con
d,ton of strength and efficiency commensurate
with the magnitude OF our commercial aud 9th
er interests. | commend TO your especial atten
ton the suggestions on this subject mld,. b
the Sec'y OF the Navy. | respectfully subm
that at the army, which, under the present stat
must always be regarded with the highest in
terest a nucleus around which, the voluntee
force of the nation gathers in the hour at dan
ger, requires an augmentation aud modification
common surate with the extended limits & fr y
tier therelaiions of the country, Il the ,nditio
| Of its Indian tribes in the interior Of the cont
nent, the necessity of which will appear in III
communication of thcSecrrtaries Of War and
the Interior
In the administration of III" Post Office Dc
i | no Al Ina,
the gross expenditure was 81 ,9S2, 756, aud II
gross receipts during the period were 50
9i2, 734, wing tina, the current revenue tail,
to meet the current expenses of the dept By Il
: sum of $2,042,032.
The causes which, under the present pos,
system, has led inevitably to til Ase results fIl
, explained is the reports of ,heePos mater Genera
= one great cause being the enprm us rates u
Department has been c6mpell'd to pay for Ma
: service rendered by Railroad Companies.
The exhibit in the rep 'rt of the Post Mast
: General OF the incom. and the expenditures
mail steamers, will be found. pcculiarly interes
inp, and of character to demand the inmrdia
> action of Congress. Numerous and fragrant frau
upon the Pension Bureau have been brought
light within the last year il sDme instanc,
merited punishment has been inflicted, but III
fortunately, in others, guilty parties, has escaT
ed, no., through the want nf sufficient eviden
:, to warrant conviction, but in Consequences OF 4
u provisions Of limitation in the eAstin! laws. re-
: the nature of the claims the renIoteness Of Il
q tribunals to pass upon them, and the mode
- which the proofs Of necessity furnished, tenn
y tatlons to crime have ben greatly s'iil
y lated, by the obvious difficulties vt deie
q ton The defects in the law upon this snhje
, are 81 apparent aud SO fatal TO the ends of ju
=" lice, that your early action relating to this
mos. desirable.
D During the last fiscal year. 9,8I9,4ll acres
: the public lands have been surveyed, and Il
&c 003, S9l acres brought into market. Within /
same period The sales by ,ibHc purchases and p
= vac entry amounted t. ! ,OS3, 400 acres. lncat
= under military bounty land warrants, 6142, 3
acres located under other certificates, 8, l27 acr
ceded 10 the states swamp lands, Is 6Si =
acres; selected for railroads and other object
under acts of Congress, ,427 400 acres.
f" Total amount of lands disposed of within t
fiscal year % Sac, 1912 acres, whichis an increa
in the quantity sold and located under land ";
e rants and grants OF 1921 SIS acres 1
y fiscal year Immediately preceding. The qna
. ti,y of land sold -durn- the sscand and th
quarters of 1852, 3;H .45l acres. +
u amount received therefor was SO y O-1. Il
u ouanti,y sold the second and taird quarters
the wear 1853 l,609,9l9 acres, and
amount received therefor 50 ,.226, S76.
i The whole number Of land warrants issue
under existing laws prior In the 30h Of Srptel
| Der last was 266,042, Of which there were ou
standing at that date b6 ,947, The amount
!, land required tn SATISFY the outstanding wa
rants is4, 17S,i2a acres. Warrants have be
:, issued to the Both Sept last, under act of I
, lllh of February, ISlo, calling for 1850 2
acres: under acts of Sept. l5, 1851 amt Mar
r -, 1852 calling for II, 800 1863 acres, making
r. total of 1884 $40 acres.
o It is b .lieved that experience has mod fed I,
. wisdom and Justice of the present system wi
r. regard to the public domain in the most esscl
y tial particulars You will perceive from the r
! port Of the Secretary Of the Interior, tina, Cpl,
g ions which have often been expressed in rel
= ton to the operation of the Land System, as n
n being source of revenue IT, The Federal Urea
o lury, were erroneous The net profits from Il
!, sale Of the Public Lands TO June 30, lSJ
, amounte d TO the sum of S -, 259, 46o.
7 recommend the extension Of the Land Sy
. tenn over the territories of Utah and New Ne
icn, with such notifications as their peculiarti
: may require. Regarding our public domain
chiefly valuable 10 provide homes for the indu
trious and entcrprslng, | am not prepared
] recommend any essential change in the Lar
System, except by m d.fication in favor of Il
; actual settler, and an extension of The pre- en-
ton principle IN certain cases Tor reasons ana
grounds which will be fully developed in II
reports to be laid before Congress, representa-
the propretors 9th territorial domain, and char
ed with power to dispose of territory belonging
f the u. S. it has, for long course Of years, b,
t ginning with the Administration of Mr.. Jeff,'
son exercised the power to construct within Il
) Territories, and there are many and obvio,
distinctions between this exercise of power ar
lat of making roads within the States that Il
former has never been considered subject
i such objections as apply to the latter, al
I . ch may now be considered the settled cor
truction Of the Federal Government upon II
subject. Numerous applications have bee
and no doubr, will continue to be made in aid
the construction Of highways. 1t is not bette,
ed to be within the meaning and intent of Il
/ Consultation that the disposition of public d.
main shou be otherwise, than must be expec
ed from prudent proprietor, and therefore Il
grants of land to aid in the construction OF roa.
should be restricted to cases where it would
tor the interest,", of the proprietors under like ci
cumstances Than to contribute to the constru
ton OF the work. For the practical operation
such grants is thus far in advanc ns the in eres
of the State in which the works are lool,e
and ut the same time the substantial! interests
other States in enhancing the value and prom