Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1853-12-16
VOL. VINO. 90.

> $l4 632 l33. -,
The PUBLIC qsvas-o fo- tho Il cal year ending Jun,
80 1858, to $5S 93l s65 from Cuseuis, an,
S2405 70S from Public lands and other miscsllaneou
sources amounting togcthar to SCI 337 574; while tho
pablo expenditures for the sams period, exclusive oi
ayments account of the pubic debt, unted t.
s43,5j4 262, leaving bglGlce Of $32 ,425 447 Of ~
ceipts above expenditures.
Ihs fact of increasing surplus in the Treasury, be-
came sui ject of snxens consideration at very
iy period ct my notwithstanding and the path of duty
IN reeazd 10 it seems TO me obvious and clear, viz
ft 20 apply The surI lus to the discharge Ct
the Publ; Dsbt, go far as il coald udciousy be done,
and secondly TO devise means for the gradual rscuc.
ducon OF the revenue to tho standard Of th3 public
( ex geEc1s.
Of heie object, the first has been In the curse uf
accJop!ishms1t, IN a manner and to degree highly
st c, ~. The amount OF the public debt Of all
classes, was, on the 4h OF March, 1858, $50 l90,-
| 037; payments accoant of which have been made,
since that period, 10 the amount Of l2 703 1929, leav
ing unpail, and in the continuous of quida-
ticn, the sum f S56 4S6,70S. Tacse payments, al
though made az the market price of the respec i've
cases OF stocks lave beca oHscted readily, and to
the general advantage sf the Teasury, and have at
the time proved Of slgr utility IN the relief
tsey have incidentally al ed 10 the moaey market
and to the industrial commercial pursuits Of the
country.
The second of the above mentioned objects, that of
the Tariff is Of great Importance, aud the plan sug
sted BY the Secretary CT tie Treasury, which ID to
reduce the duties certain articles, and add to the
free lists many articles now taxed, and esp cally
such as enter IN manufactures, and not largely il
at al, produced ia the country, is comnendsa your
candid and careful consideration.
You viii ind in the Report Of the Secretary Of the
Treasury also, atuEdan proof of the entire adequacy
sf the present fiscal STEM all the reqaire-
ments of the public service, and that while properly
administered IL operates 10 the advantage Of the
muuitj in ordinary 5usines, relations
respectfully ask your attention to sundry suggss-
ons OF Improvements ia the sattemeEt Of accounts,
especially "a regards the large of outstanding
arrears due % the Government and CT other reforms
ia the adm nssI ative action OF this department
which are indicated by the Secretary; also to the
progress mad: in the construction of Marine Hospitals,
Custom Houses, and Of new Mint in California and
Assay Oaics in the City Of New York. heretofore pro-
vidcd for by Congress; and also to the eminonly sue
cesstu pr gteSs or the Coast Survey and Of the Light
House u ari.
Among the objects meiiting your attention will be
important recommendations from tie Secretaries OF
War and Navy. l am fully satisf;i that the Navy
OF the Unitsd States Is not N ndtion OF treE 9Th
and efficiency Commensurate With Tie magnitude Of
your commercial and ether INTEREST," aEd commend to
your especial attention the suggestions this suijec,
made by the Secretary Of the Navy. | respect uily
submis that tie Army, which, under car sys.em,
must always be regarded with the highest interest,
nsucleus around which the volunteer forces Of the
naticn gather IN the hour of danger, requires aug
men.aion, or mobilization to adapt il to the pre-
sent extended mts and frontier relations of tie cum
try, and the condition OF the Indian tribes IN the nte
rior OF the continent; the necessity of which will ap-
pear in the communications Of the crctareg Of War
and the Interior.
In the administration of the Post OH e d plrtnont
Tor tbs focal year edng June 80, 1858, the gross
pcnditure nilios nine hundred aud eighty
TWO houana seven Euadrei and fifty six dollars and
tho gross rcceipts, during the same period five millions
nine hundred and torty-two Thousand seven hundred
and thry four dollars; showing that the current rev.
enae failed 10 mee the expenses of the depart
meut by the sacl OF two million forytwo Thousand
and thirtytwJ GUlaTs. The causes wlich, under the
present postal system ard laws, led inevitably to his
result, fully explained By the port Of the Post
master General; one great cause beiy the US
rates the department has hoen compelled to pay for
mail services renioro by Railroad Companies.
The exhibit IL the Report OF the Postmaster G.ner
al Il ths ire ard expenditures by mail steamers
viii be foUc6 peculiarly interesting, and Of chaysc-
ter to dma1d the immediate action Of Congress.
NgmerCuI aud haErant frauds upon the Pension
Bureau savc bsca brought to light within the past
year, and, in iEstance' mcGited punishment in
h,ctet but, unfortunately, ia Others guilty parties
have escaped not thronga the want Of sufficient evi.
dence 10 warrant . conviction, but in nsoquerc cf
the provisions of limitation in the existing laws.
From the nature Cf thesi claims, the reRoteuess of
The tribunals to pass upon them, and the mode in
which the pr9ef is, If necessity furnished, tenpta-
tioas to crime have been grsay stimulated by the OBJ
vous difficulties Of dstCc ion Ths defects in tha Law
upon this subj arc 50 apparent, and fatal to the
ends Of tsos, aat yeur early acton relating to it Is
the most desirable.
D1Tirg TIE last iscal year, nice niion, eight hur-
dred and nineteen Thousand, four hundred and eleven
ceres Of public lands have been surveyed; and ten
million thres huadrej azd six:ythrse thousand eight
hundred and Einsty-ons acres brought into market
Within the period the sass by puslic purchase
and private entry amaUats1 10 one million eighty
three Thousand four huadrei and ninety five acres
located updcr military bounty land warrants six mil
lion one hundred and rty-tTo thousand three Eun-
rel aad sixty acres located uader other certificates
nine Thousand FOUR hundred and twenty-saven ac.es
cedsd to the State mp lands, sixteen million six
hundred AMI eighty-fcur tbousaLd two hundred and
fifty acres selected for railroad and other OBJ
jee under of Congress, enc million four hundred
and twenty-Seven thousant four hundred and fifty-
seven acres. Total am uot GLANDS dsp ssd of with
in ths fiscal year, twenty-five million three hunded
ard fortysix thousand nine hu.dsed and ninety-two
aoresNhich increase il quantity sold and located
undar lard warrants and grants, Of twelve nil
lion two hundred and thirty-oas ;Aousapd and eight
hun 4red and eighteen acres the fiscal ar imme-
5iately pressing The qIantity of land sold during
ho nd aud third quarters Of 1852 was three hnn-
ired and tliry thousaEd four huadred and fifty
one acres. The Gnount Ieeg ivel therefor was SIX
hundred AID tWsnty-thIeo thjnsaud six hundred ard
snd third qIarters Of ths year 1858, one million
tx hundred and nine thousand nine huudreS aad
nineteen acres and the amuat received therefor two
million two hundred and twenty-six thousand ef,ht
hundred and seFenty-six dollars.
TIE whole Iumb.r of land warrants isssed under
3xs ing laws prior to TIE 30h of September last was
wo hundred ami sixty six thousand aud for y-two; Of
which there were outstanding, at that da:s sixsysx
ty Of land required 3satisfy these outstanding war
an.s is feur million hundred and seyantyeight
thousand ore hundred end twenty acres.
Wsrrants havs been issced to 30sh September last
laier the set Of 1l.h february, lS47 calling for
welre lgion Gig huadrea and seventy nine thos nd
wo huairsd and eighty acres; under acts OF September
49, 1850, and March D. 1852, calling for twelve mil
son Eve hundred ard five thousand three hundred ard
sky aetcs-inaSng total OF twenty-five milii. n
kree hundred and eighty. four thousand ak hundred
lnd iory acres. Ii IS believed tEat experience has
5erEed the wisdom and usic, Of the present system,
With 70 gati TO the pue,ic domain, in essential
particulars.
You will perceive, from lhc report Of the Secretary
II the Interior, that opinions, which have often besn
essed IN relation to the operation OF the land sys-
en- as not being source ot EeFsnus 10 tho ieral
Treasury, ware srro1toas. Tae net PROFITS from the
ale Of ire pubic lands TO June 80, 1855 amounted to
hs sun Of fisty-hrae million two hanAr,d aud eighty
..ne tsonsard four huadred and sixt ydvs dollars.
recommend tho exten sion ns ths land system over
n, Ter tories Of Utah and New Mexico, with saeh
aod ihcatons as their peeularsies may require.
Regarding eur plblic doTuaia chiefly valuable to
provide homes for the inda tfous and entsrprising
IN not prepare1 TO recl,eu3 any essential change in
hs lsn yite, exseps by moifeatons in favor OF the
actual settler and al estesion OF the prsenpton yIn-
cipe in certain csss for aud grounds which
will fully developed in reports 70 bslaid before ylu.
Congress fepresentins tae proprietors o the terri
;orial domain, and charged especially with power to
dispose OF territory ts!Osging 10 ths Uaied Statee
has for long course OF years, beginning With tho adv
nlaisrstion Of M j sfsrson, exJcssd the power to
construct roads within ths Ierrorie; and ihsre are