New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-12-05

Total Revenue for the last fiscal yssr.......s7s5s7o5
Expenditure except fr Public Deb........... 5ois.ap
PAYMENTS Oh account Of Public Debt........ 2fN6.SSo
Actual reduction Of the Public Debt....... 9loO,R!
Balance in the Treasury July !. s5j...... 2lsi2'93
Bssnce in the Treasury July 1. ISSi...'''' ol57s''
.Ae,ual amount of ube Debt Nov 90 1884, 81 sT5 as
Estimated current expenditures for this year.. Bl765so
Estimated receipts for this year..'.'..''.' ooo''S"
Leaving large balance in the Treasury, ex-
cept so far as it may be reduced by payments on
account of principal of the Public Debt.
Now we do confidently predict that Messrs.
Pierce and Guthrie will both find Themselves
mistakeD--tbat they do not appreciate the extent
and severity of the commercial revulsion now
upon us-and that the revenue for the three re-
naming quarters of the present fiscal year will
not amount to $42, 5000 nor will that of the
ensuing fiscal year amount to S62, 100000, as the
Secretary Of the Treasury estimates it, Unless
some new California shall be discovered, these
estimates of SlO5, 900, 900 of revenue during the
present quarter and the six quarters succeeding,
will prove from Ten to Twenty Millions too high,
because the country will not be able to pay, nor
even to obtain credit for so mary goods as must
be imported to yield so much Revenue. Will the
TeaOeT note tDlt PItulctiOn
Gen. Pierce proceeds TO recommend reduction
Of the rates of duty now charged on Imports In
so far as this reduction is to be effected by Ju-
dicious extension of The FIRE st wed no. object;
but a reduction Of the present duties on Cloths,
Iron, Hardware, &C., &c, would aggravate the
main evil from which we are no sufferiDg-exces-
siyeimportations-resu in an unbt arabic load
OF mercantile debts. Wedo not believe it possible
even for this Congress to press forward 10 the
road TO ruin which the President indicates as the
path of true National policy.
The Presidents recommendation that penal
ties be provided for defaulting Collectors aud
Other agents of the Treasury who withhold their
books as well Ga their balances on going out OF
Office is very proper and will doubtless be needed.
But why is it that the criminal provisions Of the
"Indepe udeut Treasury" sct never catch one OF
these defaultng, plundenng rascsls!
The President proceeds 10 recommend an In
crease Of both the Army and Navy, which we to-
tally dissent from. The Navy is horribly expens-
i've in proportion to lis efficiency at present. aud
ought not 10 be rendered more costly than it ia.
We DO not need more vessels and more officers,
20 much as more service from those we now have.
We have always officers enough "waiting orders
and ships in ordinary or lyiog idlins IN foreign
hsrbors. We protest against launching out into
new and needless expenditure in such ii mes as
these.
As to the Army, it is not the force needed for
the protectic Of our inland frontiers. The raw
Dutch and Irish recruits who mainly constitute
the rank and file OF our regulars are too clumsy
for Dragons which is the only force of much
service where our force is needed, aud they have
not been trained to expertDess with the ride.
These may serve to garrison block houses, but not
to follow, overtake and abolish band after band of
maraudiDg ssvages. For this work our Texan,
Californian and other inland frontiers should be
divided into military districts or marches, each
under the charge of an efficient military CON-
mandant having but handful OF regulars and
some good officers abou. him, but with authority
to call on the nearest settlements for mounted
volunteers at discretion. Let him select, arm
and drill his men in times of quiet paying them
fairly for their time and arranging sguik so that
at a word, or blaze or cannon-shot they will all
rush to the appointed rendezvous. eager to be led
10 pursuit OF the enemy. Such force would be
worth more than the regulars we now have, aud
need not cost half so much, the men being at
work on their farms or in their shops a. least ten
months in each year.
We object moreover, to the Presidents idea
Of increa,ing the pay Of our Army oficsrs. These
are very hard tmes-the People are in debt and
embarrassed, and there is no money in the Treas
ufy which the Government does not owe aud will
not speedily want Nearly everybody else is on
shcrt allowance and why should Army officers be
paid higher We think they may well be satisfied
with their present rates.
The President tells rs many things with
respect to the Public Lands, yet fails to tell US
how they are being swept of like dew at
shilling or two pes acre under Cobb's Graduation
bill. We trust the Report from the Land Office
will supply this grave deficiency.
The Post Office Department appears to be
doing very we'll ell things considered.
The Presidents suggestions respecting Land
Grants to Railroads are deserving Of grave con-
alteration.
On the whole, this, with all its faults, il
PRETTY good Message, containing 8 fair proportion
of facts TO speculations. 1t will be widely read
with interest and profit.
We have taken some items from the Treasury Report in
order to rrssent com plete view Of the Finances.