Washington telegraph., 1854-12-27
Presidents Message
IcoNTINUED PROM rIRsr p.cr1

upon their aggressive and insulting deno-.
ment towards the United States.
The "Cyane" at length fred upon ,bs
town. Before much injury had been done
the fre was twice suspended. in order n III
ford opportunity for an arrangement but
this was declined Most Of the build;no.
OF the place. Of little value generallv. were
IN the sequel, destroyed. but owing to the
eonsiderate precaution taken by our naval
Commander, there was DO destruction of
life
When the Cyane was ordered to Central
America. it was confidently hoped and ex-
pected that 10 occasion would arise for "a
resort to violence and destruction of proper.
ty ana loss Of life" Instructions to that
effect were given to her commander. And
no extreme act would have been requisite
had the people themselves, by their extra
ordinary conduct in the affair, frustrated all
the possible mild measures for obtaiuipp
satisfaction. A withdrawal from the plaee:
the object Of his visit entirely frustrated
would, under the circumstances In which
the commander Of the Cyane found himself
been an absolute abandonment. Of AL claim Of
our citizens for indemnifcation, and submis-
sive acquiesence in national indignity. IT
would have encouraged in these lawless
men spirit Of insolence and rapine most
dangerous to the lives and property Of our
citizens at Punta Arenas. probably embold-
eneI them to grasp at the treasures and val.
liable merchandise continually passing over
the Nicaragua route 1t certainly would
have been most satisfactory to me if the OBJ
jects Of the Cyane's mission could have been
consummated without any act Of public
force but the arrogant eontumacy Of the
offenders rendered it impossible to avoid the
alternative, either to break up their estab-
lishments, or to leave them impressed with
the idea that they might persevere with i'm
punity in a career Of insolence ana plum
der.
This transaction has been the subject Of
complaint on the part Of some foreign pow
ers. and has been characterized with more
of harshness than justice. If comparisons
were to be instituted. il would not be diff.
cult to present repeated instances in the his
tory Of States, standing in the very front of
civilization, where communities, far less Of
Tending and more defenceless than Grey
town, have been chastised with more sever
ity, and where not only cities have been laid
in ruins, but human life has been recklessly
sacrificed. and the blood Of the innocent
made profusely to mingle with that Of the
guilty
Passing from foreign to domestic affairs.
your attention is naturally directed to the e.
nancial condition Of the country always a
subject Of general interest. For complete
and exact information regarding the fnan-
ces. and the various branches Of the public
service, connected Herewith, refer YOU to
the report Of the Secretary Of the Treasury,
from which 1t viii appear that the amount
Of revenue during the las. fiscal year. from
all sources, was 1853, ,705; and that the
public expenditures for the same period. ez-
elusive Of payments on account Of the pub
lie debt. amounted to S5l.01S.2i9. During
the same period the payments made in re-
demphon of the public debt, including in
terest and premium, amounted to s24 1885,
$50. To the sum total Of the receipts Of
the last year i to be added a balance re-
naming in the Treasury at the commence
ment thereof, amounting to S21 942, ,S92 +;
and al the close of the same year. a cores
ponding balance amounting to S20, 900, l6Iof
receipts above expenditures, also remained
in the Treasury. Although, in the opin-
i'm Of the Secretary Of the Treasury, the
receipts Of the current f-cal year are not
likely 10 equal in amount those Of the last,
vet they VIII undoubtedly exceed the amount
of expenditures by at least $4,000. coo
| shall therefore continue % direct that the
surplus revenue BE- applied. o far a il can
be jnlciyl>ly and economically done. 10
the reduction of the public debt, the amount
of which. at the commencement of the last
fiscal year, was S67 ,3i6 .62S; of which there
had been paid on the 10Th day of Novem-
Der. 1854. the sum Of 81, ,365, liz; leav-
ing balance Of outstanding debt Of only
Si4 ,9T5 456, redeemable at different peri
DDS within IA years. There are also rem
nants of other government stocks. most of
which are already due. and on which the
interest has ceased, but which have not yet
been presented for payment, amounting to
S233, 1T9. This statement exhibits the
fact, that the annual income Of the govern
ment greatly exceeds the amount of its pub
lie debt. which latter remains unpaid, only
because the time of payment has not yet
matured, and it cannot be dischared at once
except at the option Of public creditors. who
prefer to retain the securities of the United
States and the other fact. not less striking,
than the annual revenue from all sources
exceeds. by many millions of dollars. the
amount needed for prudent and economl-
cal administration Of the government.
The estimates presented to Congress from the
different Executive Departments at the last ses-
sion. amounted 10 thirty-eight millions four hum
dred and six thousand five hundred and eighty-one
dollars, and the appropriations made to the sum
of ffty-eight millions hundred AID sixteen
thousand nine hundred and fifty-eight dollars VI