Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-12-14


tors, who prefer 10 retain the securities of the
United States and the other fact, not less
striking, that the annual revenue from all
sources exceeds. by many millions of dollars,
the amount needed for prudent and econom-
ical administration Ut the Government
The estimates presented to Congress from
| the different Executive Departments, at the
last session, amounted 10 $3S, ,4O6 .58I /; and
| the appropriations made, TO the sum of S5S.-
| ll6,95S. Of this excess Of appropriations
over estimates, however. more than S2O,O
600 was applicable tg extraordinary objects.
having no reference 10 the usual annual ex-
penditures. Among these objects was en-
braced $4,000 ,QolLlaz.leet The third article
| OIL the treaty ocfssccs. the United States and
Mexico, SO that, In fact, for objects of ordi-
nary expenditure, the appropriations were
| limited to considerably less than $40, ,OOO, 900
l therefore renew my recommendation for the
reduction OF duties on imports. The report
OF the Secretary of the Treasury presents a
series OF tables, showing the operation Of the
revenue system for several successive years,
and as the general principle of reduction Of
duties with view 10 revenue, and not prOtec-
tion, may now be regarded as the settled poll
cy OF the country, trust that little difficulty
will be encountered in settling the details Of
measure TO that effect.
In connection with this subject, | recon-
mend change in the laws, which recent ex-
perleHce has shown to be essential to the pro
lection of the government. There is no ex-
| press provision Of law, requiring the records
and papers Of public character, of the sever
al officers of the government, to be left in their
offices for the use Of their successors, nor any
provision declaring it felony on their part 10
make false entries in the books or return
false accounts. In the absence of such ex-
! press provision by law, the outgoing officers,
IN many instances, have claimed and exercised
the right TO take into their own possession
important books and papers, on the ground
that these were their private property and
have pllced them beyond the reach Of the gov
ernment. Conduct of this character, brought
IN several Instances 10 the notice of the pres
ent Secretary of the Treasury, naturally
awakened his suspicion and resulted in the
disclosure that at four ports, namely, Osweg0,
Toledo, Sandusky, and Milwaukee, the Treas
ury had, by false entries, been defrauded,
within the four years next preceding March.
1853, Of the sum Sl9S, 900.
The great difficulty with which the detec-
tion of these frauds has been attended, in con-
sequence of the abstraction of books and pa
pers by the retiring officers, and the facility
with which similar frauds in the public SER
vice may be perpctrated, render the necessity
of new legal enactments, i'll the respects above
referred to, quite obvious. For ether ma
| terial notifications Of the revenue laws
which seems TO me desirable, | refer YOU 10
the report of the Secretary of the Treasury
That report, and the tables which accompany
IT, furnish ample proofs Of the solid tounda.
| tion on which the financial security Of The
country rests, and OF the salutary influence Of
the independent treasury system upon con-
! merce and all monetary operations.
The experience Of the last year furnishes
I additional reasons, | regret 10 say, Of pain
ful character, for the recommendation hereto
fore made, to provide for increasing the mill
tary force employed in the territory inhabited
| by the Indians. The settlers on the frontiers
have suffered much from the incursions Of
predatory bands, and large parties Of emf
| grants to our Pacific possessions have been
massacred with impunity. The recurrence of
such scenes can only be prevented by teaching
these wild tribes the power of. and their re-
sponsibinty 10, the United States. From the
garrisOns of our frontier posts, it is only pos
sible TO detach troops in small bodies and
though these have on all occasions displayed
! gallantry and stern devotion to duty, which
/
versal admiration, they usually suffered Sc
verely il these conflicts with superior num-
bers, and have sometimes been entirely sacri-
| feed
All the disposable force of the army is al
ready employed in this service and is known
to be wholly inadequate 10 the protection
which should be afforded. The public mind
of the country has been recently shocked BY
savage atrocities committed upon defenceess
emigrants and border settlements, and hardly
less by the unnecessary destruction Of valuable
lives, where inadequate detachmens Of troops
have undertaken to furnish the needed aid
| Without increase of the military force these
scenes will be repeated, it is to be feared, On
larger scale, and with more disastrous con-
sequences. Congress-, | am sure, will per-
eeive that the plainest duties and responsible
ties of government are involved in this ques-
tion, and | doubt not that prompt action may
be confidently anticipated when delay must be
attended by such fearful hazards.
The bill of the last session, providing for
an increase Of pay of the rank and file of the
army has hac beneficial results, not onIy in
facilitating enllstments, but in obvious i'm
provement in the class of men who enter the
service. | regret that the corresponding con-
sideration was not bestowed on the officers,
who in view Of their character and services,
and the expense to which they are necessarily
subject, receive at present what is, in my judg
ment, inadequate compensation.
The valuable services constantly rendered
by the Army, and its inestimable Importance,
as the nucleus around which the volunteer
forces of the nation can promptly gather in
the hour of danger, sufficiently attest the wis
dom of maintaining a military peace establish
ment, but the theory of our System and the
wise practice under it, require that any pro-
posed augmentation, Ill time OF peace is only
commensurate with our extended limits and
frontier relations. While scrupulously ad-
herring to this principle, find, in existing cir
cumstances, necessity for increase of our
military force, and it is believed that four new
regiments, two of infantry and two of mounted
men will be sufficient to meet the present ex-
igency If it were necessary carefully to
weigh the cost in case of such urgency, il
would be shown that the additional expense
would be comparatively light.
With the increase Of the numerical force Of
the army, should | think, be combined certain
measures of reform in its organic arrangement
and administration. The present organization
is the result Of partial Legislation often direct
ed to special objects and interests and the
laws regulating rank and command having been
adopted many years ago from the British code,
are not always applicable TO our service. II
is not surprising, therefore, that the system
\ should be deficient in the symmetry and SLIM