Demoine courier., 1854-12-21


nue. system for several successive years,
and as the general principle of reduction
of duties with view to revenue and no,
protection may now be regarded as the
settled policy Of the country, trust that
little difficulty will be encountered in
settling the details OF measure to tina,
effect.
In connexion with this subject, rec.
ommend a change in the laws, which re-
cert experience has shown to be essen.
tial to the protection of the Government.
There isno express provision of law
requiring the records and papers of a
public character, OF the several officers
OF the Government, TO be left in their
Offices for the use Of their successors,
nor any provision declaring j, felony on
their par, 10 make false entries in the
books, or return false accounts. In the
absence Of such express provision by
law. the outgoing officers, in many in
stances. 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 nave placed them beyond
the reach OF the Government. Conduct
of this character, brought in several in
stances 10 the notice of the presen, Sec
rotary Of the Treasury, naturally ava
kened his suspicion and resulted in the
disclosure that at four ports, namely
Oswego, Toledo, Sandnsky, and Mil
waukie, the Treasury had, by false en-
tries, been defrauded, within the four
years next proceeding March, $50, Of the
sum of one hundred ninety eight thous-
and dollars.
The great difficulty with which the
detection OF these frauds has been atten-
ded. in consequence of the abstraction
of books and papers by the retiring Off
GERS, and the facility with which similar
Frauds in the public service may be
perpetrated, render the necessity of ne W
legal enactmen,s. in the respect above
referred to, quite obvious. For other
material notifications Of The revenue
laws which seem to me desirable, refer
you to the report of the Secretary of the
Treasury. That report, and the tables
which accompany it, furnish ample
proofs of the solid foundation on which
the financial security of the country
rests, and Of the salutary influence Of
the Independent. treasury system upon
comm. cree and oil monetary operations.
The experience of the last year fur
nIshes additional reasons, regret to say.
OF painful character, for the recon-
mendasioE, heretofore made, to provide
for increasing the military force employ
ed in the territory inhabited by the In
dians. The settlers on the frontier have
suffered much from the incursions of
predatory bands, and large bodies of
emigranis 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 responsibility TO-,
the United States. From the garrisons
Of our frontier posts, il is only possible
10 detach troops in small bodies; and
though these have on all occasions
display ed Il gallantry, and stern devotion
to duty. which on larger field would
have commanded universal admiration,
they have usually suffered severely in
these conflicts with superior numbers,
and have sometimes been entirely sac
ri6ced.
All the disposable force OF the army
is already employed in this service, and
is known to be wholly inadequate to the
protection which shonld be afforded -
The public mind Of the country has been
recently shocked by savage atrocities
committed upon defenceless emigrants
and border settlements, and hardly less
by the unnecessary destruction Of valuable
lives, where inadequate detachments OF
troops have undertaken to furnish the
needed aid. Without increase Of the
military force, these scenes will be re
peated, it is to be feared, on larger
scale, and with more disastrous conse.
quences. Congress, ] am sure will per-
ceive tina, the plainest duties and respon-
siblities of government are involved in
this question, 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 the pay Of the rank
and file of the army, has had beneficial
results, not only in facilitating enlist
mems. but in obvious impi ovement in
the class of men who enter the service.
| regret that corresponding consideration
was not bestowed on the officers, who,
10 view of their character and services,
and the expenses 10 which they are nec-
essarily subject, receive a, present what
is, in my judgment, inadequate compen-
sation.
The valuable services constantly rem.
dered 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 wisdom of main.
tanning military peace establishment;
but the theory of our system and the
wise practice under il require that any
proposed augmentation, in time Of peace,
be only commensurate with our extend.
ed limits and frontier relations. While
scrupulously ahhering to this principle,
| GnI aU;sS;un 1noa M