The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1854-12-14

Treasury exhibits the fact that the annu.
al income Of the government greatly ex-
>eeds the amount Of it's public debt, which
latter remains unpaid, only because the
time Of payment has not matured, and it
cannot be discharged at once, except at
the option of public creditors, who pre-
fer TO retain the securities Of the Cuited
States; and the other fact not less strik-
ing, that the annual revenue from all
sources, exceeds, by many millions OF dol
lars, the amount needed for a prudent
and economical administration CT the gov
ernment
The estimates presented to Congress
from the different executive departments,
at the last session, amounted to $SS,-
4O6, ,5Sl, and the appropriations made TO
the sum of S5s, ,ll6, 6,95s. Of this excess
Of appropriations over estimates, however,
more than $40, ,0O0, ,00G was applicable to
extraordinary objects, having TO refer
erce to the usual annual expenditures
Among these objects was embraced Sl0,-
0O0,00 to meet the third article of the
treaty between the United States and
Mexico; SO that, in fact, for objects of or
dinary expenditure the appropriations were
limited to considerably less than S40,-
000,000. | therefore renew my recon-
mend alton for reduction Of the duty on
imports,
The report of the Secretary Of the
Treasury presents a series of tables show
ing the operation of the revenue system
for several successive years; and as the
general principle of reduction of duties
with view to revenue and not protection,
may now be regarded as the settled pol
icy Of the country, trust that little diff
6culty will be encountered in settling the
details of measure to that effect,
In connection with this subject, I rec
ommend change in the laws, which re-
cent experience has shown to be essen
tial to the protection of the government
There is no express provision Of law, re-
quiring the records and papers Of pub
lie character, of the several officers of the
government, TO be left in their Offices for
the use of their successors, nor any pro-
visions declaring it felony on their part
to make false entries "a, II l,.ocE- or re
arm false accounts. In the absence Of
such express provision by law, the out
going officers, in many Instances, have
claimed and exercised the right to take
into their possession, important books
and papers, on the ground that these were
their private property; and have placed
them beyond the reach Of the govern
melt. Conduct Of this character, brought
in several instances to the notice Of the
present Secretary OF the Treasury, natu-
rally awakened his suspicion, and result
ed in the disclosure that at four ports,
namely, Oswego, Toledo, Sandusky, aud
Milwaukee: the treasury had, By false en-
tries been defrauded. within the four
years next preceding March, 1853, Of the
sum Of one hundred and Dinety-eigbt
thousand dollars. The great diifclty with
which the detection of these frauds has
been attended,in consequence of the ab-
straction Of books and papers by the re-
firing officers, and the facility with which
similar frauds in tbe pablic service may
Ge perpetrated, render the necessity OF
newIegal enactments, in :bc respect above
referred to, quite obvious.
For other material notifications of the
reveuue laws which seem to me desirable,
| refer you to the report of the Secreta-
~ Of the Treasury. That report, and
the tables which accompany it, furnish
ample proofs of the solid fonndotiou Oh
which the financial security of tee coun-
try rests, and Of the salutary influence OF
the independent treasury systemn upon
commerce and all monetary operations.
The experience Of the last year furnish
es additional reasons, I regret to say, of
a painful character, for the recommends
tion heretofore made, to provide for in
crcasing the military force employed in
the territory inhabited by the Indians
The settlers on the frontier have suffered
much from the incursions of predatory
bands, and large parties Of emigrants to
our Pacific possessions have been massa-
cred with impunity. The recurrence Of
such scenes can only be pueyented by
teaching these wild tribes the power OF,
and their responsibility to, the United
States.
From the garrisons of our frontier posts,
it is only possible to detach troops in
small bodies: and though these have Oh
all occasions displayed gallantry and
stern devotion TO duty, which on larger
field would have commanded universal
they have usually suffered
severly in these conflicts with superior
numbers, and have sometimes been entire
ly sacrificed. All the disposable force Of
the army is already employed on this
service, and is known to be wholly mad
equate to the protection which should be
afforded
The public mind Of the country has been
recently shocked by the savage atrocities
committed upon defenceless emigrants and
border settlements, and hardly less by
The unnecessary destruction of valuable |
lives, where in adequate detacbments 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 q LARGER scale and with more