The true Democrat., 1854-12-20

amounted to twenty-four million three hundred and thirty six thousand three-hundred and eighty dollars To the sum total of the re- oelptS of last year is to be added balance remaining in the Treasury at the commence ment thereof, amounting to twenty-one million nine hundred and forty two thousand eight hun dred and ninety two dollars; and at the close of the same year, a corresponding balance amounting to twenty millions one hundred and sixty seven dollars of receipts above expendi- lures, also remainedm the Treasury Although. in the opinion of the Secretary of the Treasury. the receipts of the current fiscal year are not likely to equal in amount those of the last. vet they will undoubtedly exceed the amount of expenditures by at least fifteen millions of dol lars
 shall, therefore, continue to direct that the surplus revenue be applied, so far as it can be Judlclously and economically done, to the reduc- ton of the public debt the amount of which at the commencement of the last fiscal year, was slxty-seVen million three hundred and forty thousand SIX hundred and twenty eight dollars, ol winch there had been paid on the 2Oth day of November, 1854, the sum of twenuy-two million three hundred and sixty-fve thousand one hundred and seventy-two dollars; leaving balance of outstanding debt of only torty-four million nine hundred and seventy-fve thousand four hundred and fifty-six dollars, redeemabe at different periods within fourteen years.- There are also remnants 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, amount ing to two hundred and thirty three thousand, one hundred and seventy-nine dollars This statement exhibits the fact, that the annual in- of IL. amount of its public debt, which latter remains unpaid only because the time of payment had not yet matured, and 1t cannot be discharged 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 that the annnal revenue from all sources exceeds, by many millions of dollars, the amount needed for prudent and economical administration of the government.
 The estimate presented to Congress from the different Executive Departments at the last session, amounted to thirty-eight million four hundred and six thousand five hundred and eighty-one dollars and the appropriations made to the sum of fifty eight million one hundred and sixteen thousand nine hundred and fftv- eight dollars. Of this excess of appropriations over estimates, however, more than twenty millions was applicable to extraordinary objects, having no reference to the usual annual expen- dltures. Among these objects, was embraced ten millions to meet the third article of the trea- ty between the United States and Mexico: so that ln fact, for objects of ordinary eXpendi- ture, the appropriations were limited to consi- derably less than forty millions of dollars therefore, renew my recommendation for re- ducton on imports. The report of the Secre- tary of the Treasury presents a series of tables showing the operation of the revenue system TOT several successive years, and as the general prlnclple of reduction of duties, with view to revenue and protection may now be regarded as the settled policy of the country, 1 trust that little difficulty will be encountered in settling the details of measure to that effect
 In connection with this subject, l recommend a change in the laws, which recent experience has shown to be essential to the protection of the government. There is no express proyi. sion of public character, requiring the books and papers of the several officers of the go- vernment, to be left in their offices for the use of their successors, nor any provision declaring 1t felony on their part to make ! alse entries in the books, or return false accounts. In the absence of such express provisions 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; thus having placed them be- yond the reach of the government. Conduct of thls character, brought in several instance to the notice of the present Secretary of the Trea- sury, naturally awakened his suspicion and re- suited in the disclosure that at four ports. namely, Oswego, Toledo, Sandusky, and Mil waukle, the Treasury has, by false entries been defrauded, within the four years next preced- ing March, 1853, of the sum of one hundred and nnetyeight thousand dollars. The great difficulty with which the detection of these frauds has been attended in consequence of the abstraction of books and papers by the retiring ofhcers, and the facility with which similar frauds Tn the public service may be perpetrat- ed, render the necessity of new legal enact ments in the respects above referred to, quite obvious. For other material modification 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 1t, furnish ample proof of the sohd foundation on which the financial security of the country rests and of the sautary inhn- ence Of the independent treasury system upon commerce and all monetary operations
 The experience of the last year furnishes iN""Otio, iCSlc1 tO Ad}, Ol d pdllllut character, for the recommendation heretofore made, to provide for increasing the military force employed in the territory inhabited by the Indians. The settlers on the frontier have suf tered much from the invasion of predatory bands, and large parties of emigrants to our Pacific possessions have been massacred with mpunity. 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 garrison of our from tier posts, it is only possible to dctach troops in small bodies, and though these have on ali oc casions displayed gallantry and stern de- votlon to duty; which on a larger field would have commanded universal admiration. they have usually suffered severely in these conflicts with superior numbers, and have sometimes been entirely sacrificed
 All the disposable force of the army is al. ready employed on this service and is known to be wholly in adequate to the protection which should be afforded The public mind of the country has been recently shocked by sa- wage atrocities committed upon defenceless elni- grants and border settlements, and hardly less by the unnecessary destruction of valuable Inxr.nr