The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1854-12-15

ments on account of the public debt, amount
ed to $5l, ,0lS,249
During the same period, the payments
made in redemption of the public debt in
cludinC interest and premium amounted t.
s24, S36, $50. To the sum total of the receipts
of that year, is to be added balance remain
ing in the Treasury at the commencement
thereof, amounting to S2l, s42, ,s92; and at the
close Of the same year, corresponding bal
ance amounting to 2l,l87,967 of receipt:
above expenditures, also remained in the
Treasury. Although in the opinion of the
Secretary of the Secretary of the Treasury
the receipts of the current fiscal year are moi
likely to equal in amount those of the last
yet they will undoubtedly exceed the amount
of expenditures by at least SIS, 600, 900.
| shall therefore, continue to direct that
the surplus revenue be applied, so far as il
can be indiciously and economically done, tc
the reduction Of the public debt, the amount
of which, at the commencement of the last
fiscal year, was s61, 1,S46, ,62s; of which there
had been paid on the Goth day of November
1854 the sum Of S22, 365, ,l72; leaving a bal
amer of outstanding public debt of only S44,
975,456, redeemable at different periods with
in fourteen years.
There are also remnants of other govern
ment stocks, most of which are already due
on which the interest has ceased, but which
have not yet been presented for payment
amounting to S2SS,l This statement ex
hibits the fact, that the annual income of the
government greatly exceeds the amount Of
its public debt. which latter remains unpaid
only because the time of payment has not
yet matured, and it cannot be discharged at
once, except at the option of public credit.
ors, who prefer to 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 economi-
cal administration Of the Government.
The estimates presented to Congress from
the different Executive Departments, at the
last session, amounted to S3S, ,4O6, ,5Sl; and
the appropriations made, to the sum of $685.
1888. OF this excess of appropriations
over estimates, however, more than twenty
millions was applicable to extraordinary OBJ
jects, having no reference to the usual annual
expenditures. Among these objects was en-
braced ten millions to meet the third article
of the treaty between the United States and
Mexico; so that. in fact. for objects of ordi-
nary expenditure the appropriations were
limited to considerably less than forty mil
lions of dollars. l therefore renew my re
commendation for a reduction of the duties
on imports. The report Of the Secretary of
the Treasury presents 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 q view
to revenue and not protection may now be
regarded as the settled policy of the country,
| trust that little difficulty will be encounter
ed in settling the details of a measure to that
effect.
In connection with this subject, I recon
mend a change in the laws which recent ex-
perience 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 seve-
raj 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 to make false entries in the books, or re-
turn false accounts. In the absence of such
express provision by law, the outgoing Off
GERS. in many instances have claimed and ex-
ercised the right to take into their own pos
session, important books and papers. on the
ground that these were their private proper
ty; and have placed them beyond the reach
of the government. Conduct of this charac-
ter, brought in several instances to the no.
tice of the present Secretary of the Treasury,
naturally awakened his suspicion, and result
ed in the disclosure that at four ports, name
ly, Oswego Toledo. Sandusky and Milwauki,
the treasury had, by false entries, been de-
frauded, within the four years next preced-
ing March, 1858, of the sum of Sl9S, 900.
The great difficulty with which the detec-
ton of these frauds has been attended, in
consequence of the abstraction of books and
papers by the retiring officers, and the facili-
ty with which similar frauds in the public
service may be perpetrated, render the ne
cessty of new legal enactments, in the re-
spects 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 founda-
tion on which the financial security of the
country rests, and of the salutary influence
of the independent treasury system upon
commerce and all monetary operations.
The experience of the last year furnishes
additional reasons | regret to say, of pain
ful character, for the recommendation here
to foremnde, to provide for increasing the
military force employed in the territory in
habited by the Indians. The settlers on the
frontier have suffered much from the incur
sions of predatory bands, and large parties
of emigrants to our Pacific possessions, have
been massacreed with impunity. The recur-
renee 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 it is
only possible to detach troops in small bodies;
and though these have on all occasions, dis
PLAYED gallantry and n stern devotion to
duty, which on a larger field would have com
manded universal admiration, they have usu-
ally suffered severely in these conflicts with
superior numbers and have sometimes been
entirely sacrificed. All the disposable force
of the army is already employed on this SER
wee, and is known to be wholly inadequate
to the protection which should be afforded.
The public mind Of the country has been
recently shocked by savage atrocities com.
mitted upon defenceless emgrants and bor-
der settlements. and hardly less by the un-
necessary destruction Of valuable lives where
inadeauate detachments of troops have un-
dertaken 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 dastrous consequences.
Congress, am sure, will perceive, that the
plainest duties and responsibilities Of Gov
ernment are involved in this question, and ]
doubt not that prompt action may be conf.
IDENTIFY anticipated Wnen usiuy HHusJ oe az
tended 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 enlistments, but in obvious i'm
proyement in the class of men who enter the
service. regret that corresponding consd-
Grafton was not bestowed on the Others who,
in view of their character and services, and
the expenses to which they are necessarily