The Evansville daily journal., 1854-12-07


pleasing formidable foreign power, which,
they presumed To think, looked with com.
placency upon their aggressive and insult
ing department toward the u. States. The
Cyane at length fred upon the town. Be-
fore much injury had been done, the fire was
twice suspended, in order to afford opportu-
nifty for an Arrangement, but this was declin.
ed. Most OF the buildings Of the place, OF
little value generally, were. in the sequel,
destroyed; but, owing to the considerate pre-
cautions taken by our naval commanders
there was no destruction of life.
When the "Cyane" was ordered to Gen.
trai America, it was confidently hoped and
expected that no occasion would arise for "a
resort to violence and destruction Of pro-
perty and loss Of life." Instructions to that
effect were given 10 her commsncer. And
no extreme act would have been requisite
had not the people themselves, by their ex-
traordinary conduct in the affair, frustrated
all the possible mild measures for obtsining
satisfaction. A withdrawal from the place.
the object of his visit entirely defeated,
would, under the circumstances in which the
q commands of the Cyane found himself,
have been absolute abandonment of all
claims Of our citizens for lndemni6cation,
and submissive acquiescence in national in
lawless men a spirit Of insolence and ra-
pine moet dangerous to the lives and proper
. " of our citizens at Punts Arenas, and prob.
ably emboIdened them to grasp ut tae treas
'ures and vauable merchandise continually
passing over the Nicaragua route. II GER
uainly would have been most satisfactory to
me il the objects Of the "Cyane's" mission
could have been consummated without any
act Of public force; bot the arrogant contu.
macy OF the ffenders rendered il i'm possible
TO avoid the alternative, either to break up
their establishment, or to leave them i'm
pressed with the idea that they might perse-
we're with impunity in career o! insolence
. and plunder.
This transaction has been tho subject OF paint
teriled with more Of harshn IS thai ofjustiee If com
parisons were 10 be inst tuted 10 would be difficult
present retes,ea nc IN the nssnry OF states
communities, far less offending defenceIess
than Greytown have been ehasised with much greater
severity, aud where not cities only have been laid In
ruins. human life reckiessy sacrificed and
the blood OF the innocent mace profuse mnse with
that Of the guilty.
Passing from foreign to domestic affairs,
your attention is naturally directed to 6nan-
cial condition Of the country, always a sub
.ject of general interest. For complete and
exact information regarding the finances,
vice connected Herewith, I refer you to the
report Of the secretary of the Treasury
from which il will appear. that the amount
of revenue during the last fiscal year, from
all sources, was seventy three million five
hundred and forty nine thousand seven
hundred and five dollars; and that the public
expenditures for the same period, exclusive
OF PAYMENTS on account of the public debt,
amounted to fly one million eighteen thou
sand two hundred and forty nine dollars.
During the same period, the payments
made in redemption Of the public debt, in.
.uding interest and premium, amounted TO
S24.336 $50. To the sum total of the re.
cripts vi that year is To be added q balance
remaining in the Treasury at the commerce.
ment thereof, amounting to % .9i2 .S92; and
at the close Uf the same year, eorrespond-
ing balance amounting to sac. l37 ,967 of re.
ceipts above expenditures, also remained in
the Treasury. Although, in the opinion ol
The Secretary Of the Treasury, the receipts
of the current fiscal year are not likely to
equal IN amount those of the last, yet they
will undoubtedly exceed the amount Of ex.
penditures by at least Sl5.OO0,0OO.
/ shall, therefore, continue to direct
that the surplus revenue be applied. SO far
as itcan be judiciously and economically
done, to the reduction of the public debt,
the amount of which, at the commence
ment Of the last fiscal year, was S67 $40,
628; Of which there had been paid on the
Goth day of November, 1854, the sum of
$22, ,365, l72: leaving balance of outs
standing public debt Of only S44,975, ,456
redeemable 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 been pre-
sented for payment, amounting to $685..
I79.
This statement exhibits 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 paymeat has not yet matured, and il can
not be discharged at once, except at the op-
sion Of public creditors, who prefer to retain
the securities Of the u. States; and the other
fact, not less striking, that the annual reve-
nue. from all sources exceeds, by many mil
lions Of dollars the amount needed for pru-
dent and economical administration OF the
government.
The estimates presented to Congress fr ON
the different Executive Departments, at the
last session, amounted to $3S, ,406 ,5Sl; and
the appropriations made to the sum vi $685..
ll6.95S. OF this excess Of appropriations
over estimates, however, more than twenty
millions were applicable to extraordinary
objects, having no reference to the usual an.
nual expenditures
Among these objects, was embraced Ten millions Il
the third article the treaty between the United
States and Mexico that, i'm ordna
ryexpenditure, the appropriations :elimted con
sderably less than S4O0uO,o00 therefore renew m,
recon mendation for reduction the dusie, Z inn
ports The report Of the Secretary OF the Treasury pre-