The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1854-12-13

Ill TIC supply vi Iendple SedIuen begins
: be very seriously felt. The Inconvenience
may, perhaps, be met, in part, by due regr
lation for the introduction, into our mel
chant ships, of apprentices; while it woul'
afford useful and eligible occupation t
numerous young men, and would have
tendency to raise the character of seamel
as class. And it is deserving of serious re
Election, whether it may not be desirable I,
revise the existing laws for the maintenance,
OF discipline at sea, upon which the secur:t,
OF life and property on the ocean must t.
SO great an extent depend
Although much attention has alrcad,
been given by Congress to the proper
construction and arrangement of steam
vessels and all passenger ships, still il
is believed that the achievements of sci
ence and mechanical skill in this direc-
ton have not been exhausted. No good
reason exists for the marked distinction
which appears upon our statutes be-
tween the laws for protecting life and
property at sea, and those for protect
ing them on land. In most of the States
severe penalties are provided to punish
conductors of trains, engineers, and
others employed in the transportation OF
persons by railway, or by steamboats,
on rivers. Why should not the same
principle be applied to acts of insubor-
dination, cowardice or other misconduct
on the part Of masters and mariners,
producing injury or death to passengers
on the high seas, beyond the jurisdic-
ton of any of the States, and where
such dclinquencies can be reached only
by the power of Congress? The whole
subject is earnestly commended to your
consideration.
The report of the Postmaster General.
to which you are referred for many interest
ing details in relation to this important and
rapidly extending branch Of the public ser
vice, shows that the expenditure of the year
ending June 30, 1854, including one hur.
dred and thirty-three thousand four hun
dred and eiyhtythrce dollars of balance due
to foreign Offices, a mounted to eight million
seven hu.d Ell and ten thousand nine hun
drcd and seven dollars. The gross receipts
during the same period amounted to six
million nine hundred and fifty-live thousand
five hundred and eighty-six dollars; exhibit
ing an eXpediture over income Of one mil
lion seven hundred and tifty-fvc thousand
three hundred and twcnty-one dollars, and
diminution Of deficiency, as compared with
the last year of three hundred and sixty
one thousand seven hundred and iifty-six
dollars
Nho IF IF fln H. a
ment, for the year ending June 80, 1854,
over the preceding year, WAS nine hundred
and seventy thousand, three hundred and
nincty-nine dollars. No proportonate in
crease, however, can be anticipated for the
current year, in consequence OF the act Of
Congress OF June %, 1854, providing for
increased compensation to all postma>ters
From these statements, it is apparent that
the Post Office Department, instead Of de-
iraying its expenses, according to the de
sign at the time of its creation, is now, and
under existing laws must continue to be, to
no small extent, charge upon the general
treasury. The cost Of mail transportationS,
during the year ending June 80, 1851, cx-
cecds the cost Of the preceding year by
four hundred and ninety-liyc thousand and
seventy-four dollars. again call your at
tenton to the subject of mail transportation
by ocean steamers, and commend the sug-
gestions of the Postmaster General to your
early attention.
During the fiscal year, eleven million seven
ty thousand nine hundred and thrty-tive acres
of the public lands have been surveyed, and
eight millions one hundred and ninety thousand
and seventeen acres brought into market The
number of acres sold is seven million thirty-tivs
thousand seven hundred and thirty-fve, and tbs
amount received therefor, nine million two
hundred and cighty-fve thousand five hundred
and thirty-three dollars The aggregate
amount of lands sold, located under military
scrip and land warrants, selected as swamp
lands by States; and by locating under grant>
for roads, is upwards OF twcnty-three millions
of acres. The increase of lands sold, over the
previous year is about six millions of acres
and the sales during the first quarters of the
current year presents the extraordinary result
of five and a half millions SOLD, exceeding by
nearly four millions of acres of the sales of the
corresponding quarters of the last year, thus
increasing to an extenTunparacled during any
like period in our past history, the amount o.
revenue provided from this source for the Fed
eral Treasury.
The commendable policy of the gov
eminent, in setting apart public domain
for those who have served their country
in time of war, is illustrated by the fact
that since 1890 no less than thirty mil
lions of acres have been applied to this
object.
The suggestions which l submitted in
my annual message of last year, in ref:
erence to grants of land in aid of the
construction of railways, were less full
and explicit than the magnitude of the
subject and subsequent development:
would seem to render proper and desir
] able. OF the soundness of the nrinci