Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-12-13

inv great loss of hrinsn LIE, has prMiuctn intense
emolions Of sy,rpathy and surrow ihronshaut me
countr4 b NAV we'll be duuhied whether all
these calamiiCus events are holly attrlbn'ane 70
She necessary sud inevitable dangers ol the sea. =
Tho merchants, mariners and ship-bnIlders al INC
United Stairs, are, it is true unsurpassed IN lar
reaching enterprise. skill, intelligence and corr
age. by anv tihprs in The world. Eut wl'h me
Increasing amount CT our commercial tonnage In
the aggregate; aud The larger size sA< improved
equipment ut the SHIPS now constructed, deh-
cheney in the supply of relia5se seamen oeg'ns 20
be very seriously fell.
Their convenience may. perhaps. be met. IN
part. BIZ due regnlaEios for ths introduction. into
our merchany ships, Of indenied apprentices;
which, whise it would afford useful and eligible
occupation 10 numerous young men, would have
tendency TO raise the character Of seamen as a
class. And it is deserving Of serious reflection,
whether il may not be desirable to reverse The ex-
isting laws for the maintenance Of discipline at
sea, upon which the security OF lite aud property
on the ocean must 10 SO great an extent depend.
Although much attention has already been gwen
By Congress to the proper construction and ar
ranpement of steam vessels and all passenger
ships. still it is believed that the achievements at
not been exhausted
No good reason exists for the marked dlstinc
ton. which appears upon oUr statues between The
laws for protecting life and property At sea, and
those for protecting them on land In most of The
States severe penalties are provided topunish con-
ductors Of trains. engineers. and others employed
in the transportation OF persons by railway, or By
steamboats, on rivers. Why should not the same
l. -. Ii.,I sttA nF
cowa1dice. or other misconduct on the part Of mas
tiers and mariners. producing injury or death to
passengers on the high seas, beyond the jursdic-
lion O. any of the States, and where such dein-
quencies can be reached only by the power of
Congress The whole subject is earnestly COM
nended to your consideration.
The rep0rt If the Postmaster General, to which
you are referred for many interesting details in
relation To this important and rapidly extending
branch of the public service. shows that the en-
penditure of the year ending June SO, 1854, in
Guiding one hundred and lhirty-th &c thousand
fcnt hundred and eighty three dollars OF balance
due 10 foreign Offices, amounted 10 eight million
seven hundred and len thousand nine hundred and
, seven dollars The gross receipts during the
same period amounted to SIX million nine hundred
and fifty thousand five hundred and eighty six
dollars: exhibiting an expenditure over income oil
one million seven hundred and fity-live thousand
three hundred and twenty-one dollars, and DIM
mutton of deficiency, as compared with the last
year, of iNeee hundred and sixty one thousand
seyoa hundred and 6iiy six duliars
The increase of the revenue Of The department.
for the year ending June 80, 1854. over the pre-
| ceiling year, was nine hundled and seventy thou
sand three hundred and nine'y-nine dollars. No
! propoTtionae increase. however, can be anlclpa-
ted for tho current year, in consequence Of The act
! of Congress Of June %, 1884, providing for in
creased compensation to all pastmasters. From
! these statements il is apparent that the Post Or
flee Department, instead ofdelraying its expenses.
according II the design at the time OF lis creation
! is now. and under existing laws must continue To
! be, to no small extent, charge Spnn the general
| treasury. The cost of II all transportation, during
the year ending Juno so. 1854, exceeds the cost
! Of the nracedng year by four hundred and ninety
| Eve thousand AID seven,y-lour dollars. sgaln
cSll attention 10 The subject Of mail transportation
I BY ocean steamers, and commend the Suggestions
! 4 the Postmaster General to your early attention.
! During the las! fiscal year eleven million sev,n
ty thousand nine hundred and thirty five ares Of
The public lands have heeh surveyed, and eight
million enc hundred and ninety thor-.uo and sew
en.een acres brought into market. The number
OF acres sold is seven million thirty five thousand
seven hundred and thirty five, and the amount re-
ceived therefor nine million two hundred and
eighty five thousand FIVE hundred and !hirty three
dollars The aggregate amount Of lands sold, 10
Gated under military scrip and land warrants, Sc
leced as swamp lands by States, and by locating
under grants for roads, is upwards oftwen'y three
millions of acres.
Increase Of l.nls sold, over the previous year
is about SIX millions of acres and the sales during
tine two first quar- ers of the current year present
the extraordinary result of five and a half millions
sold. exceeding by nearly four millions OF acres
the sales OF the corresponding quarters III the las
year, thus increasing TO an extent unparalleled
during any like periud in our past history tho a
mount of revenue provided fIum this source for the
Federal Treasury.
The commemorate policy Of the government, ir
relation TO setting apart public domain for those
who have served their country in time OF war, Is
illustrated by the fact. that since 1898 no less thar
thirty millions of acres have been applied 10 this
object.
The suggestion, which submitted in my an
nual message of last year, in reference tograns o.
land in aid Of the construction Of railways. were
less full and explicit than the magnitude Of the
subject and subsequent developments would seem
70 render proper aud desirable.
i Of the soundness Of the principle then asserted
with regard to the Limitation OF the power Of Con-
gress. entertain no doubt, but in lis application
II is not enough that the value of lands in par
I iicular locality may be enhanced that in fact.
larger amount Of money may probably be received
in given time for alternate sections, than could
have been realized for all the sections, wihou,
the impulse aud influence Of the proposed i'm
provements. A prudent proprietor looks beyond
limited sections OF his domain beyond present re-
suits, to the ultimate effect which particular line
of pulley is likely to produce upon all his posses
SiOns aud interests
The government, which is trustee, in this mat
ter, for the people Of the States, is bound TO take
the same wise and comprehensive view. Prior
| to and during the last sessiun Ct Congress, up
wards of thirty millions of acres of land with
drawn from public sale with view TO applications
Tor giants OF this character pending before Con
| gress A careful review Of the whole subject led
mo to direct that all such orders be abrogaied. and
the lands restored to market; and Instructions
were Immediately given 10 that effect. The APP
plicatons at the last session contemplated the
.tructun of more than five thousand miles Ofroad
an, rrans To the amount of nearly twenty mil
lion, { acres OF the public domain.
Ever. sdmitiing tho right on The part of Con.
press to b. unquesonable, is it quito clear that
The proposeo grants would be productive of good
ard not evil? The different projects are confined
for the present to eleven States of this Union, and
one Territory. The reasons assigned for the
grants. show that it 10 oroposed to put the works
speedily in process of C. astruciiOn.
| When we reflect, thai since the commencement
/ If the construction of rail- ways, in the United
States. stimulated as they ha e been by the large
div lends realized from the ear er works over the
great thoroughiares. and between The most lmPor
| lant points OF commerce and popu'ilon. encon'
aged by State legislation, and pressed forward BY
! he oD,.,ir,of energy of private entfrIr,Sp only