New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-12-09

and shin builders Of the Unithd States, are, 1t
is true unsurpassed in ar-reaching enterprise,
skill, intelligence and courage, by any others
in the world. 4Af
In most Of the States severe penalties are
provided to punish conductors of trains, engi-
neers, and others employed in the transporta-
ton of persons by railway, or by steamboats, on |
rivers Why should not the same principle be |
applied to acts of characterization, cowardice,
or other misconduct, on the part of masters and |
mariners, producing injury or death to passen-
gers on the high seas, beyond the Jurisdiction |
Of any Of the States, and where such Delinquent |
eies can be reached only by the power of Con,
gress The whole subject is earnestly COM
mended to your consideration.
And il is deserving of serious reflection, wheth-
er it may not be desirable to revise the existing
laws for the maintenance Of discipline OF sea,
upon which the security Of life and property ON
the ocean must be to so great an extent depend.
Although much attention has already been
given by Congress to the proper construction
and arrangement of steam vessels, and all pas
senger ships still it is believed that the achieve
ments Of science and mechanical skill in this
direction have not been exhausted. No good
reason exists for the marked distinction, which
appears upon our statutes, between the laws
for protecting them on land
The report of the Postmaster General to which you
referred for many interesting details ID relation to this
and rapidly extending branch Of the public SER
vice shows that the expenditure of the year ending June
3d. 1864 including hundred and thirtythree thousand
four hundred and eighty dollars balance due to
to foreign offices amounted to eight millions hun
dred and ten thousand nine hundred and seven dollars
The receipts during the period amounted to six
millions nine and fifty thousand FIVE hundred
and eghty-six dollars exhibiting expenditure
income of million hundred and fftyfve thou
sand three hundred and twentyone dollars and dimin
ution of deficiency, compared with the last year
three hundred Thousand hundred
ffty-sx dollars.
But, with the increasing amount of our COM
mercial tonnage in the aggregate, and the lar
ger size and improved equipment of the ships
now constructed. defciencE in TIM supply Of
reliable seamen, begins to be seriously felt.
The Inconvenience may, perhaps, be met, in
part, by due regulation for the introduction in
| to our merchant ships ofindented apprentenees,
which, while it would afford useful and eligible
occupation to numerous young men, would have
a tendency to raise the character of seamen as
| a class ..ss
The increase of the the department for the
year ending June 80, 1864 the preceding year
nine hundred and seventy thousand heree hundred end
ninety nine dollars No proporonate increase however,
can be for the current year in
ofthe act of Congress of June % 1854 providing for in
creased compensation to all postmasters From these
statements it apparent that the Post Office Department
instead Of defayng its expenses according the design
at the time Of Its creation is now and under existing
laws must be- to no small extent charge upon the gem
4
the year ending June &c. 1854 the the pre-
ceedng year by four hundred aud nnety-ve thousand
and seventy four dollars again call your attention to
the subject Of mail Transportation by and
commend the suggestions of the Postmaster General to
4 your early attention.
| During the last fiscal year eleven millions seventy
thousand nine hundred and thirty five Of the public
lands have been surveyed, and eight million hundred
and ninety thousand and seventeen acres brought
market The number of acres sold is seven million
thirtyhve thousand hundred and thirtyfve and
the amount received therefor nine million two hundred
ep,A h,r,dr
dollars The aggregate amount of lands sold located un
der military scrip and land warrants selected swamp
lands by States and by locating under grants for roads
is upwards Of twentythree millions of acres and the
sales dur the two first quarters Of the current year
the extraordinary result of five and half millions
sold exceeding by nearly four millions Of acres the sales
Of the corresponding quarters of the last year. thus in
oreasing to extent unparalleled during any life period in
past history the of revenue provided from
this for the Federal Treasury The commendable
policy Of the Government in relation to setting apart
public domain for those who have served their country
in time Of is illustrated by the fact that since 1870
no less than thirty millions of acres have been applied to
this object,
The suggestions which submitted in my annual mes
of last year in reference to grants Of land in aid Of
the construction of rlways full and explicit
than the magnitude q the subject an subsequent deye
opments would seem to GENDER proper and desirable Oh
the soundnes Of the principle then asserted with regard
to the limitation of tina power Of Congress entertain
doubt but in its application it is mol enough that the
value Of lands in particular locality muy be enhanced
that in fact. large amounof money may probably be
received, in given Time for alternate sections thar
impulse ond influence of the proposed improvements
prudent proprietor looks beyond limited sections of his do
main beyond present results to the ultimate effect whct
particular line Of pelicy likely 10 produce upon all hi
possessions and interests. The Government which, il
trustee in this matter for the people of the States
bound to take the same wise and comprehensive view
Prior to and during the last session Of Congress- upward
Of hity millions oil acres of land were Withdrawn from
public sale with view applications grants Of thi
character pending before Congress careful review
the whole subject led to direct that all such orders
abrogated and the lands resorted to market and nsrue
dfatal fnt aTn 1ba
cations at the last session contemplated the construction
of than five Thousand miles of road and grants
amount of nearly twenty millions Of acres of the pub
t lie domain,
EVEN admitting the right on the part Of Congress to
unquostionabe Is it quite clear that the proposed grant
would be productive of good and not evil? The deren
proecs confined for the present. to eleven States
this Union and Territory The assigned 70
the grants show that it is proposed to put the work spec
Oily in process Of construction. When reflect tia
since the commencement Of the construction Of railway
IN the United States stimulated they have been by th
large dividends realized from the earlier works tn
great th0roughfsres and between tho most importar
points Of commerce and populations encouraged by Stat
legislation and pressed forward by the amazing energy
private enterprise only seventeen thousand miles hav
been completed in all the States in quarter of century
when the crippled condition of many works CON
menced and prosecuted upon what were deemed to
sound principles and safe calculations when eonten
plate the absorption Of copita withdrawn fro
the ordinary channels of business the extraVagant rate
interest at this moment paid to continue operations
bankruptcies not merely in money but In character
the inevitable effect upon finances generally; can it
ter Is it wise to augment this excess by encouragr
hopes of sudden wealth expected to flow from magnceI
schemes dependent upon the action OF Congress! Do
the spirit which has produced such results need to
stimulated checked Is not the better rule to lea'
all these works to private enterprise regulated an
when expedient aided by the cooperation of States
constructed by private capital the stimuant and Il
check together and furnish salutary restraint again
Speculative schem and extravaganza But it is man
fest that with the most effective guards, there dang
q of going too fast and too fer.
i, We may well 6ause before proposition contemplate
simultaneous movement for the construction ofraroa
which in extenl will equal exclusive of the great Pac
road and all its branches nearly onethrd of the emit
length of sucu works completed in the United STATE
IS and which cannot cost, with equipments less than
If hundred and fifty millions of dollars The dangers like
to result from combinations of interests Of this charact
, | can hardly be over estimated. But independently
these considerations where s the accurate knowleds
r the comprehensive intelligence, which shall discrmina
between the relative claims Of these twentyeight
posed roads, in eleven StaseI and one Territory? Whe
Y will you begin, and where will you end Iso email
these companies to execute their proposed works. it
necessary that the aid of the General Government be
10 mariY given the policy will present problem
prehensve in its bearings and so important to poll
cal and social well being to claim in anticipation
analysis. Entertaining these views wi
satisfaction the experience and action of the lost
sion of Congress- furnishing assurances that the sub
will not fail to elicit careful REORGANIZATION and rig
scrutiny.
1t my intention to present. on this occasion,
. suggestions regarding internal improvements BY
General Government which want OF time at the close
Of the last session prevented my submitting the reu
III to the House Of Representatives, with objections of
IN bill entitled act making appropriations for the
pair preservation and completion OF certain public wo
" heretofore commenced under authority Of law but
space in ths communication already occupied with oil
matter of immediate public exigency constrains me
that subject for special MESSAGE which will