Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1854-12-14

pace with the duties properly and preftabiy as
siEned to it in time of peace, and it Is inadequate
for the large field cf its operations, not merely in
the present but still more in the progressively in
creasng exigencies of the wealth and commerce of
the United States. l cordially approve of the
proposed apprentice system for our national YES
sells. recommended by the Secretary of the Navy.
The occurrence. during the last few months, of
marine disasters of the most tragic nature, invov-
ing great loss of human life, has produced intense
emotions of sympathy and sorrow throughout the
! country 1t may be well doubted whether all
/ these calanitous events arc wholly attributable
to the necessary and inevitable dangers of the sea-
| The merchants mariners, and ship-buifdeTs OF the
United States, are, it Is true, unsurpassed IN tar
reaching enterprise, skill intelligence and courage
bv any others in the world. But with the increas-
| ing amount of our commercial tonnage in the ag-
+ eregate and the larger size and improved equip
! ment of the ships now constructed, a deficiency IN
| the supply of reliable seamen begins to be very
| seriously felt. The Inconvenience may, perhaps,
| be met, by due regulation for the introduction,
intoour merchant ships, OF indentured apprentices
which, while it would afford useful and eligible
occupation to numerous Young men, would have a
tendency to raise the charaser of seamen class
And it is deserving of serious reflection, whether
il NAV not be desirable to revise the existing laws
for the maintenance of discipline at sea, upon
which the security of life and property on the
ocean must to Sc great extent depend. Although
| to the proper construction and arrangement Of
steam vessels and all passenger ships, stil it is be-
! lieved that the achievements of science and me
chanical skill in this direction have Lot been ex
| hausted
No good reason exists for the marked distinction,
which appears upon statutes between the laws
for protecting life and property at sea, and those
| for protecting them land. In most Of the
| states severe penalties provided to punish the
conductors of trains, engineers, and Others employ
ed in the transportation OF persons by railway, or
! by steamboats, on rivers. Why should not the
same principle be applied to acts of nsubordina-
ton, cowardice. other acts of misconduct the
part of masters and mariners, producing injury or
! death to passengers the high seas, beyond the
Jurisdiction of any Of the States, and where such
| delinquencies only be reached by the power of
| Congress The WHOLE subject is earnestly COM
| mended to your consideration.
The report Of 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 ex-
penditure of the year ending june 30 1854. in
cuding $133, ,4S3 of balance due to foreign Offices
| amounting to $S,710,90I.
| The gross receipts during the same period,
| amounted to $6,955, $50; exhibiting expendi-
ture over income Of $685. ,321 and diminution
of deficiency, as compared with the last year, of
s361.756
| The increase of the revenue of the department,
for the year ending June 80, 1854, over the pre-
ceedng year, was $970 ,399. No proportionate
increase, however, can be anticipated for the cur
rent year. in consequence of the act of Congress of
June %, 1854, providing for increased conlpen-
sation to all postmasters. From these statements,
it is apparent that the Post Office Department,
instead of defraying its expenses, according to the
design at the time of its creation, is now. and
der existing laws must continue to be, to small
extent, ascharge upon the general treasury.
! The cost of mail transportation, during the year
ending June so, 1854, exceeds the cost of the pre-
| ceeding year by $495,074 / again call your at
tention to the subject of mail transportation by
| ocean steamers, and commend the suggestions of
| the Postmaster General to your early attention.
| During the last fiscal year eleten million sew
| enty thousand nine hundred and thirty-five acres
Of the public lands have been surveyed, and eight
millions one hundred and ninety thousand and sew
en- 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 49. .2S5 533. The aggregate amount
| of land sold under military scrip and land war
| rants selected as swamp lands by States. and by
locating under grants for roads, is upwards of %
600 eco OF acres The increase of lands sold, over
the previous year. is about 6000,0 of acres; and
the sales during the two first quarters of the
! rent year present the extraordinary result of five
and half millions sold, exceeding by nearly four
millions Of acres the sales of the corresponding
quarters of the Hast year. thus increasing to All ex-
| tent unparalleled during any ike period in ouI
past history the amount of revenue provided from
this source for tie Federal Treasury.
The commendabe policy of the government, in
relation to setting apart public domain for those
who have served their country in time of war; is
illustrated by the fact that since 79O no less than
thirty millions of acres have been applied to this
| object.
Tue suggestions which I submitted in my an
nual message Of last year. in reference to grants OF
| land in aid of the construction of railways were
less full and explicit than the magnitude Of the
subject and subsequent Developments would seem
to render proper and desirable On the soundness
of the principle then asserted with regard to the
limitation of the power of Congress, entertain nc
doubt; bat in its application it is not enough that
the value of lands in particular locality may be
| enhanced that, in fact, larger amount of money
may probably be received, in given time for all
alternate sections than could have been realized
for all the sections, without the impulse and in
fiuence Of the proposed Improvements. A prudent
proprietor looks beyond limited sections of his do
main, beyond present results. to the ultimate effect
which particular line Of policy is likely to pro
j duce upon all his possessions and interests. The
| government, which is trustee, in this matter 70,
the people Of the States is bound to take the same
| wise and comprehensive view.
Prior to and during the last session of Congress
upwards of thirty millions of acres of land were
| withdrawn from public sale with view to abpli
cation for grants of this chatacter pending before
| Congress. A careful review OF the whole subject
led to direct that all such orders be abrogated
and the lands restored to market; and Instruction:
were Immediately given to that effect. The ap
pfications at the last session contemplated tht
construction of more than five thousand miles o
road, and grants to the amount of nearly twent,
millions of acres of the public domain. Even ad
hitting the right on the part of Congress to bt
unquestionabe, is it quite clear that the proposed
1voi:lj he T,roduefiye of of,od