Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1856-01-04


capacity TO meet any requisiton, which
their country may make upon them. For
the details of the military operations, the
distribution of the troops. and additional
provisions required By the military service,
| refer to the report of the Secretary of
War and the accompanying documents.
Experience, gathered from events which
have transpIrei since my last annual Ines
sage, has but served 10 confirm the opinion
then expressed of the propriety of making
provision, by 4 retired list, for disabled Of
ticers, and for increased compensation to
the officers retained on the list for active
duty. All the reasons which existed.
when these measures were recommended
on former occasions. continue without mod
lhcatIon, except ~ far rs circumstances
have given to some ofthem additional force
The recommendations, heretofore made
for partial reorganization of the army,
are also renewed The thorough clement
airy education given TO those officers. who
commence their service with the grade of
cadet, qualified them, TO q certain extent,
~ ptIIbIll AZ lil' uulltS VI 'NtlN III III vi Inv
service but /. give the highest efficiency
to artillery requires the practice and spec
ial study of many wears and it is not,
therefore. believed 10 be advisable to main
tain, in time of peace, larger force of that
arm than can be usually employed in the
duties appertaning to the service of field
and Siege artillery The duties of the
staff in all it, various branches belong to
the movement of troops. and the efficiency
of an army in the field would materially
depend upon the ability with which those
duties are discharged. 1t is not, as in the
case of the artillery, 4 speciality, but re-
quireS a!so, an intimate knowledge of the
duties OF an officer Of the line, and it is
not doubted that, 10 complete the eluca-
ton Of an officer for either the line or the
general staff, it Is desirable that he shall
have served in both With this view. it
was recommended 0u a former occasion
that the duties of the staff should be main
" performed by details from the line; and
with conviction of the advantages which
would result from such change it is again
presented for the consideration of Congress.
NAVY.
The report of the Secretary of the Navy,
herewith submitted, exhibits in full the
naval operations of the past year, together
with the present condition Of the service,
and it makes suggestions Of further legisla-
tiun. to which Your attention is invited.
The construction of the six steam frig-
ates. for which appropriations were made
BY the last Congress. has proceeded in the
most satisfactory manner, and with such
expedition, a. to warrant the belief that
they will be ready for service earl Y in the
coming spring. Important as this addi
tion to our naval force Is, it still remains
Inadequate to the contingent exigencies OF
the protection of the extensive sea coastand
vast commercial interests of the United
States. In view of this fact and of the ac-
knowledged wisdom of the policy of a
gradual and systematic increase Of the ma
w, an appropriation is recommended for
the construction of six steam sloops s-of-war.
In regard TO the steps taken in execu-
tion of the act of Congress to promote the
efficiency Of the navy, ii is unnecessary for
me to say more than to express entire con-
currence in the observations on that sub
ject presented by the Secretary in his re-
port.
POST OFFICE.
1t will be perceived. by the report of the
Postmaster General, that the gross expen-
diture Of the department for the last fiscal
year was nine million nine hundred and
sixtv-eight thousand three hundred and
fortv-two dollars. and the gross receipts
seven million three hundred and forty-two
thousand one hundred and thiry-six dol
lars. making an excess ofexpenditure over
receipts Of two million six hundred and
twentv-six thousand two hundred and six
dollars and that the cost of mail trans
portation during that year was SIX hundred
and seventv-four thousand nine hundred
and ffty-twO dollars greater than the pre-
vious year. Much of the heavy expendi-
lures. to which the Treasury is thus sub
iected. is to be ascribcd to the large guam
titv Of printed matter conveyed By the
mails, either franked, or liable to no pos
tage compared with that charged on let
ters and to the great cost of mail service
on railroads and by ocean steamers The
suggestions of the Postmaster General on
the subject deserve the consideration of
Congress.
INTERIOR.
The report of the Secretary Of the Inte-
rior will engage your attention, as well for
useful suggestions it contains, as for the
interest and Importance of the subjects to
which they refer.
The aggregate amount Of public land
sold during the last fiscal year, located
with military scrip or land-warrants, taken
up under grants for roads, and selected as
swamp lands by the States, is twenty-four
million five hundred and fifty-seven thou
sand four hundred and nine acres; of
which the portion sold was fifteen million
seven hundred and twenty-nine thousand
five hundred and twenty-four acres, yield
ing in receipts the sum of eleven million
four hundred and eighty-fve thousand
three hundred and eighty dollars. In the
same period of time, eight million seven
hundred and twenty-three thousand eight
hundred and ffty-four acres have been
surveyed but, in consideration of the guam