The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1856-12-12

iOr suCH rcuuctlOIi ~ iiupcrutNc, unu az
" urge 1t upon the consideration Of Congre:
= The amount of reduction, as we'll as d
If manner of feliecting it, are questions OF gre
d and general interest; it being essential
= industrial enterprise and the public pro
> perity, as we'll as the dictate OF obvious ju
tice, that the burden of tsxation be made
q rest equally us possible upon all classes, an
!. all sections and interests Of the country.
Il | have heretofore recommended to you
i consideration ithe revision of tic revenu
laws, prepared under the direction OF tn
r Secretary of the Treasury, aud also lcgisla
9 ton upon some special questions afectin
tho business of that department, more G,
pecially the enactment ofa law to punis
r the abstraction of official books or paper
from the files of the government, and reqnir
I lng all such books and papers and all othe
, public properly to be turned over by tn
outgoing officer to his successor OF lay
, requiring disbursing officers to deposite al
7 public money in the vaults OF the trcasur.
T or in other legal repositories, where th,
same are conveniently accessible and Law
to extend existing penal provisions to al
persons whU may become possessed OF pub
lie money by dcposlte or other" Use, and VIII,
4 shalt relusv or neglect, ON due demand {,
pay the same into the treasury. / inyiI
/ your attention anew 10 each Of these sub yects
Tue army dnrius the past year has been
" Constantly cinpluyed against hostile lndi
ans IN various quarters, that 1t ran sc',rcely
b. said, with IrOpriety of Language, 10 nav,
been IA p,alce establishment. It's duties h.Iy,
been ri lsf,cIoriIy performed, and we haV,
reason " expect, asa result Ut the years op
eritiOns, greater security t. the frontier IN
habitanls than has been hitherto oujJyed. Tx
tenslye combinations among the hostile Indi'
ans of the Territories OF Washington and Ore
at one tmo threatened the devastation Ol
! the newly-lOrmud settlements of that remote
PARTON Of the country. From recent in!Or
NATION, we.aro permitted 10 hopo that the
ener letic and successful operitlons conduct
cd {, ,re will prevent such Combinations in
lntu4,, and secure to those Territories an
Opportunity to maks steady progress in the
Development Of their agricultural and min
eral resources IT,
Legislation have been recommended by
me on p cyiOus occasio 5 to cure dtects IN
the existing organization, aud TO increas the
efficiency ol the army, and further obserya-
ton his but served TO confirm me in the
views then expressed, and to enforce on my
mind the conviction that such measures are
not only proper but necessary.
have, in addition, TO invite tho attcn-
ton OF Conglcss to u change Of policy in the
distribution of troops, and TO the necessity
of providing more rapid increase of the
military armament. For details of these
and other subjects relating to the army, |
refer to the report of the Secretary of War.
The condition of the navy Is not merely
satisfactory, but exhibits the most gritify-
Ing evidences of increased yigor. As 1t is
comparatively small, 1t is mere important
that it should be az complete "a possible III
all the elements of strength; that it should
be- efficient in the character of its officers,
in the z-al and discipline Of is men. in the
caIaCity OF its men, in the reliability OF its
or,inanct1 and in The capacity of its ship
In all these various qualities the navy has
made great progress within the last few
wears. The execution of the law of Con-
gress, ef February %, 1855, +" to promote
the efficiency Of the navy" has been attend
oil by the inostadNantageous results. The law
OF promoting discipline among the men is
found convenient and salutary. The system
Of granting an honorable discharge to faith
lul scamen on the expiration OF the period
of their enlistmcn, and permitting them to
rc.cnlist after leave of absence of few
months, without CESSATION Of pay, is highly
beneficial in its influence. The apprentice
system recently adopted is evidently destined
to incorporate into the service a large num-
Der ofour countrymcn hitherto so difficult
to procure. Several hundred American
bows are now on a three years cruise in
our national vessels, aud will return well
trained scamen. In the ordnance depart
ment there is decided and gratifying indi-
cation of progress creditablo to it aud the
country. The suggestions Of the Secretary
OF the Navy, in regard to further improve
ment in that branch Of the service, COM
mend to your favorable action.
The new lrisltes ordered by Congress are
now afo,t, and two of them IN active SER
vice. hey are superior models OF naval
architecture, and, with their formidable
b,ttery. add largely to public strength and
security.
concur in the views cxprcss,d by the
Secretary of the Department. in favor OF a
sill further increase of our naval fJrce.
The report OF the Secretary of the Interior
presents iacts and views in relation 10 IN
term,l uli.,irs over which the supervision o,
his department. extends, OF much interest
and importance.
The aggregate sales of the public lands,
during tI,c last fiscal year, amount to ulnc
million two hundred and twenty-soyen thou
sand eight hundred and sgyenty-cight acres
/ for which has been rcce yCd tlcsilin Of eight
million eight hundred and twenty.0nc thou
sand four hundred and fourteen dollars
During the same period there have been 10.
cltcd, with military scrip and Land warrents,
and for other purposes, thirty million one
hundred thousand two hundred and thirty
acr,s, thus making n total aggregate ol
tlliriy-nine million three hundred and TWEEN
} ty-eight thousand one hundred and cIghl
I acrcs. On the Both Of September last, sur
yeys had been made of sixteen million eight
hundred and seventy-thrce thousand siS
hundred and ninety-nine acres, a large pro-
portion of which is ready for market.
The suggestions in this report in regard
to the complication and progressive cxpan
sion OF the business of tho different bureaui
Of the department; to tho pension system
to the colonization of Indian tribes, and the
recommendations in relation to various i'm
proycmcnts in the District Of Columbia, ar
especially commended to your consideration
The report of tho Postmaster Genera
presents fully the condition of that depart
ment Of the government. Its expenditure
for the last fiscal year, were ten miliionI
four hundred and seven thousand eight hun
dred and sixty eight dollars ond its gross
receipts seven million six hundred and twen
ty thousand eight hundred and one dollar'
= making an excess Of expenditure oser re
ceipts of two million seven hnndred ant
cighty-seven thousand and forty-six dollars
The deficiency Of this department is thu
seven hundred and forty-four thousand dol
lars greater than for the year ending Jun'
30. 1853. of,his deficiency. three hundreC
aud thirty thousand dollars is TO be at.ribu
ted to the additional compensation allowcl
posimastcrs by the net of Congress Of Jnn'
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