The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-01-02

render of fugitive criminals, with the kingdom o.
the Two Slcilies; treaty of friendship, commerce
and navigation with Nicaragua; and a convention
OF commercial reciprocity with the Hiwaiian king
DOM had been negotiated. The latter kingdom
and the state of Nicaragua have also aceeded to !
declaration, recognising international rights ths
principles contained In the conv vention between
this United States and Russia of the e2d july 1854
These treaties and conventions will be laid befor.
the Senate for ratification
TREASURY.
The statements made in my last annual message
respecting the anticipated receipts and expendi
lures of the Treasury, have been substantially
verified tt
1t appears from the report of the Secretary Of
the Treasury, that the receipts during the last fs
cal year ending June 90 1855 from all sources
S6J, 300 $50; and that the public expenditures foI
The same period, exclusive OF payments on ac
count of the public debt, amounted to S6, 1893
During the same period, the payments made in re-
demption of the public debt, including interest and
premium, amounted to 50 S44.528.
The balance in the Treasury at the beginning OF
the present fiscal year July l, 1855. was $ls93l..
976 the receipts for the first quarter and the esti
amount. together, to SCI, 734 thus afordng in
ALL as the available of the fiscal
year, the sum of $50, ,e56.7l0
IT. to the actual expenditures Of the first quarter
OF the current fiscal year, be added the probable
expenditures for the remaining three quarters as
sum total will be seventy-one million two hundred
and twentysix thousand eight hundred and forty
six dollars, thereby leaving an estimated balance
IN tile treasury on July l. 1856, of fifteen million
SIX hundred aud twenty-three Thousand eight hun
dred and sixty three dollars and forty one cents.
In the above estimated expenditures of the
present fiscal year are included three million dol
lars the last nstalment of the millions provided
for in the late treaty with Mexico, and seven mil
lions seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars ap
propriated on account of the debt due to Texas
which two sums make an aggregate amount of ten
millions seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars
and reduce the expenditures, actual or estimated
for ordinary objects of the year, to the sum of
sixty millions four hundred and seventy-six thou.
sand dollars.
The amount of the public debt, at the commence
ment of the present fiscal year, forty million
five hundred aud eighty-three thousand six hun
dred and thlfty-one dollars, and deduction being
made OF subsequent payments, the whole public
debt of the federal government remaining at this
time, is less than $40, ,000, 600.
The remnant OF certain other government stocks
amounting to two hundred and forty thousand
dollars referred to in my last message outstand
ing, has since been paid.
fully pursu:tded that it would be difficult to
devise system superior to that, by which the fs-
cal business of the government is now conducted.
Notwithstanding the great number of public agents
of collection and disbursement, it is believed that
the ehecksiand guards provided, including the re-
quirement of monthly returns render it scarcely
possiblefOr any considerable fraud on the part of
those agents, neglect involving hazard of serious
public loss, to escape detection
l renew, however, the recommendation, hereto
fore made by me, of the enactment of law de-
claring it felony on the part ofpubc officers to in
sert false entries in their books of record
or to make false returns, and also requiring them
on the termination of their service to deliver to
their successors all books, records, and other OBJ
jects of public nature i'll their custody.
Derived our public revenue is, in the chief
part, from duties imports, its magnitude affords
gratifying evidence OF the prosperity, not onty of
our commerce. but of the other great interests up
on which that depends
The principle that all moneys not required for the
current expenses fthe government should remain
for active employment in the hands of the people,
and the conspicuous fact that the annual revenue
from all sources exceeds by many millions of dol
lars, the amount needed for n prudent and econom-
ica administration of public affairs, cannot fail to
suggest the proprety of an early revision and re-
duction of the tariff of duties imports. 1t is
so generally conceded that the purpose of revenue
alone can justify the imposition of duties on i'm
ports, that, in re-adjustng the import tables and
schedules, which unquestionably require essential
notifications departure from the principles of
the present tariff is not anticipated.
ARMY
The army, during the past year, has been ac-
lively engaged in defending the Indian frontier,
the state of the service permitting but few and
small garrisons i'll our permanent tortiications.-
The additional regiments authorized at the last
session of Congress have been recruited and or
ganized, and large portion of the troops have al
ready been sent to tie field. All the Duties which
devolve on the military establishment have been
satisfactorily performed, and the dangers and pri-
vations incident to the character Of the service
denee al their courage, ZEAL and capacity to meet
any requistion, which their country may make
upon them.
For the details of the military operations, the
distribution of the troops and additional provisions
required for the military service refer to the re-
port of the Secretary of War and the accompany
ing documents. l
Experience gathered from events which have
transpired since my last annual message has but
served to confirm the opinion then expressed of
the prOpriety of making provisian, by retired
list, for disabled officers, and for increased COM
pensation to the officers retained on the list for
tive duty. All the reason which existed, when
these measures were recommended on former
casions. continue without modification, except
far as circumstances have given to some of them
additional force.
The recommendations heretofore made for a
partial reorganization of the army, also re-
newed. The thorough elementary education giveE
to those officers, who commence their service with
the grade of cadet. qualities them. to considera
Bile extent, to perform the duties of every arm of
the service; but to give the highest efficiency to
artillery requires the practice and special study of
many years; and It is not, therefore, believed to
be advisable to maintain, in time of peace larger
force of that arm than can be usually employed in
the duties appertaining to the service of field and
siege artillery. The duties of the staff in all its
various branches belong to the movements of
troops, and the efficiency of army in the field
would materially depend upon the ability with
which those duties are discharged.
1t is not as in the of the artillery, spefi.
ality, but requires, also, intimate knowledge of
the duties of an officer of the line and it Is not
doubted that to complete the education of an OFF,
Ger for eitlerthe line of the general staff it is de-
sirable that he shall have served in both With
this view, il was recommended on former Oeca-
sion that the duties of the staff should be mainly
by details from the line and with con-
yiction of the adv antages which would result from
such change, it is again presented for the con-
sideration of Congress.
The report of the Secretary of the Navy, here
with submitted exhibits in full the naval opera
tions of the past year, together with the present
condition of the service, and it makes suggestions
of further legislation to which your attention Is
invited
The construction Of the six steam frigstes, for
which appropriations were made BY the last Cons
gress, has proceeded in the most satisfactory man
ner, and with such expedition to warrant the bes
lief that they win be ready for service early in the
canning spring Important as this addition TO our
naval force is it still remains inadequate to the
eontEs ant exiseneies of the protection OF the ex