The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-12-10

Treasury, and also legislation upon som
special questions affecting business @
that department more especially tn
enactment of law to punish the alb
straction of official books or papers from
the files oe the government and requir
ing all such books and papers and al
other public property to be turned ovel
by the out going officer to his successor
of a law requiring disbursing officers to
deposit all public money in the vaults
of the Treasury or in other legal depos
itaries where the same are conveniently
accessible, and a law to extend existing
penal provisions to all persons who may
become possessed of public money BY
deposit or herwise, and who shall re.
fuse or neglect on due demand to pay
the same into the Treasury. I invite
your attention anew to each of those OBJ
jects,
The acts granting bounty lands will
soon havo been executed, while the ex-
tention of our frontier settlements will
cause a continued demand forzlands and
augmented receipts probably from that
| source.
The army during the past year has
been SO constantly employed against
hostile Indians in various quarters, that
it can scarcely be said with propriety of
language, to have been peace establish
ment. Its duties have been satisfacto-
rily performed and we have reason to
expect, as the result of the years oper-
ations, greater security to the frontier
inhabitants than has been hitherto en-
joyed. Extensive combinations among
the hostile Indians of the Territories of
Washington and Oregon at one time
threatened devastation of the newly
formed Settlements of that remote por-
tion of the country. From recent in
formation, we are permitted to hope that
the energetic and successful operations
conducted there, will prevent such CON-
binations in future, and secure to those
territories an opportunity to make steady
progress in the development of their
agricultural and mineral resources. On
previous occasions to cure defects in the
existing organization, and to increase
the efficiency of the army, and further
observation has 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.
I have in addition, to invite the at
tention of the Congress to change of
the policy in the distribution of troops,
and to the necessity of providing more
rapid increase of the military armament;
for details of these other subjects rela-
ting to the army, I refer to the report
of- nf Yor grhaE
dition of the Navy is not merely salts
factory, but exhibits the most gratifying
evidences of increased vigor, as it is
comparatively small it is more important
that it should be as complete as possible
in all the elements of strength-that it
should be efficient in the character of
its Office, in the zeal and discipline of its
men, in the reliability of its ordnance,
aud in the capacity of its ships, in all
these various qualities the Navy has
made great progress within the last few
years. The execution of the law of
Congress of Feb %, 1855, to promote
the efficiency of the Navy has been at
tended by the most advantageous re-
suits. The law for promoting discipline
among the men is found convenient and
salutary.
The system of granting an honorable
discharge to faithful seamen on the ex-
piration of the period of their enlistment
and permitting them to re enlist after
leave ofabsence of few months, with
out cessation of pay, is highly beneficial
in its influence. The apprentice system
recently adopted, is evidently destined
to incorporate into the service large
number of our countrymen hitherto SO
difficult to procure. Several hundred
American boys are now on three years
cruise in our national vessels, and will
return we'll trained seamen.
In the Ordnance department there is
a decided and gratifying Indication of
progress creditable to it and the coun-
try. The suggestions of the Secretary
of the navy, in regard to further i'm
provement in that branch of the service,
1 commend to your favorable action.
The new Frigates ordered by Congress
are now ahoat and two of them in active
service.
They are superior models of navel
battery add largely to public strength
and security l concur in the views ex-
pressed by the Secretary of the Depart
ment in favor of still further increase of
our naval force. The report of the Sec
rotary of the Interior presents facts and
views in relation to the internal affairs,
over which the supervision of his depart
ment extends, of much interest and i'm
portance. The aggregate sale ofpublic
lands during the last fiscal year amount
to 9,227, 1928 acres for which has been
received the sum of $S,s2o,4l4. Dur
ing the same period there has been To-
Gated with military script and land war
rants and other purposes, 0,l00,2 ,230
acres thus making total aggregate of
sc, 1928, l00 acres. On the 3oth of Sep
tember last surveys had been made of
l6, s73, 500 acres and large proportion
of which is ready for market.
The suggestions in this report in re-
gard to the complication and progressive
expansion of the business of the differ
ent bureaus of the department of the
pension system, to the colonization of
Indian tribes and recommendations In
relation to various improvements in the
District of Columbia, are especially re-
commended to your consideration. The
report of the Post Master General pre-
sents fully the condition of that depart.
ment of the Government. It's expendi.
lures for the last fiscal year were ten
million four hundred and seven thousand
eight hundred and sixty eight dollars,
and its gross receipts seven million six
hundred and twenty thousand eight
L., H. 4 !