Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1856-01-09

BHtrpQDe o. f&feHpe ap0AS 50sAAy tn1fH's&taUsa ~
duties a 1npperts, that, IA adjnssing the i'm
r,oss tshIes nd schedules, which unquestionably
require essential specifications, q departure from
he principles 81 the present tariff Is NOT antiei-
pafed
The arms, during the past year. has been Ac-
lively engaged IN defending the Indisu frontiers,
the state Of the service permitting but few and
small garrisoas In our permanent, fortifcasions.
The additional regiments authorized 1t the hast
session Of Congress have been recruited and orr
ganized, and large portion Of the troops have
already been sent 70 the fe.d. Al the dIlties
which derolve on the military establishment
have been satisfactorily performed, and the dan
cerous operations incident 10 the character Of
the service required of our troops have furnished
additional evidence Of their courage, zeal and
capacity TO meet any requisition which their
country may make upon them. For the details
of the military operations Of the troops, and adj
dtional provisions required for the military ser
vice. refer 10 the report of the Secretary OF
War and the accompanying documents.
Experience, gathered from events which have
trsnspired siticc mr. last annual message, has
served TO confirm the opinion then expressed Of
the propriety of making provision, by retired
list for disabled officers, and for increased COM
peusation TO the officers retained on the hist for
active duty. All the reasons which existed when
casions continue 90 far, except circumstances
/ have given TO them additional force The rec
Concentrations heretofore made for reorganiLa-
ton. Of the army are also renewed The ele-
mentary education given those officers who COM
mence their service as cadets qualities them to q
considerable extent to perform the duties OF every
arm of the service; but to give the highest efic-
iency to artillery requires the practice and spec
ial study of many years. and it is not therefore,
believed advisable to maintain, in time ofpeace,
| larger force Of that arm than can be employed
| in the service of field and seige artiE, r The
duties Of the, staff, in all its various branch
| es, belong to the movements Of the troops, and
| the efficiency Of an army in the field would ma
terially depend on the ability with which those
duties were discharged. 1t is not, as in the case
Of artillery speciality that requires also an in
innate knowledge of the duties of an officer OF
the line and it is not doubted that to complete
the education of an officer for either the line or
the staff it is desirable that he shall have served
in both. With this view have recommended
on former occasions, that the duties of the stall
1 should be mainly performed by details from the
line. and, with conviction of the advantages
(which would result from such a change, it is
/ again presented far the consideration OF Con-
gress. q. eas
The report of the Secretary of the Navy, here
4
tons Of the past year, together with the pres
| ent condition of the service and it makes sug
gestions of further legislation, to which your
| attention is directed. The construction OF the
six steam frigates for which appropriations were
made blythe last Congress, has proceeded in the
main in satisfactory manner, with such excep'
| tons as to warrant the belief that they will be
ready for service early in the coming spring.
Important as is this addition to the naval force
it still remains inadequate to the contingencies
of the protection of the extensive sea coast and
/ vast commercial interest Of the United States.
In view of this fact, and the acknowledged wis
dom Of the policy of gradual and systematic
/ increase of the navy, an appropriation is recon-
mended for the construction of six steam sloops
/ of-war. e gl2 f38ta p 2'lg@ $50 - 77ga
4 In regard to the steps taken in the execution
of the act of Congress to promote the efficiency
of the nayy,it is unnecessary for me to do more
4 than to express my entire concurrence in the OBJ
servations on that subject presented by the
Secretary in his report. ~ 7a.azs gss a .~7s7
| sic 1t will be perceived by the report of the Post
master General, that the gross expenditure OF
the last fiscal year was 1895, 342 and the gross
i receipts 81 ,S43, l36-making an excess of expen
ditures over receipts of 81, $40 208 and that the
cost of mail transportation was 1914, 1852 greater
i than the previous year. Much of the heavy ex
l.
is to be ascribed to the large quantity of printed
matter conveyed by the mails, either ranked OF
liable to no postage by law, or at very low rates
of postage compared with those charged on let
tiers; the great cost of mail service on railroads
and by ocean steamers. The suggestions of the
Postmaster General on the subject deserves the
4 consideration of Congress.
The report of the Secretary Of the interior
4 will engage your attention as well for the usefu
suggestions it contains as for the interest anc
Importance of the subjects to which they refer
The aggregate amount public lands sold during
the last fiscal year, located with military scrip
or land warrants, taken up under grants fol
roads, and selected as swamp lands by States
is 24.557 500 acres, of which the, proportion il
Is, 729, 424, yielding in receipts the sum of 81 L,
4S5,3S0. In the same period ls,233,s5 acre
have been surveyed; but, in consideration Q
the quantity already subject to entry, no add
tional tracts have been brought into market.
The peculiar relation Of the General Govern
ment to the District Of Columbia renders it pro
per to commend it to your care, and also its NOR
al interests, including education. more especial
ly of those parts Of the. District outside the cite
Of Washington and Georgetown.
The Commissioners appointed to revise ant
codify the laws of the District have made sucl
progress in the performance of their tasks as tt
|
the act of Congress. 4yes5 bas ,.'ssais -st5a
Information has been recently received tina
the peace of the settlements in Oregon and Wash
ington Territories is disturbed by hostilitcs OF
the part of the Indians. with indications of hos
tile character among the tribes in that quarter
the more serious in their possible effect by reason
of the undetermined foreign interest existing il
those Territories, to which your attention ha
already been especially invited. Efficient mea
sures have been taken, which, it is believed vii
restore quiet, and afford protection to our citi
zens. 100 s,gasaN 4Jsz q 20 '+aE
In the Territory of Kansas there have beer
some events prejudicial to good order, but as We
none have occurred under circumstances to jus
tify the interference of the federal Executive
That could only be in the case of obstruction t.
federal law, assuming the character of Insured
ton, which, if it should occur, itwould besmy
duty promptly to overcome and suppress.
cherish the hope, however, that the occurrence.
of any such outwardevent will be prevented b,
the sound sense of the people of the Territory
who, by its organic law possessing the right t
! determine their own domestic institutions, arr
entitled. while deporting themselves peacefully
to the free exercis of that right and to be protec
ted in its enjoyment, without interference on the
paat of the citizens ofany of the States.
J The southern boundry line of this Territory
|
rapidly extending settlements in that region
with the fact that the mail route between indie
pendence in the State of Missouri. and New
Mexico, is contiguous to this, suggests the prob
ability that embarrassing questions of jurisdic
ton will consequently arise. For these ant
. other considerations, commend the subject t.
your early attention.
have thus passed in review the general state
of the Union, including such particular concern:
of the Federal Government, whether of domes
tic or Federal relations, as it appeared to me
desirable and useful to bring the special notice
: of Congress-. Unlike the great States of Europe
and Asia, and many of those of America, thess
United States are wasting their strength neither
in foreign war or domestic strife Whatever
discomfort or public dissatisfaction exists, is at
tributable to the imperfection of human nature
( or is incident to all governments, however per
= feet, which human wisdom can devise. Sucf
\ subjects of political agitation as occupy the
4 public mind consist to great extent of exag
geration of inevitable events, or over zeal in al
/ social events, or mere Imagination of grievance
!. having but remote connection with any of the
constitutional functions or duties of the General
Government. 70 whatever extent these ques
| la, ~,