St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1856-12-18

| Full information In relation to recent
events in this Territory will be found
iii the documents communicated here
with from the Departments of State
and War.
l refer you to the report of the Sec
rotary of the Treasury for particular
information concerning the financial
condition of the government, and the
various branches of the public service
connected with the Treasury Depart
ment.
During the last fiscal year the re-
ceipts from customs were, for the first
time, more than sixty-four million dol
lars, and from all sources seventy-three
million nine hundred and eighteen
thousand one hundred and forty-one
dollars which with the balance on
hand up to the LIST of July, 1856, made
the total resources of the year to
amount to ninety-two million eight
hundred and fifty thousand one hun
dred and seventeen dollars. The ex-
penditures, including three million dol
lars in execution of the treaty with
Mexico, and excluding sums paid on
account of the public debt amounted
to sixty million one hundred and sew
enty-two thousand four hundred and
one dollars (; and, including the latter,
to seventy-two million nine hundred
and forty-eight thousand seven hun
dred and ninety-two. dollars, the pay
ment OH this account having amounted
to twelve million seven hundred and
seventy-six thousand three hundred
and ninety dollars.
On the 4th of March, 1853, the pub
lie debt was sixty-nine million one
hundred and twenty-nine thousand nine
hundred and thirty-seven dollars
There was subsequent Increase of
two million seven hundred and fifty
thousand dollars for the debt of Texas
making total of scventy-one mil
lion eight hundred and seventy-nine
thousand nine hundred and thirty-sev-
en- dollars. Ofthis the sum of forty-five
million five hundred and twenty five
thousand three hundred and nineteen
dollars, including premium, has been
discharged, reducing the debt to thirty
million seven hundred and thirty-sev-
en- thousand one hundred and twenty
nine dollars all which might be paid
within a year without embarrassing
the public service, but being not yet
due, and only redeemable at the option
of the holder, cannot be pressed to
payment by the government.
On examining the expidenturcs for
the last five years, it will be seen that
the average, deducting payments on
account of the public debt and ten
millions paid by treaty to Mexico, has
been but about forty-eight million dol
lars. 1t is believed that, under an
Economical administration of the gov.
eminent, the average expenditure OF
the ensuing five years will not ex-
coed that sum, unless extraordinary
occasion for it's increase should occur.
The acts granting bounty lands will
soon have been executed, while the
extension of our frontier settlements
will cause a continual demand for
lands and augmented receipts, proba-
bly,, from that source. These consid-
erations will justify reduction of the
revenue from customs, SO as not to ex-
coed forty-eight or fifty million dollars.
l think the exigcncy for such reduction
is imperative, and again urge it upon
the consideration Of Congress.
The amount of reduction, as we'll as
the manner of cffecting it, arc ques-
tons of great and general interest !;
it being essential to industrial enter
prise and the public prosperity, as well
as the dictate of obvious justice, that
the burden of taxation be made to
rest as equally as possible upon all
classes, and all sections and interests
of the country.
/ have heretofore recommended to
your consideration the revision of the
revenue laws, prepared under the d.
rection of the Secretary of the Treas
ury, and also Legislation npon some
special questions affecting the business
of that department, more especially
the enactment of law to publish the
abstraction of official book and papers
and all other public property to be
turned over by the outgoing officer to
his successor of law requiring
disbursing officers to deposit all pub
lie money in the vault of the treasury
or in other legal repositories, where
the same are conveniently accessible !;
and law to extend existing penal
provisions to all persons who may be-
come possessed Of public money by de-
posite or otherwise, and who shall re-
fuse or neglect, on due demand, to
pay the same into the treasury. in
vite your attention anew to each of
these objects.
The army during the past year has
been so constantly employed against
hostile Indians in various quarters,
that, it can scarcely be said, with pro-
priety of language, to have been a
peace establishment. Its duties have
been satisfactorily performed, and we
have reason to expect, as result OF
the years operations, greater security
to the frontier inhabitants than has
been hitherto enjoyed. Extensive com
binations among the hostile Indi-
ans of the Territories of Washington and
Oregon at one time threatened the de-
vastation Of the newly formed settle