Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1856-01-03

A'AHNN NNAAAA0H aAAAfA AhnL III
public expenditure for the s.Same period, exclu
sive of payments on account of the public debt
amounted to hity-six million three hundred an
slXty-fiye thousand three hundred and ninety
three dollars. During the same period. thePay
ments madein redemption OF the public debt
incluuiEg interest and premium. amounted {
nine million eight hundred and fOriy-four thhu
sand five hundred and twenty-eight dollars.
The balance ia the TrrnSurv at the begin
ming Of the present fiscal year. July LIST, lS1-
was eighteen million nine hundred and thirty
one thousand nine hundred and Seyenty-st
dollars; the receipts fr The first quarter. an,
the estimated receipts for the remaining thtc
quarters. amount. together. Ia siXiy-seven mi
lIon nine hundred and eighteen Thousand seycl
hundred and thiT;y-four dollars; thus a%fioriinl
in all. as the available resources 81 the cuTren
fiscal year. the sum OF eighty-siX million eigh
hundred aud fiftv-six thousand seven hundre.
and ten dollars.
If, to the actual expenditures of the first quar-
ter Of the current fiscal year, be- added the prob
able expenditures for The remaining three quar-
tiers, a. estimated by the Secretary of the Treas
ury, the sum total will he seveEiy-une million
two hundred and twenty-siX thousand eigh
hundred aud f~orty-six dollars, thereby leay
ing an estimated balance in the Treasury q!
July /, 1856, Of fifteen million six hundrc,
and twenty three Thousand and siXty-three dol
lars and forty-One cents.
In the above estimated expenditures Of Tia
present fiscal year are included three million
dollars 10 meet the last instaiment of the ten
millions provided for in the late treaty viii
Mexico, and seven million seven hundred ano
fifty thousand dollars appropriated on aceonn
of the debt due To Texas, which two sums MAKE
an aggregate amount of ten million seven hun
dred and fifty thousand dollars, and reduce
the expenditures, actual or estimated, for or
binary objects of the year. to the sum of si'
millions -four hundred and seventy-siX thousand
dollars.
The amount of the public debt, at the com.
mencement Of the present fiscal year, was forty
million five hundred and eighty three Thousand
six hundred and thirty-one dollars, and, dedac.
ton being made of subsequent payments, The
whole public debt of the federal government re.
mining at this time is less than forty million
dollars.
The remnant Of certain other government
stocks, amounting to two hundred and forty
three thousand dollars, referred to in my last
message as outstanding has since been paid.
| am fully persuaded that it would be diff
ficult TO devise n system superior TO that by
which the fiscal business of the government
is now conducted. Notwithstanding the
great number of public agents of collection
and disbursement, it is believed hat the
checks and guards provided, including the
requirement of monthly returns, render it
scarcely possible for any considerable fraud
on the part of those agents, or neglect invol-
wing hazard of serious public loss, to escape
detection. | renew, however, the recon-
mendation, heretofore made by me, of the en-
actment of law declaring it felony on the
part of public officers to insert false entries
on fhair lool-c Of r.cort ar n~,rp - a.,
make false returns. and also requiring them
the termination oftheir service to deliver
to their successors all books, records, aud
other articles of a public nature in their Gus
tody.
Derived as public revenue is, in chief part,
from duties on imports, its magnitude affords
gratifying evidence Of the prosperity, not on
ly of our commerce, but of the other great
interests upon which that depends.
The principle that all moneys not required
for the current expenses of the government
should remain for active employment in the
hands of the people, and the conspicuous fact
that the annual revenue from all sources ex-
ceeds, by many millions OF dollars, the amount
needed for n prudent and economical admins
tratiOn of public affairs, cannot fail to suggest
the propriety of an early revision and reduction
of the tariff of duties on imports. 1t is now SO
generally conceded that the purpose of revenue
alone can Justify the imposition of duties on i'm
ports, that, in re-adjusting the impost tables
and schedules, which unquestionably require
notifications, a departure from the
principles of the present tariff is not anticipa-
ARxY.The army, during the past year. has
been actively engaged in defending the indian
frontier, the state of the service permitting but
few and small garrisons in our permanent forth
The additional regiments authorized
at the last session of Congress have been re-
cruited and organized, and a large portion Of
The troops have already been sent to the field.
the duties, which devolve on the military
establishment, have been satisfactorily perform
ed, and the dangers and prtvations incident 10
the character Of the service required of our
.roops have. furnished additional eyedince Of
their courage, zeal, and capacity to meet any
requisition which their country may make
them. For the details Of the military ope-
rations, the distribution Of the troops, aud ad-
provi. ions required for the military
service, | refer to the report of the Secretary Of
War and the accompanying documents.
Experience, gathered from events which
have transpired since my last annual mess
age, has but served to confirm the opinion
then expressed, of the propriety of making
provision, by a retired list. for disabled Off
GERS, and for increased compensation to the
retained on the list for active duty
All the reasons which existed, when these
measures were recommended on former occa-
sions, continue without modification, except
so far as circumstances have given to them
force.
The recommendations heretofore made for
n partial reorganization of the army, are also
$500 Rl- .-. l.
ton given TO those officers, who commence
their service with the grade of cadet, quail
fies them to n considerable extent to perform
the duties of every arm of the service; but
To give the highest efficiency to artillery re-
quires the practice and special attention of
many years; and it is not, therefore, believed
to be advisable to maintain, in time of peace,
a larger force of that arm than can be usually
employed in the duties appertaining to the
service of field and siege artillery. The du-
ties of the staff in all its various branches, be-
long to the movement of the troops, and the
efficiency of an army in the field would ma
t%erially depend upon the ability with which
those duties are discharged. 1t is not, as in
the case of the artillery, n speciality, but re-
quires, also, an intimate knowledge of the du-
ties 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 general
staff, it is desirable that he hal have served
in both. With this view, it was recommend
ed on a former occasion that the duties Of
the staff should be mainly performed by de-
tails from the line; and, with conviction of
the advantages which would result from
such a change, it is again presented for the
consideration of Congress.
NAvY.-The report of the Secretary Of the Ma
herewith submitted, exhibits in full the
naval operations 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 frigates. for
which appropriations were made by the last
Congress, has proceeded ia the most saiisfacto-
ry manner, and with such expedition as TO war
rant the belief that they will be ready for SER
vice early the coming spring. Important as this
addition TO our naval force is, il still remains
inadequate TO the contingent exigencies Of the
protection of the extensive sea coast and vast
commercial interests OF the United States. In
view of this fact, and of the acknowledged wis
dom OF the policy Of a gradual and systematic
increase Of the navy, an appropriation is recon-
mended for the construction OF six steam sloops-
of-'var.
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