Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1856-01-05

ty million five hundred and eighty-thrrr tLo,
sand six hundred and thirty-one dollars nnd
dcdueffoHbqing made of subsequent pavnc".'
fhe wAols pdI1ic debt of the federal rnyorn
hpent remainipg ut this time is less than for,,
rliIlion dollars- !
The remnant Of certain other goyorrr,.
stocks amounting to two hundred and f,r,.
three thousand dollars, referred to in NV ~!
message as outstanding, has since been ,,ai5
amsfally~pessaad that it would be- dis
cult to devise Il system superior IA tbo, ~
which theY fiscal business Of the coreru, /!
is now conducted. Notwithstandinr tLonnt
number OF public agents or collection and IL.
burSemcnt, it is believed that the check o"I
guards provided, including the Requirement &c
smenthlg @~retarnss reader it-seareelv oossaI
for any considerable fraud on the part Of tIn'
agents, or neglect involving hazard Of ser;or
public loss, to escape detection. rcpcw roa
ever, the Recommendation heretofore mado y.
me, as the enactmdnt of a law d~eclaring il fol-!
ny on the part OF public officers, to ipsert foxo
entries IN their beoksof record or account or
to make false returns, and also requiring then,
on the termination of their service to deliver 70
their successors all books, records, and othc,
objects of a public nature in their custody
Derived as our public revenue is, in chief mar,
from duties on imports, its magnitude afford,
gratifying evidence of the prosperity. not onIr
of our commerce, but of the other great i;
terests upon which that depends.
The principle that al moneys not reopirol
for the current expenses Of the goyern,nont
should remain for active employment in tho
hands of the people, and the conspicuous fact
that the annual revenue from all sources ex,
ceeds, by many millions of dollars. the amoun,
needed for a prudent and economical admins.
%tration of public affairs, cannot fail to spgpe<t
the propriety of an early revision and reJuc.
ton of the tariff of duties on imports. Il i
now so generally conceded that the purno<D
of revenue alone can justify the imposition If
duties On imports, that, in re-adjusting the i'm.
post tables and schedules, which mlquesioDa.
bly, require essential notifications, a denar.
ture from the present tariff is not antieipatet
y The army during the past year, has been
engaged in defending the Indian frontier, the
state of the service permitting but few and
small garrisors in oar permanent Notifications.
The additional regiments authorized at the
last session of Congress have been recruited
and organized, and o large portion of the
troops have already, been sent to the field
All the duties which devolve on the military
establishment have been satisfactorily perform
ed, aud the dangers and priyatious incident to
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 npu.
them. For the details Of the military opera
tions, the distribution of the troops and adG.
tional 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 tranSpircd since my last annual message,
has bat served to confirm the opinion then rx.
pressed Of the propriety of making provision.
by a retired list, for disabled officers, and for
increased compensation to the officers Retained
on the list for active duty. All the Reasons
which existed when these measures were recon-
mended ON former occasions ~eontinuc withVa.
modification, except so far as circumstances
have given to solae of them additional force.
The recommendations heretofore made fora
partial reorganization OF the army, are ass
renewed. The thorough elementary education
given to those officers, who commence their
services with thegrade of cadet, qualities them,
to a considerable extent, to perform the duties
of every arm of the service but to give the
highest efficiency to artillery requires the prac-
tice and special study of many years and i
is not, therefore, believed to he advisable 10
maintain, in time Of peace, a larger force Of
that arm thanean 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 an army i0tae
field would materially decpcnd upon the ability
with which those duties are discharged, It's
not, as in the case of the artillery, a >peciaLltL
but requires, also, an intimate Knowledge o.
the duties Of an officer of the line, and it is
not doubted that, to complete the cducaao.
of an officer for either the line or the general
staff, it is desirable that he shall have served
in both. With this view, it was recommend
ed on q former occasion that the duties OF the
staff should be mainly performed by details
from the line /; and, with conviction OF tue
advantages which would result from such a
change, it is again presented for the considers
ton of Congress.
NAVY
The report of the Secretary of tho Na7E
Iitlc"ilH suDHhlIeu, aAuibitS III Iul '0 -"
Operations of the past year, together wIIAts
present condition of the service, and it makes
suggestions of further legislation, to which
your attention is invited.
The construction of the six steam frlg1teI
for which appropriations were made by Tue
last Congress, has proceeded i'll the most sails
factory manner, and with such expedition a'
to warrant the belief that they will be re4d'
for service early in the coming spring I'
portant as this addition to our naval force =
it still remains inadequate to the c~ontIngc"
exigencics of the protection of the eXtel@"
sea coast and vast commercial interests o. NV
United Stares. In yieW of this fact, and "
the acknowledged wisdom Of the policy Ola
gradual and systematic increase of the na'!a.
appropriation is recommended for the conStlW