Weekly flag of the Union. (Jackson, Miss.) 185?-18??, 1856-01-16


penditures for the same period. exclusive
nd payments on account Of the public del
" amounted to City six million three hundr
X and stxty-6ve thousand thrac hundred Al
on ninety three dollars. Duringthe same per;e
ut the payments made in redemption of the pu
BY lie debt, including interest and premium
he amounted to nine million eight hundred Al
or forty-fonr thousand five hundred and twent
eight dollars.
of The balance in tho Treasury at the hegi
Is, of the fiscal year, July /, 1855, was Gig
w millions nine hundred and seyenty-six dollal
ed the receipts for the first quarter, and the es
he mated receipts for the remaining three qua
n tiers amount, together. to sixty-seyen mill,
lg nine hundred aud eighteen thousand seye
n hundred and thrty.fo dollars thus affor
,e ing in ALL as the available resources of Il
IN current fiscal year, the sum of eigLty-six nj
u lion eight hundred and fifty six thousand Sc
as en- hundred and ten dollars.
he If, to the actual expenditures of the fir
l. quarter of the current fiscal year be add,
he the probable expenditures for the renainir
/ three quarters as estimated BY the Sccretal
lie of the Treasury, the sum total will be scvent
s. one million two hundred and twenty SIX tho,
y sand eight hundred and forty six dollars, thor
:. by leaving an estimated balance in the Trea
sIlSdry on July /, 1856. ~ fifteen millions 9
], handrsd and twess & ti:oussd -
). - s, u 81 81
| eeptsl
In the above estimated expenditures of the
present fiscal year are included three millions
Of dollars to meet the last installnent OF ten
millions, provided in the last treaty with Mex
| leo, and seven millions seven hundred and tt-
ty thousand dollars appropriated on account
of the debt due to Texas, which two sums
make an aggregate amount of ten millions
seven hundred and fifteen thousand dollars,
and reduce the expenditures, actual or cstl-
mated, for ordinary objects of the year, to the
sum of sixty millions four hundred and seven
! ty-six thousand dollars,
The amount of the public debt, at the COM
mcnccment of the present fiscal year, vas forty
millions five hundred and eighty three thou
sand SIX hundred and thirty one dollars, and,
deduction being made Of subsequent PAYMENTS
the whole public debt of the Federal Govern
ment remaining at this time, is less than for
| ty 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, hassslnce been PAID
am fully persuaded that itwould be diff
cult to devise a 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 dis
bursement, it is believed that the checks and
guards provided including the requirement of
| monthly returns, render it scarcely possible for
any considerable fraud on the part o. those
agents, or neglect involving hazard of serious
public loss TO escape detection. 1renew, how
| ever, the Recommendation, heretofore made BY
me, of the enactment Of law declaring it fell
lony ON the part of public officers to insert
false entries ii their books of record or &C.
| count, or to make false returns and also re-
curing them on the termination OF their SER
vice to deliver to their successors all books.
records and other objects of public nature
in their custody.
Derived as our public revenue Is. in chief
part, from duties on imports, its 10 81.
fords gratifying evidence Of f,sr prosperity.
not only Of our e2lssrce, but & o9sler sreat
Interests ulsepw Which that depends.
--s..lse principle that all moneys not required
for the current expenses Of the government re-
main for active saspIeynaenE ID the hands q
the people, end the conspicuous fact that the
annual revenue from all sources, exceeds, by
many millions OF dollars, the amour needed |
for a prudent aud economical administration
of public affairs, cannotfail TO suggest the pro-
priety of an early revision and reduction of /
the tariff Of duties on imports. 1t is now so
generally conceded that the purpose of rcve,
nue. alone can justify the imposition of duties
on imports, that, in re-adjusting the import
tables and schedules, which unquestionably T
require essential notifications, a departure
from the principles of the present tariff is not
anticipated -
ARMY. A
The army during the year has been actively
engaged in defending the Indian frontier, the
state of the service permitting but few and
small garrisons i'll our permanent Notifications.
The additional regiments authorized at the
last session of Congress have been recruited
and organized, and large portion of the troops
have already been sent to the field All the
duties which devolye onthe military establish
ment, have been satisfactorily performed, and
the dangers and privations incident to the char
acter of the service required of our troops have
furnished additional evidence Of their courage,
zeal and capacity, to meet any requ;sition
which their country may make of them. For
5he details of the military operations, the
distribution of the troops, and additional pro-
visions required for the military service,
,efer to the report of the Secretary of War,
md the accompanying documents. f
Experience, gathered from events which
rave transpired since my last annual message,
las but served to confirm the opinion then ex-
pressed Of the propriety Of making provision. ]
y retired list, for disabled officers, and for
increased compensation to the officers retained
N the list for active duty. All the reasons
which existed, when these nleas,lrs were re-
commended on former occasions, continue
Without modification, except 50 faE as circum-
tances have given to some of them additional
orce.
The recommendations heretofore made for I
partial Reorganization of the army are also
enewed The thorough elementary education
.iyen to those officers, who commence their
eryicc with the grade of cadet, qualities them, /
o a considerable extent, to performed the
iuties OF every arm of The service but to I :
i've the highest efficiency to artillery, requires
he practice and special study Of many years;
md it is rot, therefore, believed to be advisa- t
lie to maintain, in time of pence. larger {
orce of that arm than can be usually employed z
n the duties appertaining to the service of
ield and siege artillery. The duties of the /
taft, in all its various branches, belong to the
i sf tronrs and the afF;a;onos5 .f - +