The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1856-01-12
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devise system superior TO that bv which the fiscal
business OF the government is now conducted. Not
Wlthstandng the great number of public agents of
collection and disbursement it is believed that the
checks and guards provided, including the require
ment of monthly returns, render it scarcely posssi-
BILE for any considerable fraud the part of those
agents. or neglect involving hazard of serious pub
lie loss, TO escape detection. renew however, tie
recommendation heretofore made by me- of the en-
actment of law declaring it felony on the part of
public officers to insert false entries in their books
of record or account to make false returns and
also requiring them 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 magnitude affords graf
flying evidence of the prosperity, not only of our
commerce, but of the other great interests nnon
which that depends.
The principle that all moneys not required for
the current expenses of the government should re-
main for active employment in the hands of the peo-
pie, and the conspicuous fact that the annual reye-
nue. from all sources exceeds, by many millions of
dollars, the amount needed for prudent and eco
nomical administration of public affairs cannotfail
to suggest the proprety of an early revision and
reduction of the tariff of duties On imports 1t il
now so generally conceded that the purpose of rev.
enue alone can justify the imposition of duties on i'm
ports. that, in read jusng the impost tables and
schedules, which unquestiOnaby require essential
notifications, departure from the principles of
the present tariff is not anticipated.
ARMY.
The army. during the past year. has been active
lv engaged in defending the Indian frontier the
state of service permitting but few and small gar
risOns in our permanent Notifications. The addi-
tional regiments authorized at the last session of
congress have been recruited and organized and u
large portion of the troops have already been sent
to the field. All the duties which devolye ON the
/ military establishment have been satisfactorily per-
formed and the dangers and privations incident to
the character OF the service required of troops
have furnished additional evidence of their courage
| zeal Ify tn ltiSi+in oI
their country may make upon them. For the de-
tails of the military operations the distribution of
the troops and additional provisions required for
the military service, refer to the report of the
secretary of war and the accompanying documents
Experience, gathered from events tha have trans
pired since my last annual message, has but served
to confirm the opinion then expressed of the pro-
prety OF making provision by retired list for dis
abled officers, and for increased compensation for
the officers retained the list for active duty All
the reasons which existed when these measures
were recommended on former occasions continue
without modification, except far as circumstan-
ces have given to some of them additional force
4 The recommendations heretofore made for a mar
tial reorganization of the army, are also renewed
The thorough elementary education given to thos,
officers, who commenced their service with the
grade of cadet, qualities them to a considerable ex
tent to perform the duties of every arm of the ser
vice; but to give the highest efficiency to artillery
i requires the practice and special study of many
years and it is not, therefore believed to be adyi
sable to maintain in time of peace, larger force
of that arm than can be usually employed in the
duties appertaining to the service OF field md siege
artillery The duties of the staff in all its various
branches belonging to the movements of troops,
and the efficiency of an army in the field would ma
: terially depend upon the ability with which those
duties discharged. 1t is not, as in the case of
artillery speciality, but requires also an intimate
knowledge of the duties of an officer of the line
and it is not doubted that, to complete the educa-
ton of officer for either the lire or the general
staff it is desirable that he shall have served in both
i With this view, it was recommended on "a former
occasion that the duties of the staff should be main
i y performed by details from the line and with
conviction of tie advantages which would result
from snch change, it is again presented for the
consideration of congress. ...a......
NAVY.
I The report of the secretary of the navy,
I herewith submitted, exhibits in full the ma