Council Bluffs bugle. [volume] (City of Council Bluffs, Iowa) 1853-1857, 1856-01-29

Kingdom and the state or Nicaragua have also
aeceeded TO declaraton,. Recognizing p inter
national rights the prince pies contained IN the
conventions betweensthe UAS<and Russia of the
ga of July, 1854. These treaties and conven
tions will be laid before the Senate for ratitlca-
tioa.
The army, during the past year, has been ac-
lively engaged in defending the Indian frontier
the state OF the service permitting but few and
small garrisons to our perman ent Notifications.
The additional reg lments authorized at the last
session of Congress have been recruited and or
ganized, and large portion OF the troop, have
Already been sent to the field All the duties
which devolvc OIL the military establishments
have been satisfactorily performed, aud the dan
gers and psivatious incident 10 the character of
the service required of our troops have furnish
ed additional evidence of their courage. zeal,
aud capacity to meet any requistfloh. which
their country may make upon them. For the
details of the military operations, the distribu-
ton of the troops, ana additional provisions
required for the military service, refer to the
report Of the Secretary OF VA, and the ac
companying documents,
Experience gathered from events which have
TRANSFERRED since my st annual message. has
but served to confirm the opinion then express
sed of the propriety Of making provision. BY
retired list, for disabled officers, and for ill.,
creased compensation To the officers retained on
the list for active duty. All the reasons which
existed, when these measures were recommen-
ded on former occasions, continue without
modification, except so far as circumstances
have given to some of them additional force,
The recommendation heretofore made for
partial re-orga ization OF the army, are also
newed The thoro' elementary education civ
en- to those officers, who commence their SER
vice wi tn the ade Of cadet, qualities them, to
a considerable extent, TO perform the duties of
every arm of the service bur TO give tn. high
est efficiency 10 artillery, req Iires tue practice
and special study of many years; and IS not,
! Therefore, believed to be advisable to maintain
| ia time of peace, larger 70 &C of that arm than
can be casually employed lii duties appertalning
to the service of held aud sejge artillery. The
duties OF the staff in all its various branches be-
| long to the movements Of troops, and the eff
cheney of an army in the field would materially
depend upon the ability with which those du-
ties are di charged. Ii is not, "a IN the case Of
the artillery, speciality, but requires also, al
intimate knowledge OF the duties Of officer
Of the line, and it Is not doubted that to coin
plete the education OF an officer for either tn
line or the general stall 1t i d. s;rable that b."
shall have served in both. With this view, it
was recommended on a former occasion that tiIc
duties OF the staff should be mainly performed
.
ton of the advantages which would result from
snch change; it is again presented for the con-
sldefatioa OF Congress.
NAVY.
The report of the Secretary of the Navy,
herewith submitted, exhibits in full the ma
val operations of the past year, together with
the service, and it makes suggestions of fur
ther legislation TO which your attention. in
! vited.
The construction Of the six steam frigates,
for which appropriations were made by the
last Congress, has proceeded in the most sat
istactorv manner, and with such expedition,
as to warrant the belief that they will be
ready for service early in the coming spring.
important as this addition TO our naval force
is, it still remains inadequate to the contingent
exigences OF the protection OF the extensive
sea cost and vast commercial Interests of
the L. States. In view If this tact, and of
the acknowledged wisdom OF the policy of
"a gradual and systematic Increase Of the
navy, an appro priation is recommended for
tue construction of SIX steam sloops-of War
In regard TO the steps taken in execution
of the act Of Congress 10 proaote the eihc-
iencv Of tho navy, itls unnecessary for me TO
say more than To express entire concurrence
in the observations on that subject presented
by the Secretary in his report.
POST OFFICE.
II will he perceived, by he report Of the
Postmaster General. that the gross expendi-
ture Of the departm nj tor the last tSc>sA year,
vas nine million nine hundred and sixty
eight thousand three hundred and forty two
! dollars, and the gross receipts seven million
| ~ -txSn 4 nj ono
hundred and thirty-sx dollars, making an
! excess of expenditure over receipts OF two
million six hundred aud twcnty-six thousand
/ two hundred and six dollars; and that the
cost Of mail transportation during that year
". 8 six hundred and seventy-teNr thousand
nin., hundred and hfty-tMo dollars greater
than he previous year. Much Of the heavy
srnpna. lures, to which Il e Tr asury is thus
sui;ac,en is~s beascrbed to the large guam
tityof prin ed matter con veyed by the mails,
either fra,A I'd, or li>ble to no postage by
law. or to yer low rates OF postage cnmpar-
VI 10 that cha rged on letters; AID to tie
-, aat cost Of mail service on railroads anu 10y
Eco n steamers. The suggestions OF the
pnsu ,aster General on che subject deserve
thu cor, sideration of c, ngrsss'
INTERIOR. .st
The report ofthe Secrc airy OF the Interior
will engage our attention, rs wen lor u>eiu!
suggestions'it obtains, as for the interest and
Importance of the subjects to y alch they re-
fer. ;,
The aggregate amount of public land sold
during the last fiscal year, located n nth mill
tary scrip or land warrants, taken w under
grants for roads, and Sc. ected as swamp lands
by states, is twenty four million i've /. IN !.
dred and ffty-seven thousand four hnndr,, q
and nine acres; of which the portion SOLD
was fifteen million seven hund. ed aud twenty
nine thous and FIVE hundred and twenty-tour
acres, yielding in receipts the SUI OF eleven
million four hundred aud eighty-fve thou-
sand three hundred and eighty doll srs. In
the same period of time, eight million seven
hundred AID twcnty-three thousand eight
hundred aud hfty-iour acres have been SUR
x.o,oJ. Int in Sidaraftou IF thu onapllIV