Eastern times., 1856-01-03


payments on account Of the public debt amounted $56
365 $685. During the same period the made
in the redemption Of the public debt including interest
and premium appointed s9s44 52S The balance in the
treasury at the beginning o the present fiscal year. July
1862 was SIS 9I6 The receipts for the first quar-
ter and the estimated receipts for the remaining three
quarters amount together to $67 S4 thus aorna IN
all as the available resources Of the current fiscal year the
sum OF SS6s56,7l0. II to the expenditures Of the
o. me current hsca year DC added the proba-
mated BY the secretary Of the treasury the will
be $ s46 thereby leaving estimated balance in
the treasury on July 1885, of s6S Al. In the
above estimated expenditures Of the scal year
included $S,o000t0 to meet the last nsalmens OF the
~ provided for In the late treaty with Mexico,
Texas, which two make aggregate 80
and reduce the expenditures. actual estimated
Tor ordinary obrcts Of the to the OF $50
The amount Of the public debt the commencement Of
present fiscal year 6s and deduction being
made Of subsequent payments Of the whole public debt Of
the federal government remaining ut this time less than
$t0O00O OO0 The remnant Of certain other government
stocks, amounting to $2i3O00 referred my last an
nua message as outstanding, has since been paid. am
fully persuaded that would be difficult devise sys-
tenn superior TO that by which the fiscal business a the
government is conducted.
Notwithstanding the great number Of public agents Of
collection and disbursement is believed that the checks
and guards provided including the requirement monthly
returns render scarcely possible for any considerable
fraud the part Of those agents. or neglect involving
ard Of serious public loss to escape detection renew
however, the heretofore made by me-
the enactment OF law declaring it felony the part
public officers to insert false entries their books Of
or account to make false and also recurring
them on the termination ther service deliver to their
successors all books and records and all other objects of
public nature in their custody Derived as our public
eDue is in chief part Of duties imports magnitude
Affords gratifying evidence Of the prosperity, not only Of
commerce. but also the other great interests upon which
that depends The principle that all moneys required
for the current expenses of the should remain
for active employment in the hands of the the
conspicuous fact that the all
exceeds by many millions Of dollars the for
prudent and economical administration the public az
fail the
ion and reduction of the tariff of the duties imports
1t so generally conceded that the purnos ~ raw
enue alone justify the imposition Of duties on imports
that readustng the mpos tables and schedules unoues
tionaby require essential modification departure from
the principles Of the present tariff is not anticipated
The army during the past year has been &C.
lively engaged in defending the Indian frontier,
the state of the service permitting but few and
small garrisons in our permanent Qualifications
The additional regiments authorized at the last
session of congress have been recruited and or
ganized, and a large portion of recruits have
already been sent to the field. All the duties
which devolved on the military establishment
have been satisfactorily performed. and the dan
gers and privations incident to the character of
the service required of our troops have furnish
ed additional evidence of their courage. zeal
and capacity to meet any requisiticn which their
country may make upon them For the details
of the military operations, the distribution of
the troops. and additional provisions REQUIRED
for the military service, refer you to the re-
port Of the secretary of war and the accompa-
nying documents. Experience, gathered from
events which have transpired since my last an
nual message, has but served to confirm the
opinion then expressed of the propriety of ma
king provision, by 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 recommended on former occa-
sions continue without modification, except so
far as circumstances have given to some of them
additional force.
The recommendation heretofore made for a
partial reorganization of the army are also re-
newed. The thorough elementary education
given to those officers, who commence their
service with the grade of cadet, qualities them
to considerable extent, to perform the duties
of every arm of the service but 20 give the
highest efficiency Ito artillery, requires the
practice and special study of many years. and
it is not therefore believed to be advisable to
maintain in time of peace. Il larger force of that
arm than can be usually employed in the du-
ties appertaining to the service of the field and
| seige artillery. The duties Of the staff, in all
its various branches. belong to the movements
of troops, and the efficiency of an army in the
field would materially depend upon the ability
with which these duties are discharged. 1t is
not, as in the case of the artillery, especially,
but requires also an intimate knowledge of the
duties of an officer of the line, and it is not
doubted, that to be complete the education of
an officer for either the line general staff, it
is desirable that he should have served with
both. With this view it was recommended, on
former occasion, that the duties of the staff
should be mainly performed by details from tho