Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1856-12-12


manner Of efiecting It, ore questions Of great
and general iu'eresl; it being essential to |
industrial enterprise and the public prosper /
ny, as well as the dictate of obvious justice, |
that the burden Of taxation be made to rest
as equally as possible upon all classes, aud
al sections and interests Of the country.
| have heretofore recommended to your |
consideration the REVISION Of the revenue |
laws, prepared under the direction Of the .
Secretary Of the Treasury. and also cgisa.
ton upon some special questions affecting |
the business of that department. moro espe- I
cialy the enactment Of law to punish the |
abstraction of official books or papers from |
the files of the government, and requiring all |
such books aud papers and all other public I
properly to be turned over by the outgoing
officer to his SUCCESSOR of n law requiring ]
discussing officers to dcposite all public mon |
ey in the vaults Of the treasury or in other
legal repositories. where the same are con-
venlently accessibe and a law to extend
existing penal provisions to all persons who
may become possessed ct public money by
deposte or otherwise, and who shall refuse
or neglect, on due demand, to pay the same
into the treasury. I invite your attention
anew TO each of these objects.
The army during the past year has been
so constantly employed against hostile In
diaDs IN various quarters that II can scarcely
be said, with prOprlety of language. to have
been peace establishments Its duties have
been satisfactorily performed, and we have
/ reason 10 expect, as a result Of the years
/ operations, greater security to the frontier
inhabitants than has been hitherto enjoyed.
/ Extensive combinations among the hostile
Indians of the Territories of Washington
and Oregon at one tine threa ened the de-
yastation of the newly formed settlements of
! that remote portion Of our country From
recent information, we are permitted to hope
that the energetic and successful operations
conducted there will prevent ruch comblna-
tons IN future, aud secure to those territories
au opportunity Ia make steady progress IN the
development Of their agricultural and min
ernl resources.
Legislation has been recommended by me
ON previous occasions 20 cure defects IN the
existing organization, and 10 increase the eff
hciency of the army, and further observation
has hut served To confirm the in the views
then expressed, and to enforce on my mind
the conviction that such measures are not
only propcr but necessary.
have, IA addition, 10 invite the attention
of Congress to a change OF policy in the DIS
AilNNiWNNi AlNNI7 Nlu NN Allt Necessity OF
providing more rapid increase of the mill
iary armament. For details of these and
other subjects relating 10 the army. refer to
the report of the Secretary Of War.
The condition of the Navy is not merely
satisfactory, but exhibits the most gratifying
evidences of increased vigor. As it is com
p1rouvcy small, IL is more important that il
should be as complete as possible in nl the
elements Of strength; that II should be eff
cIent 10 the character of us officers, in the
zeal aud discipline Of IT'S men, in the reliahi
ny of his ordnance and in the capacity Of its
ships 10 all these various qualities the ma
w has made great progress within the last
few years. The execution of the law of
Congress, Of February % 1855, "to pro-
mote the efficiency Of the Navy" has been
attended by the most advantageous results.
The law for promoting discipline among the
men IL found convenient and snlutary. The
system of granting an honorable discharge
totathiui seamen on the expiration of the
period OF their enlistment, and permitting
them To re-enlist after a leave Of absence OF
few mon hs, without cessation Of pay, is
highly beneficial in its influence. The ap-
prentice system recently adopted is evidently
destined 10 incorporate into the service a
large number OF our conntrymen hitherto so
difficult to procure. Several hundred Amer
lean boys are now on a three years cruise in
our national vessels, and will return well
trained seamen. In the ordnance department
there is a decided and gratifying indication
of progress crediiahle to It aud to the coun
try. The suggestions of the Secretary OF
the .Navy, in regard to further improvement
IN TINT branch Of the service commend L
, s---- 49, st"Ii~ -svt,su.
The new lrgates ordered by Congress ar,
now ailodI, aud two of them in active ser
vice. They are superior models Of naval ar
D chtecinre, and with their Formidable batter,
@ add largely to public strength and security
n concur IN the views expressed by TN
. Secretary Of the Department IN favor Of
stlll further increase Of our naval force.
The report Of lhe Secretary Of the lnterio
$ presents facts aud views in relation to inter
nal affairs over which the supervision of hi
q department extends, OF mech interest an
. Importance.
y The aggregate sales of the public land,
T. during the last fiscal year, amount to hin
vt million two hundred aud twenty seven thou,
% and eight hundred and seventy eight ncIes
IA for which has been received the sum of eigl
re millions eight hundred aud twenty one thou,
s. aud four hundred and fourteen dollars. Dul
ing The same period there have been located
le with military script and land warrants, an
+ for other purposes, thirty million one hundre
a. thousand two hundred and thirty acres, thu
10 making a total aggregate Of thirty nine nj
ct Ion three hundred aud twenty eight thous
of and one hundred aud eight acres. On III
r, 3Oth of September last, surveys had bee
As made Of sixteen million eight hundred an
III sovenly-threc thousand six hundred an
IL nlnety-nne acres large portion of whc
or is ready for market
Is. The suggestions in this report in regard
he the complication and progressive expansiC
n. Of the business Of the different bureaux
the department; to the pension system
It's the colonization Of Indian tribes, aud the re-
u concentrations IN relation to various lmprov
e. ments IN the District of Columbia, are esp
cialy commended to your consideration.
nv The report Of the Postmaster General pr
IN SCENTS fully the condition of that departme
" of The government. Its expenditures for II
be last fiscal year, were ten million four hundr
ry and seven thousand eight hundred and six
eight dollars; aud its gross receipts sew,
ITS million six hundred and twenty thousau
re eight hundred and one dollars-making
lll excess of expenditure over receipts of tg
I'd million seven hundred and eighty-sev,
,r thousand and forty six dollars. The de
IN cheney of this department is thus seven hui
he bred and forty-fiur thousand dollars great
e- than for the year ending June 30, 1853.
Is this deficiency, three hundred and thir
- thousand dollars is 10 be attributed TO the a
On ditional compensation allowed postmaste
x by the act of Congress of June %, 1851
of The mail facilities in every part of the cou
on try have been very much Increased in TN
ur period, and the large addition of railroad sc
he vice, amounting to seven thousand nine hu
ed bred and eight miles, has added largely
ed the cost OF transportation.
lis The inconsidenble augmentation of Il
on income Of the Post Office Department und
ee The reduced rates Of postage, and its ncre
sing expenditures, must, for the present,ma