Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1857-12-16

cal wear will, in all probability be Increassd
from the causes set forth in the report of, the
Secretary. His suggestion, therefore, that au-
thority should be giyento supply any tempo
rary deficiency by the issue OF limited amount
of treasury notes, is approved, and accord
ingly recommend the passage of such taw-
As stated in tie report of the Secretary, the
tariff of March 3, 1857, has been inoperation tor
so short period of time, and under cIrcum-
stances so unfavorablc TO a just development
OF its results as a revenue measure. that l
shouid regard it as ineXpedieut, at least for the
present, to undertake its revision \
81 . INCREASE OF ARMY AND NAVY.
TThe President recommends an increase III
the Army aud Navy, viz the raising OF tour
additional regiments, and the construction OF
ten war steamers, the whole cost OF the vessels
to be about 81 500 ,000.l t
THE PUBLIC LANDS ... s.-E
The report OF the Secretary OF the Interior
! is worthy OF grave consideration. 1t treats OF
the numerous, important, and diversified oran-
| ches of domestic administration intrusted to
/ him by law. Among these the most proml-
nent are the public lands and our relations
/ with the Indians. -..sE ....
| Our system for the disposal of the public
| lands, originating with the fathers OF the re-
| public, has been improved as experience poin-
/ ted the way, and gradually adapted to the
growth and settlement of our western States
/ and Territories 1t has worked well in prac-
| tice. Already thirteen States and seven Ter
ritories have. been carved out OF these lands,
and still more than thousand millions OF a.
! crcs remain unsold. What bouudiesS pros
pect this presents to our country OF future
/ prosperity and power .E
" e have heretofore disposed Of 363. $50 ,4G4
acres of the public lands srH
/ Whilst the public lands as source OF reYe-
nue. are of great importance, their Importance
| is far greater as furnishing homes for hardy
| and independent Of honest and induStrl-
| GUS citizens, who desire TO subduc and culti-
yate the soil. They ought to be administered
| mainly with view of promoting this wise and
| benevolent policy. In approprSailng them Tor
| any other purpose, we ought to use even great
er economy than if they had been converted
into money and the proceeds were already in
| the public treasury.
| Actual settlers under existing laws are pro-
tected against other purchasers at the public
sales, in their right of pre-cmption, to the eX-
tent of quaTter-section, or lGO acres OF land.
The remainder may then be disposed of at
public or entered at private sale in unlimited
quantities.
Speculation has, OF late years, prevailed to
| great extent in the public lands The con
sequence has been that large portions of them
have become the property of individuals and
companies, and thus the price is greatly en-
| hanced to those who desire to purchase for ac-
tual settlement. Tn order to limit the area OF
| speculation rs much possible, the extinction
| OF the Indian title and the extension Of the
| public surveys ought only TO keep pace with
the tide OF emigration.
If Congress should hereafter grant alternate
| sections 10 States or companies, they have
done heretofore, | recommend that the inter-
mediate sections retained by the government
should be subject to presumption by actual set
tiers
II ought ever to be our cardinal policy to
reserve the public lands as much may be for
actual scttlors, and this at moderate prices.
We shall thus not only best promote the pros
pcrity of the new States and Territories, and
the power of the Union. but shall secure homes
for our posteEity for many generations.
INDIAN AFFAIRS. -g-a.-.
The extension Of onr limits has brouSlitwith-
in or jurisdiction many additional and popu-
Ions tribes of Indians, large. proportion of
which are wild. untractaGle, and difficult to
control. Predatory and waIlikc in their dis
position and habits, it is impossible altogether
TO restrain them from committing aggreSsions
on each other, rs we'll upon our frontier cit
izens and those enig igrating to our distant States
and Territories. Hence expensive military
expeditions frequently necessary -. over
awe and chastiSe the more lawleSs and hostile.
The present system of making them yalua-
bic presents 10 influence them to remain at
peace. has proved Intellectual 1t is believed
to be the better policy TO colonize them in
suitable localities, where they can receive the
rudjments of education and be gradually in
duccd to adopt habits of industry. SO far as
the experiment has been tried it has worked
we'll in practice, and it will doubtless prove to
be less expensive than the present system.
The whole number of Indians within our
territorial limits is believed to be, from the
best data in the Interior Department, about
$4,000. The tribes of Chcrokees, Choetaws
Chickasaws, anll Creeks, settled in the terrific
ry set apart for them west of Arkansas. are
rapidly advancing in education and in all the
arts OF civilization aid sclf-gOvernment and
we may indulge the agreeable anticipation
at N l day no
porated into the Union one of the SOW
ercign States. -..--
+ POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
| 1t Will be seen from the report OF the Pest
master General that the Post Office Depart
, ment still continues to depend on the treasury,
as it has been compelled TO do for several
years past, for an important portion of the
means Of sustaining and extending its opera
tiOns. Their rapid growth and expansion are
shown by decennial statement of the num-
Der of post offices, and the length of post
| roads, commencing with the year 1927. In
that year there were 1000 post offices; in
1887, 1l,1II; in 1917, l5,7 46; and 1857 they
number 26, $50. In this year ,725 post offices
have been established and 70i discontinued,
leaving net increase of l ,02l. The postmas-
ters of 3GS offices are appointed by the Presi-
} dent. The length of post roads in 1927 was
105,331 miles; in 1887, 1i1 ,242 miles in
lS4f, 1o3,SlS miles; and in the year 1857
: there 2A2, ,6Ol miles Of post road, including
% $50 miles of railroad, on which the mails
are transported.
The expenditures of the department for the
fiscal year ending on the Both of June, 1857
as adjusted by the Auditor, amounted to SE,-
: 5D1, $50. To defray these expenditures there
was the credit of the department on the LIST
July, 1896, the sum of SFS9, ,599 the gross
{ revenue OF the year, including the annual al
: lowances for the transportation of free mail
g matter, produced sS,053,95 and the remain
HI