The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-12-09

them as almost Indispensable Ten of these small YES
ssls would be of ncacuabe advantage the naval SER
vice. and the whole cost of their construction would not
exceed two million three hundred thousand dollars, or
$3.50, 900 each. Il IEef ~ Il ris t.ta1.- ~ 4
The report Of the Secretary of the interior is worthy Of
grave consideration IL treats Of the numerous import
ant and diversified branches OF domestic administration
ntristed to him by law Among these the most promi
ncn the public lands and relations with the In
dams TilfFfT. IN, gEs rglgV VaF ITEt
Our system for the disposal of the public lands ong
mating with the fathers of the republic has been inn
proved experience pointed the way, and gradually
adapted 10 the growth and settlement Of western
States and Territories 1t has worked well in practice
Already thirteen States and Territories have been
carved out Of these lands and still than thousand
millions Of acres eniain unsold Wbata boundess pros
pect This presents to our country Of future prosperity and
poxtf! ~
We have heretofore disposed Of 1868 ss2 4ef acres OF
the public land aRts sfsf GlsHa aslranE
Whilst the public lands as source of reyerre are OF
great importance their Importance is far greater fur
nishng homes for hardy and Independent Of honest
and industrious citizens, who desire to subdue and cult
rete the soil They ought to be administered mainly with
view Of promoting tfis wge and benevolent policy In
appropratng them for any other utbosei we ought to
greater economy than if they had besh Convert
ed into money and the proceeds already in the pub
lie treasury To squandcr away this richest and noblest
Inheritance which any people have enjoyed upon OBJ
ects Of doubtful oonsttutonality expedency would
be 10 violate of the most important trusts
mitted to any people, Whilst do not deny to Congress
the power when acting bona d proprietor to give
away portions of them for the purpose of increasing the
value of the remainder, yet considering the great empta
ton to abuse this power we cannot be too cautious in its
exercise. " h7Is -. ,fE. T.
Actual settlers under existing laws are pfoteeed against
other purchasers Mt the public sales in their right pre-
emption to the extent of quarter section 100 acres
of land The remainder may then be disposed of at pub
lie or entered at private sale in unlimited quantities.
Speculation has of late years prevailed to great
tent in the public lands The consequence has been that
large portions of them have become the property of nd
vduals and companies and thus the price greatly
HANGED to those who desire to purchase for actual settle
ment In order to limit the of speculation as much
possible the extinction of the Indian title and the ex
tension of the public surveys ought only to keep
with the tide of emigration. El agItEn #8uBEFrEf
If Congress should hereafter grant alternate sections to
States companies they have done heretofore
ommend that the intermediate sections retained by the
government should be subject to presumption by actual
settlers. as.1
ought ever to be our cardinal policy to reserve the
public lands much may be for actual settlers and
this at moderate prices We shall thus not only best pro-
mote the prosperity of the States and Territories
and the power OF the Union but shall homes for
our posterity for many generations d s.r X.
The extension of our limits has brought within our
jurisdiction many additional and popuous tribes of In
dians large proportion of which wild untractabe
and difficult to control Predatory and warlike in their
disposition and habits it is impossible altogether to
strain them from committing aggressions each other
well upon our frontier citizens and those emigang
to distant States and Territories Hence expensive
and chastise the more lawless and hostile.
The present system of making them valuable presents
to influence them to remain at peace has proved ineec
tual 1t is believed TO be the better policy to colonize
them in suitable localities, where they receive the
rudiments Of education and be gradually induced to adopt
habits of industry. So far the experiment has been
tried has worked well in practice and it will doubtless
prove to be less expensive than the present system
The whole number of Indians within territorial
limits is believed to be, from the best data in the In
terror Department, about 325, 600 ~
The tribes of Cherokees, Choctaws, Chickasaws and
Creeks settled in the territory set apart for them west
Arkansas, rapidly advancing In education and in
all the arts of civilization and selgovernment and
may indulge the agreeable anticipation that at very
distant day they will be incorporated into the Union as
one of the sovereign States. af. ra4.a,s *. 7.
1t will be from the report of the Postmaster Gen.
eral that the Post Office Department still continues to de-
pend on the treasury as 1t has been compelled to do for
several past for important portion of the
of sustaining and extending its operations Their rapid
growth and expansion shown by decennia statement
of the number of post Offices and the length of post
roads, commencing with the year 1927. In that year
there 900 post Offices in 1887, H. lit; in I847
49, l46 and in 1857 they number $3.50 In this year
T25 post Offices have been established and 704 discon
tnued leaving net increase of OIL The posmasters
Of 36S offices appointed by the President.
The length of post roads in 1927 los, 1886 miles
in 1887 l41 242 miles in 1S47 1888 miles and in
the year 1857 there 242 COL miles of post road in
Guiding 225 miles of railroad on which the mails
transported. fa
ending the 30th Juns, 1857 adjusted by the Audi
tor amounted to $l1, 507 670 To defay these expend
lures there to the credit of the department the LIST
July, 1856, the of S7S9 ,599 the gross of
the year. including the annual allowances for the trans
portaton of free mail matter produced S. 053 and
the remainder supplied by the appropriation from the
treasury OF 81 00O granted by the act of Congress
approved August 49, 1885, and by the appropriation of
$500 1888 made by the act of March 8, 1857 leaving
$751; to be carried to the credit of the department in
the accounts of the current year commend to your
the establishment OF the overland mail route from the
Mississippi river to San Francisco, California The route
selected with my full concurrence the one i'm my
Judgment best calculated to attain the important objects
contemplated by Congress.
The late disastrous monetary revuson may have one
good effect should it both the and the
people to return to the practice Of wise and udcious
economy both in public and private expenditures.
An OVERLOOKING treasury has led to habits of prodigal
iy and extravaganza in our legislation 1t has induced
Congress to make large appropriations to objects for which
they would have provided had it been necessary
raise the amount of required to meet them by
increased taxation by loans We now compelled
to in career and to scrutnze expenditures
with the utmost vigilance and in performing this duty
pledge my cooperation TO the extent of consttu-
tional competency. .s.-.
1t ought to be observed the same time that true
public economy does not consist in Withholding the means
necessary TO accomplish important national objects in
trusted TO by the constitution, and especially such
may be necessary for the defence In the pres
emit crisis of the country 1t is duty conne our APP
where justice to individuals may demand different
In all ought to be taken that the
money granted by Congress shall be faithfully and
nomcally applied ..- ..-.I