The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-12-10

has worked we'll in practice. Already, thirteen
States and seven Territories have been carved
out of these lands and still more than thousand
millions OF acres remain unsold. What bound
less prospect this presents to our country of fu-
ture prosperity and power!
We have heretofore disposed of 363, s62, 464
acres OF the public land.
Whilst the public lands as source of revenue
are of great Importance, their Importance is far
greater as furnishing homes for hardy and in
dependent race of honest and industrious citi-
zens, who desire to subdue and cultivate the soil.
Ihey ought to be administered mainly with a
view ofpromoting this wise and benevolent pol
ICY. In appropriating them for any other purpose,
we ought to use even greater economy than If
they mad been converted into money, and the pro-
ceeds were already in the public treasury. To
squander away this richest and noblest inherit
ance which any people have ever enjoyed, upon
OBJECTS OF doubtful constitutionality or expedi-
ency, would be to violate one of the most impor-
tant trusts ever committed to any people. Whilst
DO not deny to Congress the power, when acting
BONA hide as proprietor, to give away portions
OF them for the purpose of increasing the value
OF the remainder, yet, considering the great
temptation to abuse this power, we cannot be
too cautious in its exercise
Actual settlers under existing laws are pro-
tected against other purchasers at the public
safes, In their right of emption, to the extent
OF quarter-section, or l60 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 a
great extent in public lands. The consequence
mas been, that large portions of them have be-
come the property of individuals and companies,
and thus the price is greatly enhanced to those
who desire to purchase for actual settlement.
In order to limit the area of speculation as much
as possible, the extinction of the Indian title and
of
keep pace with the tide of emigration.
II Congress should hereafter grant alternate
sections to States or companies, as they have
done heretofore, recommend that the interme-
date sections retained by the Government should
be subject to presumption by actual settlers
1t ought ever to be our cardinal policy to re-
serve the public lands much as may be for
actual settlers, and this at moderate prices. We
shall thus not only best promote the prosperity
OF the new States and Territories, and the power
OF the Union, but shall secure homes for our pos
terlty for many generations
The extension of our limits has brought with
In our jurisdiction many additional and populous
tribes OF Indians, large proportion of which are
wild, untractable and difficult to control. Preda-
tory and warlike in their disposition and habits
1t is impossible altogether to restrain them from
committing aggressions on each other as well as
upon our frontier citizens and those emigrating
to our distant States and Territories. Hence,
expensive military expeditions frequently ne
cessary 10 overawe and chastise the more lawless
and hostile.
The present system Of making them valuable
presents to influence them to remain at peace
has proved Intellectual. 1t is believed to be the
better policy to colonize them in suitable ocali-
ties, where they can receive the rudiments of
education and be gradually induced to adopt
habits ofindustry. So far as the experiment has
been tried it has worked well in practice, and it
will doubtless prove to be less expensive than
the present system.
The whole number of Indians within our terri
torial limits is believed to be, from the best data
in the Interior Department, about 1926, 900.
The tribes of Cherokees, Choctaws Chicka-
saws, and Creeks, settled in the territory set
apart for them west of Arkansas, are rapidly ad-
vancing in education and in all the arts of civil
ization and self-government; and we may in
dulge the agreeable anticipation that at no very
distant day they will be incorporated into the
Union as one of the sovereign States.
1t will be seen from the report of the Post
master General that the Post Office Department
still continues to depend the treasury as it
has been compelled to do for several years past,
for an important portion of the means of sustain
ing and extending its operations Their rapid
growth and expansion are shown by dscennial
statement of the number of post Offices, and the
length of post roads, commencing with the year
1927. In that year there were 1000 post offices :;
in 1887, ll,l77; in lS47 l5,l46; and in 1857
they number 2G,5S6. In this year, 1925 post
offices have been established and 7O4 discon-
tinued, leaving net increase of l,O2l. The
postmasters of 368 offices are appointed by the
President
The length of post roads in 1927 was lO5>336
miles; in 1897 l4l ,242 miles; in l847, 1888
miles, and in the year 1857 there are 242, COL
miles of post road, including 22,53O miles of rail-
road, on which the mails are transported.
The expenditures of the Department for the
fiscal year ending on the Both June, 1857 as ad-
justed by the Auditor, amounted to $ll ,5O7 67O.
To defray these expenditures, there was to the
credit of the Department on the lst July, 1856,
the sum of S789,599; the gross revenue of the
year, including the annual allowances for the
transportation of free mail matter, produced
S8,053,95l and the remainder was supplied by
the appropriation from the treasury of So $50 O0O
granted by the act of Congress approved August
Is, 1856, and by the appropriation of S666,8S3,
made by the act of March 3, 1857, leaving
1882, 7G3 to be carried to the credit of the De-
partment in the accounts of the current year.
commend to your consideration the report of
the Department in relation to the establishment of
the overland mail route from the Mississippi river
to San Francisco California. The route was
selected with my full concurrence, as the one, in
my judgment best calculated to attain the i'm
portant objects contemplated by Congress.
The late disastrous monetary revusion may
have one good effect, should it cause both the
Government and the people to return to the
practice of wise and judicious economy, both in
public and private expenditures.
An overlooking treasury has led to habits of
prodigality and extravaganza in our legislation.
| 1t has induced Congress to make large appropri-
| atoms to objects for which they never would
| have provided had it been necessary to raise the
| amount of revenue required to meet them by in
creased taxation or by loans. We are now COM
PEELED to pause in our career, and to scrutinize
our expenditures with the utmost vigilance and
in performing this duty, pledge my cooperation
to the extent of my constitutional competency.
| 1t ought to be observed, at the same time, that
| true public economy does not consist in with
| holding the means necessary to accomplish i'm
portant national objects intrusted to us by the
Constitution, and especially such as may be ne
cessary for the common defence. In the present
crisis of the country it is our duty to contne our
appropriations to objects of this character unless
| in cases where Justice to individuals may de-
mand different course. In all cases, care ought
to be taken that the money granted by Congress
shall be faithfully and economically applied.
Under the Federal Constitution, i" every bill
which shall have passed the House of Represent
atives and the Senate, shall before it becomes
law" be approved and signed by the President !;
and, if not approved, " he shall return it with
his objections to that House in which it origi-
mated" In order to perform this high and re-
sponsible duty sufficient time must be allowed
the President to read and examine every bill pre-
scented to him for approval. Unless this be af-
| forded, the Constitution becomes dead letter in
| this particular; and even worse, it becomes a
means of deception Our constituents seeing the
Presidents approval and signature attached to
each act of Congress, are induced to believe that