Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1857-12-19


from. the causes set forth in the Report Of
the Secretary. His suggestion, therefore,
that authority should be oven to supply any
temporary deficiency by The issue of limit
cd amount Of Treasury Notes, is approved,
and ] accordingly recommend the passage of
such law.
Az stated in the Report of the Secretary,
the tariff OF March 8, 1857, has been in ope-
ration for so short time, and under circuin-
stances 90 unfavorable to just development
of its re- uts rs revenue measure, that
should regard it AZ an expedient, at least for
the present, to undertake its revision.
transmit herewith the reports made to
me by the Secretaries of War and the Navy,
OF the Interior and of the Postmaster Gene
raj. They all contain valuable and impor-
tant information and suggestions which l
recommend to the favorable consideration
of Congress.
have already recommended the raising
of four additional regiments, and the Report
OF the Secretary of W ar presents strong rea
sons proving this increase Of the army, un-
der existing circumstances, to be indispensa-
bic.
Iwould call the special attention of Con-
gress to the recommendation of the Secreta-
ry of the Navy in favor of the construction
ut ten small war steamers Of light draught.
For some years the government has been
obliged on many occasions to hire such
steamers from individuals to supply its pres
sing wants. At the present time we have
no armed vessel in the navy which can PEN
citrate the rivers of China. We have but
few which can enter any of the harbors
south of Norfolk, although many millions of
foreign and domestic commerce annually
pass in and out of these harbors. Some of
our most valuable interests and most vulner-
able points are thus left exposed This class
of vessels of light draught, great speed, and
heavy guns would be formidable in coast
defence. The cost of their construction will
not be great and they will require but COM
parativeJy small expenditure to keep them
in commission. In time Of peace they will
prove as effective as nj larger vessels,
and often more useful lone of them
should be at every station where we main
tain squadron, and three or four should be
constantly employed on our Atlantic and
Pacific coasts. Economy, utility, and eff
cheney combine to recommend them as al
most Indispensable. Ten of these small ves-
sells would be of incalculable advantage to
the naval service, and the whole cost of
their construction would not exceed two
million three hundred thousand dollars, or
$3.50, 900 each.
| The Report Of the Secretary of the lutte
rior is worthy of grave consideration.
treats of the numerous, important, and di
versified branches of administration intrust-
ed to him by law. Among these the most
prominent are the pablo lands and our rela-
tons with the Indians.
Our system for the disposal of the public
lands, originating with the fathers of the re-
public, has been improved rs experience
pointed the way, and gradually adapted to
the growth and settlement Of our western
States and Territories. 1t he's 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 uns0d. What Il
bonnd.ess prospect this presents to our
country of future prosperity and power!
We have heretofore disposed of 1863, 652,-
AGA acres of the public land.
| Whilst the public lands as a source Of rev.
enue are of great Importance, their impor-
lance is far greater as furnishing homes for
a hardy and independent race of honest and
industrious citizens, who desire to subdue
and cultivate the soil. They ought to be
administered mainly with the view Of pro-
noting this wise and benevolent policy. In
appropriating them for any other purpose,
We ought to use even greater economy than
if they had been converted into money and
..he proceeds were already in the public trea-
sury. 20 squander away the richest and
noblest Inheritance which any people have
ever enjoyed, upon objects Of doubtful con-
stitutionality or expediency, w6nld be to
violate one Of the most important trusts ever
committed to any people. Whilst do not
deny to Congress the p.lf1ns, wheiN'ac,ing
bona fde as proprietor, L. i've away por-
tons 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
protected against other purchasers at their
public sales, in their right OF prescriptions,
to the extent Of a quarter section, or l6O
acres OF land. The remainder may then be
disposed of at public sale or entered at pri-
vate 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 mdividu-
ais and companies, and thus the price is
greatly enhanced to those who desire to pur-
chase for actual settlement. In order to lin
it the area Of speculation as much as posi-
bic, 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 alter
nate sections to States or companies, as they
have done heretofore, | recommed that The
intermediate sections retained by the gov
eminent should be subject to presumption
by actual settlers.
1t ought ever to be our cardinal policy to
reserve the public lands as much as may 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 posterity for many genera
tions.
The extension of our limits has brought
within our jurisdiction many additional and
populous tribes of Indians, large proper
ton of which are wild, intractable and diff
ficult to control. Predatory and warlike
in their disposition and habits, it is impos-
sible altogether to restrain them from COM
hitting aggressions on each other, as well as
upon the frontier citizens and those emigra>
ting to our distant States and Territories
Hence expensive military expeditions are
frequently necessary to overawe and chastise
the more lawless and hostile.
The present system OF making them valu
able presents to influence them to remain at
peace, has proven Intellectual. 1t is believed
to be the better policy to colonize them in
suitable localities, where they can receive
the rudments of education, and he gradual
~ induced to adopt habits of industry. So
far as the experiment Las been tried it has
worked we'll in practice, and will doubtless
prove to be less expensive than the present