Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1857-12-15

L.
! They ought TO be administered mainI
with view of promoting this wise an
: benevolent policy. In appropriating then
for any other purpose, we ought to use e
ven greater economy than if they had bee
converted INTO money and the proceed:
already in the public treasury. To sauan
ger away the richest and nobEest inherit
| ance which the people have ever enjoyed
upon objects o. doubtful constitutions lii,
or expedlency, would be 10 violate one o
Tie most important trusts ever committed
to any people. While | do not DENY I,
congress the power, when acting bona I'D,
as a proprietor, to give away portions @
them tor the purpose of increasing the
value OF the remainder, yet, considering
the great temptation TO abuse tbs power
we cannot be too cautious In It's exercise
Actual settlers under existing laws are
protected against other purchasers at The
public sales, In their right of pre-emptior
TO the extent of a quarter section of land
The remainder may then be disposed OF
at public or entered al private sale in Inn.
tied quantities.
Speculation has Of late years prevailed to a
great extent ia public lands Tie consequence
has been that large portions of them have e
y a.
mes, and thus the price is greatly enhanccd to
| those who desire To purchase for actual settle
! nent. In order 10 limit the area of speculation
as much as possible, the extinction Of the Ind-
an tltle aud the extension of the public surveys
u9ht only TO keep pace with the tide of emf
| Grafton.
If Congress should hereafter grant alternate
| sections 10 States companies az they have
done heretofore, | recommend that the interme-
/ date sections retained by the Government
! Ia Nv,
! tiers.
| 1t ought ever to be cardina. policy to re-
serve the public lands rs much as NAV be for
actual settlers and this at limited prices We
snail thus not only best promote the prosperity
| OF The new States and Territories. and the pow
er OF the Union, but shall secure homes for our
| post-rlty for many generations.
The extension OF our limits has brought with
| IA our jurisdiction many additional and popu-
lous tribes of Indians large portion of which
are Wild, untractable, and difficult to control
Predatory and warlIke in their disposition and
habits, 1t Is impossible altogether TO restrain
them from committing agyressons on each 9TH
er, as we'll as upon frontier citizens and
Jhose ENGRAVING TO our distant States and Ter
rltorIeS. Hence expensive military expeditions
are frequently necessary to overawe and chastise
the more lawiess and hostile
The present system oi making then valuable
presents TO Influence them to remain at peace
mas proved Intellectual. Ii is believed 10 be the
!iies, where they can receive the rudlments of
education, and be gradually ind ICED to adopt
habits OF industry. SO far as the experiment
nas been tried it has worked well ia practice
and It VIII doubtless prove 10 be less expensive
han the present system.
The whole number OF Indians within our ter
rl,orlal limits Is believed to be from the best
iata IN the Interior department, about 32J 900
The tribes of Cherokces, ChUctaws, Chcka-
SAWS and Greeks, settled in the territory SCI
ID hon VA. tf,ft Arl-1
vancing IN education aud in all the arts OF
civilization and seli-gOvernmeut and we may
indulge the agreeable anticipation that at no
very distant day they viii be Incorporated into
The I n Oh one of the sovereign S ,ates.
IL viii be seen from the Report OF the Post
master General that the Post Office Department
silI continues to depend on the treasury, as Ii
aas been compelled To do for several years past,
for an important portion Of the means OF sus-
aiming and extending its operations. Their
afIA growth and expansion are shown 10 de
ccHE.al statement of she number Of post offices
thd The length of post roads, commencing with
he year 1877. In that va there 1000
post Offices; IN 1887, lll77 ; in 1871, 1915 :;
aud IA lc03 they number 26,0S6. In this year
I,725 post offices have been established and 20
discontinued, leaving net increase of l,02l.-
Tine pustmasters of 365 offices are appointed BY
the President.
The length of post roads in 1927 WAS l05 1876
miles in 1887, 142, 242 miles in 1871 l53 SIo
miles; in 1891 there are 242 i0I miles of post
roads, including 22.53U miles of railroad Oh
winch the mails are transported.
The expenditures OF the Department for the
fiscal year ending the Goth June 1887, as adj
usted by the Auditor, amounted TO 81 ,501 go
To dcIray these expenditures there was to tie
credit of the Department on the lst July, 1886,
the sum of : 5000 The gross revenue of the
year, including the annual allowances for the
trans purjatIuu Of free ma1 matter Produced
SS053 95l and the remainder was supplied bv
he appropriation from The treasury of S22jO,-
100, granted by the act of Congress, approved
August Is, 1886, and by the appropriation OF
; sos $50 made by the act of March }, 1864
leaving S252,1G3 TO be carried to the credit OF
Of the Department in the accounts of the cur
rent year l commend to your consideration
the report of the Department in relation to the
establishment OF the oE crland mail route from
the Mississippi river 10 San Francisco Caliior-
MIA. The route selected with my full con-
currence, as the one, IN my Judgment, best cal
cul4ted to attain the important objects contcm-
PLACED by Congress.
The late disastrous monetary Revision may
have one good effect should it cause both the
government and the people 10 return To .the
practice Of a wise and judicious economy both
IN public and private expenditures.
An oveltlowlng treasury has led to the habits
of prodigalIty and extravaganza IN our leglsla-
ton. 1t has induced Congress to make large
appropriations to objects for which they would
never have provided had it been necessary to
raise the amount of revenue required to meet
them by al increased taxation or by loans. We
are now compelled to pause IN our career and
to scTutinIzc our expenditures with the utmost
vigilance and in performing this duty, pledge
my cooperation 10 the extent Of my conslitu-
tIunal competency.
Ii ought to be observed at he same time that
true public economy does not consist in with
holding the means necessary to accomplish i'm
parlaut national object, mtruoted to by the
! Constitution, and especially such as MY be
necessary for the common defence. In the
present crisis OF the country 1t Is our duty to
confine our appropriations to objects Of this
character, unless In case where justice TO indi
viduas may demand different course. In all
cases care ought 10 be taken that the money
granted by Congress shall be faithfully and
economically applied
/ Under the Federal Constitution every bin
which shall have passed the House of Repre-
seu1atiyes and the Senate, shall, before 1t be-
/ comes law" be approved, and signed, by the
/ President; and II not approved, he shall re-
turn 1t with his objections to that house in which
/ it originated" In order to perform this high