The weekly Columbian., 1857-01-17
The Departments.

L
June, 1856, there were 25,565 Post OH
ces, being an increase of 4,664 in four
years. On the 18th of June, there were
in operation nearly 5000 mail routes,
the total length of which was estimated
at 235,642 miles, costing S6,035, ,474.
The increase during the fiscal year was
nearly 100000 miles. In Nebraska and
Kansas, 1O,23S miles were added to the
length of the routes. Between the lst OF
July, 1858, and the 1st of July, 1856, the
railroad service was increased l0,l77
miles, exhibiting the fact that within that
time this description of service was more
| than doubled. On the lst Of December,
1856, the length of the railroad routes
had increased to 21,310 miles. The to-
tai cost of this service at that date amount
! ed to s2,4O3,747. The whole cost ofthe
inland service on the 1st Of July was &c.
526,02S. The California expenditures
for the year 1856 were $40, 0,500.2S6, and
the gross revenue, including annual ap-
preparations for free matter, S7,620,S2l.
The deficiency is S2,7s7059.
CONDITION OF THE ARMY.-The Sec
retary Of War in his report says: "The
authorized strength of the army is 1884
the actual strength on the LIST of July
was 1862. The number of enlistments
during the twelve months ending Sept.
so, was 4,440; the number of persons
offering to enlist, but who were rejected
for minority or unftness, 5,594. The
number of casualties during the last fis-
cal year, by death, discharges and deser-
! tions, was 6,096, of which 1928 were by
desertion."
The Secretary asks for liberal appro-
priations for ornaments for new forts,
Improvements in small arms, and the ac-
cumulation of supplies of ammunition
At the present rate of appropriations by
Congress, it would require forty years to
supply each mounted piece at the forts
with hundred rounds of ammunition
but, as many needed Notifications will,
doubtless be built within that period, at
its end, our armament, probably, would
not be more complete than it is now.
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE In
TERIoR-The quantity of land sold for
cash during the last fiscal year is 9,227,-
S76 acres, for which the sum of IS, ,S21,-
Ala was received; the quantity located
with military scrip and land warrants is
S,393,4S0; the swamp lands approved to
the States 6,936,S64, that granted for
railroad purposes 15,6o0,S75, making a
total of 39,32S, los acres.
INDIAN AFFAIRs-From the report OF
the Commissioner of Indian Affairs we
extract the following: The report gives
brief and satisfactory account of the In
dians of California and then proceeds to
review the Indian disturbances of Oregon
and Washington Territories. The policy
of collecting and temporarily subsisting
the peaceful tribes, and encouraging the
hostile bands to surrender their arms and
Join the friendly Indians is said to have
been carried out with considerable sue
cess.
THE STATE OF THE TREAsURy.-The
losses to the various departments of the
government by failures and defalcations
now stand S23, ,952, from the founda-
ton of the government, of which S6,213,
345 is hopelessly lost by the death of the
parties, without leaving any effects. The
outstanding claims altogether are equal
to about II per cent on S1.SS6.136,014
received into the public Treasury, or 5 Of
per cent on the receipts and expendi-
lures. The receipts and expenditures
during the past fiscal year amounted to
s146,SS6,433, and were received, trans
ferred, and paid at and from different
points, at a net profit in the operations Of
the Independent Treasury of s41,97S
That is, the charges for transferring mo-
ney were Sf2,946, and the premium on
Treasury drafts was S54,924.