Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1857-12-18

Il tfaasMn AefeTiin TIE reports made to ne
by tic SECRETARIES of War apl OF the Navy. Of
the Inferior and of the Postmaster General.-
fbey all contain valuable and important in
| fornratioh and suggestions which commend to
the favorable Consideration of Congress
have already recommended the raising of
four additional regiments, and the report o!
the Secretary of War presents strong reasons
proving this increase OF the army, under ex-
iStipg circumstances, to be Indispensable.
woald call the special attcution Of Congress
to tie Recommendation Of The Secretary of tie
Navy il faYor Of tie construction Of ten sniail
war Sieaners Of light draught For some
years the government has been obliged on many
occasions to hire such steamers from individuals
| TO supply ifs pressing wants. At the preseut
moment we nave no armed vessel N The navy
| which can penetrate the rivers Of China. We
/ have but few which can enter any Of the bar
bors south of Norfolk, although many millions
| OF foreign and domestic commerce annually pass
| in aud out of these harbors. Some Of our most
valuable interests and most vulnerable points
are titus ef! exposed. This class Of vessels os
| light draug..t, great speed and heavy guns
would be formidable in coast defence. The
| cost Of their construction viii Dot be great. aud
they viii require bat comparatively small ex-
! penditure 70 keep them ia commission. In time
Of peace they will prove as effective rs much
larger vessels and often more useful. One Of
them should be at every station where We
maintain squadron, and three or four should
be constantly employed on our Atlantic and
Pacific coasts. Economy, utility, aud efficiency
combine to recommend them as almost indis-
pe2sable. Ten OF these small vessels would be
of incalculabe advantage TO the naval service,
and the whole cost Of their construction would
rot exceed two million three hundred thousand
dollars, or $4,000 each.
The report of the Secretary of the Interior
is worthy of grave consideration. 1t treats of
the numerous, important, aud diversified
branches of domestic administration intrusted
to him by law. Among these the most proini
nent are the public lands and eur relations
with the Indians.
Our system for the disposal of the public,
lands, originating with the fathers OF the re-
public, has been improved experience pointed
the way, and gradually adapted to the growth
and settlement Of our western States aud
Territories. 1t has worked well in practice.
Already thirteen States and seven Territories
have been carved out OF these lands, aud still
more than thousand millions of acres remain
unsold. What a houndless prospect this
presents to ouT country Of future prosperity and
power
We have heretofore disposed of 363,S62,
Ash acres of the public land.
Whilst the public lands as source Of
revenue are Of great Importance, their impor-
tauce Is far greater as furnishing homes for a
hardy and independent race of honest and in
dustrlouS citizens, who desire 10 subdue aud
cultivate the soil. They ought to cs admin
istered mainly with view of promoting this
wise cod 6enesolent policy. La appropTs1tins
them for any other purpose, we ought to use
even greater economy than if they had been
converted into money ahd the proceeds were
already in the public treasury. To squauder
away this richest and mobiles. inheritance which
any people have ever enjoyed upon objects Of
doubtful consti'utionality or expediency, would
be to violate Que of the mos; important trusts
ever committed to any people. Whilst | 90
not deny to Gougress the power, when acting
bona tide as a proprietor, to give away portions
of them for the purpose of increasing the valu-
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
sales, in their right of preemption, TO tue extent
OF qnareeF-section, or 100 acres of land
The remainder may then be disposed of at pub
liz or entered at private sale in unlimited
quantities.
Speculation has Of late years preTailed TO a
great extent in the public lands. The eoD-
hos nap- hat lorOa Ssf them
have become the property Of indirduais and
companies, and thus the price Is greatly en-
HANGED to those who desire to purchase for
actual settlement. In order to limit the area
Of speculation as mrch as possible, the ex-
tinction OF the IAdian title and The extension
of the public Surveys ought only to keep pacr
with the tGs of emigration
Ii Congress should hereafter grant alternate
sections to States or companies, as they havo
done heretofore, recommend that the inter-
media:e sections retained b. the government
shorld be subject TO presumption by actual
settlers.
1t ought ever to be cur cardinal policy to
reserve tbe public tands as much as may be
for actual settlers, aad this at moderate prices
We shall thus not only best promote the pros
perity Of the new States ard Territories, and
the power Of the Uuion, but shall secure homes
for our posterity for many generations.
The extension of our limits has brought
within our jurisdiction many additional and
populous tribes of Indians, large proportion
of which are wild, untractable, aud difficult to
control. Predatory and warlike in their dis
position aud habits, it is impossible altogether
to restrain them from committing aggressions
on each other, as we'll as upon our frontier cit
liens and those emigra,ing to our distant
States and Territories. Hence expensive nil
itary expeditions are frequently necessary to
overawe and chastise the more lawless and
hostile.
The present system of making them valua-
bic presents to influence them to remain AZ
peace has proved Intellectual Il is believed TO
be the better policy to colonze them in sulta-
bic localities, who're they can receive the rudI-
ments of education and be gradually induced
to adopt habits of industry So far as the ex-