The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-12-16

public debt should not be increased ny
an additional loan, and would therefore
strongly urge upon Congress the duty
of making, at their present session, the
necessary provision for meeting these
liabilities.
The public debt on the LIST OF July,
1858. the commencement of the pres
ent fiscal year, was s25, l55,977 81.
During the first quarter OF the pres
ent year, the sum of $4,000, 900 has
been negotiated of the authorized by
the act of l4th Of juno, 1s5S-maklng
| the present outstanding public debt,
exclusive of treasury notes $36, 55,1 77,-
e6. There was on the LIST of July, 1853
of treasury notes issued by authority
of the act of December 23d, 1857, I'M
redeemed, the sum OF Sl9,75s, 500
making the amount of actual indebted
ness. at that date, $54, 91O,-777 &C. To
this will be added $4,000, 600 during
the present fiscal year-this being the
remaining half of the loan OF $4,000,
600 not yet negotiated. go
Comparisons between the annual ex-
penditure at the present time, and what
it was ten or twenty years ago, are al
CONGRATULATIONS. The rapid increase
of our country in extent and population
renders a corresponding incacase OF
expenditure, to some extent, unayoida-
BILE. This is constantly creating new
objects of expenditure, and augmentlng
the amount required for the old The
true questions then, are, have these OBJ
iects been unnecessarily multiplied or
has the amount expended upon any or
all of them, been larger than COMFORTS
with due economy? In accordance
with these principles, the heads of the
different executive departments OF the
government have been instructed to re-
duce their estimates for the next fiscal
wear to the lowest standard consistent
with the efficiency of tie service, and
this duty they have performed ina spir-
it of Just economy. ~
The estimates of the Treasury, War,
Navy, and Interior Department, have
each been in some degree reduced
and unless sudden and unforeseen
emergency should arise, it is not antic-
Iipated that deficiency will exist in
/ either within the present or the next
! fiscal wear. The Post Office Depart
ment is. placed in a peculiar po-
4 sition, different from tho other depart
! ments, and to this | shall hereafter re-
! fer. = s5.sa'
i / invite Congress to institute rigid
scrutiny to ascertain whether the ex-
lpenses in all the departments cannot
!, be still further reduced and / promise
them all the aid in the power in prrsu-
ing the investigation.
/ transmit herewith the reports made
to me by the Secretaries Of War, of
the Navy, of the Interior, and of the
Postmaster General. They each con-
/, tain valuable information and important
Recommendations to which invite the
t attention of Congress-
: In my last annual message took oc-
t casion to recommend the immediate
t construction of ten small steamers,
light draft, for the purpose of increas-
ing the efficiency of the Navy, Con-
$ gress responded to the Recommendation
by authorizing the construction of eight
of them. The progress which has
been made in executing this authority
. is stated in the report of the Secretary
of the Navy. l concur with him in
opinion, that 4 greater number of this
class Of vessels is necessary for the
purpose of protecting in more efficient
manner the persons and property of
American citizens on the high seas, and
In foreign countries, as well as in guard
ing more efficiently our own coast. I
accordingly recommend the passage of
an act for that purpose.
The suggestions contained in the re-
port of the Secretary of the Interior.
Especially those in regard to the dis
position of the public domain, the PEN
sion and bounty land system, the poll
cy towards the Indians, and the amend
ment of our patent laws, are worthy
of serious consideration of Congress.
4 The Post Office Department occupies
a position very different from that of
the other department. For many years
, it was the policy of the government to
!, render this self-sustaining depart
ment; and if this cannot now be ac-
complished in the present condition of
the country we ought to make as near
an approrch to it as may be practical
lble.
! The Postmaster General is placed in
a most embarrassing position by exist
ing laws. He is obliged to carry these
into effect. He has no other alterna-
tive. He finds, however, that this can.
not be done without heavy demands
upon the treasury over and above what
Is received for postage, and these have
been progressive increasing from wear
to year until they amounted for the fis-
cal year ending on the 3Oth June, 1858.
to more than four millions and a half
OF dollars whilst it is estimated that
tor the present fiscal year they will
amount to $6,29O,00O. These sums
are exclusive of the annual appropria-
ton of 100000 for compensation for
mail service performed for the two
houses of Congress, and the other de-.
partments and officers of the govern
ment In the transportation of free mat
ter.'' - : ''''''7
i The cause of these large deficits ia
mainly attributable to the increased ex-
pense OF transporting the mails. In
1852 the sum paid for this service was
but a fraction above four millions and
a quarter. Since that wear If hos on