Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-12-22


 concur in the opinion expressed in his report that the public debt should not be increased by an additional loan, and would therefore strong ly urge upon Congress the duty of making at their present session, the necessary provision for meeting these liabilities.
 The public debt on the 1st July, 1858, the of the present. fiscal year, was S25, 155, 977 66.
 During the first quarter of the present year, the sum of $1O,OOO,OOO, has been negotiated of the loan authorized by the act of 14th J une, 1858, making the present outstanding public debt, exclusive of treasury notes, S35, l55, ,977- 66. There was on the 1st July, 1858, of trea- sury notes issued by authority of the act of December 23d, 1857, unre1eemed the sum of Sl9, 754, oOO making the amount of actual in- debtcdness, at that date, S54.9lO,777 66. To this will will be added SlOOOOOOO during the present f:cal year--this being the remaining half of the loan of S2O,OOO,OOO not yet nego- tiated
 The rapid increase of the public debt, and the necessity which exists for a modification of the tarff t. meet even the ordinary expenses of the government, ought to admonsh us all, In our respective spheres of duty, to the prac- tlce of rigid economy. The objects of expen- dlture should be limited in number, as far as this may be practicable, and the appropriations necessary to carry them into effect, ought to be dlShursed under the strlctest accountability.- Enlightened economy does not consist in the refusal to appropriate money for constitutional purposes, essential to the defence, progress and prosperity of the republic, but in taking care that none of this money shall be wasted by mlsmanagement in it's application to the objects designated by law.
 Comparisons between the annual expenditure at the present time, and what it was ten or twelve years ago. are altogether fallacious.- The rapid increase of our country in extent and population, renders a corresponding increase of expenditure, to some extent, unavoidable This IS constantly creating new objects of eX- penditure and augmenting the amount required by the old. The true questions then, are, have these objects been unnecessarily multiplied? or, has the amount expended upon any or all of them, been larger than comports with due eco- nomy? In accordance with these principles, the heads of the different executive depart ments "f the government, have been instructed to reduce their estimates for the next fiscal year, to the lowest standard consistent with the efficiency of the service, and this duty has been performed in spirit of just economy.- The estimates of the treasury, war, navy and interior departments, have each been in some degree reduced and unless a sudden and un- toreseen emergency should arise, it is not anti cipated that deficiency will exist in either within the present or the next fiscal year. The post office department is placed in a peculiar po- sition, different from the other departments, and to this shall hereafter refer.
 l invite Congress to institute rigid scrutiny to ascertain whether the expenses in all the de- partments cannot be still further reduced; and promise them all the aid in my power in pur- suing the investigation.
 1 transmit herewith the report made to me by the secretaries of war, of the navy, of the inte- nor, and of the post master general. They each contain valuable information and important reconmei dations, to which 1 invite the atten- ton of Congress.
 h my last annual message took occasion to recommend the immediate construction of ten small steamers of light draught, for the pur- pose of increasing the efficiency of the navy. Congress responded to the recommendation by authorizing the construction of eight of them The progress which has been made in execu- ting this authority Is stated in the report of the secretary of the navy. 1 concur with him in the opinion, that greater number of this class ol vessels is necessary, for the purpose of pro- tecting in a more efficient manner the persons and property of American citizens on the high seas, and n foreign countries as we'll as in guard ing more eifectual.v our own coasts. 1 accord ingly recommend the passage of an act for this purpose.
 The suggestions contained in the report of the secretary of the interior, especially those in re- gard to the disposition of the public domain, the pension and bounty land system, the policy to- wards the Indians and the amendment of our patent laws. are worthy of the earliest consid- eration of Congress.
 The post office department occupies posi- ton very different from that of the other de- partments. For many years it was the policy of the government to render this self-sustan- ing department; and if this cannot now be ac- complished, in the present condition of the country, we ought to make as near an approach to It as may be practicable.
 The post master general is placed in most embarrassing position by the existing laws. He IS obliged to carry these into effect, He has no other alternative. He finds, however, that this cannot be done without heavy demands upon the treasury over and above what is received for postage; and these have been progressively increasing from year to year until they amount- ed for the last fiscal year ending Oil the 30th of June, 1858, to more than four millions and a half of dollars; whilst it is estimated that for the present fiscal year they will amount to S6290OU0. These sums are exclusive of the annual appropriation of $790OOO for "com- pcl,saton for the mail service performed for the two houses of Congress and other depart ments and officers of the government in the transportation of free matter''
 The cause of these large deficits is mainly a.fr l,,t, H., t,f.l .l, porting the mails. In 1852, the sum paid for this service was but a fraction above four mil lions and d quarter. Since that year it has an- nually increased until in 1858, it has reached more than eight millions aud quarter; md for the service oi 1S59 It is estimated that it will amount to more than ten millions of dollars
 The receipts of the pest office department can be made to approach to equal its exIen- diture, only by means of the legislation of Con- gress. In applying atty remedy, care should be taken that the people shall not be deprived of the advantages which they are fairly ent- tied to enjoy from the post office department. The principal remedies recommended to the consideration of Congress by the postmaster general, are to restore the former rate of post age upon single letters to five cents; to substi- ute tor the lranking privilege the delivery to euoo0 bo" oHet'iou to euJoy IL, Ol post once stamps for their correspondence, and to direct the department, in making contracts for the transportation ol the mail, to confine itself to the payment of the sum necessary for this sin- gle purpose. without requiring 1t t, be trans ported in post coaches or carriages of any par ticular description. Under the present system, the expense to the government is greatly in- creased, by requiiing,tha the mail shall be car red in such vehicles as will accommodate pas sengers. This will be done without pay from the department over all roads where the travel will remuuerate the contractors.
 The recommendations deserve the grave con- sideration of Congress.
 l would again call your attention to the con- struction of a Pacific railroad. Time and refec- tion have but served to confirm me in the truth and justice of the observations which 1 made, on this subject, in my last message, to which beg leave respectfully to refer.
 It is freely admitted, that it would be inex- pedient for this government to exercise the pow CT of constructing the Pacific railroad by its own immediate agents. Such policy would in- crease the patronage of the executive to adan gerous extent, and introduce system of job blrg aud corruption, which no viglcuce on the part of federal officials could either prevent or detect. This can only be done by the keen eye, and active and careful supervision of indi-