New Orleans daily crescent., 1860-12-12

ments have been satisfactory and valuable.
The report Of board Of ordnance and aruiiery
officers, who have been occupied during the past
summer and fall in experimental hring with rlhe,
cannon, leaves no doubt that the accuracy and
effectiveness Of our artillery may be vastly IN
creased at comparatively small expense, M,s.oas
non of our present models; requiring only tnat
they be rifle grooved 20 adapt them to use as rifle
cannon, with James, elongated expanding proJee-
| tiles This easy and cheap mode will convert the
smooth bored into rife-eauno throwing nearly
double the weight of metal without increased
strain to lessen the durability OF the guns or en-
! danger the safety of those serving them. At
1 ranQemeDts have been ordered to be made for
| rifing portion Of cur cannon on this plan which
Is the best, in all respects that has SO far been
1 brought to notice.
al appropriation of about fifty thousand dollars
1 for experiments for the Improvement Of arms and
military supplies is highly desirable, and II is re-
! commended that the law which prohibits the pur-
chase Of arms or military supplies, Of q patented
| invention, be so amended as to except from the
prohibition such arms or other military supplies as
constitute regular part of the armament or equip
| ment of troops, and also the improved patented
mode Of casting and cooling for iron cannon. Il
should be repealed as to all articles nsed IN the
\ quartermasters department..
The existing Law for arming and equipplng the
4 whole body Of the militia of the United States
4 which was passed in 1903, and still IN operation
/ is entirely insufficient for Its efectual accomplish
ent and the attention Of Congress Is called to the
4 fact The want of national armory for the fabr1-
/ cation OF cannon is also enforced on Congress.
Very frequent and numerous experiments have
been made under the present Secretary direction
81 breech loading arms, and inventions for this
purpose are wonderfully numerous. Many have
been rejected, but some plans for breech-loading
| have been approved, after very numerous exper-
1 ments and are now conceded by all who are
| familiar with them and capable of Judging, to be
far the most efficient arms eyer put in the hands Of
intelligent men. Immediate steps, he says, ought
TO be taken to arm all our light troops with the
most approved of these arms,
| The report next recoants the movement OF sew
ersl exploring expeditions during the last four
years and states that the West Point Military Aead
emy has been progressing in its usual course, ex-
eept that the course OF study and discipline has
been extended from four years TO iye.
The settlements on Pugets Sound and the ada
cent waters are exposed to the lncurslons OF war
like Indians from the British and Russian provinces
These Indians come down in large canoes, which
carry from fifty to hundred warriors, and move
with great speed. The steamer Massachusetts, is
used to give notice of their approach, and to aid in
defending the white settlers, but more suitable
steamer, one Of lightdraft, is urgently needed.
Brevet Brigadier-G General Totten, chief of the
corps of engineers, has paid out, as part of the
price for ground purchased for Fort Tompkins, the
sum 1T 5000, which, the Secretary contends, ought
/ to be refunded to him.
Mr. Floyd concludes his report by urging that
4 the accounting officer for the War Department
should be placed directly under the control Of the
Department itself.
( ANNUAL REPORT THE SECRETARY OF THE IN
4 TERROR.
The annual report of the Hon. Jacob Thompson,
t Secretary of the Interior, is business like, and
wthal interesting document, setting forth in lucid
style the intricate and diversified interests con-
nected with this responsible branch of the Federal
i Government
i During the fiscal year ending June 80, 1860, and
the quarter ending the s0th Of September last, l6
3s5 ,3e1 acres of public lands have been proclaimed
for sale. During the same period, 9,649, Al acres
have been surveyed aud prepared for market, and
10 06e, ,053 ~ acres have been disposed of in the
following manner; 1878 6l9.80 acres have been
sold for cash, yielding s2,02l 40 81 3,S79040
acres have been absorbed by the location Of
bounty land warrants 20s7, 0,92 acres approved
| to States under the swamp grants and 2665, 1928
acres under the railroad grants. The number OF
military bounty land warrants outstanding on the
s0th Of September last was Il, ,46s and they will
require s.lg6,5s0 acres of the public domain to
satisfy them.
The Secretary says
| The income from the public lands during four
years past has not been great was exepected.
The commercial reyulsion OF 1857, followed as i
was by short crops in most OF the new states and
Territories checked emigration, and also the in
clination of capitalists to make further investments.
But this is not the sole cause of the reduction In this
1 revenue. The manner of disposing of the public
lands has been made topic Of political discussion;
| and whilst some emigrant families have made set
Elements and delayed giving the proper notice, or
making sa1y payments, in the expectation OF
emigration have deferred their removal from their
old homes and the purchase of lands for settlement
awaiting some definite legislationupon the subject.
Should the discussion of alterations in our land
system cease is believed that the revenue derived
from sales would speedily rise to reasonable an
nual average, especially IL the quantity Of INDICATED
land warrants outstanding should continue to
diminish from year to year as for three years past
The operations Of the Indian office are reviewed.
Peace has prevailed during the year among the
treaty Indians, with the exception of the Kiowas,
whose increasing turbulence would seem to render
military operations advisable. The same may be
said of the Yanctonnas and Cut Head bands OF the
Sioux. The Secretary comments at some length
on our general Indian policy.
The colonization system tried with the indians in
Texas and California is a failure and modification
Is suggested. Protection has been given the Cher
okees from unauthorized settlements upon por.
tion of their territory known as the Neutral Land
Various other Indian tribes referred to, and the
retransfer of the supervision of the Indian Bureau
to the War Department recommended.
The whole number of pensioners of all classes
now remaining on the rolls of the Pension Office is
III .2S4 and the sum required to pay their pensions
Is 81 001 ,0lS 95. During the past year the amount
thus expended was 81 ,l6s ,562 03.
Although there appears TO have been but slight
diminution in the work of the Pension Office, yet
such Is the condition Of the business that it will
admit Of a considerable reduction OF the clerical
$28 200 in expenses.
The reorganization of the Patent Office Bureau
is again recommended as the labor therein is ener-
GUS The income of the Office for the tllree.quart-
ers ending September 30th was $l97.648 40, and
the expenditures Sl89,672 49, showing surplus of
1876 Ii. During this period 563S applications
for patents were received, and 81 caveats filed;
36i2 applications were rejected; 1896 patents is
sued, including reissues, additional Improvements
and designs. In addition there were 40 applica-
tons for extensions, and 2s patents We're extended
for period of seven years from the expiration of
their first term.
The work on the new census is progressing with
all practicable speed. The expense will exceed
that of the last census by s245 900 the total cost
now being SI,642o00 including si,S03.000 to be
paid to United States Marshals and Duputies)
This increased cost is owing to the augmentation
of population and the various branches of industry
The Superintendent is of opinion that he will be
enabled, during the present session Of Congress,
not only to report the apportionment In the thirty
eighth Congress, but to present to that body the
population Of the several States and Territories,
and the various products of agriculture, manufae-
lures and mines The information already obtained
indicated that our population has kept pace with
its ordinary natural progress and that the increase
ia the productions of agriculture, manufactures
and mines, will show an accelerated advance in
material prosperity.
The establishment of Bureau Of Statistics, and
some change in the judiciary laws, are suggested,
the latter for the purpose of more surely prose-
cutting parties charged with being engaged In the
African slave trade. ALI the facts relating to the
recaptured slaves brought to Key West, and sub
seq4ently returned to Africa at the expense of
Government, are ooncisely set forth, and many re-