Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1860-01-12
Abstract of Reports of Departments.
THE TREASURY REPORT,


THE TREASURY REPORT.
This report gives in detail the receipts into
the Treasury from all sources for the fiscal
year ending Both June, 1859, which, including
loans and the issue of Treasury notes. were
SSI, ,692,47 Oh. A balance of S6,39S, BIG 10
remained in the Treasury at the commence
ment Of the year, making an aggregGte,f1r
the service OF the year Of SSS, S,000,TS7 IL.
The expenditures during the same period
amounted to SS3, IA ,5ll 81, leaving balance
in the Treasury, July |, 1859, of 81, 329, 275 54
The Secretary does not doubt that the re-
cepts Of the Treasury for the present and
next fiscal years will be fully equal to the es-
Inmates, if the appropriations made at the
/ present session do not exceed the amount con-
tanned in the estimates. 1t is believed that
/ they can be met with the ordinary and extra
ordinary receipts already provided by law.
/ The estimated balance that will be in the
Treasury on the 30th Of June next, is only
/ S3, 3,53OOO0, and leaves no margin for addi-
! tional appropriations. If, therefore, the ap-
! preparations should exceed the estimates, or
/ Congress should determine to provide within
! this period for the payment of any portion of
/ the public debt, it will become necessary to
make provision for such contingencies.
! If additional demands are created on the
! Treasury by legislation in the present Con-
! gress, provision must be made to meet them
| by such IN increase of tariff duties as may
/ be required for that purpose. In such an
| event. he respectfully refers Congress to his
! last report as containing the views Of the De
partment on that subject
| As no provision has been made for the per
maEent redemption of any portion Of the
twenty millions Of Treasury notes, and as the
authority for issuing them expires on the Both
| of June next, it will be necessary for Congress
to extend the law for that purpose for another
! period.
THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
! The Postmaster General gives an interesting
| account Of the affairs Of the Department He
advocates various reforms, and trusts that
Congress will either give its sanction to the
specific contract for carrying the mails be
tween Portland and New Orleans by voting
! the necessary appropriation, or else that it
| will indicate for the Department such a course
| of administration as shall warrant it in closing
some one Of the proposals which have been
! received and which are now held under ad
! yisement lie urges action so as to secure
! suitable post Offices for New York and Phila
delphia
He recommends the repeal Of the clause of
| the act of 1858, which declares that in for
| warding the mails to foreign countries, the
| preference shall be given to an American over
a foreign steamship, wien departing from the
| same port for the same destination within three
days of each other. Dispatch is the highest
element in the mission Of this department,
and hence that legislation which provides for
retarding instead Of qccelerating the mails
| may be safely pronounced at least extraordi-
nary in its character. The Post Office De
partment, according to the theory of its orga-
nization, should be self-sustaining and be
cause Of the peculiar character of its func.
| tiOns should not be a charge on the common
| treasury. The Postmaster General advocates
| the abolition Of the franking privilege and
| the substitution of prepayment by stamps,
when its abuses would fall where they belong,
on the Government officials by whom they
were perpetrated.
THE NAVAL DEPARTMENT.
! The Secretary of the Navy, speaking Of the
! successful termination of the Paraguay Expe-
/ dition, says, that the cost Of maintaining the
| seven purchased vessels in commission was
/ not much greater than that Of maintaining
| single steam frigate, and that their acquisition
| has enabled the Department to adopt more
efficient measures for the suppression of the
| African slave trade. Since the commencement
| of the present administration twenty steam
vessels have been added to the Navy. lie re-
news the recommendation to still further in
crease the Navy, and instead of perpetuating
| old vessels or expending millions in construct
! ing few large ships, it is earnestly recon-
mended to prosecute with yigor the line of
| policy which has been adopted by Congress,
and add a much larger number of steamships,
which can be maintained at mparatlvely
small cost.
lie says that it is a source of extreme re-
| gret and modification that we now, at times,
are obliged to sit by passively and see in some
! foreign countries American citizens imprson-
| ed, plundered and murdered, because the Ex-
ecutiye has not the means to protect them.
He urges an increase in the Marine, Medical
and Purser's Departments.
He narrates the operations of the various
squadrons during the last year. The Depart
ment, in May last, made conditional con-
tract with the Chiriqui Improvement Compa
ny, and Ambrose w. Thompson, for the pur-
pose OF securing a very valuable transit, depot
and naval station, and coal privileges, in the
Province of Chiriqui. with q harbor on the
Atlantic and another on the Pacific side. 1t
is for Congress to make an appropriation of
100000.
THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
The Secretary of War says of the army ::
Of nearly seventeen thousand five hundred
men, not more than eleven thousand are avail
able for active service in the field, and that
they are scattered over an area of three mil
lions of square miles. He hopes to make
such an alteration in the disposition of the
troops next season as will prevent any future
repetition Of the outrages on the Southern and
/ Mexican border, He recommends the enlist
ment of men for mounted corps, for six
months, beginning in May. In actual battle
with the Indians success is more owing to in
dividual prowess, skill in arms and horseman-
ship, than to discipline.
In point of economy great advantages ac-
crue TO the country. He recommends pro-
| vision for retiring disabled and infirm officers