The Van Buren press., 1861-06-12

Convention. together with the ordinance of Virgin.
ia, adopting the provisional Constitution Of the
Confeieracy will be laid before you for your Con-
stitu.ional action.
have satisfactory assurances from other OF our
late Coneierates that they the point OF adop-
ting similar measures and cannot doubt that ere
You shall have been many weeks in session. the
whole of the slave holding States of the Union will
to the call of honor aud affection and by
uniting their fortunes with ours, promote our COM
mon interests and secure common safty.
In the tressurydepartmen regulations have been
devised and put into execution for carrying the
policy indicated in your legislation the subject
Of the navigation Of the Mississippi river. as well
as for the collection Of revenue the frontier.
Free transit has been secured fcr vessels and mcr-
cdndisc passing through the C"nfederat,d States.
and delay aud Inconvenience have been avoided
far possible.
In organizing the revenue service for the various
railways entering our territory fast experience
shall indicate the possibility Of improvement in
these regulations: effort will I've spared to FREQ
conmeree ff-ns all unnecessary embarrassment and
J;essr ~ kst aatl,ori.iEg ioan. proposals.
were issue iiaviting subscriptions for five million
of dollars. and the call answered by the prompt
subscription of eight millions by citizens. and
not single bid was made under par
The rapid Development of the purpose Of the
President Of the United States to invade our soil.
capture forts. blockade ports. and wage war
against us, induced to direct that tire entire sub
scription should be excepted. 1t will now become
necessary to raise means 10 much larger amount,
to defray the expenses Of maintaining our indcpen-
denee and repelling invasion
invite your special attention TO this subject and
the financial condition Of the government with the
suggestion of ways and means tor the supply Of the
treasury which will be presented to You in . sepa-
rate communication.
| To the department Of justice. you have confded
not only the organization and supervision of all
matters connected with the of justice. but.
also those connected with patents and the bureau
of the public printing.
Since your adjournment, all the courts with the
exception of those of Mississippi and Texas. have
been organised by the appointment Of marahals and
district attorneys, and are now prepared for the
ercise of their functions. In the two States just
named. the gentlemen confirmed as judges declin
ed to accept the appointment, and no nominations
have yet been made To fill the vacancies.
refer you to the report of the attorney general
and concur IN his recommendation for immediate
legls glslaton-especially on the subject Of patent
rights Early provision should be made to secure
to the subjects Of foreign nations the full enjoyment
of their property in valuable Inventions, and to
tend to citizens protection. not only for their in
ventions. but such as may be assigned to them.
may hereafter be assined by persons not alien enc
mics.
The patent Office business ia much more exten-
sive aud important than had been anticipated The
applications for patents. though confined under the
laws exclusively to citizens Of our Confederacy.
already average seventy per month, showing the
necessity for the prompt organization OF bureau
of patents.
The Secretary of War; in his report and accom-
panying documents, CONVEYS full Information con-
cernng the forces. regular, volunteer and provision
al raised, ana called for undr the several acts Of
Congress; their organization and distribution !;
also an account of the expenditures already made.
and the Further estimates for the fiscal year, ending
on the 18th of February, 1852. rendered necessary
by recent events.
also refer to his report. for full report of the
occurrences in Charleston har'or prior to, and in
cluding the bombardment If Fort Sumter, and Of
the measures subsequently, taken for common de-
fence rec,iving the intelligence Of the dcclarx
ton Of war against us male by the President Of
/ the United States
There are in the field n. Charleston. Pensa-
cola, Fort Morgan, Jackson, st. Phillip aud Pulas
ki. l5,oOo men, and 10000 are route for Vir-
! gina.
1t is proposed TO organize anl hold in rcalness
for instant action, in view Of the present cXigcnces
of the country, army of 100, 900 men. Ii fur
thcr force be needed, the wisdom and patriotism of
the Congress will be confidently appealed to for
for authority to call into the field additional num-
bers of oar noble spirited volunteers who are con
stantly rendering their services far in Of
wants.
, The operations of the navy department have
necessarily restricted by the fact that sufficient
time has not elapsed for the purchase construc-
!, tion Of more than limited number Of vessels
adapted to the public service. Two vessels have
, purchased. and named the Sumter and McRea, and
are now being prepared for the sea at New Orleans
with all possible dispatch. Contracts have also
been made at that city, with two different estab-
ments for the casting of ordinance, cannon, shot
and shell, with the view encourage the mauufac-
ture of these articles, indispensable for de-
fence. and at as many points within territory
as possible.
call Your attention to the recommendation of
the secretary for the establishment Of a magazine
AMI laboratory for the preparation Of ordinance
stores, appropriation for that purpose.
Hitherto such stores have been prepared 1t the
navy yards and no appropriation was male at your
The also calls attention To fact that
r no provision has been made for the payment Of
pensions to invalid citizens. Many of these
persons are advanced in life they have means
Of support, and by the secession Of these States
have been deprived Of their claim against the Uni
: ted States government.
, ] recommend the appropriation Of the sum nee
essary to pay these pensions as we'll those Of the
army whose claims can scarcely exceed $4,000.
The postmaster general has already succeed in
organizing his department TO such extent ss to
be in readiness to the direction Of pos-
tai affairs on the occurrence of the contingency
contemplated by the act Of the 18th March, 1861 +,
,, or sooner If desired by Congress.
The various books and circulars have been pre-
pared and measures taken to secure supplies Of
blanks, postage stamps, stamped envelopes mail
bags, locks, keys, etc.
He presents detailed classification and arrange
ment Of his clerical force and asks for its increase
An auditor Of the treasury for this department is
necessary, and plan IL submitted for the Orgapi-
. zation Of his bureau.
The great number aud magnitude Of tbe accounts
Of this department require increase OF the cleri
::i force in the accounting branch Of the treasury
The revenues OF this Departments are collected nyd
disbursed in modes peculiar to itself, and rauire,
special bureau to secure. proper acccuntnbity in
f the administration Of it, finances
call your attention to the adj ,,on., ,.:.f..:
required iccr the dep.rme... TO the rsc".,aa"J.
TO" .or changes in tne law, fixing the rats Of po.
tage on newspapers and scaled package. Of certain
kinds and especially to the recommendation of
the secretary, in which concur. that you provide
at once for the assumption by him Of the control Of
our entirs pubic service
In the military organization Of the States PRO.
vision is made for brigadier and major generals but
In the army Of the Confederated states the highest
grade IS that Of trigader general hence IL will
no doubt sometimes occur that where troops Of the
Coniederacy are on duty with the miltia the gen
erai selected for the command, and possessed Of
,he views AMI purposes of this government, will
DE iupereeded by officer Of the militia not hay-
ing the same advantages
10 avoid contingencies in the least Objectionable
manner, recommend that additional rank he given
| to the general Of the Confederate army and con
curing in the policy Of having bu. one grade of
generals inathe army cf the Confectionery RECON-.
mend that the law Of its organization be amended
so that the grade he that ii general.
To secure thorough military education il is
deemed essential that officers should enter u,n the
IL ysaf thar,