M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1861-12-12

" iiAeh', ueshleo IT'S apparent that the atten.
Q iteniion OF Congress will be more than US
1t ually engaged, for some time 10 come, with
1t great national questions.
% II was Intended by the organization O.
= The Court OF Claims mainly to remove thi,
j. branch of business frum the halls OF Con
= gress, bat while the Cour. has proved 10 be
e an effective aud valuable means of inyesti.
{, CATION, it, in a great degree, fails 10 effect
IS the object OF its creation for want of power
t, 10 make its judgments final. Fully awars
!, OF the deIicacy, not to say the danger, of the
subject, commend to your careful consider.
= alton whether Ibis power of making iudp.
moht' final may not be properly given to the
Court reserring the right appeal on ques.
tions Of law to the Supreme Court. with
such other provisions as experience may
have shown to be necessary.
: ask attention to the report of the Post.
master General, the following being sum.
mary statement OF the Department.: The
revenue from oil sources during the fiscal
year ending on the 30h OF June, 1851, in.
cludlng the annual permanen! appropriation
OF 800 900, for The transportation OF free
mail matter, was s9,049, ,296 40, being about
two per cent less than the revenue of 1860,
The expenditures were Sl3 SOC, 100 IL.
showing decrease Of more than eight per
cent. as compared with those Of the pfevi.
Gus year, and leaving an excess of expendi.
lures over The revenue for the last fiscal
year Of ovea $567 ,462 H. The gross reve-
nue. for the year ending June 30 1893, is es.
timated at an increase Of four per cent. on
that of 1861 making SS,6S3 900, TO which
should be added the earnings of the Depart
ment Tor carrying free matter, viz: 0700 900,
making S9, ,3S2 900. The total expenditures
for 1868 are estimated at Sl2, ,52S, 900, leay.
ing an estimated deflcieticy of 50, ,345, ,O09,
to be supplied from the Treasury in addition
TO the permanent appropriation.
The present insurrection shows. I
think, that the extension Of this Dis.
trict acfoss the Potomac River, az the
time Of establishing the Capital here,
was eminently wise, and consequently
that the REIMBURSEMENT OF that por.
ton OF it which lies in the State o.
Virginia was unwise and dangerous.
| submit for your consideration the
ezpediency Of rcgaining that part oe
the District, and the restoration OF the
original boundaries thereof, through
negotiations with the State Of Virgin.
ia. ....-.-.-.--.--.-,.... -...
Tie report of The Secretary Of tie
Interior, with the accompanying doc.
ument, exhibit the condition OF the
several branches Of the public bhsi.
ness pertaining to that Department.
The depressing Influences OF the In.
surrection have been especially telt
in the operations Of the Patent and
General Land Offices. The cash re.
ceipt5 from tie sales of public lands
during the last year, have exceeded
the expenses of our land system only
about 100000. The sales have
been entirely suspended i'd the South
ern States, while the interruptions to
the business Of the country and the
diversion of large numbers OF men
from labor TO military service; have
obstructed settlements in the new
States and Territories of the North.
west. Tie receipts Of the Patent
Office have declined in nine months
about 100000, rendering q large re.
duetion Of the force employed neces.
sarY to make it self sustaining. Tie
demands upon the Pension Office will
be largely increased by the insurrec.
tion. Numerous applications for pen.
sions, based upon the casualties ofthe
existing war, have already been
made. There is reason to believe that
mary who are now upon the pension
roll, and in receipt Of the bounty Of
the Government, are in the ranks of
the insurgent army or giving them aid
and comfort. The Secretary Of the
Interior has directed the suspension
Of the payment Of the pension of such
persons upon proof of their disloyal.
ty. recommend that Congress au.
thorize that officer to cause the names
of such persons to be stricken from
the pension rolls.
The relations of the Government
with the Indian tribes have been late.
ly disturbed by the insurrection, es.
pecialIy in the Northern superintend.
ercy and in that of New Mexico
The Indian country south of Kansas
is in possession of insurgents from
Texas and Arkansas. .,'
The agents Of the United States
appointed since the 4th of March for
this superintendency have been unable
to reach their posts, while tue most
of those who were in office Before thu.
time bavo esponsed the iusurreetion.
ary cause, and armed to exercise the
powers Of agents by virtue of com.
missions from the insurreetlonists.
1t hae been stated in the public
press that portion Of these Indians
have been organized as military
force aud are attached to the army OF
the insurgents, although the Govern.
ment has no official information upon
the subject. Letters have been writ
ten to the Commissioner OF Indiau
Affairs by several prominent Chief.