New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-12-10

UD0 to be supplied from the Treasury, In addition
to the permanent appropriation. ~ rr5-gp &
The present fnsurrecton shows, ] think, that the
extension of the District across the Potomac river
at the time of establishing the Capital here, was
emlnently wise, and consequently that the reln'
sqnistment Of that portion which lies in the State
OF Virginia was unwise and dangerous. submit
Tor your consideration the expediency of regard
ing that as portion of the District, and the res
toration of the original boundaries thereof through
negotiations with the State of Virginia. 3 ,ygs,
The report of the Secretary of the Interior, with
the accompanying DOCUMENTS, exhibits the condi-
ta0n OF the several branches of the public business
pertaining to that department.. The depressing in.
aaences OF the .insurrection have been especially
Ielt IN the operations of the Patent and General
Land Offices The cash receipts from the sales of
public lands, during the last year, have exceeded
the expenses of our land system only about
10000. The sales have been entirely suspended
IN the Southern States, while the interruption to
the business of the country, and the diversion of
large numbers Of men from labor to military ser
vice, have obstructed settlements in the new
states and territories of the Northwest
The receipts of the Patent office have declined
in nine months about 100000, rendering large
reduction Of the force employed necessary to make
it self-sustaning. The demands upon the Pension
oice will be increased by the nsurrectiOn.
Numerous applications for pensions, based upon
the casualties of the existing war, have already
been made. There is reason to believe that many
who are now upon the pension roll and in receipt
OF the bounty OF the Government are in the ranks
"
fort. The Secretary of the Interior has directed
the. suspension of the payment of the pension of
such persons upon the proof of their disoyalty. 4
recommend that Congress authorize that officer to
cause the names of such persons to be stricken
from the pension rolls.
The relations of the Government with the Indian
trlbes nave been disturbed by the insurrection es-
peclaly in the Northern Superintendency and in
New Mexico: The Indian country south Of Kansas
ls IN possession of the insurgents from Texas and
Arkansas. The agents of the United States ap-
pointed since the 4th of March for this Superin-
tendency have been unable to reach their posts
VIII While the most Of those who were in office before
that time have espoused the insurrectionary cause
and aimed to exercise the power of agents by yir-
tue of commissions from the insurrectonists.I 1t
has been stated in the public press that portion
OF these Indians have been organized as military
force, and are attached to the army Of the insur.
gents although the Government has no official in
formation upon the subject. Letters have been
written to the Commissioner of Indian. Affairs by
several prominent chiefs, giving assurance of their
loyalty to the United States, and expressing the
wish for the presence Of Federal troops to protect
them. ltis believed that, on the repossession of
the country by the Federal forces the Indians will
readily cease the hostile demonstrations, and re-
sumo their former relations to the Government. ~
Agriculture, eonfessedly the largest interest of
the nation, has not a department or bureau, but
clerkship only assigned to it in the Government.
While it is fortunate that this great interest is so
independent in its nature as not to have demanded
and extorted more from the Government, re-
specially ask Congress to consider whether some-
thing more cannot be given voluntarily with gen.
eral advantage. Annual reports exhibiting the
condition of our agriculture, commerce and manu-
factures, would present fund of information of
great practical value to the country. While
make no suggestions as to details, venture the
opinion that an agricultural and statistical bureau
might prodtably be organized. .F~ lr455tss
The execution of the laws for the suppression of
the African slave trade has been confined to the
Department of the Interior 1t is subject of con
graduation that the efforts which have been made
for the suppression of this inhuman traffic have
recently been attended with unusual success. FIVE
vessels being fitted out for the slave trade have
been seized and condemned. Two masters en-
gagged in the trade, and one person equipping the
vessel as SLAYER, have been convicted and sub
jected to the penalty of fine and Imprisonment
and one captain, taking up cargo of Africans on
board his vessel, has been convicted of the high.
est grade of ofense under our laws-the punish
ment of which is death. 10
The Territories of Colorado, Dacotah and Neya-
da, created by the last Cong ess, have been organ
lied, and civil administration has been inaugurated
therein, under auspices especially gratifying, when
it is considered that the leaven of treason was
found existing in some of these new countries
when the Federal officers arrived there. The
abundant natural resources Of these Territories
with the security and protection afforded by or
ganized government, will doubtless invite to them
a larger immigration when peace shall restore the
business OF the country to its accustomed chan
nes. I submit the resolutions of the Legislature
Of Colorado, which evinee the patriotic spirit OF
the people of the Territory. So far the authority
of the United States has been upheld in all the Ter
ritores, as it is hoped it will be in the future.
commend their interests and defense to the en-.
lightened and generous care Of Congress. - 5a
s- recommend to the favorable consideration of
Congress the interests of the District of Columbia
The insurrection has been the cause Of much suf
fering and sacrifice to the inhabitants and as they
have no representative in Congress, that body
should not overlook their just claims upon the
Government. h. ~. h.. T. -.., . -
At your late session joint resolution was adopt
ed authorizing the President to take measures for
facilitating proper representation of. the indus
trial interests of the United States at the Exhibi-
ton of the Industry of all Nations be holden at
London in the year 1862. Iregret to have been
unable to give personal attention to this subject,
subject at once so interesting in ITSELF and so
tensiyey7and intricately connected with the ma
terial prosperity Of the world.
Through the Secretaries OF State and Interior, a
plan or system has been devised and partly ma-
tured, which will be laid before you, under and by
virtue of the act of Congress- entitled Z An act to-
confscate property used for insurrectionary pur-
poses,' approved August6, 1861. Legal claims of
certain persons to the labor and service of certain
other persons have become forfeited, and numbers
OF the latter thus liberated are already dependent
on the United States, and must be provided for in
some way. Besides this, it is not impossible that
some of the States will pass similar enaetments for
their own benefit respectively, and by the opera
ton of which persons of the same class will be
tnrpWH upon Lnein lOf ulSpOSal. In SuCn cases, L
recommend that Congress provide for accepting
such persons from such States according to some
mode of valuation in lieu, pro tdto, direct taxes
or upon some other plan to be agreed on with such
States respectively; that such persons, on such
acceptance by the General Government, be at
once deemed free, and that in any event, steps be
taken for colonizng with classes or the one first
mentioned, if the other shall not be brought into
expedlenee, in some place or places in climate
congenial to them. r-$
1t might be well to consider too, whether the
free colored people already in the United States
could not, so far individuals may desire, be in
cluded in such colonization To carry out the plan
of colonization may involve the acquiring Of terri
tory, and also the appropriation of money beyond
that to be extended in territorial acquisitions HAY
ing praetised the acquisition of territory for nearly
fifty years, the question of constitutional power to
do SO is no longer an open one with us. The
power was tirstqnestioned by Mr.. Jefferson, who,
however, in the purchase of Louisiana, yielded his
scruples on the plea Of eXpediency. If be said
that the only legitimate object Of acquiring terri
tory is to furnish homes for white men, this meas,
ure effects that object for the emigration Of coored
men, leaving additional room for white men re-
manning or coming here. Mr. Jefferson, however,
placed the Importance. of purchasing Louisiana
more on political and commercial grounds than on
providing room for population. On this whole
proposition, including the appropriation of money
with the acquisition OF territory does not the ex-
pediency amount to absolute necessity, without
which the government cannot be perpetuated?
In considering the policy TO be adopted for sun