Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-12-04

suggestion OI tnc postmaster General in
his report respecting the further lcgisls-
tion required in his opinion for the bene-
fit of the postal service.
DEPARTMENT or THE INTERIOR.
The Secretary Of the Interior reports
as follows, in regard to public lands
The public lands have ceased to be
public revenue. From the lst of July.
ls6l, TO the 3oth Of September, 1862,
the entire cash receipts from the sales Of
public lands were sl37, 477,26-a sum
much less than the expenses Of our land
system during the sanc period
The homestead law, which will take
effect on the lst of January next. offers
such inducements to settlers that sales
for cash cannot be expected to an extent
sufficient to meet the expenses Of tho
genera land office, and cost Of surveying
and bringing the land into market.
The discrepancy between the sums
here stated as arising from the sales Of
public lands and the sums derived from
the same source ms reported from the
Treasury Department arises as | under
stand, from the fact that the periods of
time, though apparently, were not really
coiocldent at Tn" beginning point. The
Treasury report includes considerable
sum now which had previously been re-
ported from the Interior sufficiently large
to greatly ovcrreach the sum derived
from the three months now reported up
on by the Interior, and not BY the Treas
ury Department
THE INDIAN WAR.
The Indian tribes upon our frontiers
have, during the past year, manifested
spirit OF INSTRUMENTATION, and, at several
points, engaged in open hostllit,cs against
the white settlers in their vicinity. The
tribes occupying the Indian country
south OF Kansas rcnonnccd their allegiance
To the United States, and entered into
treaty with the insurgents. Those who
remained lo,al TO the United States were
driven from the country The chief Of
the Chc!okccs has visited this city for
the purpose OF restoring the former re-
! latlons Of the tribe with the United
States. lie alleges that they we're con-
strained BY superior force to enter into
treaties with the insurgents, and that the
| United States neglected To furnish the
protection which their stipulation re-
1nlrcd.
THE MINNESOTA nAssACRF
In the month of August last, the
Sioux Indians in Minnesota attacked the
/ settlers in their vicinity with extreme fe.
| rotitv, killing, lnllscrnninatclv, men, wo-
men, and children. This attack was
wholly unexpected, and therefore no de-
| fence had bceu provided. It is cstma-
ted that not less than goo persons were
killed BY the Indians, and large amount
Of property destroyed. How this out.
break was induced i, not definitely
known; AMI suspicious, which may be
unjust, need not be stated
Information was received by the In.
| dian bureau from different sources, about
the time hostilltes were commenced, that
simultaneous attack Was to be made
! upon the white settlements by all the
tribes between the Mississippi river and
the Rocky Mountains.
| The State Of Minnesota has suffered
great injury from the Indian war. A
large portion Of her territory has been
| dcpopulated, and a severe loss has been
J, sustained BY the destruction of property.
The people Of that Stat" manifest much
anxiety for the removal Of the tribes be-
vond the limits OF the States, as guar.
| antoc against future hostItics.
The Commissioner Of Indian Affairs
will furnish full details.
REMoDEL1SG OF INDIAN AFFAIRS.
submit for your special consideration
whether our Indian system shall not be
rcmodecd. Many wise and good men
have been impressed with the belief that
this can be profitably done.
PACIFIC r. X. AND ILLINOIS srIp CANAL.
submit statement of the proceed.
ings of the commissioners, which shows
| the progress that has been made ia the
enterprise Of constructing the Pacific
| Railroad and thus suggest the earliest
| completion Of the road, and also tho IA
vorablc action Of Congress upon the pro-
| iect now pending before them for en-
Iarging the capacity Of the great canals
in New York and Illinois, as being Of Vi
tai and rapidly increasing Importance to
the whole nation, and especially to the
vast interior region hereinafter to be no.
tlced at some greater length.
] propose having prepared and laid
| before you at an early day some inter
esting and valuable statistical informa-
ton upon this subject. The military
and commercial importance Of cnarging
the Illinois and Michigan Canal and i'm
proving the Illinois river, is presented in
the report Of Colonel Webster 10 tho
Secretary Of War, and now transmitted
to Congress. | respectfully ask your at
tention to it.
THE AGRICULTURAL BUREAU.
To carry out the provisions Of the act
Of Congress Of the 18th Of May last,
have caused the Department Of Agricnl-
ture of the United States to be organiz-
ed. The Commissioner informs me that
within the period Of few months this
department has established an extensive
system Of corresp ondcnce and exchanges,
both at home and abroad, which promises
to effect highly beneficial results in the
development Of correct knowledge of
recent improvements in agriculture IN the
introduction Of new products, and in the
col ections Of agricultural statistics of the
differcht States; also, that it will soon be
prepared to distribute largely seeds, ce-
reals. plants and cuttinys and has alrcaxlv