Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-12-10
in ey.ry respect entitled soths favorable 0On.i

in syery respect entitled the favorable 00n'id-
Grafton Of Congress.
During the pest fscal year the financial condi-
ton Of the post once department. has been ono Of
increasing prosperity. and am s.a,fsd IN being
nearly equalled the entire expcn itures the latter
amounting to Sil,sla,206 81, and the former to
ell, 1857 So, leaving deficiency OF but $780,
44 Is. In 1860, the year immcd ately preceding
the rebellion, the deficiency amounted 70 q. sse-
,os ~, the postal receipts Of that year being ga
6iS,724 10 less than those OF 1865. Id &.
The decrease since 1850 in the annual amount
ef n transportation has been only about - per cent
but she annual expenditure on account OF the
ssme h ~ been reduced IS per cent. II IL manifest
therefon,, that the Post Office Department may
become sc, f-sustaining in few years, even With
a restornt,oA Of the whole service The interna-
tional confcr>,nee Of postal delegates from the
PRINCIPAL COUNT ies OF Europe and America which
wa callsd al thu suggestion Of the Postmaster
General, met at Par's on the 18th OF May last and
concluded its labors on the 9Th OF June. The
principles established by the conference are best
adapted to facilitate Post.u intercourse between
nations, and as the basis Of future postal conyen-
tons, inaugurate sytem Of uniform information
81 charges at reduced rates Of passage and cannot
fail TO produce beneficial results ! reier You
to the report of the Secretary OF the Interior,
which Is herewith laid before you, ier useful
and varied information in relation 20 the public
lands, Indian affairs, patents, pensions, and
other matters of public concern pertaining to
his department. ada .... ...,tr- .r..l
The quantity Of land disposed of during the
last year. and tho hrst quarter OF the present fiscal
year, was three millions eight hundred and forty.
one thousand Ave hundred and forty-ni acres,
OF which one hundred and sixty-one thousand
nine hundred and eleven acres were sold for cash,
one million four hundred and hfty-nx thousand
i've hundred and fourteen acres were taken up
under the homestead law, and the residue dis
posed of under laws granting lands for military
bounties, for railroad and other purposes. II al
so appears that the sale Of the lands Is largely
on the increase. IL has long been cherished
opinion of some of our wisest tatesmen that the
people Of the United States had higher and
more enduring interest III the early settlement
and substantial cultivation OF the public lands,
than in the amount Of direct revenue TO re derived
from the sale ofthem, This opinion has had 4
controlling influence in shaping legislation up
on the subject of our national domain. l may
cite as evidence OF this, the liberal measures
adopted In reference to actual settlers the grant
TO the states of the overlooked lands within
their limits, In order to their being reclaimed
railway companies of alternate sections Of and
upon the contemplated lines of their roads,
which, when completed, will so largely multi.
ply the facilities for reaching our distant pos
sessions, THIS policy has received its most sig
nal and benefcent iiiGstration in the recent en-
sctment granting homesteads to actual settlers
Since the first day of January Iast, the before
mentioned quantity of one million four hun
dred and ffty-six thousand five hundred
and fourteen acres of land have been
taken up uader its provisions. This fact and the
amount of sales furnish gratifying evidence of
increasing settlement upon the public lands, not
wlthstanding the great struggle in which the enc
mics of the nation have boon engaged, and in
which IT has required Sc large withdrawal of our
citizens from their accustomed pursuits. / cor
daily concur in the Recommendation of the sec
rotary of the inserior suggesting modification
Of the act in favor Of those engaged in the m IL
tyNAr val 900 Ay H. 1t.,,ta v
doubt that Congress will oheerfully adopt
such measures, without essentially chaugi the
general features Of tine system, a. will SECURE ia
the greatest practicable extent its bents to those
who have left their homes in the de-
fence of the country. 1 il ute your
attention to the views of the Secretary as to
the propriety of raising, by appropriate leyis-
lation, revenue from the mineral lands of the
United States. The measures provided at YOU
last ses ion for the removal of certain Incliar
tribes have been carried into effect Sundr,
treaties have been negotiated, which will il
due time be submitted for the constitute
action of the Senate. They contain stipulation
for distinguishing the possessory rights of tn,
Indians 10 large and valuable tracts of lands
is hoped that the effect of these treaties will
result in the establishment OF permanent ans
| friendly relations with such of these tribes a
| have been brought into frequent AM
| bloody collision, with out-lying SET
| Elements and emgrants. Sound polio,
and our imperative duty to these wards of tn
| government demandsogr anxious and constant at
tentio4 to their material well-belng, to their pro
gress in the arts of civilization, and above all {.
1 that moral training, which unaer the blessing o
| Divine Providence, will confer vi on them the ell
ovated and ssnctifying influences, tho hopes AM
| consoatons of the Christian faith.
| / sug sested IN my last annual message the pro
4 priety of remodeling our Indian system. Subse
quent events have satisfied me of its necessity =
The details set forth the report of the secrefar
| evin the urgent need for immediate Legislative
| action. .g rg a.r.1tE
/ commend the benevolent institutions estab
hshed or pgtropiZed By the government IN thj
District to your generous and fostering care
The attention of Congress during the las
session was engaged to some extent with
| proposition for enlarging the water commuui
cation between he Mississippi river and tn
northwestern seaboard, which proposition
however, tailed for the time Since hen, upol
a call Of the eatest re probability, a conven
ton has been held at Chicago upon the sam
sabject, summary of whose views Is containe
| in memorial addressed to the President an
Congress, and which have the honor 10 Ia
before you. That this interest Is one which er
long will force its own way, do not entertai
doubt While it il submitted entirely to YOU
wisdom as to what can be done, new augmen
ed interes is given 10 this subject by The actus
commence ment of work on the Pacific rsilroa
| under suspices SO favorable to rapid prog,,es
and completion. The enlarged navigato,
becomes papable need to tb
| great road. transmit the second annual repor
| of the commissioner of the department of as
riculture asking your attention 10 the devotion
| ments in that vital interest of the nation. whe
4 Congress assembled year ago, the war had al
| ready lasted nearly twenty months, and there ha
been many conflicts on both land and sea, wit
| varying results. The rebellion had peer presse
back into reduced limits, yet the tone of the pub
lie feeling and opinion at home and abroad, wa
/ not satisfactory. With other signs the popuIa
elections, then Just past, indicated nneasines
among ourselves, while amid much that was col
| and menacing, the kndest words coming froI
Europe were uttered in accents of pity, that wer
too blind to surrender o. hopeless cause
/ Our commerce was suffering greati
A by few armed vessels blil
| upon and furnished from foreign shores. w
! were threatened with such additions from III
| same quar- ter as would sweep oGr trade from til
sea, and raise our blockade. We had failed to ellie
it from European governments anything hopefl
| upon this subject.
\ Tho preliminary emancipation proclamation
| Issued in September was running its assigned pc
! ROD to the beginning of the NewYesr. A month
| later the final proclamation came, including th
| announcement that ooiored men of suitable con
diton would be received into the war service. Tn
| policy of emancipation and employing black sol
diers gave to the future a new aspect about whicI
| hope and fear and doubt contended in uncertain
| conflict. According to our political system
| ~ matter Of civil administration
| the General Cove nment had n.
lawful power TO effect emancipation il
any state, and for a long time it had been hope,
tnst the rebellion could be dressed without re
sorting TO it as military measure. 1t was al
the while deemed possible that the necessity for
might come, and that il 1t should, the crisis o