Ellsworth American., 1863-12-18

'N'''"" VI Co'S eoo " INV -'"'y Sf"N
mcnt, and is again presented in the report
of the Secretary which accompanies this
communication. think it my duty to
invite your special attention to this sub
tect, and also to that Of establishing a
yard and depot for nautical purposes up
on one of the Western rivers. a naval
force has been created on those interior
waters and under many disadvantages,
within little more than two years, exceed
ing in numbers the whole naval force of
the country at the commencement of the
present administration.
Satisfactory and important as have
been the performances Of the heroic men
of tho navy at this Interesting period,
they are scarcely more wonderful than
the success of our mechanics and artizlns
in the production of war vessels, which
has created new form Of naval power.
Our country has advantages superior to
any other nation in our resources of iron
and timber, with inexhaustible quantities
Of fuel in the immediate vicinity of both,
and all available and in close proximity
to navigable waters. Without the ad-
vantage Of public works, the resources Of
the nation have been developed and its
power displayed in the construction of a
navy of such magnitude, which has at
the very period of its creation rendered
signal service to the Union.
The increase OF the number Of scamen
in the public service from seven thousand
five hundred men in the spring of 1861
to about thirty-four thousand at the pres
ent time, has been accomplished without
special legislation or extraordinary boun-
ties to promote that increase 1t ha 5
been found, however, that the operation
Of the draft with the high bounties paid
for army recruits is beginning to affect
injuriously the naval service, and will, if
not corrected, be likely to impair its
efficiency by detachiny seamen from their
proper vocation, and inducing them to
enter the army therefore respectfully
suggest that Congress might aid both the
army and naval services by definite pro-
vision on this subject, which would at the
same time, be equitable to the communi-
ties more especially interested.
commend to your consideration the
sug .estions of the Secretary Of the Navy
in regard to the policy of fostering and
training seamen, and also the education
OF officers and engineers for the naval
service. The Naval Academy is render
IN signal service in preparing midship-
men los the highly responsible duties,
wAiea IA after lite they will be required
to perform. La orler that the country
should not be deprived of the proper
quota of educated officers, FIR which legal
provision has been made at the naval
school, the vacancies caused by the ne
glcct or omission to make nominations
FROM the States in insurrection, have been
filled by the Secretary of the Navy
The school is now more full ami complete
than at any former period, and in every
respect entitled to the favorable consider
alton Of Congress.
During the past fiscal year the fnna-
cial condition OF the Post Office Depart
ment has been one of increasing prosperi-
ty, aud [ am gratiicd in being able to
state, that the actual postal revenues have
nearly e4uallcd the expenditures. the lat
ter amounting to ll,3l4,2O6 81 and the
former to Sll, l63,1SJ 80, leaving de-
iciency Of but Sl5o,4l7 %. In 1850,
the year Immediately preceding the re-
belIion, tue deficiency amounted to So
656,7o5 10, the postal receipts Of that
year being S2,Gi5,1122 10 less than those
of 1868. The decrease since 1860 i'll
the annual amount of transportation has
been only about - per cent, but the an
nual expenditure on account OF the same
has been reduced thirty-fvc per cent. 1t
is manifest therefore that the Post Office
Department may become sell-sustaining
in few years, even with the restoration
Of the whole service.
The international conference of postal
delegates from the principal countries OF
Europc ana America which was called at
the suggestion of the Postmaster-General.
met at Paris on the eleventh of May last
and concluded its deliberations on the
eigth eff June. The principles establish
cd by the conference as best adopted to
facilitate postal intercourse between ma
tions and as the basis Of future postal
conventions, inaugurate a general system
at uniform international charges ut re-
duced rates Of postage, and cannot fail
to produce beneficial results.
refer YOU to the report of the Seere-
t,rv of the Iutariars which is herewith
laid before you, for useful and varied in-
formation in relation to the public lands,
Indian affairs, patents, pensions and 9TH
er matters Of public concern pertaining
to his Department,
The quantity of land disposed of dur
iny the last aud the first quarter OF the
present fiscal year was three millions
eirht hundred ami torty-onc thousand
Eve hundred and forty-nine acres. OF
which one hundred and sixty-one thous'
and nine hundred and eleven acres were
sold for cash-one million four hundred
and lifty-six thousand five hundred and
fourteen acres were taken up under the
homestead aw, and the residue disposed
of under laws granting lanls for other
purposes. 1t appears that the sale OF
the public lands is largely on the increase.
1t has long been cherished opinion OF
some of our wisest Statesmen that the
people of the United States had higher
and more enduring interest in the early
settlement and substantial cultivation OF
the pubic lands, than in the amount OF