Daily national Republican., 1863-12-09


|. Injuries, unfot eseen ly the government and nn-
intended, may, In some eases, have been innieted
at sea and land, by persons In the service Of he
United States As this government expec redress
from other powets when sinilar injuries are In
hictedb by persons In their service upon citizens Of
the United stctes, we must be prepsr d to do jus
tice to foreigners, the existing Judicial tribu-
nal. nal: Are s iTssasds,' to ths nnpo. spses
such claims OF the character referred to IS may
nave arisen under treaties and he public law
Conventions for adjusting the claims by joint COM
mission have been proposed to some governments,
but deanitivc answer to The propoaitlon has yet
been received from any.
In the course Of the session l shall probably
have occasion 10 request you to provide indem.
Indication to claimants where DEGREES Of resti-
tuition have been rendered. and damages
awarded by admiralty courts; and In other
cases, where this Government may he acknowl.
edged to be liable In principle, and where the
amount of that liability has been ascertained
by an Informal arbitration. =,
The proper officers of the Treasury have
deemed themselves required, by the law Of the
United States upon the subject, to demand a
tax upon the incomes OF foreign consuls in
this country. While such demand NAV not,
in strictness, be In derogation Of public law,
or perhaps of any existing treaty between the
United States and foreign country, the expe.
dicncy Of So far modifying the act as TO exempt
from tax the income Of such consns as are not
smoluments Of their office, or from property
not situated In the United States, is submitted
to your serious consideration. I make this
suggestion upon the ground that comfy
which ought to be reciprocated exempts our
consuls, In all other countries, from taxation
to the extent thus indicated. The United
States, think, ought not to he exceptionally
illiberal TO International trade and commerce.
The operations OF the treasury during the
last year have heen successfully conducted.
The enactment by Congress ofa national bank.
ing law has proved valuable support of the
public credit; and the general legislation In re-
lation to loans has fully answered the expecta.
tions of ITS favorers. Some amendments may
be required to perfect existing laws; but no
change ia their principles or general scope is
believed to be needed.
Since these measures have been in operation, all
dem ,nds on the treasury including the pay OF the
satisfied No considerable body OF troops, II i.
believed, were ever more amply provided, and
more literally and punstusliy paid; and it may he
added that BY no people were the burdens incident
80 great wst ever more cheer,uIly borne.
3Thc receipts during the year from all sources,
including loans and the balance in the treasury
at Its commencement, were 1901 1864 81,
and the aggregate disbursements SS95, 49,
$50 65, leaving balance on the lst July, 1863,
of 81, ,S29, ,O44 81. or the receipts there were
derived from customs 500. .O50, ,642 40; from In
ternal revenue, s37 $40, 7s7 95; from direct tax
81 ,4S5, 103 6l; from lands, SiG1 or Il; from
miscellaneous sources, s3,046, ,6l5 IS; and from
loans, SF6,6s2, ,SGl 81; making the aggregate,
S90l ,l25,614 Sc.
or the disbursements there were for the civ
II service, S23, ,253, ,922 0S for pensions and In
dians, s4,216,5 $40 79 for inferese on public
debt, S24 ,i29, $40 81; for tho War Depart ment,
s599 ,29s 600 SO; for the Navy Department.
$685. Jos 2IJ for payment of funded and
temporary debt, 1851 ,0s6 $50 O1; making the
aggregate, ss95, ,I9G $3.50 o., and leaving the
balance of 50, ,329, 0i4 81.
But the payment of funded and temporary debt,
having been made from moneys borrowed during
the year must be regarded a. merely nomin Il
payments, and the moneys borrowed to make
them as merely nominal receipts, and cir amount,
Gas Or, should therefore he deducted both
from receipts and disbursements. This being
done; here remains as sstpsl receipts s19o OaO, !.
sa5 81, leaving the balance as already stated.
The actual receipts and disbursements for the
first quarter, and the estimated receipts and dis
burs.ments Tor the remsinng tn e- quarters Of the
current fiscal year 1864, will 'e shown IT, detail hy
the report Of the secretaIy of tn, Treasury, I
which invite your attention. I IA sufficient 10
say here hat II 10 not believed this. actual results
viii exhibit state OF hnances less favorable ia
tofore submitted while it 10 confidently expected
that at the close of the year both disbur I,
and debt will he found very cOusider.hi less than
The report OF the Secretary OF War is a doe i.
ment OF great interest II consists Of
l.. The military operahons Of the year, detailed
in the report OF the general tn-chlef.
.. The organization of colored persons into the
war service.
d The exchange OF pr soners, fully set forth in
the letter of General Hitchcock
1. The operations under the act for enrolling
and csllDg out the national forces, detailed In
| the report Of the Provost Marshall General.
5. The organization of the invalid corps; and
Il. The operation OF the several department.
OF the Quartermaster General, Commissar,
~ - n. t-T
| nerrs, Chief OF Ordnance aud Surgeon General
| II has appeared Impossible 10 mike q vsushl,
| summary of thi- report except such Ab would b,
| too extended ivr this place, and hence cOnten
my .ei oy asking yo"r careful attention to the re
The duties devuiving on the nav al branch OF tn,
| service dnring the year, and throughout the who'll
| of this unhappy contest, have been discharge,
| with hdeiity and eminen snccess The extensiv
blockade has been constantly increasing In eth
cheney, as the navy has expanded; yet ION so lon
line 1t has so far been impossible to suppress II
licit trade.
From returns received at the Navy Depart
mGnt II appears that more than one Thousand
vessels have been captured since the blockad
was instituted, and that the value Of prizes al
ready sent In for odjudication amounts to owe
thirteen millions of dollars.
The naval force of the United States consist
| at this time OF five hundred and eighty Weigh
vessels, completed and In the course of com
pletion and of these seventy-fve ale iron-clat
| or armored steamers. The events OF the wa
gives an increased interest and importance I,
the navy which will probably extend hcyont
i the war itself.
The armorcd vessels in our navy completed
| and in service, or which are under contract AM
| approaching completion, are believed to cxceet
| In number .hose of any other power. But Will
| these may be relied upon for harbor defenc
and coast service, others Of greater strength
and capacity will be necessary for cruising
purposes, and TO maintain onr rightfnl posilioi
on the ocean.
The change that has taken place in nava
| vessels aud naval warfare since the introduc
tion OF steam as a motive power for ships o
war demands either corresponding change II
| some of our existing navy yards, or the estab
| lishment of new ones, for the construction ant
| necessary repair Of modern naval vessels. NJ
| incons siderable embarrassment, delay, aud pub
lie injury have been experienced from the wan
Of such governmental establishments. Th
| necessity of such a navy yard, so furnished, o
some suitable place upon the Atlantic seaboard
has on repeated occasions heen brought TO tn
| attention of Congress by the Navy Department
and is again presented Ia the report of tn
Secretary which accompanies this coinmunica
tion.
a think It my duty to Invite your special attsn
tipn TO this suh Ct, and also 10 that of establish
| of the Western IiveIs. A LaSR toree has beer
| creAtpi 90 those Interior aters, ami under mani
| disadvantages within lItt'r more than two yOars
| exceeding IN numbers the whole naval force OF thu
| country At the commence ment OF lhs pfesent Al
| minstrstion. Satisfactory and impoetant as hav,
4 I.A- Ha AHl4 49, IL. =.