Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1863-12-17


No inconsiderable embarrassment, DELAY
and public injury have been experienced
from the want Of such Government estab.
lishments. The necessity Of such navy
yards 80 furnished at some suitable place
on the Atlantic seaboard, has on repeat
ted occasions been brought to the atten.
tion Of Congress by the Navy Depart.
ment, and is again presented in the re.
port Of the Secretary, which accompanies
this communication. / think it my duty
to invite your special attention to this
subject, and also TO that Of establishing
yard and depot for naval purposes up
on one Of the Western rivers. A naval
force bas been created on these interior
waters and under many disadvantages,
within little more than two years, excee.
ding in numbers the whole naval force OF
the country at the commencement of the
present Administration. Satisfactory and
i'm mportant as have been the performances
of these heroic men of the Navy at this
interesting period. they are scarcely more
wonderful than the services Of our me
chanics and artisans in the production Of
war vessels which have created a 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 i'm
mediate vicinity of both, and all accessi-
BILE and in close proximity to navigable
waters, without the advantages Of public
works. The resources of the alton have
been developed, and its power displayed
in the construction of q navy of such
magnitude, and which at the very period
of its creation. rendered signal service to
the Union The increase of the mum Der
of seamen in the public service from
1900 men in the spring of 1861 to about
24,000 at the present time, has been ac-
complished without especial legislation
or extraordinary bounties 20 promote the
increase. 1t has been found, however,
that the operation of the draft, with high
bounties paid for army recruits, is begin
ming to affect injuriously the naval SER
vice, and will, if not corrected, be likely
to impair its efficiency by detaching sea-
men from their proper vocation and in
ducing them to enter the army. l there.
fore respectfully suggest that Congress
might aid both the army and naval SER
vice by adequate provision on this sub
ject, which would at the same time be
equal to the communities more especially
interested.
sEAMEN.
/ commend to your consideration the
suggestion of the Secretary of the Navy
in regard to the policy of fostering ant
training seamen for naval service. TIL
Naval Academy is rendering signal ser
vice in preparing midshipmen tor highl
responsible duties. which in after life the
will be required to perform in order tina
the country should not be deprived of it
proper quota of educated officers, TO
which legal provision has been made a
the Naval School. The vacancies caused
by neglect or omission to make nomina
tions from the States in insurrection have
been filled by the Secretary Of the Navy
The school is now more full and com
plete than at any previous period
and in every respect entitled to the favo.
rable consideration of Congress.
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
During the past fiscal year the inan-
cial condition Of the Post Office Depart
ment has been one of increasing prosper
ity, and am gratifed in being able to
state that the receipts of postal revenue
have nearly equalled the entire expendi-
lures, the latter amounting to eleven mil
lion three hundred and fourteen Thousand
dollars and eighty four cents, and the
former to eleven million one hundred and
sixty-three thousand seven hundred anG
eighty nine dollars and nine cents, leav-
ing a deficiency of but one hundred and
thirty thousand and four hundred ana
seventeen dollars and twenty five cents.
In 1860. the year Immediately preceding
the rebellion, the deficiency amounted to
$5, $50 705 Al; the postal receipts of that
year being S2,645 .722, 10 less than those
of 1868. The decrease since 1860 in the
annual amount of transportation has been
only about 25 per cent, but the annual
expenditures on account Of the same, has
been reduced 81 per cent. 1t is manifest,
therefore, that the Post Office Depart
ment may become selfsustaining in few
years, even with the restoration of the
whole service. The International Con-
ference of Postal Delegates from the prin-
cipal countries Of Europe and America,
which was called at the suggestion ofthe
Post Master General, met at Paris on the
l 1th of May last, and concluded its de-
liberations on the 9Th of June. The
principles established by the conference
as best adapted to facilitate postal inter-
course between nations, and as basis OF
future conventions to inaugurate general
system of uniform International charges
at reduced rates of postage, and cannot
fail to produce beneficial results. l refer
you to the report OF the Secretary of the
Interior, which is herewith laid before
you, for useful and varied information
in relation to public lands, Indian affairs
patents, pensions, and other matters O.
public concern pertaining to his depart
ment.
PUBLIC LANDS.
The quantity of land disposed of du
ring the last and first quarter of the pres
ent fiscal year was three millions eigh
hundred and forty one thousand and fiv,
hundred and forty nine acres, OF whicl
l61, Oil acres were sold Tor cash, l,456,
5l4 acres were taken up under the Home
stead Law, and the residue disposed o
under laws granting lands for militar,
bounties, for railroad and other purposes
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