Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-12-14


The report of the Secretary of War is docu-
ment Of great interest. Ii consists Of
1. The military operations of the year, detailed
in the report of the General in Chief
The organization of colored persons into the
war service, tai zr
B. The exchange Of prisoners is fully set forth
in the letters of General Hitchcock.
4. Operations under the act of enrolling and
calling out the national forces, detailed in the
report of the Provost Marshal General. ~
ri 5. The organization of the Invalid Corps.
6. The operation of the several departments OF
the Quartermaster General, Commissary General
Paymaster General, Chief of Engineers, Chief
of Ordnance and SHrgeon General. H ~
Ii has appeared impossible to make n valuable
summary of this report. except such as would be
too extended for this place. and hence content
myself in referring your attention to the report
itself. -l-i i1..etf ssec M ,-f1 ia Coy
NAVAL AYFAfEs.
The duties devolying on the naval branch Of
the service during the year. and throughout the
whole Of this unhappy contest, have been dis
charged with fidelity and eminent success. The
extensive blockade has been constantly increas
ing in efficiency ms the navy has expanded
yet on so long a line il has 30 far
been Impossible to entirely suppress
illicit trade. From the returns received
at the Navy Department il appears that more
than one Thousand vessels have been captured
since the blockade was instituted and that the
value ofthe prizes already sent in for adjudica-
ton as,ounss to over thirteeA million dollars
Tie naval force of the United States consists. at
this time, of 5SS vessels completed aus in the
course OF completion. and OF these, IS are iron
clad armored steamers The events of she war
rive iacr sod into md iron tn tha
navy which will probably extend beyond the war
itself The armored vessels in our navy, com
pleted and in service, or which are nnder contract
and approaching completion, are believed to ex-
ceed in number those of any other power but
while they may be relied upon for harbor defeuses
and sea coast service, Others Of greater strength
and capacity will be necessary for cruising
purposes and to maintain rightful position
on the ocean. The change that has taken place
in naval vessels and naval warfare since the in
PRODUCTION of steam as motive power for ships
of war, demands either corresponding change in
some OF our existing navy yards. or the estab-
lishmeut of new ones for the construction and
necessary repair of moderu vessels 70 in
considerable embarrassment, delay and public
injury have been experienced from the want Of
such Government establishments. The necessity
of such navy yard, furnished at some suitable
place upon the Atlantic seaboard, has on repeat
Congress by the NAVY Department. and is again
presented in the report of the Secretary, which
accompanies this communication. / think il my
duty to invite your special attention to this sub
ject, and also that of establishing yard and
depot for naval purposes upon one of the western
rivers naval force has been created on these
interior waters, and under many disadvantages,
within little more than two years, exceeding in
numbers the whole naval force Of the country at
49,
ton Satisfactory and important ms has been the
performances of she heroic men of the navy, at
this period they are scarcely more wonderful than
the services of our mechanics and artzlns in the
production of vessels which have created
new form of naval power Our country has ad
vaniages superior to any other nation in our re
sources of iron and timber, with inexhaustible
quantities of fuel in the immediate vicinity of
both. and all accessible in and in close proximity
to navigable waters, without the advantage of
public risks The resources of the nation have
been developed and its power displayed in the
construction of 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 seamen in the public service from
1000 men in the spring of 1861 to about "a 600
et the present time. has been accomplished with
especial legislation extraordinary bounties
to promote that increase IL has been found,
however, that the operations of the draft, with
the high bouIties paid for army recruits. is be-
ginning to affect ungenerously the naval service,
and will il not corrected be likely to impair its
efficiency by ,letachns seamen from their proper
avocitiOn and inducing them to enter
the army therefore respectfully sug-
gest that Congress might aid both the
army and naval service By adequate provision on
the subject, should at the same time he eQuable
tn the communities more especially interested
L cOmmen t0 your consideration the suggestions
of the Secretary of the Navy in regard 10 the
policy of fostering and trimming sea men for naval
service. The Naval Academy is rendering si:
nal service in preparing Mi Miishipmen for highly
responsible duties which in after life they will be
required TO perform, in order that the country
should not be deprived OF the proper quota of ed
ucated officers for which legal provision has been
made nc the Naval School The vacancies caused
by the neglect or omission to make nominations
from the States iu insurecton have been filed
by the Secretary of the Navy. The School is
now more full and complete than Mt any previous
period, and in every respect entitled to the Ia
vorsble consideration Of Congress e
POSTAL AFFAIRs.
During the past fiscal year, the financial cond-
ton of the Post Office Department has been one
of increased prosperity, and am gratified in be
ing able ~ state that the receipt OF postal reven
ue has nearly equalled the entire expenditure;
the latte, amounting TO Sill ,3l4 900 81 and the
former to 81 l63, ,7Sy 59-Ieivinga deficiency of
but $3.50 All IS In 1860. the year immediate
preceding the rebellion, the deficiency amounted
to S565 ,670, $40. The postage receipts of that
year were 1854 ,572 ,2l9 less than those OF 1863.
The decrease since 1860, in the annual
amount of transportation. has been only about
25 per cent, hut the annual expenditures on ac-
count OF the same has been reduced 35 per cent
Ii il manifest, therefore, that the Postof6c De.
partment may become self sustaining in few
yeirs, even with the restoration of the whole SER
vice. The international conference of Postal
delegates from the principal countries OF Europe
and America, which was called at the suggestion
OF the Postmaster General, met Paris the
llth of May last. and concluded its deliberations
on the 9th Of june The principles established
by the conference. best adapted to facilitate
postal intercourse between nations. and rs the
basis OF future conventions to iuausurste gen.
eral system 0f nniorm International charges at
reduced rates Of postage snnot fail to produce
beneficial results. e aaa sa .fe.
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR
refer you 10 the report of the Secretary of
the Interior, which is herewith laid before you,
for the useful aud varieJ information in relation
10 she public lands. Indian affairs, patents, pen
sions and other umtters OF public concern. per-
tanning To this department. Tho quantity of
lands disposed OF during the last and the first
quarters Of the present fiscal year was hree mil,
lion eight hundred and fifty one thousand FIVE
hundred and flty.nine acres, of whch one hun
dred and sixty one thousand nine hundred and
eleven acres were sold for cash; one million four
hundred and fisty-six thousand i've hundred AMI
fourteen acres we're taken up under the Home
stead law and the residue disposed Of under laws
granting lands for military aouptes for railroads