Daily national Republican., 1863-12-09


rendering signal service In preparing midship-
men for the highly responsible duties which in
ater life they will bo required TO perform. In
order that the country should not be deprived
of the proper quota Of educated officers, for
which legal provision has been made at the
naval school, the vacancies caused by the neg.
leet or omission to make nsmIn ations from the
States In insurrection have been filed by the
Secretary OF the Navy. The school Ia now
more full and complete than at any former
period, and In every respect entitled to the
favorable consideration Of Congress.
During the past fiscal year the financial con.
dition OF the Post Office Department has been
one Of increasing prosperity, and I am graft
fed In being able to state that the actual postal
revennc has nearly equalled the entire eSpendi-
lures the latter amounting to S11 ,3l4 ,2O6 ~,
and the former TO s1l. .16S, ,7s9 80, leaving de-
aciency of hut s15O,4l7 25. In 1854, the year
Immediately preceding the rebellion, the def
cheney amounted to s5,858, ,705 40, the postal
receipts Of that wear being s2,645,To2 10 less
than those Of 1863.
transportation has been only about 25 per cent,
but the annual expenditure on sccount OF the
same has been reduced % ner cent II 10 manifest,
come selt-sustaining in few years, even with the
restoration OF tho wholeSs
The international conference of postal delegates
from the principal countries OF Europe and Amer.
ca,which wa. called At thc suggestion or the Pos;.
master General, met At Paris on the nth Of May
last, and concluded Its deliberations on the 9Th of
June. The principles established by the confer
ence hest sdapted to postal intercourse
between nations, and as the basis Of future postal
form intern ationsl charges, ~ reduced ra'es of
postage, and cannot fail to produce beneficial re-
suits.
Irefer you to the report OF the Secretary Of the
Interior, which 10 herewith laid before you, for
useful AMI varied Information In relation to the
public lands Indian affairs, patents, pensioos, and
M hpF natl n u4nlnp
department.
The quantity OF land disposed of during the
last and the first quarter Of the present fiscal
years was three million eight hundred and for
ty-one thousand Ave hundred and forty.nine
acres, of which one hundred and sixty.
thousand nine hundred and eleven acres were
sold for cash, one million four hundred and
afty-siS thousand five hundred acd fourteen
acres were taken up under the homestead law,
and the residue disposed Of vndcr laws grant
ing lands for military bountles, for railroad,
and other purposes. II also appears that the
sale of the public lands is largely on the in
crease.
1t has long been cherished opinion of some
of our wisest statesmen that the people of the
United States had a higher and more enduring
interest In the early settlement and substantial
cultivation Of the public lands than In the
amount Of direct revenue to be derived from
the sale Of them. This opinion has had con-
trolling influence in shaping legislation upon
the subject OF our national domain.
may cite, as evidence OF this, the liberal
measures adopted In reference to actual set
tiers; the grant to the States of the overt owed
lands within their limits In order to their being
and rendered At for cultivation; the
grants to railway companies of alternate Sec
tions OF land upon the contemplated lines Of
their roads which, when completed, will 80
largely multiply the facilities for reaching our
ar INT sal MALT haa al
its most signal and beneacent illustration in
the recent enactment granting homesteads to
actual settlers.
Since the first day of January last 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 un.
der It's provisions. This fact and the amount
of sales furnish gratifying evidence Of incrcas-
ing settlement upon the public lands, notwith-
standing the great struggle in which the ener-
gies of the nation have been engaged, and
which has required 30 large withdrawal of
our citizens from their accustomed pursuits.
| cordially concnr In the recommendation of
the Secretary of the Interior, suggesting mo-
diiicaton of the act in favor Of those engaged
In the military and naval service of the United
States. doubt not that Congress will cheer
fully adopt such measures as will, without
essentially changing the general features of the
system, secure, to the greatest practicable cx-
tent, its benefits to those who have left their
homes in the defence of the country in this ar
dnous crisis.
1 invite your attention to the views of the
Secretary as TO the propriety OF raising, by ap-
proDriate legislation, a revenue from the mine
raj lands of the United States.
The measures provided at your last session
for the removal of certain Indian tribes have
been carried into effect. sundry treaties have
been negotiated which will, In due time, he
submitted for the constitutional action of the
Senate. They contain stipulations for extin.
gushing the possessory rights Of the Indians
to large and valuable tracts of land.
1t 10 hoped that the effect OF thete treaties will
result Ia In. establish u snt OF permanent friendly
aEions with such of thess tribes as have been
brought into frequent and bloody collsioI with
our outlying settlements and eml grants. Sound
policy and our imperative du'y to these wards O
the Government demand our anxious and constant
attention to their II HteriaI wcll-being, to the r
progress In the arts OF civilization, and, above all
to that moral training which, under the biessins
Of Divine Providence, will confer upon them III,
ele sted and ssnctiiying influences the hopes ant
cons 'lations OF the Christian faith.
lsuggested In nv last annual msssage the pro
ptirty of rem0delling our Indian osystem. snbse
lnent events lhave satisfied me Of Its necessity
The details forth In the report OF the SeUTc
! evince the urgent need for immediate legislativ,
action.
! commend the beney olent Institutions, estab
lisllsd or lpStrouized by the Government In thil
Dis,rlet. 70 your generous and fostering care.
The attcntioa OF Congress, during last session
WAS engaged To some extent win proposition fol
enls gins the water communication between thu
Mississippi river and the northeastern seAblaTd
| which proposition. however, failed for the time
since thea upon call Of the greatett respect ,bl
lity, a convention has been hefd at Chicsgo upoI
the same subject, a summary OF whose views Il
coItaip.. IN . memorial addressed to the Presi
dent sEd C9n.rsIs snt which I now have the no
nor tn lay before you. That this interest 10 on,
which, ere long, will force Its owe way, | do no
entertain doubt while II 10 submttel en' Eeiy Il
your wisdom as to what can he done now. Aug
tIIsl comm ncsment Of work upon the Pacific rnii
road under auspices so favorable to rapid progrss
and completion, The enlarged navigation beeomel
pslpshic need - ibl Ga a. rcsd
Transmit The sec md Ennis report OF the Com
missioner oil tee Department OF ApricLiiure ask
ing your attention 10 the Developments IN tina
vital interest Of the nation.
When Congress assembled year nss the wal
had already lasted nearly twenty months, hnt
there hsd been many conflicts on both land Ant
sea, with varying results, The rebellion had been
pressea back into reduced limits; yet the tone o
public opiEtoh, &! home aud abroad, was not sat
isfactory,
with other signs, toe popular elections, ther
just past, indicated unsAsiness amCnk ourselves
while amid much that was cold and menacing tbs
kindest words coming from Europe were uttered ir
accents OF pity that we were too blind to surren
der = hopeless cause Dur commerce was suffering
greatly by y lew armed vessels built upon and fur
ed with such additions from the same quarter Al
would sGsep our trade from the sea and raise oui
block sde We hAs failed to elicit from Europe sr
governments anything hopeful upon this subject
TSs preliminary emsncipahuE LrGclsmat!Gn, Is
sued Ia sept mber, was iunning sttigaed pc
later the rns pI0clsmatiOn came, Including the
announ me mt that roiored men OF suitable condI