Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-12-16

may be relied on for harbor defence and sea
coast service, others of greater strength and
capacity will be necessary for cruising purpo
SEES, and to maintain our Tightful position on
the ocean.
The change that has taken place IN asal
vessels and naval warfare since the lntroduc-
ton of steam as motive power Tor ships OF
war, demands either corresponding change
in some of our existing navy yards, or the
establishment of new ones for the construc-
ton and necessary repairs of modern war
vessels. No inconsiderabe embarrassment,
delay and public injury has been experienced
| from the want of such Government establish
| mentS. The necessity OF such navy yard
80 furnished, at some suitable place upon the
Atlantic seaboard, has on repeated occasions
| been brought to the attention of Congress by
the Navy Department, and is again presented
in the report OF the Secretary, which accom-
panies this communication. | think it my
duty to invite your especial attention to this
subject, and also to that of establishing yards
and depots for naval purposes upon one of
the western rivers. \ naval force has been
created on these interior waters, and under
many disadvantages within a little more than
two years, exceeding in numbers the whole
naval force of the country at the commence
ment of the present Administration.
Satisfactory and important as have been the
'
at this interesting period, they are scarcely
more wonderful than the services of ner-
chants and artizans in the production of war
vessels, which has created a new form of
naval power. Our country has advantages
superior to any other nation, in our resources
in iron and timber, with inexhaustible guam
titles of fuel in the Immediate vicinity Of
both, and all accessible and in close PROV
unity to navigable waters. Without the aid
he nt
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 seamcn
in the public seryice-from Z goo men IN the
spring of 1861, to about "A 900 at the present
time-has been accomplished without special
legislation or extraordinary bountleS to pro-
mote that increase. 1t has been found, how
ever, that the operation of the dratt-wth
the high bounties paid for army recruits-is
beginning to effect injuriously the naval ser
vice, and will, if not corrected, be likely to
impair its efficiency by detaching seamen from
their proper vocation and inducing Thorn to
enter the army |. therefore, respectfully
suggest that Congress might aid both the
army and the naval service, by adequate pro-
visions on this subject, which would, at the
same time, be equitable to the communities
more especially interested.
| commend to your consideration the sug-
gestions of the Secretary of the Navy, in re
gard to the policy of fostering and training
seamen for the naval service. The Naval
Academy is rendering signal service in pre-
pairing midshipmen for the highly responsible
duties which, in after life, they will be re-
quired to perform. In order that the coun-
try should not be deprived of proper quota
OF educated persons for which legal provision
has been made at the naval school, the va
cancies caused by neglect or omission to
make nominations from the States in insur-
rection have been filled by the Secretary of
the Navy. The school is now more full and
complete than at any previous period, and is
in every respect entitled to the favorable
consideration of Congress.
PosT-OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
During the past fiscal year the financial
condition OF the Postotfice Department has
been one of increasing prosperity, and | am
gratited III being able to state that the re-
ceipts of postal revenue have nearly equalled
the entire expenditure, the latter amounting
to 81, 3l4 ,0U0.04 and the former to $l1 ,I63,-
7S9.O9, leaving a deficiency of but $I50,4l7.-
%. In the year Immediately preceding the
rebellion the deficiency amounted to 500
go, 549, the postal receipts of that year being
S264, 972, PIG less than those of 1868. The
decrease since 1860 in the annual amount of
transportation has been only about % per
cent, but the annual expenditures on account
of the same have been reduced 30 per cent.
1t Is manifest therefore that the POstollice
Department may become self-sustaining in
few years, even with restoration of the whole
service.
The International Conference of postal
delegates from the principal countries of
Europe and America, which was called al the
suggestion of our Post Master General, met
at Paris on the llth of May last and CON
Guided its deliberations on the Sth Of June.
The principles established by the conference
as best adapted to facilitate postal intercourse
between nations, and as the basis of future
conventions, inaugurate general system of
| uniform international charges at reduced
rates of postage, and cannot fail to produce
/ beneficial results.
THE INTERIOR.
| | refer you to the report of the Secretary
| of the Interior, which is herewith laid before
| YOU, for useful and varied information in re-
! lation to the Public Lands, Indian Affairs,
| Patents, Pensions and other matters of public
| concern pertaining to that Department. The
| quantity of land disposed of during the last
| and the first quarters of the present fiscal
year was 3, S4l ,5i9 acres, of which I6l, 9Il
acres were sold for cash /, 456,5l4 acres
were taken up under the homestead law, and
| the residue disposed of, under the law grant
ing lands for military purposes, for railroads
and other purposes. 1t is also thought that
the sale of the public lands is largely on the
increase. 1t has long been a cherished opin
ion of some of our wisest statesmen that the
people of the United States had higher and
more enduring interest in the early settle
ment and substantial cultivation of the public
lands than i'll the amount of direct revenue
to be derived from the sale of them
This opinion has had controlling influence
in shaping legislation upon the subject of oul
national domain. | may cite as evidence u
this, the liberal measures adopted in refer
ence to actual settlers; the grant to States o
oyerfiowed lands within their limits, in order
to their being reclaimed and rendered fit fol-
cultivation; the grant to railroad companies
of alternate sections of land upon the con
tempated lines of their roads that, when com
pleted viii largely multiply the facilities fol
reaching our distant possessions
This policy has received its most sigma
and beneficent illustration in the recent en-
actment giving homesteads to actual settlers
Since the first day of January last, the be
aforementioned quantity of l, 400 acres
of land has been taken up under its proyi
sious. This fact and the amount of salei
/ furnish gratifying evidence of the increasing