, 1863-12-26

ther corresponding change in some of our
existing Navy Yards or the establishment Of
new ones for the construction and necessary
repair Of modern war vessels. No inconsid-
cradle embarrassment, delay and public in
jury has been experienced for the want Of
such government establishments The ne
cessity of such a navy yard, so furnished, at
some suitable place upon the Atlantic sea-
board, has on repeated occasions, been
brought to the attention of Congress by the
Navy Department, and again presented in
the report Of the secretary, which sccompa-
MES this communication. l think it my du-
ty to invite your attention to this subject;
and also to that Of establishing yard or de-
pot for naval purposes upon one of the wes-
tern rivers. A naval force has been created
on these interior waters and under many
disadvantages, within little more than two
years-exceeding in number the whole ma
val force Of the country at the commence
ment Of the present Administration Salts
factory and important as has been the per-
tormances of the heroic men of the navy at
this interesting period, they are scarcely
more wonderful than the services of our me
chanics and artisans 10 the production of
war vessels, which have created a new form
Of Naval power. Our country has adyanta-
ges superior to any other in resources of iron
and timber, with inexhaustible quantities of
fuel, in the immediate vicinity Of both, and
all available and in close proximity to navi-
gable waters. Without the advantages of
works, 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. alton
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 at the pres
ent time-has been accomplished without
any special legislation or extraordinary
bounty to promote that increase. 1t has
been found, however, that the operation of
the draft, with the high bounties paid for
army'recruits, is beginning to affect the ma
val service, and will, if not corrected, be
likely to impair its efficiency by detaching
seamen from their proper vocation and in
ducing them to enter the army. I therefore
respectfully suggest that Congress might aid
both the army and naval service by ade-
quate provision on this subject, which would
at the same time be equitable to the com
munity more especially interested. I rec
ommend to your consideration the sugges-
tons Of the Secretary of the Navy in regard
to the policy of fostering and training sea
men for the naval service The Naval
Academy is rendering signal service in pre-
pairing officers and seamen for the response
Bile duties which hereinafter they will be re-
quired to perform. To order that the coun-
try should not be deprived Of educated Off
GERS, for whom legal provision has been
made at the Naval school, the vacancies
caused by the neglect or omission to make
nominations from States in insurrection have
been filed by the Secretary of the Navy. It
IS now more full and complete than at any
previous period and in every respect is en-,
titled to the consideration of Congress.
THE POSTAL SERVICE.
During the past fiscal year the financial
condition of the Post Office Department has
been one Of unceasing prosperity, and am
gratifed in being able to state that the re-
ceipts of the postal revenue have nearly
equaled the entire expenditures, the former
amounting to l1,3l4,000 81, and the latter
70 S1I,4I4,ffT o9, leaving deficiency Of
but Sl50,4l6 25. In 1860. the year imme-
diately preceding the rebellion, the defcen-
cy amounted to $5,656,70 49, the postal
receipts ct that year being $2,045,722 10
less than those of 1868 The decrease since
1860 in the animal amount Of transportation
has been only about 25 per cent, but the
annual expenditures on account of the same
has been reduced 35 per cent. It is mani
fest therefore that the Post Office Depart
ment may become sef-sustaining in few
years, even with the restoration Of the whole
service.
The Internal Conference of the Postal
Delegates from the principal countries of
Europe and America, which was called at
the suggestion Of the Postmaster General,
met at Paris on the 1lth of May last and
concluded its deliberations on the 9th of
June The principles established By the
Conference are best adapted to facilitate pos
tai intercourse between nations and as the
basis Of future Conventions inaugurate a
general system of uniform international
charges, at reduced rates Of postage, and
cannot fail to produce beneficial results
THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR.
refer you to the report of the Secretary
of the Interior, which is herewith laid be-
fore you, for useful and varied information
in regard to the public lands, Indian affairs,
patents, pensions and other matters of public
concern pertaining to his Department. The
quantity Of land disposed Of during the last
and the first quarter of the present fiscal
year was 3,S4l $40 acres, Of which l61,911
acres were sold for cash; ,456,514 acres
were taken up under the homestead law, and
the residue disposed of under the laws
granting lands for military accounts, for
railroads and other purposes It also ap-
pears that the sales of the public lands are
largely on the increase. 1t has long been
the 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 saleo of
them. This opinion has had controlling
influence in shaping legislation upon the
subject of our National domain AS evil
dence of this, may be mentioned the liberal
measures adopted in reference to actual set