The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1864-12-16

! thirteen hundred and seventy-nine, of whic
two hundred and sixty-seven are steamers
The gross proceeds arising from the saIe of con
demned prize property, thus far reported, amour
to SD, 1896, ,250,5l. A large amount of sucl
proceeds is still under adjudication and yet t
be reported. The total expenditure of the Ma
val Department of every description, includin,
the cost Of the immense squadrons that hay
been called into existence since the 4th day o
March $50 TO the first of November 1864, arr
$258, 8,647,262 35.
Your favorable consideration is invited tt
the various recommendations Of the Secretary
OF the Navy, especially in regard to a navy
yard and suitable establishment for the con.
structlon and repair of iron vessels, and the
machinery and armature fer our ships to which
reference Is made in nay last annual message
Your attention is also invited to the views ex-
pressed in the renort in relation to the Iegisla.
ton of Congress at its last session IN respect to
prizes sa inland waters IcordialIy concur in
the recommendation Of the Secretary as to the
proprietY of creating the new rank of Vice Ad-
mlral in our naval service.
Your attention is invited to the report of the
Postmaster General for a detailed account of
the operation and financial condition of the
Post Office Department. The postal resources
for the year ending June so, 1864, amounts to
Sl2, ,430,253 9S, and the expenditures to $l2.
644, 1855 20. The excess of expenditures over
receipts being $40, Cos PAP.
The views presented by the Postmaster Cen
eTal on the subject of special grants by the Gov
ernment in aid Of the establishment of new lines
OF ocean mail steamships, and the policy he
recommends for the development of increased
commercial intercourse with adjacent and neigh
boring countries, sho ud receive the careful c0n4
slderation of Congress. 1t is of noteworthy
interest that the steady expansion of popula-
ton, Improvement and governmental institu-
t0ns over the new and unoccupied portion Of
our country have scarcely been checked, much
less lmpeded or destroyed by our great civil
war, which, at first glance, would SCENE 10
have absorbed almost the entire energies of the
nation. The organization and admission of the
state OF Nevada has been completed in con-
iormlty with law, and TINS our excellent sys-
tenn IS firmly established in the mountains which
were once deemed barren and uninhabitable
waste between the Atlantic States and those
which have grown up on the coast Of the Pa
eItlc ocean The territories Of the Union are
id growth, Idaho and Montana, by reason
Of their great distance and the interruption of
communication with them by Indian hostilities,
have been only partially organized But i IS
understood these difficulties are about to disap-
pear, which will permit their governments, like
those of the others, to go into speedy and full
operation, as intimate and connected with and
pClmotlve of this material growth of the nation.
| ask the attention OF Congress to the valua-
bic information and important recommendations
relative to the public lands, Indian affairs, the
Pacific railroad, and mineral discoveries, cou-
tanned in the report Of the Secretary of the
Interior, which IS here with transmitted and
which report also embraces the subjects of pat
ents, pensions and other topics Of public inter-
est pertaining to his Department The guam
tity of public land disposed of during the FIVE
quarters ending 3Oth December last, was A.
22l ,342 acres of which l,538, GA acres were
entered under the Homestead law. The re-
maiader was located with military land war
rants, agricultural scrip, certified to States for
railroads and sold for cash. The cash received
from sales and location fees, was $l,0I6, 466,
and the income from sales during the fis-
cal year ending June 30th, 1864, $678, ,007 81,
against s 80, OF 90 received during the pre-
ceding year.
The aggregate number of acres surveyed dur
ing the year, has been equal to the quantity
disposed Of, and there is open to settlement a.
bout 133000,000 acres of surveyed land
The great enterprise OK connecting the Atlantic
with the Pacific States by railways and tele-
graph lines, has been entered upon with a'vigor
which gives assurance of success. Notwith-
standing the embarrassment arising from the
prevailing high prices of materials and labor,
the route of the main line of the road has been
definitely located for one hundred miles west
ward from the Initial point at Omaha city, Ne
brasla, and preliminary location of the Pa
clfc railroad Of California has been made from
Sacramento TO the great bend Of the Trace RI
yer, in Nevada.
Numerous discoveries of gold and silver, and
similar mines, have been added TO the many al
ready known, and the country occupied by the
Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains, and the
suburban ranges, now TEEN with enterpriSing la.
bor, which is richly remunerative. 1t is be
lieved that the product of the mines of preciou;
minerals in that region has already reached, i
not exceeded one hundred millions in value.
1t was recommended in my last annual mes
sage that our Indian system be remode He'd
Congress, at It's last session, acting upon the
recommendation, did provide for reorganiza
ton of the system in California, and it IS beiev
ed that under the present organization the man
agement of the Indians there will be attended
with considerable success. Much romans tC
be done to provide for the proper management
of the Indians in other parts of the country tt
render it secure for the advancing settler, ant
to provide for the welfare Of the Indians.
There has been added TO the pension roll
! on.
last, the names of 16, TO invalid soldiers ant
27l disabled seamen, making the present num
Der of army invalid pensioners, 22,767, and 0
navy invalid pensioners, 1871. OF widows
orphans, and mothers, p, 1913 have been places
on the army pension rolls, and 24S on the ma
Wy rolls. The present number of army pen