Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1864-12-09
The Presidents Message

The Presidents Message
BY the Dubuque Times Of Wednesday W
have the Presidents Message. ..
The President commences by thankin
God for the blessings of health and an abun
| dant harvest
lie then reviews our Foreign Affairs, which
on the whole, he considers as rcasonabl,
satisfactory
| He urges Congress to adopt measures t
! protect our Canadian borders against tn
| dcpredations and assaults of desperate per
sons who are harbored there He does no
consider the colonial authorities unrriendly
towards the United States.
| The act passed at The last session for Tn,
| encouragement of emigration has, as far a.
was possible, been put in operation. 1t need.
amendment to prevent frauds on e,nisrants
The financial affairs of the Government
have been successfully administered during
the last year. The rcquisition Of the has
session Of Congress has benofcially affected
the revenues, although sufficient time has MOI
yet passed TO secure the iull effect Of seve1a
Of the provisions Of the acts of Congress im
posing increased taxation lie concurs witt
the Secretary Of the Treasury in the opinion
that still further revenue should be prov let
for 10y taxation.
OF the public debt he says:
The public debt OF the lst day of July last
1 Al.
amounted to Cne billion, seven hundred anC
ninety thousand millions, six hundred ane
ninety thousand, feur hundred and eighty
nine dollars and forty nine cents. Probably
should the war continue for another year
that amount may be Increased by not FIJI
from Fl lie hundred millions Hold, as il is
for the most part by our own people, il ha,
become a substantial branch of the na,ona
private property. For Obvious reasons. The
more nearly this property can be distributed
among the people the better. To favor such
general distribution. greater inducements te
become owners might perhaps with good cf
feet and without injury, be presented TO per
sons Of limited means. With this view,
suggest whether il is no. right, and both ex
redient and competent, for Congress to pro
vide that limited amount Of some future
issue of public securities may be held hy any
bona fdc purchaser exempt from taxation
and from seizure for debt, under such restric.
ton and limitation as may be necessary "a
guard against abuse Of so important privi
lege. This would enable prudent persons t.
set aside small annuity against possible
day of want. Privileges like these would
render the possession Of such securities ,c
the amount limited, most desirable to every
p'r-on Of smah means who might be able tC
save enough for the purpose. The great al
vantage Of citizens being creditors as well a,
debtors wl,h relation 10 the public debt, i,
obvious. Men readily perceive that they
cannot be much oppressed by debt whei
they owe 10 themselves.
He says Of banks:
The national banking system is proving tt
he acceptable to CAPITALISTS aud to the people
On the 25th Of November, 5S4 nstona
banks had been o,canizcd. consid,rabl,
number Of which were conversions from
State banks. Changes from the State sys,eu
to the National system are rapidly taking
place, and 1t is hoped that very soon thcr.
Will he in the United States no bank Of issu.
not authorized by Congress-, and no ban.
note circulation, not secured by the Govern
mcnt. That the Government and the p,opl,
will drive general benefit f-cm this chang
IN the banking system Of the country car
hardly be questioned. The National system
will create liberal and permanent influence
IN support Of the national credit and pro
tect the PeopTagainst losses in the use o.
paper money. Whether or not any furthe,
legislation is advisable Cor the suppression Of
the State Bank system. il aiiI he for Cen.
grrss to determine. Ii seems quite clear
that the business cannot he satisfactorily
conducted unless the Government can cyer
else a restraining power over the bank note
circulation Of the country.
In regard TO operations OF the War Depart
mcnt, he refers to the report O! the Seer tary
Of War.
lie congrat'lhtcs the people that the affairs
Of the Navy have been conducted with SC
much efficiency and success lie says:
The exhibit Of the Navy, including vessels
under construction on the lSt day of Dec
1864, shows n total of CSl vessels. carrying
Ago guns, and 5S0,3@G tons, being an actu
al increase during the year, over and above
all losses by shipwrrck and in battle, Of 50
vessels, l6G cuaS, and IL OF tons.
The total numbtr Of men at this time ir
the naval service is 81 COO. There have beer
captured lay the navy during the year, tire,
hundred and twenty four vessels. and tht
number OF naval captures since hostilitirs
commenced is 800, OF which .6T are steam
crS. The gross proceeds arising from tlI,
sale OF condemned prize property. thus far
amounts to Sl2, 39G go, 81. \ large amour
of such proceeds is s.Ill under adjudication
and yet 10 be reported.
lie lavors the creating Of the new ranl; @
Vice Admiral in our naval service.
He says Of the Post Office Department.:
The postal revenues for the year cndin,
June 3Oth, 1864, amounted to $l.243,S25
3TS, and TIC expenditures TO 81 ,2G4 AS go
The excess Of The expenditures over the re
ceipts being S2C6,5i2 AZ.
OF the Territories he says:
The organization rrd admission Of tn
State of Nevada has been completed in con
iorinty with law, and thus our excellent sys
( tenn is firmly established and maintained il
which once seemed barren and uninhabita
/ Die waste between the Atlantic States an
! those which have grown up on the coast {
the Pacific Ocean.
! The territories Of the United States ar
generally in a condition Of prosperity M
rapid growth Idaho and Montana, by rea
son of their great distance, and Of the inter
rupt!on Of communication with them by In
dian hostiities, have been only partially OF
ganizcd, but it is understood that these diff
cultes are abou. to disappear, which wi
permit their governments, like those of OF,
crs, to 60 into speedy ard full orga"iza;io.
OF Public Lands, be says:
The cash receipts for sales and locatio
fees was $l,0l9,44G. The income for sale
during the fiscal year ending June SOL
1864, was So, SOj,73l against $63 COZ, 70
receipts during the preceding year. The &,
girgalc OF acres surveyed during the Yea
has been equal toIhe quantity disposed o
ard there is open to settlements about 1873
000,tO0 acres of surveyed land.
lie says of the great Pacific Railroad:
! Notwithstanding the cmharrassments sri
Ing from the prevailing ligh prices of mat
rial and labor, the route of the main lire
the p r. Il. has been definitely located T,
one hundred miles westward from its begin