Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1864-12-16

to prizes IN our lnlanu waters. L cor
daily concur in the recommendation o
the secretary as to the propriety of cre'
ating the new rank of vice admiral in oul
naval service.
/ THE POST OFFICE.
Your attention is also invited TO the re-
port of the postmaster. general for de
tailed account of the operations and tinan.
cia condition Of the post office depart,
ment. The postal revenues for the yeaI
ending June 10, 1864, amounted to Sl2,-
438,253.78; and the expenditures to
Sl2,G44,78G20; the excess Of expendi.
lures over receipts being S20G, 652.42
The views presented by the postmaster
general on the subject Of special grants
by the government in aid of the estab-
lishment of new lines Of ocean steam
ships, and the policy be recommends for
The development of increased CONNER
cial intercourse with adjacent and neigh
boring countries, should receive the care
| ful consideration of Congress.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR.
1t is of noteworthy interest that the
steady expansion of population, improve
ment and Of governmental institutions
over the new and unoccupied portions of
our country have scarcely been checked,
much less inpeded or destroyed by our
great civil war, which at first glance
would seem to have absorbed almost the
entire energies of the nation. Tue or
ganizatlon and admission OF the state Of
Nevada has been completed in conform
iiy with law, and thus our excellent sys,
TEN is firmly established in the mountains
which once seemed a barren and min
babltable vase between the Atlantic
states and those which have grown up on
the coast Of the Pacific ocean.
The territories of the Union are gen
orally in a condition of prosperity and
rapid growth. Idaho and Montana, LJ
reason Of their great distance aud the in>'
terruption Of communication with them
by Indian hostililies, have been only par.
tally organized; but it is understood
bat these difficulties are about to disap-
1ear, which will permit their governs
nents, like those of the others, TO 90 into
peedy and full operation. AS intimate
y connected with and promotve OF this
material growth Of the nation, ask the
ttenIion Of Congress to the valuable in. a
)rmation and important recommends 5
ons relating TO the public lands, Indian
Hairs, the Pacific railroad, and mineral +
scoveries, contained in the report of the a
lcretary Of the interior, which is here
18th transmitted, which report also en-
races the subjects of patents, pensions,
I'd other topics of public interest per- P
lining to his department. The quan;i- :
Of public land disposed of during the Il,
We quarters ending on the 30th Of Sep. |
.mber last was 4,22l,342 Of which / ;, P
50, GA acres were entered under the =,
omestead law. The remainder was To-
ated with military land warrants, agri- q
lllural scrip certified to states for rail t
Dads, and sold for cash. The cash re-
eived from sales and location fees was -,
l0,l9446. The income from sales du- Y
ing the fiscal year ending June 30lh
S64, was S678,0072l, against $780,
1895 received during the preceding
ear. The aggregate number Of acres /
urveyed during the year has been equal t
o the quantity disposed Of, and there is
pen TO settlement about 134,000,000
ores OF surveyed land. T
The great enterprise of connecting the
Atlantic with the Pacific states, by rail-
Ways and telegraph lines has been enter a
d upon With vigor that gives assurance :
f success, Notwithstanding the embar- }
assments arising from the prevailing
high prices Of materials and labor. The
cute Of he mail line Of the road has t
'een definitely located for one hundred q
niles westward from the initial point at
Omaha city, Nebraska and a prelimi- q
lary location Of the Pacific railroad Of
california. has been made from Sacramen- :
o eastward to the great bend of Tuckee :
liver in Nevada. Numerous discoveries p
f gold, silver and cinnabar mines have S
ieen added TO the many heretofore
uown, and the country occupied by the
Sierra Nevada and Rocky mountains 4
nd the subordinate ranges now teens q
With enterprising labor which is richly a
1t is believed that the ,
roduct of the mines Of precious metals /;
n that region during the year reached, iff
ot exceeded one hundred millions in val t
e.