The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1864-12-14
3. McGREGOR, IOWA, WEDNESDAY, DEC. II, 1864

1864. .a
and the machinery and armateur for. our
ships, for which, reference was made in my
last annual message. Your attention is
also invited to the views expressed in the
report in respect to the legislation Of Con.
gress at its last session in respect to the
prize on our inland water.
cordially concur in the recommendation
Of the Secretary as to the propriety OF
creating the new rank Of Vlce-Admlral in
our navy service. ....g -s.-.'
Your attention is invited to the Report
Of the Postmaster General, for detailed
account Of the operations and the financial
condition of the Postofi e Department.
The postal revenue for the year ending
June 80, 1864, amounted to $l2 ABS, ,253,.
! 79, ard the expenditures to 12,644, ,796,
20; the excess of expenditures over re.
ceipts being S2O6, 40. The views
presented by tho Postmaster General, on
the subject of special grants by the gov.
ernment, to aid the establishment Of a new
line of ocean mail steamships, and the
policy he recommends for the development
of increased commercial intercourse with
adjacent and neghboring countries, should
! receive the careful consideration Of Con-
gress.
1t is Of noteworthy interest that the
steady expansion of population and i'm
provement, and the governmental institu-
| :ions over the new and unoccupied portions
Of our country, have scarcely been check
ed, much less impeded or destroyed by our
| great civil war, which at first glance would
seem to have absorbed almost the entire
energies of the nation.
| The organization anl admission Of the
State of Nevada has been completed in
conformity with law. and thus our excel
lent system is firmly established in the
mountains which once seemed a barren
and uninhabitable waste, between the
Atlantic States and those which have
grown up on the coast of the Pacific Ocean.
| The Territories Of the United States are
generally in condition Of prosperity and
rapid growth. Idaho and Montana, by
reason Of their great distance and the in,
terruption Of communication with them by
Indian hostlites, have been only partially
organized, but it is understood that these
difficulties are about to disappear, which
will permit their governments, like those oi
others, to go into speedy and full operation
AS intimately connected with and pro.
motive of this marter;al growth of the
Nation, ask the attention Of Congress to
the valuable information and important
recommendations relating to the public
lands, Indian affairs, the Pacific railroads
aud mineral discoveries, contained in the
report of the Secretary Of the Interior
which is herewith transmitted, and which
report also embraces the subjects Of pat
ents, pensions, and other topics OF public
interest pertaining to his department.
The quantity of public lands disposed
of during the five quarters ending on th'
30th Of September last, was 1921, "a:
acres, Of which 1,53S GA acres were enter
ed under tn. homestead law. The remain
der was located with military land warrants
and agricultural script, certified to States
for railroads and sold for cash. The casl
received from sales and location fees wa
Sl,0ly, ,446. The income from sales durin,
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1864, wa
$67S,0O7, 2l, against $l36 ,077,95 receive,
during the preceding year. The aggregat
of acres surveyed during the year ha
been equal to the quantity disposed of, an
there is open to settlement about one hun
, dred and thirty three million acres G
surveyed land.
{ The great enterprise Of connecting tn
, Atlantic with the Pacific states by railwa
and telegraph lines. has been entered upo
with vigor that gives assurance Of success
, notwithstanding the enbarrassments aris
ing from the prevailing high prices G
/ materials and labor. The rout of the mai
e line of the road has been definitely locate
for 100 miles westward from the initia
point at Omaha City, Nebraska, and
, preliminary location Of the Pacific Railroa
: Of California, has been made from Sacra
5 mento eastward to the Great Bend Of tn
t Truckee River, in Nevada. Numerou
I, discoveries o. gold, silver and cinnabal
D mines have been added to the man
: heretofore known, and the country occupie
e by the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mour
=. :ains, and the subordinate ranges, no'
teens with enterprising labor which
e richly remuEerative. 1t is believed tha
5 the products of the mines Of preciou
t metals in that region has, during the yea
II reached, if not exceeded $lO0, ,000, 900, i
o value.
e 1t was recommended in my last annu
n message, that our Indian system
Q remodeled. Congress at the last session
d acting upon the recommendation, did pr
n vide for recognizing the stem in Cal
fornia and it is believed that under tt
5, present organization the management
t the Indians there will be ATTENDED wi,
Il reasonable success. Much yet remains
e be done to provide for the proper goverl
h ment Of the Indians in other parts Of tt
70 country to render it secure for tie advan
If ing settlers, and to provide for the welfa
is of the Indians. The Secretary reiterat
It his recommendations, and to them Il
It attention of Congress is directed.
Y The liberal provisions to invalid soldie
n and sailors OF the Republic, and to t,
y widows, orphans and dependant mothe
.r OF those who have fallen in battle, or di'
OF diseases contracted, or Of woun'
ID received in the service Of their countr
Ill have been diligently administered.
ID There have been added to the pensit
e, rolls during the year ending the 30th ds
/. Of June last the names Of 1870 inval
t. soldiers, and of 27l disabled seama
so making the present number of aru
,r invalid pensioners 22.767, and the numb
p of navy invalid pensioners 7l2. OF widow
orphans and mothers 22,l98 have be
" placed on the pension rolls, and 246 on Il
" navy pension rolls. The present numb
i, Of army pensioners Of this class is 25,43
Ct and Of navy pensioners 1893. At Il
lr beginning Of the year the number Of rev
0 lutionary pensioners was 1880. Only
a Of them were soldiers, OF whom seven ha
.h since died. The remainder are those VIII
x unde, the law, receive pensions becau
er Of relationship to revolutionary soldiers.
4, During the year ending the 30,h Of Jur
A sn1 fe % h,ra boan po;j