Council Bluffs bugle. [volume] (Council Bluffs, Iowa) 1860-1868, 1865-12-21
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
IcoSnuDEn. I

The report of the Secretary nf sae In
terror explains the condition al the pub.
lie lands, the transactions os The pasaas
ofkes and fha peassoa Bursas, The mass-
agemens of our Indian asfairs. sha pro-
gresa made in. - snnstrnsssen ef the
Pacific RalIroads and farnislies infurmas
fioA in reference TO matters 81 local To-
sasese Ia the District Of Ealusnbia. is
also presents evidsnee OF the sascsssFuI
operation Of the Homesteaa Aes, under
the provisions OF which l,le0,S33 acyes
OF tbs pabiie land we're entered during
the last fiscal year. nege than one f0nrsa
of tbs while number OF aerea sid or
otherwise disposed of during that period.
II Il estimated ihat the receipts derived
from this source are Sufficient 20 cover
Tho expenses incidens TO the suryey, and
disposal of the lands entered ander this
act, and that payments In caah, to the en-
tent Of from forty 10 sfly per cent, will
be made by settlers, who may thus, nt
any lime, acquire titIa before the e1pira-
tion Of the period nj whieh il woaId eth
erwfse vest. The homestead policy wns
established only after long and earnest
resistance. Experiences proves It's wis
dem. The lapds ID tho haads 0f indus
srioas settiers, Whose labor ersates wealth
and contributes TO tho public resources,
are Torth more to the United States than
il thes had been reserved as . solitude
fer future purchasers.
The lamentable gEeuts of the last four
years, and the sacrifices made By the
gaIIant men Of our army and IVY, have
swelled the records Of the Pension Bu
re IA TO an unprecedented extent On
the 30i5 day of June last tho total rum
Der Of tensions was IS .9S6, requiring
for their Tay. exclusive OF expenses, the
sum of 81, ,023 AIS. The number of ap-
D ications that hate been allowed sin q
that date will require largo iaereass OF
this amount for the next fiscal rear.
The means for the payment OF the sti.
penis due under existing Laws TO cur dis
ahled soldiers ard sailors, aad to the
families Of such as have persisted in the
service of the eouutry, will DO docbs be
eheerfuily and promptly granted. A
grateful people will not hesitate to sane
tiou any measures haviDg for their OBJ
ject ths relief Of soldiers mufisaiea, and
families made fatherless ia the eHarta 10
preserve cur national existence.
The repArt of the Post Master General
presents an encouraging exhibit OF the
operations Of the Poslolioe department
during the year,
The revenues OF tae pas! year from the
loyal states alone exceed the maximum
annual receipts from I'll ths states previ-
Gus to the rebellion, 10 the sum oil So
03s ,0gl and the annual aversge increase
Of during the four years Immediately
previous to the rebellion vas 50, ,533, GAS.
Tha revenues of the last fiscal. year
amounting to $l4 .556. l5S, and thn ex.
penditures TO Sl3, ,6al, ,T2s, leaving . sur.
plus of receipts over expenditures of
1851 $50. Progress has been made in
restoring the pnstal services of the South
ern States. The views presented by the
r, ST Master General against the policy
of granting subsidies to ocean mail
steamship lines upon established routes,
and in fara4 Of continuing the present
system, which limits the compensation
for ocean service to the postage earnings,
| are reef mmeEded to the careful Consider
alton of Congress.
II appears from the report Of the Sec
Tetary Of the NaTJ that, whiie Is the
commencement of the present years thef 6
were ia commission Eve hundred and
thirty vessels of ali classes and descrip-
-sians armed wish thirty thousand guns,
and aaasued with fifty one thousand rnen.
The namber Of vessels at present in cosa-
mission Is one hundred and seventeen,
with eight hundred aud thirty guns and
twelve thousand o1a hundred and twentv.
eight men. By thia prompt reduction Gf
the naval forces tho expenses af the Gov.
ernment have been largely Diminished,
and number Of vessels purchased for
naval purposes from the Merchant Ma
rine have been returned to the peaceful
pGrsuirs OF commerce. Sincs the sup.
preston of active hossiiilles our foreig
70 ialrons haya been re-estnhlishei, and
consists of vessels much more efficient
than those employed on similar service
prasions to the rebellion.
The suggestion for the enlargement of
the navy yards, and especially for the
establishment or one in fresh water fer
ironciad vessels, is deserving OF conkid-
Grafton, as Is also the rreomm eadatf1n
for different location and more ample
grounds for the Naval Academy.
! In the report of the Secretary Of War
a general summary is given OF the cam
paigns of Is64 AMI 1865, ending Ia the
suppression of armed resistance to sha ma
sioual authority 10 the insargent States.
| The operations II the gcnral administra,
tire Bureaus Of The War Department du.
ring ibe past rear are detailed, and an
estimate made of the appropriations that
will be required for military purposes in
the fiscal year commencing the 50ta day
Of June, 1866. The national military
force on the Iss Of Mayy 1865, numbered
| !, 900, ,5i6 men.
II rroposed to reduce the military
establishment to peace footing couipre-
| bending City thousand trtoas, of ali
arms, organized 50 as 10 admit Of an en-
largqment by filing up the ranks 10
! esghty-two thousand six hundred, ii the
| circumstances Of the country should re.
| auire an augmentation Of the army
| The volunteer force has already been re-
dusea By the discharge from aerviea ei
over eight hundred thousand troops, and
Ehe Department is proceeding rapidly ID
| the work of further reduction. The wal
estimates are reduced from $5 i6, 240, ID |,
to S33, ,8li ,46l, which amcunt, In ths
| opinion of tae Departments IL adequate
| for peace establishment. The meas.
ures of retrenchmens In each bureau and
/ branch Of ths service exhibit . diligaal
ecnnomy worthy Of enmmendatian.
/ References 10 also made In the report se
the necessity Of providing for uniform
militia system. and to the pFopFiesy ol
making suisahls prosisioH for woundet
and dlsahled officers and soldiers Tha
revenue system Of the country 10 sub.
iecs Of vital interest 10 it, hoaor ans
Il prosperity, and shouid command ID.
eMrness consideration OF Congress. Thi
secsetary Of Treasury will lay bsfars