Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1865-12-10

e plain that every obstacle to the free ci
culation of commerce between the State
onght 10 besterniy guarded against by al
l. propriate Legislation within the limits {
l. the Constitution.
o THE PUBLIC LANDS.
Is The report Of the Secretar
= Of the Interior explains the condi
: ton Of the public lands, the transaction
: Of the Patent Oflice and the Pension Bu
u reau the management Of oar Indian al
i fairs; the progress made in the construe
= ton Of the Pacific Railroad, and fuFnishe
: information irsreference to matters ofioca
! interest in the Districtof Columbia. It ais
e presents evidence of the successful opera
= tion Of the Homestead Act, under tn
4 provisions Of which one million one hun
e dred aud sixty thousand five hundred ant
thirty-three acres of the public lands were
: entered during the hast fiscal year, mon
, than One-fuurth Of the whole number o
: acres sold or otherwise disposed o
! during that period lt is estimated that
the receipts derived from this source are
3 sufficient 10 cover the expenses incident
20 the survey and disposal OF the land,
! entered under this act; and that pay
b ments in cash 10 the extent of from forty
10 fifty per cent. viii DE made by settlers
who,may thus at any time acquire title be-
fore the expiration Ofthe period at which
il would otherwise vest. The Homestead
policy was only established,after long and
earnest resistance. Experience proves
its wisdom. The lands in the hands of
industrious settlers, whose labor creates
wealth and contributes to the public re-
sources, are worth more to the United
States chan if they had been reserved as
"a solitude for future purchasers.
THE PENSION BUREAU.
The Iamentahle events of the last four
years, and the sacrifices made by the gal
liant men of our army ana navy
have swellGd the records Of the PEN
sion Bureau TO an unprecedented extent.
/ ON the thirtieth day of June last the to-
/ tai number of pensioners was o5,9S6, re-
I curing for their annual pay, exclusive Of
/ expenses, the sum of SS,O23, 40. Tie
number of applications that have been
allowed since that date will require a
large increase Of this amount for the next
/ fiscal year. The means for the payment Of
the sti9ends, due under existing laws
/ TO our disabled soldiers and sailors and to
the iamilies OF such as nave perisbed in
I the service Of the country, WILL no doubt,
be cheerfully and promptly granted. a
gtateful pesple will not hesitate 60
sanction any measures having for their
object the relief of soldiers mutilated and
families made iatherless in the efforts to
preserve our national existence.
THE POSTAL SYSTEM.
The report of the Postmaster Cen
eral presents an encouraging exhibit
Of the Post Office Department
during the year. The revenues Of the
past year from the loyal States alone, eX-
ceeded the maximum annual receiptsfrom
all the States previous TO the rebellion, in
1la NJ 4 No al
average increase Of revenue, during the
last four years, compared with the reve-
nues Of the four years Immediately pre-
ceding the rebellion, was -, j8, 10. The
revenue of the last fiscal year amounted
10 Sl4, ,l5s, and the expenditures TO
Sl3, ,694, 725, leaving surplus of receipts
over expenditures, of SSbl, i3p. Pro-
gress has been made in restoring the
postal service in the Southern States.
The views presented by the Postmaster
General against the policy of granting
subsidies 90 ocean mail steamship lines,
upon established routes, and in favor Of
continuing the present system, which
limits the compensation FOR ocean service [
10 the postage earnings, arerecommended /
TO the careful consideration of Congress [
TIE NAVY.
It appears from the report Of the Sec [
retary of the Navy, that while at the
commencement Of the present year there /.
were in commission so vessels Of all /.
classes and descriptions, armed with .
5000 guns and manned by $1,000 men, /.
the number OF vessels at present in COM .
mission is III with $50 guns and l., Us /
men. BY this prompt reduction of the /
naval forces the expenses of the Govern Z
ment have been largely diminished, and 1
a number Of vessels purchased for naval I
purposes from the merchant marine have
been returned TO the peaceful pursuits of /
commerce. Since the suppression of ac-
tive hostilities our foreign squadrons have
been re-established, and cOusistOf vessels 4
much more efficient than those employed .
on similar service previous to the rebel
lion. The suggestion for the enlargement
of the navy yards, and especially for the
OF one i'm fresh water for
irOn-clad vessels Is deserving Of cOnsid-
Grafton, as Is also herecommendatiOn for
a different location and more ample
grounds for the Naval Academy.
TIE WAR DEPARTMENT.
In the report of the Secretary of War a
general summary is givenOf the military
companies of eighteen hundred and
-iXty-fOur and eighteen hundred and
sixtv-iive, ending in the suppression of
armed resistance 10 the national authority
in the insurgent States, the operations Of
the general administrative bureaus of the
War Department during the past year
are detailed, and am estimate made Of the
appropriations that viii be required for
military purposes in the fiscal year COM
mencing the twenty-eighth day Of April,
eighteen hundred and siXty-siX. Thena-
ti0nal military force on the first Of May,
eighteen hundred and siXty-iive, num-
bered one million five hundred and
sixteen men. II was proposed to reduce
the military establishment TO peace
footing, cOmprehending fifty thousand I
troops Of all arms, organized so a TO /
admit Of enlargement 10y filling up the 1
ranks to eighty-twO thousand SIX hun /
dred, if the circumstances of the cOun-
try should require an augmentation /
OF the army The volunteer force has I
already been reduced by the discharge I
from service of over eight hum /
dred thousand troops, and the depart /
ment is proceeding rapidly in the work Z
of further reduction, The war e~tl- /
mates are reduced from five hundred |
and sixteen million two hundred and /
fOrty-one thousand one hundred and I
thirty-One dollars, to thirty-three million I
eight hundred and fourteen thousand four |
hundred and siXty-one dollars, which /.
amount, i'm the opinion Of the depart [
meut, is adequate for peace establish /
ment The measures Of retrenchment |
in each bureau and branch Of service eX- !
hibit a diligent economy worthy OF com
mendatlOn.
Reference is also made in the report to /
the necessity Of providing for a uniform
militia system, and to the propriety of
making suitable provision for wounded
and disabled officers and soldiers.
THE PUBLIC DEBT.
The revenue system of the cOun-
try is subject Of vital inter-
est 70 its honor and prosperity, and
should command the earnest cOnsideTa-
ton of Congress. The Secretary of the
Treasury will lay before you a
detailed report of tie receipts and dis
bursements Of the last fiscal year of
the first quarter of the present fiscal
year. Of the probable receipts and cX-
pendituras for the Othar three quarters,
and the estimates for the year following
the thirtieth Of June, eighteen hundred
and siXty-siX. | might content myself
with "a reference TO That report, in which
YOU will find ali the information required
for your deiiberatiOn and decision. But
the paramount Importance Of the subject
SO presses itself On my mind that ]
y
the measures which are required for the
good character. and, I might almost say,
for the existence of this people. The
life of a Republic lies certainly in the
energy, virtue and intelligence of It's
citizens, but is equally true that a good
revenue system IS the life of an or
ganized government ] meet you at
a tipe when the nation has vOmnta-
rily burdened Itself with a debt unprece-
/ dented in our annals. Vast as is its
amount, it fades away into nothing when
/ eomrered Rith the couptlCss bles-
sings. bat win be conferred up
on our country and upon man
! by the preservatr,ss of the ma
/ TONS liie. sow, oH tha first oleasion
Of the meeting Of Congress, since the re-
turn Of peace, it is Of the utmost inn
portance TO inaugurate a just policy
which shall, at once, be put in motion,
and shaI\ commend itself 90 those
/ who come after Us for Its continuance.
/ We must aim at nothing less than COM
plete eifacement of the financial evils
/ that NECESSARILY fglloHed g state Of 4iyii
| war. We must endeaVOr TO apply the
earliest remedy 10 the deranged state of
4 tt.. ,.,,---,- ~',1 nnt shrink FROM de-
lle currency &C., ----
vis.ng policy Yhich, without being OPP
Z Dressivp Ia the upufto shall i'm mediatelV