Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1865-12-14
[ WHOLE NO. 475.


bia. 1t also prescatS evidence of tie successful
operation of The Homestead Act, under TIE proyis.
ions of which f60 ,533 Of public Il nds were
entered during the fiscal year-more than one.
fourth OF the whole number Of acres sold or other
wise disposed Of during that period. /; is csii-
mated that the receipts deriFcd from this source
sufficient to cover the expenses INCIDENT 20 tho
survey and disposal Of the lands entered under this
Act, and that payments in cash to the extent Of
from forty to fifty per cent will be made by set
! tiers, who may thas at any time acquire the tito
before the expiration Of the period at which it
would otherwise vest The homestead policy was
established only after long and earnest resistance
experience proves its 1isdom. The laINfsr IA tho
hands OF indu triOus settlers whose labor creates
wealth and contributes to the public resources are
worth more to the United States thap if they had
been reserved rs solitude for future purchasers
The lamentable events of the last four rcars.
and the sacrifices made by the gallant men of our
Army and Navy, have swelied the records of the
Pension Bureau to an unprecedented extent On
the 30th day of June last the total number Of pen
sOners was e5,Oo6, requiring for their annual pay,
exclusive Of expenses, the sum OF $S023, AS. -
The number of applications that have been allow.
ed since that date will require large increase OF
this amount for the next fiscal year. The means
for the payment of the stipcnds due, under exist
ing laws, to our disabled soldiers and sailors, and
to the families of such have pershed in the ser
vice Of the country, will no doubt be cheerfully
4 anu promptly BranleQ n Rrdlelui people Will not
hesitate TO sanction any measures having for their
! object the relief of soldiers mutated and families
made htherless in the Efforts TO preserve our na-
| tiOnal existence.
The report Of the Postmaster General presents
! an encouraging exhibit of the operations of tho
Post Office Department during the year. Tho
revenue of the past year from the loyal States
alone exceeded the maximum annual receipts from
all the States previous to the rebellion, III the sum
OF S6,0Jo ,00l and the annual average increase Of
revenue during the last four years compared with
the revenues of the four years Immediately pre-
ceeding the rebellion, was Sj,533,6l5. The reve-
nues of the last fiscal year amounted to 1885,
l5S and the expenditures to SI3, ,694 ,72S leaving
a surplus oi receipts over expenditures of SSGl,-
| 40. Progress has been mado in restoring the
postal service ia the Southern States. The views
presented by the Postmaster General against the
policy of granting subsidies to ocean mail steam.
ship lines upon established routes, and in favor Of
continuing the present system, which limits the
compensation Tor ocean service 10 the postage
earnings, are recommended to the care ial cousid-
| CT alton OF Congress.
ltappear., from the report Of the Secretary of
the Navy, that while, at tie commencement IF tho
present year, there were in commission $50 ves-
tels OF ali classes and descriptions, armed with g.
U0J guns and manned by 81 900 men. the number
of vessels at present in commission is HI, with,
$50 guns and l., 2,l2S men. BY this proapt redue-
ton Of the naval forces the expenses OF the Gov
/ II
Der OF vessels, purchased for naval purposes from
the nercaant marine, have been returned TO the
peaceful pursuits OF commerce. Since the sup
resSiOn OF active hosiilitics our foreign squad
r0nS have been reestsbished, and consists OF YES.
sells much more efficient than those employed on
similar service previous to the rebellion. The
suggestion for the enlargement Of navy Yards, and
especially for the establishment OF one in fresh
water for ironclad vessels, is deserving of consd
Grafton, as is also tho recommendation for a differ
ent location am more ample grounds FOR the Naval
Academy.
In the report of tlc Secretary of War, general
summary is given Of the military campaigns OF
le64 and 1865, ending in the suppression of armed
resistance TO the national authority in the insur-
| gent States. The operations of the general ad-
miniStra,iye Bureaus Of the War Department du.
ring the past year are detailed, and estimat.
made OF the appropriations that will be required
for military purposes in the fiscal year, cemmenc-
| ing ;he 3Oth day of June. 1866. The national
military force OF the lst of May, 1865, numbered
l,OOO,5l6 men, Ii is proposed TO reduce tho mill.
tary establishment to peace footing, comprehend
ing fifty thousand troops of all arms, organized
as to admit Of an enlargement by filling up tho
ranks to eighty two thousand six hundred, if the
circumstances OF the country should require
augmentation of the army. The volunteer force
has already been reduced by the discharge from
service OF over eight hundred thousand troops and
the Depsr ment s proceeding rapidly in the work
duced from s5l6, ,l3l to s33,eI44 46l, which
amount, in the opinion of the Department is ade-
quate for peace establishment. The measures
of retrenchment in each Bureau and branch Of tho
service exhibit dill gent economy worthy of COM
mcndation. Reference is also made in the repor:
to the necessity of providing for uniform militia
system. and to the propriety of making suitable
provision for wounded and Disabled officers and
soldiers.
The revenue system Of the country IS a .ubjec,
Of vital interest to its honor and prosperity, and
should commanst she earnest considerable of Cou-
gress. The Secretary of the Treasury will lay
before you full and detailed report Of the receipts
and disbursements of the last fiscal year. OF tho
first quarter OF the present fiscal year, of the prob
able receipts aud expenditures for the other three
quarters, and the estimates for the year following
the 3Oth of June, 1866. l might content myself
with reference to that report in which you will
find all the information required for your deber
ations and decision. But the PARAMOUNT impor-
.aBce of the subject so presses itself on my mind
that casnot but lay before you my views of tho
measures which are required for the good charac-
ter, and, might almost say, for the existence Of
this people. The life Ola republic lies certainly
in the energy, virtue and intelligence of its citi-
zens; but 10 is equally true that good revenue
system is the life OF an organized government. I
meet you at time when the nation has yoluntari-
y burdened itself with debt unprecedented i'm
our annals. Vast as IS its amount, it fades away
liOO uOlulnY MHcu WIFI Tue countless
blessings that will be conferred upon our country
and upon man by the preservation of the nations
life. Now, on the first occasion of the meeting Of
Congress since the return of peace, it is Of sic ut
most importance to insugurate just policy which
shall at once be put in motion, and which shall
commend itself to those who come after US for its
continuance. We must aim at nothing less than
the complete eHaccment Of the financial evils that
necessarily followed state of civil war We
must endeavor to apply the earliest remedy to tbc
deranged state of the currency, and not shrink
from devisng policy which, without being op-
pressive 70 Tire people, shall immediatele begin to
effect reduction of the debt, and, if persisted in,
discharge it fully within definitely liked number
of years.
1t Is first duty to prepare in earnest for our
recovery from the ever incr easing evils of ire
deemable currency, without sudden revulsion;
and yet without untmely procrastnation. For
that end, We must each in respective positions,
prepare the way. Ihold it the duty of she Exec
utive to insist upon frugality in the expenditures;
and sparing economy is itself great national re-
source. OF the banks TO which authority has been
given to issue notes secured by bonds of the United
States, we may require the greatest moderation
and prudence. and the law must be rigidly en-
! forced when its limits exceeded. We Hay,
each one OF u.s. counsel our active and entefprising
countrymen to be constantly on their guard; to
liaudate debts contracted in paper currency, aud.
by conducting business as nearly as possible on a
system of cash payments or short credits. TO hold
themselyes preuared to return to the standard az