Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1865-12-09

merce shonld be free and unobstructed Mol
State can be justified 10 any device to tax
the transit OF travel and commerce between
States. The position Of many StaiCs is
such that II theywefe allowed totake sdvan.
,age Of II for purpose oflocal revenue, the
commerce between States might be injusi.
ously hardened, or even virtually prohibited.
II is best while the country Is still young, 4
while the tendency to dangerous monopolies
Of this kind is still feeble, to use the power
Of congress so as to prevent any selfish I'm
pediment to the free circulation OF mcu
aud merchandise A tax on traycl and
merchandise In their transit constitutes one
Of the worst forms Of monopoly, aud the
evil is increased II coupled with denial Of
the choice Of route. When the vast extent
Of our country Is considered, II is plain that
every obstacle to the free circulation Of com.
merce between the States ought TO be
sternIy guarded against by appropriate
legislation, within the limits Of the Consti.
tuition.
THE REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE INrE.
30 .-l RIoR--THE HOMESTEAD ACT.
The report of the Secretary of the lutte.
rior explains the condition Of the public
lands, the transaction Of the Patent 0fh:e
and The pensiou Bureau, the management
of our ludian affairs, the progress made
in the construction Of the Pacific railroad,
and furnishes information in reference 10
matters 10 the District Of Columbia. II
also presents evidence Of the successful
operation of the Homestead Act, under the
provisions Of which ,l60, ,533 acres Of the
public lands were entered during the last
fiscal year---more that oDe.fourth Of the
whole number Of acres sold or otherwise
disposed Of during that period. Il Is es,i
mated that he receipts derived from this
source are sufficient 10 cover the expenses
incident to the survey aud disposal Of the
lands eutered under this Act and that pay
men;s in cash to the extent of from forty
10 City per cent will be made by settlers,
who may thus at sny time acquire title be
fore The expiration OF the period at which IL
would otherwise vest. The homestead pol.
icy was established only after long and
eernes. resistance; experience proves its
wisdom. The lands, in the hands Of indus
trious settlers, whose labor creates wealth
aud contrib utes to the public sources, ore
worth more to the United States than II
they had been reserved as solitude for fu.
ture purchasers.
the PENSION BUREAU. [,f
The lamentable events of the last fouryears,
and the sacri6ces made by the gall ant msu
| of our Army and Navy. have swelled the re.
| cords of :he Pension Bureau TO an unprece-
| depted extent. On the 30th day OF june
| ,har of UaQ /.
| 1856, requiring for their annual pay, exclusive
of expenses, the sum OF SO, O23,445. The
number of applications that have beer
allowed since that date will require o large
increase OF this amount for the next fsica
year. The means for the payment Of ouI
| stipcnds due, under existing laws, 10 the
| disabled soldiers and sailors aud TO the families
OF such as have perished 10 the service 0
the country, will no doubt be ebeerfully and
promptly granted. A grateful people will not
hesitate to sanction any measures having for
their object the relief OF soldier mutiated and
families made fatherless in the efforts to pre-
serve our national existence.
rHK rosToYPIcg DEPARTMENT.
TIE report Of the Postmaster General
presents on encouraging exhibit Of the operr-
| lions Of the Post Office Department. dsring the
year. The revenues Of the past year from
| ths loysl States alone exceeded the maximum
annual reeeips from oil the States previous te
| the rebellion 10 the SUN of Sc OBS, 81; and th
annual avreage increase Of reviDew during the
last four years, compared with the revenues oI
the four years Immediately preceding The
rebellion, was S3,533s45. TIE revenues o
the last fiscal year amounted TO Sl4 556, 1853
and the expenditures 10 Sl3694.72 leaving
a surplus of receipts over expenditures o.
$e6l, ,43O. Progress has been made in res
toring the postal service in the Southern
States. The views preseu ted by the Post
master General against the policy Of granting
subsidies to ocean mail steamship lines upoI
established routes, and 10 favor of int
the present system, which limits the compensl
tion' for ocean service to the postage earnings
are rccomcnded:o 10 the careful consideration o
Copgres. -
THE NAVY DEPARTMENT.
1t appears from the report of the Secretary o
the Navy, that while; at the commencement
! of the present year, there were in commission
$50 vessels of all classes and descriptions, arm
ed with 5000 guns, and manned bv 5i,0O
| men, the number of vessels at present in com
mission is l47, with $50 guns and IL, l2S mer
By this prompt reduction Of the naval force, tn
! expenses of the Government have been Target
diminished, and number of vessels, purchase
for naval purposes from the merchant maj
inc, have been returned to the peaceful
pursuiter of commerce. Since the suppressiO
of active hostilities foreign squadrons have bee
re-established, and consist of vessels much MOI
efficient than those employed on similar servic
previous to the rebellion. The suggestion fo
the enlargement ofthe navy yards, and especial
, ly for the establishment of one in fresh watt
for iron clad vessels is deserving of considerable
/, as is also the recommendation for o differeI
location and more ample grounds for the Nav,
Academy.
THE WAR DEPARTMENT.. .I
In the report of the Secretary Of War, gel
, eral summary is given ofthe military campaign
} of 1864 and 1865, aiding in the suppression
armed resistance TO the national authority In Il
insurgenl States. The operations of the gener
administrative Bureaus In War Department du
} the past year are detailed, estimate made of th
appropriations, that will be required for militar
purposes in the fiscal year commencing the 30t
day of June, 1855. The national military fore
on the LIST of May, 1866, numbered i,0OO. 81
men. 2
Il Is pToposedto reduce: the military establiahmset TO
peace footing eomprehendng troops Of all
ised 70 admit OF enlargement By hng the
the circumstances Of the county should reqas
augmentation Of the army The volunteer fores has arsA
been reduced by the discharge from service Of 500
troops and the department proceeding rapidly In the vo
$s3 s4s 46l. which amount I'm the opinion
the department. adequate for peace establishment II
Of retrepchment In each bure and branch OF
service exhibit dgeat economy worthy Of eommendato