The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-12-06

should from the very CONSIDERATION 81 - UT
gin - steang in tie power of its resistance 70
the establishment OF iniquites. Monopelies,
perpetuities ipd class legislation are contfary
to the genius of free goverunseut and osEht
| not to be allowed. Here th1fe il roomfor
favored clas6es or monopolies, the principle
| Of our government is that OF equal laws pnd
freedom of industry for whenever moD0piy
obtains foothold it is sure to BE- Q source OF
danger, discord and trouble. We shall but
/ fulfill our duties rs legislators by according
equal and exact Justice TO I'LL men--sperial
! privileges to none. The government is sub,
ordinate to the people, bat a. the SCENT and
representatives of the people it must be held
superior to monopolies which in themselves
ought never to be granted, and which where
4 they exist must BIO subordinate and yield TO
/ the government.
/ The Constitution centers on Congress the
! right to regulate commerce among the Sever
al States. 1t is of the first necessity for the
maintainanca Of the Union that commerce
should free and unobstructed. No State can
be justified in any device to tax the transit OF
! travel and commerce between States.
/ The position of many States is such that
I II they were allowed to take advantage of it
for the purpose Of local revenue, the com.
meree between the States might be injuriously
/ burdened or even virtually prohibited. 1t is
+ best while the country is still young and
while tt e 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 men and
merchandise. 4 tax on travel and merchan.
disc in their transit constitutes, one of the
worst forms Of monopoly, and the evil is in
creased If coupled with denial of the choice
of route, when the vast extent of our conn-
try is considered. II is plain that every obsta-
Gle to the free circulation Of commerce be.
tween the States ought to be sternly guarded
against, by Appropriate legislation within the
limits of the Constitution.
The report Of the Secretary of the Interior
! explains the condition OF the public lands.
The transactions of the Patent Office and the
Pension Bureau, the management Of our
Indian affairs, the progress made in the con-
struction OF the Pacific Railroad. and furnishes
information in reference TO matters OF local
interest in the District of Columbia. 1t also
presents evidence Of the successful operation
of the III ,mestead act. under the provisions
of which !, 100, $50 acres Of the public lands
were entered during the last fiscal year. more
than onef fourth Of the whole number of acres
sold or otherwise disposed Of during that
period
Ii is estimated that the receipts derived
expenses incident TO the survey and disposal
% the lands entered under this act. and that
payments in cash to tire extent OF from forty
to fifty per cent. will be made by settlers who
may thus al any time acquire title before
the expiration of the period AZ which II would
other~ise rest.
The homestead policy was established only
after long and earnest resistance. Experience
proves It's wisdom. Tue lands in the hands
of industrious settlers. whuse labor creates
wealth and conributesto ths. public resources,
are worth more to the United s,ates than II
they had been reserved as solitude for future
purchasers.
z The lauientable events OF the last four wears
and the sacrifices made by the gallant men OF
our army and nasy, have sweslei the records
of the Pension i3preau TO an unprecedented
exteut On the 3eth dag of Junc Last the
! total number Of pensioners WAS So $50, seeu-
ring for their Annual pay, exclusive Of ex-
! ps.nses, the sum IL ss.o23. 4i5. The number
! Of applications tha, have been allowed since
I that date viii require largf increase Of tins
amount for the ext fiscal Year. The meats
I for the payueEt Of the Stipend due under
existing laws 10 our disabled soldiers aud
! sailors, and 10 The families Of suca - have
persisted in the service ot the country.
will no doahi b. eheerfu,iy aud promptly
granted. A gra'rfni people will not hesitate
10 sanction any measures having for
/ their Object the reliei OF soldiers mn;lla;ed
and families made fstherless IN the eifors 10
preserve our national existence.
The Report Of the Postmaster General pre-
/ sents an encouraging exhibit of the opera
/ tions Of ihc psztoiiior Department during
! the year. ne revenue Ct the past wear
/ from the loyal States alone exceeded the max
: mol u
! vious to the rebellion in the sum OF 81 OBS.
/ oal. and the annual ayerag, increase OF rcve.
nue. during the las. four years. compared Aiih
] the four years immediately preceding the re
bellion. was S3.533, 955. The revenue Of the
last hscal year amounted 10 I'll, BOT. SIS. aud
the expenditures 10 Sl3,Gu rs, leaving a
surplus OF receipts over expenditures Of SS5i.
$40. Progress has been made in restoring
the postal service IN the Southern States. The
views presented by the Postmaster General
against TIE policy Of granting subsidies TO
ocean mail steamship lines upon established
routes, and in favor OF continuing the present
system which limits the compensation Tor
ocean service to the postage earnings, are re-
commended 10 the careial consideration OF
Congress.
1t appears from the Report of the Secre-
/ tary OF the Navy that while at the commence
N'thA Vi INV IiNefuf year AHtiS NtFt III cOul-
! mission go vessels OF all classes aud deserip-
uons, armed with 1900 guns and manned by
0l 900 mea, the namber of vessels at present
in commission IS III, with $50 guns and
II, l2s men. BY the prompt reduction of the
naval forces. the expenditures oil the Govern
nent have been largely decreased. and num-
Der OF vessels purchased for naval purposes
from the merchant marine have been returned
to the peaceful pursuits OF commerce. Since
the suppression OF active hostiities. our for
eign squadrons have been re-established, and
consist of vessels much more efficient than
those employed on similar service prior to the
rebellion. Une suggestion for the enlarge
ment OF the navy yards, and especially Tor
the establishment OF one in fresh water for
iron clad vessels, is deserving of considera
ton, as is also the recommendation for a. diff.
ferent location and more ample grounds for
the Naval Academy.
Ia the Report of the Secretary of War, a
general summary is given Of the military
campaigns at 1854 and 1865, ending in the
suppression of armed resistance to the ma.
tional authority in the insurgent States.
The operation of the general administration
bureau of the war department during the past
year are detailed, and an estimate made of
the appropriation that will be required for
military purposes in the fiscal year common
cling the thrteth day OF June 1866.
The national military force on the first of
May 1865, numbered l000,5l6 men. 1t is
proposed to reduce the military establishment
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