The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1866-12-06
'nses reduced from a war to peace

During the fiscal year ending the
Both Of June, 1866, the receipts were
1858, ,032.6 $40, and the expenditure ee
$500, 750, $40, leaving an available sur.
plus of S37 ,281 $50. 1t is estimated
that the receipts for the fiscal year end.
ing the Both of June, 1867, will bo
S475, ,06l 1886, and that the expendi.
lures will reach the sum of sale, ,428,>
078, leaving in the treasury a surplus
of $l58,633 .308. For the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1868, it is estimated
that the receipts will amount to $780,
000, 600, and that the expenditures will
be $3.50, ,247, showing an excess of
$50, 752,359 in favor of The Govern
mcnt. These estimated receipts may
be diminished by reduction Of excise
and import duties; but after all
essary reductions shall have been made,
the revenue of the present and of fol.
lowing years will doubtless be sufficient
to cover all legitimate charges upon
the Treasury, and leave large annual
surplus to DO applied to the payment
of the principal of the debt. There
seems now to be no good reason why
taxes may not be reduced as the coun.
try advances in population and
wealth, and yet the debt be extin-
guished within the next qnarter of a
century.
The report Of the Secretary of War
furnishes valuable and important in
formation in reference to the opera
tons of his Department during the
PAST year. Few volunteers now re !.
main in the service, and they are be-
ing discharged as rapidly as they can
be replaced by regular troops. The
army has been promptly paid, careful
ly provided with medical treatment,
well sheltered and subsisted, and is to
be furnished with breech loading small
arms The military strength OF tho
nation has been unimpaired by the
discharge OF volunteers the disposition
OF unserviceable OF perishahle stores,
and the rctrenehment of expenditure.
Sufficient war material to meet any
emergency has been retained, and,
from tho disbanded volunteers stand.
ing ready to respond to the national
oall, large armies can be rapidly Or
ganiaed, equipped and concentrated
Forti6cations on the coast and frontier
have received, or are being prepared
for more powerful ornaments; lake sur
veys and harbor and river improve.
ments are In course of energetic pros.
ecution. Preparations have been made
for the payment of the additional boun.
ties authorized during the recent ses
sion of Congress, under such regula-
tions as will protect the Government
from fraud, and secure to the honora-
bly, discharged soldier the well earned
reward of his faithfulness and gallant
ry More than six thousand MANNED
soldiers have received artificial limbs
or other surgical apparatus; and forty
one national cemeteries, containing the
remains Of 10l, ,526 Union soldiers hav Q
already been established. The total
estimate of military appropriations is
S25, ,2O5 500.
1t is stated in the report of the Sec
retary of the Navy that the naval force
at this time consists of two hundred
and seventy eight vessels, armed with
Two thousand three hundred and ff-
ty.one guns. Of these, ono hundred
and fifteen vessels, carrying one thous.
and and twenty.nine guns, arc in
commission, distributed chiefly among
seven squadrons. The number of men
in the service is thirteen thousand six
hundred. Great activity and vigilance
have been displayed by ell the squad.
rons, and their movements have been
judiciousl y and efficiently arranged in
such manner as would best promote
American commerce, and protect the
rights and inter ests of our countrymen
abroad. Tho vessels unemployed arc
undergoing repairs, or are laid up un,
til their services may be required. =
Most Of the iron.clad feet is at League
Island, in the vicinity of Philadelphia,
place which, until decisive action
should DO taken by Congress, was Sc
lectcd by the Secretary of tho Navy as
the most eligible location for that class
of vessols. 1t is important that suit.
able public station should be provided
for tho iron. clad feet. 1t is intended
that these vessels shall DO in proper
condition for any emergency, and it IS
desirable that the bill accepting
League Island for naval purposes,
which passed tho House of Represent
ativos at its last session, should receive
final action at an early period, in or.
der that there may DO suitable pub.
lie station for this class of vessels, as
we'll as a navy-yard of area sufficient
for the wants of tho service on the Del
aware River. The naval pension fund
amounts to Sll,750, 900, having been
increased S2,750,000 during the year,
Tho expenditures of the Department
for the fiscal year ending Both juno
last were $43,324,526, and the esti-
mates for the coming year amount to
$23, ,568,436 Attention is invited to
the condition OF our seameu, and the
Importance Of legislative measures for
their relief and Improvement. The
suggestions in behalf of this deserving
class Of our fellow-citizens are earnest.
ly recommended to tho favorable at.
tention of Congress.
The report Of the Post Master Gen.
eral presents most satisfactory con.
dition of the postal service, and sub.
mits recommendations which deserve
the consideration of Congress. The
revenues of the Department for the