Maryland free press., 1866-12-06

ring the three quarters of the fiscal year ending
the Soth of June last the debt wou Id be iaereas-
edsll2, 2,Iai.si7. -Daring that period, however,
it was rcSured Sll, 1856 l3s7, the receipts Of the
year having been $50, ,905,o ,oC5, more, aud the ex-
|penditrcs S2tU, 52e, 235 less thaa the estimates
Nothing could more clearly Indicate than these
stateircats the extent and avdlabiitg Of the na7
!ioral resources, and the rapiditY and safety with
which, under our form of government, great mil
isary and naval establishments can be dshanded,
and expenses reduced from war to peace foot
ing. 'r"y h-'.H''- - :
During tho fiscal year ending tire sJth.of Jnnc
1866, the receipt were Sjss, o32 $50, and the ex-
pcnditures $500, $50, GSl, leaving an available
surplus of S37 23l, $50. 1t is estimated that the
receipts for the fiscal year ending the 30th of
June, 1867, will be Sf75, osl, ,3ss and that the
expenditures will reach the sum OF S2Is, ,42s, 0Ta,
laaringi in the Treasury surplus of Sl5s esq.,
3Ds. For. the fiscal year ending Jane 80, 1868,
it is estimated that the receipts will amount TO
1896, 900, 900, and that the expenditures will be
$3.50, 24F, ,e4l-showing an excess of $s5, Isl, $50
in favor of the Government. These estimated
receipts may be diminished by reduction excise
:nd import duties; but after all necessary reduc-
tions shall have been made, the revenue of. the
present snd Of following years will doubtless be
sufficient to cover al! legitimate charges upon the
Treasury and leave large annual surplus to be
applied to the payrssnt of the principle OF the
debt. There seems now to be no coed reason
why taxes may not he reduced as the cosntry
advances in population ard wealth. and yet the
debt be sx;nguishsd within the next quarter of a
century. .
| ." WAR DEPARTMENT.
The report of the Secretary of War furnishes
valuable and important information in reference
to the operations of his Department during the
past year.. Few volunteers now remain in the
service, and they are being discharged rs rapidly
as they cns be replaced by regular troops. The
army has been promptly paid, carefully provided
with medical treatment, we'll sheltered and snb-
sistsd, and is to be furnished with brcech-losd-
ing small arms. The military strength of the
nation has been unmpsirsd by the discharge of
volunteers, the disposition of unscrvicsabs or
| perlshahle stores ana the re;rcnchraent of ex
penditurc Sufficient war material to meet any
emergency has been retained, and, frsm the dis
banded volunteers assnding ready to respond to
the national call, large armies can be rapidly or
gnnizel equipped, and. concentrated. Fortilca-
| tions on the coast and frontier have received or
are being prepared for more powerful! armament &
like surveys aud harbor and river improvements
are in courscof energetic prosecution. Prepsra-
items haze been made for the payment of the nd :
diIional bonnties authorized during the recent
session of Congress, under such regulations rs
will protect the Government from fraud, and Sc
cure to the honorably discharged soliier..thc well
earned reward ofhis faitbfulnessa and gsfiantry'.
More than six thousand maIued soldiers have re-
celTed artificial limbs or otllor surgical apparatus
and forty-one national cemeteries, containing the
remains OF lo4, 526 Union soldiers, have already
been established. The total e.timate of military
appropriations is s2b, ,2O5yGs9. 1.''r Y il a.'...
"..i..'"'G !Nsvxa DEPARTMENT. ht'n2 .
Itis stated in the report of the Secretary oftb
Navy that the naval force at this time consists OF
two hundred and scveDiy-cisht vssscls armed
with two t'iolstni three hra lrcd AMI fifty one
guns. or these, one hundred and fifteen vessels,
carving one thousand and twcnty-niae guns,
are in commission, distributed chiefly amoD.,
seven squadrons. The number Of naan in the
service is thirteen thousand six hundred. Great
activity and vigilance have been displayed by all
our squadrbns, and their movements have been
judiciousy pnd efficiently arranged in such man
ner st would best promote American commerce
and protect the rights and interests Of our .coun-
tr5men abroad. The vessels unemployed are
undergoing repairs, or arc upuntil their service
may be required. Most of The iron-clad feet is
at League Island, in the vicinity of Philadelphia
place which, uEtil decisive action should be
tsksnlhy Congress, was selected by the Secretary
of the Navy as the most eligible location for that
\ class Of yesstls. .g.. s. 80 g..ing 'i-...,....
1t is important that s suitable public :taion
should be provided for. the ironclsd feet 1t is
intended that these vessels shall be in proper con-
| dillon FOR any emergency, and it is desirable
that the bin accepting League Island for naval
purposes, which passed the House Of Representa-.
| tives at Its last session, should receive final ac-
tipn at an Gs~ly period, in order that there may
| be suitable public station for this class Of vcs-
se;s, as we'll ar nsvy-yard ofarea sufficient for,
the wants Of the Service, on tho Delaware river.
The Naval Pension fund amounts to $ll, 75o, 600,
having been increased So, 75O 600 daring the
year. The expenditures OF the Department for
the fiscal year ending 30th June last were St3.-
324, 526, and the estimates for the coming year
| ampuat to S22, 5eG, 43G. Attention Is invited 10
the condition ofour seamen, and tho Importance
| OF legislative MEASURES for their relief and i'm
I'provement. The suggestions in, behalf OF this
deserving clsss of our Gllow-citizens are earnest
l!y2recommehded to the favorable attention
--a..- POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
| The report Of the Postmaster General presents
n most satisfactory condition of the postal SER
vice, ami submits recommendations which dcser
YES the confederation of Congress. The rcvenm
Of the Department for the year ending June 30,
1856, were Sl4, 3s6. 1885,. and the expenditures,
SIS, 352 O1o, Showing an excess Of the latter Of
5000, e92. In anticipation of this deficiency,
however, special appropriation was made by
Congress in the net approved July %, 1866. In
Guiding tho standing appropriation OF 500, 900
for free mail matter, as a legitimate portion of
I".l