, 1866-01-26


II tution. lo 7zAstEi sai 1oi 19I11 2rh-TaT' ll0-
4 .al sa' o. sAaJ P,i5lig Ba5R4yI -lt ma.I
4 PheTep6rt ofthe Secretary Of the Interior
explains the condition off(hs public lands,
Transactions ofsthe Patent Office and the Pen,
sion Bureany the management Of our Indian
afairss the progress madsin thescopstruetio
la9f the RasiGs Railroad, and furnishes iufor,
nation. 10 reference to matters of local inter-
est ip, the district Of Columbia, 1t also pre-
septss evidence Of the successful operation Of
the Homestead Act, under the provisions Of
which L l6O ,5S3 acres Of public lands we're
entered during the last fiscal year : more
than Une-fOrth Of the whole number Of acres
sold or otherwise disposed of during that
period. 1t Is estimated that the receipts de.
rived from this source are sufficient to cover
the expenses incident to't the survey and dis
pOsal 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
settlers who may thus at any time acquire
title before the expiration of the period at
which it wotld otherwise vest. The homes
stead policy was established only after long
and earnest resistance experience proves its
wisdom. The lands, 10 the hands Of indus
trious settlers, whose labor creates wealth and
contributes to the public resources, are worth
more 70 the United States thanif they had
been reserved as a Solitude for future pur>
chasers -aa p' gr % .D :. :
-0r cobalt .a... . PsRSiOaJ. al. .. ..... .m
The lmentabler events Of the last Forr
years, and the sacrifices made by the gallant
msn of our Army and Navy, have swelled
the records of the Pension Bureau to an uu>
precedented extent On the 30th daY of
June last, the total number Of pensioners vas
S5,986, requiring for their annual pay, ex-
elusive ofezpenses, the sum Of IS, ,624,445,
The number Of applications that have been
allowed sincesthat date will require large
increase of this amount for the next fiscal
year The means for the payment OF the
stipends dney under existing laws, to our dis
abled soldiers and sailors, and to the families
Of such as have penshed in the service of
tbe> e>co1ptry, will no doubt be cheerfully and
promptly granted. A grateful people will |
not hesitateto sanction any measures having
for their object the relief of'solaiers mdtfla.
ted and families made fatherless ip the ef
forts to, preserve. our national existence.
s.s ..u..-. 90. q Postal su E.isHs ..a.a u
L-nL LG,-,-l LII Aosrzr, aster CieneraI rrs.
sents. an encouraging exhibit OF the OPERAS
tions Of the PRtpfiee Department during
the year The revenues of the past year
from the loyal States alone exceeded the
maximum annual receipts from all'the States
previous TO, The rebellion, in the SUN Of
Sc, ,O3S 09l, aud the annual average increase
Of revenue during the last four years imme-i
dately preceding the rebellion, was So, 1884,
845. The revenues of the last fiscal year
amounted to 81 A556, l38, and the expepdiS
lures 70 SI3,6a4,7 ,728, leaving a surplus Of
receipts over expenditures Of s86l ,430 Pro.
gress has been made ID restbring the postal
Service 10 the Southern States The views
presented BY the Postmaster General against
the policy oof granting subsidies to ocean
mail steamship lines upon established routes,
and In favor Of continuing the present syss
TEN which limits the compensation for ocean
service to the postage ear1in p, are recon-
mended TO the careful consideration of, Con.
cress. i.ras n.f ~ ,'faE sr' 70 sT D.. Il
.'-gy. ..asr the Navy 'a'a'e.,-.s .s si.i '.1
tt,dppears from the report Of the Secreta>
ry Of the Navy, that while st the COmmeRce>
ment of the present year. there were in COm~
mission $50 vessels Of all GLASSES and descrip.
tiO1s, aFmed With 5000 guns and MANNED By
$1,000 men, the number Of vessels at, pre-,
sent in commission is III, with $50 gunsi
aud j 2, ,l2S meng By this prompt reduction
Of the'naval forces the expenses Of the Gov.
ernmeut have been largely diminished and a
number Of vessels purchased for naval pur,
poses from merchant marine have been, res
turned to the peaceful pursuits of commerce.
Since the,suppression Of active h6stiHties our
foreigh souadrols have, been, ,rerestablished, |
and Consist Of vessels, much more efficient
than those employed in. similar service pres
vious to the rebeliiOh| .aaiH'an.H tt' {! cd
The suggestion for the enlargement Of the
navy yards, and especially for the establish
me1t of one. ip fresh water rfor, iron'ciad ves-
sells, is deserving of considerations as is. also
the Recommendation for different location
and more ample grounds for the Naval Acad' |
ehly. .,., r,.., NJ, ,,., ,ra cd, .... j.
-',,-...r, -..s., Mlitary. t-i .as.r ...e.
In the report of the Secretary Of War,
general summary is given of the military
caubaigns Of 1854 and 1865, ending in the
sdppressioh Of armed resistance, to The, ma /
tiopal authority 10 the ipsurgent 5tates. Ibe $
operations of The general sd nlinistratlys Bn>
teaus of the War Department during tbe
past year are detailed, and an estimate made :
Of, the Iabptopratiops that will b, REQUIRED q
for Il NIL itaFy purposes in ths fiscal year eou-
meneiog the -3oth day of ,Iube 1855, The p
national military force on the lst Of May, !
1865, numbered IOoU,516 men.
It's proposed to reduce the military esta0'
lishment to peace footing, eomPreheftpHdilIng u
6fy thousand troops Of all arms, Organized il
50 Is to admit Of ai enlargement BY hllipg :,
upthe +anEsto eightyStwo thOdsandsix hun> n
4 red. if the circumstances of the country G
shall Feqbiretab augmentation Of tbe army / 3
The volunteer foree,has already been fedueed I e
BY the disehargs from service ofaOyer sight \ !
hundred sthodsand troops aad the departS :, \
m.St iis projecting rapidly The work OffEtt
fnithgr reducton,, The war estimates ere q
red1ced from 5n syl6, ,240. Isl to 33,Sl4,56l' q
which amounts IN the opinion Of the zdePaEtr !" n
III Isah mt |