The Portland daily press., 1867-12-04

'e WIN private establishments.
Tho. NAVY DEPARTMENT..
-. 'o.ai expenditures Of the Navy Depart
s s0r t ao nseal year ending June so, 1867,
0,edo or I ,oon; No appropriations have been
h.. .s..,,.s. SINCE the close of the war for
steam machinery, ordinances. ,,,o,';s;1,, ~
clothing, fuel. hemp etc., tho hel,no's ia.
these several heads having bee. more H.,
cient for current expenditures. 1t shopId a.,
be stated to the credit of the department, tho,
besides asking no appropriation for the aboye
objects f)r the last two years, Secretary of tho
Navy ON the 30th of September last, in accord
ance with the act Of May /, 1920, requested the
Secretary Of the Treasury to carry to the sur
plus fund the sum of sixty-iiye millions Of dol
lars, being the amount received from the sales
OF vessels and other war property, and the rem
nants OF former appropriations. ~
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
The report of the Postmaster Gcnera shows the
business of The Post Office Dep irtment and the cond
ton of the postal service in very favorable light and
the attention Of Congress is called to it's practical
recommendations. The receipts Of the department
Tor the year ending June 30, lS6I including all ape
eal appropriations for and land service and for
iree man matter were Slg97S Cg3; the expenditures
for all purposes were 80 235 asa leaving an mex-
pended balance in favor Of The department OF slI3
~ which can be applied towards the expense of
the current year. w 'r -. 5-fF :
ut.
specific appropriations, for the year ls67 over hat
l556 was S50040. The increase OF the reye,,i rom
tue sale of stamps and stamped envelopes was >. So
40i The increase Of expenditures for 1867 over those
OF the previous year was owing Chiefly TO the extern
sion of the land and ocean mail service. During the
past year postal conventions have been rai fled
and exchanged with with the United Kingdom OF
Great Britain and Ireland Belgium, the Netherlands
switzerland, the North German Union, Italy and the
Colonial Government at Hong Kong, reducing very
largely the rates of ocean and land postage to and
from and within those countries.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
The report ofthe Acting Commissioner Of Agrieul
ture concisely presents the condition, and pro
gress of All Interest eminenty worthy the fostering
care OF Congress, and exhibits large measure Of
useful results achieved during the year to which
fers. The establishment of peace at home, and the
resumption Of extended trade, travel and commerce
abroad have served TO increase the number and vlre
ty of questions In the Department foreign ar,frs
turbed our relations with other States. The Rcpub-
lic OF Mexico having been relieved from foreign inter
ventlon Is earnestly engaged in efforts to cstab
fish her constitutional system of Government.
ol % ~ FOREIGN AFFAIRS n
good understanding continues to exist bet cen
our Government anu the Republics OF Hayti and san
Domingo, and our cordial relations with the Central
aud south American States remain unchanged. The
tender made, in conformity with resolution Of Con
gress fthe good offices of the Government with n
view 10 an amieable adjustment OF peace between
Brazil and her allies side and Paraguay the
other, and between Chill and her allies The one
side and Spain on the other though kindly received,
has in neither case been fully accepted by the bcli-
gerents The war in the valley of the Parana Ia still
vigorously maintained. On the other hand actual
hostiites between the Pacific States have been more
than year suspended. shall on any proper occas-
ION that may occur, renew The eenciliaory recon-
mendations which have been already made.
Brazil, with enlightened sagacity and compreiien
sive saesmanshsp has opened the great channels of
the Amazon and its tributaries to universal com
merce. One thing more seems needfuls TO assure a
rapid and cheering progress in South America | re-
fer to those peaceful habits without which States and
Nations cannot in this age, well expect material pros
perty or social advancement The Exposition OF mi
yersal Industry at Paris has passed, and seems TO
have fully realized the high expectations of the French
Government. hdne allowance be made for the recent
political arrangement of industry here the part which
the United Staies has borne in this exhibition Of in
vention and art, may be regarded with very high
isfaction. u I..ss IL. ... .r. - :
During the Exposition Conference was held Of del.
egates from several nations the United States being
one, in which the Inconvenience of commerce and
social intercourse resulting from the diverse standards
OF money value We're very fully discussed and plans
We're developed for establishing by universal consent
common principal for the coinage of gold. These
Conferences are expected to be renewed with the at
tendance OF many foreign States hitherto repre-
scented. report OF these interesting proceeding
VIII be submitted TO Co gress, which viii no doubt
justly appreciate the great object and be ready 10
adopt any measures which may tend TO facilitate its
ultimate accomplishment. On the 25th of February
1s67 Congress declared by law that Treasury notes
without interest authorized by the act should he le
gal payment OF all debts public and private
within the United States. An annual remittance of
$30O00 less stipulated expenses accries to claim at
under the convention made with Spainin lSG4 These
renitanees since the passage OF that act have heen
paid in such notes. The claimants insist that Gov
ernment ought to require payment in coin The sub
ject may be deemed worthy Of yonr attention. No
arrangement has as yet been reached for the settle
ment OF our claims for British deprcdatiUns upon the
commerce Of the United States i'' aN.
l have felt 1t my duty TO decnethe proposition of
arbitration made BY Her Majestys Government, he
causeit has hitherto been accompanied with reserya
lions ard limitations Incompatible with the rights in
terest and honor of our country Ii is TO be APP
pretended that Great Britain will persist in her re
afis fl.a.a fu=t md Ia
which involves the sacred principle of nerven-
tion-a principle beneeforth not more important to
the United States than to all other commercial ma
tons. The West Inda Islands were settled and col
onized by European States, simultaneously with the
settlement and colonization of the American CONT
nent most the colonies planted here became indie
pendent nations at the close Of the last and the begin
ming of the present century. Our country en-
braces communities which at one period were colon
les of Great Britain France Spain, Holland, Sweden
and Russia. The people in the West Indies, withth
exception OF those in the island Of Hayt have Meth
or attained nor aspred 10 independence, nor have
they become prepared for self defence Although
possessing considerable commercial value, they have
been held by tho several European States which col
onized or at some time conquered them, chiefly for
purposes of military and naval strategy in carrying
out European policy aud designs in regard to this
continent. In our Revolutionary war, ports and har
bors in the West India Islands were used by our
enemy to the great injury and embarrassment Of the
United States. We had the same experience in our
second war with Great Britain. The same European
policy for long time excluded from trade
with the West Indies while were at peace with all
nations In our recent civil war the rebels and their
pratical and blockade breaking allies found facilities
In the same ports for the work which they too sue
eessfuy accomplished, Of injuring and devastating
the commerce which we are now engaged In rebuild
ing. We labored especially under this disadvantage,
that European steam vessels, employed by our
enemies, found friendly shelter, protection and sup
plies in West India ports, while our own naval oper
atloIs necessarily carried on from our own dis.
tant shores. There was than a universal feeling of
the want of an advanced naval outpost between the
Atlantic coast and Europe.
The duty of obtaining such an outpost peacefully
and lawfully while neither doing menaeng injury
to other states, earnestly engaged the attention ofhe
executive department before the close Of the war aud
u mas not been lost sight Of since that time.
trely dissimlar naval want revealed itself during the
same period on the Pacific coast. The REQUIRED loot
hold there was fortunately secured by our late treaty
with the Emperor of Russia, and itnOw seems imper-
alive that the obvious necessities Of the Allan
tic coast should not be less carefully provided
A good and convenient port and harbor, capable OF
easy defence, will supply that want. With the pos
session of such station by the United States neither
We nor any other American nation need longer appre
bend injury offence from any trans "A tlantc enc
mics. L agree with our early statesmen, that the
Indies naturally grayitate to- aud may be expect
ed ultimately to be absorbed by the Confidential States
including own. agree with them also that it Is
wise to leave the question ofsueh absorption TO this
process OF natural political gravitation The Islands
d ST. Thomas and 81. Johns which constitute part
d the group called the Virgin Islands seemed to offer
rs adva tayes Immediately desirable while their ac-
luSnon c9uid DC secured in harmony with the prin-
'pies TO which have alluded. A treaty has therefor
,een concluded with the King Of De9mark gar tba
ession OF those Islands, and Will be Submitted 10 the
Senate for consideration 1t will hardly he necessary
o call the attention Of Congress- to the subject ofpro
'iding for the payment TO Russia of the stiat-
I'd in the treaty for the cession Of Alaska. Possesson
having been formally delivered to our Commss Toner
here the Territory remains for the prese in of
military force, awaiting such civil organization as
shall be directed by Congress. The annexation of
many small German States 10 Prussia and the re-or-
of that country under a new and liberal
constitution, have induced me torenew the effort to
'6tan Just and prompt settemet of the long ycxed
question concerning the claims of foreign States Tor
military service from their subjects naturaized in the
United States. F tr,,..
In CONNECTION with this subject the attention OF
congress Is respectfully called to singular and en-
conflict of laws. The Executive Depart
nent of this Government has hitherto uniformly held
IS il now holds, that natlIra lizaton in conformity
With the Constitution and laws of the United States
bsoves the recipient from his native allegiance. The
sourts OF Great Britain hold that allegiance 10 the
British Grown is sbsolyed by laws Of naturaliza-
ion British Judges cite Courts and law authorities
Il the Udited States in support or that theory against
he position held by the Executive authority of the
United States. This conflict perplexes the public
mind concerning the rights OF naturazed citizens,
nd impairs the national authority abroad, | called
ttention to this subject in my last annual Message
lare the national will enthusiastically upon this impor
ant question.
The abuse of our laws by the candestine prosccu
ion of the African slave-trade from American porta
n by American citizens, has altogether ceased and
nder existing circumstances, apprehensons Of its
enewal, In this part of the world, are entertained
nder these circumstances it becomes a question
whether we shall not propose TO Her Majesty's Gov
rnment srepensionor dscontinuanee OF ihe stipu-
alton for maintaining naval force for the suppress
ion of that trade.
, b lsignedJ iuHv ANDREW. JOHNSON.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3, 1867. '''i t'N HVlft
tf-----------------
Report of tho Secretary of the NAVY.