Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-12-10

tribes, where they may be encouraged to
ABANDON their nomadic habits and engage
In agricultural and industrial pursuits
This policy, inaugurated many years since.
has met with signal success whenever it
has been pursued in good faith and with
becoming liberality by the United States.
The necessity tor extending it as far as
practicable in our relations with the
aboriginal population is greater now than
at any preceding period. Whilst we fur
nish subsistence and Instructions to the In |
dians. and guarantee the undisturbed en-
joyment of their treaty rights, we should |
habituslly insist upon the faithful observ-
ance of their agreement to remain within |
their respective reservations. This is the |
only mode by which collisions with other |
tribes and with the whites can be avoided, |
and the safety, OF our frontier settlements
secured. -. - Il
The Companies constructing the railway
from Omaha to Sacramento have ssbeen
most energetically engaged in prosecuting
the work, and it is believed that the line
will be completed before the expiration OF
the next fiscal year. The six per cent
on the 9Th inst. to $44, 337, ,000,and additional
work had been performed to the extent of
So 100000. The Secretary of the Interior.
in August last, invited my attention to the
report of the Government director OF th,
Union Pacific Railroad Company, who hat
been, specially Instructed to examine tn,
location, construction and equipment, OF
their road. l submitted for the opinion o.
the Attorney General certain questions ii
regard to the authority of the Executivi
(which arose upon this report and thos,
which bad from time to time been present
ed by the commissioners appointed to ex-
anime this aud other lines, and have re-
Gently Submitted statement ofotheir in
,Vestigations, of which the. report, of the
Secretary nf the TnfpriOr TN rniShas snaaifia
Information. S'ii-t'aA 9-'' 10 F'fL
{ The report of the Secretary of War con-
tains information OF interest and impor-
tance respecting the several bureaus of the
War Department, and the operations of the
army. The strength of our military forces
on the Both of September last was forty
eight thousand men, and it is computed
that this number will be decreased to 43.-
900. 1T is the opinion Of the Secretary of
War that within the next yeara consider
able elimination of infantry force NAV be
made without detriment to7the interest of
the cnuntry. In view of the great expense
attending the military peace establishment,
and the absolute necessity of 'retrenchment
wherever it can be applied, it is hoped
that Congress will sanction the reduction
which, his report recommends. While in
1860 l6,300 men cost the nation $I6 472, ,000
the sum of $50 6S2, 200 is estimated as
necessary for the, support of the army dur
ing the fiscal year ending June 80 1870
The estimates OF the War Department tor
the hast Ctwo fiscal years were.itor 1867
S33, ,S5446l, and for 1868 S25 ,205, ,669. The
actual expenditures during, tue, same pc
riods were respectively. 95,22f4l5 and
S123, 246: GAS. The estimate subm itted in
December last for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1859, was S77,124,70 707. The ex pen
ditures for the first quarter, ending the
3oth OF September last, were 7,2191f7,
laffd the Secretary of the Treasury gives
$66, 600 600 as the amount which VIII prob
ablyerb required during the Remaining
threeC quarters, if there should be no re-
kdpetion of the army, making its aggregate
cost for the year considerably inzexcess of
$93000,0 600. The difference betwt en- the es-
Inmates and expend lures tor the three ti,-
zeal years which have been named is thus
shown to be Sl75 545, 343' for this single
branch of. public service. o1,rg H
The report of the Secretary of the Navy
exhibits the operations of that Department
and of the Navy during the year. A con-
siderable reduction of the force has been
effected. There are forty-two vessels car
rying forr hundred and eleven guns In the
six squadrons, which are established in diff
ferent parts of the world. Three of these
vessels are returning to the United States
and four are used as storeships, leaving
the actual cruising force thirty five yes
y
guns, The total number of vessels i'm the
navy is two hundred and six, mounting
seventeen hundred and forty three guns
Eighty-one vessels of every description are
in use, armed with six hundred and ninety
six guns. The number of enlisted men in
the service, including apprentices, has been
reduced to eight thousand five hundred
An increase of navy yard facilities is
recommended as measure which will, in
the event of war, be promotive of economy
and security.
A more thorough and systematic survey
OF the North Pacific ocean is advised in
view of our recent acquisitions, our ex-
panding commerce, and the increasing in
tercourse between the Pacific States and
Asia. 70
The naval pension fund, which consists of
moiety of the avaIs OF prizes captured
during the war, amounts to $l4 00O,OOO
Exception is taken to the act of the 23d
OF July last, which reduces the interest on
the fund loaned to the Government by the
Secretary as trustee to three per cent. in
stead of six per cent, which was originally
stipulated when the investment was made
An amendment of the pension laws is
suggested to remedy omissions and defects
in existing enactments. The expenditures
of the Department during the last fiscal
year were $50, l20-394, and the estimates fol
the coming year amount to $40 993 3l4.
The Postmaster Generals report fur.
nishes full and clear exhibit of the ope-
ratiOns ana condition of the postal service
The ordinary postal revenue for the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1868, was SIG, 292600
and the total expenditures, embracing ali
the service for which special appropria-
tions have been made by Congress, amount
ed to S22, 730 592. showing an excess of eX-
penditures OF Sc 437, ,991. Deducting from,
the expenditures the sum of $l,S96, 525, th.
amount of appropriation for ocean steam
ship and other spe cial service, the eXcesso
expenditures was S4 54l ,466 By using al
uneXpended balance in the Treasury
Sc, 500 600, the actual sum tor which spe-
cial appropriations required to meet the
deficiency is $74l, ,266. The causes whic
produced this large excess of eXpenditur,
over revenue, were the restoration of the
service in the late insurgent States, and tn,
putting into operation of new service es
tablished by acts of Congress, whicl
within the last two years and
halt, to about 4S,700 miles, equal to NOR
than one-third OF the whole amonnt of tht
service at the close of the war.
New postal conventions with Great Brit
ain, North Germany, Bel gium, the Meth
erlands, Switzerland and Italy, respective
ly, have been carried into effect under their
provisions. Important improvements shave
resulted in reduced rates OF international
postage and enlarged mail facilities with
European countries. The cost of the United
States trans -Atlantic ocean mail service
since Jan. l. 1865, has been largely lessened
under the operation of these new conven-
tions, a reduction of over one half having
been effected under the new arrangement
for ocean mail steamship service, which
went into effect on that date, The atten-
tion of Congress is invited to the practical
and recommendations made in
his report by the Postmaster General.
No important question has occurred dur
ing the last year in our accustomed cordial
and friendly intercourse with Costa Rica,
Honduras, San Salvador,
France, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland,
Portugal, the Netherlands, Denmark,
Sweden, Norway, Rome, Greece, Turkey,
Persia, Egypt, Liberia, Morocco, Tripoli,