Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1868-12-16

vious year. The entries under the home
stead law cover two million thrco hundred,
and twenty-eight Thousand nine huadrel
and twenty.three acres, nearly ono fourth
Of which was taken under the sot OF
June 81, 1866, which applies oaly 70 tho
States of. Alabama, Mississippi, J.ouiSans
and Florida. IL as
On the Both Of June, 1868, oue hundred
and si1ty-nino thousand six hundred sud
forty three names were borne on the peneion
rolls, and during the year ending on that
day the total amount paid for pensions, in
cluding the expenses Of disbursement, ga,
0l0, 1882, being IS, 39l ,026 greater than that
expended for like purposes during the pre-
cceding year. .I ~,
During the year ending.the Soth...of Sep
tember last, the expenses Of the PaheHt or
flee exceeded the receipts by one hundred
and seventy.ono dollars and, including 70.
issues and designs, fourteen thousand She
hundred and fity-thrce patents wsrc issued.
Treaties with various Indian tribes have
been concluded, and will DO submitted to
the Senate for its constitutional action. l
cordially sanction the Nipulations which
provide for rescrving lands for tho various
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, wherever it has
been pursued in good faith and with becom-
ing liberality by the United Statca The
necessity for extending it as far as praotica-
bic in our relations with the aboriginal pop.
ulation is greater now than at any preceding
period. Whilst we furnish subsistence and
instruction to the Indians, and guarantee
the undisturbed enjoyment Of their treaty
rights, we should habitually insist upon tho
faithful observance of their agreement 10
remain within their respective reservations.
This is the only mode by which collisions
with other tribes and with tho whites can
be avoided, and the safety Of our frontier
settlements secured. 's .r.
The companies constructing tho railway
from Omaha to Sacramento have been most
energetically engaged in prosecuting the
work, and it il believed that the line will be
completed before the expiration Of the 6s.
cal year. The six per cent, bonds issued to
these companies amouRted, on the 5th inst
to s44,337, 900, and additional work has
been performed TO the extont Of $780,
10000. ..-. "a
The Secretary of the Interior in August
last invited my attention to tho report Of .
Government director of the Union Pacific
railroad company, who had been specially
instructed to examine tho location, CON-
struction and equipment Of their road. l
submitted for the opinion Of tho Attorney
General certain questions in regard to tho
authority of the Executive which arose up
on this report, and those which had from
time to time been presented by the commits
sioners appointed to inspect each successive
section of the work! After carefully con-
sidering the law of the case, be affirmed the
right Of the Executive to order, IL necessa.
ry, thorough revision of the entire road.
Commissioners were thereupon appointed to
examine this and other lines, and have re-
Gently submitted statement Of their inves-
tigations, of which the report Of the Secre-
tary Of the Interior furnishes specific imfor-
nation. ..te. No.,
The report Of the Secretary Of War con-
tains information Of interest and Importance
respecting the several Bureaus Of tho War
Department and the operations Of tho az
my. The strength of our military force,
on the 3Oth Of September last was forty.
eight thousand men, and it is computed
that, by the first of January next this num-
Der will be decreased to forty-three thous-
and. 1t is the opinion Of the Secretary Of
War that within the next year considera-
bic diminution of the infantry force may be
made without detrimcnt to the interests of
the country; and in view Of the great ex-
pensc attending tho military peace estab-
lishment, and the absolute necessity Of re-
trcnchmcnt wherever it can be applied, it
is hoped that Congress will sanction the re-
duction which his report recommends
While in 1860 sixteen thousand three hun.
dred men cost the nation GIG, 472, 900, tho
sum Of sos, 6S2, 900 is estimated as ncees.
sary for the support Of the army during the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1870. The esti-
mates of the, War Department for the last
two fiscal years were for 1867, s33,sl4,46l,
and for 1868, s25, ,2O5, 669. The actual ex.
penditures during the same periods were,
respectively, $95, 24,4l5 and sl23, 6,64s.
Tho estimate submitted in December last
for tho fiscal year ending juno 30, 1869, was
$77,I24,707; the expenditures for the first
quarter, ending the 3Oth Of September last,
we're 27,2l9,1l7, and the, Secretary OF the
Treasury gives s66, 100000 as tho amount
which will probably be required during the
remaining three quarters, if there should bo
no reduction of the army-making its ag-
gregate cost for the year considerably in e1-
cess of ninety.three millions. The differ
cnce between the estimates, and expsndi-
lures for tho three fiscal years which have
been named is thus shown TO be $l75,5l5,