The Congressional Globe, Volume 13, Part 2: Twenty-Eighth Congress, First Session Page: 4
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APPENDIX TO THE CONGRESSIONAL GLOBE.
Dec. 1843.
28th Cong 1st Sess.
Report of the Secretary of the Treasury.
Senate and H. of Reps.
any distinct expression of opinion going to show
that public sentiment is averse to the plan, either as
heretofore recommended to Congress, or in a modi-
fied form,—while my own opinion in regard to it
would remain unchanged, I should be very far from
again presenting it to your consideration. The
Government has originated with the States and the
people, for their own benefit and advantage; and it
■would be subversive of the foundation-principles of
the political edifice which they have reared, to per-
severe in a measure which, in their mature judg-
ments, they had either repudiated or condemned.
The will of our constituents, clearly expressed,
should be regarded as the light to guide our foot-
steps; the true difference between a_monarchical or
aristocratical government and a republic being, that
in the first, the will of the few prevails over the
will of the many; while in the last, the will of the
many should be alone consulted.
The report of the Secretary of War will bring
you acquainted with the condition of that import-
ant branch of the public service. The army may
be regarded, in consequence of the small number
of the rank and file in each company and regiment,
as little more than a nucleus around which to rally
the military force of the country in case of war;
and yet its services in preserving the peace of the
frontiers are of a most important nature. In all
cases of emergency, the reliance of the country is
properly placed in the militia of the several States;
and it may well deserve the consideration of Con-
gress, whether a new and more perfect organiza-
tion might not be introduced, looking mainly to the
volunteer companies of the Union for the present,
and of easy application to the great body of the
militia in time of war.
The expenditures of the War Department have
been considerably reduced in the last two years;
contingencies, however, may arise, which would
call for the filling up of the regiments with a full
complement of men, and make it very desirable to
remount the corps of dragoons, which by an act of
the last Congress was directed to be dissolved.
I refer you to the accompanying report of the Sec-
retary for information in relation to the navy of the
United States. While every effort has been, and
will continue to be made, to retrench all superflui-
ties, and lop off all excrescences which from time to
time may have grown up, yet it has not been re-
garded as wise or prudent to recommend any mate-
rial change in annual appropriations. The interests
Which are involved are of too important a character
to lead to the recommendation of any other than a
liberal policy. Adequate appropriations ought to be
made, to enable the Executive to fit out all the ships
that are now in a course of building, or that require
repairs, for active service in the shortest possible
time, should any emergency arise which may re-
quire it. An efficient navy, while it is the cheapest
means of public defence, enlists in its support the
feelings of pride and confidence, which brilliant
deeds and heroic valor have heretofore served to
strengthen and confirm.
I refer you particularly to that part of the Secre-
tary's report which has reference to recent experi-
ments in the application of steam, and in the con-
struction of war steamers, made under the superin-
tendence of distinguished officers of the navy. In
addition to other manifest improvements in the con-
struction of the steam-engine, and application of the
motive power, which has rendered them more ap-
propriate to the uses of ships of war, one of those
officers has brought into use a power which makes
the steam-ship most foijpudable, either for attack or
defence. I cannot too strongly recommend this
subject to your consideration, and do not hesitate
to express my entire conviction of its great import-
ance.
I call your particular attention, also, to that por-
tion of the Secretary's report which has reference to
the act of the late session of Congress, which pro-
hibited the transfer of any balance of appropriation
from other heads of appropriation to that for build-
ing, equipment, and repair. The repeal of that pro-
hibition will enable the department to give renewed
employment to a large class of workmen, who have
been necessarily discharged, m consequence of the
want of means to pay them—a circumstance attend-
ed, especially at this season of the year, with much
privation and suffering.
It gives me great pain to announce to you the loss
of the steamship "The Missouri," by fire, in the
Bay of Gibraltar, where she had stopped to renew
iier supplies of coal, on her voyage to Alexandria,
with Mr. Gushing, the American Minister to China,
on board. There is ground for high commendation
of the officers and men for the coolness, and intre-
pidity, and perfect submission to discipline, evinced
under the most trying circumstances. Surrounded
by a raging fire, which the utmost exertions could
not subdue, and which threatened momentarily the
explosions of her well-supplied magazines, the offi-
cers exhibited no signs of fear, and the men obeyed
every order with alacrity. Nor was she abandoned
until the last gleam of hope of saving her had ex-
pired. It is well worthy of your consideration,
whether the losses sustained by the officers and
crew in this unfortunate affair should not be reim-
bursed to them.
I cannot take leave of this painful subject without
adverting to the aid rendered upon the occasion by
the British authorities at Gibraltar, and the com-
mander, officers, and crew, of the British ship-of-
the-line "The Malabar," which was lying at the
time in the bay. Everything that generosity or hu-
manity could dictate was promptly performed. It
is by such acts of good-will by one to another of
the family of nations, that fraternal feelings are
nourished, and the blessings of permanent peace
secured.
The report of the Postmaster General will bring
you acquainted with the operations of that depart-
ment during the past year, and will suggest to you
such modifications of the existing; laws as in your
opinion the exigencies of the public service may re-
quire. The change which the country has undergone
of late years in the mode of travel and transportation,
has afforded so many facilities for the transmission
of mail-matter out of the regular mail, as to require
the greatest vigilance and circumspection in order
to enable the officer at the head of the department to
restrain the expenditures within the income. There
is also too much reason to fear that the franking
privilege has run into great abuse. The department,
nevertheless, has been conducted with the greatest
vigor, and has attained, at the least possible ex-
pense, all the useful objects for which it was estab-
lished.
In regard to all the departments, I am quite
happy in the belief that nothing has been left undone
which was called for by a true spirit of economy, or
by a system of accountability rigidly enforced. This
is, in some degree, apparent from the fact, that the
Govei nment has sustained no loss by the default of
any of its agents. In the complex, but, at the same
time, beautiful machinery of our system of govern-
ment, it is not a matter of surprise that some remote
agency may have failed for an instant to fulfil its
desired oilice; but I feel confident 111 the assertion,
that nothing has occurred to interrupt the harmoni-
ous action of the Government itself; and that while
the laws have been executed with efficiency and
vigor, the rights neither of States nor of individuals
have been trampled 011 or disregarded.
In the mean time the country has been steadily
advancing 111 all that contributes to national great-
ness. The tide of population continues unbrofeenly
to flow into the new States and Territories, where a
refuge is found not only for our native-bom
fellow-citizens, but for emigrants from all parts of
the civilized world, who come among us to partake
of the blessings of our free institutions, and to aid
by their labor to swell the current of our wealth and
power.
It is due to every consideration of public policy
that the lakes and rivers of the West should receive
all such attention at the hands of Congress as the
Constitution will enable it to bestow. Works in
favorable and proper situations 011 the lakes would
be found to be as indispensably necessary in case of
war to carry 011 safe and successful naval opera-
tions, as fortifications 011 the Atlantic seaboard.
The appiopriation made by the last Congress for
the improvement of the navigation of the Mississippi
river, has been diligently and efficiently applied.
I cannot close this communication, gentlemen,
without recommending to your most favorable con-
sideration, the interests of this District. Appointed
by the Constitution its exclusive legislators, and
forming in this particular the only anomaly in our sys-
tem of government—that of the legislative body being
elected by others than those for whose acU antage
they are to legislate—you will feel a superadded ob-
ligation to look well into their condition, and to
leave no cause for complaint or regret. The seat
of Government of our associated Republics cannot
but be regarded as worthy of your parental care.
In connexion with its other interests, as srell as
those of the whole country, I recommend that at
your present session you adopt such measures, in
order to carry into effect the Smithsonian bequest,
as in your judgment will be best calculated to con-
summate the liberal intent of the testator.
When, under a dispensation of Divine Provi-
dence, I succeeded to the presidential oilice, the
state of public affairs was embarrassing and criti-
cal. To add to the irritation consequent upon a
long-standing controversy with one of the most
powerful nations of modern times—involving not on-
lylquestions of boundary, (which, under the most fa-
vorable circumstances, are always embarrassing,)
but at the same time important and high principles
of maritime law—border controversies between the
citizens and subjects of the two countries had en-
gendered a state of feeling and of conduct which
threatened the most calamitous consequences. The
hazards incident to this state of things were greatly
heightened by the arrest and imprisonment of a
subject of Great Britain, who, acting (as it was al-
leged) as apart of a military force, had aided in the
commission of an act violative of the territorial juris-
diction of the United States, and involving the murder
of a citizen of the State of New York. A large
amount of claims against the Government of Mexico
remained unadjusted, and a war of several years'con-
tinuance with the savage tribes of Florida still pre-
vailed, attended with the desolation of alargeportion
of that beautiful Territory, and with the sacrifice of
many valuable lives. To increase the embarrass-
ment of jhc Government, individual and State credit
had been nearly stricken down, and confidence in the
General Government was so much impaired, that
loans of a small amount could only be negotiated at
a considerable sacrifice. As a necessary consequence
of the blight which had fallen on commerce and me-
chanical industry, the ships of the one were thrown
out of employment, and the operations of the other
had been greatly diminished. Owing to the condi-
tion of the currency, exchanges between different
parts of the country had become ruinously high,
and trade had to depend on a depreciated paper cur-
rency in conducting its transactions. 1 shall be
permitted to congratulate the country that, under
an overruling Providence, peace was preserved
without a sacrifice of the national honor; the
war in Florida was brought to a speedy termina-
tion; a large portion of the claims on Mexico have
been fully adjudicated, and are in a course of pay-
ment, while justice has been rendered to us in other
matters by other nations; confidence between man
and man is in a great measure restored, and the
credit of this Government fully and perfectly re-es-
tablished. Commerce is becoming more and moie
extended in its operations; and manufacturing and
mechanical industry once more reap the rewards of
skill and labor honestly applied. The operations
of trade rest on a sound currency; and the rates of
exchange are reduced to their lowest amount. In
this condition of things, I have felt it_to be my duty
to bring to your favorable consideration matters ol
great interest, in their present and ultimate results;
and the only desire which I feel in connexion with
the future is, and will continue to be, to leave the
country prosperous, and its institutions unimpaired.
JOHN TYLER.
Washington, December, 1843.
ANNUAL TREASURY R|p<)RT.
Treasury Department,
December 6, 1843.
Sir: By the act of Congress approved May 10,
18U0, it is made the duty of the Secretary of the
Treasury "to digest, prepare, and lay before Con-
gress, at the commencement of every session, a re-
port 011 the subject of finance, containing estimates
of the public revenue and public expenditures, and
plans for improving or increasing the revenues from
time to tune." By the act of 26th August, 1842, the
fiscal year of the Treasury is directed to commence
011 the first doy of July in each year, beginning
with that day 111 the year 1843; and it is provided
that the report and estimates required to be prepaied
and laid before Congress at the commencement of
cuch session, by the Secretary of the Treasury, shall
be a report and estimates for each fiscal year, com-
mencing as aforesaid, and terminating 611 the thir-
tieth day of June, in the succeeding calendar year.
In obedience to these laws, the following report is
submitted;
The act of 1843 contemplates that estimates of the
receipts and expenditures of the fiscal year, com-
mencing 1st July, 1844, should be furnished at the
c,om inenctutciu of the p> tsent session of Congress
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United States. Congress. The Congressional Globe, Volume 13, Part 2: Twenty-Eighth Congress, First Session, book, 1844; Washington D.C.. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth2368/m1/14/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.