VOLUME itS. NEW SERIES. THE EEEFC3D GAZETTE 18 PUBLISHED EVEUY FRIDAY JIuRNIHG BY BY S3. F. J2i:V^2ZS, At tiie following terms, to wil : Si.so per annum, cash, in advance. $2.00 " " it paid within the year. $2.50 << it notpaid within tiie year. i£7"\o subscription taken lories- than six months, fry .No paper discontinued until all are paid, unless at the option olithe publisher, jt has been decided by the United States Courts that the stoppage ola newspaper without the payment of arrearages, is prima fair, evidt-i'ce ot fraud and is a "rtminal o'i'ence. QSTTbe courts have decided th 't persons are ac countable for the subscription pr.ci- >i new-pa pers, it they take them fiotn the post oillce, wheth er 'hey subscribe for them, or not. RATES OF CHARGES FOR ADVER TISING. Tr.< isient adverti-e n 'r.i s will be inserted at the rate of St.o3 p-.r square ol t-n lin !<>' three in i>r tious or ie;-, hut lor very subsequent insertion, 25 i"!tits per square wilfb ' charge )in addition.— f&bie and figure wo a doubl' ] • ice. Auditor's BOti< e? t-n lii-es ;-.:-.*l Qlldtr. SI.OO ; upwards otten fc.s and under fifteen $1.50. Liberal reductions ir it to pt rsonr advertising by the year. rjif -?a Yftli'? IT 1 ri n a MtHasatu Harrisbcrg, Jan. 8. ISG2. To the ftonvrnbte the Si mite a . tto use of Rep resentatives of the Commonwealth of Penn syfvmi in: Gentlemen :' It tias pleased Prr#l lonce, during the last season, to give us abundant Crops, unbroken peace within our borders, unanimity among our people, an I thus to enable this Con.inonVeaiih to do her full duty to lh country, to herself, and to posterity. For these blessings we have cause to be grateful. I,'ht balance in the Treasury on the 30'h of Nov'r. iB6O, was §681,133 OS Receipt , during fiscal year enJ ing November 30, IS6I 6,743,025 02 Total in Treasury for fiscal year ending Nov. 30. 1861 7.42-1,958 10 And the payments were 5,873,352 33 Leaving balance iri Treasury, Nov. 30, 1861 ' 1,551,605 72 Public d. ' t r< maining unpaid, exclusive ot military loans 37,863.516 OS Receipts from military loans, 8,1 i 9.>>79 45 Unexpended t military loans 3. 0,507 4i It will he observed tnat Ihe fiscal year ends nn the 30th oi November, and the sinking f:in-t year or. the fi>. ..bnday in September, wbtcji accounts lor the apj arent deficiency in the a irjount of debt paid as stat-d ki the Treasurer's repoit. and hv the Commissioners ot the Sink ing Fund. The Stale has on hand a surplus ■ ! uniforms ant) equipments which cast about $190,000, which the L. Stat ; have azru-d I take and pay for at c ... Arrangements have been made with tl ;s should be paid to the inmwiiweaith by a transfer id so riittch ol siiy, rnqs a.id s euri ;i •- as such company sh uldl ive lor thesaui? and nay a off in lit e manner. The company sold the rals and reported that the share ol ilucli sal. 3 , due to ijie (. luunonwealth was $1,250 of which $250 was paid in cash and I the.remaining $281,000 the Commonwealtleceiveci coupon bonds ol the Wyoming canfompanv to thi * 'iio, b< iog a portion of for $900,000 .i :-d by tint company ar* lured bv a mort gage ol the Wyoming canal, Jnerly called the Lower North Branch Canal. Iriese bonds b-ar an inteiest ol six per cent. pavabie semi-annually on the 15th ijtlr.uai v and Julv, and the interest was paid jibe company to Jatfuary last inclusive. T1 interest due iri July last fa> not been paid. Idgments having ii-eii obtained against the coAny on some ol tile coupons 101 the unpaid '.%• interest, a bill in equity was filed in the Si- me Cunt by a i< >nd and stock lioldt* in wAi such proceed ings were ban that by a decrlmadeon the 2d September last lit* aiTits of the company were p'aced in the hlisof a receiver. A plan has been suggesteAr the assent of ' i'e* stuck acd bond hoMeis ulh contemplates a sale of the canal oi.d<-i law! process and a purchase o| the same.ior the [>. se ol forming a new c irr-party, of which ihol.-ifal st.-ck snail be one million ol dollars, chled into twenty thousand .-hares of fifty do'laiwacii, c! winch each assent inir holder of a iptgage bond lor nne tic f stock of the Wyoming can!company shall be entitled ; o nine snares. Ojiurse uo eliicer >' the t~> - rfirnyTrrstcrrnjttnfmf Uj to the proposal or in any way to aid her prsitian. It is t ■ i'teved also that the piajss not one that ;ug ! .i t; be a-.-enit'd to by thepommooweaitii, i id that ur : Tall tbe circumstLvs, if lite cou ve .ient of individual parties nll ires a change • neb propos -J, the d< ;t .iuep tin- Common* wealth ought to he first paid tilolly grcured. I suge -I that the Act pass! Mh of April, 186!, entitled "An Act cor in which a ddl may be due to the Commonwealth by the cjsoany as wn .... proper!v a puna, woiii may lipoid, the pm chasers thereof shall not ht rolled to the bene fits and pnvihg< s conferred tj the Act unless they shall have first paid thldebt due to the S'ate, or secured the same by t ir bonds to the Commonwealth secured by a fit mortgage on lite wo:k itself. 1 commend the subject to tilimmed.ate con sideration ol the Legislature, k an elfirl may be made at an ea 1 day to enrceasale ol tne canal, and some provision by Itv to. protect th ■ inter, ts ol tlie*vuU- would ii^ hat case be ne cessary. The wicked and monstrous rebellion v Inch broke out many months ago, hi not yet been quelled. Every sentiment olfiyaity and pa tii .li.sui demands its effectual Ajpression. In irv messages ol tile 9;h rtji 30it ol April las!, I ~. t forth af length my vivvsoi the ciiar acter and objects of Hie corilft which is si ti J pending. Subsequent refiectif has con fumed ine-in ttie coireclness ol the otmoiis then ex pressed and to which i refer, In addition 1! ciieiii to be understood, that iJkmg to tne va riety and cieiracter ol her uroticts and indus try, her matt iiai interest alone fruiiu render t.'i pre.s. r vatiun I lire Union liomthe present as sault upon if, indispensable to Pennsylvania. She cannot afford to have a forei n p>w. r below or above or bounding her on th Delaware, the (Jhesuoeake or the 51i.-si>sippi, a i she wi.l nev er acquiesce in such a result, w atever may be the cost in men and money ot 1 r resistance to it. On the 9tb of April last I dincted the alten tion of l!ie Legislature to the bCessily which existed for an unproved iniiitari organization, an th the \c'. en titled -'An Act for the better org uiZaiion ot tire militia ol this CominonweatllT' passed, ap t.ro pi iatmg the sum of SOOO,OOO lu tne purpose ol u:iuizmg, equipping and arming the militia. On the istn oi Apnl the Pn sit nt, oy procla [nalion, called lor a military f.xe of 75,000 men, ol winch ttie quota assigned to Pen..sy iva ma was at first sixteen (jib rvvfrds reduced to fourteen) rtgiments to serve asihlan'ry or ntle njen lor tile term of thtee tuonllis unless sooner discharged? This call was entiiu-iastically re sponded toby the people ol Pmri.yivania. 1 he first military aid from the loyal states, which the Government received at Washington, was a Pennsylvania corps which arrived theie prior to the 19th ol Apnl. Oa that Uay ;he passage of ather coips fr-iin this ar.d other S.ates itnougU Baltimore was impeded by force and during nearly two weeksalterwards the communication tut ween Washington and the loyal States was ihnosl entirely cut o/f. On tii? lOih I received 1 request lrom the War Depadfamt that the troops prepaiu.g in tiiis State should be clothed, srmed, equipped, subsisted and transported by ihe State 111 consequence of liie ti. ;i maoihly ot the United States. This request was ol course complied with, and twenty-five regiments, (be BEDFORD, PA 4 ., FfIAY MORNMJ, XAKIJARY 17, IBG2. 1 1 ing eleven regiments beyond our quota, jim prising 20,175 men from Pennsylvania ije.i for the lerrn of three month 3 under the |,i dent's proclamation above refeir-d to. .ib-- furnishing those volunteers with supplies as necessarily Y.nder the circumstances a i::| d operation, and as c miplai.-its were made ije jgard to them, and frauds were alleged tojvp been perpetrated, I appointed a board of co;r|s sinners to investigate the whole subject. A ty ol their report with tlie evidence taken by tin has been already- laid before the public, jis the intention or the Auditor Genera! to opemc' accounts of such parties as appear by the tap mony to have been overpaid and this cmje has already been taken in two of those easel On the expiration of the term of the thV months meiVtri July las', some eight or ten thj saod discharged Pennsylvania volunteers w|- thrown into Hatrisburg without notice ar.J 4 tained here, waiting to be paid, tor an aver* time of some tor, Their tents, camp equi age and cooking utensils had br-en taken frq them at VVilliamspart, Hii-, and I icy arrivj iiei- destiute of all means of shelter and oi pa rating their food. The Commissary oi the I S'ates furnished uncooked rations, and und| the circumstances of emergency I deemed it n| cessarv to make arrangements I .r aiding in Pi cooking and baking oi tiie i.ations, and also I) 1 ortiishing meals to such of (tie regiments a rived during the night or under circt/mslancij requiring instant relief. The expenses attend ing these operations amounted so far as ascet tained to .$714 20, and 1 lecommen l that th Legislature make ajt appropriation to pay then It ough' to be stated that th-'se • xpenscs won! have been much la ger, bu.t for the liberal an pnotic i (flirts of the eiliz- n? and especially di ladies of Jiari isburgj their free-handed bori"t ia! session oi the Legislature wfiic! commenced.on the 20th of April li t, I recoin ■ m*nde t thegjrganiciti >n of a reserved corp., t. he arm-!, eq iij p. d, clyfted, so wiyteid and pah by tne Slate, nod illTi —• jin ca npsof instruction in anticipation of th ex g -uci -* of tie c-uiot' y and by the Art , f jf> i, ~{ m, v , u . j," ; c- ; was dir. . ted to be mised, an ia I >.• o v'),o K?,O-')J vva- au'hoiiz. d to defray the ex pen s?3 of that and other military preparations. AJei more than sufficient in number to form sum.* t.-i reginients of (fie R-serve Corps had, previous t tne lD'.h of ]V!ayJ>een accepted by m>- in pur suance oi a call on ir>e (afterwards iesc.nd—t, liar twenty-five regiment*, and were then aires' ny assemtiVd iruf -n'jj-ci fu mv coftifo'i. B? o< these men volunteered for the Reserve Corp. and were immediately organized. T.ie remain ing ri -ifnentN were i ipi.ily r-cmited and t; Corps was thus completed, ami Mv ' .ill, of ( he ter comity, was commissioned a M ijor-Geiiera!, art' assigned t > the com o all the forces raised or to be u 'd und r i.e provLions cl iiie U-i mentioned ct. ftm r►g;■ m ots c.iirij - i ,.g the R s-rve <'• ip were in stru. ted in f ur camp, in inherent parts ul th -state, utdii they were taken into tie s-rnceo the United Stales. Tw >of lh. regiments, un der tne coniuiaed of Colonels (iharl s J- Ui-hll and S-necs G. r-i.r.T.uiw, and two c unpa-ims o artillery under the command of Col. Charier T Campbell at (he pressing instance of the VVa Department were sent on the 22J of June la to the relief of Col. Wallace, at CiimVt land, am remained for a'M.u! six weeks tiieie, and in VVes tern Virginia engaged m active operations. Towards the ci ise of July the \a hole Corp was called f >r ond-T req lisition, an I t k"u rt the s-Tvic- of the Unite.) Sta'e*. * VVit•'>tn f>u days af'ej the divtdt-r a! Hull's Run, eleven re gimerits of rtiis fine body of men (armed, drilled clothed, eq lipped, and in all respects ready I > active service,) were in Washing! >•>. The regi ments and companies from Western Virginia an. the retraining regiments making the vvitub number of filte. n, soon joits-d them there, am they are all now in service under the comtoim o! Gen. Alc'a!l, who lias been commissioned a a Brigadier General by the United States. These fifteen regiments contain fifteen thou sand eight hundred and fifty.six men, and con stitute a i.m comprising three brigades, < regiment of Artillery and one of Cavalry. Th wh -le expense of raising, clothing, equipping subsisting and paying the ReseiveCorps (inclu ding the , xnense of establishing and fitting tin camps of instruction, of recruiting, and supply ing regimental flags, and the expenses ol tfn campaign of the two regiments and companiei in Maryland and Western Virginia, which wer< all deftayed hv the State) lias amounted to SMSS 44-1 87. T'-i* does not include the tran*|>orta '.ion on Rail lio.ad=, as the separation ol that ac count would have been a work of great labor no,- does it include the pay of the two regiment, during the campaign, but it does include all the expenses, wl tell were heavy, of teams and trans portation, not on Railroads, for ihe two R-gi menfs on the campaign above mentioned.— Twelve Regiments of the Reserve Corps were pai i, subsisted, &c., by the State to the average dale of 22.1 July. The two regiments in Wes tern Virginia were paid by the State to the Jute of their departure from H urisburg on that ex pedition. The Cavahy regiment no! paid by ttie State. It will be prc ived that the whole average expense per man was $53 90. Previous to the 31 st of April last, a regiment had been enlisted in (lie city of Ei i-- fiom North western Pennsylvania. When the call was made on me on that day, for 25 additional regi ments, the Erie legunent was ordered to march to Harris-burg. The rail was rescinded, how ever, before the regiment reached Pittsburg, and 1 ord r-d it to encamp at that city where it remained until the 30th of June. The Nation al Government declined to muster the regiment into service—as all existing requisitions made on the State were mm* iliw inn-. tiw-jn they declined ■unorrng the sen ice, ami vv-re subside'!-, ami paid up to (if 30th of June t v the Slat*? 'Jwa regi ments have since been enlisted Jronr- ffr* sane |>ae4 of Pennsylvania at thefcity bl E;/", orte (J f which has been at Wahingfon in servitf& since September,- ind the oiher is notf re*iiv for marching orders—and it is due to the first Er ; *< regiment to say that most of the men are nrwy in service. ** ' Further jvquiH'.ions for sixteen fe'jTmtmfci of Infantry and two Regiments *i>f C n'vlfrree three months regiments, lip-re aie nil.--! -two regiments io service and preparing I,r i' We in service and preparing I .veiiy-/ot;r companies. I tie i illov/hg labie of tiie existing Pennsyl vania voiuntee §fi.rce is given for inlur-.italion : REIMKNTS in staviOK. B<> regiments if' infantry of which G w-re ritle r-gi Gents 71,'89 11 regiments ■ .cavalry 12,690 i regiment of tftiiieiy— 1,077 i i 84,9 55 CTfPAN.BS IN SERVICE. >companies c: infantry 707 h " • cavalry 573 " i artillery 936 - I ' 2, 87,577 Enlistments i- other than Pennsylvania o r '.inir.•! is, estim iletl, {(he rrlhcers of which ae in course ot bting com n'iissi'Ued, 6,4-00 Total infer vice, 93 577 IIEG XII4C HP.ERASING FOR SERVICE. I'd regi-iieni of infantry I 1,0:10 i " o,nai.' 1,136 1 " " artillery 1,077 15,305 COM ruffs FRET'A RING FOR SERVICE. 1 compauyir cavalry, 109 I corupacio artillery, Oct 733 16 038 In service, 93,577 Prcnaiing or service, 16.038 Pennsvlvaila's contribution, 109,655 Exclusive >f 20,175 three months me a now idi-bunded. The r-gifents preparing for service are in ru TipletP. Tho-e thai t'UV not he filled by the itl !i ins'anb.wiil be cons-tli-latisl and-ept for wii-d. Of f.e regiments in service, ttie lltii an t 15th r-giuienti of Infantry are at Annap olis: th- 2sh, 09; li, 21st, C6th, 69th, 71st, 72nd and 'O6ot regiments and <>i>e company <-i Infantry aw in the co-nnnd of Major Gener al Ranks; t e 4-sth, 50ih, fiflh, 76:h ao-l 100 th r*Afi:nents if Inluntrv are m Sou'h Carolina; the -fSifi Infantry are at Ilattera; Inlet; the 108 th Infadry an I 11th Cavalry are at Kort re.-s M mrie; the 77th, 78th, and 79th, Infan try, the 7:i and 7lh cavalry, and troop of horse, one squadrW ol cavalry, two battalions of ar tillery aivin Kentucky; the 84th and 110 th Infantry a -t in Western V as are a|,o three companies of Infantry, four companies of cavalry, five companies ol light artillery; the S7th infantry are at Cockeysville, in .Maryland; one ccmpntty of artillery is a.' Fort Delaware; all the retrain ier of the volunteers are at or near Washington. Upwards of 300 volunteers from Pennsylvania are now prisoners, but as arrangements have been made tor lhetxchauge of prisoners it may be expected that they will S'tnn be released. In compliance with the joint resolutions of the lfitli ( f May la>t, I have procured regimen tal flags I>r the Pennsylvania volunteers, and have presented them in person to most of the regiments. In other cases, tiip regiments being on or near the Potomac, I have requested Mr. Cowan, Senator, and Messrs. Grow and k\ right meni'.eis of ttie 11 -use of Kepresentatives, from Pennsylvania, to present them in the name of the Commonwealth. ' r he G-m-ral Government requested that the Stares would abstain from purttiasing arms, as their competition was found injurious in the market, and in view of the large expenditures of money in aiming and equipping the volun teer f-rce of the S'sle, provided for the de fence ofthe National Government, J did not purchase anv as auihoiiz u d by the 28th sec tirn of tfiA act of the 15th of May, 1861. The State has now quite as many arms as are nec esc rytoarm all her volunteer organizations in existence; but, influenced bv the threatening aspect of our relations with foreign governments, I have directed the Adjutant General to pro- Cure arras as soon as rt can be done on reasona ble terms and without injurious cmr.pifitiom with the National Government. Ar-afT*have been distrijttteiftinnong tin* tinnier counties to all-the receive them, have been thus dis tributed. I have also addressed a letter to the commissioners ot ail the border counties, offer ing arms to tions shall 5e towiwd to receive them. Besides thus complying wflh tha requirements s-ction oi sve .Act of 15th May last, J have d-.'eined it prudent to offer five thousand arm' to sucji military organization's" may b-* form- J etfuti rtnia' on a plan tojie approve* by in** as Coinir.and-r-in-Coief. Muskeg ao ' before I leaving the State, hi simr lai?s rezprvents have gone without arms*un}er asiurvisn frcwn '■ the IV ar DW&Ji&erit that they wouLi b' ed at Washington or oiher. v near points, and tha; required, thought wise p not to in*us?%iTfie ar'.-iis being sent r-giinec.u marched, as this would <.n the governing. an freight, and would-Mive Sjßfr 'p e i delays which mi Jt v lernenls and' fernished by the Statu to the artillery regiment of the K-*- Corps. Ten of these were purchased bv the State, and their cost has been refunded by the Tdmled S'ates. Dilige UCf j la3 been used in arms throsfghout the State and repair ing and altering them in the mod approved man ner. The State has now 62 pieces of artillery, of which 17 need repairs. 20,753 mu.-kefs and rifles,some of which are in the hands of the mechanics being repaired, 1310 are in the hands of volunteer corps throughout the State; 1933 in the possession of County C.uumissioned, and 1,003 with the reserve corps of Phila delphia. In addition to this the city of Philadelphia has 9 pieces of rifled artillery, and 4,976 muskets and rifles. The State has also iu tire arsenal at Harris -I,366"sabres andsword", and 1,957 pistols, and the city of Philadelphia has 440 sabre*, and 3du pistols with the necessary acccuntre ments. There is also in the arsenal at Harrisburg a i '£■ amount of accoutrements and ammuni tion for artille.-v and small arms. The Aoji.iUiit (3 ner.il is successfully engag ed in cmh'tiing arm- throughout the State, an t it is expiated that the number above atat-d will be laigely mcfased. Probably, at least 5,390 niU;i-(s and jntles and seveiai piece* ot artillery will b ■ ccllccied. ' tie care which has been bestowed upon the comfirt of the volunteers, and the goodness and sufficiency of their supplies ol all kinds, and the excellent arrangements ot the Medical D-partment under the control of Surgeou Gen eral Henry H. Smith, are proved by the fact, that more than 63,090 men have been for vari ous, generally short periods at Camp Curtin since the 19ihof April last, and ttiat down to the Ist January iust., there died but foitv-nine men at tli.it camp, viz, forty-four from sickness, tvvojbclonging to regiments from other States,) who bad been injured on railroads, two acci dentally killed iu Camp Curtiu and one shot in Hairisburg. To ficiti'ate the making of allotments of their pay by our volunteers in the he'd for the support of their families at home. I appoin ted Hon. E tgar Cowan, Thomas E. Franklin and E. C. Humes, E-tjs., commissioners to visit the camps of our men on and south of the Potomac, and also James PaikandM. Vjr'. Behzhoover, Eo]., commissioners to visit those in Kentucky and elsewhere in the western county, to call the attention ot the troops to ihe system ct al lotment and to encourage them in adopting R practical plan for ca-rying it into effect. The several reports ol these commissioners are highly satisfactory. For detail on the several subjects connected with the military operations of thu State, I re fer to tiie reports of the Adjutant General, Sur geon General, Quarter .Master General, Com missary General and Paymaster General which accompany tins Message. The duties imposed on me were eo onerous that I found it necessary to invite the tempo rary assistance of gentlemen on my staff" to aid in.; to perform them. In this capacity, Cols. Thomas A. Scott, Gideon J. Bali and John A. Wright contribu ted I fir- ir valuable services from the middle of April until they were called away by other duties, Col. Scott remaining until! he became connected with the War Department, Col. Ball until the Ist of June and Co!. Wright until the 23d of July; for the time thus devoted to the service of the State they have refused to re ceive y compensation. Cols. Joseph D. Potts, A. L. Russell, J. Brown Parker and Craig Biddie were in ser vice up to the 23th of December. The Depart ment of Telegraph and Transportation was un der the exclusive control of Col. Potts. The reste.-n and economy of its management show how faithfully and well he fulfilled his office. It is but just to all these gentlemen that I should bear testimony to the unliri-iog zeal and fidelity with which their duties were performed. The quota of the State having been more than filled, and her military force organized, I was enabled oo the twentieth of December last, to dispense with a personal staff, and the WHOLE \IH!!i.!( temporary arrangement which had been mails fur its employment was then closed By 13th of the Act of the 15th of M&J, ' 1 'Wr authorized to draw my war ants on the Treasury forasurn not exceeding ?20,000 for compensation to such persons as might be required to serve tire country in a mihtary-, capacity, W&LC. Of this fund I have frawn io owlfif ofihe military department, ind the.actpa4e'xprnses of persons employed on emftorajaL gey*ice, none cf whom received iftifher cdTtoensatiou, and expenses of the :ofi>mis3tons appjjgpted to investigate alleged ami . the ex penes "of establishing ! after equitably apportion the bord- n among the various interests now sub j-ct to taxa ion. The saving of fifteen per cent, to the people of (he Slate by the assump tion >s a matter worthy of thought, but a mora important consideration is that it will enable you who represent alt the varied interests of Ihe commonwealth toapprotion the tax in such manner as to bear equally upon all. Our rev enue law 3 had imposed on real and personal property as its foil proportion but little more than one-third of ihe tax:s needed for the ordi nary expenditures of the government. By the act ol 16th May last, the tax on this sppcies of property has already ben incrased one-sixth. Should the State refuse to consume the United Slates tax the whole burden ot it will fa!! upon thes- interests, interests too, most unfavorably afiected by the war, whilst other kinds of prop erty and other sources of revenue, judged by our laws able to pay nearly two-thirds of the present revenues of tiie State, would not be called OG to contribute one dollar of additional lax. The militia system of the Commonwealth is very imperfect. I recommend the establish ment ola commission to frame and report a system more adequate to the exigency of the times. 1 earnestly recommend to th* legislature that provision be made for ihe military instruction of vouth. The appointment of a military in structor ; n the normal schools, would in a short period give teachers to the common schools who would be competent to train the boys in attendance on tfi-m. It would in my opinion he u ise also to provide for the purchase or leas ing by the Commonwealth of a building for a military school, and fir employing competent instruct.ous at the expense of the State, requir ing the pupils to defray the olher expenses. No pupil shocld be admitted to this school with out having passed a thorough examination on mathematics and all fitting subjects of instruc tion except the military art proper. I rerpect luily urge this subject on your earlv considera tion, as one ot material perhaps vital import anry. I have taken measures Jo dirpct the efficient attention the General Government to tho f'ortificat ion of the water approaches on the sea board and the lakes, and arrangements are in the course of being effected which it is hoped will be satisfactory in their result. I send with this rnesage a copy of a com munication from General Totten," chief of the Military Engineer Depa rtmP nt at Washington. I have a'so represented to the Secretary of the Navy the necessity for floating defences on the Delaware, and have his assurance that they shall be prepared at the earliest moment I have had a correspondence with the au thorities and some of the citizens of Erie on the subject of the defenceless condition of that city, ami the part of the Stale bordering on the lake. On examination it is found that there are no defences on the lake, and that the ordnance at the city of Erie was withdrawn by the National Government in the summer of 1861. The secretary of the Navv, on a request made, direct that the crew of the United VOL. 5.