1 EMMA H H J. TOL. TL No, 131. PHILADELPHIA, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1866. DOUBLE SHEETTHREE CENTS. TLD STATE Of Tilt ll&TI O'0R ANNUAL BUDGET. ANDREW JOHNSON'S SECOND MESSAGE. The President's Scheme of Restoration. What is Accomplished and What is to be Done. OUR FOREIGN RELATIONS. The Army, Navy, Treasury, and Interior Reports. CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY Etc.) Etc., Etc., Etc., Etc., Etc. Tranqnil State of the Country, lllow Citizens of the Senate ami Ilbiise of Re pretentatives: After a brief interval the Congress of toe United States resumes Its annual legisla tive labors. An all-wise and merciful Provi dence has abated the pestilence which visited ourshoies, leaving its calamitous traces upon some portions of our country. Peaoe, order tranquility and civil authority have been for mally declared to exist throughout the whole or lhe United States. In all of the States civil autho rity has superseded the cocrslon of arms, and the people, by their voluntary action, are main taining their Governments In full activity and complete operation. The enforcement ' of the laws is no longer "obstructed In any State by combinations too powerful to be suppressed by the ordinary course of Judicial proceedings;" and the animosities engendered by the war are rapidly yielding to the beneficent Influences of our free institutions, and to the kindly efl'eots of unrestricted social and commercial Inter course. An entire restoration of fraternal feel ing must be the earnest wish of every patriotic heart; and we will have accomplished our grand est national achievement when, forgetting the sad events of the past, and remembering only their Instructive lessons, we resume our on ward career as a free, prosperous and united people. Restoration of the States South, f In my message of the 4th of December, 1865, Congress was informed of the measures which had been instituted by the Executive with a view to the gradua restoration of the States, in which the insurrection occurred, to their rela tions with the General Government. Pro visional Governors had been appofhted, Con ventions called, Governors elected, Legis latures assembled, and Senators and Repre sentatives chosen to the Congress of the United States. Courts had been opened for the enforcement of laws long in abeyanoe. The blockade had been removed, custom houses re-established, and the Internal Revenue laws put in force, in order that the people might con tribute to the national Income. Postal opera nuu. uau uccu louewcu, nuu CliUl LO wore tJBlug made to restore them to their former condition of efficiency. The Stales themselves bad been asked to take part in the high functions o amending the Constitution, and of thus sanc tioning the extinction of African slavery as one of the legitimate results of our Internecine struggle. What the Executive Accomplished. Raving progressed thus far, the Executive Department found that it had accomplished nearly all that was within the scope of its con stitutional authority. One thiug, however, yot remained to be done before the work of restora tion could be completed, and that was the ad mission to Congress of loyal Senators and Representatives from the States whose people had rebelled against the lawful authority of the General Government. This question devolved upon the respective Houses, which, by the Con stitution, are made thejudges of the elections, returns and qualifications of their own mem bers; and its consideration at once engaged the attention of Congress, EH'oria to Perfect Restoration. In the meantime, the Execu.lve Department no other plan having been proposed by Con- ' Kress continued its efforts to perfect , as far as practicable, the restoration of the proper rela tions between the citizens of the respective Btates, the States, and the Federal Government, extending, from time to time, us the publio in terests seemed to require, the Judloiel, revenue, and postal systems of the couniry. With the advice and consent of the Senate, the necessary officers were appointed, and appropriations made by Congress for the payment of their sala ries. The proposition to amend the Federal Constitution, so as to prevent the exlstenoeof slavery within the United States or any place subject to their jurisdiction, was ratified by the requisite number of States; and on the 18th day ef December, 1865, It was officially declared to have become valid as a pait of the Constitution of the United States. AH of the States in which the Insurrection had existed promptly amended their Constitu tions, so as to make them conform to the great change thus effected in the organio law of the land- declared null and void all ordinances aud laws'ofseoesslon; repudiated all protended debts and obligations created for the revolutionary nnnunu of the Insurrection; and proceeded Id .i aiih in the enactment of measures for the wrotectlon and amelioration of the condition of , .... l miTunnr vol. llAlll. thecoiorea race. uongre-o, """ - ...i in admit anv of these States to repre sentation; and It was not until the close of the eighth month of the session that an exception was made In favor of Tennessee, by the admit- Jon of her (Senator W9 Hepregen.tiJYWf A Profound Regret. I deem it a subject of profound regret that Congress has thus far failed to ad rait to scats loyal Senators and Representatives from the oilier States, whose inhabitants, with those of Tennessee, had engaged in the rebellion. Ten States, more than one-fourth of the whole num ber, remain without representation ; the seats of fifty members In the House of Itcpresenta-. lives and twenty members in the Senate are yet vacant, not by their own consent, not by a failure of election, but by the refusal of Con gress toaccept their credentials. Their admis sion, it is believed, would have accomplished much towards the renewal and strengthening of our relations as one people, and removed serious cause for discontent on the, part of the Inhabitants of those Slates. It would have ao corded with the great principle enunciated in the Declaration of American Independence, that no people ought to bear the burden of taxa tion, and yet be denied the right of representa tion. It would have been In consonance with the express provisions of the Constitution, that "each State shall have at least one Representa tive," and "that no Stato, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate." These provisions were Intended to secure to every State, and to the people of every State, the right of representation in each House of Congress; and so important was it deemed by the fraracrs ot the Constitution that the equality of the States in the Souate should be preserved, that not even by an amendment of the Constitution can any State, without its consent, be denied a voico in that branch of the National Legislature. CongrcMs Refractory. It Is true, it has been assumed that the exist ence ot the States was terminated by the rebel lious acts of their inhabitants, and that the In surrection having been suppressed, they were thenceforward to be considered merely as con quered territories. The Legislative, Executive and Judicial Departments of the Government have, however, with great distinctness and uni form consistency, refused to sanction an as sumption so incompatible with tho nature of our republican system, and with tho professod objects of the war. Throughout the recent legis lation of Congress, the undeniable- fact makes itself apparent, that these ten political com munities are nothing less than States of this Union. At the very commencement of the Rebellion, each House declared, wilh a una nimity as remarkable as it was signlflcent, that the war was not "waged, upon our part, in any spirit of oppression, nor for any purpose of conquest or subjugation, nor purpose of over throwing or interfering with the rights or es tablished institutions of those States, but to de fend and maintain the supremacy of the Con stitution and ail laws made In pursuance there of, and to preserve the Union with all the dig nity, equality and rights of the several States unimpaired; and that as soon as these objects" were "accomplished the war ought to cease." In some instances, Senators were permitted to continue their legislative functions, while in other instances Representatives were elected and admitted to seats after their States had for mally declared their right to withdraw from the Union, and were endeavoring to maintain that right by force of urins. All of the States whose people were in insurrection, as States, were in cluded in the apportionment of the direct tax of twenty millions of dollars annually luld upon the United States by the act approved 5th of August, 18(11. Congress, by the act of Maroh 4th, 1862, and by the apportionment of representa tion thereunder, also recognized their presence as States in the Union; and they have, for judi cial purposes, been divided into districts, as Slates alone can be divided. The samo recogni tion appears in the recent legislation in refer ence to Tennessee, which evidently rests upon the fact that the functions of the State were not destroyed by the Rebellion, but merely sus pended; and that principle is, of course, applica ble to those States which, like Tennessee, at tempted to renounce their places in the Union. Action of the Executive. The action of the-Executive Department of the Government upon this subject, has been equally definite and uniform, and the purpose of the war was specifically stated in the Procla mation, Issued by my predecessor, on the 22d day of September, 186& It was then solemnly proclaimed and declared, that "hereafter, as heretofore, the war will be prosecuted for the ob ject of practically restoring the constitutional relations between the United States and each of the States, and the people thereof, in which States that relation is or may be suspended or disturbed." The recognition of the States by the Judicial Department of the Government, has also been clear end conclusive, in nil proceedings affect ing them as States, had in the Supreme, Circuit and District Courts. Presidential Opinion About Southern CoiijrreHguieu. In the admission of Senators and Representa tives from any and all the Slates there can bo no just ground of apprehension that persons who are disloyal will be clothed with the powers of legislation; for this could not happen when the Constitution and laws are enforced by a vigilant and faithful Congress. Each House is made the "Judge of the elections, returns, and qualifications of its own members," and may, wilh concurrence of two-thirds, expel a mem ber." When a Senator or Representative pre sents "his certificate of election, he may at once be admitted or rejected; or, should there be any question as to his eligibility, his credentials may be referred for investigation to the appro priate committee. If admitted to a seat, it must be upon evidence satisfactory to the Honse, of which he thus becomes a member, that lie pos sesses the requisite constitutional aud legal qua lifications. If refused admission as a member for want of due allegiance to the Government, and returned tohlsconstitueuts, they are admo nished that none but persons loyal to the United States will be allowed a voice in the Legislative Councils of the nation, and the political power and moral Influence or Congress are thus effec tively exerted in the interests of loyally to the Government and fidelity to the Union. Upon this question, so vitally affecting the restoration of the Union aud the permaueucy of our present form of Government, my convictions, hereto fore expressed, have undergone no change; but, on the contrary, their correctness has been con firmed by reflection and time. If the admission of loyal members to seats in the respective II ousei of Congress was wise aud expedient a year ago, it is no less wise aud expedient now. If this anomalous condition is right if, in the exact condition of these States at the present time, it is lawful to exclude them from repre sentalion, I do uot see that the question will be changed by the eiHux of time. Ten years hence, if these States remain as they are, the right of representation will be no stronger the right of exclusion will bu no weaker. Demand for the Adminiou of "LoyV Southerner. The Constitution of the United States makes it the duty of the President to recommend to the consideration of Congress "such measures as he shall judge necessary or expedient." I know of no measure more imperatively de manded by every consideration of national In terest, sound policy, and equal justice, than the admission of loyal members from the now un represented States. This would consummate the work of restoration, and exert a most salu tary Influence in the re-establishment of peace, harmony, and fraternal feeling. It would tend greatly io renew the confidence of the Amerl f?.Re?F lnt?e vlKor anu lability of their together as a nation, and cable us to suo W the world the inherent and recuperative power of a Government founded upon the will of the rieople, and established upon the principles of ibrrty, Justice and intelligence. Our Increased strength and enhanced pros perity would Irrefragaoly demonstrate the fal lacy of the argumenls against free Institutions drawn from our recent national disorders by the enemies of republican government. Tho admission Jof loyal members from the Stales now excluded from Congsess, by allaying doubt, and apprehension, would turn capital, now awaiting an opportunity for investment, into the channels of trade and Industry, it would alleviate the present troubled condition of those States, and, bv Inducing emigration, aid In the settlement of fertile regions now uncultivated, and lead to an increased production of those sta ples which have added so greatly to the wealth of l lie nation ana me commerce oi mo worm. New fields ol enterprise would be opened to our progressive people, and soon the devastations of war would be repaired, and all traces of our domestic differences effaced Iroiu the minds of our countrymen. A Word of Caution. In our efforts to preserve "the unity of the Government which constitutes us one people," by restoring the States to tno condition whioii they held prior to the Rebellion, we snould he cautious, lent, having rescued our nation from perils of threatened disintegration, we resort to consolidation, and. In the end, absolute des potism, ns a remedy for the recurrence of simi lar troubles. The war having terminated, and with it nil occasion for the exercise of power oi doubtful constitutionality, we should hasten to bring legislation within the boundaries pre scribed by t he Constitution, and to return to l he ancient landmarks established by our la thers for the guidance of succeeding genera tions. "The Constitution which at any time exists, until changed by an explicit aud au thentic act of tit people, is, sic re 11 y whole obligatory upon all;'1 " If, in the opinion ot the people, the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers bo, in any particular, wrong, let it be corrected by an amendment in the way in which the Constitution designates. Hut let there be no change by usurpation; for" " it is the customary weapon by which free Governments are destroyed." Washington spoke these words to his countrymen, when, followed by their love aud gratitude, he voluntarily retired from the cares of pub lic life. "To keep In all things within the pale of our constitutional powers, and cherish the Federal Union us the only rock of safety," were prescribed by Jefferson as rules of action to endear to his "countrymen the true princi ples of their Constitution, and promote a union of sentiment and action equally auspicious to their happiness and safety." Jackson held that the action of the General Government should always be strictly confined to the sphere of its appropriate duties, and Justly and forcibly urged that our Government is not to be main tained nor our Uuion preserved "bv invasions of ihe rights and powers of the several Stales. In thus attempting to make our General Government strong, we make it weak, lis true strength consists in leaving individuals and Males as much as possible to themselves; In making itself fell, not in its power but in its beneficence; not lu its control, but In its protec tion; not in binding the Slates more closely to the centre, but leaving each to move unob structed in its proper constitutional orbit." These are the teaching) of men whose dooda and services have made them illustrious, and who, long etuco withdrawn from the scenes of life, have left to their country the rich legacy of their example, their wisdom and their patriot ism. Drawing fresh inspiration from their les sons, let us emulate them in love or country and respect for the Constitution and tlto laws. Our Financial Status. The report of the Secretary of tho Treasury affords much information respecting the reve nue and commerce of the country. His views upon the currency, and with reference to a pro per adjustment of our revenue system, internal as well as impost, are commended to the care ful consideration of Congress. In my last an nual message I expressed my general views upon these subjects. I need now only call at tention to the necessity of carrying into every department of the Government a system of rigid accountability, thorough retrenchment, and wise economy. With no exceptional nor unusual expenditures, the oppressive burdens of taxation can be lessened by such a modifica tion of our Revenue laws as will be consistent with the publio faith, aud the legitimate and necessary wants of the Government. The National Debt. The report presents a much more satisfactory condition of our finances than one year ago the most sanguine could have anticipated. During the fiscal year ending the 80th June, 1865, the last year of the war, the public debt was In creased S!M 1,902,537, and on the 31st ofOctobor, 1865, it amounted to S2,710,&54,7"0. On the 81st day of October, I860, it had been reduced to $2,551,310,006, the diminution, during a period of fourteen mouths, commencing September 1, 1H65, and ending October 31, ItM, having been $206,37U.5'j5. In lhe last annual report on the slate of the finances, It was estimated thut dur ing the three quarters of the fiscal year ending the oOthof June last, the debt would be In creased 8112,101,017. During that period, how ever, it was reduced HI, 106,387, the receipts of the year having been ?8y,0O5,905 more, aud the expenditures 9200,529,235 less than the estimates. Nothing could more clearly indicate than these statements the extent aud availability of tho national resources, and the rapidity and safety with which, under our form of Government, great military and naval establishments can be disbanded, and expenses reduced from a war to a peace footing. Receipts for the Fiscal Year. During the fiscal year ending the 30th of Jane, 1860, the receipts were 8558 032,620, and the ex penditures 52o,750,940, leaving an available sur plus of $3781,680. It is estimated that the re ceipts for the fiscal year ending the 30th June, 1867, will be $475,061,386, and that the expendi tures will reach the sum of 11316,428,078, leaving in the Treasury a surplus of 8 158,633,308. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 1868, It is estimated that the receipts will amount to 8436.000 ' 000. aud that the expenditures will be $350,247,641 snow ing an excess of $85,752,359 in favor of the Go vernment. These estimated receipts may be diminished by a reduction of excise and import duties;but afler all necessary reductions shall have been made, the revenue of the present and of follow inn years will doubtless be sufficient to cover all legitimate charges upon the Treasury, and leave a large annual surplus to be applied fo the payment of the principal of the debt. There seems now to be no good reason why taxes may not be reduced; us the country ad vances in population d wealth, and yet the debt be extinguished Within (be next quarter of a century. Secretary StamVirVnenort. The report of the Secretary of War furnishes valuable and Important Information in refer ence totheoperations of his department during the past year. Few volunteers now remain in (he service, and they are being discharged as rapidly as they can be replaced by regular troops. The array has been promptly paid, eareiully provided with medical treatment, well sheltered aud subsisted, and Is to be furnished with breech-loading small arms. The military strength of the nation has been unimpaired by the discharge of volunteers, the disposition of unserviceable or perishable stores, and the retrenchment of expenditures. Sufficient war material to meet any emergency has been letuined, and, from the disbanded volunteers standing ready to respond to the national call, large armies can be rapidly organized, equipped and concentrated. Fortifications on the coast and frontier have lecelved, or are being prepared for more power ful armaments; lake surveys aud harbor and river improvements are in course of energetio prosecution. Preparations have been made for l lie payment of the additional bounties autho rized during the resent session of Congress, under such regulations as will protect the Gov ernment from fraud, aud secure to the honor ably discharged Boldier the well-earned reward of his faithudness aud gallantry. More than six thousand maimed soldiers have received artificial limbs or other surgical apparatus; and forty-one national cemeteries, containing the remains of 104,526 Union soldiers, have already been established. The total estimate of military appropriations Is $25,205,669. Secretary Welle on the Navy. It is stated in the report of the Secretary of the Navy that the naval force at this time con sists of two hundred aud seventy-eight vessels, armed With two thousand three hundred and J)Jty-Qje ganf, Qf these, one hundred aud fif teen vessels, carrying one thousand and twenty-nine nuns, are in commission, distributed chiefly among seven squadrons. The number of men In the service is thirteen thousand six hundred. Great activity and vigilance have been displayed by all the squadrons, aud their movements have been Judiciously and elli cently arranged in such manner as would best promote American commerce, and protect the rights and Interests of our country men abroad, 'lhe vessels unemployed are undergoing re pairs, or are laid up until their services may be required. The I.eagne Inland Iron-Clad Tfavy Yard, Most of the iron-rlad fleet Is atirnguo Island, In the vicinity of Philadelphia, a place which, until decisive action should be taken by Con gress, was selected by theSecretary of the Navy as the most eligible location for that clan of vessels. It Is Important that a suitable publio station should be provided for the iron-clad fleet. It Is Intended that these vessels shall be in proper condition forany emergency, and It Is desirable that the bill accepting league Island lor naval purposes, which passed the House of Representatives at its last session, should re ceive final action at an early period, in order that there may be a suitable publio station for this class of vessels, as well as a navy yard of area sufficient for the wants of the service, on the Delaware river. The Naval Pension fund nmounts to $11,760,000, having been Increased J2,7ij0,000 during the year. The expenditures of the Department for the fiscal year eudlug 30th of June last, were $43,324,520, and the estimates for the coming year amount to (23,568,436. At tention is Invited to the condition of our sea men, and the importance of legislative mea sures for their relief and Improvement. The suggestions in behalf of this deserving class of our fellow citizens are earnestly recommended to the favoruble attention of Congress. Pontmaster-Cileneral Randall's Report The report of the Postmaster-General presents a most satisfactory condition of the postal ser vice, and submits recommendations which de serve the consideration of Congress. The reve nues of the Department for tho year ending June 30 1N!6, were 814.386,986, and the expendi tures SI-1,352,079, showing an excess of the latter of $065,093. In anticipation of this deficiency, iiowever, a special appropriation was made by Congress In the act approved July 28,1866. In cluding the standing appropriation of $709,000 for free mall matter, as a legitimate portion of the revenues yet remaining unexpended, the actual deficiency for the past year is only $265, 0ti3n sum within $51,141 or the amount esti mated in the annual report of 1861. The de crease of revenue compared with the previous year was one and one-fifth per cent., and the increase of expenditures, owing principally to the enlargement of the mail service in the South, was twelve per cent. On the 30th of June last thero were In opera tion six thousand nine hundred aud thirty mail routes, with an aggregate length of one hundred andelghty thousand nine hundred and twenty one miles, an aggregate annual transportation of seventy-one million eight hundred and thirty-seven thousand nine hundred and four teen miles, and an aggregate annual cost, in cluding all expenditures, of $8,410,11. The length of railroad routes is thirty-two thousand and ninety-two miles, -and the annual trans portation thirty million six hundred and nine thousand four liuudrcd and sixty-seven miles. The length of steamboat route rourteou UioiiBund inrco iiuiiureu ami lunj-nii mutts, and the annual transportation three million four hundred and eleven thousand nine hun dred and sixty-two miles. The mail8ervico Is rapidly increasing throughout the whole coun try, and its steady extension in the Southern Stutes indicates their constantly improving condition. The growing Importance of the foreign service also merits attention. The Post Office Department of Great Britain and our own agreed upon a preliminary basis lor anew Postal Convention, which it is be lieved, will prove eminently beneficial to the commercial interests of the United States, inas much as it contemplates a reduction of the in ternational letter postage to one-half the exist ing rates; a reduction of postage with all other countries to and from which correspondence is transmitted in the British mail, or in closed nails through the United Kingdom; tho estab lishment of uniform and reasonable charges for the sea and territorial transit of correspond ence in closed malls; and an allowance to eacli Post Office Deiiartment of the right to use all mall communications established under the nuthorltv of the other for the despatch of cor respondence, either in open or closed mails, on lhe same terms as those applicable to the inha bitants of the country providing the menus of transmission. Secretary Browning's Exhibit for the Interior. The report of the Secretary of the Interior ex hibits the condition of those branches of the publio service which are committed to his supervision. During the last fiscal year, four million six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred aud twelve aores of public land were disposed of, one million eight hundred and ninety-two thousand five hundred and sixteen acres of which were entered under the Home mead act. The policy originally adopted rela tive to the public lands has undergone essential modifications. Immediate revenue, and not i heir rapid settlement, was the cardinal feature ofourlaud system, Longexperlenceaudearuest discussion has resulted lu the convict ion that the early development of our agricultural re sources, and the diffusion of an energetic popu lation over our vast territory, are objects ot far greater importance to the national growth and prosperity than the proceeds of the sule of the uind to the highest bidder in open market. - The pre-emption laws confer upou the pioneer who compiles with the terms they impose the privilege of purchasing a limited portion of "unoftered lands" at the minimum price. The Homestead enactments relieve the settler from the payment of purchase money, and secure him a permanent home, upon the condition of residence for a term of years. This liberal policy Invites emigration from the old, and from the more crowded portions of the new world. Its propitious results are undoubted, and will be more signally manifested when time shall have given to it a wider development. Congress has made liberal grants of public land to corporations, in aid of the construction uf railroeds and other internal improvements. Should this policy hereafter prevail, more stringent provisions will be required to secure a taithlul application ot the fund. The title to the lands should not pass, by patent or other wise, but remain in the Government aud sub ject to its control until some portion of the road has been actually built- Portions of them might (hen, from time to time, be conveyed to the corporation, but never In a greater ratio to the whole quantity embraced by the grant than the completed parts bear to the entire length of the projected improvement. This restriction would not operate to the prejudice of any undertaking conceived in good faith Biid executed wilh rea sonable energy, as it is the settled practice to withdraw from market the lauds falling within t lie operation of such grams, aud thus to ex clude the inception of a subsequent adverse right, A breach of the conditions which Con gress may deem proper to impose should worn a forfeiture of claim to tho lands so withdrawn rut uueonveyed, and of title to the lauds con veyed which remain unsold. i The Pacific Railroad. i iperatlons on the several lines of the Pacific Railroad have been prosecuted with unexam pled vigor and success. Should no unforeseen causes of delay occur, it is confidently antici pated that this great thoroughfare will be com pleted before the expiration of the period desig nated by Congress. Pay nient of Pensions. During the last fiscal year the amount paid to pensioners, Including the expenses of disburse ment, was thirteen million four hundred and fifty-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety six dollars; and fifty thousaud one hundred aud seventy-seven names were added to the pension rolls. The entire number of pensioners, June 30, 1806, wus one hundred and twenty-six thou sand seven hundred and twenty-two. This fact furnishes melancholy aud striking proof of the sacrifices made to vindicate the constitutional authority of the Federal Government, and to maintain inviolate the Integrity of the Union. They Impose upon lis corresponding obliga tions. It is estimated that thirty-three million dollars will be required to meet the exigencies of this branch of the service during the next fiscal year. Treaties with tti Indiana. Treaties have been concluded with the In dians who, enticed Into armed opposition to our Government at the ontbrenk of the Rebel lion, have unconditionally submitted to our authority, and manifested an earnest desire lor u renewal of friendly relations. The Patent Ofllce. During tho year ending September 30, 8tW, eight thousand seven hundred and sixteen pa tents for useful Inventions and designs wero Is sued, and at that date tho balance in tho Trea sury to the credit of the Pnlent fund was two bunded and twenty-eight thousand two hun dred and ninety-seven dollars. The Mississippi Levees. Asa subject upon which depends an Immense amount of the production and commerce of the country, I recommend to Congress such legisla tion as may be necessary for the preservation of tho levees of the Mississippi river. It is a mai ler of national importance that early steps should be taken not only to add to the efficiency of these barriers against destructive inunda tions, but for the removal of all olratrucllons to the free and safe navigation of that great chan nel of trade and commerce. Representation for the District of Co lumbia. The District of Columbia, under existing laws, Is not entitled to that representation in the Na tional Councils which, from our earliest history, has been uniformly accorded to each Territory established from time to time within our limits, it maintains peculiar relations to Congress, to whom the Constitution has aranted the power of exercising exclusive legislation over the seat of Government. Our fellow citizens residing in the District, whose Interests are thus con fided to the special guardianship of Congress, exceed in number the population of several of our territories, and no Just reusou is perceived why a delegate of their choice should uot be ad mitted toaseat lu the House of Representatives. No mode seems so appropriate and effectual of enabling them to make known their peculiar condition and wants, and of securing the locul legislation adapted to them. I therefore re commend the passage of a law authorizing the eleclorsof the District of Columbia to choose a delegate, to be allowed the same rights and privileges as a delegate representing a territory. The Increasing enterprise and rapid progress of Improvement in the District are highly gratify ing, and I trust that the efforts of the' munici pal authorities to promote the prosperity of the National metropolis will receive ihe efficient and generous co-operation of Congress. Agriculture. Thereport of theCommlsslonerof Agriculture reviews the operations of his department dur ing the past year, aud asks the aid of Congress in llsefiorts to encourage those States which, scourged by war, are now earnestly engaged in the reorganization of domeslio Industry. Cause lor Congratulation. It is a subject of congratulation that no foreign combinations against our domestic peace aud safety, or our legitimate influence among the i.ations, have been formed or.atteiupted. While n nltmentsof reconciliation, loyally and patriot ism have increased at homo, a more just con sideration of our national character aud rights has been manifested by foreign nations. lhe Atlantic Telegraph. The entire success of the Atlauilc Telegraph between the coast of Ireland aud uio IToviuoe ol Js'ewotiiniiunu, in au achievement which has Loeii Justly celebrated in both hemispheres as I lie opening of an era lu tho progress of civili sation. There Is reason to expect that equal success will attend, and even greater results lol-, low, the enterprise for connecting the two Con tinents through the Pacific ocean by the pro jected line of telegraph between Kumsohatka and the Russian Possessions In America. Emigration of Foreign Convicts. The resolution of Congress protesting against pardons by foreign Governments ot persons con victed of inlamou offenses, on condition ol emigration to our country, has been communi cated to tho States wilh which we maintain In tercourse, and tho practice, so Justly the subject ot complaint on our part, has not beeu renewed. ' Congress and the Emperor of Russia. The congratulations of Congress to. the Em peror of Russia, upon his escape from attempted i.ksassinal Ion, have been presented to that hu mane and enlightened ruler, and received by him with expressions of grateful appreciation. Emigration of Preednieu to Foreign Lands, The Executive, warned of an attempt by Spanish-American adventurers to Induce the emigration of freedmen of the United States to a foreign country, protested agaiust the project as one which, if consummated, would reduce them to a bondage even more oppressive than that from which they have Just been relieved. Assurance has beeu received from the Govern ment of the State in which the plan was ma tured, that the proceeding will meet neither its encouragement nor approval. It is a question worthy of your consideration, whether our laws upon this subject are adequate to the prevention or punishment of the crime thus meditated. Our Relations with France and Mexico. In the month of April last, as Congress is aware, a lrlendly arrangement was mado between the Emperor of France and the Presi dent of the United States for the Withdrawal from Mexico of the French expeditionary military forces. This withdrawal was to be effected in three detachments, the first of which It was understood, would leave Mexico in No vember, now past, the second in March next, and the third and last In November, 1807. Immediately upon the completion of the evacu ation, the French Government was to assume the same attitude of non-intervention In regard to Mexico, as is held by the Government of the United States. Repealed ass ura noes have been given by the Emperor, since that agreemeut, that he would complete the promised evacua tion within the period mentioned, or sooner. Minister Campbell and Eieulenaut Cieuvrul Sherman. It was reasonably expected that the pro ceedings thus contemplated would produce a crisis of great political interest in the Republic ol Mexico. The newly appointed Minister of the United States, Mr. Campbell, was, therefore, sent forward, on the 9th day of November last, to as-i-ume his proper functions as Minister Plenipo tentiary of the United States to that Republic. J t was also thought expedient that he should be attended in the vicinity of Mexico by the Lieutenant-General of the Army of the United States, wilh the vlow of obtaiulng such infor mation as might be important to deter mine the course to be pursued by - the I'nited States in re-establishing aud main taining necessary and proper intercourse with the Republic of Mexico. Deeply interested iu the cause of liberty and humanity, it seemed i n obvious duty on our part to exorcise what ever influence we possessed for the restoration i ud permanent establishment in that country r a domestic and republican form of govern ment, i 1 : Napoleon Goes Back on His Word. Such was the condition of affairs In regard to Mexico, when, on ttie 22d of November last, itliclal information was received from Paris I hat the Emperor of France had some time be fore decided not to withdraw a delachmeut of 1, is forces in the month of November past, ac coi ding to engagement, but that this decision was made with the purpose of withdrawing the whole of those forces in the ensuing spring. Of ttiis determination, however, the Unitod States had not received any notice or intimation ; and, o soon as the information was received by the Government, care wus taken to make known lis dissent to the Emperor of France. I cannot forego the hope that France will re consider the subject, and adopi soaie resolution lu regard to the evacuation of Mexico which will conform as nearly as practicable with the txlstlng engagement, and thus meet thejust expectations of the United States. The papers i elating to the subject will be laid before you. It Is believed thut with the evacuation of Mexico by the expeditionary forces, no subject lor serious differences between France and the United Slates wonld remain. The expressions of the Emperor and people of France warrant a hope that the traditionary friendship between lhe two countries might, iu that case, be re newed and permanently restored. , Adjustment of Claims for Indemnity. , A claim of a citizen of the United States for Indemnity for spoliations committed on the high seas by the French authorities; in the ex ercise of a belligerent power agaiuet Mexico, bus been met by the Government of France with a proposition to, defer settlement until a mutual convention for the adjustment of all claims of citizens and suhjeelsof both countries, arising eut of the recent wars on turn ton linen , tdinll lie agreed upon by the two eonntrles. The Mildest Ion is not deemed unreasonable, but it belongs to Congress to direct the manner in which claims for Indemnity by foreigners, as well as by oil izens of the United States, arising out of the late civil war, shall lie adjudicated and determined. I have no doubt that the sub ject of all such claims will engage your atten tion at a ion ven lent ana proper time. The In I led States and tirea Britain. It Is a matter of great regret that no consider able advance hos been mado towards au adjust ment of the differences between the United States and Great Britain, a lslng out of the depredations npon our national commerce and other trespasses committed during our civil war by British subjects, in violation of interna tional law and treaty obligations. The delay, however, may be believed to have resulted in no small degree from the domestic situation o f Great Britain. An entire change of m toils try occurred In that country during the last session of Parliament. The attention of the new min istry was called to the subject at an early day. aud there Is some reason to expect that it will now be considered in a becoming and friendly spirit. The importance of au early disposition of the question cannot be exaggerated. What ever might be the wishes of the two Govern ments, it Is manifest that good will aud friend ship between the two countries cannot tie established until a reciprocity, In the practice of good taltb and neutrality, shall be restored between the respective nations. ' The Fen Inn Affair of East Jnne. On the 6th of June last, in violation of our Neutrality laws, a military expedition and en terprise against British Norm American Colo nies was projected and attempted to be oarrled on within the territory and jurisdiction of the United States, in obedience to the obligation imposed upon the Executive by the Constitu tion, to see. thut the laws are faithfully exe cuted, all citizens were warned, by proclama tion, against taking part in or aiding such un lawful proceedings, and the proper civil, mili tary, and naval officers were directed to take all necessary measures for the enforcement of the laws. The expedition failed, but it has not been without its painful consequences. Some of our citizens, who, it was alleged, were en gaged in the expedition, were captured, and have beeu brought to trial, as for a capital of fense, in the province of Canada. Juderoent and sentence of death have been Eronounced against some, while others have een acquitted. Fully believing In the maxim of government, that severity of civil punish ment lor misguided persons who have engaged in revolutionary attempts which have disas trously failed, Is unsound and nu wise, snah representations have been made to the British Government, In behalf of Unconvicted persons, as, being sustained by an enlightened and fmmaue Judgment, will, It is hoped, induce in their cases an exercise or clemency, and a Judicious amnesty to all who were engaged fa. the movement. Counsel has been employed by t he Government to defend citizens of the United Stales on trial for capital offenses la Canada; and a discontinuance of the prosecutions which were ins: ltnted in the courts of the United States against those whotooa: part In the expe dition, hmm been direoted. - How the President Views the Subject. 1 have regarded the expedition as not only political in its nature, but as also In a great measure foreign from the United Slates in its causes, character and objects. The attempt was understood to be made in sympathy wulti an insurgent party in Ireland, and, by striking at a British province on this Continent, was de signed to aid in obtaining redress for political grievances which, it was assumed, the people of Ireland had suffered at the bands of the British Government during a period of several centu ries. The persons engaged In it were chiefly natives of that country, some or whom had, while others had not, become citizens of tho United States under our general laws of natu ralization. Complaints of inlsgovernment in Ireland continually engage the altention of the. British nation, and so great an agitation is now prevailing in Ireland that the British Govern ment have deemed it neceseary to suspend the wrltot habeas corpus in that country. These circumstance must necessarily modify the opi nion which we might otherwise have enter tained iu regard to an expedition expressly prohibited by our Neutrality laws. So long as those laws remain upon our statute books, they should be faithfully executed, and if they ope rate harshly, unjustly or oppressively. Congress alone can apply the remedy, by their modifica tion or repeal. A Representation Wanted for Greece. Political aud commercial Interests of the United States are not unlikely to be affected in some degree by events which are transpiring in the Eas.ern regions of Europe, and the time seems to have come when our Government ought to have a proper diplomatic representa tion in Greece. The Right of Self-Expatriation. This Government has claimed for all persons not convicted, or accused, or suspected of crime, an absolute political right of self-expatrlatiou, and a choice of new national allegiance. Most of the European States have dissented from this principle, aud have claimed a right to hold such of their subjects as have emigrated to and been naturalized in the United Slates, and afterwards returned on transient visits to their native countries, to the performance of mili ary service In like manner as resident subjects. - Complaints arising from the claim in this re spect inudo by foreign States, have heretofore been mattersof controversy between the United Stutes and some of the European powers, aud the irritation consequent tinon the failure to settle this question increased during the war In w hich I'russla.Italy and Austria were recently engaged. While Great Britain has never ac knowledged the right of expatriation, she bus not practically insisted upon it. France baa been equally forbearing; and Prussia has pro- fiosed a compromise, which, although evincing ncreased liberality, has not been accepted by the United Stales. Peace Is now prevailing everywhere in Europe, and the present seems to be a favorable time for an assertion by Con gress of the principle, so long maintained by the Executive Department, that naturalization by oae State fully exempts the native-born sub ject of any other Stotefrom the performance of military service underany foreigu Government, so long as he docs not voluntarily renounce its. rights aud benefits. A Trying: Ordeal. In the performance of a duty Imposed upou me by the Constitution, I have thus submitted to the Representatives of the Slates and of the Jieople such information of our domestic and orelgn affairs as the public interests seem to re quire. Our Government is now undergoing its most trying ordeal, aud my earnest prayer lsr that the peril may ue successfully and finally passed without impairing its original strength and symmetry. The interests of the nation are best to be promoted by the revival of fraternal relations, the complete obliteration of our past differences and the relnauguratlon of all the pursuits of peace. Directing our efforts to the early accomplishment of these great ends, let us endeavor to preserve harmony between the co-ordinate deparments of the Government, that each in its proper sphere may cordially co operate with the other In securing the mainte nance of the Constitution, the preservation of the Union and the perpetuity of our free insti tutions. An una w Johnson. Washington, Deo. 8, 1866. The Fenian Prisoners Sweetbbdeo, C. K., December 2. The Fenian prisoners captured during the raid on Missis quo), in June last, arrived here this afternoon. Tbey will be tried at a special term of the Court of Queen's Bench for the District of Bedford, Judge Johnson presiding. Missouri Polities. Sr. Louis, December 2. There is strong effort making on the part of the radical throughout the State to have John Drake elected to tbe United State 8enate. United States Senater from Florida. Chablbstom, December 2. Information has been received here of the election of Mr. Marvin as United States Senator from Florida for six jears, from March next.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers