President's Message. Washi.votos, Dec. <5, 1863. At one o'clock and six miautea a joint comaiiif.ee, consisting of Me.-srs. Wilson and Thiirman, on the part oTtlj Senate, and Messrs. Scbenck, Dan es and Wood ward, on tbe part of the Bouse, waited upon the President to know ir be had anything to communicate to the Houses of Congress. In response tbe President sent the fol lowing message: To the btn.au and House of Represent alives—Gentlemen: In coming before you for tbe first time as cbier magistrate of this great nation, it is with gratitude to tbe Giver of all Good for the many benefits we enjoy. We are blessed with peace at home and are without entan gling alliances abroad to forebode trou ble. With a lerritory unsurpassed tn fer tility, of an area equal 10 the abun dant support of five hundred million of people, and ahonnding In every variety of ustful minerals, In quantity sufficient to supply the world lor gene rations; with exuberant crops; with a variety of climate adapted to the produc tion of every species of earth's riches and suited to the habits, tastes and re quirements of everv living tiling; with it population of 40,000.000 01 free people, all speakmg one language; with facili ties for every mortal to acquire an edu cation; with* institution*, closing to none the avenues to lame or any blessing of fortune (bat may be coveted; with Iree dom of the puiplt and press and schools: with a revenue flowing into the national treasury beyond the require ments of government; happily, order is being rapidly restored within our own borders." Manufactures hitherto un known wiibin our country are springing up in alt directions, producing a degree of national independence unequalled by tbst of any other power. These bless ings, and countless others, are submit ted to your care and mine, u.ore for safe keeping for the brief period or our ten ore of office. In a short time we must each of uh return to the ranks of the people who have conferred upon us oar honors, and account to them fir oar ttrv. ardsbip. I earnestly desire that neither you nor I may becondenmed oy a free and enlightened constituency, nor by our consciences. "Emerging iroui a rebellion of gig-antic magnitude, aided as it was by tbe sym pathy and assistance of nations with which we were at peace, eleven states ot the Union were, four years ago, left without legal state governments. A na tional debt had been contracted; Ameri can commerce was almost driven from the seas; the industry of tbe country had been taken from tbe'conrrol of the capi talists und placed where all labor right fully belongs, in the keeping of the la borer. The work ot restoring state gov ernments loyal to the Union, of protect ing and fostering free labor aad pro viding means lor paying the interest on the public debt, baa received ample at tention from Congress. Although your cflorta have not met with the success, in aii particulars, that might have been de sired, yet on the whole they have beeD more successful than could have been reasonably anticipated. Seven St aus which had passed ordi nances o secession bajre been fully re stored to their places in the Union. The eighth Georgia, held an election at which she ratified ber constitution, re publican in form, elected a Governor, members of Congress, a State legislature and all other officers required. The Governor was duly installed and tbe legislature met and performed ail the acts then required of them by the recon ■ struction acts of Congress. Subse ouenlly, however, in violation of the Constitution which they had just ratified —as since decided by the Supreme Court of the State—tbey unseated the colored members of tbe legislature, and admit ted to seats some members who are disqualified by tbe third clause of tbe fourteenth amendment to the Constitu tion, an article wbicli they themselves hud contributed to ratify. Under these circumstance I would submit to you whether it would not be well, without delay, to*enact a law authorizing the Governor of Georgia to convene the members originally elected to tbe Legis lature, requiring each to take the oath pioseuted by tbe reconstruction acts, arid none to be admitted who aie inel llgible under tbe third clause of the fourteenth amendment. Tbe freedmen r under the protection which they have received, ara making rapid progress in learning, and no com plaints are beard of lack of industry on their part, where they receive fair re muneration for their labor. The means provided for paying the interest on the pubilo debt, with all other expenses of the government, are more than ample. The loss of our ocmmerce is the only result of the late rebellion which has not received sufficient attention from > ou. To this subject I call your earnest attention. I will uot now suggest plans by which this object may be effected, but will, if necessary, make it the sub ject of a special message during the ses sion. At the March term, Congress, by joint resolution, authorized the executive to order elections lu tbe Slate of Virginia, ! Mississippi and Texas, to submit to thein the constitutions which bad previ ously been in convention formed, and submit the constitutions, either entire or in sepai ale parts, to be voted upon at the discretion or the Executive. Coder this authority elec ions were called in Vir ginia. The election took place ou the r.th of 3 uly, 1660. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor elected have been installed, tbe Legislature met and did nil required by this resolution, aud by all the reconstruction acts of Congress, aud abstained from all doubtful author ity. I recommend that the Senators and Representatives be promptly ad mitted to their seals —that the State be fully restored to Its place in the family of states. Elections were called lu Mississippi and Texas, to com mence on tbe 30th of November, 1869, J and to last two days la Mississippi aud ' four days in Texas. Tbe elections have j taken place, bat tbe result Is not known. j It is to be hoped that the acts f the leg- 1 ialalures of thesa states, when tbey meet, , will tie such us to meet your approval, and thus close the work of reoonauac tion. Among tbe evils growing out of the rebellion, and not yet referred to, is that of an irredeemable currency. It mau evil which I hgpe will receive yuuriu' St > earnest atieutinn. It is a duty, un-i wife of tbe highest dutiesof government Jo se cure to the citizen a medium of exchatige of fixed unvarying value. This implies a return to a specie basis, and no substi tute for it can be devised. It should be commenced now, and reached at tbe ear liest practieab'c moment, consistent will a fair regard to the interest of the debtor class. Immediate resumption, 1f practi cable, would not be desir.b'e. It we old compel tbe debtor class to pay beyond tbelr contracts, the premium on gold at tbe date of their purchase, and would bring bankruptcy aud ruin to thousands. Fluctuations, however, in tbe paper vnl ue of the measure of all values, goldt" Is detrimental to the inter ests of trade. It makes the man of business an involuntary gam blur, for In all sales where future pay ment U to he made parties speculate as to what will be the value ef the uurrenay to be paid, and received. 1 earnestly recommend to you, then, such legisla tion iis will insure a gradual return to specie payments and put an Immediate stop to fluctuation in the value of cur rency. Tue methods to secure the former ot these results are as numerous as are the speculations on political erxin oanj. To secure the latter I see but one way, and that is to authorise lh trees ury to redeem its own paper at a fixed price whenever presented, and to with hold from circulation all currency so re deemed until sold again for gold." The vast resources of the nation, both developed and undeveloped, onyht to make our credit the best on earth. With a less burden of taxation than tbe ciit z-n has endured for six years past, the entire public debt could be paid in >eas than ten years; but it is uot desirable that the people should be taxed to pay it in that time. Year by year tbe nbiliiy to pay increases In a rapid ratio, but tbe bnrdeu of interest ought to be reduced as rapidly as can be done with out the violation of contract. Toe pub lic debt is represented iD great part by bonds, having from five to twenty and from ion to forty years to run, bearing interest at tbe rate of six per cent, and five per cent, respectively. It is optional with the government to pay these binds at any period after tbe expiration of tbe least tur.e mentioned upon their face the lime has already expired when a great part of them may be taken, and is rapidly approaching when ail may be. It is believed that all which are now due, may be replaced by thus* bearing a rate of interest not exceeding four and one-half per <-ent-, and as rapidly as tbe remainder become due, that they may be repluced in the same way. To ac complish this It may be necessary to au thorize the interest to be paid at either of the three or four of the money centres of Eurspe.orby any Assistant 'treasurer of the United States, at the option of me holder of the bond. I suggest ibis subject tor the consideration of Congress,and also simultaneously wib this, the propriety of the redeeming of our curency, as be fore suggested, at Its market value, at tbe time the law goes Into effect, increas ing the rate at which currency will be bought and sold, from day to day, or week to week, at the same rate of inter eat as tbe government pays upon its bonds. 3hs fu'Jectof tariff and! nlernal taxa tion will necessarily receive your atten tion, The revenues of the country .ire greater than the requirements, and may with s-ulety be reduced; but as the fund ing of the debt in a four or four and a half per cent, loan would reduce the an nual current expenses largely, thus af ter funding justifying a greater reduc tion of taxation than would be now ex pedient, it may be advisable to modify taxation and the tariff in instances where unjust or burdensome discriminations ar made by tbe present laws regulating this subject. I recommend tbe postpone ment ot It for the present. I also suggest the renewal of the tax on incomes, bnt a reduced rate, say three per cent., aud Ibis tax 'o expire in three years. By the funding of the nation al debt, as here suggested, I feel safe in tayicg that taxes and the revenue from imports may be reduced safely from sixty to eighty millions per annum at once, and may be still further reduced, from year to year, as the resources of tbe country are developed. The report of the Secretary of the Treasury shows the receipts of" the gov ernment for the fiscal years ending Jane 30, 1869, to be $370,943,717, and the expen ditures, Inclnunig interest, bounties, Ac., to be $321,490,097. The estimates for tbe ensuing year are more favorable to the government, and will no doubt show a much larger decrease of the public debt. Tbe receipts in the treasury, beyond ex pectations, have exceeded "the V. mounts necessary to place the credit of the sink ing fund bs provided by law. To lock up tbusorplusin tbe treasury aud withhold it from circulation would lead to such a contraction of the currency as to cripple trade and seriously affect the prosperity cf the conniry. Under these circum stances tbe Secretary of the Treasury j and myself heartily concurred in tbe propriety of usiog all tbe surplus cur rency in the treasury In the purchase of government bonds," thus reducing the interest bearing debt of tbe country, and of submitting to Congress the ques tion of tbe disposition to be made of tbe bonds so purchased. The bonds now heid by the- treasury amount to about seventy-five million dollars, including those belonging to tbe sinking fund, and I recommend that the whole be placed to the credit of tbe sinking fund. Your attention is respectfully invited to tbe recommendations of tbe Secretary of the Treasury for the creation of the office of Commissioner of Customs Reve nue, for tbe increase of salary to a cer tain cl ss of officials, and tbe substitu tion ofinereased National bank circula tion to replace the outstmding three per | cent, certificates, and most especially to i bis recommendation for the repeal of I laws allowing shares of fines, penalties ! and forfeit a res to officers of the govern ; meat or to informers. STJFPIJK M EIVTT. , The office of Commissioner of Internal , Revenue la one of the most arduous arid . responsible under the Government. It falls but ii.iiu.if any, short of cabinet 0 position in its importance and rcspousi -1 bilities. I would ask, therefore,for fcuoh j legislation as in your judgment wij! t place the office on a footing of dignity s commensurate with its importance arid -• qualifications of the elate of men re • quired to fill if properly. As the United States" Is the first of all - nations, so, ton, tbe people sympatbix" ? wrh all people trruggllrsg for liberty and self-government. Kilt while symp - i thlziog, it is due to our honor that 'we r should abstain from enforcingnitr views - • upon unwilling nation*, and from ink -1 lag an interested part without an invi- I tation. In the quarrels between'different t nations, or between governments and I their subjects, onr course should always be in conformity with strict justice and law, international and local. Bach has , been the policy or the administration in dealing with these questions. For more than a year a valuable prov ince ot Spain, and a aetr neighbor of ours, iu whom ail our people eaunoi but feel a deep interest, has teen struggling lor independence and freedom. The people aud government of the United States entertain tbe same warm feelings ami sympathies lor the people of Cuba iu their pending struggle,that tbey uina iksittl throughout the previous struggle between Spain ami her former oolouies iu beoalf of the latter. But tbe con test iias at r.o time assumed tbe conditions which amount to a war iu the sense of international law, or which would show tbe existence of a de facto political organization of the iusur geuts sufficient to justify a recognition of Tne principle is main tained, uowever, that this nation is its own judge when to accord the rights of belligerency, either to a people strug gling to free themselves front a govern ment they believe to be oppressive, or to independent nations at vrar with each other. The United States have no disposition to interfere with the existing relations of Spain to her colonial pos-easiona on ibis contineuL They lielievethat indue time Spain and other European powers will find their interest in terminating those relations and establishing their present dependencies us iodei endeut powers, members cf the family of na tions. The dependencies are no longer regarded as subject to transfer from one European power to another. When the present relution of colonies ceases they are to become independent powers, ex ercising the right of choice and of self control iu the determination of their fu ture condition and relations with other powers. The United Slates, iu order to cut a stop to bloodshed in Cuba, aud iu the in lerest of a neighboring people, proffered their good offices to bring the existing contest to a termination, the offer not being accepted by Spain, on a basis which we believed could be received by Cuba, was withdrawn. It is hoped that tbe good offices of ihe United States may yet prove advantageous to the settlement ot this uuhappy strife. Meanwhile a number of illegal expeditious against Cuba have been broken up. It has bean tbe endeavor of tbe administration to execute tbe neutrality laws iu good faltb, no matter bow unpleasant the task— made so from tbe suffering we have en dured from lack of like good faith to wards us by other nations. On tbe 26th of March last the United States schooner Lizzie Major was ar rested ou the high seas by a Spanish frigate, and two passengers were taken f rom it and carried as prisoners to Cub*. Representations of these facts were made to tbe Spanish government as soon as sufficient information of them reached Washington. Tbe two passengers were set at liberty and the Spanish govern ment assured the United States that the capatiti in making the capture bad acted without orders, that be had been repri manded for the irregularity of his con duct, and that the Spanish authori ties in Cuba would not sanction any act that could violate the rights or treat with disrespect tbe sovereignty of this nation. The question of the seizure of tbe brig, Mary Lowell, at one of the Bahama islands, by Spanish authorities, is now tbe subject of correspondence be- ; tween this government and those of, Spain and Great Britain. The cantalo i genernl or Cuba, about May last, issued , a proclamation authorizing search to j be made of vessels on the high seas. Im medlate remonstrance was made against this, wberenpon the captain general issued a new proclamation limiting the right of search to vessels of the United States, so fnr as authorized under the treaty of 1793. This proclamation, how ever, was immediately withdrawn. I have always felt that tbe most inti mate relations should be cultivated be tween the republic of tbe United .States and all independent nations on this con tinent It may lie well worth consider ing whether Dew treaties between the United Stales and them may not be profitably entered into to secure more intimate relatione, friendly, commercia and otherwise. As the subject of an oceanic canal to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through tbe isthmus of Darien is one in which commerce Is greatly interested, instructions have been given toour mln- , ister to tbe republic of the United States of Colombia to endeavor to obtain au thority for a survey by the government, in order to determino the practicability of such an undertaking and a charter for the right of way to private enterprise for such a work, if the survey proves to bs practicable. In order to com ply with tbe agreement of the United States as to a mixed com mission at Lima far the adjustment of claims, it became necessary to appoint m commissioner and a secretary to Lima in August last. No appropriation hav ing been made by congress for this pur pose, it is now asked that one be made covering the past and future expenses of the committee. Tbe good offices of the United States to bring about a peace between Spain and the South American republics with which she is at warf having t>een ac cepted by Spain, Peru and Chili, a con gress has been invited to be held in I Washington during the preaent winter. 1 A grant has be. n given to Europeans ! Of au xc'usive right of transit over the territory of Nicaragua, to which Costa Rica has given Its assent, wbieb, it la alleged, couflict* with vested rights of citizens of the United States. The De partment of State lias now this subject Under consideration. The Minister of Peril having made representations that there was a state of war between Pera and Spain, and that Spain was constructing, in and near New Vork, thirty gon boats which might be nsod by Spain in such away aa to relieve the naval force of Cuba, so as to operate against Pern, orders were given to prevent their de parture. No farther steps having been taken by the representative of the Pern vian government, to prevent the depart ure or these vessels, and 1 not feeling Hirthorizcd to detain the property ef a nation with which we are at peace, on a mere executive order, the matter has been referred to the courts to decide. The conduct of the war between the Allies and the Republic of Paraguay ham made the intercourse with tkat country so difficult that it has been deemed ad visable to withdraw our representatives from there. Towards the close of the last adminis tration H convention was signed at Don don for the settlement of all c>ut-lauding claims between Client Britain and the United States, which failed to receive the advice and consent of the senate to its ratification. The lime imd circum stances intending the negotiation of the treaty were invnrable to its acceptance by the people of the United Hiatee, but its provisions were wholly inadequate for the settlement of the grave wrongs that bad been sustained by (his govern ment, as well aa by its citizens. Ihe in juries resulting to" ihe United States by reason of the course adopted by Great Britain during onr late civil war, in the increased rules of insurance, iu the diminution of exports and imports and other obstructions to domestic industry and production, in its effects upon the foreign commerce of the country, in the decrease and tnansfer tu Great Britain of our commer cial marine, in the prolongation of the war and (he increased coat both in trea sure and in the lives of its suppressors, could not bo adjusted and satisfied as ordinary commercial claims which continually arise between com mercial nations; and yet the convention treated them simply'as such ordinary claims, from which tbey differ more widely in the gravity of their churacter than in the magnitude of their amount. Great as is tl at difference, not a word was found in the treaty, and not an in ference could be drawn from it to remove the sense of the unfriendliness of tbccoursecf Great Britain in our struggle for existence, which had so deeply and universally impressed itself upou the people of this country. Be lieving that a convention thus miscon ceived in its scope, and inadequate in its provisions, would not have produced the hearty, cordial settlement of the pending questions which alone is consis tent with the relations which I desire to have established between the United States and Great Britain, 1 recognized the action of the Hrur.te in rejecting the treaty to have been wiaeiy taken in the interest of peace and as a necessary step in the direction of a perfect and cordial friendship between the two countries. A sensitive people, conscious of their pow er, are more ut ease under a great wrong, wholly unatoned, than under the restraint of a set tlement which satisfies neither their ideas of justice nor their grave sense of the grievance they have sustained. The rejection of the treaty was to!lowed by a state of public opinion on both sides which I thought not favorable to au Immediate attempt at renewed ne gotiation I accordingly so instruct ed the minister of the United States iu Great Britain, and found that my views in Ibis regard were shared by Her Majesty's ministers. I hope that the time may soon arrive when the two governments can approach the solution of this momentous question with an appreciation of what is due to the rights, uigDitr and honor of each, and with the determination not ODly to i remove the causes of complaint in the | past, but to lay the foundation of a broad i principle of public law which will pre i vent future differences, and tend to firm : and continued peace and friendship'. I This is now the only grave question : which the United States has with any foreign nation. '1 be question of renewing a treaty for reciprocal trade between the United States and the British Provinces on this continent, has cot been favorably con sidered by the administration. Tue ad vantages of such a treaty wonld be whol ly in favor of the British Provenoes, ex cept possibly a few engaged in tbe trade between ihe two sections. No citizen of tbe Untied'Siaten would be benefited by reciprocity. Our internal taxation would prove a protection to the British produ cer, almost equal to the protection which our manufacturers now receive front the tariff. Some arrangements, however, for tbe regulation of comtneroial inter course between the United States and the Dominion of Canada may be desir able. Tbe commission for adjusting tbe ' . claims of the Hudson Bay and Puget's Sound agricultural oompany upou tbe i United Slates has terminated iu labors. The award ef six hundred and fifty thousand dollars has been made, ana all right and titles of tbe oompany on ihe territory of tbe United Slates have been extinguished, and deeds for the property of the company have been de livered. An appropriation by Congress to meet this sum is asked. The commissioners for determining the northwestern land boundary be tween the United Slates and the British possessions, under the treaty of 1856, have completed their labors, and the commission has been dissolved. In conformity with the recommenda tion of Congress, a proposition was early made to the British government to abol ish the mixed courts created under tbe treaty of April 7ih, 1808, for the suppres sion of slave traders. Tbe subject lastill under negotiation. It having come to my knowledge that a corporate company, organized tinder British laws, propose to land upon tin shores of tbe United States and opernte tbere a Hub-marine cable under • con cession from his Majesty the Sinperor ' of the French, of un exclusive right for twensy years f telegraphic communica tion between the shores of France and the United States, with lite very objee lions tile feature of snhjectingail message conveyed thereby to the scrutiny and con trol of the French government, 1 caused the French and British legations ui Washington to be made acquainted with the probable policy of Con gress on tbe subject, as foreshadowed by tbe bill which passed the Henate in March last. This drew Irom the repre aentatives of ihe company an agree ment to accept, as the basis of their ope ration*, the provisions of that bill or of such other enactments on th subject as might be passed during the approaching session of Cougres>; also to use their influence to secure from the French government a modification of their concession, so its to permit tip landing of any cable belonging to any company incorporated by tbe authority of tbe United Slates or any state of the union, and on their pert not to oppoie the establishment of any such cable. In consideration of this agreement 1 di rected the withdrawal of all opposition by the United states to the landing oi the cable, and to the working of it, UDtil tbe meeting of Congress. I regret to say that there has been no modification made in tbe company'a concession, nor so far as 1 can learn, have they at tempted to secure one. 'I heir concession excludes the capital and the citizens of the United States froni competition un the shores of France. 1 recommend legislation to protect the rights of citizens of the United States, a well as the dignity and sovereignty o tbe nation against such an assumption I shall endeavor to secure by negotiation an abandonment of the principle of mo nopolies in ocean telegraph cables. Copies of correspondence are herewith furnished. The unsettled political condition of other countries less fortunate than oui own, sometimes indnoes their citizens to come to the United States for tbe pur pose of being naturalized. Having se cured this they return to their nativt country and reside there without dis closing this change of allegiance They accept official positions of trust or honor, which can only he held bv citizens O' their native laud. They journey under passports describing them as such citizens, and it is only whtm civil disoord, after years, per haps, of quiet, threatens their persons or their property, or when their native Riate drafts them into military service, ibst the fact of their change ot allegiance is made known. They reside permanently from the United States; they contribute nothing to lu resources: they avoid the duties of its citizenship, ana they only make themselves known by a claim of protection. I have directed the diplomatic and .consular offices ol the United States to scrutinize carefully all such claims of protection. The citi zen oi the United '-tales, whether native or adopted, 1 entitled to its complete protection. While I have a voice In the direction of affairs I shall not consent to imperil the sacred right by conferring ii upon fictitious or fraudulent claimants. On the accession of the present admin istrati-n 't was fonnd that the minister for North Germany had made proposi tions for the negotiation of a c invention for the protection of emigrant passen gers, to which no response had been given. It was eoneluded that to beef factual all the maritime powers engaged lu the trade should Join lu such a meus ure. Invitations have been extended to the cabinets of London, Paris, Florence Berlin, Brussels, the Hague, C >penhagen and Stockholm, to empower three repre sentatives at Washington to simultsne ously enter into negotiations, and to conclude with the United mates oonven tions, Identical in form, making uniform regulations as to the construction of tbe parts of vessels to be devoted to the use of emigrant passengers ; as to thequnlity and quantity of food ; as to the medical treatment of the sick, and aa to the rnle to be observed during the voyage, in or der to secure ventilation, to promote health to prevent intrusion, and to pro tect the females, and providing for the establishment of tribunals in tbosevera conntrieß, for enforcing such regulations by summoning process. Your attention is respectfully called to tbe law regulating tbe tariff on Russian hemp, and to tbe question whether to fix the charges on Russian hemp higher than they are fixed upon manilla is uoi a violation of your treaty with Russia, placing her products upon Ihe same fooling with those of the most favored nations. Our manufactures are increasing with wonderful rapidity nndertheencourage ment which they now receive, with the improvememsln machinery already ef fected and still increasing, causing ma cbinery to take the place of skilled labor. To a large extent our imports of many articles must fall off largely within a few years. Fortunately, too, manufactures are not confined to a few localities as for merly, and it is to be hoped, will become more'and more diffused, making the n terest in their success eqnal in all sect ions They give em ploy mi nt and support to hundreds of thousands of people at lmm>> and retain with us the means which otherwise would be shipped abroad. The extension of railroads in Europe and tbe east isbriuging Into eotnpetition with our agricnltnral products like pro ducts of other countries. Self interest, if not self preservation, therefore, dic tates cantion against disturbing any in dnstrisl interest of the country. It teaches us also the necessity of lookiog to other markets for the sale of onr sur plus. Our neighbors south of us and China and Japan abonld receive our apeclal attention. It will be the en deavor of the administration to cultivate such relations with these nations as to entitle ns to their confidence and make it their Interest, as well as ours, to estab llsh better commercial relations. Through the agency of a more en lightened policy than that heretofore pursued towards China—largely due to the sagacity and efforts of our own dis tinguished citizens—the world is about to commence largely increased relations with thn! populous and hitherto exeiu lve nattou. As the United R'ates have been the initiators in the new policy, so they should be the most earnest in show ing tbtir good faith In making It a suc cess. Ju this connection I advise snch leg s iatiOD as will forever preclude tbe en slavement of the Chinese upon our soil, under (he rta-.-e of coolies, aud also pre vent American vessels from engaging in i tie traijajxirt (lion of coolies to any oonntry tolerating the system. I also recommend tbut the mission of China be raised to one of first-class. Upon my assuming the responsibilities of chief magistrate of the United Rtates, it was with the conviction that three things were essential to its peace, pros perity and fullest development. First among these is strict integrity in ful filling all our obligations ; second, to se cure protection to tfie person ai d proper ly of the citizen of the Uuited States is earh and every portion of our common country wherever he may choose to move, without refetenoe to original na tionality, religion, color or politics, de manding of him only obedience to the laws aud proper respect for the rights of others; third, union of ill the states, wilb equal rights indestructible by any constitutional means. To secure the first of these Congress has taken two essential steps: First. In declaring, by Joint resolu tion, that the public debt'should be paid, principal and interest, in coin; and sec ond, by providing the means for paying. Providing the means, however, could not secure tbe object desired without a proper administration of the laws for the collection o! the revenues and an eco nomical disbursement of ihein. To this subject the administration has most earnestly addressed Itself, with results, 1 believe, satifactory to the country. There baa been no hesitation in chang ing officials in order to secure an ein cieul execution of the iuws. Sometimes, too (where in a mere party view unde sirable political results were likely to follow from any hesitation in sustaining efficient officials), against remonstrances wholly political. It may be well to mention here tbe em barrassments possible to arise from leav lug on 'he statute book, the so called tenure of office act, and to earnestly re commeud its total repeal. It could not nave been the Intention of the frauiers of the constitution when providing that ap pointments by the president sliou d re quire tbe conseut of the senate, that the iatier should have the power to retain in office, persons placed there by Fed eral appointment against the will of tho president. The law is in consistent with faithful aud efficient administration of the govern ment. What faith can au executive have in officials forced upon him, and in those whom he has auspen ed for reason ? How will such officials he likely to serve an administration which they koow does out trust them ? For the second requi site to our growth aud prosperity, tirno andafirmaod mosLbumane administra tion of existing laws, amended from date to time as they may prove ineffect ive, or prove harsh and unnecessary, are probably all the more required. Tne -bird cannot he obtained by special leg islation, but must he regarded us fixed by tbe constitution itseif, and gradually acquiesced in by force of public opinion. From the fouttdatmu of tbe govern ment to the present tbe management of ibe original inhabitants of this conti nent—the Indians—has been a subject of embarrassment and expense, aud baa been attended with continuous rob beries, murder and wars. From my own experience upon the frontiers, and in Indian countries, I do not hold either the legislation or the conduct of tbe whites who come most in contact with the Indians, blameless for there hostili ties. The pust,howe ver.cauuot be undone, and the quesnou must be met as we now find it. I have attempted a new policy towards these wards of the naliou—they cauuot be regarded iu any other light man as wards—with fair r