( fob . Stinting: CIDCP CRICP011:18142 COUNGDMICSOOMPII Delaware all tha remainder of the volunteers are at or near Washington. Upwards of, three /wafted volun teers froMPettusylirania are now prisoners, but as irrangententit have been made for the exchange of prisoners it may bit expected that they will soon be released. In compliance with the joint resolutions of the llish of May last, I htive procured regimental Saga for the 'Pennsylvania volunteers, and have presented them in person to moat of the regi ment,. In other cases, the regimentS being on or near the Potomac, I havorequested Mr. Cow an, Senator, and Messrs: Grow and .Wright, nent , bore of she Rouse of Representatives, from Penn sylvania, to present them in the name of the Connowsitealth. The General Gorarnment requested that the States would abstain from purchasieg arms, as their competition was found injurious in the mar kit, and In view of the large expenditures of money in arming and: equipping the volunteer forms of thelltate, provided for , the defence of the National Government, , I did not purchase any as authorized by the twenty-eighth 'motion of the sot of the 15th of May, 1861. The State has now quite u many arms as are necessary to arm all her volunteer organizations in existence; but, influenced by the'threatening aspect of our rola lions with foreign governments, I have directed the Adjutant General to procure arum ae soon as it can be done on reasonable terms without in jurious competition with the National—Govern ment. Alma have been distributed among the border counties to all the organisations that have been formed to receive them. One thousand nice hundred and thirty arms have.been thus distrib. sited. I have Liao addreseed a letter to the com missioners of all the border counties, offering arms to them as soon as military organisations shall be formed to receive them. Besides thus complying with the requirements of the twenty meventh section. of the- act of 15th May last, I have deemed it prudent to offer five thousand arms to auoh military' organizations as may be formed in Philadelphia on a plan to be approved by me as •Commander-in-Chlef. Muskets and rifles to a considerable extent have been furnished to the Pennsylvania volunteers from the State arsenal. Others have been sent by the United State. authorities to arm thous before leaving the State. In some came, regiments have gone with out arms under assurances from the 'War Depart ment that they would be armed at Washington or other near designated points, and that their immediate departure was required. It was thought wise in these case. not to insist on the arms being sent before the regiments marched, ea this would have imposed on the government an unnecessary expenee in 6eight, and would have been productive of delays which might have been seriously detrimental to the public service. Forty-two pieces of artillery with lim bers, caissons, forges, ammunition wagons, har ness and all the necessary implements and equip ments were furnished by the State to the artille ry regiment of the Reserve Corps. Ten of these were.purohased by the State ' and theircost has been refunded by the United States. Diligence bag been used in Collecting arms throughout the. State and repairing and alfering them in the most approved manner. The State has now 62 pieces of artillery, of which 17 need repairs. 26,763 muskets and ri les, some of which are in the hands of meohan los being repaired; 1,910 are in the hands of vol unteer corps throughout the State; 1,930 in the possession of county commissioners, and 1,000 with the reserve corps OrPhiladelphia. In additfon to this the city of Philadelphia has 9 pieces of rifled artillery, and 4,978 mns• hots and rifles. The State has also in the arsenal at Harris burg 1,988 sabre. and swords, and 1957 : pistols, and the city of Philadelphia has 440 sabres, and 326 pistols with the necessary accoutrements. There is also in the arsenal at Harrisburg, a large amount of accoutrements and ammunition for artillery and small arms. The Adjutant General ie successfully engaged in collecting arms throughout the State, and ills expected that the number above stated will be largely Increaeed. Probably, at least, 5,000 mus kets and rifles and Altera pieces of artillery will still be collected. The care which has been bestowed upon the comfort of the volunteers, and the goodness and sufficiency of their suppliem of all kinds, and the excellent arrangements of the Medical Depart ment under the control of Surgeon General Hen ry IL Smith, are proved by the fact that more than 60,900 men have been for various, generally aboreperiods at Camp Cut-tin since the 9th of A pril last, and that down to the Ist of January in stant, there died but forty•nine men at that clamp, viz : Forty-four from sickness, two (belonging to regiments from other States,) who had been injured on railroads, two accidentally killed is Camp Curtin and one shot in Harrisburg. To facilitate the making of allotments of their pay by our volunteers in the field for the support of their families at home, I appointed Hon. Ed gar Cowan, Thomas B. Franklin and B. C. Mimeo, Bags., commissioners to visit the camps of our men on and South rf the Potomac, and al. so James Perk and M. W. Beltzhciover, Bev., commissioners to visit those in Kentucky and elsewhere in the western country, to call the at tention of the troops to the system of allotmeet and to encourage them in adopting a practical plan for carrying it into effect. The several reports of these commissioners are highly satisfactory. For details on the several subjects connected with the military operations of this State, I refer to the reports of the Adjutant General, Surgeon General, Qoartermaater General, Commissary General and Paymaster General which accompany this message. The duties imposed on me were so onerous that I found it necessary to invite the tempora ry assistance of gentlemen on my staff to aid me to perform themt In this. capacity, Colonels Thomas A. Scott, Gideon J. Ball and John A. Wright contributed their valuable services from the middle of April until they were called away by other duties. Col. Scott remaining until he became conneoted with the War Department, Col. Ball until the lot of Jane and Col. Wright until the 23d of July ; for the time thus devoted to the service of the State they have refused to receive any compensation. Colonels Joseph D. Potts, A. L. Russell, J. Brown Parker and Craig Biddle were in service up to the 20th of Decembei. The Department of Telegraph and Transportation was under the ezaluslve control of Col. Potts. The system and economy of Its management show how faithfully and well he fulfilled hie office. It is but just to all theta gentlemen that I should bear testimony to the antirlng zeal and fidelity with which their dales were performed. The quota of the State having been more than filled, and her military force organized, I was en abled on the 20th of December last, to ,dispense with nperionat staff, and the temporary amuse. Omit which had been pada for its employment *as 'than oloeed.• timr thirteenth nation. of the Ant - of die iStli of May, 186, Z , was authorized &titbit* , ray. war 'ratite or titi ikreavary foV not exceeding WIIOLE NO. 656. $20,000 for enmpensation to such persona as might be. required to serve the country in a mil itary Capacity, M., Of this fond I here drawn from the Treaattry4B,soo, out of which I paid the compensation of my personal staff, 11110 other expenses of thcutilitary.departioent, and the act ual-expenses of persons employed on temporary service, nonWif whom received any further corn pensadon;.andlsiipeltses of the commissions ap pointed to ,investivite alleged frauds, dm., and the expenses Of establishing military patrols on the Maryland , lines and' 000 on 'most service. My ammo& is tiettlitd in the office of the Auditor General up ttilhe 4.14 of December. On that day I had expended $6,400, and except some ineon aiderable paymente made since, the ballance re mains in my ,hatilit. The report lAtua itor General will exhibit the, items ofllist account. An account of Military expenditures by the Strife_ol7belialfefthe United States, as far as the eame.had then been ,ascertained and settled :by the tiedentiting thpititinetiti hire, was made up to the lit day offlepamber, 1841, and presented on . the 12th of that month at the Treasury depart ment of the United States for settlement-and al lowance. The ante at $606,000, hap. been receiv ed from thliVraM,fiedepartmeilt on - that account.. The re-payistrliy;:4l General "Government of the'expensetiattemifteg-the organisation and rop• port of the lieseivetArpe, waSeiiet be '-previded for by any existhigu . dtr.of ConOnsf,_ •As these expenses were incurred by the State for.rhe ben efit of the General Govierninent;': and have.• been productive of results most important to the wet fare and even safety of the country, it would be right that an act of Congress should be passed providing expressly for their re payment. It lies with the Legislature to adopt the proper means for directing the attention of Congress to this subject. = - Assurances have been received from the Treas ury "Department that the exernination of the mil itaty accounts of the State will be proceeded in without delay, so that the State may receive a credit for the ballauce due, in time to apply the same towards the payment of her quata of the direct tax. Assuming the completion of this ar rangenient, if the State shall assume the direct tax for this year, a saving of fifteen per cent, will accrue to her, and no present increase of her taxation will be necessary. Whether this credit be given or not, I recoona mend that the payment of the direct tax be as sumed by the State, CIE -- '33 EMU In ease the State assumes the payment of this tax there should be such revision of the tax laws as will hereafter equitably apportion the burden among the various interests now subject or- that can properly be made subject to taxation. The saving of fifteen per cent, to the people of the State by the assumption is a matter worthy • of thought, but a more important "consideration is that it will enable you who represent all the varied Interests of the Commonivealth, to appor tion the tax in such manner as to bear equally upon all. Our revenue laws bad imposed on re al and personal property as its full proportion, hot little more than one.third of the taxes needed for the ordinary expenditures of the government. By the act of the 15th May last, the tax on this species of property has already been increased one-sixth. Should the State refuse "to assume the United States tax, the whole burden of it will fall upon these interests, interests too, most unfavorably affected by the war, whilst other kinds of property and other sources of revenue, judged by our laws able to pay nearly two-thirds of the present revenues of the State, would not be called on to contribute one dollar of addition al tax. The militia system of the Commonwealth ,is very imperfect. I recommend the establishment of a commission to frame and report a system more adequate to the exigency of the times. I earnestly recommened' to the Legislature that provision be made for the military instruc tion of youth, The appointment of a military instructor in the Normal . selibols, would in a short period give teachers to the common schools who would be competentqo train the boys in at• tendence on theoc. If would in my opinion be wise elan- previdefiir the -purchase or leasing by the Commonwealth of a building for a milita ry school, and for employing competent instruc tors, at the expense of the State, reqnring the pu pils to defray the other expenses. No pupil should be admitted to this school without having passed a thorough examination on mathematics and all ailing subjects of instruction except the military art proper. I respectfully urge this sub ject on your early consideration, as one of mate rial perhaps vital importance. I have taken measures to direct the efficient attention of the General Government to the for tification of the water approccobes on the sea board and the lakes, and arrangements are in the course of being effected which it is hoped will be satisfadtory in their result. I send with this message a copy of a communi cation from General Totten, Chief of the Milita ry Engineer Department at Washington, I have also represented to the Secretary of the Navy the necessity for floating defences on the Dela. ware, and assurance that they shall be prepared at the earliest moment. I have had a correspondence with the authori ties and some of the citizens of Erie on the sub ject of the defenceless condition of that city, and the part of the State bordering on the lake. On examination it is found that there are no defen ces on the lake, and that the ordinance at the city of Erie was withdrawn by the National Govern ment in the summer of 1861. The Secretary of the Navy, on a request made, directed that the crew of the United States steamer Michigan should not be disbanded, as has been usual, and that vessel will remain in the harbor of Erie du ring the winter. Should the National Govern ment unexpectedly fail in its duty of providing ad equate defences at our assailable points, East and West, I earnestly recommend that the Legisla. tore take prompt means for that purpose. We should be admonished, by the recent indications from abroad, to be prerared for our own -defence, as well as fur the suppression of domestic insur rection. In selecting a site for a National Armory, if the public good be alone considered, Pennsylva nia will be preferred, as she affords the combined advantages of a central position, abundance of material and chilled mechanics, and a people of undoubted loyalty. I commend to the attention of the Legislature the report of the Superintendent of the Public Schools, the flourishing state of which and the rapid progress of education are subjects of just congratulation, The reports of the Lunatic Hospital at Har risburg and of Western Pennsylvania, of the House of Refuge at Philadelphia and Pittsburg,- of the Institutions for the Deaf and Dumb and for the Blind and the Northern Home for Friend less Children at Philadelphia, and of the Penn. sylvania Training. Schools for Idiotic and Fee ble Minded Children at Media, show that these meritorious charitks are well administered, and I recommend that the countenance and aid of the Commonwealth be continued to them. Under the joint resolution of 16th May last, commissioners have been appointed to revise the revenue laws, whose names will be forthwith sub mitted.for the advice and convent of the Senate. It is hoped that the commissioners will be able to report during the present session of the Legis lature. Considering the great labor imposed on them, and the vast 'importance; at the. present time, of an able, and efficient performance of, the duties of the commissioners, ',suggested that the compensation provided T?r by the joint reso lution should he inereased to an adequate =mint. It was evident, long sincie, that it would be impossible for the banks to continue to redeem their obligations in coin, in the fuoe of the large issues of paper, the neeeasity for which was im-- posed on them and the Government by the exi gencies of the times. No surprise, therefore, was felt at the suspension of specie payments by like banks, which took place on Monday, the 3Gth et! December last. Under the circumstances, I re- , commend that they be relieved from all ponaltiee' for this breach of the law: Pennsylvr n i a has made great efforts Jo support: the Government. She has given more and bet,' ter clothed, and equipped men than any other State, and has far exceeded her quota of the military levies. The sons of on r beat citizens, young men of education and mensal' the ranks of her volunteer regiments. Their gallant con duet, whenever an opportunity has been , afforded to them, has done honor to the Commonwealth. The universal movement among our people, sig. rifles that they are loyal to the" Oarernment es tablished by their fathers, and are determined to quell the present Ineurreotton and preserve the Union, and that they will not to lerate any plan for either the disolation' or re;emistruetion of it. • ' A. G. CURTIN. Exrcartvz DEranntwir, Harrisburg; Jain - wry IC, 18621 Kt burnt grinuriion. A FAMILY PAPER FORTOWN AND COUNTRY, IS PRINTED AND PUBLISHED IVEFALT By w.m. M. BRESLIN, 24 Story of ranch's New. Cumberland St At One Dollar and. ifey Cents a Year._ ilqr A ovrarisexEs-rs inserted at tho tisinsil rates. The friends of the establishnent, end the pnblicgener ell) , are lespectfolly solicited to send hi their orders. &A-HANDBILLS Printed at en hours netice, A SKETOH , OF THE EASTERN SHORE OF VIRGINIA. A soldier who went to AccoMat and Northampton in Lodkwood's com mand, sends toile Cincinnati gazette a pleasant descriplion of the region just occupied by our troops in East. ern Virginia : They classify- farmers, among the poorer classes of the peoinsulay.ac cording to the number of korse's they work. There ie the one horse farmer, the two and three horse farmer, and a man who works five horses is a "right smart" farmer. They plant their corn one stalk in the hill, and it grows close to the ground, with one ear to the stalk. They know noth ing about acres, but any one can tell You how many thousand hills of cord he has raised. The oxen of the peninsula are TM's. erably small and mean looking. They work them singly in shafts, the load being pushed along by the head.— One of them, if properl*fatted,,might make e. meal for a hungry - RAW, but 1 wouldn't give a "els.eo" for the fragments. FARM ITOUSES The dwelling of well.to.do agricul. turists along the- route are built in a style peculiar to the country. First a tolerably large two story house, theft a little one-story building stuck onto the end, of it, and a stm7.and.a-half biiiiding to finish up the row. This, with roof, of a dull red color, white walls and green blinds, makes up the picture of an Accomac or Northamp. ton farm house. The resources of peninsula architecture appear to Mitre been exhausted in these quaint-look: iug structures, and the design is rare. ly departed from. HOOSIER TRAVELING We left Oak Hall in the evening and marched some six or eight miles before camping. The Zoo-zoos were in the lead, and having marched in pretty quick time, they took up -an. idea they were "putting the 'Hoosiers' through"—an idea that seemefi to tickle them amazingly. The ,next day, however, we were in the lead, and concluded to give our red breth ren a taste of HooSiertraveling, We marched fifteen miles in five through sand shoe-mouth deep; and stopped for dinner a short distance this side of Drummontltown. The Zoo•zoos were strung along the road for two miles hack ; and came -strug gling in, crestfdlen and disgUsted, for -half an hour after. On- the after: noon's march their surgeon rode up and begged Col. McMillan for God's sake to halt, saying that his MOIT could not possibly stand it, HUNTING RUM This peninsula, cut off from com merce in a great measure with beth the North and South, has suffered for inany articles of domestic comfort. - -t:: Srtgar, coffee; stationery, and even the necessaries of peninsular 111—e rum and tobacco—are reniarktiblY scarce; the two latter being parted with reluetly at exorbitant prices. Some of our officers have no p - artieu..- lar objection to a "nip" befOre break fast, as well as a postprandial smoke, and many were the weary pilgrima: gee in search of rum and tobacco.— The country for miles around our en campment was thoroughly stoilied. One Lieutenant secured a canteen full at Drummondtown, and left it ill the bar-room of the hotel while he ate his dinner. While be was'piteh. ing into the solids, some -heartless ' wretch stole his canteen, and substi tuted one filled with water. The Lieut. carried it about five miles, and thought he would refresh Those who saw him throw his head back, and turn the bottom of the can teen to the firmament, say that his countenence was a study for, the pen of Hogarth. A rigid investigation has been going on ever since, but the culprit has not yet been discovered. - .. 1812 WAR STORY: ,The following, we believe, has not,; er seen 'print. Ogden Hoffman used t,O tell the story. He was in tJ great fight between the Constitution and the Guerriere, and said that as the British ship came sailing down on them, as they heard the sharp or• dors, when the guns were run. out and the men could be seen ready with their matchlocks, an officer came id haste to Captain Isaac Hull, and ask ed for orders to fire. "Not yet," was the quiet response. As: they came still nearer, and the British vessel poured in her fire, the first lieutenant of the Constitution came on the poop and begged permission to return the broadside, saying that the men could not be restrained much longer. "Not yet," was the indifferent reply. Still nearer the British ship came and the American prisoners, who were in ,the cockpit of the Gurriero, afterw'ard said that they began to believe that their own countrymen iverenfraid measure their strength with, that Of the enemy, and this thought gave more pain than the wounds which some of them were stilt stiffering from. In: moment after the Guerrier rodlalitlyiorward showing her burriislicld sides ; and as the swell envied her close to the, very muzzle of - . 6 ll:::kie=ironsides ' " Captain Hall, who ..it/Vl:then quite fat and dressed in full tigl e its, bent himself twice to the deck ~and With' every muscle and vein thitribbing With excitement, • thoilted out , as he 'made another gyration, 'Novi, boys, pour 'it into thka.—=- That bfoadside settled 'their cppo; vent, and when r: he ani:Oliocleared a. way the CointriOdovilikAghtzi were to be seen splitYroru waistband to heal. Truly the,Commodore ,had a,:ectul "too big,for his breaettes.v• Hoff . , used` to add*that Hull, tiothips . . disconcert ed gave his orders witily-perfect 000l nos, and only changed his tights when thp British .cominandeeti sword was given up to him