tnora ought to he required ? The answer is, that a verj largo proportion of the people of the United States still contest the correctness of this decision, and never will cease from ag itation, mid admit its binding force until clear ly established by the people of the seeeral States in their iovercign character. Such au explanatory amendment would, it is believed, forever terminate the exiting dissentions, and restore peace mid harmony among the States. Jt ought not to be doubted that such au ap peal to tho arbitrament eatablishfld by the Con stitution, itself would be roceiued with favor by all the States of the Confederacy. In any t-Tent, it ought to be tried, in a spirit of con ciliation, before any one of the? States thail n.'parute theniselucs from the L'tiiou. FILLIBCSTERIMJ. &C When I entered upon the duties of the Pres idential offide, the aspect neither of our for eign nor domestic a flairs was at all satisfactory Vc were iuvolved iu dangerous complications with several nations, and two of our territo ries were iu a fctate of revolution against the government. A restoration of the African clave trade had numerous and powerful advo cates; unlawful millitary expeditions were countenanced by many of our citizens, and were suffered in defiance of the efforts of the goverumeut, to escape from our shores foi the purpose of making war upon the unoffending citizens of neighboring ropublics, with whom we were at peace. In addition to these and other difficulties, wo experienced a revulsion iu mouentary affairs, soon after my advent to power, of uuexampled severity and of ruinous consequences to all the great interests of the country. When we tako a retrospect jf what was then our condition, and cantrast this with its material prosperity at the time of the late presidential election, we have abundant reason to return our grateful thanks to that merciful Providence who has never forsaken us as a nation in all our past trials. GCIt FOBF.iaS RELATIONS. Great liritian. Our relations with Great Britiau are of the most friendly character. The discordant constructions of the Claytou and Uulwer treaty between the two Govern ments, have resulted in a final settlement eu tirely satisfactory to this government. It is a source of sincere satisfaction to all classes of our fellow citizens, ana especially to them engaged iu foreign commerce, that the claim on ttc part of Great Britain, forci bly to visit and search American merchaut vessels, on the high seas has been ab indoued. The only question of any importance which still remains open to the disputed title be tween the two governments to the island of San Juan. As this question is still uuder ne gotiation it is not deemed advisable at the present moment to make any allusion to the subject. i'ranre. With France our relations contin ue to be of the most friendly character- A decision has recently been made by a French judicial tribunal, with the approbation of the Imperial Government, which cannot fail to foster the sentiments of mutual regard that have so long existed between the two coun tries. Under the French law no person can r erve in the armies of France unless he be a Freuch citizen. The law of France recog nizing the natural right of expatriation, it follows, as a necessary consequence, that a Frenchman, by the fact of having become a citizen of the United States, has changed his allegiance, and has lost his native character, lie cannot therefore, be compelled to serve iu the French armies in case he should return to his native country. In any event our government is bound to protect the rights of our naturalized citizeus everywhere to the same extent as though they had drawn their first breath in this couutry. Wo can recognize no distinction bttweeu our native and naturalized citizens. Rux.ia. With Russia, Austria and the re maining continental powers of .'urope, inclu ding that of the Sultan, our relations contiu tinue to be of the most friendly character, Spain. Our relations with Spain are now of a more complicated, though less dangerous cheracter than they have been for many years. Our citizens have long held and continue to hold numerous claims against the Spanish Government. These had been ably urged for a series of years by our successive diplomatic representatives at Madrid, but without obt tin ing redress. The Spanish Government final ly agreed to iustitqfe a joint commission, for the adjustment of these claims, and on the Gth day of March, IStiO, concluded a conven tion for that purpose with our present Minis ter ut Madrid. Under this Convention what have been denominated the Cuban Claims, Bin dinting to one hundred and twenty-eight thousand six hundred and thirty-five dollars and fifty four cents, in which Wore than one hundred of our fellow citizens are interested, were recognized, and the Spanish Government agreed to pay one hnudred thousand dollars of this amount withi n three months following the exchange of ratification. The payment of tho remaining twenty-tight thousand six hun dred and thirty-five dollars and fifty four cents, was to await the decision of the Commission ers for or against the Amista l Claim, but in any event the balance was to paid to the claim ants either by Spain or the United States. These terms, I Lave every reason to know, are highly satisfactory to the holders ot Cuban Claims. Indeed they have made a formal oiler, authorizing the State Department to ett!e these Claims, and to deduct the amount of the Aniistad Claim from the sums which they are entitled to receive from Spain. This olfer, of course, cannot be accepted. All oth er claims of citizens of the United States against Spain or of subjects of tho Queen of Spnin against the Fub'rcts of the United States, including the Amistaj Claim, were by this aventiou referred to a Hoard of Commission ers in the usual form. Neither the validity of tho Amislad Claim, nor any other claim against either party, with the single exception of the Cuban Claims, was recognized by the civention. Indeed the Spanish Government did not in sist that the validity of the AmisUd cla ini should be thus recognized, notwithstanding its payment had been reccommended to Con press by two of my pedeccssors as well as by myself, ami an appropriation for that purpose had passed the Senate of the United States. They were content that it should be submitted to the Doard for examination and discussion like the ether claims- lioth governments were bound respectively to pay the amounts awar ded to the several claimants at such times and places as may be fixed by and according to the tenor of said awards. 1 transmitted this Convention to the Senate for their con stitutional action on the .Id of May, lfcOO, and on the liTthof the succeeding June they de termined that they would not advise rent and consent to its latificatiou. These proceedings place correlations with Spain in no awkward and embrtrrnssing position. It is more than probabb? that the final adjustment of these claims will devolve upon my succes sor. I reiterate the recommendation contained in my aunu il message of Decern er, IMS, and ni d repeated iu tLiit of December. lb"f, in j aoi of the acquisition cf Cuba irow Spain by fair purchase. I firmly believe that such an acquisition would contribute essentially to the well being of both countries, in all future limes, as well as prcve the certaiu means of im mediately abolishing tho African dave trade throughout the whole world. I would not repeat this recommendation upon the pres ent occasion if I believed that the transfer of Cuba to tho United States upon conditions highly favorable toSpnin could justly tarnish the national honor of tho proud and ancient Spanish monarchy. Surely no person ever attributed to the first Napoleon a disrega'd of the national honor of France for transfer ring; Louisiana to the United States for a fair j equivalent, both iu luoucy and commercial advantages. China".' The treaty of the 18th of .Tune, 18-38, has been faithfully observed by tho Chi nese authorities. Arrangements have been tuadc for the payment of the claims of our cit izens in China, by that government- Japan. The ratification of the treaty with Japau, concluded at Veddo, on the ii'Jth of Ju ly, 1858, were exchanged at Washington on the 2tM of May last, and the treaty itself was proclaimed on the succeeding day. Jlrazil. With tho wise, conservative and liberal government of the Empire of Brazil, our relations continue to be of the most amia ble characier. Xtw Grenada. The exchange of the ratifi cations of the Convention with tho Hepublie of New Grenada, signed at Washington on the 10th of September, ISoT.has long been delay ed, from accidental causes, for which neither party is censurable. These ratifications were duly exchanged in this city, on the 5th of No vember last. Thus has a controversy been amicably terminated, which had become so serious ut the period of my inauguration, as to require me, on the 17th of .April, 1857, to di rect our Miuister to demand Lispassporis and return to the United States. Under this con dition, the Government of New Grenada mis especially acknowledged itself to be responsi ble to our citizens fjr damages, which were caused by the riot at Panama, on the 15th of April, 1850. These claims, together with oth er claims of our citizens, which have boen urg ed iu vain, are referred for adjustment to a Doard of Commissioners. 1 submit a copy of the Convention to Congress, and recom mend the legislation necessary to cai jy it into effect. Cosia Ikica and yif.arayua. Perscrvering efforts have been made for the adjustment of the claims of American citizen? against the Government of Costa Rica, and I am happy to inform you that these have finally prevail ed. Mexico. Our relations with Mexico remain in a most unsatisfactory condition. In my last two Annual Messages I discussed exten feively tiie subject of these relations, and do not now propose to repeat at length the facts and arguments then presented. They proved con clusively that our citizens residing in Mexico, and our merchants trading thereto, had suffer ed a series of wrongs an J outrages such as we have never patiently borne from any nation. For these our successive Ministers," invoking the faith of treaties, had, in the name of their couutry, persistently demanded redress and indemnification, but without the slightest ef fect. Indeed so confident had the Mexican authorities become of our patient endurance, that they universally believed they might com mit these outrages upon American citizens with absolute impunity. Thus wrote our Minister in 1850, and expressed the opinion that nothing but a manifestation of the power of the government, and of its purpose to pun ish these wrongs, will avail. Afterwards, in 1857, came the adoptim of a new constitution for Mexico ; tthe election of a President and a Congress under its provisions, and the inaug uration of the President. Within one shoi-t month, however, this President was expelled from the Capital by a rebellion in the army, and the supreme power of the republic was assigned to General Zuloaga. This usurper was in his turn soon compelled to retire and give place to General Miramon. Under the constitution which had thus been adopted. Se nor Juarez, as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, became the lawful President of the lie public, and it was for the maiiitaiiiance of the Constitution, and his authority, derived from it, that the civil war commenced and still con tinues to be prosecuted. Throughout the year 158 the Constitutional Party grew stroiiyei and stronger. Iu the previous hidory of Mex ico, a successful military revolution at the Cap itol had most universally beeu the signal for submission throughout the Republic. Not so on the present. A majority of the citizens per sistently sustained the Constitutional Govern ment. When this wasrocommonded in April, 1S50, by the Government of the United Slates, its au thority extended over a large majority of the Meiican States an. I people, including Vera Cruz an 1 all the other important seaports of the Republic From that period our commerce with Mexico began to revive, and the Consti-. tutional Government has a (forded in all the protection in their p wer. Meanwhile the Government of Miramon still held away at the Capitol and over the surrounding country and continued its outrages against the ftw Ameri can citizens who still had the courace to re main within its power. To cap the climax after the battle of Tacubayay, in April, 1850, General Marquez ordered three citizens' of the United States, two of them physicians, to be seized in the hospital at that place, taken and shot, without crime and withomt trial. This wasdone, notwithstanding our unfortunate countrymen were, at that moment, engaged in the holy cause of offering relief to the soldiers of both parties, who had been wounded in the battle, without making any distinction between 'hem. The time had arrived, in my opinion, when, this Government was bmm.l .. :. ' vatic lis n, Bti-ngv ana reuress tho wrongs ofour citizens, and to afford them protection 'iu Mex ico. The interposing obstacle was that a por tion of the country, under the sway of Mira mon, could not be reached without paVu'g over the territory under the jurisdiction of the Constitutional Government. Under these cir cumstances 1 dec-Hud it my duty to recom mend to Congress, in my last Annual Mes-a-t-tho employment of a sufficient military frce to penetrate into the interior, where the gov ernment of Miramon was to he found, with or if ued be, without the consent of the Juarez government, though it was not doubted that ibis consent could be obtained. Never have I had a clearer conviction on any sulject than of the justice, as we'd as wisdom of such a pol icy. No other alternative was left except the entire abandonment ofour fellow citizeus, who had gone to Mexico under the fith of the treaties, to the systematic injustice, cruelty and oppression of Miraiuon's government Re sides, it is almost certain tha the simple" au thority to employ -this force would of ittlf have accomplished ail our objects without stri king 11 single biow. The Constitutional Government would then ere this, have beeu established at the City of Mexico, and would have been ready and wi' hug. to the extent of its ability, to do justice In add.tiou. and I deem this a most import , consideration European Governments would i.y,ccii 01 an pretext to 1 1 , .. interfere iij iue xerruonai un.! Uou.esiie concerns of .lexico V'e should thus Lav., li-m, .1 from the cbli -atiou of misting, even by fo, should this become necessary, any attempts by these overnments to deprive our neighboring Republic of pertions of her territory, a duty from which we could not shrink without aban doning the traditional and established policy ' of ihe American people. I am happy to ob serve that, firmly relying upon the justice and " good faith of these governments, there is no present danger that such a contingency will happen. Having discovered that my recom mendations would not be sustained by Con gress, the next alternative was to accor'iplish ing some degree if possible, the same objects by treaty stipulations with the Constitutional Government. Such treaties were accordingly concluded by our late able and excellent Min ister to Mexico, and on the 4th of January last were submitted to the Senate for ratification. As these have not yet received the final action of that body, it would bn improper for me to present a detailed statement of their provis ions. Still I may bo permitted to express the opinion ;n advance that they are.eulculated to promote tho agricultural, manufacturing, and commercial interests of the country, and to secure our just influence with an adjoin ing Republic, as to whose fortunes and fate we can never feed indifferent, whilst at the same time they provide for the payment of a considerable amount towards the satis- faction of the claims of our injured fellow- citizens. KANSAS AND CTAH. At the period of my inauguration, I was confronted in Kansas bj-a revoliuionarr gov ernment, existing under what is called the Topeka constitution. It avowed object was to subdue the Territorial Government bv force, and to inaugurate what was called the Topeka Government in its stead. To accomplish this object an extensive military organization was formed, and its command intrusted to the most violent revolutionary leaders. Under these circumstances it became my imperative duty to exert the whole Constitutional power of the Executive, to prevent the llnmes of civil war from again raging in Kansas, which in the excited state of the public mind, both North and South, might have extended into the neighboring States. The hostile parties in Kansas had been inllamed against each other by emissaries both from the North and the South, to a degree of malignity without a parallel in our history. To prevent actual collision, and to assist the civil magistrates i u enforcing the laws, a strong detachment of the army was stationed in the Territory ready to aid the Marshal and his Deputies when law fully called upon as a posse comitatus in the execution of civil and criminal process. .Still the troubles iu Kansas could not have been permanently settled without mi election by the people; the ballot box is the surest arbiter of disputes among freemen. Under this convic tion, every proper elfort was employed to in- uuce me uosiiie parties to vole at the election of delegates to frame a State Constitution, and afterwards at the election to decide whether Kansas should be a Free or a Slave State. The insurgent party refused to vote at either, lest this might be considered a recognition on their part of the Territorial Government estab lished by Congress. A better spirit however, seemed soon after to prevail, and the two parties met face to face at the third election held or. the first Monday of January, 1S58 for members of the Legislature and State officers under the I.ecompton Constitution. The result was the triumph of the anti-sUvorv party at the polls, 'ibis decision of the ballot "box I pioveU clearly that tins party were in the ma jority, and removed the danger of civil war. From that time we have heard nothing f T.u.pk-,. 1 ,,--,.,,,.,, ..11 . revolution. Vy -V,:": I- : " f a:!'!-er ol ...... . men il au end. lne Le.-ompton Constitution, which had been thus recognized at this State elec tion, by the voters of both political partio in Kansas, was transmitted, with the request that I should present it to Congress. This I could not have refused to do without violating my cleurest and trongest convictions of duty. The Constitution, and ail the proceeding which preceded and followed its formation" were fair and regular 011 its face. I then be lieved, mid experience has proved, that the interests of the people of Kansas would have been best consulted by its admission ns a State into the Union, especially as the major ity within a brief period could have amended me constitution acconling to their will aml pleasure, it iraud existed in all in aif or any of tuose proceeding it wiisnr.t for the President, 'jut lor Congress to investigate and determine the question ot fraud, and what ought to be its consequences. lf:,t the first two elet lions the .Majority refused to vote, it cannot be pre tended that this refusal to exercise the elect- lve franchise could in uli.bit,- -m ..: Iy held, under lawful authority, even if they hftd not subsequently voted at "toe third elec tion It is true thai the whole. Constitution hud not been submitted to the people, as 1 always desired, but the precedents are numer ous of the admission of States into the Union without such submission. It would not comport with mv present pur pose to review the proceedings of Congress upon the Lecompton Constitution. It is suffi cient to observe, that their final action baa removed the last vestige of serious revolu tionary troubles. The desperate band re cently assembled under a notorious outlaw in the southern portion of the Territory, to resist the execution of the laws and to plunder peace ful citizens, will, I doubt not, be speedy sub dued and brought to justice. Had I treated the Lecompton Constitution as a nullity, and rolused to transmit it to Congress. itis not difncult to iinagiue, whilst recalling the posi tion of the couutry at that moment whu would have been the disastrous consequences both in nnd out of the territory, f. om such a dereliction of duty on the part of the Exe cutive. Peace has also been restored within t'le territory of Utah, which at the commencement of my administration, was in a state of open , ,..a a. more dangerous, as the people animated by a finatical Spirit, and entrenched wit!,,,, their distant mountain fast nesses, might have made a long and formida ble resistance. Cost what it might, it was necessary to bring them into subjection to the Constitution and the laws. Should policy therefore, as well as Ihmmm,.;,- , 1 1 ' , ,j . .' i-ijmieu Hint this object should, if possible, be accomplish ed without the eiiusion of blood. Thi ,.i.i only be effected by. sending a military force into the territory sufficiently strong to convince the ticnnld thai .-i,i ,. . , 1-- voi.-iiin-.r- nuilia be .toneless, and at : tliArtt ... A' ' fxuiic 1 1 1 1 1 1 in i n rv " " .,uuu ,or Pst offences on condition of immediate submission to the government. Ih.s policy was pursued with eminent suc cess ; and the only cause for regret is the heavy expenditure reouireil t ,.,..w.i. 1 detachment of thearmy to that remote region and to furnish its subsistence. i:t.-i. ;V comparatively o.t-uce. t,lall is tirr peaceful and onit- on,i ,u military force has been withdrawn -vr-m that portion ot tiians in check trains on their sions. it neccessary to keep the ln and to protect the emigrant .iv 10 our racuic possess- FINANCES. In my first annual message I promised to cmp.oy ,y best exertions, in co-operation with Congress, to reduce the expenditures of tho goverumeut, within the limits of a wise aud judicious economy. An overflowing treasury had produced habits of prodgigality and ex traragaiice, -which could only be gradually corrected. The work required both time and patience. I applied myself diligently to this task from the beginning, and was aided by the able and energetic efforts of the heads of the different executive departments. The result of our labors in this good case did not appear in the sum total of our expenditures for the first two years, mainly in consequence of the extraordinary expenditures necessarily incur red in the Utah expedition, and a very large amount of the contingent expenses of Con gress during this period. These greatly ex ceeded the pay and mileage of the members, for the yar ending 30th of June, 1858; whilst the pay and mileage amounted to 1,490,14 the contingent expenses rose tofll 0Ud,:J0fJ 7t, and for the year ending 30th of June 1851), whilst the pay amounted to $859,013 CO, the contingent expenses amounted to $1,331,505 78. I am happy, however, to be able to in form you that Juring the last fiscal year, en ding on the 30th of June, 18G0, the total ex penditures of the government in all its bran ches, legislative, executiveand judicial, exclu sive of public debt, were reduced to the sum of 355,40,400 40. . This conclusively ap pears from the books of the Treasury. In the year ending on the 30th of June, 1858, the total expenditure, exclusive of the public debt amounted to $71,!MJl,12'J 77, and that for the year ending 30th of June, 1859, to $00,3 4o,o-J0 13, while the books of the Trea sury show an actual expenditure of 59,818, 471 72 for the year ending the 30th of Juno, lbOO, including SI, 040,007 71 for the contin gent expenses of Congress. There must be deducted from this amount the sum of 81, li'.Hi.bo'.) 2; w;th the interest upon it of 150, 000. appropriated by the act of loth of Feb ruiry, 180O, for the purpose of supplying the deficiency in the revenues, and defraying the expenses of the Post Office Department for the year ending on the 30th of June, 1859. This sum therefore, justly chargeable to the year lh-V.t, muft be deducted from the sum of 59, 818,474 72, in order to ascertain the expen diture for the year ending ilOth of June 1m;0. which leaves a balance for the expenditures of that year of $55,40-,,40-5 40. The inter est on tho public dbt including Treasury Notes for the same fiscal year ending on the 30th of June, 18OO, amounted to .-, 177,314 02.- which added to the above sum of $55,402 405 40, makes the aggregate of $5!, 579,780 98 It ought in justice to be observed that several of the estimates from the department for the year ending 30th of June, li-GO, were reduced by Congress below what was and still is deemed compatible with the public interest. Allowing a liberal margin of $2,500,000 for this reduction, and for other causes, it may - I be safely asserted that the sum of $01,000,000, orat the most $02,000,000 is amply sufficient to administer the government, and to pay the interest on the public debt, unless continge.it events should hereafter render extraordinary expenditures necessary. This result has beeu attained in a considerable degree by the care exercised by the appropriate departments in entering into public contracts. I have myself never interfered with the awards of any such contracts, except in a sin gle case with the Col'mLatian Society, deeming it advisable to cast the whole responsibility, in each case, on the proper head of the Depart ment, with the general instruction that these contracts should always be given tn the low est and best bidder. It has ever been mp un ion that the public contracts are not a legiti mate source of patronage, to be conferred upon I i'oi-sonai or pouucai i:ivor:ies, out that m all lUc officer is bound to act for the government as a prudent individual would act lor himself. THE AF..1CAN SLA E TRADE. It is with great satisfaction that I commu nicate the fact that, since the date of my last annual message, not a single slave has' been imported into the United States in violation of the laws prohibiting the African Slave Trade. This statement is founded upon a thorough examination and investigation of the subject ludeed, the spirit which prevailed some time since among a portion of our fcilow citizeus in favor of this trade seems to have entirely subsided. CENTRAL AMERICAN AFFAIRS. AC I also congratulate you upon the public sen timent which now exists against the crime of setting on foot military expedition within the limits of the United States, to proceed from thence, and make war upon the people of un offending .States, with whom we are at peace. In this respect a happy change has been ef fected since the commencement of my Admin istration. It surely ought to be the prayer of every Christian aud patriot that such expedi tions may never receive countenance in our country, or depart from our shores. It would be a useless repetition, to do more than refer with earnest commendations, to nr.- former recommendations iu favor of the Pacific Uail f'oad; of the giant of power to the President 10 employ the naval force iu the vicinity for the protection of the lives aud properly of our lellow-citi.ens in transit over the Central American routes against sudden and lawless outbreaks and depredations, and also to pro tect American merchant vessels, their crews and cargoes, against violent and unlawful seizure and confiscation in the ports of Mex ico and the South American Republics, when these may be iu a disbanded and revolutionary coudition. It is my settled conviction that without such a power we do not afford that protection to those engaged in the commerce of the country which they have the right to command. FLECTION OF MEMBERS OK CONGRESS I again recommend to Congress the passage of a law in pursunu.ee of the provisions of the Constitution, appointing a certain day, previ ous to the 4th of March, in each year of an odd number, for the election of Representa tives throughout all the States. A si in it iii- power has already been exercised with cener- al approbation in the appointment of the same I day throughout the Union for holding the election of electors for President and" Vice President ot the United States. My attention was earnestly directed to this subject from the fact that the Thirty-Filth Congress ter minated on the 3d ot March, 1659, without making the ntcessary approbation for the service of the post office department, I was ' then forced to consider the best remedy for ! this oinmission, and an immediate call of the lll-esent. (uirrrusc ,t-.io , . ! 1 " 0 me iiniuiitt resort. Upon enquiry, however, I ascertained that fifteen out of the thirty-three States compo sing the confederacy were without represen tatives, and that conjequentlythese fifteen States would be disfranchised "bv such a call These fifteen States will be in the same con dition ou the 4th of March'next. Ten of them cannot elect Kepresentati ves, according to existing State laws, until different periods" ex tending from the beginning of August next until the next month of October and Novem ber In my last message, 1 gave warning that in a time of sudden and alarmin- dan ger the salvation of our institutions "miirht depend upon the power of the President im mediately to assemble a full Conn-res to .... tae emergency. TARIFF. evident Il is now quite that the financial mrniirirHtmn of thfi tariff flurinr vour Treseiit . - r 0 session, ior lue purpose 01 ihli cueing me re- enue. In this aspect I desire to reiterate the recommendation contained in my last two Messages in favor of imposing specific instead of ad valorem 'duties on all imported articles, to which these can be properly applied. Frcim long observation and experience, I am con vinced that specific duties are neccessary both to protect the revenue, and to sec ure to our manufacturing interests that amount to inci dental encouragement which uuavoidedly re sults from a revenue tariff". As an abstract proposition, it may be admitted that ad val orem duties would, iu theory, be the most just ami equal; but if the experience of this and all other commercial nations lias demonstrated that such duties cannot be assessed and col lected without great frauds upon the revenue, it is the part of wisdom to resort to specific duties. Indeed, from the very nature of an ad valorem dtr.y this must be the result. Under it the inevitable consequence is that foreign goods will be entered at less than their true value. The Treasury will, therefore, lose the duty on the difference between their real and fictitious value, and to this extent we are de frauded. The temptations which ad valorem duties present to a dishonest importer are ir resistible. His object is to pu.-s his goods through the custom house at the very lowest valuation necessary to save them from confis cation. In this he too often succeeds, in spite of the vigib.iice of tne revenue officers ; hence the resort to false invoices, one for the pur chaser and another for the ustoni house, and to other expedients to defraud the Govern ment. The honest importer produces his in voice to the Collector, stating the actual price he purchased the articles abroad. Not so with the dishonest importer and the agent of the foreign manufacturer. And here it may be observed that a very large proportion of the inauufactures imported from abroad arc consigned for sale to commission merchants, who are mere agents employed by the manu facturer. Iu such cases no actual sale has been made to fix their value. The foreign ....... ! . , , ... . iiiiiuiiiuciurc!-. 11 ne oe uisoonest, prepares an invoice of the goods, not at their actual value, but at the very lowest rate necessary to est ape detection. In this manner, the dishonest im porter and the foreign manufacturer enjoy a decided advantage over the honest inert ba nt. They are thus enabled to undersell the 'fair trailer and drive hiin from the market. 1 11 fact, the operation of this system has already driven from the pursuit of honorable com merce many of that class ofregul.tr and con scientious merchants, whose character, thro -out the world, is the pride of our country.--The reit edy for these evils is to be found in specific duties, so far ni this may be practica- ! i'ie. iuey aispcnse witn any inquiry at the j Custom House into the actual cost or value of the article, and il pays the precise amount of duty previously fixed by law. They present no temptation to the appraisers of foreign goods, who receive but small sabiiies, and might, by undervaluation iu a few cases, ren derthciiselves independent. P.e.-ides. specific duties be.-t conform to the requisition in the Constitution that no preference shall be given by any regulation of commerce or revenue to the ports of one State over those of anoth er. Under our ad valorem system, such pre ponderances are to some extent inevitable, and complaints have often been made that the spirit of the provision has been violated bv a lower appraisement of the same articles at "one port than at another. An impression singularly enough prevails to some extent that specific duties" are neces sarily protective duties. Nothing can be more fallacious. Great Britain glories in free trade, and yet her whole revenue from imports is at the present moment collected under a system of specific duties. It is a striking fact in this connection, that in the commercial treatv of the 23d of January, l8;o, between Franceaiid England, one of tiie articles provides that the ad valorem duties which it imposes shall be converted to specific duties within six months from its date, and these are to be ascertained by making an average of the prices for six months previous to that time. The reverse of me proposition would be nearer to the truth, because a much larger amount of revenue would be collected by merely converting the ad valorem duties of a tariff ino equivalent specific duties. To this extent the revenue's would be increased, and in the same propor tion the specific duly might be diminished. Specific duties might secure to the American manufacturer the incidental protection to which he is fairly entitled turner a revenue tariff", and to tiiis surely no one would object The trainers of the existing tariff have .V.uie lurther. aud in h liberal spirit have discrimi nated in favor of large and useful branches of our manufactures, not by nvsing the rate of duties upon the importation of ximilar article-! from abroad, but. what is the same in effect by admitting articles free of duty which ,.,.,..1 into the composition of their fabrics. Under the present system it has been often tru.v re marked, that the inci.'s ntal protection decrea ses when the manufacturer needs it most and increases when be needs it least, and consti tutes a sliding scale which alwav.s operates against him. The revenues of the'eountrv are subject to similar fluctuation. Instead oV ap proaching a steady standard, as would be the ease under a system of specific duties tbev smk and rise with the sinking and risirU jui ces of articles in foreign countries. It would not be diflieult for Congress to arrange a sys tem of specific unties which would afford "d ditional stability, both to our revenue and our ...auutactures, ana without injury or injustice to any interest of the country, this mi.ht be ai compiisiieu by ascertaiiiinrr the mv...-.... wnuB 01 any gnen article for a series of vefc at the place of exportation, and by simpfv converting the rule of ad valorem duty noon it which might be deemed necessarv for rev enue purposes into the form of specific duty Such an arrangement could not injure the consumer; if he should pay a greater amount of duty one year, this would be counterbal anced by a less amount the next, and in the end the aggregate would be the same. REPORT OF THE TREASl'RY DEPARTMENT. I desire to call your immediate attention to the presei't condition of the Treasurv. s ablv and clearly presented by the SccreUcy i his Keport to Congress, and to recommend that measures be promptly adopted to eeable it to discharge its pressing obligations. The other recommendations of the report are well wor thy of your favorable consideration. UEPOJITS OF THE SECRETARIES OF WAR AND NAVY, AC. I herewith transmit to Congress the Reports of the Secretaries of War, of the Navy, of the Interior, and of the Postmaster General The recommendations aud suggestions which thev contain are highly valuable and deserve vour carelul attention. The Henort ot tb !,.,. .... . report ot the Pnsi,.i..J ter (iencral details the circumstam-..j .... .i which Cornelius Vanderbilt. r.., 11 , , -j va J t lit tllA A' f 1 request. T" V ' -, . " JUIy last, to carry the 1 , our Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Had he not thus acted, this import at intercommunication must have beensuspended for at ,east a season The Postmaster Genera had no power to make him any other con.pen satton than the no.M.es 01, the mail m;',tor I W'OO n n-t Oil. Un-. . a". ! llm I -" " " , 1-v.ciagt-S would fH far";',' 01 an adequate compensation. sum which the same service 1 a Sof!i.; which the same service had jf'i. the Government. Mr. Vund, f?0 mienduble sp.rit, was wili;IK, t0 justice of Congress to mv .1 V-v cost conimendab . 1 . me justice 01 congress to mv-. cy, and I therefore recommend tl, G"f- ; : pnation may be granted for this i-a-i'l THE CALIFORNIA LAM, f I -,-.." I should do great injustice to !i ... General, were I to omit the u,,., ,'t -, 'v '" distinguished services in the meaner'0 ? l'' 1'iwsc-cuieu oy mm for Uie government against numerous .h, ! :t claims to land nd in California, r.,,'. 1 . , . . . uac oeeu maue uy the ilexicaa Gi- " 1 - fuiiiCo . ful ojq.osition to these claims haS6ttJt' United States public property wort, "' millions of dollars, and to indi"vijua! f'L7 title uuder them to at least an equal Ta THE FAMINE IN KAKS8. It has been represented tome from which I deem reliable, that tho ii..7-f5ar"" "' " iu nic 11 eat 1 ui cpin,n T-i j several portions of Kansas have been a .-Luc ui Marvmion. tn tore the almost total failure of their cro- ' " the harvests in every other port: ',a'f ' country have been abundaut TLe J U before them for the approaching n-;, ... "u calculated to enlist the synji,-.!!,;,., heart. The destitution Appears to Le m tral that it cannot be relieved bv nrV.'. ' ;" u motions, aim iuey are iu :es as to be unable to puuLV--" es of liie for tin inser t-. I n'..-"' sut u lnuiT--, euinstances necessariei measure tor their relief can beuet.aj to your litvorablc regard tin- j jteoj.le of this Uittrict. Tj:f, cr.-.-i- euiiiieu to vour con.- deration t . r , . since, unlike the neoi.h- ,,t t;,.. - ".' can aj)K.-al to no ti ovt r intu ;. 1 "ion. JAMES j; Washington-, December 4. '''ii-v.v-i.y S "v X C0UH R5G55T Ott WROTC. WHEN RIGHT, TO EE KFfr f ; ; . . HT. WHEN" WRONG, TO HE 1'fT l:l!:;. TIIUPiSPAY ::::::::::DECi:Mi::il . 'I lie Ii esident's Jlciesast, To the exclusion, of our usu-1 variety, wo this week give wav to :!? Message of President jJuelnr.an. X'ch not do this fur the reason that tve end:::- h:s peculiar views with regard to tiie prat political topics of the day, neither k.i-- that we believe his reasoning and ! conclusions to he just and valid , lut Ucs. we know that the Peoi-li: uirr v see what the Old Public Function: La to say about matters and thirds ia cral. Well, you have his final 'Ir, :--what you can make of it. The Pittsburg JX'ypotrJ., in sore re marks on this last official document renowned J. li says that one fact is f' - ly apparent, which is, that the Trc-::'-is and always has been a partis: :i ::.-t he cannot possibly bring himself up '- -scope of a fair, magnanimous sr. 1 c z.::-r hensive viewed the rights and wr-.-ci--'-" feelings and sympathies of loth cot::r of the Union. Jle loans now. as hitherto, far over to the .Southern .. o ...1. ,. .'. 1 i-iiwiu a oouiiiern view o: i;.e c--Disunion, and proposing un!o:.;--;:i concessions from the North, witli.u: : responding ones from the South, ih s still partisan ou the Kansas juostii n. r sticks to ''Lecompton" in the face of overwhelming rebuke cf his cor.te ea t. bill, even from his own party, luaw-"-on all tpuestions in debate between and the Opposition, he writes more advocate of party than a liiiigaan; Executive of a great XatioD. Vthh the exception of a slight air ing of a portion of the Foreign Kola:: the Message is entire. Cl.EAUriKLI) CtU'NTY U.K ' JZitfttinan' s Journal says that th'-S iT:? tion was to jro into oncration kst :V'" the notes having been pioeurcd froui' Auditor General, by whom they arc t -tersigned. The notes, in our opiui' really beautiful. The viirnette of the - represent a rait, with the har.us '-pc : it or the bank of the stream. A and child are also seated on the rat:, a--side of the shauty. The vi;-,iu t!e is :U X's is a forest scene men cutting J trees, and a saw mill in the uisi';it! This bank is one of the soundest in t State, as State stock has Wtu oV; with the Auditor General for the .... - . , less amount nt nnloa tltnt. Wli: t'C is?"" notes 5 per cent., as provided by law. A!- i;.in s.-tiMtor from Lea iana, is openly for secession, lut "llle3V;. that if his State goes out, the free gatiou of the Mississippi shall be to all tho States cf the present I 'cU- " :L: B?. Few u short edit""- week.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers