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.