608 



PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



upon these, would be of great importance to the na- 

 tional defence and preservation. I ask attention to the 

 views of the Secretary of War, expressed in his report, 

 upon the same general subject. 



I deem it of importance that the loyal regions of 

 East Tennessee and Western North Carolina should 

 be connected with Kentucky, and other faithful parts 

 of the Union, by railroad. I therefore recommend, as 

 a military measure, that Congress provide for the con- 

 struction of such road as speedily as possible. Ken- 

 tucky no doubt will cooperate, and through her legis- 

 lature make the most judicious selection of a line. 

 The northern terminus must connect with some existing 

 railroad ; and whether the route shall be from Lexing- 

 ton, or Nicholasville, to the Cumberland Gap, or from 

 Lebanon to the Tennessee line, in the direction of 

 Knoxville, or on some still different line, can easily be 

 determined. Kentucky and the General Government 

 cooperating, the work can be completed in a very short 

 time ; and when done, it will be not only of vast pres- 

 ent usefulness, but also a valuable permanent improve- 

 ment, worth its cost in all the future. 



Some treaties, designed chiefly for the interests of 

 commerce, and having no grave political importance, 

 have been negotiated, and will be submitted to the 

 Senate for their consideration. 



Although we have failed to induce some of the com- 

 mercial powers to adopt a desirable melioration of the 

 rigor of maritime war, we have removed all obstruc- 

 tions from the way of this humane reform, except 

 such as are merely of temporary and accidental oc- 

 currence. 



I invite your attention to the correspondence between 

 her Britan'nic Majesty's Minister accredited to this Gov- 

 ernment, and the Secretary of State, relative to the 

 detention of the British ship Perthshire, in June last, 

 by the United States steamer Massachusetts, for a 

 supposed breach of the blockade. As this detention 

 was occasioned by an obvious misapprehension of the 

 facts, and as justice requires that we should commit 

 no belligerent act not founded in strict right, as sanc- 

 tioned by public law, I recommend that an appropri- 

 ation be made to satisfy the reasonable demand of the 

 owners of the vessel for her detention. 



I repeat the recommendation of my predecessor, in 

 his annual message to Congress in December last, in re- 

 gard to the disposition of the surplus which will prob- 

 ably remain after satisfying the claims of American 

 citizens against China, pursuant to the awards of the 

 commissioners under the act of the 3d of March, 1850. 

 If, however, it should not be deemed advisable to carry 

 that recommendation into effect, I would suggest that 

 authority be given for investing the principal, over 

 the proceeds of the surplus referred too, in good secu- 

 rities, with a view to the satisfaction of such other just 

 claims of our citizens against China as are not unlikely 

 to arise hereafter in the course of our extensive trade 

 with that Empire. 



By the act of the 5th of August last, Congress au- 

 thorized the President to instruct the commanders of 

 suitable vessels to defend themselves against, and to 

 capture pirates. This authority has been exercised in 

 a single instance only. For the more effectual protec- 

 tion of our extensive and valuable commerce, in the 

 eastern seas especially, it seems to me that it would 

 also be advisable to authorize the commanders of sail- 

 ing vessels to recapture any prizes which pirates may 

 make of United States vessels and their cargoes, and 

 the consular courts, now established by law in east- 

 ern countries, to adjudicate the cases, in the event 

 that this should not be objected to by the local au- 

 thorities. 



If any good reason exists why we should persevere 

 longer in withholding our recognition of the independ- 

 ence and sovereignty of Hayti and Liberia, I am un- 

 able to discern it. Unwilling, however, to inaugurate 

 a novel policy in regard to them without the approba- 

 tion of Congress, I submit for your consideration -the 

 expediency of an appropriation for maintaining a 

 charge d'affaires near each of those new States. It 

 does not admit of doubt that important commercial 



advantages might be secured by favorable treaties 

 with them. 



The operations of the Treasury during the period 

 which has elapsed since your adjournment have been 

 conducted with signal success. The patriotism of the 

 people has placed at the disposal of the Government 

 the larg^e means demanded by the public exigencies. 

 Much of the national loan has been taken by citizens 

 of the industrial classes, whose confidence in their 

 country's faith, and zeal for their country's deliverance 

 from present peril, have induced them to contribute to 

 the support of the Government the whole of their 

 limited acquisitions. This fact imposes peculiar ob- 

 ligations to economy in disbursement and energy in 

 action. 



The revenue from all sources, including loans, for 

 the financial year ending on the 30th June, 1861, was 

 eighty-six million eight hundred and thirty-five thou- 

 sand nine hundred dollars and twenty-seven cents, and 

 the expenditures for the same period, including pay- 

 ments on account of the public debt, were eighty -four 

 million five hundred and seventy-eight thousand eight 

 hundred and thirty-four dollars and forty-seven cents ; 

 leaving a balance in the treasury, on the 1st July, of 

 two million two hundred and fifty-seven thousand 

 sixty-five dollars and eighty cents. For the first quar- 

 ter of the financial year, ending on the 30th September, 

 1861, the receipts from all sources, including the bal- 

 ance of 1st of July, were one hundred and two million 

 five hundred and thirty-two thousand. five hundred and 

 nine dollars and twenty-seven cents, and the expenses 

 ninety-eight million two hundred and thirty -nine thou- 

 sand seven hundred and thirty-three dollars and nine 

 cents; leaving a balance, on the 1st of October, 1861, 

 of four million two hundred and ninaty-two thousand 

 seven hundred and seventy-six dollars and eighteen 

 cents. 



Estimates for the remaining three-quarters of the 

 year, and for the financial year 1863, together with his 

 views of ways and means for meeting the demands 

 contemplated by them, will be submitted to Congress 

 by the Secretary of the Treasury. It is gratifying to 

 know that the expenditures made necessary by the re- 

 bellion are not beyond the resources of the loyal peo- 

 ple, and to believe that the same patriotism which has 

 thus far sustained the Government will continue to 

 sustain it till peace and union shall again bless the 

 land. 



I respectfully refer to the report of the Secretary of 

 War for information respecting the numerical strength 

 of the army, and for recommendations having in view 

 an increase of its efficiency, and the well-being of the 

 various branches of the service intrusted to his care. 

 It is gratifying to know that the patriotism of the 

 people has proved equal to the occasion, and that the 

 number of troops tendered greatly exceeds the force 

 which Congress authorized me to call into the field. 



I refer with pleasure to those portions of his report 

 which make allusion to the creditable degree of disci- 

 pline already attained by our troops, and to the excel- 

 lent sanitary condition of the entire army. 



The recommendation of the Secretary for an organ- 

 ization of the militia upon a uniform basis, is a subject 

 of vital importance to the future safety of the country, 

 and is commended to the serious attention of Congress. 



The large addition to the regular army, in connection 

 with the defection that has so considerably diminished 

 the number of its officers, gives peculiar importance to 

 his recommendation for increasing the corps of cadets 

 to the greatest capacity of the Military Academy. 



By mere omission, 1 presume, Congress has failed 

 to provide chaplains for hospitals occupied by volun- 

 teers. This subject was brought to my notice, and I 

 was induced to draw up the form of a letter, one copy 

 of which, properly addressed, has been delivered to 

 each of the persons, and at the dates respectively 

 named and stated in a schedule, containing also the 

 form of the letter, marked A, and herewith trans- 

 mitted. 



These gentlemen, I understand, entered upon the 

 duties designated at the times respectively stated in 



