of the crews, and the safety of the public property and public interests in this branch of service, by holding out a similar inducement to that now existing in the navy, to discontinue the use of spirits on ship-board. Greater security has been provided for the prompt payment of their wages, and for official accountability. It has further been deemed expedient, not only to stop any contemplated increase in the cutters, but to reduce the number of them, and of the persons employed in this service, as ra pidly as the diminished temptation to smuggling will safely permit. By several resolutions, appropriations, and acts of Congress, at the last and previous sessions, a variety of other subjects, not yet reported on, has been confided to the attention of this department, such as the erection of a number of custom-houses; the building of a bridge over the Potomac river in this District; a compromise of the suits pending against the firm of Thomas H. Smith & Son; an opinion on the validity of some private land titles in Missouri; a report on certain provisions in the tariff act of July 14, 1832; some statements as to the marine hospital money; a reorganization of the Treasury Department; and a revision of the subject of salaries and fees to custom house officers. These have received careful attention, and will form the subjects of separate reports to Congress, early in the present session. In the report on the last of them, it is contemplated to offer such suggestions, by way of addition to this communication, as are appropriately connected with that inquiry, and as would otherwise have been mentioned here in respect to some changes deemed suitable in the whole amount of compensation to various custom-house officers, and in the number of such officers at various ports, and in relation to other changes in the system, which the great alterations in the existing duties seem to indicate, as required for sound economy and the public convenience. A few remarks concerning hospital money will also be postponed, and annexed to the statement requested in relation to that subject. In the preparation of new weights and measures on the authority given in the act of 2d of March, 1799, and on the principles set forth in a report from this department, of June 20, 1832, coupled with the provision on this subject in the constitution, some progress has been made since the date of that report. But the difficulty in procuring the most suitable materials from abroad has retarded the completion of the work, and the present engagements of the distinguished gentleman specially employed to superintend the business, and which engross most of his time in a survey of the coast, may, with the circumstance before named, prevent the final accomplishment of this desirable object another year. But it is hoped, that hen, either at the arsenal in this city, or at the mint, the most natural and appropriate place, the new weights and measures will be satisfactorily finished, and greater uniformity and accuracy attained on a subject in which, both as to revenue and commerce, it is much needed, and will prove eminently useful to the public. The survey of the coast before alluded to has, since the last annual report, been transferred to the charge of the Navy Department, with which it seems to be more intimately and appropriately connected. With this survey, the situation and utility of our present lighthouses, already being 199 in number, besides 29 lightboats, and the necessity for others from time to time, would seem to be in some degree fitly associated. As a measure likely to lead to economy in not extending the establishment of lighthouses beyond the real wants of the country, and in fixing their exact locality, so important to the safety of our navigation and navy, it is respectfully recommended, that in the survey wow in progress, Congress should require the latitude and longitude of every lighthouse to be carefully ascertained and published; the importance of its position to be inquired into ; and that no new one be hereafter erected till a report is made in respect to its public benefits by the two collectors, and the commander of the navy yard nearest the proposed site. The rebuilding of the Treasury edifice on or near its former location, with the dimensions of the building enlarged so as to meet the wants of the department, and rendered fire-proof for the security of its papers, seems indispensable to its convenient operations, and to the safety of some of the most valuable records connected with the public archives. The report from the Commissioner of the General Land Office is annexed. Many of its suggestions are highly important, and some of the recommendations, as to changes in this branch of the collection of public money, are respectfully though earnestly urged on the consideration of ongress. The Indian titles having of late years been more extensively extinguished, the quantity of valuable lauds brought into market has increased in amount, so as to place in the Treasury over three millions annually, instead of about one million, as was the case twenty years ago. Within the same period the land offices have been augmented in number from about eighteen to fifty-three, in actual operation in 1834. These circumstances have added much to the business of that bureau, and should clearly lead to a corresponding increase in its clerks, or a separation from it of some of its present laborious duties, as the diminution in other business in some other bureaus might lead to reduction in the number of their clerks to the extent proposed in the plan soon to be subinitted, on the reorganization of the Treasury Department. Attempts have been made during the past year, with some success, to simplify the mode of making entries in the General Land Office of the sales effected; some difficult and long delayed questions of accounts have been decided, g eater local accommodations and facilities furnished to the office, and increased convenience and promptitude, as far as practicable with the present force of the bureau, have been introduced in the ascertainment of titles, and in the collection and disbursement of the large amount of revenue derived from this source. But new legislation can alone give entire relief, in the present condition of its enlarged duties, and at least $30,000 a year, for ten years, will be required to be expended in additional clerk hire, to dispose of all the writing in arrear, and that may be hereafter rendered necessary by the additional sales of land. It gives me great pleasure to state that, among more than fifty offices and one hundred receivers and registers connected with the present system of land sales, amenable to the Secretary of the Treasury, and under his control as to their collections, not one, during the last year, has proved to be a defaulter, although the money collected and paid over has probably exceeded four millions. All which is respectfully submitted. LEVI WOODBURY, Secretary of the Treasury. To Hon. JOHN BELL, Speaker of Ho. of Reps. of the U. S. A Statement exhibiting the value and quantities respectively of merchandise on which duties actually accrued during the year 1833, (consisting of the difference between articles paying duty imported, and those entitled to drawback reexported,) and also, of the nett revenue which accrued that year from duties on merchandise, tonnage, and light money. Merchandise paying duties ad valorem. 8,074,168 dolls. at 5 per cent........ $403.708 40 5,725,333..do......10......do............................ 25,073..do......12......do...................... 2,034.419..do..............124...........do............................ 4,643,959..do......15.....: do.................... 2,540,480..do......20......do....................... 15.824,813..do......25......do...................... 2,036,157..do... ..30......do...... 145,091..do......33.... ..do...................... 59 120..do......35......do...................... 572,533 30 3,008 76 254 302 37 696.593 85 500,096 00 13,956 203 25 610,847 10 48,363 67 20.692 00 206.063 60 405,013 95 2,908 697 00 10,594,123 25 $10,594,123 25 Duties on specific articles. 1. Wines, 3,948.041 galls. at 16.6 cts. av. 658,305 52 2. Spirits, Do. 4,070..do......10...do.. 786,416 30 3. Sugar, 99,814,354..lbs......26...do.. 2,570.425 32 4. Salt, 3,586,820 bushels....... 5. All other articles..... .... 358,777 60 ................................ 4,092,513 20 From which deduct duties refunded, after deducting therefrom, duties on merchandise imported, the partieulars of which, were not rendered by collectors, and difference of calculation; including 8701,760 70 repaid at the Treasury, under act of March 2, 1833, To which add 10 per ct. extra duty on fo reen vessels........... ............ Discounts retained on drawbacks...... Interest on customhouse bonds......... Storage received............ Customhouse charges on British Canadian vessels .. $22,040 08 15,418 66 3,106 49 9.876,416 93 $20,470,540 18 3 382,641 40 $17,087,898 78 Explanatory statements in relation to specific duties. 1. WINES. Madeira..... ...... ... .... ... 48.846 50 73,255 08 27,894 30 47,060 64 149,431 gallons at 50 cents $74,715 50 Sherry 97,693....do........50...... Sicily 104,699....do........30...... 31,409 70 Red of France in casks. ..1,220.918..........do.....................6...... Other of France in casks... 278,943....do............. ....10...... French, in bottles........... 213,912....do........22. Red of Spain, Austria, &c.. 302,463....do... ....10...... Other of Spain, Germany, &c 994,1!4....do..................15................ 149,117 10 Of other countries in casks.. 583,810....do......................30.......... 175,143 00 in bottles Do. 2,058... do........30.. 30 246 30 617 40 Other materials, 1st & 2d proof 137.657....do........53...... 72,958 21 3d do.... 184,281....do........57...... 105,040 17 4th do.... 1,224,270........do....................63.............. 771,290 10 |