the writings-5-第67部分

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system；　because　the　adding　of　judges　to　the　Supreme　Court；　enough　for

the　accommodation　of　all　parts　of　the　country　with　circuit　courts；

would　create　a　court　altogether　too　numerous　for　a　judicial　body　of

any　sort。　　And　the　evil；　if　it　be　one；　will　increase　as　new　States

come　into　the　Union。　　Circuit　courts　are　useful　or　they　are　not

useful。　　If　useful；　no　State　should　be　denied　them；　if　not　useful；　no

State　should　have　them。　　Let　them　be　provided　for　all　or　abolished　as

to　all。



Three　modifications　occur　to　me；　either　of　which；　I　think；　would　be

an　improvement　upon　our　present　system。　　Let　the　Supreme　Court　be　of

convenient　number　in　every　event；　then；　first；　let　the　whole　country

be　divided　into　circuits　of　convenient　size；　the　Supreme　judges　to

serve　in　a　number　of　them　corresponding　to　their　own　number；　and

independent　circuit　judges　be　provided　for　all　the　rest；　or；

secondly；　let　the　Supreme　judges　be　relieved　from　circuit　duties　and

circuit　judges　provided　for　all　the　circuits；　or；　thirdly；　dispense

with　circuit　courts　altogether；　leaving　the　judicial　functions　wholly

to　the　district　courts　and　an　independent　Supreme　Court。



I　respectfully　recommend　to　the　consideration　of　Congress　the　present

condition　of　the　statute　laws；　with　the　hope　that　Congress　will　be

able　to　find　an　easy　remedy　for　many　of　the　inconveniences　and　evils

which　constantly　embarrass　those　engaged　in　the　practical

administration　of　them。　　Since　the　Organization　of　the　government；

Congress　has　enacted　some　5000　acts　and　joint　resolutions；　which　fill

more　than　6000　closely　printed　pages　and　are　scattered　through　many

volumes。　　Many　of　these　acts　have　been　drawn　in　haste　and　without

sufficient　caution；　so　that　their　provisions　are　often　obscure　in

themselves　or　in　conflict　with　each　other；　or　at　least　so　doubtful　as

to　render　it　very　difficult　for　even　the　best…informed　persons　to

ascertain　precisely　what　the　statute　law　really　is。



It　seems　to　me　very　important　that　the　statute　laws　should　be　made　as

plain　and　intelligible　as　possible；　and　be　reduced　to　as　small　a

compass　as　may　consist　with　the　fullness　and　precision　of　the　will　of

the　Legislature　and　the　perspicuity　of　its　language。　　This　well　done

would；　I　think；　greatly　facilitate　the　labors　of　those　whose　duty　it

is　to　assist　in　the　administration　of　the　laws；　and　would　be　a

lasting　benefit　to　the　people；　by　placing　before　them　in　a　more

accessible　and　intelligible　form　the　laws　which　so　deeply　concern

their　interests　arid　their　duties。



I　am　informed　by　some　whose　opinions　I　respect　that　all　the　acts　of

Congress　now　in　force　and　of　a　permanent　and　general　nature　might　be

revised　and　rewritten　so　as　to　be　embraced　in　one　volume　（or　at　most

two　volumes）　of　ordinary　and　convenient　size；　and　I　respectfully

recommend　to　Congress　to　consider　of　the　subject；　and　if　my

suggestion　be　approved　to　devise　such　plan　as　to　their　wisdom　shall

seem　most　proper　for　the　attainment　of　the　end　proposed。



One　of　the　unavoidable　consequences　of　the　present　insurrection　is

the　entire　suppression　in　many　places　of　all　the　ordinary　means　of

administering　civil　justice　by　the　officers　and　in　the　forms　of

existing　law。　　This　is　the　case；　in　whole　or　in　part；　in　all　the

insurgent　States；　and　as　our　armies　advance　upon　and　take　possession

of　parts　of　those　States　the　practical　evil　becomes　more　apparent。

There　are　no　courts　or　officers　to　whom　the　citizens　of　other　States

may　apply　for　the　enforcement　of　their　lawful　claims　against　citizens

of　the　insurgent　States；　and　there　is　a　vast　amount　of　debt

constituting　such　claims。　　Some　have　estimated　it　as　high　as

200；000；000；　due　in　large　part　from　insurgents　in　open　rebellion　to

loyal　citizens　who　are　even　now　making　great　sacrifices　in　the

discharge　of　their　patriotic　duty　to　support　the　government。





Under　these　circumstances　I　have　been　urgently　solicited　to

establish；　by　military　power；　courts　to　administer　summary　justice　in

such　cases。　　I　have　thus　far　declined　to　do　it；　not　because　I　had　any

doubt　that　the　end　proposedthe　collection　of　the　debtswas　just

and　right　in　itself；　but　because　I　have　been　unwilling　to　go　beyond

the　pressure　of　necessity　in　the　unusual　exercise　of　power。　　But　the

powers　of　Congress；　I　suppose；　are　equal　to　the　anomalous　occasion；

and　therefore　I　refer　the　whole　matter　to　Congress；　with　the　hope

that　a　plan　maybe　devised　for　the　administration　of　justice　in　all

such　parts　of　the　insurgent　States　and　Territories　as　may　be　under

the　control　of　this　government；　whether　by　a　voluntary　return　to

allegiance　and　order　or　by　the　power　of　our　arms；　this；　however；　not

to　be　a　permanent　institution；　but　a　temporary　substitute；　and　to

cease　as　soon　as　the　ordinary　courts　can　be　reestablished　in　peace。



It　is　important　that　some　more　convenient　means　should　be　provided；

if　possible；　for　the　adjustment　of　claims　against　the　government；

especially　in　view　of　their　increased　number　by　reason　of　the　war。

It　is　as　much　the　duty　of　government　to　render　prompt　justice　against

itself　in　favor　of　citizens　as　it　is　to　administer　the　same　between

private　individuals。　　The　investigation　and　adjudication　of　claims　in

their　nature　belong　to　the　judicial　department。　　Besides；　it　is

apparent　that　the　attention　of　Congress　will　be　more　than　usually

engaged　for　some　time　to　come　with　great　national　questions。　　It　was

intended　by　the　organization　of　the　Court　of　Claims　mainly　to　remove

this　branch　of　business　from　the　halls　of　Congress；　but；　while　the

court　has　proved　to　be　an　effective　and　valuable　means　of

investigation；　it　in　great　degree　fails　to　effect　the　object　of　its

creation　for　want　of　power　to　make　its　judgments　final。



Fully　aware　of　the　delicacy；　not　to　say　the　danger　of　the　subject；　I

commend　to　your　careful　consideration　whether　this　power　of　making

judgments　final　may　not　properly　be　given　to　the　court；　reserving　the

right　of　appeal　on　questions　of　law　to　the　Supreme　Court；　with　such

other　provisions　as　experience　may　have　shown　to　be　necessary。



I　ask　attention　to　the　report　of　the　Postmaster　general；　the

following　being　a　summary　statement　of　the　condition　of　the

department：



The　revenue　from　all　sources　during　the　fiscal　year　ending　June　30；

1861；　including　the　annual　permanent　appropriation　of　700；000　for

the　transportation　of　〃free　mail　matter；〃　was　9；049；296。40；　being

about　2　per　cent。　less　than　the　revenue　for　1860。



The　expenditures　were　13；606；759。11；　showing　a　decrease　of　more　than

8　per　cent。　as　compared　with　those　of　the　previous　year　and　leaving

an　excess　of　expenditure　over　the　revenue　for　the　last　fiscal　year

of　4；557；462。71。



The　gross　revenue　for　the　year　ending　June　30；　1863；　is　estimated　at

an　increase　of　4　per　cent。　on　that　of　1861；　making　8；683；000；　to

which　should　be　added　the　earnings　of　the　department　in　carrying　free

matter；　viz。；　700；000；　making　9；383；000。



The　total　expenditures　for　1863　are　estimated　at　12；528；000；　leaving

an　estimated　deficiency　of　3；145；000　to　be　supplied　from　the

treasury　in　addition　to　the　permanent　appropriation。



The　present　insurrection　shows；　I　think；　that　the　extension　of　this

District　across　the　Potomac　River　at　the　time　of　establishing　the

capital　here　was　eminently　wise；　and　consequently　that　the

relinquishment　of　that　portion　of　it　which　lies　within　the　State　of

Virginia　was　unwise　and　dangerous。　　I　submit　for　your　consideration

the　expediency　of　regaining　that　part　of　the　District　and　the

restoration　of　the　original　boundaries　thereof　through　negotiations

with　the　State　of　Virginia。



The　report　of　the　Secretary　of　the　Interior；　with　the　accompanying

documents；　exhibits　the　condition　of　the　several　branches　of　the

public　business　pertaining　to　that　department。　　　The　depressing

influences　of　the　insurrection　have　been　specially　felt　in　the

operations　of　the　Patent　and　General　Land　Offices。　　The　cash　receipts

from　the　sales　of　public　lands　during　the　past　year　have　exceeded　the

expenses　of　our　land　system　only　about　200；000。　　The　sales　have　been

entirely　suspended　in　the　Southern　States；　while　the　interruptions　to

the　business　of　the　country　and　the　diversion　of　large　numbers　of　men

from　labor　to　military　service　have　obstructed　settlements　in　the　new

States　and　Territories　of　the　Northwest。



The　receipts　of　the　Patent　Office　have　declined　in　nine　months　about

100；000。00　rendering　a　large　reduction　of　the　force　employed

necessary　to　make　it　self…sustaining。



The　demands　upon　the　Pension　Office　will　be　largely　increased　by　the

insurrection。　　　Numerous　applications　for　pensions；　based　upon　the

casualties　of　the　existing　war；　have　already　been　made。　　There　is

reason　to　believe　that　many　who　are　now　upon　the　pension　rolls　and　in

receipt　of　the　bounty　of　the　government　are　in　the　ranks　of　the

insurgent　army　or　giving　them　aid　and　comfort。　　The　Secretary　of