tions proposed by several successive Boards of Visiters, to whose earnest and repeated recommendations I cheerfully add my own.

With the usual Annual Reports from the Secretary of the Navy and the Board of Commissioners, will be exhibited to the view of Congress the execution of the Laws relating to that Department of the Publick Service. The repression of Piracy in the West Indian and in the Grecian Seas has been effectually maintained with scarcely any exception. During the War between the Governments of Buenos Ayres and of Brazil, frequent collisions between the belligerent acts of power and the rights of neutral commerce occurred. Licentious Blockades, irrelarly enlisted or impressed seamen, and the property of honest commerce seized with violence, and even plundered under legal pretences, are disorders never separable from the conflicts of War upon the Ocean. With a portion of them, the correspondence of our Commanders on the Eastern aspect of the South American coast, and among the Islands of Greece, discover how far we have been involved. In these the honour of our Country and the rights of our Citizens have been asserted and vindicated. The appearance of new Squadrons in the Mediterranean, and the blockade of the Dardanelles, indicate the danger of other obstacles to the freedom of Commerce, and the necessity of keeping our Naval Force in those Seas. To the suggestions repeated in the Report of the Secretary of the Navy, and tending to the permanent improvement of this Institution, I invite the favourable consideration of Congress.

A resolution of the House of Representatives, requesting that one of our small Public Vessels should be sent to the Pacifick Ocean and South Sea, to examine the Coasts, Islands, Harbours, Shoals, and Reefs in those Seas, and to ascertain their true situation and description, has been put in a train of execution. The Vessel is nearly ready to depart; the successful accomplishment of the expedition may be greatly facilitated by suitable legislative provisions; and particularly by an appropriation to defray its necessary expense. The addition of a second or perhaps a third vessel, with a slight aggravation of the cost, would contribute much to the safety of the Citizens embarked on this undertaking, the results of which may be of the deepest interest to our Country.

With the Report of the Secretary of the Navy, will be submitted, in conformity to the Act of Congress, of 3rd March, 1827, for the gradual improvement of the Navy of the United States, Statements of the Expenditures under that Act, and of the measures taken for carrying the same into effect. Every Section of that Statute contains a distinct provision, looking to the great object of the whole, the gradual improvement of the Navy. Under its salutary sanctions, stores of shiptimber have been procured, and are in process of seasoning and preservation for the future uses of the Navy. Arrangements have been

made for the preservation of the live-oak timber growing on the Lands of The United States, and for its reproduction, to supply at future and distant days the waste of that most valuable material for ship-building, by the great consumption of it Yearly for the commercial as well as for the military Marine of our Country. The construction of the two Dry Docks at Charlestown and at Norfolk, is making satisfactory progress towards a durable Establishment. The examinations and enquiries to ascertain the practicability and expediency of a Marine Railway at Pensacola, though not yet accomplished, have been postponed, but to be the more effectually made. The Navy Yards of The United States have been examined, and plans for their improvement, and the preservation of the Publick Property therein, at Portsmouth, Charlestown, Philadelphia, Washington, and Gosport; and to which two others are to be added, have been prepared, and received my sanction; and no other portion of my Publick Duties has been performed with a more intimate conviction of its importance to the future welfare and security of the Union.

With the Report from the Postmaster General, is exhibited a comparative view of the gradual increase of that Establishment, from 5 to 5 years, since 1792 till this time-in the number of Post Offices, which has grown from less than 200 to nearly 8000; in the Revenue yielded by them, which, from 67,000 dollars, has swollen to upwards of 1,500,000; and in the number of miles of Post Roads, which, from 5,642, have multiplied to 114,536. While, in the same period of time, the Population of the Union has about thrice doubled, the rate of increase of these Offices is nearly 40, and of the Revenue, and of travelled miles, from 20 to 25 for 1. The increase of Revenue, within the last 5 Years, has been nearly equal to the whole Revenue of the Department in 1812.

The Expenditures of the Department, during the Year which ended on the 1st of July last, have exceeded the Receipts by a sum of about 25,000 dollars. The excess has been occasioned by the increase of Mail conveyances and facilities, to the extent of near 800,000 miles. It has been supplied by collections from the Postmasters of the arrearages of preceding Years. While the correct principle seems to be, that the income levied by the Department should defray all its expenses, it has never been the policy of this Government to raise from this Establishment any Revenue to be applied to any other purposes. The suggestions of the Postmaster-General, that the insurance of the safe transmission of moneys by the Mail might be assumed by the Department, for a moderate and competent remuneration, will deserve the consideration of Congress.

A Report from the Commissioner of the Publick Buildings in this City exhibits the Expenditures upon them in the course of the current Year. It will be seen that the humane and benevolent intentions of

Congress in providing, by the Act of 20th May, 1826, for the erection of a Penitentiary in this District, have been accomplished. The authority of further Legislation is now required for the removal to this Tenement of the Offenders against the Laws, sentenced to atone by personal confinement for their crimes, and to provide a Code for their employment and government while thus confined.

The Commissioners appointed, conformably to the Act of 2nd March, 1827, to provide for the adjustment of claims of Persons entitled to indemnification under the 1st Article of the Treaty of Ghent, and for the distribution among such Claimants of the sum paid by the Government of Great Britain under the Convention of 13th November, 1826, closed their labours on the 30th of August last, by awarding to the Claimants the sum of 1,197,422 dollars and 18 cents; leaving a balance of 7,537 dollars and 82 cents, which was distributed rateably amongst all the Claimants to whom awards had been made, according to the directions of the Act.

The exhibits appended to the Report from the Commissioner of the General Land Office, present the actual condition of that common Property of the Union. The amount paid into the Treasury from the proceeds of Lands, during the Year 1827, and the 1st half of 1828, falls little short of 2,000,000 of dollars. The propriety of further extending the time for the extinguishment of the Debt due to The United States by the Purchasers of the Publick Lands, limited, by the Act of 21st March last, to the 4th of July next, will claim the consideration of Congress, to whose vigilance and careful attention the regulation, disposal and preservation of this great National Inheritance has, by the People of The United States, been intrusted.

Among the important subjects to which the attention of the present Congress has already been invited, and which may occupy their farther and deliberate discussion, will be the provision to be made for taking the 5th Census or enumeration of the Inhabitants of The United States. The Constitution of The United States requires that this enumeration should be made within every term of 10 Years, and the date from which the last enumeration commenced was the 1st Monday of August of the Year 1820. The Laws under which the former enumerations were taken, were enacted at the Session of Congress immediately preceding the operation. But considerable inconveniences were experienced from the delay of Legislation to so late a period. That Law, like those of the preceding enumerations, directed that the Census should be taken by the Marshals of the several Districts and Territories, under instructions from the Secretary of State. The preparation and transmission to the Marshals of those instructions, required more time than was then allowed between the passage of the Law and the day when the enumeration was to commence. The term of 6 Months, limited for the returns of the Marshals, was also found

even then too short; and must be more so now, when an additional Population of at least 3,000,000 must be presented upon the Returns. As they are to be made at the short Session of Congress, it would, as well as from other considerations, be more convenient to commence the enumeration from an earlier period of the Year than the 1st of August. The most favourable season would be the Spring. On a review of the former enumerations, it will be found that the plan for taking every Census has contained many improvements upon that of its predecessor. The last is still susceptible of much improvement. The 3rd Census was the first at which any account was taken of the manufactures of the Country. It was repeated at the last enumeration, but the Returns in both cases were necessarily very imperfect. They must always be so, resting of course only on the communications voluntarily made by Individuals interested in some of the manufacturing Establishments. Yet they contained much valuable information, and may, by some supplementary provision of the Law, be rendered more effective. The columns of age, commencing from infancy, have hitherto been confined to a few periods, all under the number of 45 Years. Important knowledge would be obtained by extending those columns, in intervals of 10 Years, to the utmost boundaries of human life. The labour of taking them would be a trifling addition to that already prescribed, and the result would exhibit comparative tables of longevity highly interesting to the Country. I deem it my duty further to observe, that much of the imperfections in the Returns of the last and perhaps of preceding enumerations proceeded from the inadequateness of the compensations allowed to the Marshals and their Assistants in taking them.

In closing this Communication, it only remains for me to assure the Legislature of my continued earnest wish for the adoption of measures recommended by me heretofore, and yet to be acted on by them; and of the cordial concurrence on my part in every Constitutional Provision which may receive their sanction during the Session, tending to the general welfare.

Washington, 2nd December, 1828.

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.

CONVENTION of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation, between The United States of America, and the free Hanseatic Republicks of Lubeck, Bremen, and Hamburgh. Signed at Washington, 20th December, 1827.

THE United States of America, on the one part, and the Republick and free Hanseatic City of Lu

LA République et Ville libre et Anséatique de Lubeck, la Ré. publique et Ville libre et Anséa