went out of existence without having passed all the general appropriation bills necessary to carry on the government until the regular period for the meeting of a new Congress. This event imposed on the Executive a grave responsibility. It presented a choice of evils

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The failure to pass the Postoffice Bill necessarily gives birth to serious reflections. Congress, by refusing to pass the general appropriation Bills necessary to carry on the government, may not only arrest its action, but might even destroy its existence. The army, the navy, the judiciary -in short, every department of the Government-can no longer perform their functions if Congress refuse the money necessary for their support. If this failure should teach the country the necessity of electing a full Congress in sufficient time to enable the President to convene them in any emergency, even immediately after the old Congress has expired, it will have been productive of great good. In a time of sudden and alarming danger, foreign or domestic, which all nations must expect to encounter in their progress, the very salvation of our institutions may be staked upon the assembling of Congress without delay. If, under such circumstances, the President should find himself in the condition in which he was placed at the close of the last Congress, with nearly half the States of the Union destitute of representatives, the consequences might be disastrous. I therefore recommend to Congress to carry into effect the provisions of the Constitution on this subject, and to pass a law appointing some

day previous to the 4th of March in each year, of odd number, for the election of representatives throughout all the States. They have already appointed a day for the election of electors for President and Vice-President, and this measure has been approved by the country.

"FINANCE. We have scarcely recovered from the habits of extravagant expenditure produced by our overflowing Treasury during several years prior to the commencement of my administration. The financial reverses which we have since experienced ought to teach us all to scrutinize our expenditures with the greatest vigilance, and to reduce them to the lowest possible point. The Executive Departments of the Government have devoted themselves to the accomplishment of this object with considerable success, as will appear from their different reports and estimates. To these I invite the scrutiny of Congress, for the purpose of reducing them still lower, if this be practicable, consistent with the great public interests of the country. In aid of the policy of retrenchment, I pledge myself to examine closely the Bills appropriating lands or money, so that, if any of these should inadvertently pass both Houses, as must sometimes be the case, I may afford them an opportunity for reconsideration. At the same time we ought never to forget that true public economy consists, not in withholding the means necessary to accomplish important national objects confided to us by the Constitution, but in taking care that the money appropriated for these purposes shall be faithfully and frugally expended.

"It will appear from the report of the Secretary of the Treasury that it is extremely doubtful, to say the least, whether we shall be able to pass through the present and the next fiscal year without providing additional revenue. This can only be accomplished by strictly confining the appropriations within the estimates of the different departments, without making an allow ance for any additional expenditures which Congress may think proper, in their discretion, to authorize, and without providing for the redemption of any portion of the 20,000,000 dols. of Treasury notes which have been already issued. In the event of a deficiency, which I consider probable, this ought never to be

supplied by a resort to additional loans. It would be a ruinous practice in the days of peace and prosperity to go on increasing the national debt to meet the ordinary expenses of the Government. This policy would cripple our resources and impair our credit in case the existence of war should render it necessary to borrow money. Should such a deficiency occur as I apprehend, I would recommend that the necessary revenue be raised by an increase of our present duties on imports. I need not repeat the opinions expressed in my last annual Message as to the best mode and manner of accomplishing this object, and shall now merely observe that these have since undergone no change."

ETURN OF WRECKS, 1858.

of Wrecks and Casualties on and near the Coasts of the United Kingdom, during the year 1858, published by the Board of Trade, gives us the total number of wrecks and strandings as 869, being an increase of three only over those of the previous year. Of these 354 were total losses. The number of total losses by collision were 50; of damage by the same cause 251; making the total of casualties 1170. The tonnage of these vessels amounted to 205,243 tons; and the number of hands on board them 8979. As to their nationality, 927 were British, 30 colonial, 209 foreign, 4 unknown. Forty-nine of the whole were steam-ships. As to dimensions, 199 did not exceed 50 tons; 352 were under 100; 467 under 300; 96 under 600; 28 under 900; 23 under 1200; 5 exceeded 500 tons.

Of these disasters 124 occurred in January-116 in February148 in March-115 in April-48 in May-30 in June-61 in July -33 in August-91 in September--148 in October-120 in November-136 in December.

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The number of lives in actual peril (as far as can be known) was 1895. Of these 340 only were lost. Of the 1555 persons saved, 206 were rescued by lifeboats, 210 by the rocket and mortar apparatus. Twenty-six were rescued by meritorious individual exertions; the remaining 1113 by ships, steamers, small craft, and coast - guard boats.

The disasters by which the greatest loss of life was incurred were the Merchant, near Shields, 11 seamen and pilot drowned; Leander, off Bardsey, 10; Brigand, steamer, between Wicklow and Kish bank, 28; Wingrave, off Aldborough, 10; Cuba, steamer, off Scilly, 16; Bombay, at sea, 13. B

The cost of maintaining the rocket and mortar apparatus at 216 stations is 2024/.; payments to crews of life-boats, including 6341. presented to the Royal Native Life-Boat Institution in aid of placing new boats on the coast of Ireland and replacing one at Holyhead, 21157.; rewards paid to meritorious persons not connected with life boats, 3821. Making the total expenditure out of the Mercantile Marine Fund towards saving life from shipwreck 45231.

The number of boats under the management of the National Life-Boat Institution, 73 being subsidized by the Board of Trade, is 81; under other management, 68: total, 149.

THE WEATHER.-The weather during the autumn quarter has presented some peculiarities; for while the temperature of October and December was somewhat above the average, in November the cold has been exceeded in only twelve out of 87 preceding Novembers. On the 21th the lowest temperature recorded at many stations was below 20°, and at Royston it was as low as 11°. The fall of rain has been constantly deficient in each month; the fall in the quarter being 3.1 inches, showing a deficiency of 4.5 inches from the average. The deficiency extends over the whole year, the total fall being no more than 17-2 inches; whereas in 1855 it was 23 5 inches, in 1856 21.5 inches, in 1857 214 inches: the rainfall of 1858, indeed, is the lowest since 1840.

PRICE OF PROVISIONS, AND POPULATION. The price of provisions has fallen throughout the year.

The average price of wheat in the last thirteen weeks was 41s. 9d.; in 1856, it was 63s. 4d.; and in 1857, 52s. The price of meat varied but little. Potatoes, at the water-side, 87s. 6d. a ton, or 37 per cent. cheaper than in 1857, and 12 per cent. cheaper than in 1856.

Notwithstanding the favourable

circumstances of fine weather and cheap food, the Quarterly Return of the Registrar-General indicates an unfavourable aspect of the population-marriages below the average, and deaths much above the average 118,663 deaths against 110,697 in 1857.

The valuable returns of the Registrar-General present information of great interest, both as to the quarter and the year. In the autumn quarter of 1858 the number of in-door paupers receiving relief was 115,751; of out-door paupers, 710,904: total, 826,655. In 1856, the totals were 869,027; in 1857, 882,498. The average is about 4 per cent. of the population.

The population of England and Wales in the middle of 1858 is estimated at 19,576,950. The deaths, taken at the rate of comparatively-healthy districts, should not have exceeded 349,398: they were 450,018: the excess of 100,620 deaths is due chiefly to the fatal neglect of the sanitary arrangements which are required in every district, and are indispensable in densely-peopled cities.