government of these so distant parts of the country. But the same
legislative wisdom which has triumphed over the principal difficulties
and accomplished the main end may safely be relied on for whatever
measures may yet be found necessary to perfect its work, so that the
acquisition of these vast regions to the United States may rather
strengthen than weaken the Constitution, which is over us all, and the
Union, which affords such ample daily proofs of its inestimable value.

MILLARD FILLMORE.



WASHINGTON, _December 17, 1850_.

_To the Senate of the United States_:

I herewith transmit a letter from the Secretary of War, communicating a
report of a board of officers to which, in pursuance of a resolution of
the Senate passed on the 30th of September last, were submitted the
questions proposed therein, relative to the expediency and necessity of
creating additional grades of commissioned officers in the Army and of
enacting provisions authorizing officers of the Army to exercise civil
functions in emergencies to be enumerated and restraining them from
usurping the powers of civil functionaries.

MILLARD FILLMORE.



WASHINGTON, _December 30, 1850_.