Des Arc weekly citizen., 1868-12-22

OporAtiOng UfFthat department Of the navy daying ike, year. A considerable reduction O; the force has been effect ed. There are forty-two vessels carry. ing All guns. In the six sQuadrons which are established in different ports. of the world. three Of them are return ing to the United S1ates and src. used as sterwships, leaving the actual cruis- ing force thirty-five vessels. carrying Ss6 guns. The whole number of yes sells in the navy is sO6. mounting 1.743 guns; S3 vessels of every description are in use, armed with l96 guns; the number of enlisted men ia the service. ihciuiingaPprcmtice has bcew reduced to 6.500 An incrcasc of navy yard fx- cilitiev is recommended. which will he promotive of .ecOm1my aud security. A more thorough aud systematic sur vey of the NoEth Tacific ocean is ad- vised in view of ou4 4reccmt acquisition. our extended commerce and. the isii- -creasing intercourse between the Pa ciiic States and Asia.
 The naval p~nsioH fluids. which con sists of . moity of. the avails of cap trree. during the swar, amounts io Sz4,O00.OOO.
 Exception is taken to the act of the 23d July last. which: reduces the inter- est oh the fund ,oan to the Govern ment. by the Secretary as trustee, to three per cent. instead Of six per cent, which was originally stipulated when 4hc investment was made.
 An amendment to the pensiOn laws is suggested to remedy emissions and defects in existing enactment. The expenditures of the Department during the last fiscal year were $40. ,394, and shc estimate for the coming year Amounts 10 $20,993, ,Sl4.
 The Postmaster Generals report furnishes 'ull and clear exhibit of the operations and condition of the postal service. The ordinary postal revenues for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888, was SIG, ,292. GOO, and the total expendi- tnrcs. embracing all the services for which special appropriations have been made by Congress, amounts to $22. 73O, 602, showing an excess 0f expendi- tures of S6.439.991. Deducting from the expenditures the sum of Sl ,S96, ,525, the amount ofappropriations for ocean steamships. and other special service, the excess of expenditures was S4,45l.- l06. leaving all incorporated halamces in treasury, $aS00OO. The actual sun tor which s special appropriation is re- Quircd to meet the defciency is $7ll.- 266. The causes which produce this large excess of expenditure. over revenue, were the restoration vt ser vice in the late insurgent States. and Ihe putting into operation of the new aervice. established by act of Congress, which amounted within the last two months and half to about 4S. 700 miles, equal to more than One-third Ot the whole amount of the service nt the close of the war. The new postal con- ventiOns with Great Britain, North Germany, Belgium. the Netherlands, Switzerland and Italy, respectively. has been carried into effect. Under their provisions important improve ments have resulted in reduced rates of international postage and enlarged 1acilitfes with European countries. The cost of the United States trans- Atlan- tic ocean mail service since January l, 1888. has been largely lessened; under the operation of these new conventions q reduction of over half having been effected under the new arrangements ter ocean steamship service which
 
 attention of Congress is invited to the practical suggestions and recomnenda- tions made in this respect by the Post master General.
 No importnn. question has occurred during the last year. in our accustom- ed cordial and friendly intercourse with Costa Rica. Gautamala, Honduras. San Salvador. France, Austria. Belgium, Switzerland, Portugal,thc Netherlands, Denmark. Sweden, Norway. Rome, Greece, Turkey. Persia, Egypt, Liberia. Morroco. Tripoli. Tumis. Mnscat. Spain, BOrneo and Madagascar. Cordial rela- tions have been maintained with the Argentine and Oriental Republics. The expressed with Of Congress that our national good offices might be ten dered to these Republics, aud also to Brazil and Paraguay, for bringing to m end the calamitOus war which has been so long raging in the Valley oi the 1N Plate, has been assiduously complied with, and kindly acknowi- edged by all tile bclligerents. These important negotiations, however, have thus far been without results. Charles c. Washburne, late United States Ninisterto Paraguay, having resigned, and being desirous to return to the United States, the Rear Admiral com handing the South Atlantic squadron was early directed to send ship oi war to Assumption, the capital ol Paraguay, tO receive MT. Washburne and hia family. and remove them rom . situation which was represented tu be endangered by faction and foreign war. The Brazilian commander of the allied invading forces refused permis- sion to the Wasp to pass through the blockading force, and that vessel returned to it's accustomed anchorage. Remonstrance having been made against this refusal it was promptly overrulcd, and the Wasp therefore Washburnc and his family and convey. ed them to Q safe and convenient port In the meantime an excited contro- versy had arisen between the govern. ment of Paraguay and the late Minis ter, winch it is understood grew out oi the proceedings in giving asylum iil the United States Legation to alleged enemies of that Republic. The qnes- I.on of the rights to give asylum is one . ifficult and one often productive oi
 reat embarrassment in States we'll organized and established. Foreign towers refuse to coucede or exercise that right except as to persons actnnll y leloagiag to diplomatic service. On ne other hand ali such powers insist aipon exercising the right of asylum in 4.ates where the laws of nations are r ot fully acknowledged. respected and cbeyed. The President ot Paraguay Ss understood to have applied to Mr.
 nshburne the ingenious and very aprobabIc charge of personal com plicity in insurrection and treason ; i!le correspondence. however, has not reached the United States. Mir. Wash