Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-12-03

I TEIJUTL DJIfgIts5
Cay tor its better guidance in legislating on the
important subject The railways Of the country
| nave been rapidly extended during the last Few
years to meet the growing demands Of produ-
GERS, and reflect much credit upon the capitalists
and managers engaged in their construction.
Niagara Ship Canal.
In addition to these project to facilitate
| commerce by the building of ship canal
| around Niagara Falls on the United States SIDE,
| which has been agitated for many years, Will No
| doubt be called to yydr attention this session.
A Stunning Coast Canal.
Looking to the great future of the country and
| the unceasiDg demands of commerce it might
be well, while on this subject not only to nave
examined and reported upon the various praefi-
| cal routes Tor connecting the Mississippi with
tide water on the Atlantic, but the feasibility oil
an almost continuous laHd-Ioeked navigation
| from Maine to the Gulf OF Mexico. such d
| route along our coast would be of great value al
| all times aud Of iuestimable value ia case of =
| foreign war. Nature has provided the greater
part of this route and the obstacles to be over
| come are easily within the skill of engineers.
nave not alluded to this subject with the view OF
| having any further expenditure OF pubilc money
| at this time than may be necessary to procuse
| and place all the necessary information before
| Congress in an authentic form to enable it here
aiter, If deemed practicable aud worthy, to leg
| lsiate on the subject without delay.
Our Decrep;d Navy.
The report of the Secretary Of the Navy, here
with accompanying, explains fully the condition
| OF that branch of the public service, its wants
and deficiencies, the expenses incurred during
the past year and appropriations for the same.
1t also gives a complete history Of the services ot
the Navy for the past year in addition to its reg-
lar services 1t is evident unless steps are tasea
| to preserve Our Navy that in very few years
| the United States win be the weakest nation up
on the ocean Of al the great powers With an
energetic, progressive, business people IKE
ours, penetrating and forming business relations
| with every part OF the world, navy strong
! en-upl tn command the rPgUeCt flag
| abroad Is necessary for the pro .ection Of their
| rights. 1recOmmend careful consideration by
| Congress of the recommendations made by the
| Secretary of the Navy.
The Postal Department..
The accompanying report of the Postmaster
| General furnishes full and satisfactory exhibit
| of he operations Of the POstOftice Department
| during the year. The ordinary revenue of the
| department for the fiscal year ending June 80,
1872, amounted to S2 9l5 32637; the expenditures
| S26, ,658, 1921. Compared with the previous hs-
cal year, the increase OF revenue was 81 siS $780,
50, or 9.37 per cent of the increase Of expendi-
lures, 81, ,26S Oss 49, or 9-29 per cent, adding to
| the ordinary revenues the annual appreciation
! of 500 900 for free matter and the amount paid
| to the subsidies on NAL steamship lines from
special appropriations the deficiency paid out Of
the general Treasury was g ,317 1884, an excess
OF $3.50, ,707 35 over the deficiency for the year
| 1871
Interesting statistical information relating to
our rapidly extending postal service Is furnish
| ed in this report. The total length of railroad
mail routes on the 18th of June, 1872 was 81 ,9l1
miles, 8,U77 additional miles OF such service hay-
| ing been put into operation during the year.
Eight new lines of railway pOstoftices have been
established with an aggregate length of OF 800
miles. The nAmber OF letters exchanged in the
mails with foreign countries was "a 49,, ,5OO an in
| crease Of 4O66, ,5O2, or twenty per cent over the
number In 1871, and the postage thereon amounts
to SI,S7l, ,95i .25. The total weight Of the mails
exchanged with European countries exceeded
SO tons. The cost Of the United States trans
Atlantic mail steamship service was S25O, ,3OlT1.
The total cost of the United States ocean steam
ship service, including the amounts paid 10 the
subsidized lines of mall steamers was 81 ,0Z ,O2J-
81
Mere Subsidies Wanted.
The following are the only steamship lines DOW
receiving subsidies FOR mail service under special
acts of Congress: The Pacific Mail Steamship
Company receive $500. 600 per annum for carry
ing monthly mali between san Francisco, Ja-
pan and China, which will be increased TO 81,
900, 900 per annum for semi monthly mail on and
after Oct. !, 1873 The United States and Brazil
Mail teamship Company receive $4,000 per
annum for carrying Il monthly mai between
Rio de JaneTiO, Brazil and the California,
Oregon and Mexican Steamship Company re-
ceive $4,000 per annum for carrying q monthly
mail between San Francisco aud Honolulu, ha-
waiian Islands, making the total amount OF mail
steamship subsidies at present, $4,000 per an
nun.
cur postal communications with Gll parts Of
the civilized world have been plac=d upon a
tai conventions and arrangements recently con
cluded with the leading commercial countries Of
Europe and America; and the gratifying state
mgnt is made with the conclusion OF a satiSfac-
tory convention WITH France, the details of which
have been definitely agreed to by the head of the
French Postal Department., subject TO the ap-
proval Of the Minister of Finance, and little re-
mains 10 be accomplished by treaty for some
time to come in respect to reduction OF rates Or
improved facilities for postal intercourse.
Your favorable consideration isrespectGully in
80
master Generator an increase or the service
from monthly to sem-monthly trips ON the mail
steamship route to Brazil; for a subsidy inside OF
the establishment of an American line OF Tual
steamers between San Francisco, New Zealand
and Australia; for the established OF pOstOffice
savings banks and for the increase OF the salaries
of the heads Of bureaus.
The FrsBEsinS Privilege.
/ have heretofore recommended the abolition
OF the tranking privilege, and sec no reason now
for changing my views on that subject 1t not
having been fayOTabiy regarded by Con-
+ gress, however, l now suggest modification o.
the privilege to correct its glariDg and costly
abuse
would recommend, also, the appointment Of
4 committee or commission to take into cOnSif-
Grafton the best method, equitable to private
corporations who have invested thcr time and
capital IN the establishment of telegraph lines,
OF acquiring the title to all telegraph lines now
in operation, and Of connecting this service with
the postal leJyice OF the nation. 1t is not prob
able that this subject could receive the proper
con sideTatiOn during the limits Of the short ses
sion OF Congress, but 1t 1ray be initiated so that
further action may be fair TO the Government
and to the private parties concerned.
More Pap for a PROSTATE Commerce.
There 4re but three lines of Ocesn steamers,
namely The Pacific Mail Steamship Co., be-
tween San Francisco China and Japan, With
provision made Tor semi-mOntnly service after
Oct 1, 1872; the United stat and Brazil line,
II -
Australia line. monthly, plying betseen the
United States and foreign ports, and owned and
operated under our fsg. Earnestly recommend
that such liberal cont acts fer carrying the mails
ne authorized with these tines as will insure
their continuance. If the expediepcy Of extend
ing the sid OF the Government to lines Of steam
ers which hitherto have not received ii, should
be deemed worthy Of the consideration of Con-
gress, political and commercial objects make it
advisable to bestgw such aid ON 4 Ii
under our flag between Panama and the
Western South American ports. By this
means much trade now diverted TO other cOun-
tries might be brought TO Us, TO The mutual ad-
vantage OF this country ana those lying in that
quarter of the continent of America. The re-
port of the Secretary of the Treasury will show
an alarming falling of in our carrying trade tor
the last ten or twelve years and even Tor the past
year. do not believe that the public treasure
can be better expended in the interest OF the
whole people than in trying to recover this n SGe
An expenditure Of S5, ,000, goo per annum for the
next tive years if it would restore to us our pro-
urtiOn Of the carrying trade OF the world, would
be prO6tably expended. The price OF labor in
Europe has been 50 much exhausted within the
last few years that the cost of building and
operating ocean steamers in the United States is
not so much greater than in Europe that / be-
lieye the time has arrived for Congress to take
this subject into serious consideration.
The Department of fJustice-Ku.KIux
A detailed statement of the disbursements
through the Department o. Justice will be fur
nished by the report Of the Attorney General; and
though these have been somewhat increased by
tine recent acts Of Congress TO enforce the rights
of citizens OF the United States to vote in the
several States Of the Union, and to enforce the
provisions of the fourteenth amendment to the
Constitution of the United States, vet they are
justified by their necessity and by the salutary ef
feet of these enraiment-. Reckless sud lawless
men, I regret to say, have associated themselves
together in some localities to deprive other citizens
OF the rights guaranteed to them by the COnsti-
tuition of the United States, and TO that end have
committed deeds of violence But the
prevention and punishment of many
OF these persons have tended greatly TO
the repression of sHch disorders. / do not doubt
that great majorityOf the people in All parts OF
the country favor the full enjoyment BY all class
eS OF persons OF those rights 10 which they are
entitled under Constitution and the laws and I
invoke the aid and influence of all good citizens
10 prevent organizations whose objects are by
unlawful means to intetere with those rights. i
look with confidence to the time not far distant
when the obvious advantages of good order and
peace will induce an abandonment of all cOmbi-
nations prohibited by the acts referred to, and
when it will be unnecessary to carry on prOsecu-
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