The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-12-13

tions and report of the signal Office have
been continued; stations have beer
maintained at each of the principal lake
seaport, and river cities !; ten additiona.
stations havez been, established in the
United States I; arrangements have beer
made for the exchange of reports viii
care; and similm exchange Of observs
tions is contemplated with the West In
diaf Islands GIL - -
The favorable attention of Congress il
invited to the following decentralization
of the Secretary of War IA discontinu
ance of the appointment of extra lieu.
tenants to serve as adjutants and quar-.
ter-masters the adoption of code pro.
eviding specific penalty Of well defined
Offences, so that the inequality. OF sen,
tences adjudged by court-martials may
be adjusted. The consolidation of ac-
counts under which expenditures are
made as O measure of economy: re.
appropriation of tie Nancy for the con-
struction of q depot at San Antopia,
the title 70 the site being how perfected;
aspeciaf act placing The Cemetery at the
city of Mexico on the same basis as other
national cemeteries authority to prr.
chase sites for military posts in Texas
the appointment of commissary-sergean
from non-commissioned officers, as a
measure for securing the better Care and
protection of supplies; anappropriation
of the catalogues, tables of the anatomi-
cal section of the army medical museum,
a re-appropriation of the amount for the
manufacturing of breach-loading arms,
obau11 tba aralaof;o., ~ On Jalorod ~,
the board of officers as to leave the for
mer appropriations expended at the
close of the fiscal year. The sale of
such arsenals east of the Mississippi as
can be spared, and the proceeds to be
applied to the establishment of one large
arsenal of construction andSfepair upon
the Atlantic coast, and the purchase of a
suitable site for proving and expiri-
mental ground for heavy ORDNANCE; the
abrogation of laws which deprive inven-
tors of the United States service from
deriving any benefit from their inven-
tions the repeal of the law prohibiting
promotions m the staff corps continu-
ance of the work upon the coast de-
fenses the repeal of the seventh section
of the act of July 13, 1866, taking from
from engineer soldiers the per, diem
granted to other troops limitation of
the time for the presentation of subsis-
tence supplies, under act of July 4, 1866,
and modification in the mode of the
selection of cadets for the Military Acad-
envy in order to enhance the usefulness
of the academy, which is impaired by
reason of the large amount of time ne
cessarily expended in giving new cadets
a. thorough knowledge of, the mere ele-
mentary branches of learning which they
should acquire before entering the
academy also an appropriation for phi
losophical apparatus and an increase in
the number and the pay of Military
Academy Band. =
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., ~
! The attention Of Congress will be
called during its present session to vari-
ous enterprises for the more certain and
cheaper transportation of the constantly
increasing surplus of the Western and
Southern products to the Atlantic Sea,
Board. The subject is one that will
force itself upon the Legislative branch
of the Government, sooner or later, and
I suggest that immediate steps be taken
to gain all necessary information rela-
tive to the route to connect the Missis-
sippi valley with the -Atlantic, with
Charleston, South Carolina, and Savan-
M, Ga, by. water by way of and Ohio
and Tennessee river. Canals and slack
water navigation to the Savannah the
Ocomulgee rivers have been surveyed,
and report made by an accomplished
engineer officer of the army. A second
and third route Will be proposed for the
of Congress-, namely, by
the extension of the Kanahawa and
James River Canal 10 the Ohio, and by
the extension of the Chesapeake and
Ohio Canal. / am not prepared to re-
Government aid to these or
other enterprises until it is clearly
shown that they are not only of National
but that whencompleted they
will be of value commensurate with
their cost. ,-.s7.-.,
That production increases more rapid
ly than the means of transportation in
our country, h& been demonstrated by
past experience. That the rapid growth |
in population and the products of the |
will require additional facilities,
cheaper means for the more bulky arti-
cles of commerce to reach tide water,
and a market will be demanded in the
near future, is equally demonstrated.
I would, therefore, suggest either a
committee or commission to be author
lied to consider this whole question, and
to report to Congress at some future day
for its better guidance in legislating on
the important subject. The railroads |
of the country have been gradually ex-
tended during the last few years, to
meet the growing demands of the pro-
ducers, and reflect much credit upon
the capitalists and managers engaged
in this construction. In addition to
these, a project to facilitate commerce
by the building of a ship canal around
Niagara Falls on the United States side,
which has been agitated for many years, |
will no doubt, be called to your atten-,
tionthis session. Looking to the great
future of the country, it might be well
while on this subject, not only to have
exaroined and reported upon, the vari-
our practical rules for connecting the
Mississippi with tide water on the At
lantic, but the possibility Of an almost
continuous land-locked navigation from
Maine to the Gulf Of. Mexico.- Such a
route, along our coast wOuld-be- of great
value at all times, and, of niestimable
value in case of q foreign war;: Nature
has provided the. greater part OF. this
route and the obstacles to be overcome
are easily within the skill of engineers.
1 have now alluded to this subject with
the view of not having any further ex-
penditure of public money at this time
other than may be necessary to procure
and place all the necessary information
before Congressin an authentic form to
enable it hereafter, if deemed practica-
bic and worthy, to legislate on the sub
iect without delay. - E. ..,i \. =, . s'iiq1 je.
-,1-e -, ID NAVY DEPARTMENT. t.,.5a-l,f
Z The report of the Secretary of the
Navy herewith ACCOMPANYING, explains
fully the condition of that branch of the
public service, its wants and Deficiencies,
expenses incurred during the past year,
and appropriations for the same, 1t
also gives complete history Of the ser
vices of the navy for the past year in
addition to its regular services. 1t is
estimated that unless steps are taken to
preserve our navy that in very few
wears the United States will be, the
weakest nation upon the ocean. Of all
great powers. With an energetic, pro-
eressiye, business people like ours, pen
etrating and forming business relations
with every part of the known world,
navy strong enough 70 command the