The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-12-12
so.

: The State of New York has /:
4 canal connecting Lake Erie with
!. tide water on the Hudson riYer.
J, The state Of Illinois has q similar
canal connecting Lake Michigsr
!, with nayigable water on the /
7 inois river, thus making watel
+ commRnication inland betwee I
the East and West, North apG
, South. These great artificial wa
ter courses are the property oil
l the States through which they pass
/ and pay toll to those States
, Would it not be wise statesman.
/ ship to pledge these States that il
} they will open these canals for the
} passage of large vessels, the Gov.
: ernment will look after and keen
. in nayigable condition the great
} public highway with which they
connect, to wit: The overslough
. on the Hudson, the st. Clair flats
/ and the Illinois and Mississippi
, rivers? This would be National
work, one of great value
to the producers of the
West and South, giving them
J cheap transportation for their
produce to the eastward, and a
; market. To the consumer in the
East, in giving them cheaper de-
livery Of those articles of food
which do not find a foreign
market, and prices which there
fore are not regulated by foreign
demands, the advantages of such
work are too obvious for argu-
ment. I submit this subject to
you, therefore, without further
comment.
In attempting to regain our lost
commerce and carrying trade, /
have heretofore called attention
to the States south of us, as offer
ing field where much might be
accomplished. To further this OBJ
ject I suggest that small appro-
priatlon be made, accompanied
with authority for the SECRETARY
of the Navy to fit out a naval
vessel to ascend the Amazon river.
to the Madeira, thence to explore
that river and its tributaries into
Bolivia, aid to report to Congress
at its next session, or as soon as
practicable, the accessibility of
the country by water, its resour-
ecs, and the population SO reach
ed. Such an exploration will cost
but little, it can do no harm, and
may result in establishing a trade
of value to both nations.
" fa1v hnr n44-A4xs4a 81
Treasury Department, I wonld
reeomend revision and codilica-
ton of the tariff law, and the
opening of more minis for coming
money, with authority to coin for
such nations as may apply.
WAR DEPARTMENT.
The action of Congress is invited
to the recommendations in the re-
port of the Secretary of War, here
with accompanying. The apparent
great cost of supporting the Ma
tional Academy is fully explained
in the report, and will receive your
attention.
While waiting your attention to |
all the recommendations made by |
the Secretary of War, there are two |
which l would especially invite /
you to consider. First, the impor-
lance of preparing for war in time |
of peace, by providing proper
armament for our sea coass defeh-
ses. Proper armament is of vastly |
more Importance than fortified
tons. The latter can be supplied
very speedily for temporary pur-
pose, when needed; the former
cauuot. The second is the necessity
of reopening promotion in the staff
corps of the army. Particularly is
this necessity felt in the medical,
pay and ordnance departments. At
this time it is necessary to employ
contract surgeons to supply the
necessary medical attention re-
CURED by the army. With the pres
ent force Of the pay department it
is now difficult to make the paw
ments in troops provided for by
law. Long delays in payments are
productive of assertions and de-
mOraIizatiOn, and the law prohibits
tho payment of troops by other
than regular army paymasters.
There are sixteen vacancies in the
ordnance department, thus leaving
that branch of the service without
sufficient officers to conduct the
business of the different arsenals on
a large scale, If ever required.
NAVAL DEPARTMENT.
During the past year the navy
has been reduced by the sale of
some vessels no longer fit for naval
purposes, and by the condemnation
of others not yet disposed of. This,
hnUnU0R hoo ham fhon
pensated for by the repair of six of
the old wooden ships, and by the
building OF eight new sloops of war,
authorized by the last Congress.
The building of these latter has oc-
Cured at q doublY fortunate time.
They are about being completed,
when they will possibly be much
needed, and the work upon them
has not only given employment 10
thousands of men, but has no doubt
been the means of keeping open
establishments for other work at q
time of great financial distress.
Since the commencement of last
month, however, the distressing oe-
currences which have taken place in
the waters of the Caribbean sea, al.
most On our very seaboard, while
they illustrate most forcibly the /
necessity always existing that ma
ton situated as ours shOnld main
tain in state of efficiency Q navy
adequate to its responsibility, has
at the same time demanded that sill |
the effective force we really have |
shall be put in immediate readiness
for Warlike service. This has been
and Is being done, promptly and CT
fectively, and / am assured that all |
the available ships and every au.
thorized man of the American navy
will be ready for whatever action is |
required for the safety Of our cities,
or the maintenance of our honor. |
This of course, will require the ex-
penditure ia short time of some |
of the appropriations which were
calculated to extend through the |
present year, but Congress will, ] |
doubt not, understand and appreci- |
ate the emergency, and not only |
provide adequately for the present |
preparation, but for the future |
maintenance of our naval force.
The Secretary of the Navy has, du-
ring the past year, been quietly put
ing some Of our most extensive
monitors in readiness for service,
and thus the EFFICIENCY find rs In q
much better condition for work than |
We could possibly have been with
out his action.
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
A complete exhibit is presented
in the accompanying report of the |
Post Master General, of she opera
tons Of the Post Office Department |
during the year. The ordinary pos
tai revenues for the fiacal year end
ing June 80, 1873, amounted TO $22-
996, TAI 81, and the expenditures of
all kinds to S29, O64 ,945 81. The in