The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-12-12
THE WAR DEPARTMENT.

THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
The attention of congress is invite
to the recommendations in the rcpo,
of the secretary of war, herewith a.
companying. The apparent great COZ
of supporting the academy is fully e.
| planned in the report, and it will r,
ceive your attention. While invitin
your great attention to all the recon
menda ions made by the secretary c
war, there are two which / would es
pecially invite you to consider:
First. The importance of preparing
for war in time of peace by providing
the proper armament for our seaooas
defense. A proper armament is of vastl,
more Importance than Notifications
The latter can be supplied very speed
lily for temporary purpose when need
ed. The former cannot.
The second is the necessity of re
opening promotion in the staff corps O
the army. Particularly is this neces
sity felt in the medical, pay and ord
nance departments. At this time it Ii
necessary to employ contract surgeons
to supply the necessary medical atten.
tion required by the army. With the
present force of the pay department, il
is now difficult to make the payments to
troops provided for by law. Long de.
lays in payments are productive of de-
sert ons and decentralization, and the
law prohibits the pay nent of troop by
other than the regular army paymas-
ters. There are now sixteen vacancies
in the ordnance department, lus leav-
ing that branch of the service without
sufficient officers to conduct the busi-
ness of the different arsenals on a large
scale. if ever required.
THE NAVAL DEPARTMENT.
During the past year the navy has
been reduced by the sale of some ves-
sells no longer fit for naval purposes,
and by the condemnation of others not
yet disposed of. This, however, has
been more than compensated 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 doubly favorable time. They
are about being completed, when they
will possibly be much needed, and the
work upon them has not only given en-
ployment to thousands of men, but has
no doubt been the means of keeping
open the establishments for other works
at time of great financial distress.
Since the commencement of last
month, however, the distressing occur
rences which have taken place in the
Caribbean sea, almost on our very sea-
board, while they illustrate most forci-
bly, the necessity always existing, that
nation situated as ours, should main
tain in state of efficiency a navy ade-
quate to its responsibility, has at the
same time demanded that all the effect
i've force we really have shall be put in
service. This has been, and
is being done promptly and effectively,
and am assured that all the available
ships, and every authorized man of the
American navy will be ready for what
ever action is required for
THE SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS
Or the maintenance of our honor. This
Of course will render necessary the ex-
penditure in a short time of some of the
which were calculated to
extend through the fiscal year, but con-
gress will, doubt not, understand and
the emergency, and will pro-
vide adequately not only for the pres
ent preparation, but for the future main
jenance of our naval force. The Bee-
,etary of the navy has during the past
year been quietly putting some of the
most extensive monitors in condition
'or service; and thus the exigency finds
is in a much better condition for work
han we could possibly have been with
)ut this action.
TEE PosToFFIoE.
A complete exhibit is presented in the
report of the postmaster
yeneral of the operations of the post
,fice department during the year. The
ordinary postal revenues for the fiscal
,ear ending June 80, 1873, amounted to
20, 995, TAI. 81, and the expenditures of
IL kinds to $29, ,O84, 94567. The in
rease in the revenue for 1873 was 81
81, ,315 20, and the increase of expendi- |
ures $246, ,578.36. Independent of pay |
nents made from special appropriation |
or mail ocean ship lines, the amount |
rawn from the general treasury to meet |
eficiencies was 1926, SAT. 55. The con- |
tant and rapid extension of our postal |
ervice, particularly upon the railroads,
nd the improved facilities for the col
sction, transmission, distribution and
of the mails which are con-
tantly being provided, account for the
lcreased expenditures of this popular
ranch of the public service.
FIGURATIvE.
The total number of postofices in
on the Both of June, 1873, was
3 .244, a net increase of 1881 over the
umber reported the preceding year.
he number OF presidential offices was
1863, an increase of 163 during the year.
he total length of the railroad mail
)utes at the close of the year was g.
Is. ITO, an increase of 55, ,466 miles over
le year 1872. Fifty-nine railway post
fices lines were in operation on the
9TH of June, 1873, extending over IA,
16 miles of railroad routes and perform
lg an aggregate service of 81, 925 miles.
he number of letters exchanged with
,reign countries was 27, 450, 1856, an in
ease of 999, ,685 over the previous year,
Id the.postage thereon amounted to
!, ,O21, $40. SO, and the total weight of
,rrespondence exchanged in the mails
ith European countries exceeded 912
ms, an increase of 80 tons over the
-evious year, at a total cost of United
tates ocean mail steamship service, in
uding S735, 900 paid from special ap-
to subsidized lines of mail
Gamers, of 81, ,074, 271.35.
New or additional postal connections
ave been concluded with Sweden,
orway, Belgium, Germany, Canada,
ewfoundIand and japan, reducing the
ostal rates on the correspondence ex-
hanged with these countries. Efforts
ave been made to conclude a satisfacto-
? postal convention with France, but
ithout success.
RECOMMENDATIONS SAVINGS
BANKS.
I invite the favorable consideration of
,ngress to the suggestions and recon-
Lendations of the postmaster general
n an extension of the free delivery
7stem in all cities having population
not less than 10000; for the prepay
Ient of postage on newspapers and
5her printed matter of the second
ass for the uniform postage and linn
of weight of miscellaneous matter
n adjusting the compensation of all
not appointed by the presi-
mt by the old method of commissions
d actual receipts of the Office, instead
the present mode of fixing the salary
advance upon special returns, and
specially do urge favorable action by
,ngress on the important recommends
on of the postmaster general for the
Establishment of United States postal
wings depository. Your attention is
CO oo,o;v BALLAD ~ a consideration of | ,