The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1873-12-18
NUMBER 41.aad
lat and

laws, and the opening OF more mlnts
for coming money, with authority to
coin for such nations as may apply.
THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
The attention Of congress is invited
to the recommendations in the report OF
the secretary of war, herewith accom-
panying. The apparent great cost OF
supporting the academy is fully ex-
planned in the report, and it will receive
your attention. While inviting your
great attention to all the recommends
tions made by the secretary of war,
there are two which | would especially
invite you TO consider:
First. The Importance of preparing
for war in time Of peace by providing
! the proper armament for our sca-coast
defense. A proper armament is of vast
ly more Importance than Notifications.
The latter can be supplied very speedily
for temporary purpose when needed.
| The former cannot.
The second is the necessity of re-
opening promotion in the staff corps OF
the army. Particularly is this necessi-
ty felt in the medical, pay and ordnance
departments. At this time it is neces-
sary to employ contract surgeons to
supply the necessary medical attention
required by the army. With the pres
ent force of the pay department, it is
now difficult to make the payments to
troops provided by law. Long delays
in payments are productive Of deser-
tions and decentralization, and the law
prohibits the payment of troops by 9TH
er than the regular army paymasters.
There are now 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 large scale, if ev-
er required.
| THE NAVAL DEPARTMENT.
During the past year the navy has
been reduced by the sale of some YES
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 re-
pair 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 occur
red 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 i'll the
caribbean sea, almost on our very sea-
board, while they illustrate most forci-
BILE the necessity always existing, that a
nation situated as ours, should maintain
l in state Of efficiency navy adequate
to its responsibilities, has Mt the same
time demanded that all the effective
= force we really have shall be put in i'm
t mediate 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
t American navy will be ready for what
I ever action is required for
= TIE SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS,
n or the maintenance of our honor. This,
t of course, will render necessary the ex-
4 penditure in a short time of some Of the
+ appropriations which were calculated to
I extend through the fiscal year, but con-
gress will doubt not, understand and
: appreciate the emergency and will pro-
, vide adequately not only for the pre-
, paration, but for the future mainten-
= ence of our naval force. The secretary
of the navy has during the past year
been quietly putting some OF the most
: extensive monitors in condition for SER
J vice and thus the exigency finds us in
much better condition for work than
t we could possibly have been without
: his action.
= THE PoSToFFICE.
: A complete exhibit is presented in the
: accompanying report of the postmaster
Q general of the operations of the post
: Office department during the year. The
ordinary postal revenues for the fiscal
}. wear ending June 30, 1873 amounted tc
l. 800, ,995, TAI 81, and the expenditures o.
n all kinds to S26,0S4, ,945. 81. The in
h crease in the revenue for 1873 was 81,
o OS1 ,315 50, and the increase in expendi
1. lures $246, ,5S7.36. Independent Of pay
l. ments made from special appropriation
10 for mail ocean ship lines, the amoun
Is drawn from the general treasury to NEE
N deficiencies was $246, ,547.55. The con
is stant and rapid extension of our posta
T. service, particularly upon the railroad
10 and the improved facilities for the col
ii lection, transmission, distribution and
70 delivery of the mails which are con
y stantly being provided, account for the
o increased expenditures of this popular
e branch of the public service.
l. FIGURATIvE.
s The total number of postoffices in OPP
p Grafton on the 30th of June, 1873, was
It 30, pa, net increase OF 1881 over the
y number reported the preceding year.
h The number of presidential offices was
II | 1868, an increase of 163 during the
ii wear. The total length of the railroad
k mail routes at the close of the year was
3 6,3i5, ITO, an increase of 50, 4G6 miles
II over the year 1872. Fifty-nine railway
o postofice lines were in operation on the
o 3Oth of June, 1873, extending over H.
n S66 miles of railroad routes and per-
# forming an aggregate service OF 34,92o
: miles. The number of letters exchanged
), with foreign countries was 27,45O, l55,
|. an increase of 800, 6S5 over the previous
o wear, and the postage thereon amounted
o to 81 2.O21, $40. Sc, and the total weight
: of correspondence exchanged in thu
mails with European countries exceede,
9l2 tons, an increase OF " tons over tn
i previous year, at total cost of Unite,
! States ocean mail steamship service
$ including S735,s00 paid from specia
appropriations to subsidized lines O
l. mail steamers, of 81 l,0i7,271.35.
1t New or additional postal connection
a. have been concluded with Sweden, Nol
Of way, Belgium, Germany, Canada, New
s- foundland and Japan, reducing the pos
th tai rates on the correspondence eS
re changed with these countries. Effort
IL have been made to conclude satisfac
L xs-i4h E,ranNa lII