Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-12-02

ment 20 Thousands of men, hut has no doubt
| been the means Of keeping open establishments
| for other work, at ume of great financial
| distress.
Since the commencement of the last month,
however, the distressing occurrences which
| have taken place in the waters of the Caribbean
Sea, almost on our very seabOaTd, while they
| illustrate most forcibly the necessity, always
existing, that nation situated like ours should
maintain in state of possible efficiency a navy
adequate to its responsibilities, has at the same
time demanded that all the effective force we
really have shall be put in immediate readiness
| for warlike service. This has been and is being
! done promptly and effectively, and / am as
sursd that all the available ships aud every au-
| thoriZed man of the American navy will he
| ready for whatever action is required for the
safety of our citizens or the maintenance OF our
| honor.
| This of course will require the expenditure in
| short time of some of the appropriations
| which were calculated to extend through the
| fiscal year; but Congress will, doubt not, and
| deIstand and appreciate the emergency, and
will provide adequately not only for the present
| preparation, but for the future maintenance OF
| our naval force. The Secretary of the Navy
| has during the past year been quietly putting
| some OF our most effective monitors in condi-
| ton for service, and thus the eNigency finds
| in a much better condition for work than we
could possibly have been without his action.
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
! complete exhibit is presented in the accom-
| panying report of the Postmaster General of
| the operations of the Post Office department
during the year. The ordinary postal revenues
for the fiscal year ended June 50, 1873, amounted
| to S22 996,7il.57, and the expenditures of all
kinds to s29.0Si ,9i5.6I. The increase of reve-
nues 1872 was 81 ,Os1 ,3l52O and the increase
of expenditures 81 426 : $3.50.
Independent of the payments made from spe
| clal appropriations for mail steamship lines, the
| amount drawn from the general treasury TO
| meet deficiencies was -, PCS AS.
The constant and rapid extension of our pos
| tai service, particularly upon railways, and the
| improved facilities for the collection, transmits
| sion, distribution and delivery OF the mails,
I which are constantly being provided, account
| for the increased expenditures of this popular
The total number of post Offices in operation
on 30th June, 1873, was 80 pa, net increase OF
year. The number of Presidential Offices was
| 1865, an increase of l65 during the year. The
total length of railroad mail routes, at the close
| of the year, was 63, As, miles, an increase of
| j,5i6 miles over the year 1872. Fifty-nine rail-
| way post Office lines were in operation on 3Oth
June, 1873, extt nding over II 500 miles of rail-
| road routes, and performing an aggregate ser.
| vice of 81 925 miles daily.
The number of letters exchanged with foreign
countries was = i59,ls an increase of 096,GS5
| over the previous year, and the postage thereon
| amounted 10 -, 021 ,31OS5. The total weight of
| correspondence exchanged in the mails with
| European countries exceeded 9l2 tons, an in
| crease of - tons over the previous year.
| The total cost OF the United States ocean mail
| steamship service, including ~125, oU0 paid from
special appropriations TO subsidized lines OF mail
| steamers, was ~ ,GiT Lbs.
| New or additional postal conventions have
| been concluded with Sweden, Norway, Belgium,
| Germany, Canada, Newfoundland and Japan,
| reducing postage rates on correspondence eN-
| changed with those countries; and further eff
| forts have been made to conclude a satisfactory
| postal postal convention with France, but with
| out success.
invite the favorable consideration of Con-
| gress to the sugges tons and recommendations of
| the Postmaster General, Tor an extension of the
free delivery sySte m in all cities having popu
| latiOn OF not less than ten thousand; for the
| prepay ment of postage on newspapers and other
| printed matter of the second class; for a uni
| form postage and limit of weight on miscellane-
Gus matter; Tor adjusting the compensation OF
| all postmasters not apI Ointed by the President,
| by the old method OF commissions on the actual
| receipts of the Office, instead OF the present
| mode OF fixing the salary in advance, upon spe-
| Cial returns; and specially do / urge favorable
action by Congress on the important recon-
! mendatiOns of the Postmaster General Tor the
| establishment OF United States Postal Savings
| Repositories.
Your ttCntion is also again called to a con-
| sideratiOn of the question or postal telegraphs
and the arguments adduced in support thereof,
IN the hope that you may take such action in
| connection herewith i'm your Judgment will
most contribute TO the best interests of the coun-
| Try.
| DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
Affairs in tab require your early aud special
| attention. The Supreme Court OF the United
| decided that the United States Marshal Of tnat
| Territory could not lawfully summon jurors for
| The district courts; and those courts hold that
| the Territorial Marshal cannot lawfully per-
| form that duty, because ne is elected bv the
| Legislative Assembly, and not appointed as pro-
vded for in the act organizing the Territory.
| All proceedings at law are practically abolished
| by these decisions, and there have been but few
! or no jury trials III the district courts of that
| Territory since the last session OF Congress
Property is left without protection BY the courts
| and crimes 60 UNPUBLISHED. Toprevent anarchy
| there, it is absolutely necessary that Congress
| provide the cOuI Is with some mode of obtaining
| jurors, and / recommend legislation to that
| end; and also that the probate courts of the
| Territory, now assuming TO issue writs of in
| junction and habeas corpus, and to try criminal
cases and questions as TO land titles, be denied
aljuTlsdiction not possessed ordinarily by courts
of that description.
| have become impressed with the belief th al
the act approved March 2, 1866, entitled IAN
| act to establish a Uniform system OF bankruptcy
| throughout the United States is productive
! OF more evil than good at this time Many
considerations might be urged for its total re-
peal; but If this is not considered advisable,
| think it will not be seriously questioned that
| those portions of said act providing for what is
| called involuntary bankruptcy operate to in
| crease the financial embarrassments of the
| country. Careful and prudent men very often
| become involved in debt in the transaction of
| their business, and though they may possess
| ample property, If it could be made available
for that purpose, TO meet all their liabilities,
yet, on account of the extraordinary scarcity of
money, they may be unable TO meet all their
| pecuniary obligations they become due in
| consequence of which they are liable to be
Frustrated in their business by proceedings in
bankruptcy at the instance Of unrelenting cred
/ itors.
People are now so easily alarmed as to None
| tary matters that the mere fling of petition IN
! bankruptcy by an unfriendly creditor will ne
| cessarly embarraSs, and oftentimes accomplish
the financial ruin of responsible business man.
Those who otherwise mi ht make lawful and
| just arrangements to relieve themselves from
difficulties produced by the present strinyency
| IN money, are prevented by their constant ex-
| posture to attack and disappointment by pro-
ceedings against them in bankruptcy; and, be-
| side the law is made use of in many cases by
obdurate creditors to Brighten or force debtors
| into compliance with their wishes, and into
acts OF injustice to other creditors and to them
selves. recommend that so much of said act
| AS provides for involuntary bankruptcy on ac-
| count OF the suspension of payment be repealed
Your careful attention Is invited to the sub
| jeet of claims against the government, and the
| facilities afforded by existing laws for their
prosecution. Each of the departments of State.
| Treasury and War, have demands for many
millions of dollars upon their files and they are
rapidly accommodating To these may be added
those now pending before Congress, the Court
of Claims, and the Southern Claims Commits
sloD, making in the aggregate an immene sum.
Most OF these grow out of the rebellion, and are
intended to indemnify persons on both sides for
their losses during the war; and not few Of !
them are fabricated and supported by false |