Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-12-05

| Al. 5.
o ID The e,nenditures of all kinds to $685.
osI ea5 The increase of revenues over
Is72 was Il .O8I ,3I5, and the increase Of ex-
nenditnres 90 .426, 1853. Independent OF the
PAYMENTS made from special appropriations
far mail steamship lines, the amount drawn
from the general treasury to meet dens'ene l;I
was 81 2i5 ATS. The constant ana raPiu
extension of our postal service particn,l.ary
nnon railways. and the improved iaeilities
far the collection, Transmission, Distribution
and delivery of the mails which are cons
tantiy being provided, account Tor the ih-
creased expenditures OF tins PoPutaII
branch Of the public service. lhe '''a,
number of postofices in operation on gu
the Both Of June, 1873, was -
net increase Of l,35l over Ine
number reported the preceding year.
The number of special olhces was
/ 363 an increase of los during the
wear. The total length of the railroad
mail routes at the close of the year was u.s.,
4j7 miles, an increase of $40 miles over
the wear 1872. FiftY-nine railway post
office lines were in operation on the 10Th oil
June, 1873, extending over Ia 500 miles OF
railroad routes and performing an aggre-
cate service of 30 ,92j miles daily. The
number of letters exchanged with foreign
countries was y, l59, lSj, an increase
! of 3 .O96 ,6S5 over the previous year
and the postage thereon amounted 10
| s.. O2l, 3IO.56. The total weight oil letters
EXCHANGED in the mails with European
countries exceeded 9l2 tons an increase OF " 2
| tons over the previous year. total COST OF
/ the limited States ocean mail steamship
service, including S725, 200 paid from
| special appropriations to subsidize lines Oh
mail steamers, was 81, 0i7 ,27l. New and
and additional postal conventions nave
| been concluded with Sweden, Nor
way. Belgium, Germany, Canada, Ne"
| fonndland and Japan. reducing postage
rates on correspondence exchanged with
| those countries, and further efforts have
| been made to conclude satisfactory
postal convention with France, bat without
| success. invite the favorable eonsidera-
| ton Of Congress to the suggestions anu
recommendations of the postmlster-gen
| far an extension of the free delivery system
| in all cities having a population of not less
| than 10 600; for the payment Of postage on
| newspapers and other printed matter oil the
second class; for a uniform postage ana
| limit of weight on miscellaneous matter;
| for adjusting the compensation OF
all postmasters not appointed by the
! President by the old method OF
/ commission on the actual receipts Of the
/ office, instead Of the present mode OF liking
| the salary in advance upon special returns
and specially do | urge favorable action by
/ Congress on the important accommodation
/ of the postmaster general for the establish
/ ment Of United States postal savings depOsi-
tories Your attention Is also called again
/ to a consideration of the question of postal
/ telegraphs and the arguments advanced IN
support thereof, in the hope that You may
| take such action in connection Herewith As
| in your judgment will most contribute TO
the best interests Of the country.
renew recommendation made in my
message of December, 1870, that Congress
authorize the postmaster-general to issue
all commissions to officials appointed
through his department
AFFAIRS IN UTAH.
Affairs in | tab require your early and
special attention. The Supreme Court OF
the United States in the case of Clinton V.
Englebrecht decided that the United States
Marshal Of that territory could not lawfully
summon jurors for the district courts. and
these courts hold that the territorial mar
shall cannot lawfully perform that duty be
cause he is elected by the legislative assem-
bly, and not appointed as provided for in
the act organizing the territory. All pro
ceedings at law are practically abolished by
these decisions, and there have been few or no
Jury trials since the last session of Congress.
Property is left without protection BY the
courts and crimes 90 unpunished. To pre-
vent anarchy there, il Is absolutely neces-
Sary that Congress provide the courts with
some mode Of obtaining jurors, and re-
commend legislation to that end, and also
that the probate courts Of the territory now
assuming to issue writs of injunction and
habaas corpus and to try criminal cases and
in4uisitions a 70 land titles, he denied
all jurisdiction not possessed ordinarily
by courts of that description.
THE BANERUPTcY LAWS.
have become impressed with the belief
that the act approved March ,, ls67. en-
titled an act 10 establish Uniform system
Of bankruptcy.in courts Of the United States
Is productive Of more evil than good
Ii is true many considerations might
be urged for it, total repeal. but
# this IS not considered advisable
| think it viii not be seriously questioned
that those portions Of said act providing
for what i called involuntary bankruptcy
operate to increase the financial EN-
barrassments 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 purposes, 10 meet all their
nary scarcity of money they may be unable
to meet all their pecuniary obligations rs
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 creditors. The |
people are now 50 easily alarmed Is To mon /
etary matters that the mere filing of |
petition in bankruptcy By an uniriendly |
creditor VIII necessarily embarraSs and /
oftentimes accomplish the financial ruin |
Of a responsible business man. Those |
who otherwise might mike lawful and /
lust arrangements 10 relieve themselves /
from difficulties produced by the present !
,tringency in money are prev ented by their l
constant exposure to attack and disappOint !
ment by proceedings against them in bank /
ruptcy, and besides the law i made use Of /
in many cases by Obdurate creditors 10
riahten or force debtors into a compliance 4
with their wishes and into acts of injustice |
to other creditors and 10 them selves | re- 4
commend that so much OF said a2t Is pro- 1
vides for involuntary bankruptcy on ac-
count Of ;he suspension Of payment be re-
peaied.
CLANS AGAINST The GOVERNMENT.
Your careful attention i invited to the
subject 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
commission, making in the aggregate an
immense sum. Most Of these grow out Of 1
the rebellion and are made BY persons on
both sides for their losses during the war,
and not few OF them are fabricated and |
supported by false testimony Projects are
on foot, it Is believed, to induce Congress to
provide for new classes of claims and to re-
move old ones through the repeal or modif-
sltion of the statute of limitations BY which
they are now barred. | presume these
schemes il proposed will be received with
little favor by Congress, and recommend
that persons having claims against the
United States eOgnizable By any tribunal or
department thereof be required to present
them At an early day, and that legislation
be directed as far rs practicable t. defeat IN
founded and unjust demand upon the
government. ! would suggest a. a mean
OF preventing fraud that witnesses De called
an in appear in person to testify before the
tribunals having claims before them Tor
THE DEPARTMENT o. JUSTICE.
You will be advised of the operations ,f
the department of justice by the report Of
the attorney general. and invite
your attention 10 the amendments L,
existing laws suggested by him, with view
OF reducing the expenses of his department.
THE INDIAN QUESTION.
In the department Of the interior. the
policy inangurated towards the Indians at
the beginning of the last administration has
been steadily pushed, and | believe with
beneficial results. 1t will he continued
with only such notifications As time
and experience may demonstrate as
necessary. With the eneroachment Of
civilization upon Indian reservations
and hunting grounds, disturbances have
lac haftr . L. II /