Connecticut western news., 1873-12-12

sal pay ana ordnance departments. At this tune It is necessary to employ contract sur geons to supply the necessary rnedlcal attend ance required by the army. With the present torce ol the pay department It is now difficult to make the payments to troops provided for 5y t, lay. W Long delays in payments are produe- live or assertions and other demOralizatlOn, ana the law prohibits the payment of troops oy other than regular army paymasters.
 There are now sixteen vacancies Tn tho Ord nance Department. thus leaving that branch of the service without sufficient officers to conduct the business of the different arsenals on large scale, If ever required.
 TIE NAvT DEPARTMENT.
 During the past year our Navy has been de- oleted by the sale Of some vessels no loDger it for naval service and by the condemua of others not yet disposed of. This. however, las been more than compensated for by the repair of SIX Of the old wooden ships and by 5hOrized by the last Congress.
 The building of the latter has occurred at a 1oubIy fortunate time. They are about being completed at a time when they may possibly be much needed. and the work upon them has not only gwen direct employment to thou sands of men. but has no doubt been the means of keeping open establishments for other work 1t time of great fioancial distress.
 Since the commencement of the last month. however, tue distressing occurrences which have taken place In the waters Of the Carlo. oean Sea, almost on our very seaboard. while they illustrate most forcibly the necessity al- ways existing that a patton situated like ours should maintain III state of possible eficlen- oy navy adequate to us resr ons bilities. has 1t the same time demanded that all the effec. tive force we really have shall be put in imme- 1Iate readiness for wariIke servlce. This has been and IS now being done promptly and eff. iectively. and am assured that all the avall' able ships, and every authorized man of the American navy will be ready for whatever &C., tion is required fer the safety of our cIJlzens or the maintenance of our honor.
 This of course will require the expenditure in short tune ot course of the appropriations which were calculated to extend through the fiscal year. but Congress will, I doubt not: understand and appreclste the emergency and will provide adequately not only for the present. preparation but for the future main tenanoe of our naval force.
 The Secretary of the Navy has, during the past year. been quietly putting some of our most effective monitors in condition for seP- better condition for work than VIC could pos. slDly have been without hls action.
 PosT-oFFICE DEPARTMENT.
 A complete exhibit IS presented in the ac- :ompanYing report of the Postmaster General of the operations of the Post-office depart, ment during the year. The ordinary posta- revenues for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1873, amounted to s22 9s6.741.57. and the ex- pendiLures of all kinds to $29. .084 945.67. The increase of revenues over 1872 was $1 081 315.20. and tue increase of expenditures. $2,42S,753 .36. Independent of the payments made from special appropriations for mail steamship hnes. the amounG drawn from the general treasury to meet denclencies was s5.2a5,475.
 The constant and rapid extenslOu of our posLel service, par lculariy upon railways, and the improved tacllit ies for the collection, trans m,ssloD, distribution and delivery of the mails which are constantly being provided, account for the increased expenditures of this popular branch of the pubic service The total num- Der of pos-0fflces ID operation on J nne 30, 1a73 was 33244--a net increase of 1881 over the number reported the preceding year; the number of presidential offices was 1.363--an increase of 163 during the year; the total length of railroad mall routes al the c!Ose of the year was 63,457 mlles--an increase Of 5,546 miles over the year 1872; 59 rail way post office lines We're in operation on June 30, 1S73 ex- tending over 14,ee6 miles of railroad routes and performing an aggregate servloe of 34,925
 The number Of letters exchanged with forelen countries was 27.450,185. an increase of 3.096685 over the previous year. and the post age thereon amounted to S2 021, ,31086. The total weight of correspondence exchanged Tn the malls with European countries exceeded 912 tons. an increase of 92 tons over the previ- cue year. The total cost ot the United Sla,es Ocean Mail Steamship Service, including S725 ,OOO pad from special appropriations to subsidized lines of mail steamers was s1.o47, 271.35
 New or additional postal conventions have been concluded with Sweden, Norway, Bel gium, Germany, Canada, Newfoundland and Japan, reducing postage rates on correspon- dence exchanged with those countries, and further efforts have been made to couc ude satisfactory postalt convention with Frauce. but without success.
 luvlte the favorable consideration of Con- gress to the sugKestiOns and recOmm udatlons
 
 the free delivery system in all cites having 8 population Of not less than 1O, 900; for the prepayment of postage on newspapers and other printed matter of tue secODd class; for a uniform postage ana limit of weight on mis- cellaneous matter for adjusting tue compeu- saCon of all postmasters not appolnted by the President by the fold method of comnlissloDs on the actual receipts Of tne office. instead of tho poesent mode of 1lxing tho salary in ad- urge favorapie @ % act1on by Congress @ p on the ia portant recommendations If tho Postmaster General for the establishment of United States postal savings depositOr1cs.
 Your ttentlon is also asa,n called to con- sideratlon of the question of postal telegraphs, and the arguments addnced Tn support thereof, in the hope that you may take such acGon ln connection herewith as Tn your judgment will most contribute to the bost interests of the country.
 THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
 Affairs Tn Utah require your early and spe- cial attention. The Supreme Court of the United States. Tn the case of Clinton against Englehrecht dec,ded that the United Statean summon jurors for the district courts. and these courts hold that tho territorial marshal cannot lawfully perform that duty ecause ho is elected by the legislative assembly aud not appointed, as provided for In the act organz- ing the territory. All proceedlDgs aL law arc practically abolished by these declsions, and there have been but few. or no jury Lrlals in the district courts of that territory since the last session of Congress. Property is left without protection by the courts, and crimes go uupunlshed.
 To prevent anarchy there it is absolutely necessary that Congress provide the courts with some. mode of obtaining jurors. and recommend Legislation to that end l; and also. that the probate courts of the territory now assuming to issue wrlts of injunction and habeas corpus. and to try criminal cases. and turisdicIlon not possessed ordinarily by courts ot that desccl puoD.
 THE BANKRUPTCY LAW.
 have become impressed with the belief An act to establish a uniform system of bankruptcy throughout the United States" IS productive ot more evil than good at this time. Many considerations might be urged for It's total repeal; but, if thls IS not con- sidered advisable, thlnk it will not be seri- ousiy questioned that those portions of said act providing for what is called lnvolunta bankruptcy. operate to increase the financial embarrassments of the country. Careful and prudent men very often become 19Volyea business. and though they may possess ample property. IT 1t evasa .ss sssaE aya!Ta1:e for that purpose, to meet all theIr liabilities yot, on account of the extraordinary scarcity of money, they may be unable to meet all due, in consequence of which they are liable to be prostraLed in their business by procee1- tngs Tn bankruptcy at the instance of uDre- leDting creditors. People are now SO easily alarmed as to monetary matters that the mere fling of a petition in bankruptcy by an un- friendly creditor will necessarily ny em6arrass of @ responsible business man. Those who otherwise might make lawful and just ar- engagements to relieve themselves from dtf1- cultIes produced by the present stringency in money are prevented by the1r constant K posture to attack and disappointment by pro- ceedings aga1nst them h ban kIuptcy; and, besides, the law is made use Of in many cases by obdurare creditors to frighten or force debtors into 8 ompllance With their wishes, and into acts of injustice to other creditors and to themselves.
 I recommend that so much of said acL as provides for involuntary bankruDtcY on &C., count of the suspension of payment, be re- pealed.
 CLAIMS AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT.
 Your careful attention is invited to the sub. ject of claims agalnss the government md the facilities afforded by existing laws for their prosecution. Each of the Departments of State, Treasury and War has demands for many mll- lioDs of dollars upon it's files, and they are rapidly accommodating. To these may be added thQse RQM peudlng before Cungress. tho Court