Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-12-17


more checrfalIy and efficiently. and under circum-
| stances Of greater privaiion and hardship Lcgs-
laiion Ii desirable to render more efficient this
branch of the public service All the reeommen-
dations of the Secretary Of War regard as judi
cous. and 1 especially commend to your at
| tention the following: The consolidation Of
mileage TO officers travelling under orders; the
+, exemption OF money received from the sale OF
subsistence stores from being covered into the
| Treasury: the Use of appropriations for the
purchase of subsistence stores without wait
! Ing for the beginning Of the fiscal year for
which the appropriation Is made; for additional
material: for increased appropriations for
the manufacture of arms: for relieving the
various States from Indebtedness for arms
charged to them during the rcbellion: for drop
! ping officers from the rolls OF the army without
| trial for the ofense Of drawing pay more than
| once for the same period: FOR the encouragement
the establishment OF professorship OF
rhetoric aud English literature at West
| Point The reasons for the recommenda-
tons obvious, and set forta sufficiently IN
| the report attached. afso recommend that the
| status Of the staff corps Of the army be fixed,
wheES this has not already been done. SO that
| promotions may be made and vacancies filled NJ
they occur in.esch grade when reduced below the
number 10 be fixed by Law. The necessity fof
such legislation is specially felt now In the Pay
Department.
The efficiency OF the navy has been largely in
creased during the last year, under the impulse
Of the foreign complications which threatened
| Congress. Most of efficient wooden ships
| we're put in condition for immediate service, and
! the repairs OF our iron.cad fleet pushed
| with the utmost yigor. The result Is
! that most OF these in effective condi-
/ tioB. and need only To be manned and set
! IA commission 10 20 at once into service. Some
/ of the new sloops authorized by Congress are al
I ready id commission. and most Of the remainder
/ are launched and wait only the completion OF
their machinery to enable them to take their
| places as part OF our effective force.
| Two iron torpedo-ships have been com
pletcd curing the last year; and four
Of our large tnrrcted iron-clads are
| now undergoing repairs. When they are finished,
! everything that liz needfui OF navy. au-
thorized. will be In condition for service, and
/ with the advance in the science OF torpedo war
! fare the American navy, comparatively small as
| il IL. will be found at any time powerful for the
purposes Of a peaceful nation.
Much has also been accomplished during the
year In aid of science and to increase the sum
Of general knowledge and further the interests
OF commerce and civilization. Extensive and
much-needed soundHgs have been made for hy-
Geographic purposes and to fix the proper routes
OF ocean telegraphs. Further surveys OF the great
isthmus have been undertaken and completed,
and two vessels of the navy are now employed, in
conjunction with those Of England, France, Ger
many and Russia, in observations connected with
the transit of Venus, useful and interesting to the
scientific world.
| The estimates for this branch Of the public
service do not differ materially from those of last
year. the general support OF the service
being somewhat less and those for improvements
at various stations rather larger than the CORE
spending estimate made year ago. The regular
maintenance and steady increase in the Elf
cheney of this most important arm, In proportion
TO the growth Of our maritime intercourse and in
teresls, is recommended TO the attention OF Con
gress.
employment OF naval vessels Ia surveys OF the
supposed navigabe waters OF other nationali-
ties this continent, especially the trib-
utaries of the two great rivers of South
America, the Oronoco and the Amazon.
Nothing prevents, under existing laws,
must be made in such expeditions beyond those
usually provided for by the appropriations. The
field designated is unquestionably one of inter.
est, and one capable of a large development oil
commercial interests advantageous TO the PEG
pie reached and to those who may establish reia-
lions with them.
EDUCATION AND THE PosToFFIcE.
The education of the people entitled to exer-
else the right of franchise | regard essential TO
general prosperity everywhere, and especially so
In republics, where neither education pre-
vions condition enters into account in giving
office Is the great agent OF education
over our vast territory. The rapidly
with which new sections are being settled in
creGses the cost OF carrying the mails in a more
rapid ratio than the Increase ofreceipts. The re-
port OF the Postmaster-General, herewith at
tached, shows that there was an increase OF
revenue in this department in 1873 the
previous year of S1,6i4,Il1, and an increase of
the cost of carrying the mails and paying EN-
y
master General gives interesting statistics of his
department, and comparing them with the cor
responding statistics of year ago, shows q
growth IN every branch of the department
A postal convention has been concluded
with New South Wales, an exchange of postal
cards established with Switzerland and the
negotiations pending for several years past with
France have terminated in convention with
that country, which went into effect last August.
An International Postal Congress con
vened In Berne, Switzerland, In September last,
| a. which
an officer of the Postotiice Department of much
experience and OF qualification for the position.
| A convention for the establishment of an inter
national postal union was agreed upon by the
delegates of the countries represented subject to
tho approval of the proper authorities of those
Countries.
/ respectfully direct your attention TO the report
of the Postmaster General and to his suggestions
in regard TO an equitable adjustment OF the ques.
ton of compensation to railroads FOR carrying the
| mails.
THE SOUTHERN STATES.
| Your attention will he drawn to the unsettled
condition of affairs in some of the Southern
| States. On the 14th OF September last the Gov
ernor Of Louisiana called upon me, as provided
by the Constitution and laws of the United
to ad n Ga, ws, msGs
day by d. b. Penn, stating that he
was elected Governor In s1s and call
BILE and drive from power the usurpers, he
designated the officers of the State Government.
| On the next Gay ISSUED my prOCiafnu-
ton, commanded the insurgents TO dis
| perse within tve days from the date
| thereof, and subsequently learned that ON
that day they had taken forcible possession of
the State House. Troops were sent by me TO
support the existing and recognized State Gov
eminent, but before the expiration Of the five
days the insurrectionary movement was prac-
ticaily abandoned, and the officers OF the State
Government, with some minor exceptions, re.
| sumed their powers and duties. Considering
that the present State administration of Louisl-
ana had been the only government
in that State for nearly two years
that IL had been tacitly acknowledged and acqui
esced in as such by Congress, and more than
once expressly recognized by me- | regarded ii
as my clear duty, when legally called upon for
that purpose, to prevent its overthrow by an
armed mob under pretense OF fraud and rregu-
| lnriy In the election oil 1872. ] have heretofore
| called the attention of Congress to this
! subject stating that on account OF the frauds
aud rorgeries committed al said election, and
because Ii appeared that the returns thereof were
never legally canyasscd, IL was impossible to tell
| thereby who were chosen, bat from the best
| sources OF information MT my command | have
| always believed the present State officers re-
| ceved majority of the legal votes actually cast
! Of that election. repeat what said In my special
message Of Feb, ID, 1873, that In the event of no
| action BY Congress must continue to recognize
the government heretofore recognized by me,
1 regret To say that with the preparations for
! thc late election decided indication appeared
IN some localities In the southern States OF de
L T. -