Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-12-09

81, RErARl BELKNAr's REroEr.-The
annual report of thu secretary of war
shows that the expenditures of the depart
mcnt for the last fiscal Year We're ST. ,326.
5Il. a reduction of I3.99s, 1898 from the
expenditures of the previous year. The
report fairly bri>tlcS with recomcnlA
lions. Among the more prominent are
tne following: The sales of the various
,r>cnal> in Allegheny, Pa. Columbus, O.,
Detroit. Mich. Pihe>villc Watcrvillc. y.
Y, Watcrtown. Mas. and Washington.
and the retention of the Springfield arm"-
" and the Frankfort arsenal and q few
others the proceeds of those sold to be APP
piled to the crccti II Of one grand arsenal
for manufacturing purposes. to be "Stab-
,i~hrd near New York; the establishment
If 4 powder depot and experimental
grounds for testing heavy ordnance; the
restoration of the system of mileage and
The payment of officers and employees
travelling on duty in lieu Of the actual cN-
pcn~cs ~ now allowed: increased appro-
priatonS tor the collection of torpedo ma
terills. for ammunition for target firing,
for the manufacture of arms. for the arm
me- and cquipping the militia. and for the
publication of the official records of the
I
confederate armies. to be available. at
once: also appropriations for permanent
military prison. and for walks and lod ge>
Il certain national cemeteries The sec
lctarv also recommends that desertion be
considered felony cognizahle by courts
! Of criminal jurisdiction. and that offenders
be arrested 10y mar>hals and deputies like
other criminals, but jurisdiction to be con
current with that of military tribunals
over military persons charged with muir
der and other felonics. The secretary i
opposed to the reduction of the army
holding that 4 reduction of the number OF
men without n reduction Of officers and
| posts Is not economical.
ATTORNEY GENERAL WILLIAMS RE
PORT The annual report of Attorney
General Williams shows that there wer,
judgments during the last fiscal wear, il
civil suits in favor of the | nlted States. O
S2O21. 724 the amount actually realize,
was SS67.192 OF the criminal cases
6OlS were terminated. including 2625 con
victionS. of which l02 out of 96G wcr,
under the enforcement act-. The expense
OF mar>halS. commissioners, etc, for TN
year were 8. sos, 80. or S36l. lbs less thar
during the previous year. The amour
awarded by the court Of claims was s..
AS, SOL, against total claims of S4,0J4 1866
The attorney general recommends that tn
United States district courts he give
authority to issue subpTnaS directing tn
attendance of witnesses before the court O
claims, and that the latter be given powe
to punish for contempt any failure to obey
that heads of departments be given au
thoritv for the use in court of rebel record
in the possession Of the government; tina
the police force Of the District of Columbi
be increased; that all the district attorney
and marshals be paid by salary only, fee
being abolished; that 4 pcnitentiary b
/ erected in the District of Columbia for tn
confinement of convicts, instead Of that 4
Albany; that Il uniform mode be provide
for the selection of jurors for the Unite
States courts, and the enactment Of a IL,
regulating the fees and costs Of clerk;
marshals and attorneys of the Unite
States courts
| CABLE STEAMER SUNK.-The Steame
t In Plata from Gravcscnd, England, fc
Rio Grande del Sud, chartered by the Sic
mems Brothers of London, to repair til
telegraph cable. foundered off Ushant O
the French coast, on the 29ih ult., an
: sixty persons were drowned. Fourtee
survivors were received by the Gareloc
of Glasgow from a boat in which they Ia
been floating twcnty-three hours, and wei
transferred to the steamer Antenor, whic
, arrived in the Thames, Tuesday nigh
December l. The loss of the steamer
attributed to the shifting of the heav
: graphing apparatus. OF $50 miles
> telegraph cable on board 80 had been la
, out. which had to be abandoned. Cnavai
ing attempts were made to save the We
sci by tightening. The captain, surgeon
three other officers, engineer, stewards an
cooks, eleven stokers. fourteen seamen, ar
the whole of the cable staff, sixteen
: number, and including Mr.. Ricketts,, tt
n chief electrician, We're drowned. TIL
, chief steward, who was saved, reports tn
the fires were out by ten o'clock on Il
morning of the 10Th. A heavy sea ca
6 red away two of the boats, the ship graz
! ually settled by the stern, and at r.;
n foundered, stern first. The captain Ar
/ doctor were on the bridge, having failed
clear the patent life RATS, and went dow
. with the crew. The decks burst as II
steamer sank.
7 Lake Champlain is lower than for MAI
wears.