The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1874-12-11

report, favors legislation looking TO spcci,
payments, thus supporting the view
previously cxprcSsedin this message. liz
also recommends economy in appropria
ton, and calls attention TO the loss o.
revenue from repeating the TAX on tea
and coffee without benefit TO the con
sumer; recommends an increase u ten
cents a gallon on whisky, and further
that no modification be made in tn,
Banking and Currency Bill, passed a,
the last session Of Congress, unlcs,
modification should becemc necessary by
reason Of the adoption Of measures fol
returning TO specie payments. In thes,
recommendation ! cordially join.
would suggest to Congress the propriety
Of readjusting the tarid 80 as to increase
the revenue, and at the same time de-
crease the number Of articles upon which
duties are levied. Those articles which
enter into our manufactures, and are not
produced at home, IL seems 10 me, should
be entered free. Those articles Of manu-
facture which we produce, or constitu-
ent part but do not produce the whole,
that part which we do not produce
should enter free also. j will instance
fine wool, dyes, &c. These must be inn
ported to form part Of the manufac-
turc Of the higher grades of woolen
goods, and chemicals used as dyes, com
pounded in medicines, and used in vari.
ous ways in manufactures, come under
this clas. The introduction, free u dues,
or such woods as we do not produce.
should stimulate the manufacture Of
goods requiring these and those we do
produce, and therefore would he bene-
fit to home production. There are many
articles entering into home manufac-
lures which we do not produce ourselves,
the tariff upon which increases the cost
of producing the manufactured article.
All correction in this regard are in the
direction of bringing labor and capital
in harmony with each other, and sup
plying one of the elements much needed.
The report of the Secretary Of War
herewith attached and forming part of
this message, gives all the information
concerning all the operations, wants and
necessities, and contains neutrality-suspicious.
and recommendation which ! commend
to your special attention. There is no
class of Government employees who are
harder worked than the army officers, and
none who perform their tasks more cheer
fully and more efficiently, and under cir
cumstances Of greater privations and
hardships.
Legislation Is desirable to render more
efficient this branch of the public service.
All the recommendation Of the Secretary
Of Mr. Il 81 ..I,n,.,,. unI \
pecially commend 10 your attention the
following: The consolidation of Gov
ernment ar>enals; mileage to officers
travelling under orders; the exemption
of money received from the sale of sub
sistencc stores from being covered into the
Treasury; the use of appropriations for
the purchase of subsistence stores with
ont waiting for the beginning of the fiscal
year for which the appropriation is
made; for additional appropriations for
the collection of torpedo materials for
increased appropriations for the manu-
facture of arms; Tor relieving the vari-
charged to them during the rebellion; /;
for dropping officers from the rolls Of the
army without trial for the ofiense of
drawing pay more than once for the
same period; for the Encouragement Of
the plan to pay soldiers by checks, and
for the establishment of a professorship
of rhetoric and English literature at
West Point.
The reasons for the recommendation
are obvious, and are set forth sufficiently
in the report attached. | also recon-
mend that the status Of the staff corps
Of the army be fixed where this has not
already been done, 30 that promotions
may be made and vacancies filed as they
occur in each grade when reduced below
the number to be fixed. The necessity
for such legislation is specially felt now
in the pay department-the number of
vacancies in that department being now
below the number adequate 10 the per-
formance Of the duties required of them
by law.
The efficiency Of the Navy has been
largely increased during the last year,
under the impulse of the foreign compli-
cations which threatened us. At the
Of the last session of
Congress, most of our efficient wooden
ships were put in condition for immedi-
ate service, and the repairs Of our iron
clad feet were pushed with the utmost
vigor The result is that most of these
are now in effective state, and need only
10 be manned aud put in commission, to
20 at once into service. Some Of the new
'loops authorized by Congress are already
IN commission, and most of the remainder
ire launched and wait only the compile
lion of machinery To enable them to take
heir places as part of our effective force.
rwo iron torpedo ships have been com
plctcd during the last year, and four
If our large douhled-turreted iron clads
IRE undergoing repairs. When these are
finished, everything that is needful To our
navy, a. now authorized, will be in con-
lition for service, with the advance in
'cience of torpedo warfare, the American
navy, comparatively small as il is, will be
ound powerful for the purposes of
peaceful Nation.
Much has also been accomplished dur
ng the year in aid of science, and to in
'rease the sum Of general knowledge and
urther the interests of commerce and
civilization. Extensive and much needed
have been made for hydro
,raphic purposes and to fix the proper
'outes of ocean telegraphs; the surveys
II the Great Isthmus have been under
AIKEN and completed, and two vessels of
he navy are now employed in con
JUNCTION with those of England, France,
md Germany and Russia, in observations
with the transit of Venus, |
lseiul and interesting 10 the scientific,