Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-12-08

felt now inthe pay department, which il be-
low the number adequate to the perform
! ance of the duties required of them.
The Navy.
The efficiency of the navy has been
largely increased during the last year.
Under the impulse Of the foreign complj
cations, which threatened us at the COM
mencement Of the last session of Congress.
most Of our efficient wooden ships were mi
in condition for immediate service. and tbe
repairs Of our irOn-elads were pushed with
the utmost vigOr. The result is. that most
Of these are now in an effective state and
need only to be manned and set in COM
mission, to go at once into service. Some
of the new steamers, authorized by Con-
gresS, are already in commission and most
OF the remainder are launched and wait
the completion Of machinery TO enable
them to take their places as part Of our eff
fective force. Two iron torpedo ships
have been completed during the last year,
and four OF our large double-turrettedi iron
clads are now undergoing repairs. When
these are finished, everything that Is need |
full for cur navy, as now authorized, will be |
in condition for service, and. with the |
advance in science Of torpedo warfare. the |
American navy, comparatively small as il |
is, will be found powerful for the purposes
of peaceful nation.
Scientific and HydrOgraphic.
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 soundings have
been made Tor photographic purposes and
| TO tx the proper routes of ocean teleyraphs.
| The Of fha Lei.
been completed and vessels of the navy are
now employ ed in conjunction with those Of
England, France, Germany and Russia in
observations connected with the transit
Of Venus, useful and interesting to the
| scientific world.
The estimates for this branch of the pub
lie service do not differ much from those of
last year, the general appropriation of the ser
vice being somewhat less, and those for i'm
proyements at the various stations rather
larger than the corresponding ones made a
year ago. The regular maintenance and
steady increase in the efficiency of this
most important arm, in proportion to the
| growth OF our maritime intercourse and in-
terests, is recommended to the attention of
| Congress.
The use Of the navy during peace might
be further utilized by a direct authorize
ton of the employment of naval vessels
in surveys Of the supposed nayigable waters
Of other natiOnalities on this continent,
especially the tributaries Of the two great
rivers of South America, the OriIoco and
the Amazon. Nothing prevents, under ex-
isting laws, such exploration, except that
expenditures must be made in such de-
yelOpment Of the commercial interests, ad-
vantageous TO the people reached, and to
hos rn-lsr 81. 1
them.
Postal Propositions.
The education Of the people entitled to
exercise the right Of franchise l regard as
essential to prosperity everywhere, and es-
pecially so in republics, where both educa-
tiOn and previous condition do not enter
into account in giving the suffrage. Next
to the public school is the pOst-office as the
great agent Of education over our vast ter
ritOry. The rapidity with which new sec
tiOns are being settled up, thus increasing
the carrying of the mails in more rapid
ratio than the increase Of receipts, is not
alarming. The report of the Postmaster {
General, herewith attached, shows there I
was an increase of revenue in his DEPART '
ment in 1873 over the previous year of ST.
GA, All, and an increase of the cost of car.
rying the mails or paying employees of So '
04l, 1871. The report Of the Postmaster {
General gives interesting statistics of his !
Department, and compares them with cor c
responding statistics Of year ago, show I
ing growth in every branch Of the De- +
partment. a
A postal convention has been concluded
With New South Wales, an exchange of
postal cards established with Switzerland, [
and the negotiations pending for several | I
with E-urara ha,-a |
a convention with that country, which | d
went into effect last August. I
An International Postal Congress was z
convened in Berne in September last, az c
which the United States was represented by 4
an officer Of the POstOffice Department, of il
much experience and of qualification for il
the position A convention for the estab- | n
lishment OF an international Postal Union =
was agreed on by the delegates of the coun- Il
tries represented, subject to the approval of e
the proper authorities of those countries. c
l respectfully direct your attention to the a
report of the Postmaster General. and 10 n
his suggestions in regard to an equitable /,
adjustment Of the question of the compen- d
satiOn to railroads for carrying the mails. e
LOuisIana-The Fourteenth of Sen
TENDER.
Your attention will be drawn to the IN n
settled condition of affairs in some Of the G
Southern States. On the 18th Of Septem- il
Der last, the Governor of Louisiana called | tC
on me, as provided in the Constitution and "
laws Of the United States, for aid in the Of
suppression Of domestic violence. That ST
call was made in view Of a proclamation is Il
sued by ID. B. Penn, saying he was elected | "
Lieutenant Governor in 1872, and calling Oh
upon the militia Of the State to arm, as p
o,,l I-.,- A. / e
as he designated the officers of the State OF
government. On the next day l issued my Is
proclamation, commanded the insurgents d.
to disperse within five days from the date ri
thereof, and subsequently learned that on
that day they had taken forcible possession
Of the State House. Steps were taken by vc
me to support the existing and recognized kr
State government, but before the expiration a
Of the five days the insurrectiOnary move "a
ment was practically abandoned, and the 81
officers of the State government, with some qe
minor exceptions, resumed their powers IN
md duties. no
Considering that the present State ad- m
ninistration of Louisiana has been the Vi,
)nly government in the State for nearly III
wo years; that it has been tacttly &C tiC
and aoquiesced in as such by
Congress, and more than once expressly
ecoSnlZed Dy me, regarded II as my clear -;
luty, when legally called upon for that -. -
'urpOSe, to prevent Its overthrow by an ~,
rmed mob under pretense of fraud and If ~ -.
egularity liz the election Of 1872. l have w
ieretofore called the attention of Congress 70
o this subject, stating that on account of -, -.
he frauds and forgeries committed at said ~ ~,
lection, and because it appears that the -
eturns thereof were never legally can {u1
asSed, it was impossible to tell thereby ~ ~
Tho were chosen. But from the best ~
Ources of information at my command, l -
ave always believed the present State Off T.,
ers received majority Of the legal votes ~. ~.
ctually cast at that election. | repeat ILL sna
that l said in my special message of Feb. t s"'
3, 1874, that in the event of no action by ene
congress, l must continue to recognize the An0
heretofore recognized by me. ,
Ku.Klux.
regret to say that with the preparations ~ ~
u the late election, decided indications n
Dpeared in some localities in the Southern ~
tates ofa determination by acts of violence na a
nd intimidation to deprive citizens of the r. -
allOt because Of their political opinion. bbe a,
ands of men masked and armed made ~,
,air aDDearanea White Taouuao op1 NA-1