The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1874-12-10

under orden; the exemption Of
money, rec lived from the sale Of subsistence
store, from being converted into the Treas
ury; the use OF appropriations for the pur-
pore of subsistence stores, without waiting
Tor the beginuiLg OF the
isal year, for which the
appropriation is made; for additional ap-
propriarous for the collection of torpedo
material; for increased appropriations for
the manufacture of arms for relieving the
various States from indebtedness. for arms
charged 70 Them during the rebellion for
dropping officers rom the rolls Of the army
without trial for The oEerce Of drawing pay
mere than once for the same period; for the
Encouragement of the plan TO pay soldiers
by checks, and for the establishment Of a
prof.s-orship OF rhetoric and English litera-
;ure a. West Point. The reasons for the
recommendations are obvious, and are Get
forth sufficiently in the report attached.
also recommend that the status of the staff
corps Of the army be fixed, where this has
not slready been done, 30 that promo,ious
may be made and vacancies filed a. they
occur il each grade, when reducsd below
the number to be fixed by law. The neces-
si,y Of such Legislation is especially felt TOW
in the pay depar msn,, which is fellow the
numoer adequate to the performance o. the
duties required OF them by law.
THE NAVY.
The efficiency of the navy has been
largely increased during the last year under
the impulse of the foreign complications,
which threatened us at the commencement
OF the last session of Congress. Nest Of our
efficient wooden ships were put in condition
for immediate service, and the repairs OF
our iron-clad fleet were pushed with the Ut
most vigor. The result is that most Of there
are now in an elective state, and need only
to be manned and set in commission and to
20 at once into service.
Someof the new sicops authorized by Con-
gress are already il commission, and most
OF the remainder ere launched, and await
only the completion Of machinery to enable
them to take their places az part of The
been completed during the last year, and two
of Our large, double-turreted iron-clads are
now undergoing repairs. When these are
flashed, everything that ia needful for our
navy, a. now authorized, will be in cOndi-
ton for service, and with the advance in the
science Of torpedo warfare, the American
navy, comparatively small a. i. il, will be
found powerful for the purpose Of peaceful
Iaiion.
SCIENCE.
Much has ALEC been accomplished during
the year in aid OF science, and to increase
the cum Of general knowledge and further
the interests of commerce and civilization.
Ext, nsiye and mu .h needed soundings have
teen made for photographic purposes, and
Ia fix the proper routes of ocean ielegraphs.
The surveys of the great Is.hmus have beeu
undertaken and completed, and two vessels
OF the navy are EOw employed, in coljunc-
ton with those of Germany, France, Eng
land and Russia, in observations connected
with the transit of Venus, useful and instruc
tive to the scientific world. Estimates for
this branch OF The public service do not
diher materially from these of last
year. The general support OF the
service being somewhat less, and
thcs. for improvement Of the various
4; onding estimate made a year sgo. the
regular maintenance and steady increase
10 the efficiency Of this most important arm
in the proportion to the growth OF our mar
thine intercourse and interests Is recon-
mended to the attention Of Congress. The
use of the navy during peace might be fur
Their utilized by direct authorization Of
the employment of naval vessels in surveys
Of the supp sed navigable waters of other
nationalitiss on this continent, especially
the tributaries of the two great rivers Of
South America, the Orinoco and Amazon.
Nothing prevents, under existing laws. such
exploration, except that expenditures must
be made in such development Of ccmmer-
cal interests, advantageous to the people
reached, and to those who may establish re-
lstions with them.
EDUCATION OF THE PEOPLE
entitled to the exclusive right Ct franchise,
regard essential to prosperity, everywhere,
and especially so in republics. where both
education and previous condition do not en-
ter into sccoun, in giving sufr'ge. Next TO
the public schools, the post-ofice Is the great
agent Of education. Over our vast ter
rl,0ry the rapidly with which new sections
are being settled mp, thus incr asing the
carrying of mails in a more rapid ratio
than the increase Of receip:s, is not alarm
ing.
THE REPORT OF THE POSTMASTER GENERAL
herewith attached, shows that there was an
increase IN the revenue of his department in
1878 over the previous year, OF 81 ga All,
and an increase of the cost Of
carrying the mails, or paying
employees S3,O47 .467. 81. The report eli the
Postmaster-General,g gives interesting statis-
tics Of his department, and compared with
corresponding statistics of year sgo, shows
a 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 ne
eotiations pending for several years past
with France, have Terminated in q conven.
ton with that country, which went into ef-
feet last August. An international Postal
Congress was convened in Berne, Switzer-
land, in September last, at which the United
States was represented ~ an officer of the
Post Office Department, Of much experience
and qualifications for the position. A Con-
vention for the establishment Of an Interna
tional Postal Union. was agreed upon by
the delegates Of countries represented, subject
to the approval Of the proper authorities Of
these countries. respectfully direct your
attention to the report Of the Postmaster
General, and to his suggestions in regard to
an equitable adjustment Of question Of com.
pensation to railroads for carrying mails.
Your attention will be drawn TO the un-
sc. tied condition oil affairs in some
SOUTHERN STATES,
on l4th of September last, the Governor Of
Louisiana called upon me, as provided BY
the Constitution and Laws Of the United
States, for aid in suppressing domestic vio-
lence in that State. The call was made, and
procl su.t;on issred nm that dav
by D. B. Penn, stating that
he was elected L;eutenant-G Governor in 1872,
and calling upon the militia Of the State to
arm, assem lie and drive from the power the
usurpers, a. he designated the officers of the
Safe government. VA the next day l Ia
sued nv proclamation commanding the in
surgen,s to disperse within Eve days from
the date thereof, and subsequently, learned
that, on that day, they had taken forcible
Of the State House. Troops were
Iaken BY me to support the existing and re-
cognz-d officers; but before the expiration
Of the five days the ipsurrec,ion movement
was practically abandoned, and the officers |
o. the State government, with some minor |
exceptions, re-umed their powers and duties. |
Considering that the pre.ent Stale admins |
ration of Louisiana had been the. only gov |
in that State for nearly tvo years. |
hat it has be n taeitly acknowledged AID
,cquiesc,d in % such BY Congress, and more |
han once expressly recognized BY me. re-
,arded it % my clear duty when legally call
ID upon for that purpose to prevent its over
throw bv an armed mob, under the psetencs
IF fraud and irregulari;y in the election Of
1872. have heretofore called the aten-