The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-12-16

are powerful and effective for
harbor defense, apd for operations near
'ur shore. Of ehess ~ the ahgld fur-
reted ones, fifteen ID number, lave
been febuih TheiHSrot-y
ten wooden bea| hay Beep HplAced
with iron one th4 hullbl sire 9Th |
ened and theif engih h3s and Aach &ery
SO thA82kheyl are
now in q most efficient condition and
ready for service as soon as they can be
manned and put in commission.
The five double turretted iron-clads
to our navy, by far the most
powerful OGo6f ships for fighting pur-
poses, are also in hand undergoing
complete repairs, and could be ready
vnFying~froEn-foWF-
to six months. With these completed
according TO osthei present design, and
our two iron torpedo boats now ready,
our iron clad; fest will be for the pur-
pose Of defensey at home equal to any
force that can be readily brought
against it, !, OF QUIZ wooden navy, also.
Of about forty, including those now in
commission are. in the; Atlantic, aud
could be ready for duty as fast as men
could be enlisted for those not already
in coin mission, OF these. one-third
are, in effect, new ships, and though
some Of the remainder need cohsidefa-
bic repairs In their boilers and machin-
cry, they are, or cad readily be imxde
eAective. This constitutes. "a fleet Of
more than Il war ships, of which fif-
teen are iron clad now In hand on the
Atlantic coastii y Hhe Navy has been
broughtto this condition by judiciOus
could, be spared from the, iappEOpria-
.tions of the last few years and from
that made to meet the peoples. emer.
gency of two years ago. It has been
done quietly, Without proclamation or
display, and thOngh it has necessarily
straightened the department in its o r.
dinary expenditures, and, as-far as the
ifoH-clads are cOficerned has added
nothing jteithe cruising force of the
navy, yet the result ismOst Satisfactory
because is il to te lfound imRI great in
crease Of real rather than Iapparent
force. sThecexpenses incurredl ins the
Mai ntenanee 0f al effecti We naval force
in all itsb ranches are necessarily Large,
but such force is essential to. our posi-
ton and relations, and affects seriously
| the weight Of our principles aud policy
I thronghout the whole sphere of naval
responsibilities. The estimates for the
| regular supply Of this branch of the
service for the next year amount to
fittle less IA the aggregate than those
made for the current year, but SOME
additional appropriations are asked for
objects net 7included in the ordinary
sf<,s1 sf
believed to be of pressing Importance
At this time. It would, ip: my opinion
be wise at once TO afford sufficient
means for the immediate. completion
Of the five double-turreted monitors
now undergoing repairs, which must
otherwise advance Slowly and only as
money can be spared from current ex-
penses. Supplemented by these, our
iiavy, armed with the destructive
weapons of modern wArfare3 manned
by our seainen and in chargesofouri in
powerful for the shome purposes of a
Responsible though peaceful nation. 81:
The report of the Postmaster General
herewith transmitted, gives a full his
tory of the workings Of the depart
ment for the year just past. It. WILDE
observed that the deficiency to be. sup,
piled from the general treasury has in
creased, oyer the amount required for
the proceeding year. In a country. so
vast in area "a the United States, with
large portions sparseiy settled, 1t must
be expected that this i'm portant service
will be more or less burden upon the
Treasury for many years to come, but
there Is no branch of the public ser.
vice which interests the whole people
more than the cheap and rapid trans
~ L. To.
ed part of our county, Nexti to the
free schooLt the pestoffice is the great
educator of the people, and it may we'll
deserve the support Of the general goov-
.The subsidy OF tsi5o,OOJ per an mum,
given to vessels of the, United States
for carrying the mails between New
York and RioDe Janefro having ceased
on the 3Oth tiay of September last, we
are without direct mail facilities with
the South American states. This is
greatly to be regretted, ahd.l do not
hesitate to recommend the authOriz-
alton of q renewal of the contract, aud
xlsO that the service may bel increased
from monthly tn semi-mOnthly, trips.
The commercial advantage to tie
gained by 2 direct Iine of American
steamers to the South American states
will far outweigh the expense of ser
vice. $50 - --i'ic'i az sieL -
By act of Congress, approved March
Sd, 1879, almost all matter, whether
properly mail matter or not, may be
sent any distance through the mails i'll
packages not exceeding four pounds in
weight for the sum of sixteen cents per
pound. So far as the transmission of
real mail matter goes this would seem,
entirely proper, but suggest that the
law be SO amended as to exclude from,
the mails merchandise of all descrip-
tions, and limit this transportation
to all articles enumerated and which
may be, classed as mail matter proper.
~ The discovery of gold in the Black
Hills. q. portion of the Sioux .reserya-
ton has had the effect to induce
point. Thus far the effort. to protect
the treaty rights of the Indians of that
section has been seccessftl,, but the
next year win certainly witfiess a large
increase of such finmigratiOn.7 NegO |
tiatioiis for the relinquishment9 of the
gold fields having failed, twill be
necessary for Congress to adopt some
measure to relieve the emi,a rrassments
growing out i0f the causes namedo The
of the Interior suggests that
the supplies now appropriated for the
sustenance iOf That people, being no
longer obligatory under the treaty OF
1855, but simply q gratuity, may be
The condition Ofthe Indian Terri
tory ofwhieh I have referred. in sever
ii of my former messages remains
unchaLged.p The Secretary
Of the Interior has taken measures 10 |
obtain . fuliorepOrt of ftheconditioup OF
that territory, and will make it the
subject of a special report at an early |
day. 1t may. then be necessary to
make some further Recommendation
regarding legislation for the govern
The steady growth and Increase of
he business OF the Patent ONCE fndi-
:ates in some measure the Progress of
he industrial activity of the country.
fhe receipts of the Office are in. excess
4 its expenditures, and the Office gem