The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-12-16

Y nlTDoT ueltust duU lOE near our
| own shores. OF these all the single-tur-
| reted ones, fifteen in numbsr, have been
| substantially rebuilt, their rotten wooden
| beams replaced with iron, their hulls
strengthened and their engines and ma
! chinery thoroughly repaired, so that they
are now in most efficient condition and
/ ready for sea as soon as they can be manned
and put in commission. The five double
/ turreted iron-elads belonging to our Navy,
| by far the most powerful of our ships for
! fighting purposes, are also in hand under
/ going complete repair, and could be ready
| for sea in periods varying from four
| TO p six months. With these
! completed according to the present
design, and our two iron torpedo boats now
ready, our irOn-clad fleet will be, for the
purpose of defense at home, equal to any
force that can be readily brought against it.
Of our wooden navy also, cruisers Of various
sizes to the number of about forty, includ-
ing those now in commission, are in the At
, lantic, and could be ready for duty as fast as
men could be enlisted for fthose not already
in commission. OF these, One-third are in
effect new ships, and though some of the re-
mainder need considerable repairs on their
boilers and machinery, they all are, or can
readily be made effective. These constitute
fleet of more than fifty war ships, of which
| fifteen are irOn-elads, now in hand on the
Atlantic coast. The Navy has been brought
to this condition by judicous and practical
application of what could be spared from the
! current appropriation of the last few years
and from that made 10 meet the possible
! emergency of two years ago. 1t has been
done quietly, without proclamation or dis
| play, and though it has necessarily straiten-
| ed the department in its ordinary eXpendi-
lures, and, as far as the iron-clads are con-
cerned, has added nothing to the cruising
force of the Navy, yet the result is not the
| less satisfactory, because it Is TO be
| found in a great increase of real rather than
apparent force. The expenses incurred in
| the maintenance Of an effective naval force
| in all its branches are necessarily large; but
| such force is essential to our position, rela-
I tions and character, and affects seriously the
| weight of our principles and policy through
out the whole sphere Of naval responsibility.
The estimates for the regular support of
| this branch of the service for the next year
amount to a little less in the aggregate than
those made for the current year, but some
additional appropriations are asked for OBJ
| iects not included in the ordinary MAIN
tenance of the Navy, but believed to be of
pressing importance at this time. 1t would,
| in my opinion, be wise at once to afford
sufficient means for the immediate compile
| ton of the five double-terreted monitors
now undergoing repairs, which must other
wise advance slowly and only as money can
be spared from current expenses. Supple
plemented by these, our Navy, armed with
the destructive weapons of modern warfare,
manned by our seamen and in charge Of
our instructed officers, will present a
force powerful for the home purposes
of a responsible, though peaceful nation.
THE PoST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT. ..
The report of the Postmaster General,
herewith transmitted, gives fun history Of
the department for the year Just passed. 1t
| will be observed that the deficiency to be
supplied from the General Treasury is in
creased over the amount required for the
! as the United States, with large portions
sparsely settled, it must be expected that
this important service will be more or less a
burden upon the Treasury for many years
TO come; but there is no branch of the pub
lie service which interests the whole peOpse
more than that of cheap and rapid transmits
sion of the mails. The commercial adVanta-
ges to be gained by direct line of American
steamers to South American States will fan
outweigh the expense of service. BY act OF
Congress, approved March 3, 1919, almost al
matter, whether properly mail matter OF
uOt, may be sent any distance through the
mails in packages not exceeding four pounds
in weight for the sum of Is cents per pound.
So far as the transmission of real mail mat
ter goes, this would seem entirely proper;
but / suggest the law be so amended as tc
exclude from the mails merchandise OF all
description and limit this transportation tc
all articles enumerated, and which may be
classed as mail matter proper.
THE BLACK HILLS.
The discovery of gold in the Black Hills, {
portion of the Sioux reservation, has haC
the effect to induce n large immigration o.
| miners to that point. Thus far the effort Il
protect the treaty rights of the Indians o
that section has been successful, but mex
year will certainly witness large increase
of such emigration. The negotiations fo
the REIMBURSEMENT of the gold fields having
failed, it will be necessary for Congress L
adopt some Emeasures to relieve the embar
rassment growing out of the causes named
The Secretary of the Interior suggests tha
the supplies now appropriated for the sus
tenance of that people, being no longer obll
gatOry under the treaty of 1868, but simply
gratuity, be issued or withheld at his dis
cretion. The condition of the Indian Terri
tory, to which have referred in several o
my former annual messages, remains practi
cally unchanged. The Secretary of the In
terror has taken measures to obtain ful
report of the condition of that Territory
and will make it the subject of a special re
port at an early day. 1t may then be neces
, sary to make some further recommendation
in regard to legislation for the goyernmen
Of that Territory.
-. THE PATENT-0FFICE.
: The steady growth and increase of tn,
7 business of the patent t-Office indicates IL
some measure the progress of the industrial
e activity of the country. The receipts OF TN
e office are in excess of its expenditures, ant
the Office generally is in prosperous ant
g satisfactory condition.
! OUR PUBLIC LANDS.
D The report of the General Land-otfie
l shows that there were ., 459, 401 acres les
: disposed of during this than during las
year More than One-half of this decreas
e was in the lands disposed Of under tn
: HOMESTEAD and Timber-culture laws. Tn
e cause of this decrease is supposed TO b
r found in the grasshOpper scOurge and tn
| drouths which prevailed so extensively il
. | some Of the frontier States and Territorie
n during that time as to discourage and dele
# entries by actual settlers. Thecash receipt
IS were less by $500, 322 % than during tn
preceding wear. The entire surveyed are
of the public domain is $50, 253, ,094 acres, @
which 26, OF, ,531 acres were surveyed dur
: ing the past year, leaving 1, 154, Al I62 acre
d still unsurveyed.
u THE PENSION BUREAU.
q The number of pensioners still continue
to decrease, the highest number havin
e been reached during the year ending Jun
l. 30, 1873. During the last year IL ,55I name
le were added to the rolls and 12,91 wer
N dropped therefrom, showing net deereas
st of ,42O. But while the number of per
- sioners has decreased the annual amour
y 473, ,313. This is caused by the great IL
ut creased average rate of pensions, created .
> the liberal legislation of Congress. At tn
IS close of the last fiscal year there were on III
is pension rolls 234 ,S21 persons, of whom 21O-
:, 1863 were Army pensioners, 105, AIS being II
; vaIids and 104, SS5 widows and dependeI
+ relatives; 8, ,420 were Navy pensioners,
~ whom / ,636 were inyalids, and l, 1S4 widow
Is and dependent relatives; q ,03S were pei
:, sioners Of the War of 1872, 15,S75 Of whOi
Id were survivors and 3, 163 were widows.
is estimated that SO; ;535, 900 will be require
= for the payment Of pensions for the next ii
cal year, an amount 1856, 200 less than Il
le estimate for the present year.
IN GEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS.
% The geological explorations have be-
ao ao prosecuted with energy during the yea
20 covering an area ofabout 40, 600 square mil
0S in the Territories of Colorado, Utah al
te ,o New Mexico, developing the agTicultuI
-, ~ and mineral resources, and furnishing L
~ teresting scientific and Typographical deta
o. of that region.
g. THE INDIAN QUESTION.
ar The method for the treatment OF the Il
MT dians adopted at the beginning OF my m
term has been steadily pursued and WI
or satisfactory and encouraging results. 1t b