Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-12-15


for one year. but ~ every one know
, who has had experience In tilling tn,
. soil, and who has visited the scenes O
!. the spOliAti0ns. are in s0me instancel
more than the claimants were evcl
worth, including their personal prop
erty and real estate.
The report Of the
+ ATTORNEY GESERAI,
which will be submitted to Congress,
at an early day, will contain detailed
history OF the awards made and o
the claims pending Of the clasa hert
referred to.
The report OF the
IL SECRETARY OF WAR,
accompanying this message, gives 4
detailed account of army operations
for the ycar just passed, tho expenses
for mAintAiuance, &C.. with recon.
mendations for legislation. reapcct.
fully invite your attention those.
invite special attention.
j lst. To tho necessity OF making
$4,000. 600 of the appropriation for the
Subsistence Department available be.
fore the beginning of the ffs:al year.
Without this provision troops atpeintt
4 distant from supply and production
must 60 without food or the existing
laws must be violated.
4 ID. His recommendation OF the en-
actment Of 4 System of annuities for
the families of deceased oflicers. by
voluntary reductions from the month
ly pay of officers. This again is no.
attended with a burden upon the
Treasury, and would for the future
relieve much distress, which every old
army oficer has witnessed in the past,
of officers dying suddenly or being
killed, leaving their families without
the means of reaching their friends,
if fortunate enough to have friends to
aid them.
ID The repeal of the law abolishinp
milage and return to old systems.
4th. The trial with torpedos under the
corp. Of engineers and appropriations foi
the same. Should war ever occur between
the United States aud any maratime power
torpedos viii be among, If not the most ef.
ieciive aud cheapest auxiliary for the de.
fense Of harbors, and also aggressive opera
tions that we can have. Hence it is advi-
sable to learn by experiment their best con.
struction and application as well as Of
feet.
4 5th. The permanent organization Of the
Signal Service Corps. This service has
now become necessity OF peace as well Al
war under advancements made by the pres
ent able management.
i 9Th. A renewal OF the appropriations
for compiling the official records of the war
etc.
/ The condition of
E OUR NAVY,
AZ this time is a subject of satisfaction. Il
does not contain, it is true, any Of the pow.
cfful cruising iron clads which make SO
much Of the maratime stronghold some oth-
er nations, bnt neither our continental sit.
nation or our foreign policy requires that
We shond have large number OF ships o.
this character, while this situation and Thu
nature Of onr ports continue to make thos.
lof other nations little dangerous to us un.
der any circumstances
Our navy does contain, however. a con
siderable number Of iron clads Of tlie noni-
tor claaa, which though not properly cruis
era are powerful and effective for harbol
. defense, aud for operations near our owr
ports. These are all the single tnrrettet
. ones-!ifteen IN number-haye been sub
stantially rebuilt, their rotten woedel
beams replaced with iron, their hull
strengthened aud their engines and ma
. chinery thoroughly repaired so thst the,
! are now in most efficient condition, and ar
: ready for sea as soon "a they can be man
ned and nut in commission
2 The five double turretel iron cads, b,
G far the most powerful of our ships for
Q fighting purposes, are also in hands under
: going complete repairs, and could be read.
| for sea in periods varying from four to si
) months. With these. completed accordin,
c to the present design and onr two iron tor
{ peio boats now ready, our iron clad flee
: will be for the purpose OF defense at homt
equal TO any force that can readily b
Y brought against it.
{ OF our wooden navy, also cruisers Of va
e rious sizes, to the number Of abont fort,
! including those now in commission, are i
s the Atlantic. and conld be got ready fo
: duty as fast as men could be enlisted ft
4 those not already in commission. Some 9
4 these are effective now, and though som
@ Of the remainder need considerable repail
# on their boilers and machinery, they are al
e or can be readily made effective.
o This constitutes n fleet Of more than III
! war ships, of which fifteen are iron ella
L now In hand on the Atlantic coast. Th
navy has been brought to this condition b
i a jndicious and practical application |
@ what could be spared from the current al
F. preparation of the last lew years, and fror
tkAk Ao -. 81 kLa IA
d Of two years ago. 1t has been done quici
,t ly, without proclamation or display, az
n though il has necessarily Strengthened tt
Il department in its ordinary expenditure
IT and so far IS the iron clads are concerne
l. has added nothing to the cruising force
l. hehavy. yet the result is not the less sa
D. isfactory because it Is to be found in gre
a. increase OF real, rather than apparent fore
.r The expenses incurred in the maint
nance of an effective naval force in all i
branches, are necessarily large, but sui
force is necessary to our position, relation
III and character, and effects seriously Il
c. weight Of our principles and policy throus
ID out the whole sphere of naval responsible
ty. The estimate for the regular snppo
al Of this branch of the service for the ne
" year, will amount to little less in the a
te gregate than those made for the current We
it butsome additional appropriations are ask
y. for objects not included in the ordiua
a. maintenance Of the navy but believed to
us Of pressing importance. At this time,
a would, In my opinion, be wise to at on
en- afford sufficient means for the immedis
he completion oi the double turreted monte
I'd now undergoing repairs, which must otht
10 wise advance slowly, and as soon as I
on money can be spared from the current 9
lg penses, supplemented by these. Our nav
no armed by the destructive weapons OF me
v, ern warfare, manned by our seamen, a
le, in charge OF our instructed officers, "
er present force powerful for the home p'
nj poses Of responsible, though peaceful !
rd tiop,
". The report Of the
ls- PosTMAsTER. GENERAL,
-, herewith transmitted, gives fail history
'aa the workings of the year just passed.
au will be observed that the deficiency to
vi supplied from the general treasury is |
'e- creased over the amount required for
" preceding year, In . country SO vast
fe- area a. the United States, with large p
oE tion sparsely settled II must be expec
M that this important service win be more
&c less burden upon the treasury for ma
years to come, but there is no branch Of
W. public service which interests the VIII
ny people more than that Of the cheap 1
re- rapid transmission OF the mails.
me The commercial advantages to be gail
on BY adircct line of American steamers
the South American States will far outs.
rc. the expense Of the service.
d- by act Of Congress, approved March
me 1876, almost all matter, whether prope
,M- mail matter OF not, may be sent any /
ION tance through tho mails in packages
ING exceeding4 pounds in weight, for the S
nj, Of l6 cents per pound, So fas as
tea transmission OF real mail matter goes,
nd would seem entirely proper, but sugE
mt the law be 90 amended a. to exclude Fl
NO the mails merchandise OF oil descript
eae and limit this transportation to all arti
Ar enumerated and which may be classe,
les mail matter proper.
md The discovery Of gold In
THE BLACK HILLS,
~ . 1. @vt;o,, IS Aha Cfnuv vosorvnt;,>,, ha.