The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1875-12-09

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time, redeem the legal terde- notes 10 \
voiu,ne that could be kent ag,st without
demanding redemption in lar.v SUNS sud-
denly.
| Thiri That additional power be given
10 Tie Secretary OF the Treasury to accumu-
laic god Tor the final redemption oi the
currency, increasing the revenue. or cur
taiiing the expenses, or both ii is prefer
able 10 do both, and recommend tina; i
reduction OF expenditures he made when
ever 1t can be done without impairings-ov-
eminent Obligations or crippling the
que execution ihereof-one measure Tor
increasing the revenue, and the only one,
think, Is the restoratian of the
DUTY on TEA AND COFFEE.
These duties would add probably eight
cen million dollars to the present amount
received Tor imports, and would in no way
increase the prices paid for those articles
| DE the consumers. These articles are the
products OF countries collecting revenue
IRON exports, and as We are the largest con-
sumers, We reduce the duties. rs they pro-
portionately increase them. With this ad-
ditlon to the revenue, many duties now col
! iec;ed, and which give but an Insignificant
return, from the cos; Of collection, might be
7emitied, and 10 the direct advantage, OF
consumers alone. | would mention rhos.
articles which enter into manufactures OF
ali sorts, all duty paid upon such articles
20 directly 10 the cost of the article when
manufactured, and must be paid for by
consumers. The duties now only come
from the consumers alone, but acts as n
protection 10 foreign manufacturers OF the
| -3 Ia
| distant markets.
VIII suGges; or mention another sub
ject, bearing upon the problem OF how to
enable the Secretary of the Treasury to ac-
emulate balances. 1t Is to devise some
better method OF verifyin. claims against
the government, than at present exists
through the Court OF Claims, especially
those claims gro"ing out Of the late war.
Nothing a. more certain than that 4 large
percentage OF the amounts passed and paid
are part or wholly fraudulent, or are far in
excess Of the zeal losses sustained. The
large amount OF losses, proven on good les
timony, according to existing laws, by
affldarits Of fictitious or Inscriptions per
sons, To have been sustained on small farms
and plantations, are rot only far beyond
the possible yield Of these places for any
one year, bat - every one knows who has
had experience in tilling the soil, and who
has visited the scenes of the spoliations, are
many instances worth more than the indi-
vidual claimants were ever worth, inclu1-
ing their personal and real estate.
| The report Vi the Attorney General,
which will be submitted TO Congress at an
early day, will contain detailed history OF
the awards made, anu OF claims pending.
OF the class here referred to.
THE REPORT OF TIE SECRETARY OF WAR
accom- panying this message, gives detailed
account Of the army operations for the year
just passed, the expenses for maintenance.
ETC., with recommendations Tor legislation.
to which respectfully invite YOUR atten-
ton. To some OF these invite special at
tention:
First: The necessity of making thirty
thousand dollars OF the appropriation for
the subsistence of the department available
before the beginning OF the next fiscal year
Without this provision, troops at points
distant from the supply and production,
must either so without food, or the existing
| laws must be violated IL is not attended
with additional cost TO the Trcasury.
Second His recommendations of an en-
! actmeTt OF i system OF annuities for the
families OF deceased officers, BY voluntary
reductions from the monthly paw of officers.
This, again, Is not attended with bur
den upon the Treasury. and would for the
future relieve much distress, which every old
army officer has Witnessed in the past.
Officers dying suddenly or being killed,
leaving families without even means ii
reaching their friends, II fortunate enough
to have friends to aid them.
Third: The repeal OF the law abolish
ing mileage, and a return to the old sys-
TEN.
Fourth: TIE trial with tlrpeioes under
the Corps Of Engineers ana &c appropria-
Iion for the same Should ar ever occur
between the United States I'd any mara
time power, tOrpedoes will be among, ii not
the most effective and cheapest auxiliiar-
les iOr TIE defence OF our harbors and also
in aggressive operations that we can have
Hence, il Is advisable to learn BIZ expert
ment, their best construction and applica-
ton, as well As effect.
Fifth: \ permanent organization for
the Signal Service Corps. This Service
has now become necessity OF peace as well
war, under the advancement made by the
present able management.
Sixth: A renewal oil the appropriation
for completing the official records Of the
war, etc.
the condition OF
TIE NAVY
at :lis time is a subject OF satisfaction it is
true, ii does not contain any Of the powerful,
cruising iron -clads which make so much OF
the BIaratIme strength OF some other Ma
tons, bat neither oUr Continental situation
Ror our ioreisn policy requires that we
should have a large number OF ships OF this
character while this situation and the ma
ture vi oar ports Continue to make those OF
Other Nations little dangerous to lis
under any circumstance. Our Navy
does contain, however, considerable
number of iron-ciads oil the
monitor class, which, thoush not properly
cruisers, are powerful and effective Tor har-
Dor defence, aEd for operation near our
own shores. OF these, all the single tur-
rette,l ones, fifteen in number, have been
substantially rebuilt, their rotten wooden !
beams replaced with iron, their hulls |
ireHgthened, and their engines and ma
chirery thoroughly repaired, so that they |
are now in the most efficient condition, ard |
ready for sea a. soon as they can be man
ned and PIT in commission. The five \
iron-clads, belonging 70 our
navy, by lar the most powerful ships Tor /
lighting purposes, are also in hand, under
going complete repairs, and could lie ready
ior sea in periods varying from four to six
months. With these completed according
10 the present design, and our two iron tor
pedo boats, now ready, our irUn-ciad fleet
will be for the purposes Of defense Al home,
,qual T. any force that can be readily !
brought against it. o. our wooden navy,
'lso, cruisers OF various sizes, TO the NUM-
'er Of about forty, including those Eow in
ne commission, are in the Atlantic, and
,ould be ready for duty as fast as men
ould be enlisted for those not already in
he commission. OF these, one-third are in
fleet new ships, and though some Of the
need considerable repairs on
heir boilers and machinery, they are all,
II can readily be made effective. This
Constitutes feet OF more than fifty war
hips, OF which fifteen are iIon-clads, now (
n hand on the Atlantic coast. The navy 4,
as been brought TO this condition by iu- |
icious and practical application OF what
ouid be spared from the
urrent appropriations OF the last 4,
Nv year,, and from that made 10 meet the
ossible emergency Of two years ago. 1t h az
cen done quietly, without proclamation or
isplay, and though it has necessarily
the department in lis ordinary
Expenditures, and as far az the iron-clad
re concerned, has added nothing to the I.