Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1875-12-16

the maintenance of an effective naval force il
all its branches, are necessarily large, but sucl
force is essential to our position, relations ant
character, and affects seriously the weight O
our principles and policy throughout thu
whole sphere of naval responsibilities. Tn,
estimates for the regular support Of thi
branch Of the service for the next year amount
to little less, in the aggregate, than thosi
made for the current year, bnt some addition
al appropriations are asked for objects not in
I cluded in the ordinary maintenance of the ma
w, but believed to be of pressing Importance
at this time. 1t would, in my opinion. bt
wise at once to afford sufficient means for tht
immediate completion Of the five double-tur
retted monitors, now undergoing repairs
which must otherwise advance slowly and
only as money can be spared from current ex
penses. Supplemented by these, our navy,
armed with the destructive weapons of mod
ern warfare, manned by our seamen and in
charge of our instructed officers; will present
force powerful enough for the home purpo
ses of responsible though peaceful nation.
THE PosroFFIcE DEPARTMENT.
The report of the Postmaster General, here.
with transmitted, gives a full history of the
workings OF tue Department for the year just
past. 1t will be observed that the deficiency
to be supplied from the general Treasury il
/
preceding year. In country 80 vast in area
as the United States, with large portions
sparsely settled, it must be expected that this
| important service will be more or less bur
! den upon the Treasury for many years to come;
but there is no branch of the public service
which interests the whole of the people more
that of cheap and rapid transmission of the
mails to every inhabited part of our territory.
Next to the free schools the postofflce is the
great communication of the people, and may
well receive the support of the general Gov
| ernment.
The subsidy of S15O,OOO per annum given
to the vessels of the United States for carry
ing the mails between New York and Rio de
Janerio having ceased ..on the Both day of
September last, we are without direct mail ia
cilities with the South American States. This
is greatly to be regretted, and | do not hesi-
tate to recommend the authorization of a re-
newal OF that contract, and also that the SER
vice may be increased from monthly to semi.
monthly. The commercial advantages to be
gained by direct line of American steam
ships to the South American States will far
outweigh the expense Of the service.
By Act of Congress approved March Sd,
| 1875. almost all matter, whether properly
mail matter or not, may. be sent any distance
through the mails in packages, not exceeding
/ cents per pound. So far as the transmission
of real mail matter goes, this would seem en-
| tlrely proper, but | suggest that the law be
| SO amended as to exclude from the mails mer-
chandize of all descriptions and limit this
transportation to all articles enumerated, and
which may be classed as mail matter proper
THE BLACK HILLS.
| The discovery of gold in the Black Hills, a
! portion of the Sioux reservation, has had the
effect to induce large emigration of miners to
that point, thus, so far, the effort to protect
the treaty rights of the Indians of that section
has been successful, but the next year will
certainly witness a large increase of such en-
! igration. The negotiation for the relinquish-
ment of the gold fields having failed, it will
be necessary for Congress to adopt some meas
ures to relieve the embarrassments growing
out of the cases named. The Secretary of the
Interior suggests that the supplies now appro-
priated for the susteEance of that people being
no longer obligatory, under the treaty of
1858, but simply gratuity, may be issued or
withheld at his discretion.
The condition of the Indian territory, to
which have referred in several of my former
annual messages remains practically unchang-
ed. The Secretary of the Interior has taken
measures to obtain a full report of the condi-
tion of that territory, and will make it the
subject of special report at an early day 1t
may then be necessary to make some further
recommendation in regard TO legislation for
that territory.
OUR PUBLIC DOMAIN.
The report of the General Land Office shows
that there were 2,459, Sol acres less disposed
of during this year than during the last year
More than one-half this decrease was in lands
disposed Of under the homestead and timber
culture laws. The decrease of this is suppo-
sed to be found in the grasshopper scourge
and the droughts, which prevailed so exten-
telsively in some of the frontier States and
Territories during that time, so as to discour-
age and deter entries by actual settlers The
cash receipts were less by $500, ,322 % than
during the preceding year.
THE PUBLIC LANDS.
The entire surveyed area of the public do
main is 6S0, 253, ,094 acres, of which g. OF ,531
acres were surveyed during the past year,
leaving /, 154, All, 76a acres Still unsurveyed'
The report or the Commissioner presents
many interesting suggestions in regard to the
management and disposition of the public do
main and the modification of existing laws,
the apparent importance of which should in
sure for them the careful consideration of
Congress.
PENSIONERS AND PENSIONS.
The number of pensioners still continues to
decrease, the highest number having been
reached during the yesr ending June 80, 1878.
During tho last year Il, ,557 names were add
ed to the rolls, and IL, 977 were dropped there
from, showing a net decrease of ,420. But
while the number of pensioners has decreased
the annual amount due on the pension rolls
has increased $44, ,733 13. This is caused by
the greatly Increased average rate of pensions
,x,h;o, hxyt bo liberal lariS1atiop Of Gonrraso
has increased from $50 26 in 1872, to S103 81
in 1S75-to each invalid pensioner an increase
in the average rate of Is per cent.
In the three years during the YER ending
June Both, 1875, there was paid on account of
pensions, including the expenses of disburse-
ment, $19, 1888, 116, being S910, ,632 less than
was paid during the preceding year. This
reduction in the expenditures was produced
by the decrease in the amount of srrearagss
due on allowed claims and on pensions, the
rate of which was increased by the legislation
of the preceding session of Congress-
At the close of the last fiscal year there
were on the pension rolls pa 1921 pensioners, of
whom 210, 1858 were army pensioners, los, 47S
being invailds, 104, 1856 widows and dependent
relatives, 3,420 were navy pensioners, of
whom 1886 were invalids and 1854 widows
and dependent relatives; 81 ,038 were pension
ers of the war of 1912, 1875 of whom were
survivors and 5, 163 were widows.
1t is is estimated that S29, ,535, 900 will be
required for the payment of pensions for the
next fiscal year, an amount 1905, 600 less than
the estimate for the present year.
THE INDIAN QUESTION.
The method for the treatment Of the Indi-
ans, adopted at the beginning of my first
term, has been steadily pursued and with sat
isfactory and encouraging results. 1t has
been productive of evident Improvement in
the condition of that race, and will be con-
tinued, with only such notifications as fur
ther experience may indicate to be necessary.
THE CENTENNIAL COMMISSION.
The Board heretofore appointed to take
charge of the articles and materials pertaining
To the War the Navy the Treasury the In