The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-08

less in the aggregate than IN ise made Tor
the current year. but some additional APP
preparations are asked for objects not in
cluded in the ordinary maintenance of the
navy, but believed to be of pressing impor'
lance at this time. 1t would, in my opn-
ion, be wise at once to afford sufficient
means for the immediate completion OF the
i've double turreted monitors now under
going repairs, which must otherwise adj
vance slowly and only rs money can be
spared from casual expenses. Supplement-
ed by these, our navy, armed with the de-
structive weapons Of modern warfare,
manned by our eeameu, and In charge OF
aur instructed officers, will present force
powerful for the home purpose Of re-
sponsible though peaceful nation.
POSTMASTER GENERALS RRpoRT
The report OF the postmaster general
herewith transmitted, gives q full history
of the workings Of that department for the
year just passed. 1t will be observed that
the deficiency to be supplied from the gem
ersl treasury has Increased over the amount
required the preceding year. In country
| so vast in area as the United States, with
| large portions sparsely settled, il must be
| expected that this important service will
be more or less burden upon the treasury
| for many years to come, but there is no
branch of the public service which inter
| t5ls tHe WuOlt peOple more tnan mat oil
cheap and rapid transmission of mails to
every inhabited part Of our territory. Next
to free schools, the postoflice is the great
educator of the people, and it may
well receive the support of the general
government. The subsidy of $3.50, 900 per
annum given to vessels of the United States
for carrying the mails between Rio dc ia
metro having ceased on the Goth day of
September last, we are without direct mail
facilities with the South American states
This is greatly to be regretted, and | do
not hesitate to recommend the authorize
ton of renewal of that contract and also
that the service may be increased from
monthly to semi-monthly trips. The com
mercial advantage to be gained by direct
line OF American steamers to the southern
American states will far outweigh the ex-
pense of the service.
BY the act OF congress approved March
3, 1875, all most all matter, whether pro-
, perly mail matter or not, may be sent any
distance through the mails in packages not
exceeding four pounds in weight for the
sum of 16 cents per pound. So far as the
transmission of real mail matter goes this
would seem entirely proper, but | suggest
! that the law be 30 amended as to exclude
! from the mails merchandise of all descrip-
tons, and limit this transportation to all
articles enumerated which may be classed
! as mail matter proper.
BLACK HILLS.
8 The discovery of gold in the Black hills
J a portion of the Sioux reservation, has had
the effect to induce a large emigration of
, miners to that point. Thus far the effort
3 to protect the treaty rights of the Indians
t of that section has been successful, but the
next year will certainly witness a large in
8 crease of such emigration. Negotiation
for the REIMBURSEMENT of the gold fields
! having failed, it will be necessary for con-
9 gress to adopt some measures 10 relieve the
. embarrassment growing out of the causes
named. The secretary of the intarior sug-
8 gests that the supplies now appropriated
for the sustenance of that people being no
longer obligatory under the treaty OF 1868,
but simply gratuity. may be issued or
withheld, at his discretion.
THE INDIAN TERRITORY.
q The condition of the Indian territory, to
which / have referred in several of my for
e ner annual messages, remains practically
unchanged. The secretary of the interior
has taken measures to obtain q full report
of the condition of that territory, and will
l. make 1t the subject of q special report at
It an early day. 1t may then be necessary
1t to make some further recommendations in
J, regard to legislation for the government of
n | that territory.
J. PATENT OFFICE.
The steady growth and increase of the
N business of the patent office Indicate in
" some measure the progress of the industrial
g activity of the country. The receipts OF
= the Office are ia excess of its expenditures,
!, and the office generally is in prosperous
- and satisfactory condition.
is LAND CFFICE.
The report of the general land office
D. shows that there were ., 459, COL acres less
Or disposed of during this than during the last
" year. More than one-half of this decrease
a. was in lands disposed of under the home
a stead and timber culture laws. The causes
Or of this decrease is supposed TO be found in
h the grasshopper scourge and the drought
ne which prevailed so extensively in some of
10 the frontier states and territories dnring
ne that time, as to discourage and deter en-
H. tries by actual settlers The cash receipts
were less by S690,3 % than during the
10 preceding year. The entire surveyed
ares of the public domain is G39 253,-
er 694 acres, of which 2G,077,531 acres
or were surveyed during the past
n, unsurveyed. The report of the commiss
It, Toner presents many interesting suggestions
or in regard to the management and DISPOSE
We ton of the public domain, and the modiii
d. cation of existing laws, the apparent I'M
at portance of which should insure for them
the careful consideration of congress.
he PENSIONS.
w The number of pensioners continues TO de
IT, crease, the highest number having been
IS reached during the year ending June 30,
1878. During the last year 1l,15l names
on were added to the rolls, and 1877 were
IT, dropped therefrom, showing net decrease
lis of 1920. But while the number of pen
es sioners has decreased, the annual amount
ul due on the pension rolls has increased S44
of 1918. This Is caused by the greatly in
IS, creased average rate of pensions, which, by
or the liberal legislation of congress. has in
lid creased from S9,026 in 1872 to so, 39l il
ar 1875, to each invalid pensiOner-an increase
of in the averags rate of 10 per cent in the
Ter three years. During the year ending june
ny 30, 1876, there was paid on account OF pen
IN, sions, including expenses of disbursement
on $50 ,6S3, 116-being $9l0,632 less than wa:
gh paid the preceding year. This reduction
eff in amount of expenditures was produced
"a by the decrease in the amount of arrear
all ages due on allowed claims and on pen
er, sions, the rate of which was increased by
cir the legislation of the preceding session o
cir congress. At the close of the last fisca
nd year, there were on the pension rolls S34,
ire S2l persons, of whom 2l0,3 1868 were army
dy pensioners, 105,47S being invalds an'
M 104, S55 widows and dependent relatives
IN 8,42O were navy pensioners, of whom LOB
he were invalid and l, 7s4 widows and depend
ng ent relatives 21,03S were pensioners o
ng the war of 1912. .l5,S75 of whom were sur
for vvors and 5,163 were widows. 1t is est
six mated that 500, 535, 900 will be reqniret
ng for the payment of pensions for the mex
DIV fiscal year-an amount Of 1865, 900 les
he than the estimate for the present year.
ny THE GEOGRAPHICAL EXPLORATIONS
less have been prosecuted with energy durinl
VI the wear, covering an area of about ,OO