Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-12-10

now TO ENABLE THE szoasfARf OF ih@
no ACCUMULATE BALASchs.
r,is IA a.vise some better method OF verliyins
claims .yainst tho government than At preseu. 81
- through the court OF ciaim ms, esP.Si;. more
g ms growing out Of the late war Noss ,oounts
car taI in than that very large percentas or
eo 49, - ,,,;d ava eithsr wholly frauduleht, ..
are far in excess oilossSs sustained Ia .,dnc 10
of losses, proven ON good tss.iL ~ c,itions or un-
serupuous persons to have been sustalhso on ,ha
farms and plantations, are not only lar IVY ~,
possible ed Of those lUs en- in tng the
soil aud who has visited the scenes Oh tnes iJiyi
tons are in many instances more tnan w. ne ,bsir
dnoI claimants were ever worth, lncluutns So
ssr.nnaI ard real estate. The report oil inc Ateoi
n.y tieneral, which will be submitted 70 so. ~
at an carly day, will contain detaiieu hare
awards ulade and o. e4ilns pen4--s Va
referred to.
ruxKrPonr OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR;
....,,,.nv,rg this message, gives 4 detailed ac-
e',,,.t ~ army oueraIaas the year Just pass
ed expenses for maintenance, &C, WI -
menostions for legislation. 10 some Ol M.en
sI.ctfully invite your attention. lnslto sPesScaA
sP.~,,1.,n Eir.t l., the uecesriv Of making sJcs-
O0l of the appropriation ior tue su6sstenee
uent available before the be- =. ~
Gsral wear. M;thOut this provision troops ~ P. .s
dist,nt from supply stations must either 90 Wilt
ont food or the existing laws must DC siYiA'1 s,J
is not attended with cost to the treasury Ts,asn
bis recommendation for the enactment OF = I
AZ annuities for families OF deceased VHioeis. a.
voluntary deductions from the inonthy pay %
Gers This again, is not attended WIN a 49,.
uDon the treasury and would Tor the 4utue 49,
much distress which every Old army Ss-
has witnessed the part VI olnee's ,.yyiiass
suddenly, being killed Ieas .ts s,Ssn5s
n fortunate enough 10 have friends 70 alu theni
Third the repeal OF the iaw abolshlh IN
: return to the old system FOURTH inc .lla' ..--
torpedoes under thecOrps OF ensinee anu AZ apP
nri1tior for the same. should war ever occur oe
tween the United states and any maritime Ponei,
torpedoes will be among II not most e ~ -,
a-fe flr IA
md also in aggressive operations that We can htse
Hence IL IS advisable to learn by experiment snet
hest construction and application as wei as eo -
Fifth a permanent organ zatiOn Tor the sl-i'-i -
wee CORPS This service has no" beeone metz
inv o: peace as well OF war, under the aIvancs
ment made by the present able mana Seieht' ~
A renewal Of apprvptlatluhs iVi eo"Pi4N7 ~
records o. the war, ETC.
1Hg CONDITION OF OUR NAVY
d, ,t;. time ia a subject OF satisfaction. IL
,oes not contain, It is true, any OF the powerful
cruising iron-cads which make so mueh OF INC
maritime siren 9Th Of some other natonsous he4tn-
,.r ,rr cont mental situa,iOn foreign policy re
auires that We should have n large humber %
.hips Of this character while the SITUATION anu
,ture of our ports continue to make those o. OtAer
natiuns little dangerous under any circumstance
our navy does contain, however, eohsiaerADie
number " iron-clads OF the monitor Class "h.en'
tbeur not properly cruisers, are powerful anu CT
fctye for hs Dor defence and FOR operations near OUT
own shores Ofthese all the single turreted
teen in number, have been substantially
~
stren ,theneI and their engines aud mGeh merry
thoroughly repaired. so that they are ho" N tne
most efficient condition and ready Tor sea as 7oon as
thev can lie manned and put IN COMM isslrn. Auo
five dOuble-turreted iron-clads belonging 70 CUR
navy, by lar the most powerful o. our SHIPS .ol
Fighting purposes, are also N 1Anu, u-uol 49,
h. muieto relairs and could be ready for sea IN
periots ranging from four 10 Elk months. WIN
these completed according u the present desl n
and two iron torpedo boats now ieAiy, oui ,l0n
c ad deet Will be Tor tho purposes OF defence AZ
home equal to any force that can reauIy
be brought against it. Oi our wooasn
navy, also, cruisers OF various s-]es 70 -; tle
number Of forty .uding those now N comiss4on'
are in the Atlantic snd could he ready Tor duty Is
fast as men could be enlisted for those not already
commission. Of these 0ne-thirn are N eheet
new sh ~. though some OF the Tenl4i nder heeu con
siderable repairs to tnelr boilers or nacA4heIy.
They all are or can be made effective. This con
siitutes a dset OF more than ETY. war SHIPS WIN
fifteen irOn-clads now in hand On the Atlantic
coast The navy has been brought into this condi-
iiun hy the jGdieiOus and practlc2I spphcatoh o.
what could be spared from the current approprla-
toes o. the last few years, aud IRON taat made u
meet the possible emergency o. two years ago IL
uls been dOne quietly and without proclamation
or sp.ay, and though Z has necessarily suAlzht
eueL the department in the ordinary expen-
ditures and as far irOn-c.ads are con
cerned, has ADDED nothing 10 the crusln-
ilrcs Of the navy, yet tho result IS MOI
less satisf ctory hscause il Is 10 re found IN the
great Increase o. real rather than apparent force
rle expenses incurred in tho maintenance OF tic
elective naval force IN all is tr1uches are neces
.ariy larse hut sach force is essential 10 oar posi-
li,u re.atons and character. and affects seriously
tile weight Of cur prime pie and policy throu sn9ut
the whole sphere " naval resDOnslb-lltles- The
estimates the gular support o. tins branch OF
service for the next year amount 10 little less
IA aggregate than hose made ior the current ear
but some add tOnal appropriations are asked ioF
objects lot included IN the ordinary ma ntenancs
o. the navy. but believed be o. pressing IN
purtan-e At tbs time. Ii would IN my opinion
lie wise 1t once TO afford suiAc emit means ior
TIE immediate completion %. i've douoIe-tur-
retted monitors, now undergoing repairs, when
must otherwise advance slowly ami only Is money
can he spared. fcOm current expenses suPPle-
uentet by these. Our navy armed with the most
destructive weapons o.. IlCdern w4r-1re. manned
by our saamen and n charge Of our Instructed OIL
Gers. viii present force powerful -Or the home
purposes Of a responsible though peaceful nation.
TIE REPORT or TIE POSTMASTER GENERAL,
he-ew TIA transmitted. gives full history Of the
-orE : the department Tor the year Just passed.
1t VII be observed that the deficiency u be sup
p-ed irum the genera! treasury increased over the
amount required f1r the preceding year. In a
country vast IN area as The nted States, with
large portions sparsey settled, i must he expect
81 that this important service viii be more
OK less burden upon the treasury tor many years
10 come. But there IS No branch u tho uub4c ser
wee which interests the whole people more than
that %. the cheap and RAPID transmission % mails
10 every Inhabited part OF our territory. Next TO
the lice school, the POstocs IS the great educator
10 the people, and may we'll receive the support uf
the general government The subsidy Of $50 tIu
Der auuuu even - vessels " the United states for
carrying the mails between New York and RIO lie
Janeir0, having ceased On the 30th day OF Septem
Der last. without direct mail facilities with
the South American States. This q greatly to be
regretted. and 90 not hesitate 70 recommend the
4ltlurlzAtlOu % renewal q! mat contract anu
also that the service may be increased from monthly
o. SEN monthly trips The commercial advantages
90 ne g4ined by direct line OF American steamers
10 tie South American states Will far outwe n the
expense o. the By the act 0t Congress ap-
proved March -, $50, almost all matter whether
properly mai matter not, may be sent
4ny distance throul the mails,in pack
a--vs not exceeding fur pounds N weight
..r the SUN Of sixteen cents per pound. 20 TAR
t.e transm ss0n OF real mall matter goes, this
auuid seem entirely proper; tut ! su.geS. that
the lsw be Amended as taeNelude IRON The mails
merchandise VI al descriptoasa hmittlis trans
pprt4tl0u 10 al articles enumerated aui VII Oh
nay he cassel a. mail matter proper,
Ihe discovery u gold IN
NE BLACK HILLS,
portion OF the Sioux reservation. has had the
th-c, fu induce large EN- grafton OF miners to
That point Thus far the sttauut 10 project ths
treaty rissts OF the Indians " that section hiss
been successful, but next year will certainly wit
less large increase Of such en- grafton. The ne
got iious for the reluqu shnant OF the gold fields
nav ~ iai.ed. Il viii be necessary 10 relieve the
embarrassment growing out OF the causes name q
The secretary Of the Interior csts that the sup
plies now appropriated Tor the sIsreuauce OF that
people be NJ no longer obligatory under the treaty
% t-i.a. but simply sratulty, may he issued or
Withheld al his discretion. The cond ton o.! the In
d an Territory to which have referred in several
OF my former annual messages, remains practically
unchanged. Ths secretary OF the Interior has taken
meas ares 10 obtain foil rerort OF the condition OF
that territory, and will make Il Ia subject OF a
necessary 10 make sume further rec. ulfnendat Ion
IN REGARD 10 legislation for the government o. that
Territory.
TIE PATENT OFFICE.
The steady growth and increase Of the bus ness OF
Tie patent oihce indicates in some measure the
progress Of the industrial activity %. the country
De reee pts o; the office II excess Of its eXper-
ditures. and the Office generally is ina Prosperous
am sat-'Aetory condition.
THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE.
Tie report Of the general land oMce shows that
there we're 10y COL acres less disposed OF this than
during the last year. More than one-hal. Of tbs
decrease was II lands disposed " under tho home
stead ami timber culture laws. The causes Of thls
decfe1sess supposed u be found in the grasshotper
srouT e and the drouths which prevailed SO extern
svc4 in some OF the frontier states and territories
during that time as 70 discourage and detor entries
hy actual settlers. The cash receipts were les biz
so ,''--a-3 than during the preceding wear. The
ehtiie surveyed area OF the public mGia is 6s0,-
i ust acres, OF whi-h 26.Uss .53I acres were sur
veytd during the past year, leaving Liza
i'l-'o3 acres still unsurveyed. The report Of the
c'inin4ssI"uer presents many interesting susges-
Lous IN regard to the mana cement and dispos tion
a. the public domain and the mod ica;iou OF exist
M laws, the apparent Importance Of which should
ensure ieF tLem the careful consideration Of Con
gress.
PENSIONERS
Tie number O. pensioners still continue 70 de
crease, the highest number having been reached
the last year II ,I57 were added u the rolls
anu l-9.s dropped thereirom, showing a net de
crease % li2l But while the pensions have de
creased the annual amount due on the pension roll
has increased sii,s73.l3. This is caused BY the
greatly increased average rats Of pensions, which
rs the liberal legislation OF Con ress, has increased
from S-Ua in is. to $40 81 in ISL 10 each invalid
peus0ner, an increase in the average rata OF Is per
cent m the the three years During the year end
H. Jnns 3uth. 1875, there paid on account Of
prn>ions, including the expenses OF disbursement
50 t75li6. being S9lu,93. les than was paid the
pracecin. ear. This reduction in the amount Of
expenditures was produced by the decrease in the
amount " AREA ages due allowed Gains and on
pcr-lOus tho rate Of when Vas increased by the
legislation % the preceding session OF Con re-s AT
the oe OF the last fiscal year there were on the
pension rolls 4li- el persons 0. whom 2ll 33 were
sruy .ensloners. 1915 being inValics ana 10 81
Slr'Ws ami dependent relatives. hrce thousand
FOUR hundred aud twenty were navy pensioners of
whom 1850 were inyalids and ~ ldOws and de-
j. uioui relatives; u us pensioners Of the
war u 24A lsli 81 whom were survivors and To-,