New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-12-08


mail facilities with the South Americas
States. This is greatly to be regretted, aut
do not hesitate to recommend the authOr
jzstiOn OF rnewal of that contract ant
also that the service be increased from
monthly to semi-DOnthly trips The com
mercial advantages t. be gained by adirec
line of American steamers to the South
American States will far outweigh the ex
pense of the service.
BY act of Congress, approved March 3
1875. almost all matter. whether properly
mail matter or NOT, msy be sent any dis
lance through the mails in packages not ex
ceeding four pounds in weight for the sum
of sixteen cents per pound. So far as the
transmission OF real mail matter goes, this
would seem entirely proper; but suggest
that the law be so amended as to exclude
from the mails merchandise of all descrip.
tiuns, and limit this transportation to arti-
Giles enumerated and which may be elassed
as mail matter proper,
THE BLACK HILLS.
The discovery OF gold in the Black Hills,
portioI of the Sioux reservation, has had
the effect to induce large emigration of
miners to that point Thus far the effort to
protect the treaty rights Of the Indians TO
that section has been successful, but the
next year will certainly witness large in
crease OF such emigration. The negotiations
for the relinqui-hment of the gold fields
having failed, it will be necessary for Con.
gress to adopt some measures to relieve the
embarrassment growing out of the causes
named. The Secretary of the Interior sug-
gests that the supplies now appropriated
for the snstenance Of that people, being no
longer obligatory under the treaty of 1868,
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 practical
ly unchanged. The Secretary of the Inte-
rior has taken measures to Obtain full re-
port of the condition of that Territory, and
will make it the su bject of q special report
at an early day. 1t may then be necessary
to make some further recommendation in
regard to legisl alton for the e vernment OF
that Territory.
The steady growth and increase of the
business of the
PATENT OFFICE
Indicates in some measure the progress of
the industrial activity of the country. The
receipts of the office are in excess of its
expenditures, and the office generally ia in
prosperous and satisfactory condition.
The report of the
GENERAL LAND OFFICE
Shows that there were 2,459,60l acres less
disposed of during this than during the last
year. More than one halt of this decrease
was in lands disposed of under the home
stead and timber culture laws. The cause
of this decrease is supposed to be found in
the grasshOppar scOurge and the drouths
which prevailed 80 extensively ia some
of the frontier. States and Territories
during that time as to discourage
and deter entries by actuals ettlers.
The cash receipts were lees by
$500, 325 % than during the preceding
year. The entire surveyed area of the
public domain is CSC. 253, 09i acres, of which
20, OF ,53l acres were surveyed during the
past year, leaving l,l54 AL 1862 acres still
unsurveyed.
The report of the commissioner presents
many interesting suggestions in regard to
the management and disposition of the pub
lie domain and the modification of existing
laws. the apparent Importance of which
sbonli insure for them the careful consid-
81 at on of Congress.
the number of
PENSIONERS
still continues to decrease, the highest mum.
Der having been reached during the year
ending June 3d. 1873 During the year
| ,557 names were added 10 the rolls, and
L, 9T were dropped therefrom, showing a
net decrease OF 1920. But while the mum
her of pensioners has decreased, the annual
amount due on the pension rolls has in
ID. This lis caused BY the
greatly increased average rate on peneions, |
which, by the liberal legislation of Con.
yress. las inereas;tdd ttIom 800 26 in 1870, to |
BOB 81 in 1875 to each invalid pensioner,
an increase in the average rate of fiji, |
teen per cent in the three years. |
Ouiing the year ending June 80, |
1875, there was p.id on account |
Of pensions, including the expenses of dis |
500 $50, ll6 being $9l0,632 less |
han was paid the prece ding year. This re-
iucti0n in amount of expenditures was pro-
luced by the decrease in the amount of ar |
due on allowed claims and on pen.
lions, the rate of which was increased by |
Congress. At the close of the last fiscal |
year there were on the pension rells 23i 1921 |
persons, of whom 2l0,363 were army pen.
,ionsrs, l05,47s being invalids, and l04 1856 |
widows and dependent relatives; 1920 |
we're navy pensioners, of whom 1886 |
we're invalids and 1884 widows and |
dependent relatives; 2l,038 were PEN
'ioners of the war of 1912, 1885 |
If whom were survivors, and 5l63 were
Widows. 1t is estimated that $29, 535, 900
will be required for the payment of pen.
lions for the next fscsl year, an amount |
1865 900 less than the estimate tor the pres
int year. The
GEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS
Have been prosecuted with energy during
he year, covering an area of about 40 600 |
'quare miles in he Territories of Colorado, |
Utah and New Mexico, developing the sgri-
cultural and mineral resources and fur
1ishing interesting scientific aud topograph-
cal details Of that region. The method for
he
TREATMENT OF THE INDIANS,
Adopted at the beginning OF my first term,
has been steajily pursued, and with salts
factory and encouraging results. 1t has
been productive of evident Improvement in
sinued with only such notifications as fur
her experience may indicate to be neces-
,ary.
THE CENTENNIAL.
The board heretofore appointed to take
charge of the Articles and materials per-
tanning to the War, the Navy, the Treasury,
the Interior and the Postofiice Departments,
and the Department of Agriculture, the
Smithsonian Institute, and the commission
Of food fisheries to be contributed under
the legislation of last session to the inter-
national exhibition to be held at Philpdel-
phia during the centennial year, 1876, has
been diiigent In the discharge of tho duties
which have devolved upon it, and the
% fer made, with the means ut
give assurance that the govern.
mental contribution will be made one of the
marked chsrncteristics Of the exhibition.
The board has observed commeniable
in the matter of the erection of Q
building for the governmental exhibit, the
expense of which 1t IL estimated will not
exceed, say $50 900.
This amount has been withdrawn under
the law from the appropriations of i've of
the principal departments, which leaves
some Of those departments without suf.