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

l " - "Aose0 oAO VIC PIsFuuCto VI OOu1eA 10
collecting revenue fr.m exports and u
we-the largest c0nsumers-reduce tn,
dnties, they propOrtiOnally increase them
With this addition to the revenue many
duties now collected and which give bul
an insignificant return Ter the cost of col
lection might be RENTED and to the direct
advantage of consumers at home. / would
mention these articles which enter into
manufactures of all sorts. All duty paid
upon such articles go directly to the cost Of
the articles when manutactu red here, and
mnst be paid for by the consumers.
These duties not only come from the con.
sumers at home. but act as q protection to
foreign manufacturers of the same CON-
pleted articles In our own and distant mar.
| ksts.
will suggest or mention another subject
bearing up, the problem of how to enable
the Secretary OF the Treasury to accumu-
late balances. Ii is to devise some better
method of verifying claims against the gov
eminent than at present exists through the
Court of Claims, especially those claims
growing out of the late war. Nothing is
more certain than that very large per-
centage of amounts passed and paid are
either wholly fraudulent or are far in ex-
cess of the real losses sustained. The large
amount of losses proven on "goOd tesfi-
mony" according to existing laws, BY aft
dayits of fictitious or unscrupulous persons,
to have been sustained on small farms and
plantations are not only far beyond the pos
sible yield of those places for any one year,
but as every one knows who has had expe-
rience in tilling the soil, and who has visited
the scenes OF these spoliatioDs, are in many
Instances more than the individual claim
ants were ever worth, including their per
sonal and real estate.
The report OF the Attorne General, which
will be submitted to Congress at an early
day. Will contain a detailed history of
awards made and of claims pending of the
class here referred to.
The report of the Secretary of War, ac-
companyin this message, gives detailed
account OF
ARMY OPERATIONS
For the year just past expenses for main
tenance, etc, wi h recommendations for
legislation, 10 which l respectfully invite
your attention. To some of these invite
special attention:
First-The necessity of making $500 600
Of the appropriation for the Subsistence De
partment available before the beginning of
the next fiscal year Without this provision
troops at points distant from supply pro-
duction must either go without food, or
existing laws must re violated. 1t ia cot
attended with cost to the treasury.
SecOnd-His recommendation for the en-.
aciment of system of annuities Tor the
families of deceased officers by voluntary
deductions from the monthly pay OF officers
This again is not attended with burden
upon the treasury and would for the future
relieve much distress, which every old army
officer has witnessed in the past of officers
dying suddenly or being killtd d, leaving
families without even the means of reach.
ing their friends, if fortunate enough to
have friends to aid them.
Thlrd-The repeal of the law abolishing
mileage and a return to the old system.
Fourth he trial with torpedoes, under
the corps Of engineers, and appropriation
for the same. Should war ever occur be
tween the United States and any maritime
power, tOrpedoes will be among, if not the
most effective and cheapest auxiliary for
the defense of harbOrs, and also in egres-
sive operations, that we can have. Hence it
10 advisable to learn by experiment their
BEST construction and application as well as
effect.
Fitth-A permanent organization for the
signal service torps. This service has now
become necessity of peace as we'll as war
under the advancement made BY the pre-
sent able management.
Sixth-A renewal OF the appropriation for
compiling the official records of the war.
etc.
THE CONDITION OF OUR NAVY
At this time ls subject of satisfaction. Il
does not contain, 1T is true, any OF the
powerful cruising ironclads which make SO
much of the maritime strength of some
other nations, but neither our continental
situation, nor our foreign policy requires
that we should have lage number OF ships
Of this CHARACTER; while this .ituation and
the nature of our ports combine to make
those CT other nations little dangerous to us
under any circumstances. Our navy does
c. MIA n. however, considerable number of
il ouclads of the monitor class, which,
though not properly cruisers, are power
full and Elective for hsrbor defense and
for operations near oar own shore. OF these
all the single turreted ones. fifteen in mum
Der, have been substantially rebuilt; their
rotten wooden beams replaced with iron:
their hulls strengthened, and their engines
and machinery thoroughly repaired, go that
they are now in the mOst efficient condition,
and ready for sea as soon as they can be
manned and be put in commission. The
five double turreiei irOnclads belop ging to
our navy, by far the most powerful of our
ships for fighting purposes, are also in
hand, undergoing complete repairs, and
could be ready for sea in periods varying
from four to six months. With these com
pleted, according 70 the present design, and
our two II on torpedo boats, now ready, our
irOnclad hset will be, for the purposes Of de- |
Tense at home, equal to any force that can |
readily be brought against it.
Of our wooden navy. also, cruisers Of
various sizes, to the number of about forty,
including those now in commission, are in |
the Atlantic, and could be ready for duty
AZ fast rs men could be enlisted for those |
q. already in commission. OF these, one
third are in effect new ships, and though
some of the remainder need considerable |
repairs to their boilers and machinery. they
all are, or can readily be made, effective. |
This constitutes feet of more than fifty
war ships, of which fifteen are irOnclads
now in hand on the Atlantic coast. The
navy has been brought to this condition BY
3 Gudicious and practical application Of
what could be epared from the current ap-
of the last few years, and from
from that made to meet the possible emer-
gency of two years ago. 1t has been done
quietly, without proclamation or display, |
and though it has necess acily Strengthened
the department IN It's ordinary expenditure,
and, ss far "a the irOnclads are concerned
bss added nothing to the cruising force of
the navy. yet the result is not the less salts
factory, because II Is to be found in n great
increase Of real rather than apparent force.
The expenses incurred in the maintenance
Of an effective naval force 10 all it's branches
are necessarily large, but such force lie es-
Genital to 0ur position, relations and chsrac-
ter, and sffects seri0usly the weight of Our
principles and policy throughout the whole
sphere Of national responsibilities. The es-
Inmates for the regular support Of
this branch Of the service for the
next yesr amount to . little less
In the aggregate than those made for the
current year; but some addi sionsl sppro-
pristions arc asked for objects not included
In the ordinary maintenance Of the navy,
but believed Of pressing importance at this
timA.
II would, in my opinion. be wiaB 1t once
to authorize sufficient mears for the i'm
mediate completion of the five double fur-