The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-12-07

& Third That The manufacturing opera
fions of the ordnance department be con
centrated at three arscnals and an ar
mory, and that the remaining arsenals be
sold ana the proceeds applied to this OBJ
ject 10y the ordnance department.
RIVER AND HARBoR.
The appropriations for river and har-
Dor improvements Tor the current year
were S5,0i5,000. With my approval the
secretary of war directed that, of this
amount, IT,. 000,0O should be expended,
and no new works should be begun, and
none prosecuted which were not of ma
tional importance. Subsequently this
amount was increased to 81, 237 900, and
works are now progressing on this basis.
The improvementof
THE SOUTH PASS
OF the Mississippi river, under J. Il. Eads
and his associates, is progressing favor
ably. At the present time there is a
channel of 20 $40, feet In depth between
the jetties ut the mouth of the pass, and
eighteen and one-half feet at the head of
the pass. Neither channel, however, has
the width required before payment shall
be made by the United States. a COM
mission of engineers and officers is now
examining these works and their reports
will be presented as soon as received.
TIE NAVY.
The report of the secretary Of the navy
shows that he believes the service to be in
n condition as effective as 1t is possible to
keep il with the means and appropriations
given the department. III Is not OF course
possible TO rival the costly and progress
sive establishments of the great European
powers with the old material of our navy,
TO which no increase has been authorized
since the war, except eight small crui-
sers, built to supply the place OF others
which had gone to decay. Yet the most
has been done that was possible with the
means at command, and they are sub
stantially rebuilding some OF our old
ships with durable material, and COM
pletely repairing and reiitting our moni-
tor fleet. The navy has been gradually
so brought up that, though it does not
maintain Its relative position among the
progressive navies of the world, ii is now
in condition more powerful and efiec-
tive than il ever has been in time OF peace.
The complete repairs OF our five heavy
iron-clads are only delayed on account of
the inadequacy of the appropriations
made last year for the working bureaus
of the department, which were actually
less in amount than those made before
the war, Notwithstanding the greatly en-
HANGED price OF labor and materials, AID
the increase in the cost of the naval SER
vice growing out OF the universal use
and great expense Of steam machinery.
The money necessary for these repairs
should be provided at once, that
they may be completed without
further unnecessary delay aud expense.
When this is done, all the strength that
there is in the navy Will be developed
and useful 10 its full capacity, and all
will be powerful for the purpose of de-
fence and also for offensive action, should
necessity for that arise within a reason
able distance from our shores. The fact
that our navy Is not more modern and
powerful than it is has been made a
cause OF complaint against the secretary
OF the navy by persons who at the same
time criticise and complain of his en-
deavors to bring the navy that we have
to its best and most efficient condition.
But the good sense Of the country will
understand that il is really to his prac-
tised action tina. we have at this time
any effective navy force at command.
POSTAL AFFAIRS.
The report of the postmaster general
shows an excess of expenditures, eXclud-
ing expenditures on account of previous
Wears. Ntal
June 80. 1876, estimated to be Si,l5l.-
| SIS, tG; estimate expenditures for the
| fiscal year ending June 80, 1876, are $50,
! .23. i32, i3; estimated revenue tor the
same period il S30,Gij, lGj, leaving an
| estimated excess of expenditure 70 be
| appropriated as a deficiency OF -, 0,S,-
| 261 ,43. The postmaster-general like his
| predecessor, is convinced that a change
in the basis Of adjusting salaries OF post
| masters Of the.fourth class is necessary
| for the good Of the service as we'll as for
| the interests Of the government, and ur-
| gently recommends that consideration OF
| the class of postmasters above mentioned
| be based on the business OF their respec-
| tive offices as ascertained from sworn re-
| turns 10 the auditor OF stamps cancelled.
a few postmasters in the southern
| states have expressed great apprehen-
| sions of their personal safety on account
of their connection with the postal ser
| vice, and have specially requested that
| their reports Of apprehended danger
should not be made public, lest it should
| result in the loss Of their lives but no
positive testimony OF interference has
| been submitted except in the case OF a
| mail messenger at Spartanbnrgh in
| South Carolina. who reported that he
had been violently driven away on the
| charge of his political aiIlliation. The
assistant superintendent of the railway
| service Investigated this case and repor-
| ted that a messenger has disappeared
| from his post, leaving his work to be
| performed by substitute. The post
| master-general thinks this case Is suili-
| GENTLY suggestive TO justify him in re-
commencing thata more severe punish
| ment should be provided tor the oilense
| Of assaultlng any person in charge OF
| mails, or of retarding or otherwise OBJ
| structing them by threats OF personal in
jury. a very gratifying result is pre-
sented in the fact that the deficiencies OF
| this department during the last fiscal
| year was reduced to Sl,0Sl 100 Is, as
| against S0,l69,03S SO OF the preceding
year. The difference can be traced TO
the large increase in the ordinary receipts
| of the pOst-ofiice department for the past
seven fiscal years have Increased at an
average of over eight per cent. per an
| mum, while the Increase of expenditures
for the same period has been about Att
per cent. per annum, and decrease OF deli
cheney in the revenues has been at the
rate Of nearly two per cent. per annnm.
| AGRICULTURE.
The report of the commissioners Of
agriculture accompanying the message
will be found one OF the greatest interest,
marking, as it does, the great progress o.
the last century in the increase of tho
products OF the soil and of the knOwl
edge and skill in the labor of producing
saving and manipulating the same t(
prepare them for the use of man in the
improvements in machinery TO aid the
| aoricuIturSt i'm his labor and kno\yIeu OF