Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-12-08

erals and transferred to the Southern
Claims Commission. These claims
are OF precisely similar nature to
those before the Southern CLAIM
committee and War Debt Bureaus.
They have not the clerical force for
their. examination, nor the proper
machinery for investigating the 10y
atty of the claimants.
Second--That Congress sanction
the scheme of an annuity fund for the
benefit of the families of the deceas-
ed officers; that it also provide for
the permanent organization of the
regular service-both Of which were
recommended in my last annual mes
sage.
Third--That the manufacturing
operations of the Ordnance Depart
ment be concentrated at two arsenals
and an armory, and that the remain
ing arsenals be sold and the pro-
ceeds applied to this object by the
Ordnance Department.
RIVER AND HARBoR IMPROVEMENTS.
The appropriations for river and
harbor improvements for the current
years were s5,Ol5,ooO. With my APP
proval the Secretary of War direct
ed that of this amount 100000.
should be expended, and flat no
new work be begun and none prose
cuted which were not of national i'm
portance. Subsequently this amount
was increased to $2,237 800, and the
works are now progressing on this
basis.
MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI.
The improvement of the South
Pass of the Mississippi river, under
James b. Eads and his associates, is
progressing favorably. At the pres
ent time there is channel of 20 $40
feet IN depth between the jetties at
the north OF the Pass and lsI feet at
the head of the Pass. Neither chan
mel, however, has the width required
before payments can be made by the
United States. A commission of en-
gineer officers is now examining
these works, and their reL ort will be
presented as soon as received.
NAVY DEPARTMENT.
The report of the Secretary Of the
Navy shows that branch of the SER
vice to be in a condition as effective
as it is possible keep it with the
means appropriated. 1t is Of course
impossible to rival the costly and
progressive establishments OF the
great European powers with the old
material of our navy, to which no in
crease has been authorized since the
war, except the eight small cruisers
built to supply the place Of others
which had gone to decay. Yet the
most has been done that was posi-
BILE with the means at command;
aud by substantially rebuilding some
of our old ships with more valuable
material, and completely repairing
and refitting our monitor feet, the
navy has been gradually so brought
up that, though it does not main
tain its relative position among the
progressive navies of the world, it is
now in condition more powerful and
effective than it ever has been in
time of peace. The complete re-
pairs of our five heavy iron clads are
only delayed on account of the mad
equacy of the appropriations made
last year for the Working Bureaus
of the Department, which were act
ually less in amount than those be-
fore the war, Notwithstanding the
greatly enhanced price of labor and
materials and the increase in the cost
of the naval service 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 unnec-
essary delay and expense. When it
is done, all the strength that there Is
in the navy will be developed
and useful to its full capacity, and
will be powerful for the purpose OF
defense, and also for offensive action
should the necessity for that
arise within reasonable distance
from our shores. The fact that our
navy is not more modern and power
full than 1t is, has been made canse
of complaint against the Secretary
of Navy by persons who at the
same time criticize and complain of
his endeavors to bring the navy that
we have to Its best and most effec-
tive condition; but the good sense of
the country will understand that it
is really to his practical action that
we have at this time any effective
naval force at command.
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
The report of the Post Master Gen
eral shows the excess of expenditures,
excluding expenditures on account
OF previous years. over receipts for
the fiscal year, ending June sOth,
1876, to be s4,l57,9ss,6 sc; estimated
expenditures tor the fiscal year end
lug June 3Oth, 1878, are $36,723,432,-
AS; estimated revenue for the same
period is s3O,645, los, leaving an es-
timated excess of expenditures to be
appropriated at a deficiency of &c.
O79,267,43.
The Post Master General, like his
predecessor, is convinced that
change in the basis of adjusting the
the salaries Of postmasters of the
fourth class is necessary for the good
of the service as well as for the in
terests of the Government, and ur-
gently recommends that the compen-
sation of the class Of the postmasterS
above mentioned, be based upon the
business Of their respective offices,
as ascertaincd from their returns to
the Auditor of stamps cancelled.
Often postmasters in the Southern
States have expressed apprehensions
of their personal safety on account
OF their connection with the postal
service, and have specially requested
that their report of apprehended
danger should not be made public, |
lest it should result in the loss OF
their lives. But no positive testi-
mony of interference has been sub