Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-12-08

hostilites. Under this authority the cavalry regl
ments have been strengthened and portion Of
them are now in the neld pursuing the remnants
Or the indians with whom they have been engaged
during the past summer. The estimates Of the War
| Department are made uDon the basis OF the num-
Der Of men authorized by law and their require.
! ments, as shown by years Of experience. and also
with the purpose Of part Of the bureau officers to
provide for all contingencies that may arise dur
ing the time for which the estimates are made Ex-
elusive OF engineers estimates, presented in ac.
! cordance with the act OF Congress calling for sur
yeys and estimates for improvements at various
localities, the estimates now presented are about
$6OOO,0O0 In excess Of the appropriations for the
years 1874, 1873, 1876 and 1877. This increase Is
asked in order to provide for the increased cavalry
force should their services be necessary; TO prose-
cute economical work upon important public
buildings; to provide for the armament Of fSrti-
! fcatiOns and the manufacture of small arma
and to repienish the working stock in the
these these last named have F'GR6 fpF he past few few
lations In store will be entirely exhausted
| during the present year, and II will be neces-
sary at once to begin to replenish them. /
invite your especial attention to the following rec
| concentrations Of the Secretary Of War: 1. That
the claims under the act Of July 4, 1864 for sup
plies taken by the army during the war BE- removed
! from the office Of the Quartermaster and Commits
sary Generals and transferred to the Southern
Claims Commission. These claims Of precisely
| similar nature to those now before the Southern
ltss''rims Corsmissinn. and tbp debt Rureaus
4 - not the cleriC.i forye Nyr thcf examination,
i, - ,oPer maehlnefy for Investigating the legal
| the scheme OF an annuity fund for the benefit OF
the families Of deceased officers and that II also
provide for the permanent organization Of the
regular service both Of which were recommended
| in my last annual message. 3. That the manufac-
| turing operations Of the Ordnance Department be
concentrated at three arsenals and armOry, and
| that the remaining arsenals be sold and the pro-
Geeds pc applied to this object by the Ordnance
Department.
THE APPROPRIATIONS FOR RIVER AND HARBoR I'M
pprNrp rama
for the current year were IS Oi5 OOo With nv
approval the Secretary Of War directed that OF this
| amount S2,WOOO should be expended, and no
| new works should be begun, and none prosecuted
| which were not Of national Importance Subse-
quently this amount was increased to 81, ,237, o,
| ana works are now progressing on this basis, The
improvement Of the South Pass Of the Mississippi
River, under James B. Fades and his assistants, Is
progressing favorably. At the present time there
| II a channel OF twenty and three-tenths feet in
! depth between the jetties at the mouth of the
Pass, and eighteen and one-haf feet at the head
OF the Pass. Neither channel, however, has the
| widtn required before payment shall be made by
! the United States. commission of engineers
and officers is now examining these works, and
tneir report VIII be presented as soon as received
| THE NAVY.
The report Of the Secretary Of the Navy shows
that he believes the service to be in condition as
ehectlve Us it II possible TO keep it with the
the appropriations give the department. 1t is Of
course impossible to rival the costly and progress
siye establishments Of the great European powers
with the old material of 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 possible with the means at
| command, and by substantially rebuilding some
| of our old ships with durable material. and COM
! plstely repairing and reftting monitor fleet,
| the navy has been gradually so brought up that,
| though 1t does not maintain its relative position
among the progressive nations Of the world, it il
| now In condition more powerful and effective
| than it ever has been in the time of peace The
! complete repairs OF our five heavy ironclads are
only delayed on account Of the inadequacy of the
las for Hlrf
| bureaus Of the department. which were actually
less in amount than those made before the war
notwlthstanding 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 pro-
vided at once, that they may be completed without
| further Unnecessary delay and expense. When
this is done all the strength that there is in the
navy will be developed and useful to its full
capacity, and all will be powerful for the purpose
of defense and also for, offensive action, should
necessity for that arise, within reasonable dis
tance from our shores. The fact that our navy is
not more modern and powerful than 1t is has bee
made cause of complaint against the Secretary
Of the Navy by persons, who at the same time
| criticise and complain of his endeavors to bring
the navy that We have to its best and most efficient
condition; but the good sense Of the country win
understand that il is really indebted TO his prac-
tica action that we have at this time any effective
navy force at command.
POSTAL MATTERS.
| The report of the Postmaster-General shows the
excess OF expenditures excluding expenditures on
account Of previous years) over receipts for the
| fiscal wear ending June 30 1875 10 he "a 152 :
1856. The estimated expenditures for the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1873, $36, ,723 432. AZ esti-
mated revenue for the same period, $50 6I5 650 90;
| leaving an estimated excess of expenditures to be
appropriated rs deficiency of S6,07S, ,267.43. The
Postmaster General like his predecessor, is con-
vinced that change in the basis of adjusting the
salaries of POstmasters of the fourth class il neces
sary for the good of the service as well a. for the
interests Of the Government, and urgently recon-
mends that the compensation of the class of Post
a.
ness of their respective Offices and be ascertaned
| from the sworn returns to the Auditor of stamps
! Cancelled. few Postmasters in the Southern
States have expressed great apprehensions Of their
! personal safety on account of their connection
with the postal service and have specially request
ed that their reports of apprehended danger should
not be made public lest II should result In the loss
| of their lives, but no positive testimony or
Interference has been submitted except in
! the Of mail messenger at Spartan
burg, in South Carolina, who reported
he had been violently driven away while in charge
of themails on account OF his political affiliations.
| An Assistant Superintendent Of the railway mail
| service investigated this and reported that
! the messenger has disappeared from his post
leavhig hs work TO be performed by substitute.
The Postmaster General thinks this case IL suffi-
| ciently suggestive to justify him in recommend
| ing that more severe punishment should be pro-
vided for the ofense OF assaulting any person in
charge OF mails, or Of retarding or otherwise OBJ
structing them by threats Of personal injury. A
very gratifying result is presented in the fact that
the deficiency Of this department during the last
fiscal year reduced to 1901, ,79O.1s against
| S., SO 93S. 81 for the preceding year The differ
ence can be traced to the large increase in its
| dinary receipts which greatly exceeded the esti-
mates therefor, and slight decrease in its ex-
penditures. The ordinary receipts of the Postofce
| Department for the past seven fiscal years have
| increased at an average Of over per cent. per
annum, while the increase Of expenditures for the
same period has been about 5Is per cent. per
| annum, and the decrease OF deficiency in the rev.
! enues has been at the rate of nearly per cent.
per annum.
AGRICULTURE.
The report of the Commissioner Of Agriculture
| accompanying this message, will be found one Of
great interest marking as IL does the great prog
| ress OF the last century. the increase Of the
produce OF the soil and Of knowledge and skill in
| the labor OF producing. saving and manipulating
| the same to prepare il for the use Of man; in
! the improvements in machinery to aid the agri-
culturist in his labors, and in the knowledge Of
| those scientific subjects necessary to thorough
| system Of economy in agricultural productions,
namely: Chemistry, botany and etymoogy.
! This repoFt those Interested in agriculture and
deriving their support from it win lind Of value
in pointing out those articles which raised in
grrGaer quantity than the needs Of the world re-
| quire, and must sell therefore for less than the
| cost Of production, aud those which command a
proht over the cost of production because there is
| not an over production. | call special attention
| TO the need OF the department for new gallery
| for the reception of the exhibits returned from
the Centennial Exhibition. including the exhibits
donated by very many foreign nations, and TO the
recommendations Of the Commissioner Of Agri-
culture generally.
| DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
| The reports OF the Dlstflct commissioners ana
the Board Of Health just received, but too late
| to read them and TO make recommendations there
| on. and are herewith submitted.
| THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION,
held in Philadelphia this year in commemoration
| of the Tooth anniversary OF American independ-
ence, has proved great success, and will no
doubt be Of enduring advantage to the country.
Ii has shown great progress in the arts, sciences
| and mechanical skill made In a single century,
and demonstrated that but little behind
the older nations in any one branch, while in some
| we scarcely have rival. II has served, too, not
only TO bring the people and products Of skill and
labor from all parts Of the world together but in
bringing together people from all sections OF our
own country, which must prove a great benefit
| in the information impaired and pride OF cOun-
try engendered. Ii has been suggested by scien-
fists interested in and connected with the Smith
sOnian Institution, in communication herewith
submitted. that the Government exhibit be
removed to the capital and a suitable build
ing be erected or purchased for its ac-
commOdatiOn as permanent exhibition. i ear
nestly recommend this and believing that Congress
would second this view, directed that all Govern
ment exhibits at the Centennial Exhibition should
remain where they are-exhibits such as might BE-
injured by remaining In building not intended
az protection in inclement weather or such al
may be wanted by the department furnishing them
Il MI