American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-12-09

on the whole subject Of the reform and reorgan
collected large mass Of statistics of points bear
ing on the subject before it. They
der and their report is progress
the Commission, that it win be impracticable t.
comply with the clause of the act requiring the
on the first day of the 8. ssion as there
has not been time for that mature dellb
demands. Therefore. ask that the time of max.
ing the report be extended to the 18th day OF
january. 1877, in accordance with the resolution
pared under the act of March l. Is 5, have not
been. promulgated. but are held until after the
report OF the above mentioned Commission shall
have been received and acted upon. By the act
of August Is. 1915, the cavalry force of the Army
was increased by 800 men, with proviso that
the hostiities, Under this authority, the caval-
~ regiments have been strengthened, and por-
remnants of the Indians, with whom they have
been engaged during the summer. The esti
at up ,R
and I requirements, as shown by
s KS rs, .sosa oa efHRerieaes and also with
to provide for all contingencies that may arise
during the time for which he estimates are
made. The estimates Of the engineers, present
ed in accordance with the acts of Congress, the
estimates for surveys, and estimates for i'm
provements in various localities now presented,
tions IN the years 1874, 1875 and 1876. This in
crease is asked in order to provide for increased
to prosecute economically the work upon i'm
portant public buildings-to provide for the
armament of Notifications and manufacture of
small arms, and repenish working stock in the
supply departments. The appropriations for
these last named have for the past few years
been 60 limited that the Accommodations in store
will be entirely exhausted during the present
year, and it will be necessary at once to begin
to replenish them. invite your especial atten-
9on % the following Recommendations of the
First-That the claims under the act of July 4.
War. be removed from the offices of Qua ter
masters and Commissary Generals and trans
ferred to the Southern Claims Commission.
those now before the Southern Claims Commits
sion, and the War Department and bureaus have
NOT the clerical force for their examination. nor
the proper machinery for investigation the loyal
ty of the claimants. 80
Second-That Congress sanction the scheme of
an annuity fund for the benefit of the families of
deceased officers. and that it also provide for the
permanent organization of the regular service,
both OF which were recommended in my last an
4. Thira-That the manufacturing operations of
the Ordnance Department be concentrated at
three arsenals and an armory. and that the re-
manning arsenas be sold and the proceeds APP
Piled to this object by the Ordnance Department.
RIVERS AND HARBoRs.
The appropriations Tor river and harbor i'm
provements for the current yearwere 81. 011 90.
With my approval the Secretary of War direeted
ed, and no new works should be begun, and
none prosecuted which were not of national i'm
creased to % ,76J, and works are now pro-
crossing on this basis. The Improvement of the
South Pass of the Mississippi River, under J. b.
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 at the
Of fef at ae head
width required before payment shall be made by
the United States. commission of engineer
and officers is now examining these works, and
their reports will be presented as soon as re-
ceived.
THE NAVY.
The report Of the Secretary OF the Navy shows
that he believes the service to be in a condition
as effective as it is possible to keep it with the
means and appropriations given the Depart
ment. 1t is not of course possible to rival the
costly and progressive establishments of the
great European powers with the old material of
lied since the War except eight small cruisers,
built to supply the place of others which hat
gone to decay. Yet the most has been done that
was possible with the means at command, and
they are substantially rebuilding some of our
old ships with durable material, and completely
and reftting our monitor 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, it is
now in a condition more powerful and effective
than it ever has been in time of peace. The COM
plete repairs of our fl neavy iron cads are only
made last year for the working
bureaus of the Department, which were actually
less in amount than those made before the War,
the greatly enhanced price of
labor anil materials, and the increase in the cost
of the naval service growing out OF the universal
use and great expense of steam machine
ry. The money necessary for these re-
pairs should be provided at once, that
they may be completed without further unneces-
sary delay and expense. When this is done, all
the strength that there is in the Navy will be de-
veloped 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 a reasonable distance from our
shores. The fact that our Navy is not more
modern and powerful than it is has been made
cause of complaint against the Secretary Of the
Navy by persons who at the same time crticise
and complain of his endeavors to bring the Navy
that we have to its best and most efficient condi
ton. But the good sense of the country will un-
derstand that it is really to his practised action
that we have at this time any effective navy force
at command.
POSTAL AFFAIRS.
The report of the Postmaster General shows
an excess of expenditures. excluding expendi-
lures on account of previous years. Receipts for
the fiscal year ending June so. 1876. estimated to
be 81 1855. &c; estimated expenditures for the
fiscal year ending June 30, 1876, are &c 723,-
49,. 43; estimated revenue for the same period is
So ,6i5, 165. leaving an estimated excess of ex
penditure to be appropriated as a deficiency of
So, 07s, .43. The Postmaster General, like
his predecessor is convinced that a change in
the basis of adjusting salaries of Postmasters of
the fourth class is necessary for the good of the
service well as for the interests of the Govern
ment and urgently recommends that considera-
ton of the class of Postmasters above mentioned
be based on the business of their respective
offices ascertained from sworn returns to tie
Auditor of stamps Cancelled. A few Postmasters
in the Southern states have expressed great ap-
prehensions of their personal safety on account
of their connection with the Postal Service, and
have specially requested that their reports of APP
pretended danger should not be made public,
lest should result in the loss of their lives but
no pos tive testimony OF interference has been
submitted, except in the case of a mail messen-
ported that he had been violently driven away
on the charge of his political affiiation. The
Assistant Superinte ndent of the Railway Service
senger has disappeared from his post, leaving
his work to be performed by. sub
stitute. The Postmaster General thinks
this case is sufficiently suggestive to JUS
tify him in recommending that more severe
punishment should be provided for the ofense
II assaulting any person in charge of mails, or
of etarding otherwise obstructing them by
threats of personal injury. very CRAFTY ing
result is presented in the fact that the deficien
ces of this Department during the last fiscal
year were reduced to $4,oSl Is, against
IS, 1859 ,93S. So of the preceding year. The differ
binary receipts, which greatly exceeded esti-
mates therefor, and a slight increase in its ex-
office Department for the past seven fiscal years
have increased at an average of over eight per
cent. per annum. while the increase of eXpend-
itures for the same period has been about 80
per cent. per annum, and decrease of deficiency
in the revenues has been at the rate of nearly
two per cent. per annum.
AGRICULTURE.
The report of the Commissioner of Agricul-
ture accompanying the message will be found
one of great interest, marking, as it does the
Of the products of the soil and of the knowledge
and skill in the labor of producing. saving and
the same to prepare them for the
use of man; in the improvements in machinery
to aid the agriculturist in his labors, and knOwl
edge of those scientific subjects necessary to
thorough system Of economy in agricultural pro-
duction, namely, chemistry, botany and ento
mology. This report, by those interested in ag-
ricuture and deriving their support from it. will
be found of value in pointing out those articles
which are raised in &, eater quantity than the
needs of t. world require, ami must sell there
fore for less than the cost OF production, and
those which command profit over cost of pro-
duction, because there is not over produc-
aan nioI.