The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-12-08


GERS to provide for all contingencies that NAV
arise during the time for which the estimates
are made. Exclusive OF the engineers est.
mates, presented in accordance with the act
of Congress calling for surveys and estimates
for improvements at various localities the
estimates now presented are about &C, 0O0, 900
in excess OF the appropriations for the years
lS74-75 and 1856. This increase is asked
in order to provide for the increased cavalry
force, should their service be necessary. o.
prosecute commenced work upon important
public buildings to provide for the arma-
ment OF Notifications, and the manufacture
of small arms, and 10 replenish the working
stock In the supply departments. The appro-
priations for the last-named have for the past
few years been so limited that the accumulat
tons in store will be entirely exhausted DUR
ing the present year, and il will be necessary
to at once begin TO replenish them.
/ invite your special attention to the follow
ing recommendations of the Secretary of War:
First that the claims, under the act Of the 4th
of July, 1864, for supplies taken by the army
during the war, be removed from the offices OF
the Quartermaster and Commissary Generals
and transferred to the Southern Claims Com
mission. These claims are Of a precisely simi-
lar nature to those now before the Southern
Claims Commission and War Debt Bureau, and
they have not the clerical force for their exam
nation, nor proper machinery for investi-
eating the loyalty of the claimants second,
that Congress sanction the scheme OF an
annuity fund for the benefit OF the families
Of deceased officers aud that it also provide
for the permanent reorganization of the regu-
lar service, both OF v hch we're recommended
in my last annual message: third, that the
manufacturing operations of the Ordnance
Department be concentrated at three arsenals
and an armory, and that the remaining arse
nails be sold, and the proceeds applied to this
object by the Ordnance Department.
Rivers and Harbors.
The appropriations for river and harbor
improvements for the current year were
$5,0I5,000. With my approval, the Secretary
OF War directed that of this amount 81, 900, 900
should be expended, and no new works should
be begun, and none prosecuted which we're
not OF national Importance. Subsequently
this amount was Increased 10 SO, 90! 500, and
the works are now progressing on this basis.
The Improvement of the south pass OF the
Mississippi river, under James b. Eads and his
associates, is progressing favorably. At the
present time there is a channel Of 20 $40 feet
in depth between the jetties and the mouth Of
the passage, and Is 70 feet at the head of the
pass. Neither channel. however, has the
width required before payments can be made
by the United States. A commission of civil
engineer officers is now examining these works,
and their reports win be presented as soon as
received.
The report Of the Secretary of the Navy
shows that branch OF the service to be in a
condition as effective as it is possible T. keep
it with the means that the appropriate. e
to the department. 1t is, of course. n.it"
BILE to rival the costly and progressiv sta
lishments Of the great European power WITT
the old material Of our navy, to which no in
crease has been authorized since the war, ex-
cept the eight small cruisers built to supply
the place OF others which have gone to decay.
Yet the most has been done that was possible
with the means at command, and by sub
stantially rebuilding some Of our old ships
with durable material, and completely
repairing and refitting our monitor fleet the
navy has been gradually 30 brought up that,
though it does not maintain its relative posi-
ton among the progressive navies OF the
world. 1t is now In a condition more powerful
and effective than it 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 depart
ment, which we're actually less in amount than
those made before the war, notwithstanding
the greatly-enhanced price Of labor and ma
terals, and the increase in the cost OF the
naval service growing out OF the universal
use and great expense OF steam ma
chinery. The money necessary for
these repairs should be pro-
vided at once, that they may be completed
without further unnecessary delay and ex-
pense. 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 defeAse, and also
for offensive action, should necessity for that
arise within reasonable 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 endeavors to
bring the navy that we have to its best and
most efficient condition but the good sense
of the country will understand that 1t is really
to his practical action that we have at this
time any effective navy force at command.
The Postal Service.
The report of the Postmaster General
shows the excess of expenditures Excluding
the expenditures on account Of previous
years. over the receipts for the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1876, to be "a, Isl. 1886.
The estimate expenditures for the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1873 are $50, 1923, 1872. 43, esti-
mated revenue for the same period is $780,
6i5, l65, leaving an estimated excess OF eA-
penditures to be appropriated as deficiency,
of SCOTS, 267.43.
The Postmaster General. like his predeces-
sor, is convinced that q change in the basis
of adjusting the salaries of Postmasters of
the fourth class is necessary for the good of
the service, as we'll as for the interests of the
government, and urgently recommends that
the compensation of this class Of Postmasters
above mentioned be based upon the business
of their respective Offices as ascertained from
the sworn returns to the Auditor Of stamps
cancelled.
A few Postmasters in the Southern States
have expressed great apprehension for their
personal safety, on account Of their connec-
ton with the postal service, and have specially
requested that their reports Of apprehended
danger should not be made public, lest it should
result in loss OF their lives but no positive
testimony on interference has been submitted
except in the case of mail messenger at Spar
tanburg, in South Carolina, who reported that
he had been violently driven away while in
charge of the mails, on account Of his political
affiliations.
An Assistant Superintendent Of the Railway
Mail Service investigated this case, and re-
ported that the messenger had disappeared
from his post, leaving his work to be performed
by substitute. The Postmaster General
thinks this case is sufficiently suggestive to
Justify him in recommending that more Sc
we're punishment should be provided for the
offepse of assaulting any person in charge OF
the 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
he last fiscal year was reduced to "A, 061 100. Is,
as against Sc, 1863, 338. 8S for the preceding year.
The difference can be traced to the large in
crease in it's ordinary receipts which greatly
exceeded the estimates therefor, and a slight