Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-12-13

necessary to ut once iegin 10 rcplenish them
invite your special attention TO the following
recommen dations Of the Secretary of War: First
that the claims. under the act Of the 9TH of July
1874 for supplies taken by the army during the
war, be removed from the Offices Of the Quarter
master and Commissary Generals and transferred
to the Southern Claims Commission. These
Claims are OF n precisely similar nature TO those
now before the Southern Claims Commission, aud
erc Mr % have nor not po the
mschin for Investigating the loyalty of The
claimants; second, that Congress sanction the
scheme Of an annuity fund for the benefit of the
families OF deceased officers and that it also pro
vide for the permanent organization Of the regular
service. both of which were recommended in my
last animal message; third, that the manuinctur-
Ing operations ~ the Ordnance Department be
concentrated at three ar-enals and an armory, and
that the remaining arsenals be sold and thc pro-
ceeds applied to this object by the Ordnance De-
partment.
RIVER AND HARBoR IMPROVEMENTS.
The appropriations Tor river and harbor improve
ments for the current year were $5,Ql3,coO. With
my approval, the ecretary Of ar directed that Of
this amount Il Gn.tU shonld be expended aud no
new work should be begun, and none prosecuted
which Mere not Of National Importance. Subse-
qnenly this amount increased to 81 81 90,
and the works are now progressing on this basis.
The Improvement of the South Pass Of the Miss
issippi Rivrr, under james b. Eads a,d his ASSOC
ciates, Is progressing favorably. At the pr sent
tine there IL a channel OF 20 $40 feet0in depth
between the Jettes at the north OF the passa4e,
and 49,, feet at the head Of the p,ss. Neither
channel. however, has the width required before
payments can be made by the United States. A
commission OF civil eng neer officers Is now ey-
smuing these works, aud their reports will De
presented as soon as received.
THE NAVY.
The report Of the Secretary Of the Navy
shows that branch OF the service to be in
condition effective it is possible to keep it
With The means that the appropriations give to the
Department. 1t is of course impossible to rival
the costly and progressive establishments OF the
Great European Powers with the old material Of
our navy, 10 which no increase has been author
lied 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 com.
mand and by substantially rebuilding come OF our
old ships with durable material and completely
repairing and rehtiing our monitor fleet, the navy
has been gradually 50 brought up that though 1t
does not maintain its relative position among the
progressive navies OF the world, IL is now in
dition more powerful and effective than it has
been In time OF peace. The complete repairs OF
our i've heavy iron clads only DELAYED on nc
count OF the inadcquacy OF the approximations
made last year Tor the working bureaus of the De-
partment which were actually less In amount
than those made before the war notwth-
standing the ereatly-enhanced price of labor and
materials, and the increase Ia the cost OF the naval
service growing out OF The universal ande
great expense OF steam machinery. The money
necessary for these repairs should b. provided at
once, that they mny be completed without further
unnecessary delay and expense. When this is
done, all the strength that there Is in the navy
will be ,eloped and made useful 10 its full ca
pacity and all will he powerful Tor he purpose OF
defense and also Tor offensive action should neces-
sty Tor that arise within reasonable distance from
our shores. The Tact that navy is not more
modern and powerful than 1t is has been made "a
Cnuse OF complaint against the Secretary of the
Navy by persons who. AT the same time criticize
and complain Of his endeayors TO bring the navy
that we have 10 its best and most efficient condi-
ton; but the good sense o. the country viii un-
dersand that II Is really to his practical action that
We have al this time any effective navy force ut
command.
THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT
The report OF the Postmaster General al ows the
excess OF expenditures excluding the expendi.
lures on account OF previous years deGcits) over
the receipts for the fiscal year ending June 30
1876, to be 81 1871 ,.est6. The estimated expendi-
lures for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1873 are
t36 ss3 Az AZ estimated revenue for the same period
is $D 64s, tbS, leaving estimated excess OF ex-
pcnditures, TO be appropriated a. deficiency, Of
5000 ri ~
he Postmaster General Ike his predecessor Is
convinced that a change in the basis of ad ustng
the salaries OF postmascrs OF the fourth class Is
necessary for the good of the service. as well aS
for the interests OF the Government, and urgently
recommends that the compensation of this class
OF postmasers above mentioned be based upon
the business OF their respective offices, ascer-
tanned IL ON the sworn retNnns to tho Auditor of
stamps cancelled
A few Pustmasters In the Southern States have
expressed great apprehension for their personal
safety on account OF their connection with the
postal service, aud have specially requested that
their reports ofbpprehended danger should not be
made public, lest II should result in loss OF their
lives but no positive testimony OF interference
has been submitted, except IN the OF "a mail
messenger at Spartanburg, In South Carolina, who
reported that he had been violently driven away
while in charge of the mails, ON account of his POI
hucal affiliations, An Assistant Superintendent of
the Railway Mail Service Investigated this case,
aud reported that the messenger has disappeared
from his post leaving his work 10 be performed by
asuhsiitute. The Postmaster General thinks this
case is sufficiently suggestive TO Justify him in
recommending that morv severe punishment
should he prov dcd or the onensc OF assautiug any
person in charge of the mails, or OF rctarding or
otherwise obstructing him 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 was reduced q StI5l,aSs o. us