Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-12-06

be removed from the offices of tie
Quartermastcr and Commissary Cen
erals and transferred to the southern
claims commissions. These claims are
precisely Of a similar nature to those
now before the
SOUTHERN CLAIMS COMMISSION
and War Department Bureaus, which
have not the clerical force for their
for investigating the loyalty of the
claimants. Second-That congress
sanction the scheme of an annuity
for the benefit of the families of de-
ceased officers, and that ii also pro-
vide for the permanent organization
of the regular service. both of which
were recommended in my last annu-
al message. Third-That the manu-
featuring operations of the ordinance
department be concentrated at three
arsenals and an armory and that The
| remaining arsenals be sold and the
proceeds applied to this object by
the ordinance department
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS.
The appropriations for river and
harbor improvements for the current
year were $5,0l5,000. With my an
prevail the Secretary of War directed
that of this amount $2,000,00O should
be expended, and no new works
should be begun and none prosecuted
which were not of national impor-
lance. Subsequently this amount
was increased to 2.237 800 and works
are progressing on that basis.
The improvement of the South Pass
of the Mississippi river, under dircc-
ton of James b. Eads and his associ-
ates, is progressing favorably. AT
the present time there is a channel Of
2O.3 feet in depth between the jetties
at the mouth of the passes, 49, feet
at the head of the pass. Neither
channel, however, has the width re-
quired before payments can be made
\ by the United States. A commits
sion of engineer officers is now exam
lining these works and their report
will be presented as soon as received.
| THE NAVY.
| The report of the Secretary of the
| Navy shows that branch of the service
to be as effective rs it is possible to
keep it with the means appropriated
to that department. 1t is Of course
impossible to rival the costly and pro-
gressive establishments of great Eu-
ropean powers with the old material
of our navy, to which no increase has
been authorized since the war. except
the eight small cruisers built to sup
| ply the place of others which had
gone to decay. Yet the most has
been done that could be done with
the means at command, and by sub
stantially rebuilding some of our old
ships with durable material and com
pletely repairing and rctitting our
monitor fleet, the navy has
been gradually so brought up
that though it docs not main
tain its relative position among
the progressive navies of the world.
it is now i'm a condition more power
full 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 bu-
reaus of the department, which were
actually less in amount than those
made before the war, notwithstand-
ing the greatly enhanced price o.
labor and materials, and the increase
in the cost of the naval service. grow
ing 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
unnecessary delay and exposure
When this is done all the strength
that there is in the navy win be de.
veloped and useful to its full capaci.
ty, and all will be powerful for The
purpose of defense and also for of
fcnsive action, should necessity foI
that arise, within a reasonable dis.
. lance from our shores. The fact that
onr navy is not more modern and
powerful than it is has been made. il
a cause of complaint against the Sec
rotary of Navy by persons who ut tho
. same time criticisc 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 it is
really to his practical action that we
have at this time any effective naval
force at command.
POSTAL DEPARTMENT.
The report of the Postmaster-Ge
eral shows an excess of expenditures
j. excluding expenditures on account OF
: previous years over receipts, for the
. fiscal year ending June 30th, 1876, to
be 81, Isl ,9SS.6G. The estimated expcn.
: diturcs for the fiscal year ending JUNG
t Both, 1878, are $36, 723i36.43. The esti
: mated revenue for the same period is
: $30645, l65. 900, leaving an estimated ex-
cess of expenditures TO be appropria-
ted as deficiency,o of $6.07S, 2Gi.43. The
Postmaster-Genera like his predc-
cessor, is convinced that change in
! the basis of adjusting the salaries OF
l pOstmasters of the fourth class is nee.
essary for the good of the service, as
s well as for the interests of the Gov.
eminent, and urgently recommends
pOstmasters above mentioned be based
3 upon the business of their respective
offices as ascertained from the sworn
returns to auditor of stamps cancelled
A few postmasters in the southern
states have expressed great apprehcn.
: sion of their personal safety on ac.
, count of their connection with the
E postal service, and have specially re
quested that their reports of appre.
! hended danger should not be made
public least it should result in the
loss of their lives. But no positive
testimony or evidence has been sub
mitted except the case of mail mes
senger at Spartansburg, in South
9 Carolina, who reported that he had
!, been violently driven away while il
, political affiliations. An assistant
r superintendent of the railway investi
! gated this case and reported that tho
!, messenger has disappeared from his
9 post, leaving his work to be perform.
ed by a substitute. The Postmaster
General thinks this case is sufficiently
suggestive to justify him in recon-
+ mending that a more severe punish
ment should be provided for the of.
fence of assaulting any person in
4 charge of the mails, or of retardina
or otherwise obstructing them, by
threats Of personal injury,
A very gratifying result is pre-.
sented in the fact that the deficiency
of this Dept. during the last fiscal
7 year was reduced to M.0Sl, 790.1S as
q againt $6, les, 93S.SS of the preceding
l year. The difference can be traced
to the large increase in its ordinary
receipts, which greatly exceeded the
estimate therefor and slight de.
crease in its expenditures. The ordi.
, nary receipts Of the postoflice depart
! ment for the past seven fiscal years
have increased at an average
rate of eight per cent. per an
mum, while the increase of cxpen.
ditIres for the same period has
been about 81 per cent. per annum,
and the decrease of deficiency in the
resources have been at the rate OF
nearly 2 per cent. per annum.