Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-12-06


money necessary for these repairs should be pro-
vided at once, that they may be completed with
out further unnecessary delay and expense
When this is done all the strength that there is in
our navy will be developed and useful to its full
capacity, and i: will be powerful for purposes of
defence, and also for offensive action, should the
necessity for that arise within q reasonable dis
lance from our shores. The fact that our navy is
not more modern and powerful than it has beon
was made a cause of complaint against the Secre-
tary of the Navy by persons who at the same time
crlticise 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 due to his practical
action that we have at this time any effective navy
force at command.
Posi- OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
The report of the Postmaster General shows the
excess OF expenditures, excluding expenditures on
account of previous years. receipts for the fiscal
year ended June 80, 1876, to be 81 l5l 1886
Estimated expenditures for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1873, are SO ,672,3i3 Estimated revenue
for same period is S3,O64 SIC; leaving an esti-
mated excess of expenditures to be appropriated
| as deficiency of S607 ,S26. The Postmaster
| General, like his predecessor is convinced that
change in the basis of adjusting the sall res OF
Postmasters of the fourth class is necessary for
the Interests of the government, and urgently
recommends that the compensation of the class of
| Postmasters above mentioned. be based upon the
business Of their respective offices, as ascertained
from tie sworn returns to the auditor of stamps
| cancelled.
few postmasters in the Southern States have
expressed great apprehension of their personal
safety account OF their connection with the pos
tai service, and have specially requested that their
reports of apprehended danger should not be
| made public lest il should result in the loss of
lives. But no positive testimony of interference
has been submitted except in the case of 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
atiI An Mt Intp nlapt
of the railway mail service investigated this case,
| and reported that the messenger had disappeared
from his post leaving his work to be performed by
a substitute The Postmaster Genl thinks this
case Is sufficiently suggestive to justify him in
| recommending that more punishment
| should be provided for the offense of assaultng
any person IN charge OF the mails, or of retardng
or otherwise obstructing them by threats of per-
sonal injury. A very gratifying result is present
cd in the fact that the deficiency OF this depart
ment during the last fiscal year was reduced to
SiOol ,190lS as against S6, lt9,93S.SS of the pre-
ceding year. The difference can be traced to the
large increase in its ordinary receipts, (Which
greatly exceeded the estimates therefor) and
slight decrease in its expenditures.
The ordinary receipts Of the Post Office Depart
men, for the past fiscal ir, have increased at
average of over per cent. per annum, while the
Increase OF expenditures for the same pei od has
been about per cent. per annum, and the de-
crease of deficiency in the revenues has been at
the rate Of nearly per cent. per snnum.
REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE.
| The report of the Commissioner of Agricul-
ture, accompanying this message, will be found
one of great interest, marking does the great
progress of the last century, in the variety
of products of the increased knowledge and
skill in the labor of producing, saving and ma
nipuatng the same to prepare them for the use Of
man, IN the improvements in machinery to aid the
aSrlcuturist In his labors, and in knowledge of
those scientific subjects necessary to thorough
system of economy in agricultural products, name
ly, chemistry, botany, entomology ETC., etc. A
study of this report by those interested in agrcul
ture, and deriving their support from IT, will be
found of value in pointing out those articles which
are raised in greater quantity than the needs of the
world require, and must sell, therefore, for less
than the cost of production, and those which COM
mand profit over cost of production, because
there Is not an over-production.
call special attention to the need of the depart
ment for new gallery for the reception of the
exhibits returned from the Centennial Exhibition
including the exhibits donated by many foreign
nations. and to the recomme ndations of the com.
missioner of agriculture generally.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
The report of the District Commissioners and
the board of health are just received too late to read
them and to make Iecomme nlations thereon, aud
are herewith submitted.
THE CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION
The International Exhibition held in Philadel
phia this year in commemoration of the one hun
dredth anniversary of American Indepe ndenCe
! has proved great success, and will no doubt be
of enduring advantage to the country. 1t has
shown the great progress in the arts sciences and
mechanical skill made in q single century, and
demonstrated that we are but little behind Older
nations in any one branch, while in some we
scarcely have rival. 1t has served too not only
to bring people and products of skill and labor
from all parts of the world together, but in bring
ing together people from all sections of our own
country, which must pi owe great benefit in the in
formation imr arted and pride of county engen-
dered.
1t has been suggested by scientists interested in
and connected with the Smithsonian Institute, in
a communication herewith, that the government
exhibit be removed to the capital and a suitable
building be erected or purchased for its aceommo
!, dalton, as a permanent exhibit. | earnestly rec
ommend this, and believing that Congress would
second this view, directed that all government
exhibits at the Centennial Exhibition should re-
main where they are, except such as might be in
! jured by remaining in building not intended as
a protection in Indictment weather, or such as may
be wanted by the department furnishing them, till
the question of permanent exhibition is acted on.
Although the monies appropriated by Congress to
enable the participation Of the several executive
departments in the International exhibition of 1876,
was not sufficient to carry out the undertaking to
the full extent at first contemplated, it gives me
pleasure to refer to the very efficient and credit
able manner in which the board appointed
, from these several departments to provide
an exhibition on part of government have dis
charged their duties with funds placed at their
command, without precedent to guide them in
the preparation Of such display.
, The success of their labors was amply attested
by the sustained attention which the contents of
the government building attracted during the
, period of the exhibition from both foreign and
} native visitors. am strongly impressed with the
value OF the collection made by the government
for the purposes of the exhibition, illustrating as
it does the mineral resources of the country, the
statistical and practical evidences of our growth
as q nation, and the uses of the mechanical arts
and the applications of applied science in the ad-
, mnstration Of the affairs Of government.
Many nations have voluntarily contributed their
exhibit to the United States, to increase the in.
terest in any permanent exhibition Congress may
provide for. For this act of generosity, they
, should receive the thanks of the people, and l
respectfully suggest that resolution of Congress
to that effect be adopted
ELECTION OF PRESIDENT.
| The attention of Congress cannot be too earn
estly called to the necessity of throwing some
: greater safeguard over the method of choosing
and declaring the election of President. Under
| ~ thara ha Hal