Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-12-05

of great European powers with the old mate
| rial of our navy, to which no increase has
| been authorized since the war, except the
| eight small cruisers built TO supply the place
| of others which had gone 10 decay. Yet the
| most has been done that was possible with
the means at command, and by substantial
| ly rebuilding some of our old ships with
| durable material, and completely repairing
| aid refitting our monitor feet, the navy has
| been gradually so brought up that though IL
does not maintain its relative position among
/ tie progressive navies OF the world, il is now
| in condition more powerful and effective
| than il ever has been in time of peace. The
complete repairs OF our five heavy iron-clads
| are only delayed on account of the made
| quacy of the appropriations made last year
| for the working bureaus of the department,
| which were actually less in amount than
those made before the war, notwithstanding
| the greatly enhanced price of labor and ma
| terials and the increase in the cost OF the
| naval service growing out Of the universal
rise and great expense of steam machinery.
| The moneynecessary for these repairs should
| be provided at once. that they may be COM
| pfCted without further unnecessary delay and
| expense When In is done all the strength
that there is in our navy will be developed
! and useful TO its full capacity, and il will be
| powerful for purposes OF defense and also for
. offensive action should the necessity for that
| arise within a reasonable distance from or
| shores.
The fact that our navy is not more modern
! and powerful than il il has been made a cause
| of complaint against the Secretary of the
! Navy by persons who, at the same time. crit
{ the navy that We have 10 its best and most
/ efficient condition; but the good sense OF the
| country will understand that il is really due
| to his practical action that We have at this
| time any effective naval force at command.
/ The report of the Postmaster General shows
The excess of expenditures excluding expen-
| dltuIes on account OF previous years. over
| receipts. for the fiscal year ended June So
| 1876, To be S3i. Isl .9ss.66.
Estimated expenditures for the fiscal year
/ ending June 80, 1873. are s361kl. 49, 70. Esti-
mated revenue for same period is $50 SIS. les 60
| leaving estimated excess ofexpenditure To be
| appropriated as a deficiency of 500 Az
| The Postmaster General, like his prede
| cessor, is convinced that change In the
| basis OF adjusting the salaries of poStmasterS
OF the fonrth class is necessary for the good
OF the service. as well as for the interests of
! The government, and urgently recomm ends
| that the compensation of the class OF post
| masters above mentioned be based upon the
| business of their respective offices as aScer-
| tanned from The sworn returns, 10 the auditor,
OF stamps cancelled.
| a few postmasters in the Southern States
| nave EXPIRE ssed great apprehension Of their
| personal safety on account of their connec-
ton with the postal service, and have
| specially requested that their reports of APP
f, pretended danger should not be made ID blfc.
| lest it should result in the loss of their lives
| But 10 positive testimony Of inter
| terence has been submitted ex ept in
| The case of mail messenger at Spar
| tinburg, in South Carol ma. who re
| ported that he had been violently driven
| away while in charge of the mails on account
| Of his pol teal affiliations. An assistant
| super ntcndent 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 sub
| stitute. The Postmaster General thinks this
case is sufficiently suggestive TO Justify him
| in recommending that "a more severe punish
| ment should be provided for the offense of
| asSaulting any person in charge OF the mails
| or OF retarding, or otherwise obstructing
them 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 TO
81 0S1 79O Is as against 60 I69 9s IS of the pre-
ceding year. The difference can be traced to
| the large increase in its ordinary receipts
| (Which greatly exceeded the estimates there
| for ,)and slight decrease in its expenditures
The ordinary receipts OF the Post Office de-
partment for the last seven fiscal years have
Increased at an average ofover eight per cent.
per annum; while the increase of expendi-
lures for the same period has been but about
five fifty per cent. per annum, and the de-
crease OF deficiency in the revenues has been
The report of the Commissioner OF Agricul-
ture, accompanying this message, will be
found one of great interest, marking, as IL
does, the great progress of the last century in
the variety OF products OF the soil; increased
knowledge and skill I'm the labor of pro-
ducing, saving, and manipulating the same
to prepare them for the use OF man; in the
improvements in machinery to aid the agri-
culiurist in his labOrs and in knowledge of
tho e scientific subjects necessary TO a thor
ough system of economy in agricultural pro-
duction, namely: chemistry, botany, ento-
mology, &c. A study Of this report by those
| interested in agriculture and deriving their
support from ii, Will find IL Of value; in point
ing out those articles which are raised in
greater quantity than the needs of the world
require and must sell therefore for less than
| mand profit over cost of production because
there Is not an overproduction.
call special attention to the need OF the de-
OF the exhibits returned from the Centennial
Exhibition, including the exhibits donated
by very many foreign nations; and TO the
recoinmehaatlons OF The Commissioner of
Agriculture generally.
The reports OF the District Commissioners
and the Board OF Health are just received
too late 10 read them and make recommen-
datiOns thereOn-and are herewith submitted
The International Exhibition held in Phil
adelphia this year in commemoration of the
one hundredth anniversary OF American in
dependence has proven a great success and
willnodoubt, be enduring ad vantage to the
country. II has shown the great progress in
The arts, sciences and mechanical skill made
in single century and demonstrate that we
are but little behind older nations in any one
branch while in some we scarcely have a
rival. IL 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 peope from all sections of our
own country, which must prove "A great ben
eft in the information impaired and pride of
country engendered.
1t has been suggested by scientists interested
in and connected with the Smithsonian Insti-
tuition In communication herewith, that the
government exhibit be removed to the capital
and suitable building be erected or pur-
chased for It's accommodation as a perma-
nent exhibit. earnestly recommend this.
and believing that Congress would second
this view, directed that all government ex-
hibits at the centennial exhibition should re-
main where they are, except such as might
be injured by remaining in q building not in
tended as protection in Indictment weather
or such as may be wanted by the department
furnishing them, until the question of perm
anent exhibition is acted on.
Although the moneys Appropriated by Con-
gress TO enable the participation of the sew
eral executive departments in the Interna-
tional Exhibition of 1876 were not sufficient
10 carry-out the undertaking to the full ex-
tent at first contemplated, 1t gives me pleas
ure 10 refer TO the very efficient and credit
able manner in which the board appointed
from these several departments TO provide an
exhibition on the part of the government
have discharged their duties with the funds
placed at their command. Without prece-
dent TO guide them i'm the preparation OF such
a display, the success OF their labors was
amply attested by the sustained attention
which the contents ofthe Government Build
ing attracted during the period of the Exhi-
bition, from both foreign and native visitors.
4 am strongly impressed with the value OF
the collection made by the government for
the purposes Of the Exhibition, illustrating,
as 1t does, the mineral resources Of the coun-
Try, the statistical and practical evidence of