The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1876-12-13


commission OF Engineer officers is no
examining these works, aud their report
will be presented as soon as received.
THE NAVY
The report of the Secretary of tn
Navy shows that branch Of the service t
!. be in a condition as effective as it is POI
sible TO keep it with the means aud at
thority given the Department. 1t is {
course not possible to rival the costly an
progressive establishments OF great Eu
rOpean powers with the old material q
our navy, to which no increase has bee
authorized since the war, except tn
eight small cruisers built to supply til
place of others which had gone 10 decay
yet the most has been done that wa
possible with the means al command, anC
by substantially +, building some Of GU
old ships with durable material. and com
plctely repairing and reitiing our moui
tor feet, our navy has been gradually 81
brought up that though it does not main
tain lis relative position among the pro
| gressiye navies of the world, it is now il
a condition more powerful and effective
/ than ii ever has been in times of peace.
| The complete repairs Of our five heavy
iron clads are only delayed on account OF
| the appropriations made last year for the
working bureau of the Department,
which were less in amount than those
made before the war, Notwithstanding
the greatly enhanced price of labor and
materials, and the increase in the cost OF
the Naval Service, growing 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 fur,
Their unnecessary delay and expense.
When this is done. all the strength that
there Is in the navy will be developtd
and made useful to its fullest capacity,
and it will be powerful for purposes of
defense, and also for offensive action,
should the necessity for that arise within
a reasonable distance from our shores.
The fact that our navy Is not more
modern and powerful than it has
been made, Is cause of com
plant against the Secretary of the
Navy by persons, who, ut the same time
critcise and complain Of his endeavors
to bring the navy that we have to its best
and most effective condition but the
good sense of the country will under.
stand that it is really due to his practical
action that we have at this time any eff
fectiye naval force at command.
TIE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
The report of the master-General
shows the excess of expenditures, eXclud-
ing expenditures on account Of previous
wears, over receipts for the fiscal year
ended June Both, 1876, to be 81, 15I, =
9S8 66; estimated expenditures for the
fiscal year ending June 30th, 1878, are
$50, 723, 1872 a; estimated revenues for
the same period, S30645, 1G5 90, leaving
an estimated excess Of expenditures to be
appropriated as a deficiency OF Sc, 07S-
267 43 The Postmaster General like
his predecessor, is convinced that a
change in the basis OF adjusting the sal
aries of Postmasters of the fourth class is
necessary for the good of the service, as
we'll as for the interest Of the Govern
ment, and urgently recommends that
the compensation of the class of Post
masters above mentioned be based on
the business Of their respective Offices as
ascertained from the sworn returns to
the Auditor of stamps cancelled. y few
Postmasters in the Southern States have
expressed very great apprehension of
their own personal safety on account of
their connection with the postal service,
and have especially requested that their
reports cf apprehended danger should
not be made public lest it should result
in the loss of their lives ; but no positive
testimony of interference has been sub
mitted except in the case Of mail mes
senger at Spartauburg in South Carroll
ne, who reported that he had been vio-
Iently driven away while in charge of the
mails ON on account Of his political "ffili
ations An Assistant Superintendent Of
the railway mail service investigated
this case and reported that the messen-
ger had disappeared from his post, leav
ing his work to be performed by subs!i
tute. The Postmaster General thinks
tifv him in recommending that a more
severe punishment should be pro
vided for the offense of assaulting any
person in charge of the mails, or retard-
ing or otherwise obstructing them by
threats of personal injury. y very
gratifying result is presented IN the fact
that the deficiency of this Department
during the last fiscal year was reduced to
"a 08I, no, as against Sc, 1863, 938 So, of
the preceding year. The difference can
be traced to the large increase in its ordi-
nary receipts which greatly exceed the
estimates therefor, and a slight decrease
in its expenditures. The ordinary re-
ceipts Of the Rost-ofhce Department for
the past seven fiscal years, have increas-
ed at an average of over s per cent. per
aunum, while the increase of expendi
lures for the same period has been but
about So per cent. per annum, and the
decrease of deficiency in the revenue has
been at the rate of nearly : per cent. per
annum.
AGRICULTURE.
The report of the Commissioner of
accompanying this message, !
will be found one OF grea. interest, mark
ing as it does the great progress Of the
last century in the variety of products of
the soil, increased knowledge and skill |
in the labor of producing, saving and /