The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-12-09

commission shall have hetA received ana ac1
p ed upon. BY the act Of August Is, 1876, Tho
cavalry force of the army was increased 2Jtt
men. with q proyiso that they should be dis
charged on the expiration of hostilltics. IN
der this authority, NE cavalry regiments have
been trenElhcned, ana Il portion OF them are
nov ~ the field pursuing the remnants Of tho
Indians with whom they have been engaged
during the summer
The estimates of the Var Department are
made upon the basis of the number OF men
authorized by law. ana their requirements, as
shown by years OF experience, and also with
the purpose Of a part Of the bureau officers to
provide for all contingencies that may arise
during the time for which the estimates are
made, exclusive OF engineers estimates, pre-
scented in accordance with the acts of Con
gress calling for surveys aud estimates toI
lie Improvement at various localities. The
estimates now presented are about 100000.
IN excess of the appropriations for the years
lS14-75, and 1876, This increase Is asked
in order to provide for the increased cavalry
! force, should their services be necessary, to
prosecute commenced work upon important
public buildings, to provide for the armament
of Notifications, and the manufacture OF small
arms, and to repleniSh the working stock in
the supply departments. The appropriations
! for the last-named have for the past few years
been 50 limited that The accumulations in
store will be entirely exhausted during the
present year, and II will be necessary TO at
once begin to replensh them.
! invite yGur special attention to the follow
ing recommendations ofthe Secretary OF War;
First, that the claim, under the act OF the 4th
of July, 1864, for supplies taken by the army
during the war, be removed from the offices
of the QuartermaSter and COmmissary Gen
l., 70 hn l'ioIpS
Commission These claims are of precisely
similar nature to those now before the South
ern CLAIMS Commission and War Debt Blu,
reauS, and have not the clerical force for their
examination, nor proper machinery for lnves-
tlgatlng the loyalty of the claimants; second
that Congress sanction the scheme of an an.
nuity fund for the benefit Of the families Of de-
ceased officers, and that il also provide for
I the permanent organization OF the regular SER
vice, both Of which were recommended in my
last annual message; third, that the manutac-
turing operations of the Ordnance Depart
meat be concentrated at three arsenalS and an
armory, and that the remaining arscnals be
sold and the proceeds be applied to this OBJ
lect by the Ordnance Department.
/ The appropriations tor river and harbor i'm
prOvements tor the current year were 50, Olj,-
/ 90. With my approval, the Secretary OF War
] uIlGGltu llldl VI LillS S-,OJOO4O
be expended, and no new work should be be,
gun, and none prosecuted which were not of
national importance. Subsequently this
amount was increased to 81, 231 500, and the
works are now progressing on this basis,
| The Improvement of the South Pass of the
Mississippi river, under James b. EadS and
his associates, Is progressing favorabiy. AT
the present time there is Il channel of 20 30
feet in depth between the jetties and
the mouth of the passage eighteen and one.
half liSl ) feet at the head OF the pass. Nei.
ther channel, however, has the width required
before payments can be made by the United
States. \ commission of civil engineer of
iicers is now examining these works, and
their report vii! be presented as soon AS re-
ceived.
The report of the Secretary of the Navy
shows that branch OF the service to be in Il
condition as effective as ii is possible to keep
it with the means that the appropriations give
to the Department. 1t is, of course, imposs-
bic to rival the costly and progressive estab-
! iishments ofthe Great European Powers with
the old material Of our navy, 10 which no in
crease has been authorized since the war eX.
cept the eightsm 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 command, and by the substan
TALLY rebuilding some of our old ships with
durable material and completely repairing
and rcftt:ng our monitor fleet, the navy has
been gradually so brought up that, though 1t
does not maintain Its relative position among
the progressive navieS of the world, 1t is now
in condition more powerful ard 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
. tl,n transformations m In last for tlp
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 materials, and
the increase in the cost OfthC naval cost 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 anu expense. When this
is done, all the strength there is in the navy
will be developed an. useful TO lis full capa.
city, and all will be powerful for the purpose
of defense, ana also for offensive action, should
necessity :Or that arise within reasonable
] distance from our shores The TACT that our
navy is not more modern and powerful than II
/ is, has been made IA cause of complaint
against the Secretary of he Navy by persons
who, at the same time, criicise and complain
/ of his endcavors to bring the navy that We
I have to lis best and most efficient condition
but the good sense Of the country will under
stand that ii is really owing to his practical
action that We have at this time an elective
navy force TO command.
Inc report OF the Postmaster General shows
an excess of expenditures excluding the
expenditures on account of previous years
over the receipts toI the fiscal year
ending June so, 1879, to be 81, l5l,0SS GG. rhC
estimated expenditures for the fiscal year end
Ing June 20, 1877, are S3,G12 3i3, 243; estima
TED revenue for the same period is S3O645, l6j
4 leaving an estimated access Expenditures t.
be appropriated as deficiency, of S6,O1Sj
261.43.
The Postmaster General, like his predcces
sor, Is convinced that u change IN the Lasis oil
adjusting the salaries of Postmasters of the
fourth class is necessary Tor the good of the
service, as well as for the Interests of the Gov
ernment and earnestly recommends that the
IA, ,..V.