The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-12-08

of experience, and alsC with the pur-
pose of part of the Bureau officers 20
provide for all contingencies that may
arise during the time for which the es
Inmates are made, exclusive of Ensi
neer's estimates, presented in accord
ance with the Acts of Congress calling
for SURVEYS and estimates FOR improve
meuts at the various localities. These
estimates now presented are about Sc,
COG, 600 in excess of the appropriations
for the years 1S14-15 and 1S75-16.
This Increase is asked, in order to pro
vide for the increased cavalry force,
should their services be necessary to
prosecute the war, f0r economical work
on important public buildings, to pro-
vide for armament of fortificatious
and the manufacture of small arms,
and to replenish the working stock in
the supply departments.
The appropriations for these last
named have for the past few years
been so limited that the accommodations
in store will be entirely exhausted
during the present year, and it will be
necessary 10 at oDce begin 70 replenisn
them.
WAR CLAIMS
invite your special attention to the
following recommendations of the Sec
retary of War:
tlrst-That the claims under the act
OF July 4, 1864, for supplies taken by
the army during the war, be removed
from the offices of Quartermaster and
Conmlssary Generals and transferred
TO the Southern Claims Commission.
These claims are of precisely similar
nature to those now before the South
ern Claims Commission, and the War
Departme Mt Bureaus have not the cler-
ical force for their examination, nor
proper machinery for investigating the
loyalty of the claimants.
Second-That Congress sanction the
scheme of an annuity fund for the
benefit of the families of deceased off
GERS. and that it also provide for the
permanent organization of the regular
service, both of which were recon
mended in my last annual message.
Third-That the manufacturing op-
erations of the Ordinance Department
be concentrated at three Arsenals, and
an Armory, and that the remaining
Arsenals be sold, and the proceeds ap-
piled to this object by the Ordinance
Department.
RIVER AND HARBoR IMPROVEMENTS.
The appropriations for River and
Harbor improvements for the current
year were SIS, 015, 900. With my ap-
proval the Secretary of War directed
that cf this amount, S2,0GG, 600 should
be expended, and no new works should
be begun and none prosecuted, which
were not of National Importance. Sub
sequently, this amount was increased
to 81, 237, 600. and the works are now
progressing on this basis.
The improvement ot the south pass
of the Mississippi river, under James
B. Eads and his associates, is progress
ing favorably. At the present time
there is channel of 20 10 feet in
depth, between the jetties of the mouth
of the pass, and IS 1-2 feet at the head
of the pass. Neither channel, how
ever, has the width required before
payments can be made by the United
States. A commission of Engineer Of
ficers is now examining 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 in a condition as effective as it is
possible to keep it, with the means and
appropriations given the Department.
1t is, of course, impossible to rival the
costly and progressive establishments
of Great European powers with the
old material of our navy, to which no
increase has been authorized since the
war, except eight small 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 substan-
TALLY rebuilding some of our old ships
with durable material and completely
repairing and refitting our monitor
feet. The navy has been gradually so
brought up that though it does not
maintain its relative position among
the progressive navies of the world, it
is now in condition
MORE POWERFUL AND EFFECTIVE
than it has ever been in time of peace;
the complete repairs to our five heavy
ironclads are only delayed on account
of the inadequacy of the appropriations
made last year for the working bureaus
of the Department, which were actu-
ally 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 for these repairs should
be provided at once, that they may be
completed, without further unnecessa-
ry delay and expense. When this is
done all the strength that there is in the
navy will be developed and useful to
its full capacity, and all will be power
ful for the purpose of defense, and also
for offensive action, should a necessity
for that arise, within a reasonable dis
tance from our shores. The fact that
our navy is not more modern and pow
erful than it is, has been made a cause
of complaint against the Secretary OF
the navy by persons who, at the same
time, criticise and complain of his en-
deavors 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 prac-
tical action that we have at this time
any effective navy force at command.
POSTAL MATTERS.
The report of the Postmaster Gen
eral shows the excess of expenditures,
Excluding expenditures OH account of
previous years, over receipts for the
fiscal year ending June 3Oth, 1876, to
be q, Isl, 9SS.66. The estimated ex
penditures for the fiscal year ending
June 30th, 1878, are S36, ,723, ,432. AZ;
estimated revenue for the same period
is $50, GAS, 165. 90: leaving On estimated
excess of expenditures to he appropri-
ated as a deficiency of IS, 07S, ,267.4
The Postmaster General, like his
predecessor, is convinced that a change
in the basis of adjusting the salaries of
postmasters of the fourth class is nee
essary for the good of the service, as
well as for the interests of the Gov
ernment, and urgently recommends
that the compensation of the class of
postmasters above mentioned be based
upon the business of their respective
offices, as aseertained from the sworn
returns to the Auditor, of stamps can
celled.
A few postmasters in the Southern |
States have expressed great apprehen-
sions of their personal safety on ae
count of their connection with the |
postal service, and have specially re
quested that their reports of appre-
n IL 4 IL \ L i