The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-12-06

.plenish the working stock OF the srnni1
departments. The appropriations Tor H.
last named have for the mast ..
years been so. limited that the accurnl
tions in store will be entirely exhan,,s
during the present year, and It win II
necessary to at once begin to repIenish tbes
Il invite Your special attention to the nj
lowing recommendation OF the secretarr'
War: First. That the claims under oci :;
July 4, 1864, for supplies taken by the arm
during the war, be removed from the o{I;n:
OF the Quartcrmaster- and Commjssarv'
Generals and transferred to the Soutba;,
Claims Commission. These claims a..
Of precisely similar nature to those nn "s
before the Southern Claims Commis.
sion, and the War Department Rn-
reaIS nave not the clerical force for their
examination, nor proper machinery for IN
vestiSating the loyalty OF the claimant.
Second. That Congress sanction the scban1
Of an annuity fund for the benefit Of ~ !
families OF deceased officers, and that II ~
provide for. the permanent orpaniza,ss'
Of the signal service, both OF which ~
recommended in my last annual mess,,oI
THIRD. That the manufacturing operatinnS -.
the Ordnance Department be concentr, t II
at three arsenals and an ar,nory, and tho.
The remaining arsenals be sold and tbc NV
cecds applied to this object by the Or,Iirs ~
Department. The appropriations for
RIVER And IIARB0R INpRoygNyxr
for the current year were S5.O15,o0O. Will
my approval the Secretary OF War iirec,o
that OF this amount s2,000,O00 should II
expended, and no new works should he =,
gun and none prosecuted which were W.
of national importance. Subsequently, ri \
amount was increased to 81, 237 800. andn ]
works arc now progressing on Il;
basis. The improvement OF the South p, |
Of the Mississippi river, under James \
EadS and his associates, is progrcssing r.
vorahly. At the present time there i i
channel Of twenty and thrcc-tenths feet II
depth between the ietties at the mouth ID
the pass, and eighteen and one-hali fee, a,
| the head Of the pass. Neither channcl
however, has the width required before INV,
ment can be made by the United Stale. ),
commission of engineer officers is now OK.
aiming these works, and their reports wiI;
be presented as soon as received.
The report Of the Secretary Of the NsTu
shows that branch OF the service to he in 1
tcondition as effective rs it is possible to kc4,I
it with the means and authority given IL
Department. 1t is, OF course. not pos,H.
to rival the costly and progressive cstabEs.
ments OF great European Powers with he
old material OF
OUR NAVY,
| to which no increase has been authcrizqj
since the war except the eight small cruiser.
built to supply the place OF Others which
had gone to decay. Yet the most Ia,
been done that was possible with In.
means at command, and hy >ub,ap
tally rebuilding some oil oUr old >hirI
with durable materials, and complctc'
repairing and rctitting our monitor icf,
the navy has been gradually so hroug},
UP that though it does not maintain il. ria.
tive position among the progressive Dayt,
! OF the world it il now in condition More
powerful and effective than it ever hl> been
in timOOf peace. The complete repair, d
our live heavy irOn-c!adS are only DELAYED
on account OF the inadcquacy OF the appr0
Driations made last year for the workin.
| bureau! OF the Department, which were ar
tually less in amount than those made b.
fore the war, notwithstanding the create
enhanced price OF labor and material, an.
the increase in the cost OF the naval ,crNie
growing out CT the universal rise and gre$
expense OF steam machinery. The m0ng
necessary Tor these repairs should be pro
yided az once, that they may bc completed
| without further unnecessary delay and ~
DenSe. When this IS done i'll TIE strcugt
that there is in our navy will BE- developed
and useful in the full capacity, and it vii
! be powerful for purposes OF defence, IN,
also ior offensive action should the ncceS
sity for that arise within Il reasonable di.
tuncc from our shores. The fact that OF
navy is not more modern and powerful
| than it is has been made cause .! con
plant against the Secretary o. tie Navy b
persons who ut the same time crit!cisc M
complain OF his endeayors to bring th
navy that VIC have to its best and most eli
cient condition; but the good sense of TIE
country will understand that II is really dGe
| to his practical action that we have IT t'&
time any effective naval force ri comm&E.
! The report OF
TIE POSTMASPER-G ENEEAh
shows the excess OF expenditure, cEcfrdr.
expenditures on account OF previous ytaT
over receipts for the fiscal year ended Jun
80, 1876, to be Si,151 ,9SS.6G; estimated ~
vcnditureS FOR the fiscal year ending Juhe
30, 1873, are S3G. 723, 432.43; estimated rev"
nue. for same period, SIC, $50, tG1-lcaNFS
estimated excess Of expenditure to be l2'
propriated rs deficiency OF F6,0iS, 2Gt.t5'
The Postmastcr-Gen Ike his predccos
Sor, i convinced that c:i;s1ge IN TIE hs''
Tof adjusting the salaries. 1l poStma't@'
Of the fourth class is necessary i0r the gogl
OF the service rs well Is for the interests q
the Government, and urgently recommends
that the compensation OF the class 81 pos'
masters above mentioned be ba;ed upon IN
business OF their respective offices ., *
tainad from the sworn returns to the "Sf'
tor oi stamps cancelled n lev po's
masters in the southern States ha''
eyprcsspd @Yaat apprehension CT :h'i
connection with the postal service "Et
nave speeislly requested that their report
OF their unprecedented danger should net u
made public, lest it should result in me Nc w,
of their lives; bat no positive t"s'iila9n;
OF interference hos been submitted eNcrp'
in case OF i u!all messenger at sp1t. a
burg. South Carolina, who reported tl !.
he had been violently driven a~:y WINE =, !.
charge Of the mails on account OF us pe.,
teal affiliations. An assistant sui'.i
jntendcnt OF the, railway mail serve
investigated this case and repoFp'
that the messenger mad Disappeared IRON
his post, leaving his work to be perforn'r'
by |. substitute. The PostmaSier-"ehst. =
thinks this case IS sufficiently suggestive Z
Justify him in recommending That Ii!',
severe punishment should be PROVIDED ~ 81
Tho offence OF asssui.ing any person IN cil-! :
Of mails, or OF, retarding or "ther" ,.
obstructiag them by threats 81 person?
injury. \ yery gratifying fesHit :, !,
presented by the fact that me ~
iiciency BIZ this Department !. d"t tyi
the Inst. fiscal wear was reduced 10 Fi,',i'
100, Is as against IS, 3S,Ss OF the 2F :,
cedins, year. The difference can be tracsa +"
~. = 2: - L., .1.,:l;,,arX rl.rLLI-.: