Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-12-05

the establishment OF several additional mill
tary posts along the Rio Grande, 80 as more
effec ually TO guard that extensive border,
peace may be preserved and the lives and
property % citizens in Texas ully pro-
tected.
Prior t, the lst day of July last the army
was, in accordance with law. reduced to the
maximum of $4,000 enlisted men, being a
reduction of 2. 800 below the force previously
authorized. This reduction was made, AS re-
quired by law, entirely from the infantry
and artillery branches of the service with
out any reduction of the cavalry. Under
the law as ii now stands it is necessary that
the cavalry regiments be recruited to 100
men IN each company for service on the
Mexican and Indian frontiers. The neces
sary effect of this legislation is to reduce the
infantry and artillery arms of the service
below he number required for efficiency,
and [ concur with the secretary of war in
recommending that authority be given to
recruit all companies o i~ofantry to at |. ast
so men and all batteries of sr.illery to at
least 10 men, with power, in case of emerg-
ency, to increase the former to 100 and the
latter to l25 men each. | invite yonr es-
pecial attention to the following
dations of the secretary of war:
L. That provision be made for supplying
tle army a ilole dbuiltidiil anu D6lleT Supply
of reading matter.
2. That early action be taken by con-
gress looking to a complete revision and re-
publication of the army regulations.
8. That section 1858 of the revised stat
utes, limiting the number of officers on the
retired list. be repealed.
A That the claims ari ing under the act
Of July a, 1864, for supplies taken by the
army during the war, be taken from the off
GERS OF the quartermaster md commissary
generals and transferred to the southern
claims commission or some other tribunal
having more time and better facilities for
their prompt investigation and decision than
are possessed by these officers.
5. That congrt IS provide for an annuity
fund for the families of deceased soldiers, as
recommended by the paymaster general of
the army.
The report of the secretary of the navy
shows that we have six squadrons now en-
gagged in the protection of our foreign COM
merce and other duties pertaining to the
naval service. The condition and operations
of the department are also shown. The to-
tai expen iitures for the fiscal vesr ending
June 80, S77, were $l6,077, 974.54. There
are unpaid claims against the department,
chargeable to the last year, which are pre-
sented to the consideration of congress bv the
report of the secretary. The estimates for
the fiscal year commencing July l, l97s,ar
$16, 1913, 234.40, exclusive of the sum ofS23,
1921 submitted for new buildings, repairs
and Improvements at the several navy yar3s
The appropriations for The present fsct
year, commencing July, 1877, are $13. $50.
932 80 The amount drawn from the treas
urv from July /, to November l, 1877, il
$5,343, 37.40, of which there is estimated tC
be yet available ST., 092, 50S.30, showing the
amount of actual expenditures during the
first four months Of the present fscal yea
to have been 81 3l3,509.10
The report of the postmaster general con
tain7 a clear staten ent of the operations anc
condition of the postofice department fol
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1877, includ
ing receipts from the money order business
and from official stamps and stamped envel
opes, which amounted to the sun of S27,
53l,595.26. The additional sum of Sob,
900 was realized from appropriations from
the general treasury for various purposes
making the receipts from all source
S3e. 545. SS5 26. The total expenditures du
ring the fiscal year amounted to S33 1856
1924, lrnvlug an excess Of total receipt
over total expenditures of $10,5S5 ,62S 02
and an excess of total expenditures owe
ordinary receipts of $5,954.73l is, De
dlctipg from the total receipts The sum O
S632, 615.41 received from internationa
money orders OF the preceding fiscal year
aud deducting from the total expenditure
the sum of 81, l63,SlS20 paid on liab'litie
incurred in the previous year, the expendi
lures and receipts appertaining TO the bus
ness of the last fiscal year were as follows
Expenditures, S332, 1892, 504S "a receipts, or
binary from money order business, for off
cial postage stamps, S27, ASS, 323.42 e1ces
of expenditures $4,S54, 10S.42.
The ordinary revenues of the postotfic
department for the year ending June 81
1879, are estimated at an increase Of thre
per cent. over those of 1878, making 500,
OS4, 09S.2S, and the expenditures for tn
same year are estimated at S35 1927, N.
leaving a deficiency for 1879 of $685. 1892
.02.
Additional legislation is recommended b
the postmaster general for improvements {
the mail service, and to protect the post
revenues from the abuses practiced undo
the existing laws is respectfully recor
mended to the careful consideration of col
gress.
The report of The attorney general Co
tains separate suggestions to the admin!
trstion Of Justice to which | invite your q
tention. The pressure of business in tt
supreme court and in certain circuit cour
of the United States is now such that S
rious delays TO the great injury and eve
oppression of suitors occur, and a remec
should be sought for this condition of
fairs Whether it will be found in the pl'
briefly stated In the report OF increasing q
number of judges of circuit courts, and
means of tn $ addition to judicial force
creating an Intermediate court OF errors al
appeals, or whether some other mode ca
be devised for obviating the difficult
which now exist, | leave to your mature Z
liberation
The present condition of the Indian trih
on the territory of the United States a
our relations with them are fully set for
in the reports of the secretary of the
terror and the commissioner of indian
fairs. After a series of most deplorat
conflicts, the Successful termination
which, while it reflects honor on the bra
soldiers who accomplished 1t, cannot less
our regret at the occurrence, we are now
peace with all the Indian tribes on our b'