Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-12-12


order business and official stamps, were $29,
277,5l6.95. The sum of 1920, 1880, included
in the foregoing statement Of expenditures, i:
chargeable to preceding years, so that the
actual expenditures for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1878. are $33.s74, 64750. The
amount drawn from the treasury On appropri>
ations, in addition to the revenues of the de.
partment was SIS, 307, 652S2 The expendi-
lures for the fiscal year ending June so, 1880,
are estimated at $S6.571. 800. and the receipts
| from all sources at $40, 664, 023 80, leaving q
deficiency to be appropriated cut of the treas
ury of $5,907,S78.10. The report calls atten.
tion to the fact that the compensation of post
masters and Of all railroads for carving the
mail is regulated by law and that the failure
| OF congress to appropriate the amounts re-
quired for the purposes does not relieve the
government of responsibility, but necessarily
| increases the deficiency bills which congress
will be called upon to pass.
In providing for the postal service, the fol-
lowing questions are presented: Should
Congress annually appropriate a snm for its
expenses largely in excess of its revenues, or
should such faxes OF postage be established as
will make the department self sustaining !?
Should the postal service be reduced by ex>
Guiding from the mails matter which does not
pay its way. Should the number of post
routes be diminished? Should other methods
be adopted which will increase the revenue or
diminish the expenses of the postal service?
The international postal congress, which
met at Paris, MAY l, 1868, and continued in
session until June of the same year, was
composed of delegates from nearly all the
civilized countries of the world. 1t adopted a
new convention to take the place Of the treaty
concluded at Berne, October 9, 1874, which
goes into effect on the LIST of April, 1879, be.
tween the countries whose delegates have
signed it. II was ratified and approved, by
aud with the consent of the president, August
l3, 1878. synopsis of this universal postal
convention will be found in the report of the
postmaster general, and the full text in the
appendix thereto. In its origin, the postal
union comprised twenty three countries, hav.
ing population of $50 ,00O, 900 of people, and
will soou, by the accession of the few remain
ing countries and colonies which maintain
organized postal services, constitute, in fact as
well as in name, as its new title indicates, a
universal union, regulating, upon uniform
basis OF cheap postage rates, the postal inter-
course between all civilized nations.
Some embarrassment has arisen out of the
conflict between the customs laws of this
country and the provisions of the postal con-
yention i'll regard to the transmission of
foreign books and newspapers to this country
by mail. 1t is hoped that congress will be
able to devise some means of reconciling the
difficulties which have thus been created, so
as to do justice TO all parties involved
THE JUDICIARY.
The business of the Supreme Court aud of
the courts in many of the circuits, has increased
to such an extent during the past years that
additional legislation is imperative to relieve
and prevent the delay of justice, and the
possible oppression to suitors which is thus
occasioned. The encountered condition Of
these dockets is presented anew in the report
of the attorney general, and the remedy sug>
gested is earnestly urged for congressional
action. The creation of additional circuit
judges, as proposed. would afford complete
remedy, and would involve an expense-at the
present rate of salaries of not more than
100000 year.
INDIAN AFFAIRS.
Tie annual reports of the secretary of the
interior and of the commissioner of Indian
affairs present an elaborate account of the
present condition of the Indian tribes, and of
that branch of the public service which minis
tiers to their interests. While the conduct of
the Indians, generally. has been orderly and
their relations with their neighbors friendly
and peaceful, two local disturbances have
occurred, which were deplorable in their char
acter, but remained, happily. confined to a
comparatively small nuRlber of Indians. The
discomfort among the Bannocks, which led
first to some acts of violence on the part of
some of the members of the tribe and finally
to the outbreak, appears to have been caused
by an insuhiciency of food upon the reserva-
ton, and this insufficiency to have been owing
to the inadequacy Of the appropriations made
by congress to the wants of the Indians, at a
time when the Indians were prevented from
supplying the deficiency by hunting. After an
arduous pursuit by the troops of the United
States, and several engagements, the hostile
Indians were reduced to subsection, and the
larger part of them surrendered themselves as
prisoners In this connection, desire to call
attention To the recommendation made by the
secretary of the interior, that sufficient fund
be placed at the disposal of the executive, to
be used, with proper accountability, at discre-
ton, in sudden emergencies of the Indian
service.
The other case of disturbance was that of
band OF northern Cheyennes who suddenly left
their reservation in the Indian territory and
marched rapidly through the states of Kansas
and Nebraska in the direction of their old
hunting grounds, committing murders and
other crimes on their way. From documents
accompanying the report of the secretary of
the interior, it appears that this disorderly
band was as fully supplied with the necessaries
of life as the A, 200 other Indians who remains
ed quietly on the reservation, and that the
disturbance was caused by men of a restless
and mischievous disposition among the Indians
themselves Almost the whole Of this band
have surrendered to the military authorities
aud it is gratifying fact that when some of
them had taken refuge in the camp of the Red
Cloud Sioux, with whom they had been in
friendly relations the Sioux held them as
prisoners ana readily gave them up to the
officers of the United States thus giving new
proof Of the loyal spirit which, alarming ru-
mors to the contrary notwithstanding, they
have uniformly showl ever since the wishes
they expressed at the council of September.
1877, have been complied with
Both the secretary of the interior and the
secretary of war unite in the recommendation
that provision be made by congress for the
organization of a corps OF mounted "Indian
auxiliaries," to be under the control of the
army, and to be used for the purpose of keep
ing the Indians ON their reservations and
preventing or depressing disturbance on their
part | earnestly concur in this recommsn da-
such body of Indian cavalry, receiving
moderate pay frem the government, would
considerably weaken the restless element
among the Indians, by Withdrawing from it
number Of young men and giving them con-
genial employment under the government, i.
being matter of experience that Indians in
our service, almost without exception. are
faithful in the performance of the duties
assigned to them Such an organization would
materially aid the army in the accomplishment
of a task for which its numerical strength is
sometimes found insufficient
But. while the employment OF force for the
repression of Indian troubles is of occasional
necessity, and wise preparation should be made
to that end, greater reliance must be placed
on humane aud ciyilizing agencies for the
ultimate solution of what is called the Indian
problem. 1t may be very difficult, and re-
quire much patient effort, to curb the unruly
spirit Of the savage Indian to the restraints Of
civilized life but experience shows that il is
not impossible Many of the tribes which are
now quiet and orderly and self supporting
were once as savage az any that at present
roam over the plains in the mountains of
the far west, and we're then considered inac-
cessible to ciyilizing influences. 1t may be
impossible to raise them fully up to the level
of the white population of the United States !;
but we should not forget that they are the
aborigines of the country, and called the soil