Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-12-06

/ amounts required for these purposes does not
! relieve the Government of responsibility, but
I necessarily increases the deficiency bills which
| Congress will be called upon to pass In pro-
! viding for the postal service the following
questions are presented: Should Congress
annually appropriate sum for its expenses
largely in excess of its revenues, or should
such rates of postage be established as will
make the Department self-sustaining 2 Should
the postal service be reduced by excluding
from the mails matter which does not pay its
wny2 Should the number of post routes be
diminished? Should other methods be adopt
ed which will increase the revenues or dimin-
ish the expense Of the postal service
The International Postal Congress- which
met at Paris, May /, 1878, and continued in
session until June I of the same year. was
composed of delegates from nearly all the
civilized countries of the world II adopted
Il new convention to take the place of the
treaty concluded at Berne, October ., 1874,
which goes into effect on the LIST of April,
1879, between the countries whose delegates
have signed it, 1t was ratified and approved
by and with tn consent OF the President,
Aug. ~, 1873. A synopsis of this Universal
Postal Convention will be found in the report
of the Postmaster-Gentral and the full text
in the appendix thereto. In its origin the
Postal Union comprised twenty three coun-
tries having population Of three hundred
and fifty millions of people. On the LIST of
April next it will comprise forty three coun-
tries and colonies, having a population of
more than six hundred and fifty millions OF
people, and will soon, 10y the accession of the
few remaining countries and colonies which
maintain organized postal services, constitute
in fact a. well rs in NAM, rs its new title in
dicntes Universal Union, regulating upon
uniform basis of cheap postage rates the pos
tai intercourse between all civilized nations
Some embarrassment has arisen out of the
conflict b tween the customs laws of this
country and the provisions of the Postal Con
venton, in regard ~ the transmission of
foreign books aud 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 be N created, so
as to do justice to all parties involved.
THE COURTS.
Thu bnsn IS of the Supreme Court and of
the Courts in many of the circuits has in
creased to such M extent during the past
years thu. additional legislation is imp rative
to relieve and prevent the delay of justice
aud possible oppression to suitors, which is
thus occasioned. The cn1umh rcd condition
of tn ase docket' is pres ,nted anew in the re-
port of the Attorney General and the remedy
suggested is earn silly urged for Congressiou-
e. III
judges. n proposed, would afford complete
remedy, aud woull invov. an expense, at the
present rate of salaries, or not more than
500 600 year.
.-,,,. ,,.,,,.....
''A
The annual reports of the Secretary of the
Interior and OF the Commissioner of Indian
Affairs present an elaborate account of the
present condition Of tue lnd'an tribes aud
nf hal n thf, xIlip
ministers to their interests. While the CON
duct of the Indians g'uerally has been order
ly and their relations with their neighbors
friendly and peaceful. two local disturbances
have occurred. which were deldorable IN Their
character, bat remained happily confined to
u comparatively ANAL numh,r of Indians.
The discontri't among the Bannocks, which
led hrs; t. some acts ot violence on the part
of SOM members Of the tribe aud finally to
the outbreak, appears to have been caused 10y
an insnthciency of food on the reservation,
aud this insuficiency to have be owing to
the inadequacy Of the appropriations, made
by ConBrt -, to the wants Of the Indians, al u
time when the Indians were prevented from
supplying the deficiency 10y hunting. After
an arduous pursuit by the troops Of the Unit
ed States, and several engagements, the hos
tile Indians were rrdnctd to subj cuon, and
the larger part of them surrendered them
selves AS prisoners In this connection de-
sire to call attention to the recommendation
made by the Secretary of the Interior, that a
sufficient fund he plnced at the disposal of the
Executive, to be used with proper accounta-
bility, at discretion, IN sudden emergencies OF
the Indian service.
The other case of disturbance was that of "A
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 1t appears that this disorderly
bnnd was as fully supplied with the neces-
sari,s of life as the four thousand seven hun
drcd other Indians who remained quietly on
the reservation, aud that the disturbance was
caused by men of II restlt IS aud mischievous
disposition among tie lndiaI themselves
Almost the whole Of this band have surren-
drred to the military authorities, and it is II
gratifying fact, that when SOM 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 rs prisoners
and readily gave them up 10 the officers OF the
United States, thus giving new proof of the
loyal spirit which, alarming rumors to the con
trary Notwithstanding, they have uniformly
shown ever since the WISHES they expressed at
the Oouhcl OF oeptehhtf' lo'', hhu D'th
complied with
Both the Secretary of the Interior and the
Secretary of War unite IN the recommendn-
ton that provision be made 10y Congress for
the organization Of corps Of mounted In
dian auXliaricS, to be under the control of the
army, and to be used for the purpose of keep
ing the Indians on their reservations and pre-
venting or REFRESHING disturbance on their
part. | earnestly concur in this recommends
ton. Itisbelieved that the organization of such
body of Indian cavalry, receiving a moderate
pay fromth Government would considerably
weaken the restless element among the In
dams by Withdrawing from il number of
young men and giving them congenal en-
ployment under the Government, it being
matter of experience that Indians IN our ser
vice, almost without exception, are faithful in