New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1878-12-11
sources of our country havea fair opportuni-
ty, and relief from present difficulties will
surely follow. .l.@-

| W, 0us zAcAACA sAHOlu present. QlMCulLlc6 Will
| surely follow. .
The report of the secretary Of war shows
that the army has been we'll and economically
supplied, that our small force has been actively
employed, and has faithfully performed all
the service required Of it. The morale Of the
| army has improved, and the number OF deser-
tions has materially decreased during the year.
The secretary recommends that a pension be
granted to the widow of the late Lieutenant
Henry 81. Benner, who lost his life by the yell
low fever while in command of the steamer j,
NJ Chambers, sent with supplies fer the relief
of the sufferers in the South from that disease
The establishment of the annuity scheme,
for the benefit of the heirs of deceased officers,
as suggested by the paymaster-general; the
| ADOPTION by Congress, of plan for the publi-
cation of the records of the of the rebellionf
now being. prepared for that purpose. The in
crease of the extra per diem of soldier teachers
employed in post schools, and liberal appropri-
ations for the erection of buildings for schools
and Libraries at the different posts; the repeal
or amendment of the act of June Is, 1878, for
| bidding the use OF the army
as posse comitatus or
otherwise for the purpose of executing the
laws, except in such cases and under such cir
cumstances as may be expressly authorized by
the constitution or by act of Congress; the
passage of a joint resolution of Congress legal
izing the issues of rations, tents, and medicine
| which were made for the relief Of sufferers
from yellow fever; that provision be made for
| the erection of a fire proof building for the
| preservation of certain valuable records, now
constantly exposed to destruction by fire.
] These recommendations are all recommended
to your favorable consideration.
THE NAVY.
The report of the secretary of the navy shows
that the navy has improved during the last tis-
| Cal year. Work has been done on seventy-fiye
| vessels, ten of which have been thoroughly re-
| paired and made ready for sea. Two others
are in rapid progress toward completion. The
| total expenditures of the year, including the
amount appropriated for the deficiencies If the
previous year, were $17, 1868, 39O.65. The actual
! expenses chargabIe to the year exclusive of
these deficiencies, $13, 306 ,914O9, or $797,-
1918 less than those of the previous year,
and $4,928,677.74 less than the expenses
| including the deficiencies. The estimates
for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1880, are
81, 1852, 38l.45. exceeding the appropriations Of
| the present year only 1888, 949.75, which excess
is occasioned by the demands Of the naval
! academy and the marine corps.
AS explained in the secretary report, the ap-
preparations for the present fiscal year are $l4,-
| 525, 431.7O, which, in the opinion of the secre-
tary, will be ample for all the current expenses
| of the department during the year. The
amount drawn from the treasury from July l
to November l, 1878, is 90, 740,544.l4, of which
| $70,98O.75 has been refunded, leaving as the
expenditure for that period $A,669, 563.39 or
$62O.S99.24 less than the corresponding period
| Of the last fiscal year.
/ THE POSTAL, SERVICE.
| The department of the postmaster-gener
| embraces a detailed statement Of the operations
of the postotice department. The expendi-
lures of that department for the fiscal year
ending June 80 1878 was 1884, 1865 OS4.4O. The
| .r>%c n1,II, r. 81,
277, 516.95. The sum of $190.436.90 included
in the foregoing statement Of expenditures is
| chargeable to preceding years, so that the ac-
tual expenditures for the fiscal year ending
| June 30, 1873, are estimated at 1856, 719. 90;
and the receipts, from all sources, at 500, 664,-
| 023.00, leaving a deficiency to be appropriated
ont of the treasury Of $5,907, $3.50
| The report calls attention to the fact that
the compensation of postmasters of railroads
| for carrying the mail is regulated by law, and
! that the failure of Congress to appropriate the
amount required for these 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 Con-
| gress annually appropriate a sum for its ex-
! penses largely in excess of it's revenues; or
should such rates of postage be established as
will make the department self-sustaining?
ShDuld the postal service be reduced by ey-
Guiding from the mails matter which does not
pay its way?
Should the number of post routes be dimin-
! ished?
Should other methods be adopted which will
increase the revenue or diminish the expenses
| of the postal service?
INTERNATIONAL POSTAL CONGRESS-.
| The international postal congress, which met
at Paris May 1, 1878, and continued in session
| until June 4th Of the same year, was Composed
| of delegates from nearly all the civilized coun-
| tries of the world. 1t adopted a new conven-
ton to take the place Of the treaty concluded
at Berne, Oct. g. 1874, which goes into effect on
the LIST of April, 1879, between the coun-
tries whose delegates have signed it.
It ratified and approved by and
] with the consent of the Presi-
dent, August IS, 1873 A synopsis of this
! universal postal convention will be found in
| the report of the acknowledgement, and the
| full text in the appendix thereto. In its origin
the postal union comprised twenty-three coun-
| tries, having population of $50, 000, 900 Of
| people On the 1st of April next it will COM
| prise forty-three countries and colonies with a
| population of $50, 100000 of people, and will
/ countries and colonies which maintain organ
| lied postal services, constitute in fact we'll
| as in name, as it's new title indicates. univer-
sal union, regulating upon uniform basis OF
| cheap postage rates the postal interests be-
| tween all civilized nations.
! Some embarrassment has arisen out of the
conflict between the customs laws of this coun-
try and the provision of the postal convention
in regard to the transmission of foreign books
and newspapers to this country by mail. It is
| hoped thar 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.
1 COURT BUSINESS.