The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1879-12-01

| unite with him in recommending the re-
| moval of the Observatory to q more health
| ful location. That institution reflects credit
| upon the Nation, and has obtained the ap-
probation of scientific men in all parts of
tie world. Its removal from its present
location would not only be conducive to the
health OF its officers and professors, but
would greatly increase its usefulness.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
! The appropriation for Judicial expenses,
which has heretofore been made for the De-
partment of Justice, in gross, was subdi-
I vided at the last session of Congress, and
no appropriations whatever was made for
the payment of the fees of marshals and
their deputies, either in the service of pro-
cess or for the discharge of other duties /;
| and since June 80, these officers have con-
tinued their duties without compensation
from the Government, taking upon them
selves the necessary incidental outlays, as
we'll as rendering their own services. In
| only few unavoidable instances, has the
proper execution of the process of the
| United States failed by reason of the absence
ofthe requisite appropriation. This course
| of official conduct on the part of these
officers, highly creditable to their fidelity,
was advised by the Attorney-General,w who
| informed them, however, that they would
necessarily have to rely for their compen-
| sation upon the prospect of future legisla-
! ton by Congress. L therefore especially
recommend that immediate appropriation
| be made by Congress for this purpose.
/ PROTECTION OF THE BALLOT.
/ The act making the principal appropria
| tion for the department of Justice at pre-.
vious sessions has uniformly contained the
! following clause: "And for defraying the
| expenses which may be incurred in the en-
/ forcement of the act approved February,
| rs. 1870. entitled AN act to amend an act
approved May 80, 1870, entitled AN act to
enforce the right of citizens of the United
| States to vote IN the several States of the
| United States, and for other purposes or
! any acts amendatOry thereof or supplement
/ tary thereto"
No appropriation was made for this pur-
| pose for the current year. AS no general
! election for members of Congress occurred,
| the commission was matter of little practi-
| cal importance. Such election will, how
ever, take place during the ensuing year.
! and the appropriation made for the pay of
marshals and deputies should be sufficient
! to embrace compensation for the services
| they may be required to perform at such
| elections.
| THE OVER CROWDED COURTS.
The business of the Supreme Court is, at
present, largely in arrears. 1t cannot be
! expected that more causes can be decided
than are now disposed of in its annual ses-
| sion, or that by any assidulty the distin-
guished magistrates who compose the Court
can accomplish more than is now done
| In the courts of many of the circuits, also,
the business has increased to such an ex-
tent, that the delay of justice will call the
| attention of Congress to an appropriate
remedy. 1t is believed that all is done in
each circuit which can fairly be expected
| from its judicial force. The evils arising
| from delay, are less heavily felt by the
! Z &c hot M
/ discussion of questions of public char
acter
The remedy suggested by the Attorney
/ General, IS the appointment OF additional
! circuit Judges, and the creation OF an IN
/ termediate court of errors and appeals,
which shall relieve the Supreme Court OF a
! part of its Jurisdiction, while larger force
| is also obtained for the performance OF
| circuit duties
| | commend this suggestion to the consld-
| Grafton of Congress. 1t would seem to
| afford a complete remedy, and would
| involve, if ten additional circuit judges are
appointed, an expenditure, at the present
/ thousand dollars year, which would GER
tainly be small in comparison with the
objects to be attained.
PosToFFICE DEPARTMENT.
/ The report of the Postmaster General
/ bears testimony to the general reviva! OF
| business throughout the country. The
receipts of the Postoffice Department for
/ the fiscal year ended June 30, 1879, were
$50, 041 ,982. So. being $764, 465 81 more than
the revenues of the preceding year. The
amount realized from the sale of postage
stamps, stamped envelopes, and postal
cards, was $764, 1861 more than IN the
preceding year, and $685., $50 % more
| than in 1877. The expenditures of the
Department were $50, 449, 800 45, of which
the sum of 1916, 461.63 was incurred on
liabilities incurred in preceding years.
! The expenditures during the year were
| 1901. 2O9 II less than in the preceding year.
| This reduction is to be attributed mainly
! 10 the operation of the law passed June
! 18th, 1878, changing the compensation OF
! postmasters from commission on the
| value of stamps sold, TO a commission on
! stamps cancelled.
/ The amount drawn from the Treasury on
| appropriations in addition to the revenues
/ OF the Department was So OBJ, 454 96, being
! s. 216. 1877 SO less than in the preceding
year.
The expenditures for the fiscal year end
/ ing June 80 1881, are estimated at S39,-
| 920, 300, and the receipts from all sources
at S32, 210 000 leaving deficiency to be
appropriated for, out of the Treasury, OF
| ITO, 300.
The relations of the Department with
1 railroad companies have been harmonized,
Notwithstanding the general reduction by
Congress of their compensation, by the
appropriation tor special facilities, an q the
railway post-office lines have been or eatly
extended, especially in the Southern States
The interests of the railway-mail service
and of the public would be greatly promot-
ed, and the expenditures could be more
readily controlled by the classification OF
the employees of the raIlway-mail service
as recommended by the Postmaster-Gen-
eral, the appropriation for salaries, with
respe CT to which the maximum limit Is
already fixed by law, to be made n gross
The Postmaster-General recommends an
amendment of the law regulating the in
crease of compensation for increased SER
vice and increased speed on star routes, so
as to enable him to advertise for proposals
for such increased service and speed. He
also suggests the advantages to accrue to
the commerce of the country frem the en-
actment of general law authorizing con-
tracts with American-bullt steamers, carry
ing the American flag. for Transporting
the mail between ports of the United States
and ports of the West Indies and South