The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-11-29
WASHINGTON ITEMS.


Az congress resssemhes next Monday
i Washington is rapidly filling with member
and their families and with the usual horde q
lobbyists, pimps and hangcrs-on. The Pres
dent has his message written upand submitte'
1t to inspection and amendment by his cab
net, and all the various cabinet officers hav
their reports prepared and most Of them hav
allowed reporters Of the press to look owe
them and transmit the salient points to thei
papers.
The message Of His Fraudulency, it Is said
will be mainly devoted to Qualification OF re
sumption and an apology for the glazing fan
urc of one OF the Presidents earlier hobbies
civil scrv ice reform While the President vii
grccnback from circulation, he will take th'
ground that it Is no longer needed for curren
| Cy and suggests IT'S gradual withdrawal a
to civil service reform, the president Will main
tain that substantial progress has been mace
| in that direction, though not as much as In
famous Order No. promised, but that order
was, he will say, greatly misunderstood.
Secretary Sherman has not allowed the news
paper men to abstract his report IN advance
but he is understood, in regard to the green,
back, to oppose its Withdrawal from circula,
ton, though he will urge that it he divcstca Of
Its legal tender quality.
Pap 1hompsOn's naval report, says news
paper report of its contents indignantly de
mes that our fleet is in dilapidated condition,
and asserts that it is only necessary to autlOr-
lze the annual expenditure Of IA few millions to
keep it in constant readiness for good service
AS to iron vessels, the Secretary says they ire
doomed as no arnor can be made so thick tlat
shot can not pierce 1t, and, once shattered, IN
iron craft goes to the bottom with too great IA
pldity for safety to the crew or profit to tie
victor, The attempt to induce American boys
to enter the service has been very successful.
In closing his report Mr.. Thompson points
with pride to the fact that he is prepared o
cover into the treasury $l,5O0,000 of unexpeni-
ed appropriations. On the strength of this lie
asks that liberal provision be made for his DE-
partment for the next fiscal year"
Secretary of War McCrary reports that tn,
actual expenditures of the department for the
twelve months ending June 30, 1879, were $l2
G53 1923 g. The estimates for the service iU
the fiscal year ending June 30, 1881, are $40, |
3S042S 93. Congress is again urged to pro.
vide adequate coast deienses, arsenals, and ord
nance and furnish means for experiments with
small arms of various kinds. Most of the sec
retary's suggestions have been made in pre-
vlous reports.
The report of the chief of the bureau of sta
tistics shows that the foreign commerce of the
United States during the past year was the
largest of any previous yearcxCept 1878. The
exports reached larger figure than ever be.
fore, amounting to G9S0O0O0O, exceeding the
imports by over $200000000 The excess of
the value Of exports Of merchandise over the
value of imports during the last four years has
amounted to $7j3000000 This excess has so
largely wiped out all our foreign debt that now
gvll must be imported 10 sctuc balances IN |
stead of bonds, as formerly.