Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-12-05

general election for members OF Con
gTess occurred, the emission was matter
Of LITTLE practical Importance Such cleo
ton will. however, take place dur1ng the
ensuing year, and the appropriation mdde
for the paw of Marshals and deputies should
be sufficient TO embrace compensation ior
the services they may be required to per
form at such elections.
THE SUPREME COURT.
The business Of the Supreme Court is, at
present largely in arrears. Il cannot be
expected that more causes can be decided
tban are now disposed OF in its annual
session. or that by any assiduity the dis
tipguished magistrates who compose the
court can accomplish more than is now
done. In the courts of many Of the cir
cults. also the business has increased to
such an extent that the delay Of Justice
will call the attention OF Congress TO an
appropriate remedy. It 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 United States than by private
suitors, as its causes are advanced by the
courts when it is seen that they involve The
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 intermediate Court
of Errors and Appeals, which shall relieve
the Supreme Court Of a part of its juriS-
diction, while larger force is also obtain
ed for the performance of circuit duties.
commend this suggestion TO the con-
sideratiOn of Congress. 1t would seem tc
afford a complete remedy, and would in
volve, if ten additional Circuit Judges are
appointed. an expenditure, at the present
rate Of salaries, of no more than 500, 600 a
year, which would certainly be small in
comparison with the objects to be at
tended.
TIE POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
The report of the Postmaster General
bears testimony to the general revival oi
business throughout the country. The
receipts Of the Post-Ofice Department for
the fiscal year ended June Both, 1879, were
$50, ,O41 ,982.66, being $764, 1851 more
than the revenues of the preceding year.
The amount realized from the sale Of post
age stamps, stamped envelopes, and postal
cards, was $764, 465. 81 more than in tine
preceding year, and s., 3S7, sos. % more
than in 1877. The expenditures of the
Department1were $38, ,449, ,S99. IS, of which
the sum Of 1876, 461.6S was paid on liabili-
ties incurred in preceding years.
The expenditures during the year were
1901, ,209. n less than in the preceding year.
This reduction is TO be attributed mainly
to the operation of the law passed June
18th, 1873, changing the compensation OF
posImasters from a commission on the
value Of stamps sold TO commission on
stamps cancelled.
The amount drawn from the Treasury
on appropriations in addition to the reYe-
nues of the department was SO, ,031, ,454. SO,
being g, ,276, 1875 less than in the pre-
ceding year.
The expenditures for the preceding year
ending June 30th, 1881, are estimated at
$50, ,920, 900, and the receipts from all
sources at $32, ,21O, 900, leaving deficiency
to be appropriated for out of the Treasury
of 81, no, 900.
The relations of the department with
railroad companies have been harmoniZed,
Notwithstanding the general reduction by
Congress oftheir compensation, by the aP-
preparation for special facilities, and the
railway post-office lines have been greatly
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
employees of the railway mail service as
recommended by the Postmaster General,
the appropriation for salaries, with respect
to which the maximum limit is already
fixed by law, to be made in 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, Sc
as to enable him to advertise for proposal:
| for such increased service and speed. HC
also suggests the advantages to accrue t
the commerce of the country from she en-
| actment of general law authorizing con
tracts with American built steamers, carry
ing the American flag, for Transporting
the mail between ports of the United
States. and ports of the West Indies and
South America at a fixed maximum price
per mile, the amount to be expended being
regulated by annual appropriations, in like
manner with the amount paid for the do
nestle star service.
BOOKS IN THE FOREIGN MAILS.
The arrangement made by the Post
master General and the Secretary of the
Treasury for the collection of duty upon
books received in the mail from foreign
| countries have proved so satisfactory in It's
practical operation that the recommends
tiOn is now made that Congress shall ex-
tend the provision of the act of March Sd,
1879, under which this arrangement was
made, so as to apply to ali other dutiablt
articles received in the mails from foreign
/ countries.
THE INDIANS.
The reports of the Secretary of the In
terror and the Commissioner of Indian AT
fairs, setting forth the present state of oul
/ relations with the Indian tribes on ouI
territory, the measures taken to advance
their civilization and prosperity, and the
progress already achieved by them will bt
found Of more than ordinary interest
The general conduct of our Indian popula-
tion has been so satisfactory that the oc
currance of two disturbances, which re
suited in bloodshed and destruction oi
property, is all the more to be lamented.
RECENT OUTBREAKS.
The history of the outbreak on the
White River Ute reservation in Western
Colorado has become so familiar by elabo
rate reports in the public press that its re
markable incidents need not be stated hert
in detail. 1t is expected that the settle
ment of this difficulty will lead to such ar
rangements as will prevent further hostile
| contacts between the Indians and the Dor
der settlements in Western Colorado.
The other disturbance occurred at the
Mescalero Agency, in New Mexico, where
Victoria, the head of a small band of ma.
rauders, after committing many atrocities
being vigorously chased by military force,
made his way across the Mexican border
and is now on foreign soil.
While these occurrences, in which a
/ comparatively small number of Indians
were engaged, are most deplorablya a vast
majority of our Indian population have
fully justified the expectations of those
| who believe by humane and peaceful infiu-
ences the Indians can be led to abandon
the habits Of savage life and to develope a
capacity for useful and civilized occupa-
tions. What they have already accom-.
plished in the pursuit of agricultural and
mechanical work, the remarkable success
which has attended the experiment of en-
ploying as freighters a class of Indians
hitherto counted among the widest and
most intractable, and the general and
urgent desire expressed by them for the
education of their children, NAV be taken
as sufficient proof that they will be found
| capable of accomplishing much more if
they be wisely and fairly guided. The
''lndian policy" sketched in the report of
tbs Secretary of the Interior, the object of
which is to make liberal provision for the
nAn 0F t.