Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-12-02

wAsHINGroS, November n,

i JHE annual report OF the secretary Oh WIZ
| gives q general review OF the various subordi-
4 nate reports, calls attention, to their several
Recommendations, and details at length the
| operations of the Department daring the year.
Upon the subject of expenditures, appropria-
tions and estimates, the Secretary says:
The expenditures for all Affairs under the
i control of this Department or the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1881, were $3s, s.a,55 Con-
gress appropriated for the service the current
| fiscal year $41, 995, go. The estimates for tho
| service of the fiscal year ending June 20.
1 1881, are $43,627 ,055. The estimates I'm detail
| were originally submitted to me for So. 4s,1s0,
| but, on revision of the same, omissions or
reductions were made as follows: In the civil
establishment, $l3,5s5; military establish
| ment, $,50,0O0; public works, $lS,5l4,ls9; and
| in the miscellaneous class, $4,000 making
| the total of revisory reductions SlS,s9,7A.
The same increase in the amounts of estf-
mates for the year 1882 over the amounts ap-
| propriated for the year 1881 appears in the
| civil establishment, the military establish
ment and the miscellaneous. For the public
| VIC rk 1 have reduced the estimates to accord
| with what understand to be the amount re-
| quired for the absolute necessities of the serv-
| fee in order to prevent a waste of property
! and damage to commercial interests beyond
| such necessities. 1t is submitted that the wis
| dom Of Congress may perceive that, as vaiua-
| BILE improvements surround the realty OF the
| Government, aud as the commerce OF tho
country advances in growth and prosperity,
| go should Appropriations to cover expenses be
| apportioned.
1.-THE Mississippi River Commission, oper-
| a.ing in accordance with an act approved
June %. 1879, submitted a report which was
duly transmitted to Congress last March, and
| was published by order Of the House of Rep
resentatives. The report exhibited for the
| first time estimates of the appropriation re
quired for works of improvement therein de-
scribed amounting to s., III, COO, and 1t awaited
\ further consideration when the session closed.
The Commission has communicated to me its
desire to renew those estimates, aud this COM
/ muncation will be transmitted TO Congress as
| a matter Of special Importance not included,
| however, in the annual estimates and expendl
| lures for the service OF this Department
In regard to the South Pass of the Mississip-
| pi River, the Secretary says: "The perma-
nency of this important work seems to be as
sured from the fact that there has been no
failure whatever in the maintenance of the
maximum channel during the six months end
| ing August last. This improvement has
| opened through sands and shoals broad deep
| highway to the ocean, and Is one upon the per
| manent success of which congratulations may
| be exchanged among people abroad and at
home, and especially among the communities
of the Mississippi Valley, whose commercial
| safely to and from the sea-"
Secretary Ramsey concurs in the recon-
mendation of General Sherman that Congress
be asked to give 81, GOO enlisted men specifically
| to the troops of the line of the army. and IA
| vors the abandonment of many small posts
and the concentration of larger forces at STRAIT
| egic points. The absence of a large number OF
officers from their regiments is alluded to, and
| action is recommended looking to the relief of
| the service in this respect.
The Secretary indorses the recommendation
of the Adjutant-Generali in relation to placing
uniformed State militia upon the same foot
ing in respect to its rules and forms as the
regular forces. and calls attention to the nc
| cessity of providing by legislation for the or
ganization, arming and discipline of the militia
| The affairs of the Leavenworth Military
Prison, the Secretary says, have been capably
| administered during the year. He suggests,
however, that, in order to be entirely success
tul and to carry out as far as possible the
original design of making the institution self
sustaining, one important measure Of legisla-
ton is necessary, which is the authority OF
Congress to apply the earnings of the prison to
its maintenance.
Concerning, coast defenses the Secretary
says: From personal inspection of many Of
the Notifications referred to by the Chief Of
Engineers, am able to emphasize his recon-
mendations, and beg to state that their incom-
petent anu OeIeUSeieSB COnultlOn Is ulsCFeultd-
BILE to the country. Judging from the history
of all other nations and the experience of our
own, the United States will, Notwithstanding
our traditional pacific policy, find itself
sooner or later at war with maritime
power When that war comes 1t will come
suddenly. There will be no time after its
declaration to construct defenses, either fixed
or floating. Other Nations have been for some
years and are now constructing fast war
steamers of enormous size, incascd in iron
srmor up to two feet i'm thickness, and armed
with -itied guns weighing up to 100 tons, carry
ing snot of a toms weight, fired with little
short of a quarter of n ton of powder. IL Is
feared that the country does not appreciate
the fact that after declaration of war few
days even hours might bring these great
engines OF destruction to our coast. 1t may
be to New York, or Boston or Portland, or
Baltimore. or New Orleans. or San Francisco,
or any point the enemy may select. No one
can estimate the damage which may follow"
The works of river and harbor improve
ments, and examinations, and surveys pro-
vided for by the act of March o, 1873. and pre-
vious acts, were carried on during the fiscal
year with satisfactory progress. The amount
available therefor July I, 1879, was $10,sI2,1T 6.
The amount expended to June 30, 1880, was
So, 174.2I, leaving balance of l,5g7, 955 to BE-
expended during the present fiscal year, to
which is to be added appropriations by the
ing to Ss,y5l.50O. The act of June IA, 1880,
makes provision for 343 works of improve
ment, in sums varying from 500 to $4,000 and
for surveys and examinations with a view to
the improvement of ia localities.
In relation to the Whitaker case, the secre-
tary says: ~ have refrained from comment
ing upon the unfortunate agitation which
flowed from an alleged assault upon a colored
cadet at the West Point Academy in April last,
for the reason that, in some OF its legal as
poets, the subject is still under considera
ton"
In conclusion Secretary Ramsey recon-
mends that a provision be made By lawfor the
appointment Of an Assistant Secretary of War.
IT is with alarm that we notice that,
as we leave our country's birthday far
ther and farther behind us, the negro
of longeval procliyities shows a settled