Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-12-08
Presidents Message.
fCoatisued from Cd paqe.)

Gus detriment to the maintenance of The service
iHe Constant demand for small detachments, each
, OF Whch should be commanded by a commissioned
oihcer and the various details of officers for neres
sary service away from their com nans, occasions
scarcity IN the number required for campany
tuties With view to lessening this drain to some
extent it is recommended that tie law outhoriIiny
he detail of officers from the active as professors
Ol tactics and military science at Ger; lin colleges
and universities, be amen lei AS 10 provide t6ai
army. w
MILITIA.
Attention is asked to the necessity of providing
Dy legislation for organizing, arming and disclplin
ing the active militia of the country and liberal
APPROXIMATIONS are recommendation this behalf The
reports OF The adutant general of the army and the
chet OF ordnance touching this subject fully set
forth its Importance.
MILITARY EDUCATION.
The report of the officer in charge of education in
the army shows that there seventy-eight schools
now IN operation in the army, with an aggregate
attendance of 2,3Ob enlisted men and children The
secretary recommends the enlistment one hundred
anu NIFTY schOOlmaster5, with The rank and pay of
conmissory- sergeants An appropriation is needed
to supply the judge advocates OF the army with
suitable libraries, and the secretary recommends
That the corps of Judge advocates be placed upon
the same footing, as to promotion, with the other
stan corps OF the army Under eXisting Laws, the
bureau OF military justice consists ofo officer the
ljudge-advocate general, and tine corps of Judge
avOcates OF eight officers of equal rank (najors)
with provision that the limit of the corps shall
remain at four, when reduced by casualty or
resignation to that number. The consolidation of
the bureau of military judge advocates, upon the
same basis with the other staff corps Of the army,
would remove an unjust discrimination against
deserving officers, and subserye the best interests
Of the service.
NATIONAL DEFESCEs.
Especial attention is asked to the report of the
chief of engineers upon the condition of our ltionA
deiences. From personal inspection of many OF
the notifications referred TO- the secretary is able to
emphasize the recommendations made, and to state
that their complete and defenceless condition il
discredtlbte to the country. While other nations
have been increasing their means for CARVING on
offensive warfare and attacking maritime cities, we
nave been dormant in preparation for defence
nothing of Importance has been done towards
Strengthening and finishing casemated works
since our late OWL war; during which the great guns
of modern warfare and the heavy armor of modern
fortihcations and ships came into among he
nations, and our earthworks left, by sudden fail.
ure of appropriations some years SINCE in all stages
of incOmpletlOn are now being rapidly DESTROYED
by the elements.
RIVER IMPROVEMENTS.
The two great rivers of the North American con.
tlrent, the Mississippi and the Columbia have their
navlgabe waters wholly within the limits of the
United States, and are of vast importance to our
internal and foreign commerce. The permanency
OF the important work on the South Pass of the
Mississippi river seems now to be assured There
has been no failure whatever in the maintenance of
the maximum channel during the six months ended
August 9, last. This experiment has opened broad
deep highway to the ocean, and is an Improvement,
upon the permanent success of which, congratulate
tons may be exchanged among people abroad and
| at home, and especially among the communities of
the Mississippi valley, whose commercial exchanges
font in an obstructed channel safely to and from
the sea. A comprehensive improvement of the
Mississippi and its tributaries is matter of tran
scendent Importance. These great WATERWAYS COM
prise system of inland transportation spread like
network over larle portion of the United states,
and navigable to the eXtont of many thousands OF
miles. Producers and consumers alike have a
common interest in such unequaled facilities for
cheap transportation. Geographically, commerce.
ally and ptically, they are the strongest tie
between the various sections of the country. The
phu tnt.a
property of the nation. Its jurisdiction is para
mount over their waters and the plainest principles
of public interes. require their intelligent and
careful supervision, with view to their protection,
Improvement and the enhancement OF their useful
ness The channel OF the Columbia river, for a
distance of about one hundred miles from its mouth,
is obstruced by succession of bars which occasion
serious delays in navigation and heavy expense for
lighterage and towage. depth of at least twenty
feet at low tide should be secured and maintained,
to meet the requirements of the extensive and
growing inland and ocean commerce. it subserves
The most urgent need, however, for this great
waterway is a permanent Improvement of the
channel at the mouth of the river, From Columbia
river to San Francisco, distance of over SIX
hundred miles, there is no harDor on our Pacific
coast which can be approached during stormy
weather. An appropriation of $l50,O0O was made
by the iorty-ffth congress for the commencement OF
breakwaer and harbor of refuge, to be located at
some point between the Straits of Fuca and San
Francisco at which the necessities of commerce,
local and general, will be best accommodated. The
amount appropriated is thought to be quite made
quae for the purpose intended. The cost of the
work when finished will be very great, owing to the
want of natural advantages for site at any point
on the coast between the designated limits and it
has not been thought advisable to undertake the
work without a larger appropriation. l commend
the matter to the attention of congress,
i PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
The completion of the new building for the war
department is urgently needed and the estimates
for continuing its construction are especially re-
commented The collections of books specimens,
and records constituting the army medical museum
q n nu lmnDrtunpn ia mi
now contains tltty-one thousand five hundred
(5I 500 volumes and hfty-seven thousand (5,O0u)
pamphlets relating to medicine, surgery aud allied
topics. The contents of the army medical museum
consist oftwenty-two thousand (220J0) specimens,
anil IRE unique in the completeness with which both
military surgery and the diseases of armies are
illustrated. Their destruction would be rrepar-
able loss, not only to the United states, but to the
world. There are filed in the record and pension
division, over sixteen thousand Q6,O0O bound
volumes of military records, together with great
quantity of papers embracing the original reCOrds
of the hospitals of our armies during the civil
Aside from their historical value these records are
daily searched for evidence needed in the settlement
of large numbers of pension and other claims, foi
the protection of the government against atempt ted
frauds well as for the benefit othonest claimants
These valuable collections are now in a building
which is peculiarly exposed to the danger OF des-
tructon by fire. Ii is therefore earnestly recon-
mended that an appropriation be made for Il new
fire proof building adequate for the present needs
and reasonable future expansion of these valuable
collections Such building should be aosolute y
fire proof; no expenditure for mere architecture
display is require 1t is believed that suitable
structure can be erected ut cost to exceed two
hundred and fifty thousand dollars (25O,O0J).
GENERAL GRANT.
commend to the attention of congress the great
services of the command er-in-chief of our armies
during the war for the UniOn whose wise. firm an
patriotic conduct did much to bring that mOlnen-
tous conflict to u close The legislation OF the
United states contains many preceents for the
recognition of distinguish military merit author
iZing rank and emOlunents to be conferred fol
eminent services to the country An act OF congress-
authorizing the appointment of a ca tain-genera
of the army, with suitable provisions relating t,
compensation, retirement and other details. would
in my judgment, be altogether lifting and proper,
and would be warmly approved by the country.
| NAVAL AFFAIRS.
The report of the secretary Of the navy exhibits
| the successful and satisfactory management OF tina
department during the last fiscal year. The tota
expenditures for the year were $l2,9d, $685. leav-
ing uneXpended at the close of the year S2i4,9 3!2
| of the amount of available appropriations. Tn,
appropriations for the present fiscal year ending
June 80, $780, are $3.50 1851 45 and the total est
mates for the next fiscal year, ending June 30, 1852
are $l595@, l.6l. The amount drawn by warran
from July |, 1880, to November l. 1880, is $5,04l
57O45. The recommendation of the secretary of tn,
navy, that provision be made for the est Enlistment
y of some form of civil government for the people
Alaska is approved. At present there is no pro-
lection of persons of property in that territory
except such RS is afforded by the officers OF thu
/ United States ship jamestown. This vessel WA
dispatched to Stka because of the fear that, with
out the immediate presence of the national author
steps taken to restore order have been accepted ir
good faith by both white and Indian inhabitants
and the necessity for this method of restraint doe'
not, in my opinion, now exist. If, however, tn,
jamestown should be Withdrawn, leaving the peo-
pie as at present. without the ordinary judicial ant
, administrative authority of organized local gov
eminent, serious consequences might ensue Tht
laws provide only for the collection of revenue thu
, protection of public property and the transmission
of the mails. The problem is to supply local ruiz
, for population scattered and 30 peculiar in III
origin and condition. The natives are reported tt
be teachable and self-supporting and if properl,
instructed, doubtless would advance rapidly IL
civilization, and new factor of prosperity will b.
, added to the national life. therefore Recommend
U the requisite legislation upon this subject Tit
f secretary of the navy has taken steps toward thu
establishment of naval coaling stations at thu
Isthmus of Panama, to meet the requirements o
our commercial relations with Central and Soutl
America, which arc rapidly growing in Importance
| Locations emnently suitable, both as regards GU
naval purposes and the uses of commerce. hav
been selected, on the east side of the isthmus
' at Chiriqui Lagoon on the Caribbean Sea, and tn
= other on the Pacific coast at the Bay of Gofto
, The only safe harbors sufficiently commodious OF
the isthmus are at these points and the distanc
between them is less than one hundred miles. TN
report of the secretary of the navy concludes witt
@ valuable suggestions with respect to the building
up of our merchant marine service, which desery
H. 4, .T,,I ton nfnn