The National tribune., 1882-12-07

! ament and cnacting a new law for the armlnG
and equipping of the militia. He also refers to
the embarrassment growing out of conflicting
| laws regarding the compulsory retirement OF
army officers, and recommends that the law be
SO amended as not to limit the number on the
retired list. In regard to the condition OF the
| Navy the President says:
1t appears by the Secretary's report that the
available naval force of the United States CON
! sistS OF thirty-seven cruisers, fourteen single
! turreted monitors, built during the rebellion,
! large number of smOoth-bOre guns and Parrott
rifles, and thirty-sevcn rited cannon.
The cruising vessels should he gradually re-
| placed by iron or steel ships, the monitors by
modern armored vessels, and the armament by
| high-pOwer ritie-guns.
/ The reconstruction of our Navy, which was
recommended in my last message, was begun
| by Congress authoring, in its recent act, the
| construction of two large unarmOTed steel YES
sells of the character recommended by the late
| Naval Advisory Board, and subject to the final
| approval of new advisory board to be organ
lied as provided by that Act. | call your at
! tenton to the recommendation of the Secretary
and the Board that authority be given to con-
! struct two more cruisers of smaller dlinen-
! sions, and one fleet dispatch vessel, and that
appropriations be made for high-power rltled
! cannon, and for the torpedo service and for
! other harbor defenses.
! Pending the consideration by Congress of the
! policy to be hereafter adopted in conducting
the eight large navy yards and their expensive
| establishments the Secretary advocates the re-
duction of expenditures therefor to the lowest
| possible amounts.
| For the purpose of affording the officers and
| seamen of the Navy opportunities for exercise
! and discipline IN their profession under appro-
! pirate control and direction, the Secretary ad-
| visCs that the Lighthouse Service and Coast
/ survey be transferred, as now organized from
/ the Treasury to the Navy Department; and he
/ also suggests, for the reason which he assigns,
| that a similar transfer may wisely be made OF
! the cruising revenue vessels.
| The Secretary forcibly depicts the intimate
connection and interdependence OF the Navy
and the commercial marine, and invites atten-
| ton to the continued deCadence of the latter
| and corresponding transfer of our growing
| commerce to foreign bottoms
This subject is one of the utmost importance
to the national welfare. Methods of reviving
| American ship-building and of restoring the
| United States flag in the ocean carrying trade
! should receive the immediate attention of Con
| greSs
! The President does not express any opinion
however, as to what method should be adopted
! to bring about this revival.
THE RIVER AND HARBoR BILL.
Concerning the impolicy of passing River
and Harbor Bill during the present session of
Congress the President is very outspoken. He
shows that on November 30th ST., ,73i, ,9ii Of the
funds available for this purpose remained unex-
pended, and points out that if any action should
seem to be necessary in respect to particular
objectS-as, for instance, the Mississippi River
improvements-it would be entirely feasible to
provide for them by appropriate legislation
The president then passes to the consideration
of the unwisdom of making general appropria-
tions after the manner Of the River and Harbor
Bill, aud suggests either that each Improvement
should be made the object of a separate bill or,
if that will involve too much time, that the
Constitution be so amended as to give the
Executive the power to veto special items of
a bill without affecting the rest, just as the
Governors of fourteen States are now empow
cred to do in the case of appropriation bills
passed by the State legislatures.
THE POSTAL SERVICE
The President calls attention to the fact that
during the last fiscal year the receipts of the
Post Office Department exceeded its expendi-
tures and strongly urges the reduction of letter
postage from three to two cents. On this sub
iect he says:
Unless the experience of past legislation in
this country and elsewhere goes for naught. it
may be safely predicted that the stimulus of 50
per centum reduction in the tax for carriage
would at once increase the number Of letters
consigned to the mails.
The advantages of secrecy would lead to a
very general substitution of sealed packets for
postal cards and open circulars, and in divers
other ways the volume of tirst-class matter
would be enormously augmented Such increase
amounted in England, in the first year after the
adoption Of penny postage, to more than 125 per
cent.
As a result of careful estimates, the details of
which cannot be here set out, have become
convinced that the deficiency for the first year
after the proposed reduction would not exceed
per cent. of the expenditures, or S3,00O,OOO,
while the deficiency after the reduction of 1916
was more than IA per cent, and after that of
1851 was p per cent
Another interesting comparison is afforded
by statistics furnished me by the Post Office
Department.
The act of 1S45 was passed in the face Of the
fact that there existed deficiency of more than
$4,000. That of 1851 was encouraged by the
slight surplus of $4,000. The excess of rev.
enue in the next fiscal year is likely to be
$3,500,O00.
If Congress should approve these suggestions,
it may be deemed desirable to supply to some
extent the deficiency which must for time
result, by increasing the charge for carrying
merchandise which is now only sixteen cents
per pound. But even without such an increase
| am confident that the receipts under the di-
minished rates would equal the expenditures
after the lapse of three or four years.
THE sTAR-RoUTE CASES.
Referring to report Of the Department of
Justice, the President says:
In my message Of December last | referred to
pending criminal proceedings growing out of
alleged frauds in what is known as the Star
Route service of the Post Office Department.
and advised you that had enioined upon the
Attorney-General and associate counsel, to
whom the interests of the Government were
intrusted, the duty of prosecuting with the
utmost vigOr of the law all persons who might
be found chargeable with those ofenscs.
trial of one OF these cases has since occurred.
1t occupied for many weeks the attention OF
the Supreme Court of this District, and was
conducted with great zeal and ability. 1t re-
suited in a disagreement Of the jury, but the
cause has been again placed upon the calendar
and will shortly be retired. If any guilty
persons shall finally escape punishment for
their otfenscs it will not be for lack of diigcnt
and earnest efforts on the part Of the prosccu-
tiOn.
MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS
The President rencws his recommendations
in favor of the passage OF a general bankrupt
law and of extending to the Indian the pro-
lection of the law, alloting land in severalty
and providing for the industrial as well as in