The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-12-09

Amount Of appropriation by act of June .,
Amount S Of appropriation for payment.
to j. b. Eads 80. 3Ol"OD
UneIponded balance of former appro.
priatons ............................ 4,73S,2 G3
Total. So. 1913
tween July /, 1882 and Nov. 30,
1854 OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 6.o56ISa
Total. ST. 1904
Apparent by this exhibit that, so far as con-
Germs most Of the items to which the net OF
congress Of August, 1862, relates, there can be
no need Of neutrality-suspicious. until after
the close of tho present session. If, however,
any action should seem to be necessary IN
respect to particular objects, it will be en-
tirely feasible to provide for those objects by
appropriate legislation. 1t is possible, for
example, that delay until the as
= sembfing of the next congress, TO
make additional provision for the
Mississippi river improvements, might be at
tended with serious consequences. II such
should appear to be the case a just bill relat-
ing to that subject would command my ap-
prevail This leads me to offer q suggestion
which trust will commend itself to the wis
dom of congress. Is it not advisable that
grants of considerable sums of money for di-
verse and Independent schemes of internal
improvement should be made the sub
jects of separate and distinct legisa
tive enactments? 1t will scarcely be
gainsaid, even by those who favor
the most liberal expenditures for such plr-
poses as are sought to be accomplished by
what is commonly called the river and hartor
BILL that the practice Of grouping in such a
bill appropriations for great diversity of OBJ
jects widely separated, either i'll their nature,
in the locality with which they are concerned,
or in both, is one (which is to be deprecated.
Unless it is divisable, it inevitably tends to
secure the success of the bill as whole, though
many of the items, if separately considered,
could scarcely fail of rejection. by the ad0p-
ton of the course | have recommended, every
member of congress, when opportunity should
arise for giving his influence and vote for
meritolious appropriations, which he would
beenablcd to do without being called upon to
sanction others uudeserving his approval so,
also would the executive he afforded thereby
full opportunity to exercise his constitutions
q! prerogativc of opposing whatever approprl-
ations seemed to him objectionable without
importing the Success of others which com
mend themselves to his judgment 1t may be
urged in opposition to these suggestions
that the number of works Of international i'm
provemauts which are justly entitled to gov
ornamental aid is so great as to render imprac-
tcable separate appropriation bills therefor,
or even for snCh comparatively limited num-
Der as make disposition of large sums OF
money This objection may be well founded
and whether il be or not, the advantages which
would be likely to ensue from the adoption or
the course | have recommended may, perhaps
be more etfectually attained by another, which
| respectfully submit to congress as an alter
native proposition.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT 10 THE CONSTITUTION
1t is provided by the constitutions of four,
teen of our states that the executive may dis
approve any item or items of a bill appropriate
ing money, WhorcupOn the parts OF the bill APP
proved shall be a law, and the part disapproved
shall fail to become law unless repassed, ac-
cording to the provisions prescribed for the
passage of bills over the veto of the excel
tive. The states wherein some such pro-
vision as the foregoing is part of the fun
damental law are Alabama, California.
Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Min
nesota, Missouri, Nebraska New Jersey
New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and West
Virginia. | commend to your careful con-
sideraton the question whether Gu amend
ment of the federal constitution in the par
ticular indicated would not afford the best
remedy for what il often grave embarrass-
ment both to members Of congress and to the
executive, and is sometimes a serious public
mischief.
TIE NAVAL sQUADRoNS.
The report of the secretary of the navy states
that the movements of the various squadrons
during the year have continued to illustrate the
high character and excellent discipline of the
naval organization.
On the 2lst of December, 1881, information
was received that the exploring
STEAMER JEANETTE
had been crushed and abandoned in the Arctic
ocean. The officers and crew, after journey
over the ice, embarked in three boats for the
coast of Siberia. One of the parties under the
command of Chief-Engneer George w. Mel
vile, reached the land and, falling in with
natives, was saved. Another, under Lieuten-
ant-Commander belong, landed in barren
region near the mouth OF the Lena river.
After six weeks had elapsed all but two
of the number had died from fatigue and
starvation. - No tidings have been received
from the party in the third boat under the
command of Lieutenant Chpp, but d long
and fruitless investigation, leaves little doubt
that all its members persisted in the sea. AS
q slight tribute to their heroism, give in this
communication the names of the gallant men
who sacrificed their lives in the expedition:
Lieutenant Commander George De Long,
Surgeon James NJ Amber, Jerome ]. Col
Inns, Hans Halter, Erickson Heinrich II.
Haacke, George A. Bryd, Walter Lee,
Adolph Dressler, Carl A. Gortz, Nese Iverson,
the cook, All Sam, and the Indian Alexy. The
officers and men III the missing boat were
Lieutenant Charles W. Chipp, commanding,
William Dunbar, Alfred Sweetman, Walter
Shartell Albert C. Kuehne, Edwin Star, Henry
ID. Warren and Peter l.. Johnson Lieutenant
Giles b. Harder and Master William II.
Scheutzckisch are now bringing home
and his comrades. In pursuance of the direc-
tons of congress, the Rodgers gifted out for
the relief of the Jeanette in accordance with
an act of congress of March 3, lSSl) sailed
from San Francisco June IL, under the com
mand of Lieut. Robert NJ. Berry. On Nov 80
she was accidentally destroyed by fire while in
winter quarters in St Lawrence bay, but the
officers and crew succeeded in escaping to the
shore
Lieut. Berry and one of his officers, after
making search for the Jeanette along the
coast of Siberia, fell in with Chief Engineer
Mellville's party, and returned home by way
of Europe The other officers and the crew
of the Rodgers were brought from st Law
renee bay by the whaling steamer North Star
Master Charles f. Putnam who had been
placed in charge of depot of supplies at
Cape Serdze. returning to his post from St
Lawrence bay across the ice, in binding
snow-storn was carried out to sea and lost,
Notwithstanding all efforts to rescue him
THE NAVAL FORCES
1t appears by the secretarys report that the
available naval force of the United States con-
ssts of thirty seven cruisers, fourteen single
turreted monitors, built during the rebellion.
q large number of smooth bore guns and
parrot rifles, and eighty-se rifled cannon.
The cruising vessels should be gradually re-
placed by iron or steel ships: the monitors
by modern armored vessels, and the armament
IL = al