Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1882-12-09

nDOn NOur aCttnGlOn. / dl InIOEIHct ny tutt
Secretary of War that the quarter portion Of
the sum appropriated for the various items
specified in that act remains uneXpended.
OF the new works which it authorized, eNpen-
ses have been incurred upon two only, for
which the total appropriation was 81 .000; O0o.
The present available balance Is disclosed by
the following table:
Amount of appropriation by act of
Amount Of appropriation by act,of ,oooo
Amount Of appropriation for pay
ments to J. B. 0 1000
preparations 4.7ss,2 1858
Total So, 7al, 1888
between July1, 1882, and November
30, 6,u56, 1874
sI7 10. ,ss4
1t is apparent by this exhibit that so far Ms
concerns most of the items to which the act
of August ., 1882, relates, there can be no need
close of the 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 a delay until the assembling OF
tine ms1 fo Co tba Mis s8 mnfg RIVER aaai'' imprP pye
ments might be attended. with serious conse-
quences. If such should appear to be the
command my approval. This leads me to
offer q suggestion, which 1 trust will commend
, adsisa sE sh tba Mis srants OF of o considerable IS sums Hos
of money for diverse and independents
schemes of internal Improvement should be
legislative enactments. It will scarcely be
gainsaid, even by those who favor the most
liberal expenditures for such purpose as
are %soughtto be accomplished by what is
commonly called the River and Harbor Bill,
that the practice OF grouping in such 4 bill
appropriation for a great diversity of objects
Concerned. or in both. is one which
il Il m is irr CO Rs oepIr It inev dnieIs
tends to secure the success of the bill az a
whole, though many of the items, ifseparate-
By the adoption of the course 1 have recon-
mended, every member of Congress, when
ever opportunity should arise for giving his
influence and vote for meritOrious appropri-
tons, would be enabled to so do without be-
ing called upon to sanction Others undeserv-
ing his approval; so also would the executive
be afforded thereby a full opportunity to ex-
ercise his constitutional prerogative of OPP
posing. whatever appropriations seemed to
success of others which commended them
! selves to his Judgment. 1t may be urged in
opposition to these suggestions That the num-
Der of works of internal Improvement which
are justly entitled to Government aid is so
great as to render impracticable separate ap-
preparation bills therefor, or even for such
Comparatively limited number as make dis
position of large sums of money. This objec-
ton may be well founded, and whether it be
u uOU, VIC NAiltLRCS "LtSh WoNAA " U llNGl
to ensue from the adoption of the course I
have may perhaps be more
specially submit to Congress
AS AN PROPOSITION.
1t is provided by the Constitutions of four
teen of our States that the Executive may
~disapprove any item or items OF a bill aPpro.
priating money, whereupon the part of the
bill approved shall be law and the part dfsap-
proved shall fail to become law, un'ess re-
Epe aS ! for art the passa &c Of II bilI s' over the t peeo
of the Executive. Tne States wherein some
such provision as the foregoing is a part of
MIA, Colorado, Florida, Georgia. Louisiana,
Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey,
New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and West
Virginia. I commend to Your careful con-
sideration the question whether an Amend
ment Of the Federal CONSTITUTION, in the par.
remedy for what is often a grave embar.
rassment, both to Members of Congress and
to the Executive, and is sometimes a serious
public mischief.
The report of the Secretary of the Navy
states the movements of the various squad
rons during the year : in home and foreign
such ships as we possess, have continued to
illustrate the high character and excellent
discipline of the naval organization.
THE JEANETTE.
On the 21st of December, 1881, information
was received that the exploring steamer Je-
annette had been crushed and abandoned in
| Uuc xAESIlC OCcdl. Liz oiuCCTS dHu CIcW,a lteT
a journey over the ice, embarked in three
boats for the coast of Siberia. One of the
parties. under the command of Chief Engi-
neerMelville. reached the land. and falling in
with natives was saved. Another, under
Lieut.. Commander De Long, landed in a bar
rem 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 of the party in
the third boat, under the of Lieu
tenant hipp, but a long and ~fruitless investi-
CATION leaves little doubt that all its members
persisted ut sea. As a slight tribute to their
heroism, L give in this ommemoration the
names of the gallant men who sacrificed
their lives in the expedition; Lieutenant
James N. Ambley. Jerome j. Collins. Hans
Halmer, Erickson Heinrich, II. Kaacke, George
W. Boyd. Walter Lee, Adolph Dressler, Carl
Andechien Aiexy. The odicers and men in
the missing boat we're Lieut.. Charles w.
Chipp, commanding, William Dunbar, Alfred
kuehne, Edwin Star. Henry d. Warren and
Peter E.; Johnson. Lieut.. Giles b. HARDER and
Master VIM. FL. ScheutZe are now bringing
home the remains of Lieut.. De Long and his
comrades.
THE RODGERS.
In pursuance OF the directions of Congress
the Rodgers, fitted out for the relief of the
Jeanette. in accordance with the act of
Congress OF March ), 1881, sailed from San
francisco June l6, under of Lieut..
Robert II. Berry. On November 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 a search for the Jeanette along the
coast of Siberia, fell in with Chief Engineer
Mclville's party and returned home by way of
Europe. The other officers and the crew of
the Rodgers were brought from st. Lawrence
Bay by the whaling steamer North Star.
Master Charles +. Putnam, who had been
placed in charge OF 8: depot of supplies mt
Cape Serdze, returning to his post from st.
Lawrence Bay across the ice in Il binding
snow storm, was carried out to sea and lost,
. Notwithstanding all efforts to rescue him.
NAVAL RECONSTRUCTION.
1t appears by the Se:Ictary'S reportthat the
available naval force of the United states
consists of thirty-seven cruisers, fourteen
single urretcl monitors, built during the re-
bcliion, a large number of smooth bore gun
and parrot rifles, and eighty-Scvcn riiicd
cannon. Tho cruising vessels should be gradu-
ally replaced by iron or steel ships, the moni-
tors by modern armOrcd vessels. and the ar
manent by high power ritlrd guns. The re-
construction OF our navy which WAS recon-
mended in my last message, was begun by
Congress authorizing. in its recent act. the
construction of two large steel
vessels of the character nded by the
late navy advisory board and subject 10 the
final approval of a new advisory board, to be
organized as provided by that act. ] cali
your attention to the recommendation o! the
Secretary and the board, that authority be
given to construct two more cruisers OF
smaller dimensions and ono f1pnt ,IiS,,at.l