The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1882-12-08

| War that the greater portion of the sum ap-
propriated for the various items specified
| In that act remains unexpended. OF the
new works which It authorized, expenses
| have been incurred upon two only, for
which the total appropriation was s2l0, 900.
| present available balance Is disclosed by
the following table:
Amount m ans of appropriation by act zss 81,
Amount Of appropriation by act 90,
OF June ~, 1852. 1000
Amount of appropriation for pay
ments to j. b. Eads. ........... 304, DOC
Unexpended balance of fOrmerap-
Preparations northumberland. 4, 73S, 20:
l. Less amount drawn from
Treasury between July l, 1852
and November 30, 1882, ....... COG, 1911
Total. Observation-Disclosures. SIT. 49,, 944
1t is apparent by this exhibit that, SO far
| as concerns most of the items to which the
act of Congress of August 9, 1882, relates,
there can be no need Of further apprOpria.
tiOns until after the close of the present
| session. If however, any action should
seem to be necessary in respect to particu.
provide. for those objects by appropriate
| legislation. 1t Is impossible, for example,
that delay until the assembling of the
next Congress, to make additional provision
for the Mississippi river improvements,
quences. If such should appear to be the
case, just bill relating to that subject
would command my approval. This leads
me to offer a suggestion which trust will
commend itself to the wisdom of Congress.
BILE sums of money for diverse and indepen
dent schemes of internal improvement
should be made the subjects OF separate
and distinct legislative cnactments? 1t will
scarcely be gainsaid, even by those who
favor the most liberal expenditures for such
by what Is commonly called the River and
HarbOr bill, that the practice of grouping
III such bill appropriations for great dr.
versity of objects widely separated, either
In their nature, in the locality with 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, II separately considered, could
scarcely fail of rejection. by the adoption
member of Congress, when opportunity
should arise for giving his influence and
vote for meritOri0us appropriations, which
he would be enabled to do without being
called upon to sanction others undeserving
his approval. So, also, would the Execu-
tive De afforded thereby full opportunity
to exercise his constitutional prerogative OF
opposing whatever appropriations seemed
to him Objectionable, without imperiling
the success q Others which commend them
selves to hie kigment. 1t may be urged
In opposition to these suggestions that the
number of works of international improve
ments which are justly entitled to govern.
mental aid Is SO great as to render impracti.
cable separate appropriation bills therefor.
or even for such comparatively limited
number as make disposition of large sums
# money. This objection may be well
founded, and whether 1t be or not, the ad-
! vantages which would be likely to ensue
from the adoption of the course ! have rec
commended may, perhaps, be more effectu-
ally attained by another, which l respect
fully submit to Congress as an alternative
proposition.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO TIE CONSTR
TUITION.
It Is provided by the constitutions of four
teen of our States that the Executive may
disapprOve any item or items of q hill APP.
pr0priating money, whereup0n the parts OF
the bill approved shall be a law, and the
part disapproved shall fail to become a law
unless repassed, according to the provis-
Ions prescribed for the passage Of bills
over the veto Of the Executive. The
| States wherein some such provision as the
| foregoing is a part of the fundamental law,
are Alabama; California;, Colorado Flori-
| da, Georgia, Louisiana, Minnesota, MissOu-
ri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York.
Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia,
commend to your careful consideration
the question whether an amendment of the
Federal constitution In the particular indi-
Gated would not afford the best remedy for
what is often a grave embarrassment both
to members of Congress and to the Execu-
e ays; and is sometimes serious pubic mis-
THE NAVAL sQUADRoNs.
The report of the Secretary of the Navy
states the movements Of the various,
squadrOns during the year. In home and
foreign waters our officers and Seamen with
| such ships as we possess have continued to
illustrate the high character and excellent
discipline of the naval organization.
On the 9 1st of December, 1881, informa-
tiOn was received that the exploring
STEAMER JEANNETTE
had been crushed and abandoned In the
Arctic Ocean. The officers and crew, after
| journey over the Ice, embarked In three
parties under the command of Chief Engin-
eer George w. Melville, reached the land,
| and, falling in with natives, was saved.
| Another under Lieutenant Commander
| belong, landed in a barren region near the
had elapsed, ali 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 Chipp. but long and fIuitless
| its members persisted in the sea. AS
slight tribute to their heroism, give in
| this communication the names of the gal
| liant men who sacrificed their lives in the
expedition; Lieutenant Commander Geo.
rome J.. Collins, Hans Halter, Erickson
Heinrich, H. Kaacke, George A. Bryd,
| Walter Lee, AdOlph DreSsler, Carl
| A. Gortz, Nelse Iverson, the Cook, All
Sam, and the Indian, AleXy. The officers
and i.,t ho cf,,ryh hal
ant Charles w. Chip, commanding, Will
liam Dunbar, Alfred Sweetman, Walter
| Shartell, Albert G. Kuehne, Edwin Star
| Henry d. Warren and Peter f. johnson.
| Lieutenant Giles B. Harder and Master
William II. Scheutzekisch are now bring
| Long and his comrades. In pursuance of
| the directions of Congress the Rodgers (fit-
ted out for the relief Of the Jeanette, In
accordance with an act of Congress of
March 81 sailed from San Francisco June
Ii, under the command of Lieutenant RObt.
NJ. Berry. On November so she was acct
dentally destroyed by fire while In Winter
quarters In st. Lawrence Bay, but the Off
GERS and crew succeeded In escaping to the
| shore.
Lieutenant Berry and one of his officers,
after making search for the Jeanette
along the coast Of Siberia, fell In with
| Chief Engineer Melville's party, and re-
turned home by way of Europe. The other
OmcerS and the crew OF the Rogers were
SToIFn sm 81 No1a ss by ey the
+. Putnam, who had been placed in charge
Of depot Of supplies at Cape Serdze, re-
turning to his post from st. Lawrence Bay
across the Ice, In binding snow-stOrm,
was carried out to sea and lost, nOtwith-
standing all efforts to rescue him.
| THE NAVAL FORCES.
It appears by the Secretary'S report that
| the available naval force Of the United
States consists Of thirty-seven cruisers,
fourteen single-turrcted monitors, built du-
ring the rebellion, large number of
sm0Oth-bOre guns and parrot rifles, and
vessels should be gradually replaced BY
iron or steel ships; the monitors by mod
| ern-arm0red vessels, and the armament by
high-pOwer rified guns. The reconstruc-
ton Of our navy, which was recommended
l In my last Message, was begun By Congress
j aufhOrizin1 I'm ifa recent acf Tho coa,sfx,,a.