Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-12-07


Tho other ofiioers and the crew OF the Rodgers
were broucht from ST. Lawrence bay by the
whaling steamer North Star. Master Charles p.
,oa ~ srniss =. csr.. sr- - rsin-,n =, M.
post frora St. Lawrence bay acnoss the ice. In q
blindinT snow-storm. was carried out 20 sea and
Lost. Notwithstanding all efforts to rescue him
TIE NAVAL FORCES
IL appears by the Secretary's reporf that the
available navsl force OF the United States con-
sists OF thirty-seven cruisers, fourteen single
trrrcted monitors, built during the rebellion,
large number Of smoOth-bore guns and parrott
rifles, and eighiy-seven rided clnnon. The crils-
fngvesses should be gradually replaced by iron OF
steel ships, the monitors by modeTn-armored
vessels, and the armament by high-power rified
guns. The reconstruction Of our navr, which
vas recommended in my last message. was
begun by Congress authorizing, in its
recent act, the construction OF two large
recommended by the late Navy Advisory
Board, and subject TO the final approval OF new
Advisory Board 10 be organized as provided by
that act. call your attention to the recon-
mendation OF the Secretary AM the board, that
authority be given 10 construct two more cruis-
ers Of smaller dimensions and one feet dis
patch-veSsel, and that appropriations be made
service m % snd for other % harbor deienses. PVndins
toe consideration by Congress Of the policy 70
be hereafter adopted in conducting the eight
large navy yards and their expensive
establishments. tho Secretary advocates
the reduotion Of expenditures therefor to the
lowest possible amounts, and for the purpose
Of affordlng the officers and seamen OF the navy
opportunities Of exercise and discipline in their
profession under appropriate control and di-
rection, the Secretory advises that the Hight
house service and coast survey be transferred,
ss now organized, from the Treasury 10 the
Navy Department. and he also suggests, for the
reasons which he assigns, that similar transfer
may wisely be made Of the cruising revenue
vessels.
COMMERCIAL MARINES
Thn ofarxr hlNr aku fh0 Er1kf aaka
connection and inte-dependency Of the navy and
the commercial marine, and invites attention to
the continued decadence of the latter and the cor
foreign bottoms. This subject Is ono OF the ut.
most importance to the national welfare.
Methods OF reviying American shipbuildine, and
OF restoring the United States flag In the OCEAN
carrying trade, should receive the immediate at
tention OF Congress. We have mechanical skill
and abundant material for the manufacture
Of modern iron steamships in fair COM
disadvantage in building ships is the
greater cost OF labor and in sailing them, higher
taxes and greater interest on capital. While the
ocean highways are already monopolized by ou
formidable competitors, these obstacles should
in some way be overcome and for our rapid
communication with foreign lands we should not
continue to depend wholly upon vessels built in
foreign flags. With no United States steamer
on the principal ocean lines or to any foreign
ports our facilities for extending onr commerce
are greatly restricted, while the nations Which
build and sail the ships and carry the mails and
passengers obtain thereby conspicuous adj
vantages for increasing their trade.
THE PosToFF1cE DEPARTMENT.
The report of the Postmaster General gives
evidence Of the satisfactory condition Of that
department. and contains many valuable data
and accompanying suggestions which cannot
fail TO be of Interest: The information which IL
affords that the receipts for the fiscal year have
exceeded the expenditures must be very gratf-
fytDg to Congress, and to the people OF the
country. As matters which msy fairly claim
attention In Gs'r you The to @ S
Instability of changing the present basis
for fixing salaries and allowances;
Of extending the money-order system; Of en-
larging the functions of the postal establish
ment, SO as to have under its control the tele-
graph system Of the country, though from this
last and most important recommendation ]
must withhold my concurrence.
LETTER POSTAGE
At the last session of Congress-, several bills
were introduced into the House of Represents
tives for the reduction Of letter postage to the
rate Of cents per half ounce. I have given
much study and reflection to this subject, and
am thoroughly persuaded that such q reduction
would be for the best interests of the pnblic
It has been the policy Of the Government
from its foundation to defray, as lar as pos.
eible, the expenses of carrying the mails by .
direct tax in the form of postage, and it haa
never been claimed, however, that this seryfcs
ong,it to be productive OF net revenue. As hM
ter General shows that there is now very con.
siderable surplus in his department, and that
henceforth the receipts are likely to increase q
much greater ratio than the ncces-
Is made in the existing laws, bae profits Of th1
postal service will, in very few years, swell TIL
revenues Of the Government many millions q
aollars. The time seeIus auspictoEe, theEefoxs
for some reduction IN the rates OF poslaae Z
what shall TINT resfuction consist? A review b
the Legislation which has been had upcn thH
subject s during the last thirty years disclose
mail matter which has never been favored BY
substantial reductions OF rates. am convinced
that the burden Of msintaining the service falls
any other 1t is entitled to present IT
self. Tint such relief may be extended
to other publioa interests, will be discov-
cred upon reviewing The results OF former reduc-
tions. immediately prior 10 the act of iS45, the
postage upon letter composed of single sheet
was as follows: II conveyed 80 miles or less, 9
cents; be, ween 80 and so miles, III cents; between
80 and lSo miles, 121a cents; between 158 and 400
the act Of l845, the postage upon single letter
conveyed for any distance under 2C0 miles was
fixed at cents and for any greater distance at
~ cents. BY the act OF 1851 it was provided that
sinale letser il prer aid, should be carried any
distance rot exoeeding 5000 miles for cents. and
any greater distance for cents twill be noticed
that both Of these reductions were of a radical
as tnat whicn is now propoeed. in each
ca G there ensued temporary loss of revenue,
but a sudden and large influx of business fol-
lowed which substantially repaired that loss
within three years Unless the experience of
past Legislation in this country and elsewhere
goes for naught, it may be safely predicted that
the stimulus OF 80 Per cent. reduction in tax
for carriage would at once increase the number
OF letters consigned to the mails The advan-
tage OF secrecy would lead to very general sub
stitution OF sealed packets for postal cards and
open circulars, and in divers other ways the
M pnyItd ha avnnr
nously augmented. Such increase amounted in
Enaland, in the first year after the adoption of
penny postage, to more than 1875 per cent. As
the result of careful estimates the details
of which cannot be he set out, have become
convinced that the deficiency for the first year
after the proposed reduction would not excscd Z
per cent OF the expenditures or S, ,G0O0 900, while
the deficiency, after the reduction OF 1A5, was
more than IA per cent, and. after that of 1851,
WAS q per cent. Another interesting compari-
son is ant rded by statistics furnished me by
passed in the fac. Of fhe fact that there existed
a deficiency Of more than $4,000. That of 1s51
was encouraged b. the slight surplus of $1h2-
90 The excess Of revenue in tne next fiscal
year is likely to be $s,5 000
If Congress should approve these suggestions,
1t may be deemed desirable to supply to some
extent the deficiency which must Ior a time re-
suit by increasing the charge for carrying mer-
chandise, which Is now only 16 cents per pound.
But, even without such an increase, ] am conf
dent that the receipts under the diminished rates
would equal the expenditures after the lapse OF
three or four years.
The report Of the
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
brings anew to your notice the necessity of en-
larging the present system OF Federal jurispru-
dence. so as to effectually answer the require
ments Of the ever-increasng litigation with
which 1t is called upon to deal
The Attorney General renews the suggestions
OF his predecessor that, in the interests of JUS
uce, better provision than the existing laws af-
ford should be made In certain Judicial districts