Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1882-12-07
VOL. V.-NO. Z.

and their armament suggest the grayest res
tOEi0usIy inadequate to the defense of the
great harbors and cities for whose protection
they were built. The question, OF proVleang
has been the subject Of consideration by
board whose report was tran sInitted to Con-
Grafton of that report, the War Departments
has taken no steps for the Manufacture or
Secretary expresses the hope that authority
ana means to begin that important work VII!
be 500 n provided. ! invite the attention or
Congress to the propriety of making more
adequate provisions
FOR AIMING AND EoUIPPING THE MILITIA
than are afforded by the act of 1905 which is
still UPON the statute books. The matter has
already been the subject of discussion in the
Senate,and a bill which seeks to supply the De-
sndar. The Secretary of War calls attention
to the fact that an embarrassment is growing
Retirement of the officers of the army compul-
sorry Stthe age of e.. The act of 1878 is stu in
bel Of those who can be retired for disability
or upon their own application.
The two acts, when construed together.
seem to forbid the relieving even for apsoIute
incapacity, of officers who do not fall within
the puryiew of the latter statute, save at such
times as there chance to be less than -
names on the retired list. There are now 420$
It is not likely that Congress intended TINS
result and concur with the Secretary thai
the law ought to be amended.
The grounds that imPeIfed me TO WINES one
making appropriations for the
CONSTRUCTION, REPAIR AND PRESERVATION OF
CERTAIN WORKS ON RIVERS AND HARBoRs,
which became a law near the close OF your
last session, prompt me to express nope thae
no similar measure viii be deemed necessary
during the present session of Congress Such
a measure would now be open to a serious
objection in addition to that which was urged
upon your attention. am intormed by the
the sum APPROPRIATED for the various items
specified in that act remains uneXpendeo'
Of the new works which it authorized, eNpen-
ses have been incurred upon two only, tor
which the total appropriation was 81 ,OOO;O 600
The present available balance Is disclosed Oy
the following table:
Amount OF appropriation by act of 80 -,o o-s
August 2, 1882 SIS, $3.50
Amount of appropriation by act 0f
Amount Of appropriation for pay
ments to j. b. Eads. 304, 600
preparations '.. 478s,aes
Total 81. 7al, l8a
Less amount drawn from Treasury
between July !, 1882, and November
30, 1882. oUoo,1SA
Total ,134, 994
1t is apparent by this exhibit that so faras
concerns most of the items to which the act
| of August 2, 1882 relates, there can be no need
| of further appropriations until after the
| close of the present session. If, however
any action should seem to be necessary in
respect to particular objects, it will be en-
! tireiy feasible to provide for those objects by
| appropriate legislation. 1t Is posslDler ioE
| example, that a delay until the assembling OF
| the next Congress to make additional pro-
vision for the Mississippi River improve
] ments might be attended with serious c0nse-
| quences. If such should appear to be the
! case just bill relating to that subject would
command my approval; rms IgaoS ,i me 70
| itself to the wisdom of Congress. 1t Is not
advisable that grants OF considerable sums
| schemes of internal improvement should be
made the subjects of separate and dlst1nct
| legislative enactmentS. 1t will scarcely be
| gainsaid, even by those who favor the most
liberal expenditures for such purposes as
or1,kt To l,ea w
commonly called the River and Harbor Bill,
that the practice of grouping in such a bill
| widely separated, either in their nature
in the locality in which they are
is much to be deprecated, unless
it is irremediable. 1t inevitably
| whole, though many of the items, if separate
1y considered, could scarcely fail OF rejection.
BY the adoption of the course have recon-
mended, every member of Congress, when
ever opportunity should arise for giving his
influence and vote for mer1tol1ous approprI-
lions, would be enabled to SO do without be-
ing called upon to sanction others undeserV-
ing his approval; SO also would the eHeent I'VE
be afforded. thereby full opportunity 70 e1-
ercise his constitutional prerogat1Ve OF OPP
posing whatever appropriations seemed to
him Objectionable without Importing the
| success of others which commended them
selves to his Judgment. 1t may be urged In
opposition to these suggestions thaC the num-
Der of works of internal Improvement which
are Justly entitled to Government aid IS so
great as to render impract1cable separate ap-
TIrOpriatiOn bills therefor, or even Tor SUCH
comparatively limited number as make dis
nOsitiorS of large sums of money. This ob5ee-
lion NAV be well founded and whether it be
or not, the advantages which would be hkely
to ensue from the adoption of the course
have recommended may perhaps be mora
effectuaIly attained by another winch re-
spectfully submit to Congress
AS AN ALTERNATIVE PROPOSITION.
It is provided by the Constitutions of four
teen of our States that the Executive may
disapprote any item or items OF Bill appro-
| priating money, Whereupon the part of the
bill approved shall be law and the part disap-
proved shall fail to become law, unless re-
| scribed for the passage of bills over the veto
/ of the Executive. The States wherein some
| such provision as the foregoing is q part OF
the fundamental law are: Alabama, CaIifor-
MIA, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, LOUISIANA
Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey,
} New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and West
1 Virginia. I commend to your careful con-
| sideration the question whether an Amend
ment of the Federal Constitution, in the par
ticular indicated, would not afford the best
remedy for what is often a grave embar
to the Executive, and is sometimes serious
I public mischief
. The report of the Secretary of the Navy
states the movements of the various squad
: waters where our officers and seamen, with
such ships as we possess, have e3nti2ued to
discipline of the naval organization.
! THE JEANETTE.
S On the 2Ist of December, 1881, information
was received that the exploring steamer Je-
! annette had been crushed and abandoned in
| tine Arctic Ocean. The officers and crew, after
D | a tourney over the ice, embarked in three
e boats for the coast of Siberia. One of the
J, parties under the command of Chief Engi-
: neer Melville, reached the land, and falling in
q | with natives was saved. Another, under
d Lieut.. Commander De Long, landed in a bar
: rem region near the mouth of the Lena River.
e After six weeks had elapsed all but two of the
It | number had died from fatigue and starvation
q | No tidings have been received OF the party in
,. ] the third boat, under the command of Lieu
7 tenant Chipp, but q long and fruitless invesi-
CATION leaves little doubt that all its members
: perished at sea. As a slight tribute to theiI
y heroism, I give in this commemoration tht
9 names of the gallant men who sacrificed
n their lives in the expedition: Lieutenant
g Commander George W. De Long, Surgeon
Is James NJ. Ambley, jerome j. Collins, Hans
70 Halmer, Erickson Heinrich, H. Kaacke, GeOrgt
ls w. Boyd. Walter Lee, Adolph Dressler, Car
J A. Gortz, Nelse IVersOn, and the cook, San
it Andechien Alexy. The officers and men IT
l. the missing boat were Lieut.. Charles W
l. Chipp, commanding, William Dunbar, Alfred
N SWeetnan. Walter Sparten, Albert @
Of Kuehne. Edwin Star, Henry d. Warren anC
B. Peter e. johnson. Lieut. Giles B. Harder ant
I'd Master VIM. II. ScheutZe now bringing
N home the remains of Lieut. De Long and hi
II comrades.
le In 4lursuance of the directions of Congress
nc the Rodgers fitted out for the relief of tn
D. Tesnnet9e in accordance with the act o
q Congress of March 3, 1881, sailed from Sal
e. francisco June 16, under command OF Lieut.
OF Robert d. Berry. On November 30 she wa