The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1882-12-07

measure would now be open to serious OBJ
II ged upon your attention am informed by
the Secretary Of War that the greater portion OF
the sum appropriated for the various items
the new works which L. authorized, expenses
have been incurred upon two only, for which the
total appropriation was 4nN,,W The present
available balance Ii disclosed by the following
Amount Of appropriation by act Of
Ansant q q appropriation by act &C Of 80
Am nm. Of appropriation for payments - Z.
uaesrended balance of former appro.
Total. 81, ,7ol, ,l3s
ury between July l, 1881, and No
vcmber 10, 1852. OsO06,lSl
It ia apparent by this eshibit that, 80 sar d
concerns most OF the 1 ems to which the act OF
Congress Of Aug. 2 1882, rcla.cs, there can be
no ned Of further appropriations until after the
action should seem 70 be necessary in respect 10
particular objects, II will be entirely feasible to
provide for those objects BY appropriats legisa-
the Of se y
make additional provision for the Mississippi
river improvements might be attended witl
serious conseqncnce%s % such should =. appesar 70
leads me to offer q suggestion which |
trust will commend itself to the wisdom
of Congress- Il It not advisable that grants Of
considerable sums Of money for diverse and in
dependent schemes Of internal Improvement
should be made the subjects OF separate and dis
Rainsaid, even by those who favor the most lib
eral expenditures for such purposes ~ are
sought to be accomplished by what is commonly
called the River and Harbor bill, that the prac-
ficp Of UrOuOfNQ IN QnCh n hill aOOrOnriat inuS
for great diversity of objects widely separated,
either In their nature, in the locality with which
s
the bill as . whole, though many Of the
items. u separately considered, could scarcely
fail Of rejection. BY the adoption OF the course
have recommended, every member Of Congress.
when opportunity should arise for giving his in
fiuence and vote for meritorions appropriations,
would be enabled to do 80 without being
called upon to sanction others undeserving his
approval. So, Also would the Executive be af-
forded thereby full opportunity to exercise his
appropriations seemed to him Objectionable.
without impcriling the success Of Others which
commend themselves to his Judgment. 1t may
that the number 81 works Of international i'm
provenents which are Justly entitled to Govern
mental aid + 80 great % to render impracticable
sspsrste sppropEaton bills therefor Or even fer
disposition Of large sums OF money. This OBJ
lection may be well founded, and, whether 1t be
Or not. the advantages which would be likely to
ensue from the adoption Of the course have
recommended may, perhaps, be more effectually
attained by another, which respectfully sub
init to Congress as m alternative proposition.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTE N.
II Is provided by the constitutions Of 4 urtcen
OF our States that the Executive may disapproye
any item or items OF bill appropriating money,
be . law, and the part disapproved shall fail to
become law unless rcpAssed, according to til,
provisions prescribed Tor the passage Of bills
% wherein some D such prosison as the sfare fare
going is part Of the fundamental law are Ala
bama. California, Colorado: Florida. Georgia,
sew Jersey Sss yors
Texas and West Virginia. I commend
TO your careful consideration the question
whether an amendment Of the Federal constitu-
tion In the particular indicated would not afford
the best remedy for what IL often grave EN-
bartassment both to members Of Congress and
to the Executive, and Is sometimes a serious
public mischief.
THE NAVAL sQUADRoNs.
Tn, report Of the Secretary OF the Navy states
the move nents of the various squadrons
during the year, In home and foreign waters,
where our officers and seamen with such ships
- we possess 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 JEANNETTE
had been crushed and abandoned In the Arc iC
ocean. The officers and crew. after Journey
sse d n
command OF Chief Engineer Gaorgc w. Mel
vile. reached the land, and, falling in With ma
tive. Mas saved. Anothe- under Lieutenant
near the mouth Of the Lena river. After siS
weeks had elapsed. all but two Of the number
had died from fatisue and starvation. No It'd.
| party In the third boat under tht
iens and fruitless s'' Investigation ai oIe leave.
sea- As slight tribute to their hcrcism.
give in this communication the names of til,
gallant men who sacrificed their lives in the ex
Long, Surgeon James N. Amber. Jerome j !
! Collins, Hans Haller, Erickson Heinrich, II
Kaacke, George 4. Bryd, Walter Lee. Adolpl
All Sam, and the Indian, Aiexy Th'
Saas xers aa Lsas %sn Charlie. hs 'si1a chipp
oommsndine; Ms5. William Dunbar. Alfred Sweet
Star, Henry D. Warren, and Peter f. Johnson
Lieut. Giles b. Harber and Master William ii
Scheutzckish are now bringing home the re
mains of Lieut.. De Long and his comrades. II
/ pursuance of the directions of Congress th
Rodgers (fitted out for the relief OF the Jean
nette, in accordance with an act OF Congress o
70, under the command Of Lieut.. Robert N
/ Berry. On Nov. 30 she was accidentally de
strOyed by fire while in winter quarters In ST
Lawrence bay. but the officers and crew sue
/ ceetled In escaping to the shore. =
/ Lieut. Berry and one Of his officers, after max
ing search for the Jeanette along the coast 8
Siberia, fell in with Chief Engineer Melville,
narty, and returned home by way Of Europe
/ The other officers and the crew of the Rodgcr
] were brought from st. Lawrence bav by tn
whaling steamer North Star. Master Charles +
i pot OF supplies 1t Cape Serdze returning & hi
post from St. Lawrence bay across the Ice In
| binding snow-storm, WIS carried ont to sea ant
lost, Notwithstanding all efforts 70 Fcscnc him.
/ THE NAVAL FORCES.
/ 1t appears by the Secretary's report TINT Ill
available naval force Of the United States con
/ sists Of thirty -seven cruisers fourteen single
tnrreted monitors. built during the rebellion
large number OF smooth, bore guns and Parrot
rifles, and eighty -seven rifed cinnon. Thecrlis
ngvessels should be gradually replaced by iron o
steel ships, the monitors by modern -armore'
vessels, and the armament by high-power rifle,
! Guns. The recOnstructiOn VI our navy. Whel
MAS recommended In my last message, wa
begun by Congress authorizing, in il
recent act, the construction of two larg
recommended by the late Navy Advisor,
| Board, and subject to the final approval OF new
Advisory Board to he organized as provided b'
mendation OF the Secretary an the board. tha
authority be given to construct two more cruis
era Of smaller dimensions and one fee. dis
patch vessel, and that appropriations he mad
! service and for other harbOr dcsenses. pendin,
the consideration by Congress OF the pol cy I,
| he hereafter adopted In conducting the eigh
| large navy yards and their exensiv
establishments, the Secretary advocates
the reduction 0f expenditures therefor 10 Tn
| lowest possible amounts, and for the purpos,
of affording the officers and seanen OF the nav,
opportunities OF exercise aud discipline in thei
profession under appropriate control and di
| Tcctten. the Sccretory advises that the light
| honse service and coast survey be transferred
M now organized, from the Trca> ury to til
Navy Department., and he also suggests, for til
| reasons which he assigns, thai = similar tranSfc
may wisely be made OF the cruising rcyenu
| vessels.
COMMERCIAL MARINES
The Secretary forcibly depicts the ultimat
connection and inte- dependency OF the navy an,
| the commercial marine, and invites attention Il
the continued decadcncc OF the latter and the cor
responding transfer OF our growing commerce 1
foreign bottoms This subject II one OF the III
most importance to the national We far,
Methods Of reviving American shipbuilding, an
OF restoring the United StAtcS flag In the ocean
CARRYING trade, should receive the Immediate at
tention Of Congress- We have mechanical skill
and abundant material for the manufactur
Of modern iron steamships In fair com
| petition with our commercial rivals Ou
disadvantage In building ships is tn
| greater cost OF labor and In sailing them, hghe
taxes and greater interest OH capital, While tn