The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-12-08


Ger George w. Melville, reached the land,
and, falling In with natives, was saved.
Another under Lieutenant Commander
peLSng landed AM In a, barren Fegionn, the
had elapsed, all 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 q long and fruitless
investigation, leaves little doubt that ali
its members persisted In the sea. AS
slight tribute to. their heroism, give In
this communication the names of the gal
expedition: Lieutenant Commander Geo.
belong, Surgeon James M. Amber, .Je-
rome j. Collins, Hans Halter, Erickson
Heinrich, II. Kaacke, George A. Bryd,
waiter Lee, Adolph Dressler, Carl
Sam, and the Indian, Alexy. The officers
and men In the missing boat were Lieuten-
ant Charles w. Chip, commanding. viii
liam Dunbar, Alfred Sweetman, Walter
Henry ID. Warren and Peter 4. Johnson.
Lieutenant Giles ID. Harder and Master
William IL. Scheutzekisch are now bring
ing home the remains of Lieutenant De-
Long and bis comrades. In pursuance Of
ted out for the relief of the Jeanette, In
accordance with an act Of Congress Of
March 81 sailed from San Francisco June
70, under the command of Lieutenant Robt
dentally destroyed by fire while in Winter
quarters in ST. Lawrence Bay, but the Off
shore.
after making search for the Jeanette
along the coast of Siberia. fell i'm with
Chiet Engineer Melville's party, and re-
turned home by way of Europe. The other
officers and the crew Of the Rogers were
brought from St Lawrence Bay by the
whaling steamer North STAR MasterChas.
4: Putnam, who had been placed in churge
OF q depot of supplies at Cape Serdze, re
turning to his post from ST. Lawrence Bay
across the Ice, In binding snow-storm,
wes carried ont to sea and lost, nOtvith-
STANDING all efforts to rescue him.
THE NAVAL FORCES.
1t appears by the Secretary's report that
the available naval force Of the UNITED
States consists Of thirty-seven cruisers,
fourteen singie,turreted monitors, built du-
ring the rebellion, large number of
sSmooth-bore guns and parrot niles, and
.eighty-seven rif1ed cannon. The cruising
vessels should be gradually replaced by
iron or steel ships; the monitors by mod
en-armored vessels, and the armament by
high-power riiled guns The Teconstruc-
ton of our navy, which was recommended
In my last Message. was begun hy Congress
authorizing, i'll its recent act tbs cOnstruc-
of the character recommended by the late
Navy Advisory Board, and subject to the
final approval of new Advisory Board to
be organized as provided by the act. / call
your attention to the recomm endatOn of
the Secretary and the board, that authority
be given 10 construct two more cruisers of
smaller dimensions and one fleet dlspatch-
vessel, and that appropriations be made
for high power riiied cannon for the torpe-
do service and for other harbOr defenses.
Pending the consideration by Congress of
the policy to be hereafter adopted in con-
Quoting the eight large Navy Yards. and
their expensive establishments, the Secre-
tary advocated the reduction of eXpendi-
lures therefor tn the lowest possible
amounts and for the purpose of affording
the officers and seameli of the navy OppOr-
tunities cf exercise and discipline in their
profession under appropriate control and
direction, the Secretary advises that the
lighthouse service and coast survey be
transferred, as now organized, from the
Treasury to the Navy Department, and he
also suggests, for the reasons which he as
signs, that a similar transfer may wisely be
made of the cruising reEnnle vessels.
COMMERCIAL MARINE.
The secretary fOrcibly depicts the ulti-
mate connection and iRter-dependence of
the navy and the commercial marine, and
invites attention to the continued deca-
dence OF the latter, and the corresponding
transfer of our growing commerce to for
eign bottoms. This subject Is one of the
utmost Importance to the national welfare.
Methods OF reviving American shipbuild-
lllH. anu Ol FtSLOIIllp luc OldleS Hdg
in the ocean carrying trade should receive
the immediate attention of Congress. We
have mechanical skill and abundant mate
rial for the manufacture of modern iron
commercial rivals. Ouc 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 our formidable competitors, these obsta-
cles should in some way DE overcome, and
for our rapid communication with foreign
lands, we should not continue to depend
wholly upon vessels buiGtiin the yards of
other countries aud sailing under foreign
flags. With no United States steamers on
the principal ocean lines or 30 any foreign
ports, our facilities for extending our COM
merce are greatly restricted, while the ma
tions which build and sail the ships and
carry the mails and passengers obtain
thereby conspicuous advantages for in
.creasing their trade.
THE POST OFFICE DEPAErMENT
The report of the Postmaster General
gives evidence of the satisfactory condition
of that department, and contains many val
liable data and accompanying suggestions
which cannot fail to be of interest. The
information which It affords that the re-
ceipts for the fiscal year have exceeded the
expenditures, must be very gratifying to
AS matters which may fairly claim particu-
lar attention, L refer you to his Observa-
tions in reference to the ACCESSIBILITY of
,changin; the present basis for fxsng sala-
ries and allowances; of extenSing the
money order system; of enlarging the
functions of the postal establishment, so as
to nave underits control the telegraph sys-
tenn of the country, though from this last
and most important recommendation must
withhold my concurrence.
LETTER POSTAGE.
At the last session of Congress, several
hills xuara infroducpd into the Housp of
Representatives for the reduction of letter
postage to the rate of 2 cents per half
ounce. have given much study ard re-
Election to this subject, and am thoroughly
Tor the best interests of the public. 1t has
been the policy of the government from its
foundation to defray, as far as possible, the
expense of carrying the mails by direct
tax in the form of postage, and It has never
nnght To he saroductive Of a net rexenre