The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-12-05

present circumstances, is quite Unnecessary,
| recommend an enlargement Of the free
list so as to include within 1t the numerous
articles which yield in considerable
revenue, simplehcation of the complete
and inconsistent sche 1ule of duties upon
certain manufactures, particularly those OF
cotton, iron and steel, and the substantial
reduction of the duties upon those articles
and upon sugar, molasses, silk, wool and
wooden goods. II general revision of the
tariff shall be found to be impracticable at
this season, express the hope that at least
some of the more conspicuous lniquities of
the present law may be corrected before
your final adjournment, One of them is
specially referred to by the secretary, in
view OF recent decision of the SUI
preme court The necessity OF
amending the law by which
the dutiable standard of color is
adopted as the test of the saccharine
strength of sugars is too obvious to require
comment
THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
From the reports of the secretary OF war,
il appears that the only outbreak of In
dians during the past year occurred in Arl-
IONA and in the southwestern part of New
Mexico. These were promptly quelled, and
the quiet which has prevailed in all other
parts of the country has permitted such an
addition to be made 10 the military force
in the region endangered by the
Apaches that there is little reason to appre-
bend trouble in the future. Those parts of
the secretary's report which relates to our
sea. coast defenses and their armament sug-
gest the gravest question. Our existing
notifications are VIGOROUSLY Inadequate to
the defense of the great harbors and cities
for whose protection they were built. The
question OF providing an armament ade-
quatc TO our present necessi-
ties has been the subject
of consideration by u board whose report
was transmitted to congress at the last SEES.
sion. Pending the consideration OF that re-
port the war department has taken no steps
for the manufacture or conversion of any
heavy cannon, but the secretary expresses
the hope that authority and means TO be-
gin that important work will be soon pro-
vided, and invite the attention of congress-
TO the propriety of makinga more adequate
provision for arming and equipIing the
militia than is afforded by the
act of 1906, which is still upon
the statute book. The matter
has already been the subject Of discussion
in the senate and bill which seems to sup
ply the deficiencies of the existing law is
now upon its calendar, The secretary OF
war calls attention to the tact that an em-
barrassment growing out of the recent act
Of congress making the retirement of oili-
GERS Oft the army compulsory at the age of
81, and the act of 1878, still in force, which
limits to 400 the number 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 absolute in
capacity, of officers who do not fall within
the purview of the latter statute, save at
such times as there chances to be less than
400 names on the retired list. There are
now i20. 1t is not likely that congress in
tended this result, and | concur with the
secretary that the law ought to be amended.
The grounds that impelled me to with
hold my signature from the bill entitled
IAN act making appropriations tor the
construction, repair and preservation of
certain works on rivers and harbors'
which became law near the close of your
last session, prompt me to express the hope
that no similar measure will be deemed
necessary during the present session of con-
gress. Indeed. such measures would now
be open to serious objection.
in addition to that which was urged upon
your attention by the secretory of war, that
the quarter portion of the sum appropri-
ated for the various items specified in that
act remains unexpendcd OF the new works
which it authorized expenses have been in
Cured upon two only, for which
the total appropriation was $2lO,'
900, The present available balance
isdisclosed by the following table; Amount
Of appropriations by Act of August, 1889,
$lS,73S,S1 amount of appropriations by
Act of June 10, 1882, 100000 amount OF
appropriation for payments to j, b. Eads,
1901 600; unexpended balance OF former
appropriations, 81, 73S ,263 total, $23, 70l ,l3S,
less amount drawn from treasury betwecn
July /, 1882, and November 80, 1882, $G06,-
1911; total, $l773i,0H. 1t is apparent by
This exhibit that so Tar as
concerns most of the items
to which the act of August 2, 1852, relates,
there can he 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-
lar objects 1t will be entirely an net to pro.
vide for those objects by appropriate lcgis.
lation. II is probable, for example, that
delay until the assembling of the
next congress to make additional
provision for the Mississippi river
improvements might be attended
with serious consequences. lfsuch should
appear to be the case n just bill relating tC
that subject would command my approval
trust will commend itself TO the wisdom
OF congress. 1t is not advisable
that grants of considerable sum,
of money for Divers and indepen
dent schemes OF internal improvement
should be made the subject of separate ant
distinct legislative enactment. II will
scarcely be gaipsaid even by those VIII,
favor the most liberal expenditures tor sucl
purposes as are sought to be accomplished
by what is commonly called the river and
harbor bill, that the practice of grouping in
such bill appropriations for great diver
sity OF objects, widely separated
either in their nature, in tn,
locality in which they are concerned, or il
both, rs one which Is much to be depre
Ciatcd, unless IL is redcemable. 1t incyita
bly, tends to secure the success of the bill
rs whole, though many of the items, IL sepa
ratcly considered. could scarcely failofrejec
ton. BY the adoption of the course hay,
recommended every member of congress
and when every opportunity should arts,
for giving his influence and vote for merito
rious appropriations, would be enabled s,
to do without being called upon to sanction
Others undeserving his approval. SO, also
would the executive be afforded thereby
full opportunity to exercise his constitu
tional prerogative of opposing whateve
appropriations seemed to him oblectiona
BILE, without imperilling the success o.
Others which commended. themselves to hi
judgment. 1t may be urged in opposi
uon to these suggestions that tn
number of works OF internal i'm
provement which are lustl,
entitled to governmental aid is so great a
TO render impracticablc separate appropra