The Portland daily press., 1882-12-05

been the subjecti of discussion in the
States, and a BILL which seeks to sup
ply the deficiencies of existing plans is now
upon the calandar The Secretary of War
calls attention to the fact that an embar-
rassment, growing out of the recent act of Con-
gress making the retirement of officers of the
army compulsory at the age of GA. The act of
1873 is still in force which limits to four hum
dred the number Of those who can be retired
Tor disability or upon their own application.
Two acts when construed together seem to for
DID the relieving, even for absolute incaDacity
OF officers who do not fall within the purview
OF the latter statute save at such times as there
chance to be less than four hundred names on
the retired list There now four hundred and
twenty. 1t is not likely that Congress intend
ed this result, and l concur with the Secretary
that the law ought to be amended.
THE RIVER AND HARBoR BILL.
The grounds that impelled me to withhold
my signature from the bill entitled can act
making appropriation for the construction, re-
pair and preservation of certain works on riv-
ers and harbors, which became a law near the
close of your last session prompt me to express
the hope that no similar measure will be deem
ed necess ary during the present session of @ IN
gress. Indeed such a measure would now be
open to serious objection in addition to that
winch was lately urged upon your attention. /
am informed by the Secretary of War that the
greater portion of the sum appropriat-
ed Tor the various items specified in that act
remains unexpended OF the new works which
1t authorized expenses have been incurred upon
Two W only for which the total appropriation was
$zlO,eO0. The present available balance is
disclosed by the following table:
Amount Of appropriation by act of
August, looz...+ ...,s..... SIG, 1881
June 10 1852. =. -. 10000
to J. B. Eads ). ......-........ 3o4 1000
priations. ~. .............. -. Abs, 1858
Total. ...........--. S23, ,791 ,138
tween July 1, 1882, and Nov. 80,
1867 Observation-Disclosures. ........ 6O56, ,l94
Total. ............, ST. 734, ,944
1t is apparent by this exhibit that SO far as
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 par
ticular objects it will be entirely feasible to
provide for those objects by appropriate legis-
lation. 1t is possible, for example, that de-
lay until the assembling of the next Congress
to make additional provision for the Mississip-
pl river Improvement might be attended with
serious consequences. Ii such should appear
to be the case just bill relating to that sub
ject would command my approval. This leads
me to offer suggestion which I trust will
commend itself to the wisdom of Congress.
If it is not advisable that grants of considerable
81 ms of money for diverse and independent
schemes of internal improvement should be
made the subject of separate and distinct leg
islative enactments, it will scarcely be gain
said even by those who favor the most liberal
expenditures for such purposes as are sought to
be accomplished by what is commonly called
the River and Harbor bill that the practice of
grouping in such a bill appropriations for
great diversity of objects widely separated,
either in their nature or in the locality with
which they are concerned, or in both, is one
which is much to be deprecated un-
less it is irremediable. 1t inevitably
tends to secure the success of the bill as a
whole, though many OF the items if separate
ly compared could scarcely fail of rejection.
By the adoption of the course l have recon-
mended every member of Congress when
opportunity should arise for giving influence
and vote for meritorious appropriations would
be enabled so to do without being called upon
10 sanction others undeserving his approval.
So also would the executive be afforded there
by full opportunity to exercise his constitu-
tional prerogative of opposing whatever ap-
preparations seemed to him Objectionable with
out imperlling the success Of others which
commended themselves to his Judgment. 1t
may be urged in opposition to these sugges-
tions that the number of works of internal
improvement which are justly entitled to gov
ernmental aid is so great ass to render
impracticable separate appropriations bills
therefor, sor even for such a comparatively
limited number as make disposition of
large sums of money. This objection may be
well founded, and whether it be or not, the
advantages which would be likely to insue
from the adoption of the course have recon-
mended may perhaps be more effectually at
tanned by another which respectfully submit
to Consress as an alternative proposition.
1t is provided BY the constitution of fourteen
OF our states that the executive may disap-
prove any item or items of bill appropriating
money; whereupon the part of the bill approv-
ed shall be law and the part disapproved
shall fail to become law unless repassed accord
ing to the provisions prescribed for the passage
of bills over the veto of the executive. The
states wherein some such provision as the fore
going is part of the fundamental law arc
Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Geor-
giA, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska
New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania Texas
and West Virginia. commend to your careful
consideration the question whether an amend
ment of the federal constitution in the partcu-
lar indicated would not afford the best remedy
for what is often grave embarrassment both to
members of Congress and to the executive,
and is sometimes serious public mischief.
THE JEANNETTE.
The report of the Secretary of the Navy
states that the movements of the various
squadrons during the year in home and
foreign waters where our officers and seamen
with such ships as we possess, are stationed have
continued to illustrste the high character
and excellent discipline of the naval
organization. On the Dist of December, 1881
information was received that the exploring
steamer Jeanette had been crushed and aban-
doned in the Arctic Ocean. The officers and
crew, after a journey over the ice, embarked
in three boats for the coast of Siberia. One of
the parties, under the command of Chief En-
gineer Melville, reached the land and falling
in with natives, was saved. Another under
Lieutenant Commander De Long landed in a
barren region near the mouth of the Lena
River After six weeks 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 Lieut..
Chipp, but investigation leaves little doubt
that Its members perished at sea- As a slight
tribute to their heroism / give in this COM
municatlon the names OF the gallant men who
sacrificed their lives on this expedition
Iieutenant-C Commander Geo. W. De Long
Surgeon Jane Mamber.
jerome j Collins.
Hans Holmer- hlickSon.
Heinrich H. Koacke.
George W. Boyd.
Waiter Lee.
Adolph Dressler.
Carl A. Gortz
Nese lvorson.
The cook All Sam and the Indian Alexy.
The officers and men in the missing boat
were
Lieut.. Chas. W. Chipp. commanding.
VIM Dunbar.
Alfred Sweetmans.
Walter Sarwell.
Albert G. Kuehne.
Edward Star.
Henry d. Warren.
2 eter e. johnson.
Lieut.. Giles B. HARDER and Mascer William
III. Scheutze are now bringing home the re-
mains of Lieutenant De Long and his COM
rades. In pursuance of the directions of Con-
gress the Rodgers was fitted out for the relief
of the Jeanette. In accordance with the act
of Congress of March 8, 1881, she sailed from
San Francisco June 16, under the command of
Lieut.. Robert M Berry. On November 80 she
was accidentally destroyed by fire while in
winter quarters in st. Lawrence Bay, but the
officers and crew succeeded in escaping to the
shore. Lieutenant Berry and one of his Off
GERS, after making SO rch for the Jeannette
along the coast of Siberia, fell in with Chief
Engineer Melville's party and returned home
by way of Europe. The other officers and the
crew of the Rodgers were brought from ST.
Lawrence Bay by the whaling steamer North
Star. Master Chas. f. Putnam, who had been
placed in charge of depot of supplies at Cape
Serdze, returning to his post at st. Lawrence
Bay across the ice in a binding snowstorm,
was carried out to sea and lost, notwithstand-
ing all efforts to rescue him.
OUR NAVY.
1t appears by the Secretary's report that the
available naval force of the United States con-
ssts of thirty-seven cruisers, fourteen single
turreted monitors built during the rebellion a
large number of smooth foreguns and Parrott
rifles, and eighty-Seven rifle cannon The