Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-12-05

] AS
germane to this subject l cali
! yourattention to the Importance of perfect
ing our submarine torpedo defenses. The
Doaru authqrlzed by the last Congress to re-
| pori upon the method which should be adOp-
ted for the manufacture of heavy ordnance
adapted to modern warfare has visited the
/ prlnclpal IRON and steel works in this coun-
/ try and IN Europe. Jt Is hoped that its re-
port viii soon be made, and that Congress
/ viii thereupOn be disposed to provide suita-
bic facilities and plant for the manufacture
! OF such guns as are now lmperatively needed.
MILITIA INSPECTION.
| On several occasions during the past
year officers of the army have.
at the request of the State authorities.
visited their militia encampments for the in
/ spectlon OF the troops. From the reports of
/ those officers am induced to believe that the
/ encouragement of the State militia organ
lzatlons by the National Government would
De followed by very gratifying results, and
would afford 1t, in sudden emergencies, the
aid of large body of volunteers educated in
the performance OF military duties.
THE NAVY.
The Secretary Of the Navy reports that un-
ger the authority of the acts of August ), 1882,
and March 3, 1888, the work of streng ngthening
our navy by the construction of modern ves-
sells has been auspiciously begun. Three
cruisers are IN process of constructiOn-the
Ghlcago, OF 4,5e0 tons displacement, and the
Boston and Atlanta, each of $500 tons They
are TO be built of steel, with the tensile
strength and ductility prescribed by law and
in the combination Of speed and endurance
and armament are expected to compare favor
ably with the best unarmored war vessels of
other nations.
\ fourth vessel, the Dolphin. is to be con-
structed of similar material and is intended
TO serve as fleet dispatch boat. The double
turFeted monitors Puritan, Amphitrite
ana 1error have been launched
ON the Delaware river, and
a contract has been made for the supply of
their machinery. A similar monitor. the
MOnadnOck, has been launched in California
Naval Advisory nd ba Gae afa,.
recommend the completion of the monitors
the construction of four gunboats, and also
three additional steel vessels like the Chica-
go, Boston and Dolphin.
INTERIOR COAST LINE OF WATER WAYS
AS an important measure of national de-
tense, the Secretary urges also the immediate
creation of an interior coast line of water
ways across the peninsula Of Florida, along
the coast from Florida to Hampton Roads, and
between the Chesapeake bay and the Della
ware river, and through Cape Cod.
RECONSTRUCTION OF THE NAVY.
feel bound to impress upon the attention
OF Congress the necessity of continued pro-
gress in the reconstruction of the navy The
condition OF the public treasury. as | have al
ready lntimated, makes the present an aus
plclous time for putting this branch of the
service in a state of efficiency. 1t is no part
OF our policy to create and maintain navy
able to cope with that of the other great DOW
ers of the world. We have no wish for for
elgn conquest, and the peace which we have
long enjoyed is in no seeming danger of inter
ruption. But that our naval strength should
be made adequate for the defense of our
harbors, the protection of our commercial in
terests ana the maintenance of our national
honor. Is proposition from which no pa
triotic citizen can withhold his assent.
POSTAL AFFAIRs.
The report of the Postmaster General con-
talns gratifying exhibit of the condition and
prospects of the interesting branch of the
public service committed to his care 1t ap-
pears on June 30, 1888, that the whole number
of post offices was AZ ,S53, of which 632 were
established during the previous fiscal year The
number of offices operating under the system
of free delivery was Isl. At these latter Off
ces the postage on local matter amounted to
Nl9,523, 052, a sum exceeding bv SlO2 IS9 40l
the entire cost of the carrier service of the
country.
DROP LETTER POSTAGE.
The rate OF postage on drop letters passing
through these offices is now fixed bv law at
two cents per half ounce or fraction thereof
In Offices where the carrier system has not
been established the rate is only half as large
1t will be remembered that in 1863 when the
free delivery was first established bv law the
uniform single rate postage upon local letters
was one cent, and so it remained until 1872
Wheh IN thOse ciues where the Irer service
was established 1t was increased in order to
defray the expense of such service. 1t seems
TO me lhat the old rate may now with pro-
prlety be restored, and that, too even at the
risk OF diminishing for time, at least the
receipts from postage upon local letters. /
can see no reason why that particular class of
mail matter should be held accountable for
the entire cost of not only its own collection
and delivery, but the collection and delivery
OF all other classes, and | am confident
after full consideration of the subject that
| the reduction of the rate would be followed
! by such growing accession of business as to
occasion but slight and temporary loss to the
revenues of the post office.
GOVERNMENTAL TELEGRAPHY.
The Postmaster General devotes much of
ms report to the consideration in its various
aspects OF the relations of the government to
the telegraph. Such reflection as | have been
able to give this subject since nv last animal
message has not led me to change the views
Wmch there expressed in dissenting from
the recommendation of the then Postmaster
General that the government assume the
! same control over the telegraph which il has
! always exercised over the mail. Admitting
| that its authority in the premises is the same
| as has ever been claimed for il, it would NOT
| in my judgment, be Il wise use of that authori-
| ty to purchase or assume the control of exist
ng telegraph lines, or to construct
| others with view of enter
ing into general competition with
! private enterprise. The objections which
may be justly urged against either of those
! which would require an enormous increase in
| the civil service list. do not, however, applv
| to some of the plans which have lately
| provoked public comment and discussion 1t
! has been claimed, for example. that Congress
| might wisely authorize the Postmaster
| General to contract with some pri-
] NduC pCioOHS VI corporation 1Of the
! transmission of messages or of any certain
| class of messages at specified rates and under
| government supervision. Various such
| schemes OF the same general nature, but widely
! differing in their special characteristics, have
! been suggested IN the public prints and the
arguments by which they have been support
ed and opposed have doubtless attracted your
| attention. 1t is likely that the whole subject
| will be considered by YOU at the
| present session. In the nature of
| things it involves so many questions of detail
aI Tla11ssl i
! aided slightly if at all, by any particular
| suggestions which | might now submit.
avow my belief, however, that the govern
ment should be authorized by law to exercise
some sort of supervision over interstate tele-
! graphic communication, and l express the
| hope that for attaining that end some measure
may be devised which will receive your ap-
| probation.
LEGAL FEES.
! The Attorney General criticises in his re-
| port the provisions of the existing law fixing
the fees OF Jurors and witnesses in the Federal
| Courts. These provisions are chiefly con-
| tanned in the act of February 26, 1853, though
! some of them were introduced into that act
from statutes which had been passed many
! years previous. 1t is manifest that such COM
! pensation as might, when these laws were
enacted, have been just and reasonable would
in many instances be justly regarded
! at the present day as Inadequate. | concur
| with the Attorney General in the belief that
| the statutes should be revised by which these
fees are regulated. So, too, should the laws
attorneys and marshals. They should be paid
wholly by salaries instead of in part by fees
as Is now the case. The change would prove
to be measure of economy, and would dis
courage the institution of needless and Op-
| pressive legal proceedings which, it is to be
| feared, have in some instances been conduct
ed for the mere sake of personal gain.
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT AFFAIRS.
Much interesting and varied information is
contained in the report of the Secretary of
the Interior l particularly call your atten-
| ton to his presentation of certain phases of
! the Indian question, to his recommendations
! for the repeal of the pre- -emptiOn and timber
culture acts, and for more stringent legsla-
tiOn to prevent frauds under the pension
! laws. The statutes which prescribe the de-
| tinltiOns and punishments of crimes relating
to pensions could doubtless be made more
effective by certain amendments and addi-
tions, which are pointed out in the Secretary's
report.
LIGHT FOR THE ILLITERATE.
have previously referred to the alarming
| state of illiteracy in certain portions of the
| country, and again submit for the considera-
| tion of Congress whether some Federal aid
| should not be extended to public
! primary education, wherever adequate pro-
| vision therefor has not already been made,
THE UTAH COMMISSION.
| The Utah Commission has submitted to the
| Secretary of the interior its second annual
| report as a result of its labors in supervising
| the recent election in that Territory pursuant
| to the act Of March p, 1892. 1t appears that
| persons by that act disqualified, to the num-
| ber of about 1900, were excluded from the
polls. This fact, however, affords little cause
! for cOngratulatiOn, and / fear that it is far
| from indicating any real and substantial pro-
| gress toward the eXtrpatiOn of pOlygamy
| All the members elect of the Legislature are
/ MOrmOns There is grave reason to believe
that they are in sympathy with the practices