The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-12-05

perfectIng our submarine torpedo defcnces.
The Board authorized by the last Congress
TO report upon the method which should
bc adopted for the manufacture Of heavy
ordnance adapted TO modern warfare
has visited the principal IRON and
steeI-works in this country and in
Europe. II l. hoped that It's report will
soon be made. and that Congress will
therefore be disposed to provide suitable
facilities and plans for the manufacture 81
such guns rs are now imperatiyely needed.
On several occasions during the past year
officers OF the army have ut the request OF
the State authorities visited their militia
encampments for inspection OF the troops.
From the reports OF those officers am in
duccd 10 believe that the encouragement Of
the State militia organizations by the Ma
tionaI Government would be followed by
very gratifying results, and would afford
IL in sudden emergencies the aid % a large
| body OF volunteers, educated In the per-
Torrance OF military duties.
MODERN NAVAL VESSELS.
The Secretary OF the Navy reports that
under the authority OF the acts OF Au-
gust >. 1882, and March 3, 1888.
the work OF strengthening our navy by
the construction OF modern vessels has
been auspiciouSly begun. Three cruisers
are i'm process OF construciIon-the Chicago,
Of 1900 tons displacement, and the Boston
and Atlanta. each Of 1900 tons. They are
TO be built OF steel, with the tensile strength
and durability prescribed by law, and IN the
combination OF speed ana endurance and
armament are expected 10 compare iayOra-
blv with the best unHmOred war-ycS,els OF
other nations. fourth yesscl-thc Dol
pbin- is 10 be constructed OF similar mate
rial. and is intended 10 serve n feet dis
patch-boat. The dOublc-turrCted monitors
| Puritan. Amphiirite, and Terror have
/ been launched on the Delaware river,
and a contract has been made for
the supply OF their machinery. \ similar
monitor. the MonadnOck, has been launched
| i'm California. The Naval Advisory Board
and the Secretary recommend the compile
ton OF the monitors. the construction Of four
gunboats. and also three additional steel
yeisels like the Chicago. Boston, and Dot
phin, as an important measure Of national
! defence. The secretary urgcs also the inn
mediate creation OF an interior coast line of
waterways acr0S, the peninsula Of Florida.
along the coast from Florida 10 Hampton
Roads, between the Chesapeake bay and the
Delaware river. and through Cape Cod. I
feel bound 20 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 already intimated, makes
! the present an suspicious time for
putting this branch Of the service IN
state OF efficiency. II is no part OF our
policy to create and maintain navy able
| to cope with that OF the other great Pow
ers Of the world. We have no wish for
foreign conquest, and the peace which we
! have long enjoyed l. i'm no seeming danger
OF interruption. But that our naval
strength should he made adequate for the
defence of our harborS, the protection Of
our commercial Interests. and the mlinte-
nance of our national honor, j. a PROPOSE
ton from which no patriotic citizen can
withhold assent.
/ POSTAL MATTERS.
The report OF the PoStmasfcr-GeHcul
contains gratifying exhibit OF the
condition and prospects OF the interesting
/ branch OF public service committed 10
/ his care. IL appears th1t on June 3O.
/ 1888. the whole number of p)st-oni POS wa,
! 47.SG3, Of which 1872 were established
/ during the previous fiscal year. The NUM-
( Der OF offices operating under the system
OF free delivery was -. IT these latter
offices the postage on local matter amount-
cd 10 Si.l9j,230. "a siam exceeding by
| Sl,021.S9i.0l the entire cost Of The carrier
service Of the country. The rate of p1>t-
age on drop letters passing through these
Offices is now fixed by law 40 two cents per
| half ounce or fraction thereof. I'm offices
where the carrier system has not been
established the rate j. only ha'f rs large.
/ II will be remembered that In 1868. when
! free delivery was first established by law,
the uniform singlc-rltc postage upon local
/ letters was one cent. ana so Il remained un-
/ I'll 1872, when in those cities where the ear
! rier service was established il WAS increased
/ in order to Gefray The expense ~ such SER
vice. il seems 10 me that the old rate may
now with propricty De- restored, and that.
| too. even at the risk Of diminishing for q
| time NJ least the receipt, from postage upon
/ local letters. | can see no reason why that
particular class Of mail matter should Dee
| held accountable for tie entire cost OF not
only it, own collection ana delivery, but
! the collection and delivery OF 40 other
classes, and | am confident. after iul con-
| sidcraion Of the subject, That the rcduc-
ton % rate would be followed hy such
! growing accession Of business as 10 occa-
sion but slight and temporary los, 20 the
revenues OF the Post-Odicc.
GOVERNMENT TELEGRAPH.
The Posimastcr-Goncml devote, much
OF his report 20 the consideration in ~YJ-
riou- aspects OF the relations OF The Govern
ment 10 the telegraph. such reelection Us
J | have been able to give 10 tli, subject
since my last annual message has not led
me 20 change views which there express
ed. in dissenting from recommendation OF
the then Postmaster-Gcncrll, that the Goy-
eminent assume the same control over the
/ telegraph which 10 has Away, exercised
over the mail. Admitting that il authority
/ in the premises is as ample a. has ever
! been claimed for il, il would not, in my
| Judgment, be wise Use OF that authority 10
purchase or assume control OF existing
telegraph lines, or 10 construct others with
the view OF entering into general compc-
tition with private enterprise. The OBJ
lection, which may be- justly urged against
either OF those projects, and indeed against
any system which would require enormous
increase in the ciyii-,oryice list. do not,
however, apply to some plans which have
lately provoked public comment and dis
cussion. II has been claimed, for exam
pie, that Congress might wisely author
izc the POsma,ter-Gcnerl 20 contract
with some private persons or corpora
ton for the transmission oi messages, or
OF a certain class Of messages. at specified
rates and under Government supervision.
Various such schemes OF the same general
nature. but widely differing IN their spec
cial characteristics, have been suggested i'm
the public prints, and the arguments los
which they have been supported and OF
posed have doubtless attracted your attcn-