The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-12-07

authority of the acts of August 3, $50, and March
3, 1883, the work OF strengthening our navy by the
construction OF modern vessels has been auspicious
ly begun. Three cruisers are in process of con-
struction; the Chicago, OF $500 tons displacement,
and the Boston and Atlanta, each OF $500 tons.
They are bnilt of steel, with the tensile strength
and ductility prescribed by law, and in the combi-
nation of speed, endurance and armament are ex-
pected to compare favorably with the best mar
mored war We ,sels Of other nations. fourth YES
sci. the Dolphin, is to he constructed of similar ma
tetal, and is intended to serve fleet dispatch
boat.
The double turreted monitors Puritan, Ampha-
rifle aud Terror have been launched on the Delaware
river and a contract has been made for the supply
of their machinery. similar monitor the Mo-
nadnock, has been launched in California.
The naval advisory board and the secretary re-
commend the completion of the monitors, the con-
structon of -four gunboats, and also Of three add.
tiOnal steel vessels like the Chicago, Boston and
Dolphin AS important measure of national
defense, the secretary urges also the immediate
creation of an interior coast line of water ways
across the peninsular OF Florida, along the coast
from Florida to Hampton Roads, between the
Chesapeake bay and the Delaware river and through
Cape Cod.
/ feel bound to impress upon the attention Of
Congress the necessity of continued progress in
the reconstruction of the navy The condition of
the public treasury, as | have already intmatcd,
makes the present an auspcious 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
powers of the world.
We have no wish for foreign conquest, and the
peace which we have long enjoyed is in no seeming
danger of interruption
BIT that our naval strength should be made ade-
quate for the defense of our harbos, the protection
of our commercial interests, and the maintenance of
our national honor is proposition from which no
patriotic citizen withhold his assent.
THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT
The report of the postmaster-general contains a
gratifying exhibit of the condition and prospects of
the interesting branch of the public service COM
mitted to his care.
1t appears that on June 80, 1888, the whole num-
Der of postoflices was i,S63 of which 1852 were
es tabished during the previous fiscal year. The
nu mber of offices operating under the system OF
free delivery was 15i.
At these latter offices the postage on local matter
amounted to s4,l95, 230.52, sum exceeding by
s1021 9i0l of the entire cost of the carrier service
of the country The rate of postage on drop letters
passing through these offices Is now fixed by law at
cents per half ounce or fraction thereof. In
offices where the carrier system has not been estab-
lishc the rate is only half a. large.
1t will be remembered that in 1863, when free de-
livery first established by law, the uniform sin
gle postage upon local letters was cent, and 80
it remained until 1871 when in those cities where
carrier service established it was increased in
order to dcfray the expense of such service. 1t
seems to me that the old rate may now with pro-
prety b. restored and that too, at the risk Of
diminish NJ for time, at least, the receipts from
postage upon local letters.
/ can see no reason why that particular class of
mail matter should be he'd lntab for the en-
tire cost of only its collection and delivery,
but the collection and delivery of all other class
and am confident after the consideration of the
subject, that the reduction of rate would be fol
lowed by such growing accession OF business as 10
enucs Of the postofflce.
THE POSTAL TELEGRAPH.
The postmaster-general devotes much of his re-
port the consideration in its various aspects of
the relations OF the Government to the telegraph.
Such reflection a. have been able to give to the
subject since my last annual message, has not led
me to change the views which there expressed in
dissenting from the recommendation of the then
acknowledgement, that the Government assume
the same control over the telegraph which it has
always exercised over the mail.
lrfrff tnpfi thrf in
ample as has ever been claimed for it, 1t would not
in my judgment be wise use of that authority to
purchase or assume the control OF existing tele.
graph lines or to construct Others with a view of
entering into general competition with private en-
tcrprise.
The objections which may be Justly urged against
either of those projects and indeed against any
system which would require enormous Increase
III the civil service list, do not. however, apply to
some of the plans which have lately pro voked pub
lie comment and discussion. Ii has been claimed,
for example, that Congress might wisely authorize
the postmaster-general to contract with some pri-
waite persons corporations for the transmission
of message. or of 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 supported and
opposed have doubtless attracted your attention.
II Is likely that the Whole subject viii be consid-
cred by You at the present session. In the nature
that t" OR deliberations would probably be aided
slightly, II at all, by any particular suggestions
which might now submit.
GOVERNMENT SUPERVISION SUGGESTED.
] avow my belief however, that the Government
sho ud be authorized by law to exercise some sort
of supervision over Interstate Geographic commu-
nication, and express the hope that for attannng
that end some measure may be dsvised which Will
receive your appreciation,
THE FEES OF JURORS AND WITNESSES
The encouragement crlticises in his rep ort the
provisions of existing law fixing the fees Of jurors
and witnesses in the Federal courts These proyi-
sions chiefly contained 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 in
stances be justly regardrd at the present day as in
adequate concur with the attorney-general in
the belief that the statutes should be revised by
which these fees are regulated.
SALARIES not FEES.
So, too, should the laws which regulate the COM
pensation of district attorney and marshals. They
sho"ld b. paid wholly by salaries, instead of in part
by fees asis now the case. The change would
prove to be a measure of economy, and would dis
courage the institution of needless and oppressive
legal proceedings, which il Is to be feared, have in
some instances been conducted for the mere sake Of
personal gain.
THE INDIAN QUESTION.
Much interesting ard varied information il con-
tanned in the report of the secretary of the interior
| particularly call your attention to his presenta-
recommendations for the repeal of the pre-emption
and timber culture acts, and for more stringent
legislation to prevent frauds under the pension
laws. The statutes which prescribe the definitions
and punishments of crimes relating to pensions
| could doubtless be made more effective by certain
amendments and additions which pointed out
in the secrctary's report.
THE GOVERNMENT AND ILLIrERAcY.
have previously referred to the alarming state
OF literacy in certain portions of the country, and
/ again submit for the consideration of Congress
whether some Federal aid should be extended to
public primary education where adequate provision
therefore has not already been made.
PoLYGAMY IN UTAH.
The Utah Commission has submitted to the 81 c.
rotary Of the interior its second annual report As
resuit OF It's labors in superseding the recent cleo
ton in the Territory, pursuant To the act OF March
2, lSs2 II appears that persons by that act dsqua
fed to the number Of about 1900, were excluded
from the pol.-. This fact, however. affords little
cause for congrai ulation, and | fear that it is
far from indicating any real and distant al
progress towards the eXptirpation of pOygamy.
All the memb ,rs-eect OF the Legislature Nor
mons. there IL grave reason to believe that they
are in sympathy with the practices that this GOV
ernment II seeking 10 suppress and that ifs efforts
in thar re "a will he more k,ly TO encounter
their opposition than to receive their encourage
ment and sIppor. Even If ih- view should
happily be erroneous, the law under which tie
commissioners have been acting should be made
more effective by the incorporation of some such
stringent amendments as they recommend, and rs
were included in Ei!l No, ABS on the ca endar at