National Republican., 1883-12-05


this subject ! call your attention TO the lin
portanc1 of perfecting our submarine torpedo
delensds The board authorized by the last
congress TO report upon the method which
should be adopted for the manufacture of
heavy ordnance adapted to modern warfare
has visited the principal iron and steel works
~ this country and in Europe IL is hoped
that itY report will soon be made, and that
congress VIII thereupon be disposed to pro-
vide suitable facilities and plant for the man
uiaCture of such nuus ne ara tiby imnorati ve1v
needed
On sIvoral occasions during tho mast vehr
officers OF tho army have, ut the request Of
the state authorities, visited their militia
encamWnents for inspection of their troops.
from the reports Of these officers | am
induced to believe that the announcement
oi the state militia organizations by tho
national government would be followed by
very gIhtifying results, and would afford II in
sudden emergencies the aid ofa large body of
volunteers educated in the performance of
military duties.
inc secretary Of the navy reports that
under the authority of tho acts Of Aug 5,
lSs-, ana March 3, 1888 the work Of strength
chlng our navy by the construction of
modern vessels has been auspiciously begun.
lhtee cruisers are in process of construction
the hlcago, of 1900 tons displacement,
aud th9 Boston and Atlanta, each of $500
tons, fhey are TO be built of steel, with the
| ,S"0', ohgth ana ducJlllty prescribed by
law, ana IN the combination of speed endur-
anoe, ana armament, are expected TO COM
pare iaYoraDly with the best uhhrmored war
vessels OF other nations. A fourth vessel, the
Dolphin, is to be constructed of similar ma
torial, and Is intended to serve as q fleet dis
patch boat.
The double-turretod monitors Puritan,
Amp rite, and Terror have been launched
on the delaware river and n contract has been
made ~ Che supply OF their machinery. A
smlla' monitor, the Monadnock, has been
launched in California.
The naval advisory board and the secretary
recommend the completion of tho monitors
tho construction of four gunboats, and also of
| three additional steer vessels lib the Chicago
| Boston, and Dolphin
AS all 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 cO''st from Florida TO Hampton Roads,
betweea the Chesapeake bay and tho Della.
ware river, and through Cape Cod.
fcel bound to Impress upon the attention
oil congress the necessity of continued pro-
gress III tho reconstruction of the navy. The
c9huinon oil the public treasury, as / have
already intimated, makes the pres ont an
hnsplclous time for putting this branch OF the
service in state Of efficiency.
1T is no part of our policy to create and
maintain navy able to cope with that of tho
other great powers of tho world.
we nave no wish for foreign conquest and
the peace which we have long enjoyed is in
no seeming danger of Interruption
But that our naval strength should be
made adequate for tho defense of our harbors,
the protection of our commercial interests,
ana tho maintenance of our national honor,
is proposition from which no patriotic citi-
zen can withhold his assent
Inc report of the postmaster general con-
st.,.. IN -
ana prospects oil the interesting branch of the
pubic service committed TO his care
ltnppears that on June 80, 1883, the whole
number OF postoiliccs was AZ S63. of which
l,oj2 we're established during the previous
| fiscal year. Tho number of offices operating
under lhe system of free delivery was l5i.
AT thcse latter offices the postage on local
matter amounted to Sl,195, ,23052. sum ex-
cccding by $l,02l, ,s9i0l the entire cost of the
carrier service Of tho country.
Inc rate of postage on drop letters passing
through these offices is now fixed by law at 2
cents per half ounce or fyaction thereof In
oinccs Where the carrier system has not been
established the rate is only half as large.
1t viii be remembered that in 1863, when
free delivery was first established by law, the
| uniform single rate postage upon local letters
| was | cent, and SO it remained until 1872
when in those cities whore carrier service
was established it was increased in order to
| dctiay the expense of such service.
1t seems to me that the old rate may now
with propriety be restored, and that, too,
| even Of the risk Of diminishing for time, at
least, The receipts from postage upon local
! letters,
| l can see no reason why that particular
| class of mail matter should be held account
| able for tho entire cost of not only its own
collection and delivery, but the collection and
delivery of all other classes; and am conf
! dent, after full consideration of the subject
that the reduc tion of rate would be followed
| by such gro wing accession of business as TO
occasion but slight and temporary loss to the
revenues of the postofice. The postmaster
general devotos much of his report to the
considC ration, in its various aspects, of the
relations of the government to the tele-
graph, Such reflections as have been able
to give to this subject since my last annual
message has not led me to change tho views
which there expressed in dissenting from
the recommendation of the then postmaster
general that the government assume the same
control over the telegraph which it has
always exercised over the mail
Admitting that its authority in the prem
| iscs is rs ample as has ever been claimed for
it, it would not, in my Judgment, be wise
use of that authority to purchase or assume
| the control of existing telegraph lines or to
construct others with view of entering into
| general competition with private enterprise
The objections which NAV be justly urged
| urged against either of those projects and
| indeed against any system which would
| require an enormous increase in the civil
service list, do not, however, apply to some of
the plans which have lately provoked public
| comment and discussion. 1t has been claimed
| for example, that congress might wisely au-
| thorize the postmaster general to contract
| with some private persons or corporation for
the Transmission of messages, or of certain
class of messages, at specified rates and under
/ ROVprnInnnt RuDeryiSiOn. NariDna guph
schemes, of the same general nature, but
widely differing in their special character
| istiCs, have been suggested in the public
prints and the arguments by which they
have been supported and opposed have doubt
less attracted your attention.
1t Is likely that the whole subject will be
| considered by you at tho present session.
| In the nat ure of things it involves SO many
questions Of detail that your deliberations
would probably be aided slightly, if at ALL by
any particular suggestions which l might
now submit. l avow my belief, however,
that the government should be authorized by
law to exercise some sort of supervision over
interstate telegraphic communication, and
express the hope that for attaining that end
some measure may be devised which will re-
ceiyc your appreciation.
Tho attorney general crticises in his report
the provisions of existing law fixing the fees
ofjurOrs and witnesses in the federal rts
These provisions are chiefly contained in the
act Of February 90, 1853, though some Of them
were introduced into that act from statutes
which had boon paSsOd many Vears preyious