Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-12-05

hoped that its report will be soon made and tha
Congress will thereupon be disposed to provide
suitable facilities and plans for the manufacturer
of such guns as now imperatiyey needed or
several occasions during the past year officers Of th
army have, at the rtques. of the State authorities
visited their military encampments for an inspec-
tion of the troops From reports of these officers
am induced to believe that the e couragement o
the State militia organization by the nationa
Government would be followed by very gratifying
results and would afford it in sudden emergencies
the aid of large body of volunteers educated il
the performance Of military duties
THE NAVY DEPARTMENT.
The Secretary OF the Navy reports that under this
authority of the Acts Of August 5, 1852, and March
3, 1888, the work OF Strengthening our navy by the
construction OF modern vessels has been auspsiousy
begun. Three cruisers are in progress Of construc
tion-the Chicago, of 1900 tons displacement and
the Boston and Atlanta, each of 1850 tons. They
to be built of STEEL with the tensile strength and
ductility prescribed by law, and in the combina-
tion OF speed, endurance and ornament are ex-
pected to compare favorably with the best-amed
war vessels cf other nations A fourth vesse-the
Dolphin-is to be constructed OF similar material.
She is intended TO a fleet dispatch boat The
| double-turreted monitors-Puritan, Amphrite and
| Terror-have been launched on the Delaware river.
and contract has been made for the supply Of their
machinery A similar monitor Monadnook-
has been launched in California The Naval Ad-
Eisory Board and the Secretary recommend the com
pletion Of the monitors, the construction Of four
gunboats and also OF three additional steel vessels
like the Chicago, Boston and Dolphin. AS an i'm
portant measure OF national defense,
the Secretary urges also the immediate
creation OF an interior coast line of waterways
across the Peninsula Of Florida, along the coast
from Florida to Hampton Roads, between the
| Chesapeake Bay and Delaware river and through
Cape Cod. feel bound to impress upon the at.
tention of Congress the necessity of continued pro
| gress in the reconstruction of the navy The con-
dition OF the public treasury, have already init.
mated, makes the present an auspicious one fer
putting this branch of service in astate of efficiency
1t is no part OF our policy to create and maintain a
navy able to cope with those OF the other great
powers OF the world. We have no wish for foreign
conquest, and the peace which we have long en-
joyed is in no seeming danger OF interruption: but
that our naval strength should be made adequate
for the defense of harbors the protection our
commercial interests and the maintenance OF our
national honor, is proposition from which no pa
trictic citizen withhold his assent.
POSTAL AFFAIRS.
The report of the Postmaster General contains a
gratifying exhibit of the condition and prospects of
the interesting branch Of the public service commit
ted to his 1t appears that on June 80, 1888,
the whole number of pOstofiices was 1853, o.
which 1852 were established during the last pre-
vious fiscal year. Tse number Of offices operating
under the system Of free delivery was I54. At the
latter offices the postage in local matter amounted
to 81, ,952 405 %, exceeding by 81 O2l S94 Of
the entire cost of the carriers service OF the eoun
try. The rate OF postage on drop letters passing
through these offices is fixed by law at two
cents per half ounce fraction thereof In offices
where the carrier eystem has not been established
the rate is only half as large. 1t will be remem-
| bered that IN 1868, when free delivery was first
established by law, the uniform single rate postage
upon local letters cent, and so it remained
until 1872, when, in those cities where the carrier
service established, it increased TO de
fray the expense CT such service. It seems
to me that the old rate may now with
propriety 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 rea-
son why that particular class of mail matter should
be held double for the entire cost of not only it.
collection and delivery, but the collection and de-
livery OF all other classes and am confident aftel
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 to the PJstoffce
The Postmaster-General devotes much of his report
TO the consideration, in its various aspects of the
Government to :he telegraph. The great reflection
which have been able to give the subject since my
last annual message has not led me tC
change the view which 1 then expressed, dissent
ing from the Recommendation of the Postmaster
General, that the Government assume the same CON
troll the telegraph which 1t has always exercised
over the mail. Admitting that its authority in the
premises is ample as has been claimed for it.
it would not, in my judgment, be wise use of tina;
authority to purchase or assume the control Of
existing telegraph lines, to construct Others with
a view OF entering into general competition with
private enterprise. The objections which may be
justly urged against either of these projects, and
indeed, against any system which would require al
enormous increase in the Civil Service list, do not
lately provoked public comment and discussion. II
has been claimed, for example, that Congress might
wisely authorize the Postmaster-Gereral C
contract with some private person o.
corporation for the transmission Of messages
at specified rates and under Government supervi-
sion. Various such schemes of the same genera
nature, but widely differing in their special char
acter.stIcs have been suggested in the public prints
and the arguments by which they have been sup
ported aud 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 invests many questions in
detail, that your deliberations would probably be
aided slightly, if at all, by any particular suggestions
which might now submit. 1 avow my belief, how
ever, that the Governments should be authorized by
law to exercise some sort of supervision inter
state telegraph communication, and l express the
hope that for attaining that end some measure may
be devised which will receive your appreciation.
JURORS AND WITNESSES FEES IN FEDERAL
COURTS.
The Attorney. General critieises in his report the
provisions Of the existing law fixing the fees of ju-
rors and witnesses in the Federal Courts The pro-
visions are chiefly contained in the Act of February
26 1853 though some of them were introduced into
that let from statutes which had been passed many
years previous. 1t is manifest that such compensa
ton as might when these laws were enacted, have
been Just and reasonable, would in many instances
be Justly regarded at the present day inadequate
concur with the Attorney-General in the belief
thst the statutes should be revised by which these
are regulated. So should the laws which regulate
the compensation of District Attorneys and Mar.
shas They should be paid wholly by salaries, in.
stead of in part by fees, as is now the case. The
change would prove to be measure OF economy,
and would discourage the institution of needless
and oppressive legal proceedings which it is to be
feared have in some instances been conducted for
the mere sake of personal gar
THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT
Much interesting and varied information is con-
tanned in the report of the Secretary of the Interior
particularly call you attention to his presentation
Of certain phases Of the Indian question to you the
recommendations for the repeal OF the Presumption
and Timber Culture Acts, and for more stringent
legislation to prevent frauds under the pension
laws. The statutes which preserve the definitions
and punishments of crimes relating to pensions
could doubtless be made more effective by certain
| amendments and additions which are pointed out