The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-12-11
RIVERS AND HARBoRs.

RIVERS AND HARBORs.
The funds with which the works 70
the improvement of rivers and harbor
were prosecuted during the past yea
were derived from the appropriations o
the act of August 2, 1882, together will
such few balances as were on hand from
previous appropriations. The balance
in the treasury subject to requisitior
July l, 1883, was Sl0.021, ,649.55. Th'
amount appropriated during the fsca
year 1884 was sl,319,63462, and tht
amount drawn from the treasury during
the fiscal year was sS.22S,703 "a, leaving
balance of s3,112,5S0.63 in the treasury
subject to requisition July |, 1884.
FoRTIFICATIoNs.
The secretary of war submits tht
report of the chief of engineers as tt
the practicability of protecting our i'm
portant cities on the seaboard by forti'
hcations and other defences able to repe
modern methods of attack. The time
has now come when such defences can bt
prepared with confidence that they viii
not prove abortive, and when the possible
result of delay in making such prepara
tions is seriously considered delay seems
inexcusable. For the most important
cities, those whose destruction or capture
would be national humiliation, ade
quate defences inclusive of guns may be
made by the gradual expenditure o.
100000, 900, a sum which is less than 8
victorious enemy could levy as a contri'
button. An appropriation Of about one
tenth of that amount is asked for to begin
the work, and / concur With the secretary
of war in urging that it be granted.
NEW WAR VESSELS.
The recommendations of the naval
advisory board approved by the depart
ment comprise the construction of one
steel cruiser of $500 tons, one cruiser Of
5000 tons, two heavily armed gunboats,
one light cruising gunboat, one dispatch
vessel armed with Hotchkiss cannon, one
armed ram and three torpedo boats. The
general designs, all of which are calcula-
ted to meet the existing wants of the
service, are now we'll advanced and the
construction of the vessels can be under
taken as soon as you shall grant the
necessary authority.
THE NAVY.
In this the last of the stated messages
that shall have the honor to transmit
to the Congress of the United States /
cannot too strongly urge upon its atten.
ton the duty of restoring our navy as
rapidly as possible TO the high state OF
efficiency which formerly characterized
it. As the long peace that has lulled US
into sense of fancied security may at
any time be disturbed, it is plain that
the policy of strengthening this arm OF
the service is dictated by considerations
of wise economy, of q just regard for
our future tranquility and Of a true
appreciation of The dignity and honor of
the Republic.
REDUCTION OF POSTAGE.
| confidently repeat the recon- menda>
ton of my last annual message that the
single rate posts ge upon drop letters be
reduced to one cent wherever the pay
ment of Two cents is now required by
law. I approve the recommendation OF
the postmaster general that the unit OF
weight in the rating of first class natter
should be one ounce instead of one halt
ounce as it now is.
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
The attorney general renews the recon-
mendation contained in his report of last
year touching The fees of witnesses and
Jurors. He favors radical changes in
the fee bill, the adoption of system by
which attorneys and marshals of the
United States shall be compensated
solely by salaries, and the erection by
the Government of a penitentiary for the
confinement of offenders against the
laws of the United States.
THE EXTENSION OF OUR COMMERCE
In the course of this communication
reference has more than once been made
to the policy of this Government as
regards the extension of our foreign
trade. 1t seems proper to declare the
general principles that should, in my
opinion, underlie our national efforts in
this direction. The main conditions ol
the problem may be thus stated. We
are people apt in mechanical pursuits
and fertile in invention. We cover a
vast extent of territory, rich in agricul.
tural products and in nearly all the raw
materials necessary for successful manu'
factures. We have system of produc'
tive establishments more than sufficient
to supply our own demands. The wages
of labur are so great, and the scale oi
living of our artisan classes is such as
tends to secure their personal comfort
and the development of those higher
moral and intellectual qualities that &c
to the making of good citizens. Oul
system of tax and tariff legislation is
Welding revenue which is in excess o.
the present needs of the Government
These are the elements from which it is
sought to devise scheme by which
without unfavorably changing the con-
dition of the working>man, our merchant
mariue shall be raised from its enfeeblec
condition, and new markets provided fol
the sale beyond our borders of the mani
fold fruits of industrial enterprises. The
problem is complex, and can be solved
by no single measure of innovation o.
reform. The countries of the American
Continent and the adjacent islands are
for the United States the natural mart:
of supply and demand. 1t is from then
that we should obtain of what we do mo-
produce, or do not produce in sufficiency
and it is to them that the surplus pro-
ductions of our fields, our mills and ou
workshops should flow under conditions
that will equalize or favor them in com
parison with foreign competition: Fou
paths of policy seem to point to this end
First series of reciprocal Commercial
treaties with the countries of Americ'
which shall foster between US and show
an unhampered movement of trade
The conditions of these treaties shoule
be the free admission of such merchan
disc as this country does not produce, il
return for the admission, free or under {
favored scheme. Of duties, of our owl
g