The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1884-12-13

/ the Bear, purchased at st. Johns. New Found
/ land and the Alert Nllcl was generously pro-
! yided by the British government PRESENTATIONS
I for the expedition were promptly made by the
/ secretary OF the navy, with the active co-opera-
: ton OF the secretary OF war. Commander Geo.
1 W. Coffin was placed in command OF the Alert,
/ and Lieut.. ". II. Emery in command ofthe Bear
/ The Thetis was entrusted 10 Commander Winfield
/ 5. Schley 10 whom also was assigned
/ the superintendent Of the entire expedi-
4 ton. Immediately upon its arrival at
! Upernayit the feet began the dangerous naviga-
/ ton OF Melville Bay, and in spite of every OBJ
stacle reached Littleton Island on June % fort
night carrier than any vessel had before attained
/ that point On tine same day II crossed over to
| Cape Sabine, where Liejit. Greedy and other
vivoTs of his party discovered. Alter taking
/ on board thr living and the bodies OF the dead
the relief ships sailed Tor St Johns, where they
/ arrived on July IS They were appropriately re-
/ ceiyed at Portsmouth August l, and at New
| York on August 5. One of the bodies was landed
| at the former place and the others were put on
/ shore at Governors Island. ard with the cxcep-
/ ton of which was inferred in the National
| Cemetery were forwarded thence To the -estina-
/ ton indicated by friends The organization and
conducJ OF this relief expedition rejects great
| credit upon all who contributed 10 its success
In this, the last OF the stated messages that
shall have the honor TO transmit to the Com
gress of the United States, l cannot too strongly
urge on lis attention 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 luled US into into a
sense Of fancied security may at any time be
disturbed 1t Is plain that the policy OF strength
eniDg this arm of the service Is dictated by con-
sldeTations Of wise, economy, of Just regard
Tor our future tranquility ana OF a true andre
citation Of the dignity and honor of the republic
THE PosT-oFFICE DEPARTMENT
The report Of the postma>ter-gentr acouaints
you with the present condition and needs of the
postal service. II discloses the gratifying fact
that the los, Of revenue from the reduction in ne
rate OF letter postage, as recommended in my
message OF December, 1882 and effected bv the
act of March 3, 1888, has been much less than was
generally anticipated My recommendation of
this reduction was based upon the belief that the
actual falling Oft in receipts from letter postage
Tor the ear Immediately succeeding the change
of the rate would be 100000. It has proved
10 be only S2245,OGO. This is a Trustworthy
indication that the revenue win soon be restored
to its former volume by natural increases OF
sealed curTesp0n6 ence, and | confidently repeat
therefore, the recommendation of my last annual
messa7e e, that the single rate of drop letters be
reduced 10 one cent wherever payment of two
cents is now required by law. The double rate
Is only exacted at offices where the carrier sys-
TEN is III operation, and ii appears that at those
offices the increase in tax upou local letters
defr8ys the cost not only of its own collection
and delivery but of the COLLECTION and delivery
of all -1ail matter. This is an inequality that
ought no longer 10 exist. | approve the
recommendation of the pos master general that
the unit of weight in the rating Of fIScass mat
Ter should be one ounce Instead OF One-han
ounce as il now Is. IN view of the statistics fur
nshed by the department it may be well doubt
ed whether the change would result in any loss of
revenue. That it would greatly promote the
convenience of the public is beyond dispute.
| The iree-deliveTy system has been lately applied
@
which it is now in operation is 159, Experience
shows that its adoption under proper conditions
is equally an accommodation TO the public and
an advantage to the postal service 1t is more
than selfsustaining and, for the reasons urged
by the POstmastcr-General,m may pToperIy be ex-
tended. 1t is the opinion of that officer that it
Is proper to provide means whereby exceptional
dispatch in dealing with letters in free-delivery
Offices may be secured by the payment
1 might be a3e eee9e This bR tb scheme
poyment of a special stamp whose cost
should be commensurate with the expense of the
extra service In some of the large cities private
express companies have undertaken to outstrip
the government mail carriers by afIoIdiug far
prompter II nsmsson OF letters and better facili-
ties Than have hitherto been at the command of
the post-ottice. Ii has always been the policy Of
the government to discourage such enterprises,
and in no better way can that policy be main
tanned than IN supplying the public with the
most effective mail service that, with due regard
to its own Interests be furnished for its ac-
coplmodatlOn.
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
The attorney general renews the recommends
tons contained in his report of last year touching
eeS o. witnesses and jurors. He favors radical
changes in the fee bill; the adoption of system
by which attorneys and marshsls of the United
States should be compensated solely by salaries,
and the erection by the government Of a penjten-
tiary for the confinement of offenders against it's
laws
of the varied governmental concerns in charge
of the interior department, the reports of its
rotary present an interesting summary. Among
the topics deserving particular attention ! refer
you 10 MS bDStENallDDS respecting our lUQlan
affairs, the pre- emption and tmberc culture acts,
the failure of railroad companies to take title to
lands granted by the COVE nment and the opera
tions of the pension Office, the patent office the
census bureau and the bureau of edu-
cation. Allusion has been made already
10 the circumstance that, both as between
different Indian tribes and as between Indians
and the whites, the past year has been one OF
broken peace. In this circumstance the presi-
dent is glad to find justification for the policy of
/ the government in dealing with the Indian ques
ton and confirmation of views which were fully
expressed in his first communication to the For
ty-seventh Congress. The secretary urges a new
enactment of a statue for the punishment of
crimes committed on Indian reservations, and
recommends the passage of a bill. now pending
i'll the House OF Representatives, for purchase of
tract of Is, 600 square miles from the Sioux
eUatiOn Both these measures are worthy of ap-
prevail concur with him, also, in advising the
repeal OF the presumption law, the enactment
OF statutes resolving the present legal complica-
tons touching lapsed grants TO railroad com
pauicS and the funding of the debt of the several
Pacific railroads under such guaranty as shall ef-
fectually insure its ultimate payment. The re-
port of the Utah Commission will be read with
interest 1t dScoses the results of recent legisla-
ton looking to the prevention and punishment of
pOygamy in that territory. still believe that il
that abnminabe practice can be suppressed by
law, II can only be by the most radical ltgisla-
ton consistent with restraints of the constitution.
would again recommend, therefore, that Con-
gress assume absolute political control OF the ter
Titory Of Utah and provide for the appointment
of commission with such governmental powers
as in its judgment may justly and wisely be put
| into their hands
THE EXTENSION OF TRACE.
InVhe 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. II seems proper to declare
the general principles that should, in my opinion,
underlie our national efforts in shis direction.
/ The main conditions Of the problem may be
| thus stated. We are people of mechanical pur-
suits and fertile in invention. We cover vast
extent OF territory, rich in agricultural
| production, ana in nearly all the raw
/ maj
utacture, We have q system of production
establishments more than sufficient to supplyou
so great The scale of living of our artisan
| classes is such as tends to secure their personal
| comfort and the development of those higher
morals and intellectual qualities that go to he
making of good citizens. Our system of tax and
| tariff legislation is yielding revenue which is
In excess of the present needs of the government
| There are elements from which it is sought to
| devise scheme by which without unfavorably
| changing the condition of workIngmen our mer-
] chant marine shall be raised from its enfeebled
! condition and new markets provided for that
| sale beyond our borders of the manifold fruits
| of our industrial enterprises. The problem is
| complex and can be solved by no single measure
/ of innovation or reform. The countries of the
! American cont inent aud the adjacent islands are
for the United States the natural market of sup-
! ply and demand. 1t is from them that we should
! obtain what we do not produce, or do moi produce
! in sufciency, and 1t is to them that the surplus
production of our fields, our mills and our work
/ shops should flow under conditions that viii
equalize or favor them in comparison with for
! egn competition. -Four paths of policy seem to
/ point TO this end. The first, a series of
reciprocal commercial treaties with the countries
! of America, which shall foster between us and
/ them an unhampered movement of trade. The
/ conditions of these treaties should be the free
/ admission of such merchandise as this country
does not produce in return for the admission free
or under favored fcheme OF duties of our own
/ products the benefits OF such exchange 10 apply
on these goods carried under the flag of the par
! ties to the contract. The IemOvaI on both sides
| from vessels so privileged of all ton
mage dues and national imports so
4 that their vessels may ply unhndered be-
! tween our ports and those of the other contract
ing parties, though without infringing
/ on the reserved home coasting trade
/ The removal or reduction of burdens on the ex-
ported products OF those countries coming within
the benefits OF the treaties and the avoidance OF
/ the technicalities, restrictions and penalties bv
/ which an intercourse with those countries IS at
present hampered. second. by the establishment
of The consular servicc OF the United States on a
sslaried footing. permitting the REIMBURSEMENT
of consular fees, not only as respects vessels I'M
/ der the national Tag, Ut also as respects YES
! sells OF the treaty nations, carrying goods
entitled to the benefs of the treaties
/ Thirdly, the enactment of measures 10