Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1884-12-03
THE MONITORS.


Tor under the act OF March 3, 1885, is in process
OF construction No work has been done during
tne past year on their armor,. for lack of the
| necessary. appropriations. fourth monitor
! the Monadnock, still remains unfinished at the
navy yard in California. It is recommended that
early steps be taken to complete these vessels
ana 10 provide also an armament for the mont
Tor Mlantonomah.
NEW CRUISERS
The recommendations of the Naval Advisory
Board, approved by the department, comprise
the construction Of steel cruiser of tons,
one cruiser of 1000 tons, two heavily armed gum
boats, one light cruising gunboat. one dispatch
| vessel armed with Hotchkiss cannon, one ar
mored ram and three torpedo boats. The gen.
eral designs, all of which are calculated to meet
the existing wants of the service, are now well
can be undertaken as soon as you shall grant the
| necessary authority.
| ARCTIC EXPEDITIONS.
The act of Congress approved August Z,
1882, authorized the removal to the United
| States of the bodies Of Lieutenant Com
m nnGider c George W. De Long and his com
moval has been successfully accomplished by
Lieuts. Harder and Schuetze The remains were
taken taken from ON their grave IN the Lena Delta In
| the following winter, the season being too far
advanced to admit of their immediate trans
1884, where they were received with suita-
| BILE honors. In pursuance of the joint resolu-
ton OF Congress, approved Feb. ID, 1884, naval
expedition was fitted out for the relief OF Lieut.
| A. w. Greedy, United States army, and of the
| party who had been engaged under his COM
mand in scientific observations at Lady Frank
Thetis, purchased in England. the Bear, pur-
chased at st. Johns, Newfoundland, and
| the Alert, which was generously provided
| by the British Government. Preparations 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.
W. Coffin was PLACED S in command of the Alert,
the Bear. The Thetis was intrusted to Comman-
der Winfield s. Copley, to whom also was assign
ed the superintendent OF the entire expedition.
Immediately upon it's arrival at Upernavik the
fleet began the dangerous navigation of Melville
Bay, and, in spite OF every obstacle, reached
Littleton Island on June Pa fortnight earlier
than any vessel had before attained that point.
On the same day it crossed over to Cape Sabine,
where Lieutenant Greedy and the other surviv-
on q tRe vns sas a o
the dead the relief ships sailed for
st. Johns. where they arrived on July II.
mouth, N. H, on August i, and at New York on
August 8. One of the bodies was landed at the
former place. The others were put on shore at
Governors Island, and, with the exception of
terry, were forwarded thence to the destination
indicated by friends. The organization and con-
duct of this relief expedition reflects great
credit upon all who contributed to its success.
THE NAVY.
In this, the last of the state messages that
shall have the honor to transmit to the Congress
of the United States, I can not too strongly urge
on its attention the duty of restoring navy
as rapidly as possible to the high state of eff
cheney 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 con-
sideratiOns of use and economy, of just regard
for our future tranquility. and OF true apprecia-
ton of the dignity and honor of the republic.
THE POSTAL SERVICE
The report of the Postmaster General &C
quaints you with the present condition and
needs of the postal service 1t dscloses the graft
Tying fact that the loss of revenue from the re-
duction of the rate in letter postage, as recon-
mended in my message of December, 1882,
and effected by 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 Off
in receipts for letter postage for the year imme-
diately succeeding the change of rate would be
100000. 1t has proved to be only 81, 275,O 900.
This is a trustworthy indication that the revenue
will soon be restored to its former volume by
the natural increase of sealed correspon-
the. recommendation of my last an
nual message, that single rate postage
upon drop letters be reduced to cent where
ever payment of cents is now required by law.
The double rate is only exacted at offices where
the carrier system is in operation and it appears
that at these offices the increase in the tax upon
local letters defrays the cost not only of their
own collection and delivery, but of the collec-
ton and delivery of all other mail matter.
This is an inequality that ought no longer to
exist
approve the recommendation of the Post
master General, that the unit of weight in the
rating of first-class matter should be one ounce
instead of one-half ounce as it now is. In view
of the statistics furnished by the department., it
may well be doubted whether the change would
result in any loss OF revenue; that it would
greatly promote the convenience of the
public is beyond dispute. The free deliv-
cry system has been lately applied to five
cities, and the total number Of offices in
which it is now in operation is 159. EX-
perience 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 self sustaining, and for the rea
sons urged by the Postmaster General, may
properly be extended 1t is the opinion of that
officer. that it is proper to provide means where
secured by the payment of extraordinary
postage. This scheme might be
stamp whose cost should be commensurate
with the expense of the extra service In
some of the large cities private express COM
eminent mail carriers by affording for the |
prompt transmission of letters better facili-
ties than have hitherto been at the command |
of the Post Office. 1t has always been the pol |
icy Of the Government to discourage such enter
prises and in no better way can that |
policy be maintained than in supplying
that, with due regard to it's own best interests,
can be furnished for its accommodation.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. |
The Attorney General reneWS the recon- /
mendation contained in his report of last |
year touching the fees of witnesses and |
burorss He favors radical changes in the fee |
mill, the adoption of a system by which after |
joys and marshals of the United States should |
be compensated solely by salaries, and the |
ere ction by the Government of penitentiary |
for the confinement of offenders against its laws
THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT
OF the varied governmental concerns in |
charge of the Interior Department., the reports !
Of its Secretary presents an interesting sum- |
mary. Among the topics deserving particular |
refer you to his observations re- |
specting our Indian affairs, the prescription and
timber culture acts the failure of railroad COM
panies to take title to lands granted by the Gov
and the operations of the Pension |
Office, the Patent Office, the Census Bureau, and |
the Bureau of Education.
THE INDIANS AGAIN.
Allusion has been made already to the circum- |
stance that, both as between the different Indi- |
an tribes, and as between Indians and whites, |
the past year has been one CT unbroken peace. |
In this circumstance the President is glad to |
find a justification for the policy of the |
Government in dealing with the Indian |
question, and a confirmation of their views |
which were fully expressed in his first COM
to the Forty-seventh Congress. The /
Secretary urges anew the enactment of a statute |
for the punishment of crimes committed ON In |
dian reservations, and recommends the passage
Of the bill, now pending in the House of Repre- |
for the purchase of a tract of $4,000 |
sOuarn rnias from the Siollx reservation Roth