Morning journal and courier., 1884-12-02
RIVERS AND HARBoRs.


 improvement of rivers and harbors were prosecuted during the past year were de rived from the appropriations of the act ot August 9, 1882, together with such few bal ances were on hand from previous aP- propriations The balance in the treasury subject to acquisition July 1, 1883, was S1O,O21 ,649. The amount appropriated dur ing the fiscal year 1884 WAS S1 ,319, ,6o4.6S, and the amount drawn from the Treasury during the fiscal year wes SS, 22S, 7o5.54 leaving a balance of $3, 112, 59O.6 in the Treasury. subject to repudiation July l, 1854.
 SEA COAST DEFENsEs.
 The Secretary of War submits the report of the chief of engineers as to the Praetlca- bility of protecting our important cities on the seaboard by Notifications and other de lenses able to repel modern methods of at tack. The time has now come when such defenses can be prepared with confidence that they will not prove abortiye, and when the possible result of delay in making such pre- paration is seriously considered, delay seems inexcusable For the most important cities, those whose destruction or capture would be Q national humiliation, adequate detenses, inclusive of guns, may be made by the gra- dual expenditure of $60, 900, 900, a sum much less than victorious enemy could levy as contribution. An appropriation of about one-tenth of that amount is asked to begin the work, and I concur with the Secretary of War in urging that it be granted.
 The War department is proceeding with the conversion of ten-inch smooth bore guns l into eight-inch rifles by lining the former ] with tubes of forged or of coiled wrought l iron. Fifty guns will be thus converted | within the year. This, however, does not obviate the necessity of providing means for the construction of guns of the highest 1 power, both for the purposes of coast de- fense and for the armament of war vessels. The report of the gun foundry board, ap- pointed April ?, 1883, in pursuance of the | act of March 3, 1883, was transmitted to Congress in special message of February $, 1884. In my message of March 26, 1884, ] | called attention to the recommendation of | the board, that the government should en- l courage the production of private steel works l of the required material for heavy cannon, 1 and that two government factories, one foI l army and one for navy, should be establish l ed for the fabrication of guns from such ma
 terial No action having been taken, the
 board was subsequently, reconvened to de-
 termine moro fully the plans and estimates
 necessary for carrying out it's recommends
 tions. It has received information which 1 indicates that there are responsible steel
 manufacturers in this country who, although l not provided at present with the necessary | plant are willing to construct it and to make
 bids for contracts with the government fol | the supply of the requisite material for tht ! heaviest guns adapted to modern warfare, Ii | 8 guarantee order of sufficient magnitude, ac
 companied by positive appropriation, ex | tending over series of years, shall be made 1 by Congress. All doubts as to the feasibility of the plan being thus removed, l renew my | recommendation that such action be take1 by Congress as will enable the government tC
 construct its own ordinance upon our own ter
 ritory, and so to provide the armament:
 demanded by considerations of national safe ty and honor.