The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-12-04

atiors for the expedi. ion were promptly made
oy ne secretary Oh the navy, 18th III aotve
oo%manter Georee ee Comm was 81 nl sr,
IN conn an OF the Alert, and
Lieut. w, IL. Emery in command of the Bear.
The The IS wis entrusted to commai d. VIM
held >. Schley. 10 whom also was ASSIGNED the
superntendency of the entire expedition
INN dlately upon ARRIVAL at lperIIAv K, the
fleet began the dangerous navigation of Mel
vile y, and, in spite of every obstacle,
reached Littlet0n Island on jun % fort
night earlier than any ssel Def re attalred
| mat point. In he same day, il crossed over
to Cape abine, where Lieut.. Greedy aud the
Other Survivors IF his party were discovered
After taking n board the living and the bodies
OF tn dead the relief ship sail d for st. Johns,
where they arriv III July 10. They were appro-
priately received It Portsmouth and at New
York. One of ths bodies was landed at the
former pi ce. The others were put on shore
at Governors Island a d with the exception
I one which aai Inferred in Ire, national
cemetery were forwarded thence to the deSti-
nation indicated y friends
RESTORING THE NAVY.
IN this the last ated mess 90. that l shall
have the h nor to tTansml to tse congress I
( the Uultt Stat :, l cannot TOO strongly urge
! on It's attention to the duty of restoring our
navy as pidly as poSS BILE t. the high state of
( eHlclency WI ch formerly characterized it. as
the lon. peace that has lGlled us iutO a sense
oil ianeied security may =. 4 any time be dis
I EN- ng this arm t e services is dictated by
considerations of the use and economy of |
Just re- I'd for our ~ ure tranquility and of a
/ True appreciation of the digni y and honor of
the republic.
POSTAL AFFAIRS.
The report Of the postmaster general &C. |
Quaints you of the present condition and needs |
+ of the postal SprVca. l disCoses the crafty |
ing fact that the los Of revenue from tina re-
I ductlun IN the rae OF letter lostage as |
recommended in my message OF eee,rber |
1889, ana effected by the act OF March 3rd 1855,
mas oeen much less than was generally antci
patee. confident repeat tie Recommended
! ton OF my last annual message that single
rate postage for drop ette'S be reduced 10 ne
cent wherever payment of two cents is now
/ required by law. he double rate was only
I eXacted at Offices where the carrier system is |
IN operation. and i5 appears that at these off,
! ces the incr aSa in tax upon local lette S de-
! trays the cost. not only of its own collection |
and delivery, but Of The collection aud deliVe-
~ OF other mai! matter This is an inequality
/ That ought no longer 20 exist. j approve the |
/ recommendation of the po>tnaster-yeneral |
! that the unit of weight il tile Eating of first |
/ class NATTER should be one ounce instead |
! OF hall an ounce as 1t now is In view of sta |
/ tissues furnished by the department it may |
well be doubted whether the change would re- |
suit in loss ofrevenue. That it would greatly |
| promote the convenience oil the public is be- |
| yond dispute. The free delivery system has |
lately betn applied to to i've cities, and the |
I total number ST offices in which it is now in |
/ use IS l59. Experience shows that its adop- |
| ton is equally an accommodation TO the pub |
! lie and AN advantage to the postal service. 1t |
| is more than self-suStaining, and for he rea- |
sons urged by the postmaster-Eeneral may |
properly be extended. IT is the opinion |
/ provide means whereby exceptional dis |
| pat h in dealing with letters in free delivery
| offices may be secured by paying eXtraOrdina- |
! ry postage. This scheme might be made effect |
tv' by the employment OF special stamp, |
whose costs should be commehs rate with the |
expense OF the extra service. In Some OF the
| large cities, private express compani have |
undertaken to Ottstrip the goveanmen mail |
carriers by atfOrding for the prompt trans |
mission of letters, better facilities than have
hitherto been at command at the pottOflce
1t has always been the policy of the govern
ment to discourage such enterprises and, in no |
better way, can that policy be maintain d |
than in Supplying the public with the most
efficient ma service. that, with due regard to
its own best interest, can be furnished for its
accommodation.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
The attorney general renews r-ccommen
datio of his report last year, Touching fees of
witnesses and jurors. He favors reduced
charges in he fee bill; The adoption Of a sys
sem which attorneys and marshallS sholll
be compensated solely by salaries.
( SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR.
| The report of the secretary of the interior
| presents an interesting summary. Among the |
topics deserving particular attention, l refer |
you TO his observations respecting our Indian |
! affairs, the pre-empt'on and timber culHlre |
acts, the fatlure of railroad companies to make |
! title to l>nds granted by the government, and |
the operations of the pension Office, the patent |
office, the census bureau, and the bureau OF |
edrIca ion. Al'uSion has been made |
n -aty to the circumstance both as between |
different indian tribes, and as between Indians |
''A'NNSi CSSAA
unbrOken peace. L. this clrcualSt nee the |
president is glad to find Justification for the |
! poc} OF the government in dealing with the |
7 Indian question. and confirmation of th3 views |
which as iully expires ed in his first recon- |
mendation t. the forty-Seventh congress. This |
Secret.ry urges anew The enactment of a |
| statute rthe punishment OF crime committed |
! on Indian reservations and recOmm ndS he |
| passage OF a eili INV pending in the house of |
representatives for ths purchase OF attract Of |
/ 1900 quare miles from he Sioux reservation. I
| Both these measures are worthy OF approval. |
l concur with him also in advising The repeal |
| OF toe presumption law, the enactm. mt OF |
| statutes resolving the resent legal cOmpli |
cations touching iapsed grants to railroad |
comp ,nies, and the funding of the debt |
| the several Pacific railroads under such |
qua anty as shall effeetually insure its ulu-
THE MORMON QUESTION.
! The report of the Utah commission will be |
read with interest. 1t diScloSed the results of |
recent legislation looking to the prevention |
and pank hment of polygamy in that territory. |
L still believe if that ;iDomnable practice can |
be suppressed by law it can only be by the |
most radio ] legislation, consistent with the |
res raintS OF the conStii utiOn. 1 again recon- |
mend, therefore, that congress assume abso- |
Tut. political control of the territory of Utah.
ana pT4 t ior me appointmenI commis
Judgme may be justly and wisely put into |
their hand.
EXTENDING FOREIGN TRADE.
In course OF the communication reference |
has zen made to the policy of the government |
regarding the extentiOn of foreign trade. 1t |
seems proper to declare the general principles |
that should, in my opinion, underlie our nation |
a efforts Ill his direction The main cOndi |
/ lions of the problem may be thus stated We |
are people re;tJ in mechanical pursuits aud |
fertil in Invention We cover vast extent OF |
terri cry, rich III agricultural products. and |
producing nearly all the ra@ m sterlalS ne 'es-
sary tor successful Manufacture. We have a
system of product e establishments, more
t an sufficient TO supply our own demands.
| The wages of labor are nowhere |
living of our artisan classes, are such as
tend to secure their personal comfort, ant the |
development of those higher morals and intel
lie tn Il qualities that go TO he making Of good
citizens. Our system OF tax snd tariff legisla-
ton Is yielding revenue which Is in excess OF |
the present needs of the government. These
are elements from which IL is sought to de Use |
a scheme b. which, without unfavorably |
changing The condition of the workingmen, our |
merchant marine Shall be raised from its en- |
feebled condition, and new markets nrovided |
for that sale beyond on" borders of the mani |
fold fruits of our Industrial enterprise. The |
single measure of innovation reform. |
The countries of the American CONT |
nent, and the adjacent Islands,
of supply and demand 1t is from them we |
should obtain VIII t we do not produce or do |
not produce in sufficiencY, and it is to them |
mills and our workshops should flow, under |
conditions tia! will equalize, or favor them in |
compaf iSon with foreign competition. -Four |
sorts of policy seem to point TO this end:
First-A series of reciprocal commercial '
treaties with the countries OF America, which |
shall foster between us and them an unham- |
pered increment of trade. The conditions OF |
these treaties should offer free admission of |
such merchandise as his untry does not pro- |
duce, in return for the admission OF free |
or under a faYOre scheme of duties of our own |
products. The benefits OF such an exchange |
TO apply to these goods carried under the flag |
of the partie, to the contract; The removal on |
both sides, from vessels so privileged, of all |
tonnage dues and national imports, So that |
their vessels may ply between Que ports and /
those of the other contracting parties, though L
without infringing on the home coast ng trade |
The removal or reduction of bnrdens on the |
exported products of those countries coming L
within the benefits of the treaties.
Secondly-The establishment of the consul
lar service of the United States on salar;ed |
footing, permitting the REIMBURSEMENT of /
con ular fees, not only as respects vessels I'M
der the national flag but also as respects |
ves2els OF the treaty nations carrying goods |
entitled to the benefits OF the treaty.
rhrdly-The enactment of measures to favor |
the cOnStru ton and maintenance OF a steam |
| carrying marine under the flag of the United |
States.
Fourthly-The establishment OF an uniform |
currency basis for the countries of America; |
tn the coined products OF on mines clrcu-
late on equal terms throughout the W ole sys- |
TEN OF the commonwealth This would re- |
quire a monetary union of American cOun-
trit s, whereby the outpuI of the bullion pro-
ducing cuuut les and the circulation OF those
in confer 81 ty with the popnlat on, wealth and |
commercial neels OF each. AS many of the |
countries furnish no bullion to the common |
st ok, the surplus production OF our mines |
and ints might TINS be utilized.
To the accomplishment Of these ends, so far |
as they can be attained by Sc n ate treaties |
| thu ne citations already concluded ana now
| in progress Ii been directed ard the y