The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1885-12-08
onstant advance. in the art Of build;

constant tQNtnce III tne OF Dulif
M vessels Of this character. and
the time is not lost which lie spent
in their careful consideration and seleet!on.
All must ndluit the inn prtAnce OF Al effective
navy to u nation like ours, having such al OK.
tended sea coast 70 protect, Yet we have not
single vessel Of that could keep the
against trst-class vosssl OF any important
power. Such u condition ought not longer tC
continue. The nation that can not esist sggres.
sion Is constantly sXposed TO it Its foreign pol
icy is OF necessity weak, and its negotiations
are conducted with disadvantage because it il
not in condition 10 enforce the terms dictated
by its sense OF right and Justice.
Inspired as 1 an by the hope, shared by all
patriotic citizens, that tue day is not far distant
when our navy will be such AS behts our
standing among the nations OF tho earth and
reioiced at every step that leads in the direction
OF such ID contamination, deem it my duty to
especially direct tina attention of Congress- tn
the close OF the report of the Secretary of the
Navy il which the huulilatlng features of the
present organization Of this department. is eI-
hibited, and the startling abuses and tho waste
of its present methods are exposed. The con
victon ID forced upon US, with the certainty of
mathematical Demonstration, that before
proceed further in the restoration OF n navy, We
need u thoroughly reorSalized Navy Depart
Inent.
The fact that within seventeen years more
than V5pvo.poO has been spent in construction,
repair, equipment, and armament of vesssls,
and the further fact that, instead OF effective
and cred table fleet, we have only the discomfort
and apprehension of u nstion undefended by
war vessels, added 20 the disclosures now rlade,
do not permit us to doubt that every attsmpt
to revive navy has thus far, for the most
part. boon uiisdrected. and all oar efforts in
that direction h@ve been little better than blind
groupings, and expensive. airi.iess follies
Unquestionably If we contont with the
maintenance OF II navy department simply as an
ornament to the Government II constant watch
fuluess lnLy prevent some OF Tho scandal and
abuse which have folnt their way into our pros
ent organization. and its ineurable wast, msy
DO rsduced to tho minimum But II we desire to
build ships for present usefulness instead of
naval reminders Of the days that past,
must have II department organized for the work,
supplied " tn all the latest and best ingenuity
our country affords and prepared To take
advantage of the experience of other nasions,
systemntlSed TINT ali efforts shull urits and
lead i'll one direction and fully iinbued with ths
conviction thnt vessels row are useless IN
less thsy combine all that the ingenuity IT
man has up to this day brought forth relating
to their construction, | earnestly commend this
portion Of thu Secretary report devoted To this
subject to tho action Of COngross, in the hope
that the suggestions touching tAe reorganization
of his department may be Adopted as the hrst
stop toward the reconstruction OF our navy,
THE POSTAL SERVICE,
The affairs of the postal service are exhibited
by the report of the Postmaster General. which
will be laid before you. The postal rsvenue,
whose rates Of gain upon the riang prosperity OF
loS! and 1888 outstrtpped the increasing ex-
peu,e Of growing service, WAS checked by
the reduction in the rate of letter postage which
took effect with the beginning of October in tbs
latter year. and it diminished during the
portion OF 81 27t 900 in 1884 to $500 900 i'll 1885.
Natural growth and development lave, in the
meantime, Increased eypr nditura, resulting in
deficiency in the revenue to thu expenses OF the
department of s5,250uuo for the year 1854, and
ticipatod and natural revival OF tho revenue
has been oppressed and retarded by tn
unfavorable business condition of the country.
OF which the postal service il u faithful midi
Gator. The gratifying fact is shown, however,
by the report that our returning prosperity 10
marked by gain Of $asoooo in the revenue
of the latter half OF the last year ovor the
corresponding period Of the preceding year.
Tho change in the rate of frst-olass matter
which may be carried fer single ratio of post
ago from u htf-ounce to an ounce aud the re-
duotiou BY one-half of the ratio OF newspaper
Dna
with the current year, Will operate to restrain
tho augmentation Of receipts which uthar~ 80
might huss boon expected u such degree that
the scaIe OF expense may Ba!l upon thS ret ,
and cause increased deficiency to be shown
ut its close; yet after no long psfod Of rewak-
ened prosperity, by proper economy. 1t is conn
IDENTIFY anticipated that even the present low
rates, now as favorable re- amy country aHordh,
will be adequate to sustain tho cost OF the
seFvice.
The operation of the Pustpfiice Department ID
for the con venieuce and bouent Of the people
and the method by which they pay the charges
of this useful of The public SERVICE that
it be just and impartial, OF Less Importance
To tbeuI than the economical expenditure OF tho
means they provide for its maintenance. and the
due impruvemene Of its ngeroies, SO that they
may ENJOY it's highest usefulness. proper at
teution has been directed to the prevention Of
waste or extravaganza, and good results appear
from the reports to have already been accom-
plished.
DOMESTIC MONEY ORDERS.
I approve the recommendation of the Post
master General to reduce the charges on domes-
tic money orders of 81 and less FROM to cents.
This change viii materially did teose of our
people who, most Of all, avail themselves Of this
fundamentally, bat 10 whom the clement of
chsapness Ia of the greatest Importance. With
this reduction the system would still REMAND
sslf-supporting
THE rRER-pRLIvKRy SYSTEM
has been extended to nineteen ado tional cities
daring the year, and ITS now ENJOY IT'S
convenences. Experience has commended
it to those who enjoy its benefits, and
further enlargement of its facilities Is due
70 other communities to which 1t is adapted
In Ina ia. ~ hare hat IpN AT ifu
taken together, the local postage exceeds its
maintenance by nearly sl,3o0,oOO The limit to
which this system is now confined by law has
been nearly reached and tho reasons given
FuREIGE-MA1L SERVICE.
II was decided with my appreciation, after d
sufficient examination, to be- inexpedIent
for the Postottice Department to contract
for carrying our foreign mails under the addi-
tonAl authority given by the last Congress,
Tho amount limited was inadequate to pay all
within the purview OF the law the full rate of
so cents per mile and it would have been unjust
and unwise to have given it some and denied it
it to others. Nor could contracts have been let
under the law to all ut u rate to have brought
the aggregate within the appropriation without
such practical pro-nruneenent Of terms as
would have violated it. The rate of sea and in
land postage which was prnhered under another
statute clearly appears 10 he IL fair Cunpensa-
ton for the desired service being three Tunes
the price necessary To secure transportation 10y
other vessels upon any route, and much beyond
the charges niade to private persons for servlcet
not less hurdenaOnlo.
Some Of the steamship companies upon the
refusal of the Postmaster General TO attempt,
by the means provided the distribution of the
sum appropriated, Withdrew the services Of
then vessels. ttnd thereby accustomed slight
lnconN tHiencC, though no considerable M
jury. Tire mails have been dispatched
By other means. Whatever may be thought
OF the policy OF substituting any line of
public conveyance or travel, am satisfied that
It should not be done under cover VI AN expendi-
tura incident to the administration of depart
meut, nor should there be any uncertainty to
the recipients of the subsidy any discretion left
to executive officer to its distriDuti
IF such gifts Of public money are TO he made for
the purpose OF aiding ANY enterprise i'll the sup
posed interest of the public cannot but think
that the amount to be paid and tho beneficiary
might better be determined by Congress than in
any other way
TIRE POSTAL UNION
The International Congress of delegates from
the postal union countries convened at Lisbon.
in Portugal, i'll February last, and after
sion of weeks the delegates signed ii
vention HlueudatOry of the present Postal Union
CunN elItiuu in some particulars designed a. nd
vance it's purposes This additional net has hHd
ily apprNVni. nhd will bc laid before You with
the departmental reports,
| approve the recommendation Of the Post
master General that another assistant be pro-
vide-l for his department. invite Your consid-
GRAFTON to the several other recommendations
contained in his report
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
The report of the Attorney General contains
history of the conduct OF the Department Of
Justice during the last ystr, and u number OF
valuable suggestions as to needed legislation,