Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1885-12-17

that any attempt on the part of the Govern
mems to cause the circulation of q silver dol
lar worth 20 cents, side by side with gold
dollar worth 10S cents, even with the limi,
that legislation does not run counter t.
trade; to be successful it must be
seconded by the confidence of the people, tina,
both coins will retain the same purchasing
power and changeable at win. spe
cial effort has been made by the Secretary OF
the Treasury to increase the amount Of on,
silver coin in circulation, but the fact that /,
large share of the limited amount tads p,,,
out has soon returned to the public frensHr.
in Sayment OF duties, leads to the heiief tina,
the people do not now desirp TO keen il in
hand, and this. with ths evident disnosition
TO hoard gold, gtees rise to the s,Isu;r,Sr
that there already exists a lack of confidence
amcng ire people touching our financial
processes. rccOmmend the suspension al
Sne coinn~fsory coinage of silver dollars
directe.i by the law passed in February, 1875
THE MARINE HOSPITAL SERVICE.
The Supervising SurReon-(ieneraI rcports
that during the fiscal year Al, IA patients have
received relief through the marine hosDita
service of whom l2.S3 were treated in hos
pitfalls and 2s,9l1 at dispensaries. Active and
effective efforts have been made through thu
medium Of this service to protect the country
against an invasion of cholera, which has
prevailed in Spain and France, and SMALLPOX
winch recently broke out in Canada.
COAST SURVEY.
The work of the coast and geodetic suryey
was during the last fsca! year carried o.. with
in our boundaries and of the coasts of tiir
fy-two States, two Terrtorir. and the Distric,
of Columbia. In July laet certain Irregular
sties were found To exist in the management,
of this bureau, Which led to prompt inves.i
cation OF its methods, the abuses of VIII oh
were broupnt to light by this examiua. on
and the reckless disregard of duty and the
sntefests OF the Government depending on
ihe part OF some of those connected with the
service made change of supcrntendency
and other Offices necessary.
THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
Inc report OF the Secretary of War IL hero
..yh Tod
as invited to the detailed account VIII :ch il
contains of the administration of his depart.
meHt and suggestions for the Improvement
o. the service. The army consisted at tn.
date of the last consolidated returns of 2 ia
officers and 24,105 enlisted NEIL The ex.
penses OF the department Tor the fiscal year
ended June 30, 1855, including Sl3, 1874 80
for public works and river and harbor i'm
provements, were S45, $50, 1884.
Besides the troops which were sent in pur.
suit of the small band OF Indians who left
their reservation i'm Arizona and committed
murders and outrages. two regiments of cay
airy and one of infantry were sent last July
20 the Indian Territory TO prevent an out
break which seemed imminent They re.
manned TO aid if necessary in the expulsion
OF mtrGder upon the reservation who
seemed TO have caused the discomfort among
the Indians, but the executive proclamation
warning them to remove was complied wit
without interference.
HTrOopS were also sent to Rock SPRINGS N
wyoming Territory, after the massacre or
s.
turbaDces and afterward 10 Seattle i'm Wa sh
lngton Territory. TO avert threatened at.
tack upon Chinese laborers ara liun,5st:c
vlolence there; IN both cases Che mere pres.
ence OF troops had the des1red effect 1t an.
pears that the number Of desert ons have
diminished, but that during the last fiscal
year the numoer was 1881, ana one instance
IL given by thI Lieutenant General of sin
assertions by the same recruit. / am CON
WINGED That this number of desertions can be
.nucn difIinished by better discipline and
,, rcn. but the punishment should be
increased for repeated otfcnses.
ne Judge Advocate General reports that
Ihe number of trials by general coui martiels
during the year were 2,5sS. and that ia trials
TOOK place before garrison and regimcntal
court martials. The suggestion that probably
more than tenth OF the army has been tried
Tor ofenses great and small in one year may
well arrest attention. Of course many of
these trials OF garrison and regmental court
fnartials We're for Ofenses almost frivolous
and there should, think, be way devised
70 dispose OF these in more summary and
Tess lnconvenient manner than by court
martial. OF some of the proceedings OF
court martial, which ! had occasion to cx-
anime, the present ideas of justice which
generally prevail in the trials, / am satisfied
should be much reformed if the honor
and the honesty Of the army and the navy
are, 10y their Observation-Disclosures be indicated
and protected.
The Board of Fortifications ami Harbor De-
lenses, appointed i'm Pursuance of provisions
OF the act OF Congress, approved March 3,
1859, will, i'm short time. present a report
ana IL is hored that this may greatly aid the
legislation SO necessary to remedy thn pres.
ent defeESeless condition of our sea coast.
THE SIGNAL SERVICE.
me work of the signal service has been
prosecuted during the last year with results
oil increasing benefit TO the country. The
field of instruction has been enlarged with a
view OF adding to its usefulness The NUM-
1885, was tS9. Telegraph;c report. are re-
reived daily from iGo stations; reports are
also received from 70 Canadian stations 3,5
volunteer observers, 81 army surgeons at
military posts, and 3i3 foreign stations. The
expense OF the service during the fiscal
year, after deducting rece pts from
mihtafy telegraph lines. was S79T ,5gs.9l.
WEST POINT ACADEMY.
The military academy at West Point is re.
ported as being in Il high state of efficiency
and well equipped for the accomplishment Of
the purposes OF its maintenance. The fact
that the class which graduates next year is
an unusually large one, has constrained me
70 decline to make appointments to second
tieutenaHtcies i'm the army from civil life so
that such vacancies as exist in these places
may De reserved for such graduates ana yet il
sinot probable that there will be vacancies
enough to provide positions for them all when
they leave the military school.
NAvTGaBLE WATERS.
There should be Il general law of Congress,
prohibiting the construction of bridges over
navlgabiewaters in such manner as to obstruct
navigation, with provisions for preventing
the same. 1t seems, under existing statutes,
that the Government can not intervene to
prevent such construction, when entered
consent is asked, ana granted upon condition
mat authority to insist upon such condition
is clear.
TRS NAVY DEPARTMENT..
The report of the Secretary of the Navy
gives history of the operations of his de-
partnent and the present condition OF the
work committed to his charge. He details
in full the course pursued by him to protect
the rights of the Government in n
certain vessels untinshed at the time OF his
accession to Office, and also concerning the
dispatch boat, Dolphin, claimed to be COM
pleted and awaiting the acceptance OF the
department.
No one can fail to see from recitals con-
tanned in these reports that only the applicG-
ton of business principles has been insisted
upon in the treatment of these subjects, and
that whatever controversy has arisen was
caused by the eNaction on the part of the De-
partment of contract obligations rs they
were legally construed. In the case of the
Dolphin, with entire justice To the contract
ors, an agreement has been entered into pro-
viding for the ascertainmert, by a judicial in
curry, OF the complete or partial compliance
with the contract in her construction, and
further providing for the assessment of any
jamage 10 which the Government may
Toe entitled on account of partial failure to
perform ouch contract, or payment of the
sum still remaining unpaid upon her price in
case full performance is adiudged. The
contractor. 10y reason of his failure in bust
ness being unable to complete the other
three vessels, they were taken possession of
10y the Government in their untini shed state,
under clause in the contract permitting
such "A course. and are now in process of
complet on in the yard of the contractor. but
under the supervision of the Navy Depart
ment.
Congress at its last session authorized the
construction of two additional new cruisers
and two gunboats. at a cost not to exceed in
the aggregate S2,@H.0a The Appropriation
for this purpose having become available on
the LIST day of July last, steps were taken for
the procurement of such plans for the con-
struction OF those vessels as would be likely
TO insure their usefulness when completed.
These are of utmost Importance, consider.
ing the constant advance in the art of build
ing vessels of this character and the time is
not lost which IS spent in Their careful con-
S.deratiOn and selection