The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1890-12-12
OFFICIAL RECORDS.

1nlS Clange was eUecte0 In JulY, 1889, and at
that time there were 40654 cases awaiting at
! tention, more than half of these being calls
| from the Pension Office for Information nec-
esSary to the adjudication of pension claims.
| On the 30th day of June last, though over 500,
/ COO new calls had come in, there was not q
single case that had not been examined and
answered
COAST DEFENSE WORKS AND ORDNANCE.
concur in the recommendations of the
/ Secretary that adequate and regular appro-
/ priations be continued for coast defense
/ works and ordnance. Plans have been prac-
/ tically agreed upon and there can be no good
reason for delaying the execution of them,
/ while the defenseless state of our great sea-
| ports furnishes an urgent reason for wise
/ expedition.
STATE MILITIA.
! The encouragement that has been extended
\ to the militia of the States, generally, and
| most appropriately, designated the INA
tional Guard" should be continued and en-
tute, in large sense, the army of the United
/ States, while about five -sixths of the annual
| cost of their maintenance is betrayed by the
State.
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
| The report of the Attorney General is,
| under the law, submitted directly to Con-
| gress, but as the Departments of Justice is
one of the executive departments, some
reference to the work done is appropriate
here. A vigorous and, in the main, effective
| effort has been made to bring to trial and
punishment all violators of the laws; but at
/ the same time, care has been take that friv-
! olous and technical offenses should not be
| used to swell the fees of the officers or to
harass we'll disposed citizens. Especial at
| tention iS called to the facts conn nected with
| the prosecutions of violations of the election
| laws and offenseS against United States Off
| GERS. The number of convictions secured,
very many of them upon pleas of guilty,
/ will, it is hoped, have salutary restraining
/ influence.
THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
The report of the Postmaster General
important work Committed to his @ direction. &c on
/ The business methods have been great ly
| improved. A large economy in expendf-
in receipts have been realized. The
| deficiency this year is IS, ,7S6. 800 as
/ against $6,S5 ,1s3 last year. Notwithstanding
| the great enlargement of the service, mail
routes have been extended and quickened
/ and greater accuracy and dispatch in distri-
/ button and delivery have been attained
THE ANTI LOTTERY LAW.
| The passage of the act to amend certain
| sections of the Revised Statutes relating to
/ lotteries, approved September 10, 1890, has
| been received with great and deserved pop
i ular favor. The Post Office Department and
the Department of Justice at once entered
| upon the enforcement of the law with
| sympathetic yigor, and already the public
mails have been largely freed from the
literature emanatins from the lottery com
panies.
THE NAVY.
| The construction and equipment of the new
| ships for the navy have made very satisfac-
/ tory progress. Since March 4, 1889, nine new
vessels have been put in commission, and
/ during this winter four more, including one
monitor, will be added. The construction of
| the other vessels authorized is being pushed,
both in the Government and private yards,
with energy, and watched with the most
| scrupulous care.
ARMoR PLATES
The experiments conducted during the
| year to test the relative resisting power of
| armor plates have been so valuable as to at
| tract great attention In Europe. The only
| part of the work upon the new ships that is
threatened by unusual delay is the armor
plating, and every effort is being made to re-
duce that to the minimum. 1t is sourcS
| of congratulation that the anticipated in
| fiuence of these modern vessels upon
the esprit du corps of the officers and
seamen has been fully realized. Con-
idence and pride in the ship among
the crew are equivalent to a secondary bat
terry. Your favorable consideration Is in
yted to the recommendations of the Score
retary.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR.
The report of the Secretary of the Interior
exhibits with great fullness and clearness
the vast work of that department and the
satisfactory results attained. The sugces-
tiOns made by him are earnestly commended
to the consideration of Congress, though
they can not all be given particular mention
here.
The several acts of Congress looking to the
reduction of the larger Indian reservations,
to the more rapid settlement of the Indians
upon individual allotments and the restOra-
tion to the public domain of lands in excess
of their needs, have been largely carried into
effect so far as the work was CON
fined to the Executive. Agreements have
been concluded since March 4, 1889,
involving the cession to the United
States of about IA, 200 acres Of land.
STHE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
The policy outlined in my last annual mes
sage in relation to the patenting of lands to
settlers upon the public domain has been car
red out in the administration of the Land
Office. No general suspicion nor imputation
of fraud has been allowed to delay the hear
ing and adjudication of individual cases
upon their merits.
PENSIONS.
The Disability Pension act, which was ap-
proved on the 27th of June last, has been put
into operation as rapidly as was practicable.
The increased clerical force as provided was
selected and assigned to work and a consid-
cradle part of the force engaged in examina-
tiOns in the field was recalled and added to
the working force of the Office. The ex.
by reason of Improved methods, been
more rapid than ever before. There is
no economy to the Government in delay,
while there is much hardship and injustice
to the soldier. The anticipated expenditure,
while very large, will not, it Is believed, be
in excess of the estimates made before the
enactment of the law. This liberal enact
ment of the general law should suggest a
more careful scrutiny of bills for special
relief, both as to the cases where relief is
granted and as to the amount allowed.
ADMISSION OF NEW STATES.
The admission of the States of Wyoming
and Idaho to the Union are events full of
people of those States now happily endowed
with a full participation in our privileges
and responsibilities, but to all our people.
Another belt of States stretches from the At
lantic to the Pacific.
THE CENSUS.
The enumeration of people OF the United
States under the provision of the act of March
/, 1890, has been completed, and the result
will be at once officially communicated to
Congress. The completion of this decennial
enumeration devolves upon Congress the
duty of making new apportionment of
Representatives "among the several States,
according to their respective numbers"
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
The report of the Secretary of Agriculture
deserves special attention, in view of the
unusual degree by agitation and organiza-
tion among the farmers, looking to an in
crease in the profits of their business. 1t
Will be found that the efforts of the depart
ment have been intelligently and zealously
intrusted to its care. A very sub
ucts during the. year IS noticed. The
October, 1889, S1-O024 in october, 1880; corn
from 81 cents to 504 cents; oats from 1914
cents to 43 cents, and barley from 63 cents
to IS cents. Meats showed substantial but
not so large an Increase. The export trade
in live animals and fowls shows a very
large increase, the total value Of such ex-
S35 0O00, and the increase over the pre-
cedlng year was over Sl5ooo,Oo0 q. Yearly yea ct,
more hogs were exported than in the
preceding year. The export trade
duets was very largely increased. the in
crease in the article of butter alone being
from l5,J0i,97S pounds TO 29,14S,Oi2 pounds,
and the total increase in the value of meat
and dairy products exported being S34, 600 900.
This trade, so directly helpful to the farmer,
it is believed win be vet further and very
tiOn and sanitary supervision now provided
by law is brought fully into operation. ~
CATTLE INSPECTION.
The efforts of the Secretary to establish the
healthfulness of our meats against the dis