The Brookhaven leader., 1890-12-11
OFFICIAL RECORDS.

nR Tf
the volunteer soldiers are very remarksbIc
Ihis change was effected in july Issg and az
that time there were 4O.654 cases awaiting at.
tention, more than half of these being calls
from the Pension Ofiice for Information nee
essary to the adjudication of pension claims
On the goth day of June last, though over 200.
w w new calIs had come In, there was not a
single case that had not been examined and
answered. ''AAN
COAST DEFENSE WORKS AND ORDNANCE
concur in the recommendations of the
Secretary that adequate and regular appro.
priations be continued for coast dafensa
works and ordnance. Plans have been prac.
tically agreed upon and there can be NO good
reason Tor delaying the execution OF them,
while the defenscless 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 "Na.
tional Guard" should be continued and en-.
larged. These military organizations constj.
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 4 General IL
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. Avigorous 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 friy-
olous and technical offcnses should not be
used to swell the fees of the officers or to
harass well disposed citizens. Especial at
tenton is called to the facts connected with
the prosecutions of violations of the election
laws and offenses against United states OH.
GERS. The number of convictions secured
very many of them upon pleas of guilty
viii, II IS Aoped, nave salutary restraining
influence.
THB POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT
The report of the Postmaster Gcneral
shows the most gratifying progress in the
important work committed to his direction
The business methods have been greatly
improved. a large economy in expendf-
lures and an increase of 4,75O,OOO
IN In receipts have been realized. The
against s6,350,ls3 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 70, 1890, has
been received with great and deserved pop
ular favor The Post Oflice Department and
the Department of Justice at once entered
sympathetic vigor, and already the public
mails have been largely freed from the
fraudulent and demoralizing appeals and
literature emanating from the lottery com
panles.
THE NAVY.
The construction and equipment of the new
ships for the navy have made very satisfac-
tory progress. Since March 1, 1883. 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 a source
of congratulation that the anticipated in
fluence of these modern vessels upon
the esprit du corps of the officers and
seamen has been fully realized. Con
fidcncc and pride in the ship among
the crew are equivalent to a secondary bat
terry. Your favorable consideration Is in
vited to the recommendations OF the secre-
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 sugges-
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
of the larger Indian reservations,
to the more rapid settlement of the Indians
upon individual allOtments and the rcstora-
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
been concluded since March 4, 1883,
involving the cession to the United
States of about l4,726,0OO acres of land.
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
in laS 81 mo
sage in relation to the patenting of lands to
settlers upon the public domain has been car.
ried out in the administration of the Land
Office. No general suspicion nor lmputatlon
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 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-
animation and adjudication of claims have,
by reason of improved methods, been
more rapid than ever before. There is
no economy to the Governm ent 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
interest and congratulations, not only to the
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
devOlves upon Congress the
duty of making a new apportionment OF
"among the several states'
to their respective numbers.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
The report of the Secretary of Agriculture
deserves special attention, in view of the
fact that the year has been marked in very
unusual degree by agitation ana organizia. Ia
crease in the profits OF their business IL
will be found that-the efforts of the depart
ment have been intelligently and jealousy
intrusted 30 its care. A very sub.
stantial Improvement in the market
prices in the leading farm farm prTH6d, ROD
price of wheat advanced from 81 cents IN
October, 1889, S1.0O24 in October, 1890; corn
from 81 cents to 56A cents; oats from l9A
cents to 43 cents, and barley from 63 cents
to IS cents. Meats showed a substantial but
not so large an increase. The export trade
in live animals and fowls shows very
large increase, the total value of such ex-
ports for the year ending June 80, 1890 was
$33, 900 900, and the increase over the pre-
ceding wear was over sl5,Oo00OO. Nearly
200, 900 more cattle and over 100000
more hogs were exported than in the
IN beef and pork products and in dairy pro, pTO
ducts was very largely increased, the EN- IN,