Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-12-09

The attention, not only Of Congress hut OF the
countr, is again invited to the methods of admin
ton which have been pursued aud to the results
which have been attained Public revenues
amounting to t414 Oig 2g2 ~ have been collected
and dlSbui sd without los. from misappropria
ton without single defalcation f such impor
tance as TO attract the public attention and at
diminished per cent Of cost for cole ction.
The public business has been Transacted not
only with fidelity, but progressively aud with a
view TO giving TO the people In the fullest possible
degree the benefits Of a service established and
maini aimed for their protection and comfort
Our relations with other nations are now undis
turbed 10y any serious controversy. The compli
Gated and threatening differences with Germany
and England relating to Samoan affairs, with
Eng land in relation to the seal fisheries in the
Beribg sea, and with Chill growing out Of the
Baltimore affair have been adjusted.
Reference is made to the different commercial
| agreements for reciprocal trade. and Of the fact
that the full benefits of these arrangements can
| not be realized instantly, although already there
have been remarkable gains. The president
! doubts not that within a short period We shall
| secure one-thrd Of the total trade Of the coun-
tries OF Central and South America. which now
amounts to about S6OO,OOOOOO annually. In 1885
we had only eight per cent of the trade.
Bering Sea Treaty and Canadian RelR-
tiOns.
The matters relating to the Berng sea treaty
are carefully considered. and the President be
lieves the final result will substantially establish
our claims, and preserve this great industry for
the benefit of all nations
The Canadian conference and the matter OF
| tolls In the Canadian and American canals is
| given considerable attention, and the president
regrets that in many Of the controversies. notably
those as TO the fisheries on the Atlantic the seal
| ing interests on the Pacific, and the canal tolls
| our negotiations with Great Britain have contn
| uousy been thwarted or retarded by unreason
able and unfrendly objections and protests flom
| Canada In the matter OF the canal tolls, our
| treaty rights were tiagrantly disregarded
1t is time for us, however, to consider whether,
If the present state of things is to continue. our
interchanges upon lines Of land transport tion
| should not be put upon different basis and our
| entire independence of Canadian canals and of
| the st. Lawrence as an outlet To the sea secured
| by the construction OF an American canal around
the falls of Niagara and the opening of ship com
munication between the great lakes aud one of
our own seaports.
We should not hesitate to avail ourselves of our
great natural rade advantages We should with
draw the supp ri which Is given to the railroads
and steamship lines OF Canada by traffic that
! properly belongs to u.s. and no longer furnish the
earnings which tighten the otherwise crushing
weight of the enormous public subsidies that have
been given them.
The difficulty with Chill and the amicable set
tlement through the payment of idemnity Of
$4,000 to our country is briefly treated together
with our relations with HAWAII, and the friendly
act OF the gov' rnment IN making payment to
Italy because of the New Orleans troubles. re-
peat with great earnestness the recommendation
which have made in several previous messages
that prompt and adequate support be given TO
the American company engaged in the construc-
tion of the Nicaragua ship canal is impossible to
overstate the value from every standpoint OF this
great enterprise, and hope that there may be
Time even in this Congress, TO give 10 ii an i'm
petus that will insure the early completion of the
canal and secure to the United States its proper
relation to il when completed
On the subject of the nations army and police.
suggestions are given in regard to the re6rgauiza-
tion of the infantry and artillery forces and the
location Of the army posts. Reference is made to
the enormous claims of $500 900 pending
against the government in property lost during
the war.
The Postal Service.
The report of the postmaster general shows
ifpip anha nfi nd
progressive management Of the great business of
that department. The remarkable increase in
revenues, in the number of post Offices and in the
miles of mail carriage furnishes fur her evidence
OF the high state OF prosperity which our people
The postal revenues have increased during the
last year S5,0OO0O0, The deficit for the year end
ing June 30 1892 is SSS3l less than the deficiency
of the preceding year,
The deficiency of the present fiscal year it is
timated will will be reduced to Si52 423 which will
not only be extinguished during the next fiscal
year but surplus of nearly Sl,OOOOOO should
then be shown. There have been added 1880 new
mail routes during the year with mileage OF
S563 Mills. The number Of post-offices has been
increased by 279O during the year.
For the three years ending June 30 1892 the
postal revenue amounted to Sl97. 359, which
was an increase of S52 263, $50 over the revenue
for the three years ending June 80 1885 the in
crease during the last three years b-lng more
than three and a half times AS great the in
crease during the three years ending June 30,
1855. No such increase as that shown for these
|
revenues Of the department.
The Shipping Problem.
Ever since our merchant marine was driven
from the sea by the rebel cruisers during the
of the Rebellion the United States has been pay
ing an enormous annual tribute to foreign coun-
tries in the shape of freight and passage moneys
| our grain and meats have been taken at our own
docks and our large imports there laid down by
foreign shlpmasters An increasing torrent OF
American travel to Europe has contributed a vast
sum annually to the dividends OF foreign snip
owners.
! The balance of trade shown by the books of our
custom houses has been very largely reduced, and
in many years altogether eXtngIished by this
? constant drain In the year 1882 only IL 3 per
cert of our imports were brought in American
vessels. These great foreign steamships main
tanned 10y our trade many of them under con-
tracts with their respective governments by
which in time of war they will become part OF
: their armed naval establishments.
Proitng by our commerce in peace they will
I become the most formidable destroyers of our
=. commerce in time Of war. have felt and have
before expressed the feeling that this condition
of things was both intoerable and disgraceful A
+ wholesome change of policy and one having in il
, | much promise, as It seems to me, was begun by
the law of March 3, 1891 Under this law contracts
: have been made by the postmaster general for
? eleven mail routes The expenditure involved by
these contracts for the next fiscal year approx
il mates S945, l23.
y As one OF the results already reached 10 Ameri-
: can steamships of an aggregated tonnage of 3D.
400 tons costing 81 400 600 have been built con
q tracted to be built in American shipyards,
No subject, l think, more nearly tOucneS the
= pride the power, and the prosperity of our coun
. try than this of th- development of our merchant
= marine upon the sea. If we could enter into con.
n ference with other competitors and all would
=. agree to withhold government aid, We could, per
N haps, take chances with the rest but our grea
n competitors have established and maintained
a their lines by government subsidies until nov
II they have practically excluded us from partici
patton. In my opinion, no choice is left to us bu
~ to pursue, moderately at least, the same lines
a Much attention is given TO the navy, the neeC
n for its upbuding and the progress which ha
+ been made in this direction under Secretar,
# Tracy,
l, The Department Of the Interior.
The work of the interior department has beer
y larger than ever before during the administra
tion Of Secretary Noble. The disability pension
n law the taking of the eleventh census, the open
p ing of vast areas of Indian lands to settlement
le the organization of Oklahama and the negota
in tous for the cession of Indian lands, furnish SOM
results achieved te tify to the ability, fidelity AM
Is industry of the head of the department and hi
Of efficient assistants.
IN The work of issuing agricultural patents whic
seemed hopelessy in arrears, has been so eXpedi
ed that the bureau Is now up on current business
The relief thus afforded to honest and worth
n settlers upon the public lands, by giving TO theT
d. an assured title, has been of incaculable beneh
in developing the new states and the teTrtorie,
Considerable space in the report of the wor
of this department is given to the Indians, th
acts for their benefit and regarding their lands
Pensions.
The passage of what is known as the disabilit
pension bill has foreseen, very largely increase