The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-12-09
IS on the plans directed by tho last |


congress.
The report OF the attorney general contains
| the usual summary Of the affairs and proceed
| ings OF the department OF justice for tho past
year, together with ccrtaip rccommcndat tions
| rs to needed legislation on various subjects l
can not too heartily indorsn the proposition
that tho fee system rs applicable to the COM
ponsaton OF United States attorneys, marshals,
| clerk OF federal courts, and United States com.
missioners, should be abolished with as little
delay ns possible. 1t Is clearly In the interest
OF the community that the business OF the
courts, both civil and criminal shall DO as small
| and rs incxpcnsivcly conducted as tho ends OF
| justice will allow.
Tho system is. therefore, thoroughly vicious
which makes the compensation OF court officials
depend upon the volume OF such business, and
| thus creates conflict between proper execu-
| tion OF the law and private gain, which can not
foil to be dangerous to the rights and freedom
| OF the citizen and an irresistible temptation to
the unjustiiable expenditure OF public funds.
| H. In addition to this REFORM another was In
| augurated which would give to United States
commissioners the final disposition OF petty Of
| fenscs within the grade OF misdcmeanors, es-
pecially those coming under tho internal rev.
enue laws, great advance would be made
toward more decent administration OF tho
| criminal law.
The president heartily joins the attorney
general In recommending legislation fixing de-
grees OF the crime Of murder within federal
| jurisdiction. as has been done in many OF the
states; authorizing writs OF error on behalf Of
| tho government in cases where final judgment
| Is rendered against tho government upon any
| other question arising before actual trial;
| limiting the right of review In cases OF felony
| punishable only by fine aud Imprisonment to
the circuit court of appeals, and making speedy
| provisions for the cons nstruction OF such prisons
and rctormatories as may be necessary for the
| confinement of United States convicts.
L
tans detailed statement OF the operations OF
the post oflce department during the last fiscal
year and much interesting Information touch
ing this important branch Of the public service
The business of the mails indicate with abso.
Lutte certainty the condition of the business Of
| the country, and depression in financial affairs
inevitably and quickly reduces the postal reve.
nues. Therefore q larger discrepancy than
| usua! between the post ohice receipts and ex-
penditures is the expected and unavoidable re-
suit OF the distressing s,ringoncy which has
| prevailed throughout the country during much
OF tho time covered by the postmaster-general s
| report.
The post officc receipts for the last fiscal year
amounted to ST5,Sl6,9l3 i6, and its expenditures
to sSl Oh, 10! 90 This post office deficiency would
disappear or be immensely decreased II less
matter was carried free through the mails IN
| Item OF which Is upward of three hundred tons
of seeds and grain from the agricultural depart
ment
The total number OF post offices in the United
States on the 30th day .of June, 1893, was 6S, 403
an increase Of 1884 over the proceeding year.
OF. these 3 36) were presidential, an increase in
that class of 20i over the preceding year.
The expense OF free delivery for the fiscal
year ending June SO, 1894 will be more than sl1,
100000, and under legislation now existing there
must be q constant increase in this item of ex.
pcudiure.
There were 6401 additions to tho domestic
| money order Offices during the last fiscal year,
being the largest increase in ;.ay year since the
Inauguration OF the system The total number
OF these offices at the close Of the year was
1S,43A
1 desire to commend as especially worthy OF
prompt attention the suggestions Of the post
mastcr-general relating to q more sensible and
business-lilse organization aud better distribu-
tion OF responsibility in his department.
The report Of the secretary OF the navy con-
taino history Of the operations OF his depart.
| ment during the past year and exhibits q most
gratifying condition Of the personnel Of our
navy. He presents o satisfactory account OF
| the progress which has been made in the con
struction of vessels, and makes number OF
recommendations to which attention is especial.
ly invited.
During the past six months the demand for
cruising vessels have been many and urgent
There have been revolutions calling for vessels
to protect American interests in Nicaragua
Guatamaa, Costa Rica, Honduras, Argentine
and Brazil, while the condition OF affairs In
Honolulu has required the constant presence ol
one or more ships. With all these calls upor
our navy, 1t became necessary, in order to make
up sufficient fleet, to patrol Bchring sea under
modus viyendi agreed upon with Great Britain
to detail to that service one vessel from the fish
commission and one from the revenue marine
Progress In tho construction Of new vessels
has not been as rapid as was anticipated. There
have been delays in the completion Of un.
armored vessels, but for the most part they
have been such Us are constantly occurring
even in countries having the largest expert
ence In naval ship building. The mcst serious
delays, however, have been In the work urcr
armored ships The trouble has been the fail
ure OF contractors to deliver armor as agreed
The difficulties seem now, however, to have
been overcome and armos is being delivered
with satisfactory promptness.
As q result of the experience acquired by
ship builders and designers and material men 1,
is believed that the dates when vessels will be
completed can now be estimated with reason
able accuracy. Great guns, rapid fire guns
torpedoes and powder are being promptly
supplied. The following vessels OF the new navy
have been completed and are ready for service
The double turreted coDst defense monitor
Miantonomoh, the double turretcd coast de
fense monitor Monterey, the armored cruiser
New York, the protected cruisers Baltimore
Chicago, Philadelphia, Newark, San Francisco
Charleston, Atlanta and Boston, the cruiser
|
nington Machias, Castine and Petrel, the dis
| patch vessel Dolphin. the practice vessel Ban
, croft, and the dynamite gunboat Vesuvius. o.
these the Bancroft Machias, Detroit and Cas-
tine have been placed In commission dnr!ng lh
current calendar year
The following vessels are.in progress OF con
struction: The srcond-clsss battle ships Maine
and Texas: the cruisers Montgomery and Mar
behead and the coast defense monitors Terror
Puritan. Amphitrite and Monadnock oil O
which will be completed within one year. Tn
h1rbor defense ram Katahdin and the protecLe
cruisers Columbus, Minneapolis, Olympia, Gin
cinnati aud Raleigh, all of which will BIO com
pleted prior TO July l, 1895; the hrst.cass battl
ships Iowa, Indiana, Massachusetts, and Oregon
which will be completed February l, 1896, an
the armed cruiser Brooklyn, which will be com
pleted by August I, OF that year. 1t is also el
, pccted that the three eunboats, authorized b
the last congress. will be completed In less ths
two years.
! Since 1895, congress has at each session OIL
thorized the building Of one or more vessels, an
the secretary OF tho navv presents an earncs
! plea for the continuance OF this plan. He recon
7 mends tho authorization OF ut least one battl
ship and six torpedo boats.
7 ! The secretary OF the interior has the supvi.
ION OF 30 many important subjects that his RI
3 port Ia OF especial value and interest. On tn
Q 3jih day OF June. 1888. there were on the pei
5 sion rolls 0c6,0i2 names, an increase OF s5,ai
Q over the number on the rolls June 30, 1892 {
i these there were seventeen widows and daugh
S tcrs OF revolutionary soldiers, and survivor
a OF the war 1872, 5,l25 widows OF soldiers OF tina
9 war, 1873 survivors and widows OF the Mex
aat I'll H.