The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1893-12-16
GANTowN WEST VIRGINIA, SATURDAY, DECEMBER

prospect Of accomplishing an international
agreement on the subject OF coinage. / de-
sire also to earnestly suggest the wisdom
of amending the existing statutes in re-
gard to the issrPnce of government bonds.
The authority now vested in the secretary
of the treasury to issue bonds is not as
clear as it should be- and the bonds author
lied are Instantaneous to the govern
ment both as to the time of their maturity
and rate of interest.
The Question of Immig ration.
The superintendent of immigration.
| through the secretary OF the treasury, re-
ports that during the last fiscal year there
arrived at our ports 440, TsS immigrants. OF
these. l ,063 were not permitted to land
under the limitations of the law, and 577
were returned to the countries from
whence they came by reason Of their hav-
ing become public charges. The total
arrivals were 14l 034 less than for the
| previous year.
The secretary in his report gives an &C
count of the operation Of the marine hos
pital service and of the good work done
under its supervision in preventing the
entrance and pread Of contagious dis
eases. The admonitions of the last two
years touching our public health and the
| demonstrated danger of the introduction of
Outrageous diseases from foreign ports has
| invested the subject of national quaran-
| tine with increased interest. A more gen
eral and harmonious system thna nov
exists, acting promptly and directly every
| where and constantly operating by pre-
ventive means to shield our country from
the invasion of disease, and at the same
time having due regard to the rights and
duties of local agencies, would, | believe,
aid greatly to the safety of our people.
The president gives summary of the
report of the secretary of war, heretofore
published. The total enrolment OF the
militia of the several states was ON the
31st of October of the current year. ll2,-
| 597 officers and enlisted men. The officers
of the army detailed for the inspection
and instruction of this reserve of our mill
tary force report that increased interest
and marked progress are apparent in the
discipline and efficiency of the organiza-
tion.
Neither Indian outbreaks nor domestic
violence have called the army into service
during the year, and the only active mill
tary duty required of it has been in the
department of Texas, where violations of
neutrality laws of the United States and
Mexico were promptly and efficiently dealt
with by the troops, eliciting the warm
approval of the civil and military authori-
ties of both countries.
The work on the projected Chicamauga
and Chattanooga National Military park
has been prosecuted with zeal and judg
ihcub dHd ltS OpchlH6 wiz bN tIitoAoNtA
during the coming year. Over nine So uare
miles OF the Chicamauga battlefield ave
been acquired, 25 miles of roadway have
been constructed and permanent tablets
have been placed at many historical points.
The invitation to the states to mark the
positions Of their troops participating in
battle, has been very generally accepted.
The work of locating and preserving the
lines of battle at the Gettysburg battle
field is making satisfactory progress on
the plans directed by the last congress.
The Judicial Department.
The president gives summary of the
report of the attorney general and sug
gests certain changes in the mode of tax
ing court fees continuing he says:
also heartily join the attorney general
in recommending legislation fixing degrees
of the crime of murder within federal jur-
isdiction as has been done in many of the
states: authorizing writs of error on be-
half of the government in cases where
final Judgment is rendered against the
sufficiency of an indictment or against the
government upon any other question iris
ing before actual trial; limiting the right
of review in cases of felony punishable
only by fine and Imprisonment to the cir
cult court of appeals; and making speedy
provision for the construction of such
prisons and reformatories as may be neces-
sary for the confinement of United States
convicts.
There will be deficiency of nearly
s., 600 in the postal service, the esti-
mates having been made at date when
better times were anticipated. The dull
times have caused falling off in receipts
The receipts for the last fiscal year were
s75, 500, 1888
Forty-two free delivery Offices were
added during the year to those alread y ex-
listing making a total of $40 cities and
towns provided with free delivery on June
afb nit
towns are now entitled to this service
under the law, but it has not been accorded
them on account of sufficient funds to
meet the expenses of its establishment
The total issue of money orders and postal
notes for the year amounted to Sl56,s21-
34S "a
This branch of the postal service has re
ceived much attention from the postmas-
ter general and though it is gratifying 90
known it is in condition of high etfiei-
ency and great usefulness, | am led to
agree with the postmaster general that
there is room for further improvement
There are now connected with the post
office establishment 28 1924 employees who
are in the classified service. The head OF
this great department give conclusive
evidence of the value of civil service re-
form.
Condition of the Navy.
The president invites attention to the re-
port of the secretary of the navy, and says
that during the last year demands for
cruising vessels have been many and
urgent. There have been revolutions call
ing for vessels to protect American inter
ests in Nicaragua. Gautamala, Costa RIGA,
Honduras, Argentine and Brazil, while
the condition of affairs in Honolulu has
required the constant presence of one or
more ships.
In commenting upon the building of the
newnavy the president says: While am
Il x...%l 70 lf
ing the policy we have inaugurated of
building up thorough and efficient navy,
/ cannot refrain from the suggestion that
the congress should carefully take into ac-
count the number of unfinished vessels
on our hands, and the depleted condition
of our treasury, in considering the pro
priety of an appropriation at this time to
begin new work.
While discussing the report of the secre-
tary of the interior, the president gives
966,012 as the number OF persons on the
pension roll June 30, 1898, as increase of
1894 during the year. or these there are
II widows and daughters of revolutionary
soldiers; SO survivors of the war of 1912;
5,425 widows of soldiers of that war; 21,-
518 survivors and widows of the Mexican
war; 3,SS2 survivors and widows of Indian
wars; 2S4 army nurses; and 475,645 sur
vivors, and widows and children of de-
ceased soldiers and sailors of the war of
the rebellion. The latter number repre-
sents those pensioned on account of disa-
bilities, or death resulting from army or
navy service. The number of persons re-
manning on the rolls June 80, 1893, who
were pensioned under the act of June 81,
1890, which allows pensions on account Of
death and disability not chargeable to
army service, was 459, 1856. The number
added to the rolls during the year was
123,634, and the number dropped was
B3,690 The first payments on pensions
allowed during the year amounted to
$33, 756, 549.9s. This includes arrears, or
the accumulation between the time from
which the allowance Of pension dates and
the time of actually granting the certif-
cate.
Although the law of 1890 permits pen
sions of disabilities not related to mill
tary service, yet as a requisite to it's bene-
fits a disability must exist which inca
FACILITATES applicants from the performance
of manual labor to such degree as to rem
der them incapable to earn their own sup
port.
The execution of this law in its early
stages does not seem to have been in ac-
cord with its true intention; but toward
the close Of the last administration q