Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-12-08

zuelan question has been referred TO arbi
tration.
The application OF the civil-servics
rules to certain consular appointment
has been at tended with success.
The President again urges Congress &c
provide at public expense official resi-.
denccs for our ambassadors at foreign
cauitals
The deficit in our revenues for the year
ending June 80. 1896, Is stated at SOS, 20S.2'5.
The receipts from customs show an in
! crease OF S7,SGSl3i.
The metallic money I'm the United States
az the close OF the fiscal year was
81 POS. 22e. 0S5. of which s599.597 96i was In
gold. and the balance In silver. The total
stock Of money Of all kinds in the United
States was s. 2S5. ilO.590. and the amount
in circulation, not including that in the
Treasury holdings. was si.627 o55. 6n. being
s22.6 per capita. upon an estimated popu-
lation OF n.9o2,coO Many other interest
lag figures with relation to our currency
are given.
We received as immigrants during the
year $40 l6S persons; an increase over the
preceding year Of si.7Sl The details on
this subject are interesting. and 1t is
thought the immigrants received were Of
better class than formerly.
A good showing OF the work Of the
life-savings stations is made in the mes
SAGE.
The President states that the entire
army of this country has now been
equipped with the new magazine arms,
and he declares that wise policy demands
that all available public and private re-
sources should be so employed as 10
provide within a reasonable time a sufii-
| cient number to supply the State militia
with these modern weapons and provide
an ample supply for any emergency. He
recommends that every encouragement
be given TO this deserving body Of unpaid
and volunteer citizen soldiers. upon
whose assistance we must largely rely
In time Of trouble
Rapid progress has been made toward
the completion Of the scheme adopted for
the erection and armament of for Utica
tons along our seacoast, while equal
progress has been made in providing the
material for submarine defence In con-
nection with these works. The President
recommends additional appropriations.
and says we should always keep in mind
that of all forms of military preparation
coast-defence alone is essen TALLY pacific
in its nature. They are not a tempta-
ton TO war, but a security against 1t,
he asserts.
The President reports the utilization Of
the abandoned military prison at Fort
Leavenworth as a United States peni-
tertiary. He recommends that this
prison be enlarged and improved: also
that another United States penitentiary'
be erected-and in the South.
The President is greatly pleased with
the success that has met the change OF
system by which many United States
officials formerly paid by fees are now
paid by salaries.
The years report as TO the Post-Ofice
Department shows large extensions OF
both star-route service and railway-mail
service, with increased postal service. the
President points out the loophole in the
law which permits the transmission at
the rate of l cent per pound OF seria
libraries, advertising sheets, &c. The de-
tails OF the operations of the Post-Ofica
Department are of general interest.
In view of possible contingencies when
our navy may be very serviceable TO our
country, what the President says on the
subject OF the navy is important He
writes that 1.-The construction of vessels
for our new navy has been energetically
prosecuted by the present administration
upon the general lines previously adopt
ed" Since March 4, 1893, there have been
placed in their first commission three
frst-class and two second-class battle
ships two armored cruisers, one shore
defence ram, and five double-turreted
monitors, including the Maine and Puri-
tan, just completed. Eight new unarmed
cruisers and two new gunboats have
also been commissioned. The Iowa, an
other battleship, will be completed about
March 1st, and at least four more gun
boats will be ready for sea in the early
spring.
Our public lands have been reduced from
1,SiO,OO0,OOO to about GOOOOO,OOO acres, ex-
Guiding Alaska. The President urges that
the remainder Of our public lands should
be more carefully dealt with and its
alienation guarded by better economy and
greater prudence.
Our Indian population is 177225, not in
II.
York and those comprising the five civil
lied tribes. In the matter of educating
the children and Tin every other particular
the Improvement Of the Indians under
government care has been most marked
and encouraging" The President recon-
mends legislation the better to protect
the Indians from the consequences OF
their own mistakes and improvidence, and
10 secure to them their rights against in
truders and professed friends, who profit
by their retrogression.
"The diminution of our enormous pen
sion-roll and the decrease of pension ex-
penditure which have been so often con-
fidently foretold, still fail Of materializa-
ton" the President reports. The number
OF pensioners is 970,67S, and the cost or
them TO the government is $l42 2O6, $50 per
annum. Great abuses have crept into the
system, he reports. And these "have done
incalculabe harm, demoralizing our peopls
and undermining good citizenship" The
President fears that time OF retrench-
ment may come (which may lead to an
attack upon the pension abuses so deter
mined as TO overlook the discrimination
due to those who, worthy Of a nations
care. ought TO live and die under the pro-
lection Of a nations gratitude"