Year: 1874

produce the whole-that part which we do:
not produce should enter free also. Twill
instance fine wool dyes, &c. These articl eB
must be imported to form part of the man :
ufacturing Of the higher grades Of WOODEN
goods. Chemicals used as dyes, compound
ed in medicines and used in various ways in
manufacturing, comes under this class. The
we do not produce should stimulate the.
the use Of those " we 90 not preduoes :
and therefore would be benefit to,
home production. There are many artigSs
entering into home manufacture which oC5et
do not produce ourselves, the tariff upon
which increases the cost Of producing the
manufactured article. All corrections in
this regard are in the direction of bringing z
labor and capital in harmony with each
other and Of supplying one of the elements
herewith attached and forming part OF
this message, gives all the information con-
cerning the operations, wants and necessi-
ties OF the army, and contains many sugges-
tions and recommendations which / COM
mend to your special attention There is no
class Of government employees who are
harder worked than the army officers and
none who perform their tasks more cheer
fully and efficiently, and under circumstan-
ces OF greater privat and hardships. leg
islation is desirable to render more efficient
this branch of the public service: All the
recommendations Of the Secretary Of War I
regard as judicious, and especially COM
meHd to your attention the following rll'Ssss
The consolidation Of government arsenals
The restoration of mi1eages to officers trav
cling under orders.


The exemption Of money received from
| the sale of subsistence stores from being coy.
cred into the treasury.
The use Of appropriations for the pur-
chase Of subsistence stores without wait
ing fer the beginning of the fiscal year for
which the appropriation is made.


For additional appropriations for the co..
lection of torpedo material.


For increased appropriations for the man.
ufacture of arms.


For relieving the various States from m
oestedness for arms charged to them during
the rebellion.


For aESppi,ng officers from the rolls of the
For the punishment Of the offense OF draw
ing pay more than once for the same period.
For discouragement Of plans to pay SOL
diers by checks, and for the establishment
Of Professorship of Rhetoric and English
Literature at West Point.


The reasons for the recommendations are
obvious, and are set forth sufficiently in the
report attached. ! also recomnaed
that the status of the staff CORPS of the army
be made where this has not already been
done, so that promotions may be made and
vacancies filled as they occur in each grade
when reduced below the number provided
for. The necessity for such legislation is spe-
cially felt now in the pay department. The
number of vacancies in that department is
below the number adequate to the perform
ance of the duties required of them by law.
THE NAVY.


The efficiency of the navy has been largely
increased during the last year under the I'M
pulse of the foreign complications which
threatened Us at the commencement of last
session OF Congress. Most of our efficient
wooden ships were put in condition for i'm
mediate service, and the repairs of the iron
The result is that most of these are effective
and need only to be manned and set in COM
Some of The new sloops author.
lied by Congress are already
in commission, and most Of the remainder
are launched, and want only the completion
of their machinery to enable them to take
their places as part Of our effective force.
Two iron torpedo ships have been COM
large double }urreted iron ciads are now un-
dergoing repairs When these are finished,
every thing that is needful of our navy as
now authorized, will be in condition for
service, and with all the advance in science
of torpedo war fare, the American navy,
comparatively small as it is, win
be found at any time all powerful:
Tor the purposes Of peaceful nation. Much
also has been accomplished during the year
in aid Of science and to increase the sum Of
general knowledge and further the interests
Of commerce and civilization. Extensive.
and much needed soundings have been
made for photographic purposes and to fix
the proper routes Of ocean telegraphs. Fur
ther surveys of the great isthmus have been
undertaken and completed, and two ves-
sells Of the navy are now employed in COZ
junction with those of England
France, Germany and Russia in observations
connected with the


TRANSIT OF VENUS,


useful and interesting to the scientific world
The estimates for this branch of the public
service do not differ materially from those
of last year, the general support Of the SER
vice being somewhat less, and those for i'm
provements at the various stations rather
year ago. The regular maintenance and
steady increase in the efficiency Of this
most important arm in proportion
to the growth of our maritime inter
course and interests is recommended to the
attention of Congress. The use of the navy
during peace might be further utilized by q
direct authorization of the employment of
naval vessels in the surveys Of the supposed
navigable waters of other nationaliies on
this continent, and especially the tributaries
of the two great rivers of South America,
the Oronec0 and the Amazon. Nothing