710 



PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



the number to be fixed by law. The necessity for 

 euoh legislation is specially felt now in the Pay De- 

 partment. The number of officers in that department 

 is below the number adequate to the performance of 

 the duties required of them by law. 



The efficiency of the Navy has been largely in- 

 creased during the last year. Under the impulse of 

 the foreign complications which threatened us at the 

 commencement of the last session of Congress, most 

 of our efficient wooden ships were put in condition 

 for immediate service, and the repairs of our iron-clad 

 fleet were pushed with the utmost vigor. The result 

 is that most of these are now in an effective state, and 

 need only to be manned and put in commission to go 

 at once into service. 



Some of the new sloops authorized by Congress are 

 already in commission, and most of the remainder are 

 launched and wait only the completion of their ma- 

 chinery to enable them to take their places as part of 

 our effective force. 



Two iron torpedo-ships have been completed dur- 

 ing the last year, and four of our large double-turreted 

 iron-clads are now undergoing repairs. When these 

 are finished, every thing that is useful of our Navy, as 

 now authorized, will be in condition for service, and, 

 with the advance in the science of torpedo warfare, 

 the American Navy, comparatively small as it is, will 

 be found at any time powerful for the purposes of a 

 peaceful nation. 



Much has been accomplished during the year in aid 

 of science and to increase the sum of general knowl- 

 edge and further the interests of commerce and civil- 

 ization. Extensive and much-needed soundings have 

 been made for hydrographic purposes and to fix the 

 proper routes of ocean-telegraphs. Further surveys 

 of the great Isthmus have been undertaken and com- 

 pleted, and two vessels of the Navy are now em- 

 ployed, in com unction with those of England, France,- 

 Germany, and Russia, in observations connected with 

 the transit of Venus, so 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, those 

 for the general support of the service being some- 

 what lesSj and those for permanent improvements 

 at the various stations rather larger than the corre- 

 sponding estimate made a year ago. The regular 

 maintenance and a steady increase in the efficiency of 

 this most important arm, in proportion to the growth 

 of our maritime intercourse and interests, are recom- 

 mended to the attention of Congress. 



The use of the Navy in time of peace might be 

 further utilized by a direct authorization of the em- 

 ployment of naval vessels in explorations and surveys 

 of the supposed navigable waters of other nation- 

 alities on tnis continent : specially the tributaries of 

 the two great rivers of South America, the Orpnpco 

 and the Amazon. Nothing prevents, under existing 

 laws, such exploration, except that expenditures must 

 be made in such expeditions beyond those usually 

 provided for in the appropriations. The field desig- 

 nated is unquestionably one of interest and one capa- 

 ble of large development of commerical interest advan- 

 tageous to the peoples reached, and to those who may 

 establish relations with them. 



Education of the people entitled to exercise the 

 right of franchise I regard essential to general pros- 

 perity everywhere, and especially so in republics, 

 where birth, education, or previous condition, does 

 not enter into account in giving suffrage. Next to 

 the public school, the post-office is the great agent of 

 education over our vast territory ; the rapidity with 

 which now sections are being settled, thus increasing 

 the carrying of mails in a more rapid ratio than the 

 increase of receipts, is not alarming. The report of 

 the Postmaster -General, herewith attached, shows 

 that there was an increase of revenue in his depart- 

 ment in 1873 over the previpns year of $1,674,411, and 

 an increase of cost of carrying; 'the mails and paying 

 employe's of $3,041,468.91. The report of the Post- 



master-General gives interesting statistics of his de- 

 partment, and compares them with the corresponding 

 statistics of a year ago, showing a growth in every 

 branch of the department. 



A postal convention has been concluded with New 

 South Wales, an exchange of postal cards established 

 with Switzerland, and negotiations pending for sev- 

 eral years past with France have been terminated in a 

 convention with that country, which went into effect 

 last August. 



An international postal congress was convened in 

 Berne, Switzerland, in September last, at which the 

 United States was represented by an officer of the 

 Post-Office Department of much experience and of 

 qualification for the position. A convention for the 

 establishment of an international postal union was 

 agreed upon and signed by the delegates of the coun- 

 tries represented, subject to the approval of the prop- 

 er authorities of those countries. 



I respectfully direct your attention to the report of 

 the Postmaster-General, and to his suggestion in re- 

 gard to an equitable, adjustment of the question of 

 compensation to railroads for carrying the mails. 



Your attention will be drawn to the unsettled con- 

 dition of affairs in some of the Southern States. 



On the 14th of September last, the Governor of 

 Louisiana called upon me, as provided by the Constitu- 

 tion and laws of the United States, to aid in suppress- 

 ing domestic violence in that State. This call was 

 made in view of a proclamation issued on that day by 

 D. B. Penn, claiming that he was elected Lieutenant- 

 Governor in 1872, and calling upon the militia of the 

 State to arm, assemble, and drive from power the 

 usurpers, as he designated the officers of the State 

 government. On the next day I issued my proclama- 

 tion commanding the insurgents to disperse within 

 five days from the date thereof, and subsequently 

 learned that on that day they had taken forcible pos- 

 session of the State-House. Steps were taken by me 

 to support the existing and recognized State govern- 

 ment ; but before the expiration of the five days the 

 insurrectionary movement was practically abandoned, 

 and the officers of the State government, with some 

 minor exceptions, resumed their powers and duties. 

 Considering that the present State administration of 

 Louisiana has been the only government in that State 

 for nearly two years ; that it has been tacitly acknowl- 

 edged and acquiesced in as such by Congress, and 

 more than once expressly recognized by me, I re- 

 garded it as my clear duty, when legally called upon 

 for that purpose, to prevent its overthrow by an armed 

 mob under pretense of fraud and irregularity in the 

 election of 1872. 1 have heretofore called the atten- 

 tion of Congress to this subject, stating t at, on ac- 

 count of the frauds and forgeries committed at said 

 election, and because it appears that the returns there- 

 of were never legally canvassed, it was impossible to 

 tell thereby who were chosen; but, from the best 

 sources of information at my command, I have always 

 believed that the present State officers received a 

 majority of the legal votes actually cast at that elec- 

 tion. 1 repeat what I said in my special mess_age of 

 February 23, 1873, that in the event of no action by 

 Congress I must continue to recognize the govern- 

 ment heretofore recognized by me. 



I regret to say that, with preparations for the late 

 election, decided indications appeared in some locali- 

 ties in the Southern States of a determination, by acts 

 of violence and intimidation, to deprive citizens of the 

 freedom of the ballot, because of their political opin- 

 ions. Bands of men, masked and armed, make their 

 appearance ; White Leagues and other societies were 

 forme_d; large quantities of arms and ammunition 

 were imported and distributed to these organizations ; 

 military drills, with menacing demonstrations, were 

 held ; and, with all these, murders enough were com- 

 mitted to spread terror among those whose political 

 action was to be suppressed, impossible, by these in- 

 tolerant and criminal proceedings. In some places 

 colored laborers were compelled to vote according to 



