782 



PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



But for avoiding as well ns for repelling dangers 

 that may threaten us in the future, we must be pre- 

 pared to enforce any policy which we think wise to 

 adopt. 



We must bo ready to defend our harbors against 

 aggression, to protect, by the distribution of our ships 

 of war over the highways of commerce, the varied in- 

 terests of our foreign trade, and the persons and prop- 

 erty of our citizens abroad, to maintain everywhere 

 the honor of our flag, and the distinguished position 

 which we may rightfully claim among the nations of 

 the world. 



The report of the Postmaster-General is a gratify- 

 ing exhibit of the growth and efficiency of the postal 

 service. 



The receipts from postage and other ordinary sources 

 during the past fiscal year were $36 ; 489,816.58. The 

 receipts from the money-order business were $295,- 

 681.39, making a total of $36,785,397.97. The ex- 

 penditure for the fiscal year was $39.251,736.46. The 

 deficit supplied out of the general Treasury was $2,- 

 481,129.35, or 6/5 per cent of the amount expended. 

 The receipts were $3,469,918.63 in excess of those of 

 the previous year, and $4,575,397.97 in excess of the 

 estimate made two years ago, before the present pe- 

 riod of business prosperity had fairly begun. 



The whole number of letters mailed in this country 

 in the las't fiscal year exceeded one thousand millions. 



The registry system is reported to be in excellent 

 condition, having been remodeled during the past four 

 years, with good results. The amount of registration 

 fees collected during the last fiscal year was $712,- 

 882.20, an increase over the fiscal year ending June 30, 

 1877, of $345,443.40. 



The entire number of letters and packages regis- 

 tered during the year was 8,338,919, of which only 

 2,061 were lost or destroyed in transit. 



The operations of the money-order system are mul- 

 tiplying yearly under the impulse of immigration, ot 

 the rapid development of the newer States and Ter- 

 ritories, and the consequent demand for additional 

 means of intercommunication and exchange. 



During the past year, 338 additional money-order 

 offices have been established, making a total of 5,499 

 in operation at the date of this report. 



During the year the domestic money-orders aggre- 

 gated in value $105,075,769.35. 



A modification of the system is suggested, reducing 

 the fees for money-orders not exceeding $5 from ten 

 cents to five cents, and making the maximum limit 

 $100 in place of $50. 



Legislation for the disposition of unclaimed money- 

 orders in the possession of the Post-Office Department 

 is recommended, in view of the fact that their total 

 value now exceeds one million dollars. 



The attention of Congress is ag^ain invited to the 

 subject of establishing a system ot savings deposito- 

 ries hi connection with the Post-Office Department. 



The statistics of mail transportation show that dur- 

 ing the past year railroad routes have been increased 

 in length 6,249 miles, and in cost $1,114,382, while 

 steamboat routes have been decreased in length 2,182 

 miles, and in cost $134,054. The so-called star routes 

 have been decreased in length 3,949 miles, and in cost 

 $364,144. 



Nearly all of the more expensive routes have been 

 superseded by railroad service. The cost of the star 

 service must therefore rapidly decrease in the West- 

 ern Sates and Territories. 



The Postmaster-General, however, calls attention 

 to the constantly increasing cost of the railway mail 

 service as a serious difficulty in the way of making 

 the department self-sustaining. 



Our postal intercourse with foreign countries has 

 kept pace with the growth of the domestic service. 

 Within the past year several countries and colonies 

 have declared their adhesion to the Postal Union. It 

 now includes all those which have an organized postal 

 service, except Bolivia, Costa Rica, New Zealand, and 

 the British colonies in Australia. 



As has been already stated, great reductions have 

 recently been made in the expense of the star- route 

 service. The investigations of the Department of 

 Justice and the Post-Office Department have resulted 

 in the presentation of indictments against persons for- 

 merly connected with that service, accusing them of 

 offenses against the United States. I have enjoined 

 upon the officials who are charged with the conduct of 

 the cases on the part of the Government and upon 

 the eminent counsel who, before my accession to the 

 presidency, were called co their assistance, the duty 

 of prosecuting with the utmost vigor of the law all 

 persons who may be found chargeable with frauds 

 upon the postal service. 



The acting Attorney-General calls attention to the 

 necessity of modifying the present system of the 

 courts of the United States a necessity due to the 

 large increase of business, especially in the Supreme 

 Court. Litigation in our Federal tribunals .became 

 greatly expanded alter the close of the late war. So 

 long as that cxpahsion might be attributable to the 

 abnormal condition in which the community found 

 itself immediately after the return of peace, prudence 

 required that no change be made in the constitution 

 of our judicial tribunals. 



But it has now become apparent that an immense 

 increase of litigation has directly resulted from the 

 wonderful growth and development of the country. 

 There is no ground for belief that the business of the 

 United States courts will ever be less in volume than 

 at present. Indeed, that it is likely to be much 

 greater is generally recognized by the bench and bar. 



In view of the tact that Congress has already given 

 much consideration to this subject, I make no sugges- 

 tion as to detail, but express the hope that your delib- 

 erations may result in such legislation as will give 

 early relief to our overburdened courts. 



The Acting Attorney-General also calls attention to 

 the disturbance of the public tranquillity during the 

 past year in the Territory of Arizona. A band of 

 armed desperadoes, known as " Cow-Boys," probably 

 numbering from fifty to one hundred men, have been 

 engaged for months in committing acts of lawlessness 

 and brutality which the local authorities have been 

 unable to repress. . The depredations of these " Cow- 

 Boys" have also extended into Mexico, which the 

 marauders reach from the Arizona frontier. With 

 every disposition to meet the exigencies of the case, 

 I am embarrassed by lack of authority to deal with 

 them effectually. The punishment of crimes com- 

 mitted within Arizona should ordinarily, of course, 

 be left to the Territorial authorities. But it is worthy 

 consideration whether acts which necessarily tend to 

 embroil the United States with neighboring govern- 

 ments should not be declared crimes against the 

 United States. Some of the incursions alluded to 

 may perhaps be within the scope of the law (Revised 

 Statutes, section 5286) forbidding " military expedi- 

 tions or enterprises " against friendly states ; but, in 

 view of the speedy assembling of your body, I have 

 preferred to await such legislation as in your wisdom 

 the occasion may seem to demand. 



It may, perhaps, be thought proper to provide that 

 the setting on foot, within our own territory, of brig- 

 andage and armed marauding expeditions against 

 friendly nations and their citizens, shall be punish- 

 able as an offense against the United States. 



I will add that, in the event of a request from the 

 Territorial government for protection by the United 

 States against " domestic violence," this Government 

 would be powerless to render assistance. 



The act of 1795, chapter 36, passed at a time when 

 Territorial governments received little attention from 

 Congress, enforced this duty of the United States only 

 as to the State governments. But the act of 1807, 

 chapter 39, applied also to Territories. This law 

 seems to have remained in force until the revision of 

 the statutes, when the provision for the Territories 

 was dropped. I am not advised whether this altera- 

 tion was intentional or accidental, but, as it seems to 



