CONGRESS, UNITED STATES. (PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.) 



183 



third their number, which at present is but eighty- 



From the report of the Secretary of War it will be 

 seen that in only a single instance has there been any 

 disturbance of the quiet condition of our Indian tribes. 

 A raid from Mexico into Arizona was made in March 

 last by a small party of Indians, which was pursued 

 by General Crook into the mountain-regions from 

 which it had come. It is confidently hoped that se- 

 rious outbreaks will not again occur, and that the In- 

 dian tribes which have for so many years disturbed 

 the West will hereafter remain in peaceable submis- 

 sion. 



1 again call your attention to the present condition 

 of our extended sea-coast, upon which are so many 

 large cities whose wealth and importance to the coun- 

 try would in time of war invite attack from modern 

 armored ships, against which our existing defensive 

 works could give no adequate protection. Those 

 works were built before the introduction of modern 

 heavy rifled guns into maritime warfare, and if they 

 are not put m an efficient condition we may easily 

 be subjected to humiliation by a hostile power great- 

 ly inferior to ourselves. As germane to this subject, 

 I call your attention to the importance of perfecting 

 pur submarine-torpedo defenses. The board author- 

 ized by the last Congress to report upon the method 

 which should be adopted for the manufacture of 

 heavy ordnance adapted to modern warfare has visited 

 the principal iron and steel works in this country and 

 in Europe. It is hoped that its report will soon be 

 made, and that Congress will thereupon be disposed 

 to provide suitable facilities and plant for the manu- 

 facture of such guns as are now imperatively needed. 



On several occasions during the past year officers of 

 the army have, at the request of the State authorities, 

 visited their militia encampments for inspection of the 

 troops. From the reports of these officers I am in- 

 duced to believe that the encouragement of the State 

 militia organizations by the national Government 

 would be followed by very gratifying results, and 

 would afford it in sudden emergencies the aid of a 

 large body of volunteers educated in the performance 

 of military duties. 



The Secretary of the Navy reports that, under the 

 -authority of the acts of August 5, 1882, and March 3, 

 1883, the work of strengthening our navy by the con- 

 struction of modern vessels has been auspiciously be- 

 gun. Three cruisers are in process of construction 

 the Chicago, of 4,500 tons displacement, and the Bos- 

 ton and Atlanta, each of 2,500 tons. They are to be 

 built of steel, with the tensile strength and ductility- 

 prescribed by law, and, in the combination of speed, 

 endurance, and armament, are expected to compare 

 favorably with the best unarmored war- vessels of other 

 nations. A fourth vessel, the Dolphin, is to be con- 

 structed of similar material, and is intended to serve 

 as a fleet dispatch-boat. 



The double-turreted monitors, Puritan, Amphitrite, 

 and Terror, have been launched on the Delaware river, 

 and a contract has been made for the supply of their 

 machinery. A similar monitor, the Monadnock, has 

 been launched in California. 



The naval advisory board and the Secretary recom- 

 mend the completion of the monitors, the construc- 

 tion of four gunboats, and also of three additional 

 Bteel vessels like the Chicago, Boston, and Dolphin. 



As an important measure of national defense, the 

 Secretary urges also the immediate creation of an in- 

 terior coast-line of water-ways across the peninsula 

 of Florida, along 'the coast from Florida to Hampton 

 Roads, between the Chesapeake Bay and the Delaware 

 river, and through Cape Cod. 



I feel bound to impress upon the attention of Con- 

 gress the necessity of continued progress in the recon- 

 struction of the navy. The condition of the public 

 Treasury, as I have already intimated, makes the pres- 

 ent an auspicious time for putting this branch of the 

 service in a state of efficiency. 



It is no part of our policy to create and maintain a 



navy able to cope with that of the other great powers 

 of the world. 



We have no wish for foreign conquest, and the peace 

 which we have long enjoyed is in no seeming danger 

 of interruption. 



But that our naval strength should be made ade- 

 quate for the defense of our harbors, the protection of 

 our commercial interests, and the maintenance of our 

 national honor, is a proposition from which no patri- 

 otic citizen can withhold his assent. 



The report of the Postmaster-General contains a 

 gratifying exhibit of the condition and prospects of 

 the interesting branch of the public service committed 

 to his care. 



It appears that on June 30, 1883. the whole number 

 of post-offices was 47,863, of which 1,632 were estab- 

 lished during the previous fiscal year. The number 

 of offices operating under the system of free delivery 

 was 154. 



At these latter offices the postage on local matter 

 amounted to $4,195,230.52 a sum exceeding by $1,- 

 021,894.01 the entire cost of the carrier service of the 

 country. 



The rate of postage on drop-letters passing through 

 these offices is now fixed by law at two cents per half- 

 ounce or fraction thereof. In offices where the carrier 

 system has not been established the rate is only half 

 as large. 



It will be remembered that in 1863, when free de- 

 livery was first established by law, the uniform single- 

 rate postage upon local letters was one cent ; and so it 

 remained until 1872, when in those cities where carrier 

 service was established it was increased in order to 

 defray the expense of such service. 



It seems to me that the old rate may now with pro- 

 priety be restored, and that, too, even at the risk of 

 diminishing, for a time at least, the receipts from post- 

 age upon local letters. 



I can see no reason why that particular class of mail 

 matter should be held accountable for the entire cost 

 of not only its own collection and delivery, but the 

 collection and delivery of all other classes ; and I am 

 confident, after full consideration of the subject, that 

 the reduction of rate would be followed by such a 

 growing accession of business as to occasion but slight 

 and temporary loss to the revenues of the Post-Office. 

 The Postmaster-General devotes much of his report 

 to the consideration, in its various aspects, of the rela- 

 tions of the Government to the telegraph. Such re- 

 flection as I have been able to give to this subject 

 since my last annual message has not led me to change 

 the views which I there expressed in dissenting from 

 the recommendation of the then Postmaster-General 

 that the Government assume the same control over 

 the telegraph which it has always exercised over the 

 mail. 



Admitting that its authority in the premises is as 

 ample as has ever been claimed for it, it would not, in 

 my judgment, be a wise use of that authority to pur- 

 chase or assume the control of existing telegraph 

 lines, or to construct others with a view of entering 

 into general competition with private enterprise. 



The objections which may be justly urged against 

 either of those projects, and indeed against any sys- 

 tem which would require an enormous'increase in the 

 civil-service list, do not, however, apply to some of 

 the plans which have lately provoked public comment 

 and discussion. It has been claimed, for example, 

 that Congress might wisely authorize the Postmaster- 

 General to contract with some private persons or cor- 

 poration for the transmission of messages, or of a cer- 

 tain class of messages, at specified rates and under 

 Government supervision. Various such schemes, of 

 the same general nature but widely differing in their 

 special characteristics, have been suggested in the 

 public prints, and the arguments by which they have 

 been supported and opposed have doubtless attracted 

 your attention. 



It is likely that the whole subject will be considered 

 by you at the present session. 



