166 



CONGRESS. (THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.) 



mending legislation fixing degrees of the crime of 

 murder within Federal jurisdiction, as has been done 

 in many of the States ; authorizing writs of error on 

 behalf of the Government in cases where final judg- 

 ment is rendered against the sufficiency of an indict- 

 ment or against the Government upon any other 

 question arising before actual trials limiting the right 

 of review in cases of felony punishable only by fine 

 and imprisonment to the Circuit Court of Appeals, 

 and making speedy provision for the construction of 

 such prisons and reformatories as may be necessary 

 lor the confinement of United States convicts. 



The report of the Postmaster- General contains a de- 

 tailed statement of the operations of the Post-Office 

 Department during the last fiscal year, and much in- 

 teresting information touching this important branch 

 of the public service. 



The business of the mails indicates with absolute 

 certainty the condition of the business of the country, 

 and depression in financial affairs inevitably and 

 quickly reduces the postal revenues. Therefore, a 

 larger discrepancy than usual between the post-office 

 receipts and expenditures is the expected and un- 

 avoidable result of the distressing stringency which 

 has prevailed throughout the country during much 

 of the time covered oy the Postmaster-General's re- 

 port. At a date when better times were anticipated 

 it was estimated by his predecessor that the deficien- 

 cy .on the 30th day of June, 1893, would be but a little 

 over $1,500,000. It amounted, however, to more 

 than $5,000,000. At the same time and under the 

 influence of like anticipations, estimates were made 

 for the current fiscal year ending June 30, 1884, 

 which exhibited a surplus of revenue over expendi- 

 tures of $872,245.71, but now, in view of the actual 

 receipts and expenditures during that part of the cur- 

 rent fiscal year already expired, the present Post- 

 master-General estimates that at its close, instead of a 

 surplus, there will be a deficency of nearly $8,000,- 

 000. The post-office receipts for the last fiscal year 

 amounted to $75,896,933.1 6, and its expenditures to 

 $81,074,104.90. The post-office deficiency would dis- 

 appear or be immensely decreased if less matter was 

 earned free through the mails, an item of which is 

 upward of 300 tons of seeds and grain from the Agri- 

 cultural Department. 



The total number of post offices in the United 

 States on the 30th day of June, 1893, was 68,403, an 

 increase of 1,284 over the preceding year. Of these, 

 3,360 were presidential, an increase in that class of 

 204 over the preceding year. Forty-two free-delivery 

 offices were added during the year to those already 

 existing, making a total of 610 cities and towns pro- 

 vided with free delivery on June 30, 1893. Ninety- 

 three other cities and towns are now entitled to this 

 service under the law, but it has not been accorded 

 them on account of insufficient funds to meet the ex- 

 pense of its establishment. I am decidedly of the 

 opinion that the provisions of the present law permit 

 as general an introduction of this feature of mail serv- 

 ice as is necessary or justifiable, and that it ought not 

 to be extended to smaller communities than are now 

 designated. 



The, expense of free delivery for the fiscal year 

 ending June 30, 1894, will be more than $11,000,000, 

 and under legislation now existing there must be a 

 constant increase in this item of expenditure. There 

 wen: 6,401 additions to the domestic money-order 

 officers during the last fiscal year, being the largest 

 increase in any year since the inauguration of the sys- 

 tem. The total number of these offices at the close of 

 the year was 18,434, There were 13,309,735 money 

 orders issued from these offices, being an increase over 

 the preceding year of 1,240.293, and the value of these 

 orders amounted to $127,576,433.65, an increase of 

 $7,509,623.58. There were also issued during the 

 year postal notes amounting to $12,903,076.73. Dur- 

 ing the year 195 international money-order offices 

 were added to those ul ready provided, making a total 

 of 2,407 in operation on June 30, 1893. The number 

 of international money orders issued during the year 



was 1,055,999, an increase over the preceding year of 

 72,525, and their value was $16,341,837.86, an increase 

 of $1,221,506.31. The number of orders paid was 

 300,917, an increase over the preceding year of 13,503, 

 and their value was $5,283,375.70, an increase of $94,- 

 094.83. From the foregoing statements it appears 

 that the total issue of money orders and postal notes 

 for the year amounted to $156,821,348.24. 



The number of letters and packages mailed during 

 the year for special delivery was 3,375,693, an increase 

 over the preceding year of nearly 28 per cent. The 

 special -deli very stamps used on these letters and 

 packages amounted to $337,569.30, and the messen- 



ferp' fees paid for their delivery amounted to $256,- 

 92.71, leaving a profit to the Government of $80,- 

 976.59. 



The railway mail service not only adds to the 

 promptness of mail delivery at all offices, but it is the 

 especial instrumentality which puts the smaller and 

 way places in the service on an equality in that re- 



fard with the larger and terminal offices. This 

 ranch of the postal service has therefore received 

 much attention of the Postmaster-General, and 

 though it is gratifying to know that it is in a condi- 

 tion of high efficiency and great usefulness, 1 am led 

 to agree with the Postmaster-General that there is 

 room for further improvement. 



There are now connected with the post-office estab- 

 lishment 28,324 employees who are in the classified 

 service. The head of this great department gives 

 conclusive evidence of the value of civil-service 

 reform when, after an experience that renders his 

 judgment on the subject absolutely reliable, he ex- 

 presses the opinion that without the benefit of this 

 system it would be impossible to conduct the vast 

 business intrusted to him. 1 desire to commend as 

 especially worthy of prompt attention the suggestions 

 of the Postmaster-General relating to a more sensible 

 and businesslike organization and a better distribu- 

 tion of responsibility in his department. 



The report of the Secretary of the Navy contains a 

 history of the operations of his department during 

 the past year, and exhibits a most gratifying condition 

 of the personnel of our navy. He presents a satisfac- 

 tory account of the progress which has been made in 

 the construction of vessels, and makes a number of 

 recommendations to which attention is especially in- 

 vited. 



During the past six months the demands for cruis- 

 ing vessels have been many and urgent. There have 

 been revolutions calling for vessels to protect Ameri- 

 can interests in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica, 

 Honduras, Argentine, and Brazil, while the condition 

 of affairs in Honolulu has required the constant 

 presence of one or more ships. With all these calls 

 upon our navy it became necessary, in order to keep 

 up a sufficient fleet to patrol the Bering sea under 

 the modus vivendi agreed upon with Great Britain, 

 to detail to that service 1 vessel from the Fish Com- 

 mission and 3 from the revenue marine. 



Progress in the construction of new vessels has not 

 been as rapid as was anticipated. There have been 

 delays in the completion of unarmored vessels, hut 

 for the most part they have been such as are con- 

 stantly occurring even in countries having the largest 

 experience in naval shipbuilding. The most serious 

 delays, however, have been in the work upon ar- 

 mored ships. The trouble has been the failure of 

 contractors to deliver armor as agreed. The diffi- 

 culties seem now, however, to have been all overcome, 

 and armor is being delivered Avith satisfactory 

 promptness. As a result of the experience acquired 

 by shipbuilders and designers and material men, it 

 is believed that the dates when vessels will be com- 

 pleted can now be estimated with reasonable accu- 

 racy. Great guns, rapid-fire guns, torpedoes, and 

 powder are being promptly supplied. 



The following vessels of the new navy have been 

 completed and are now ready for service : The dou- 

 ble-turreted coast-defense monitor u Miantonomah " ; 

 the double-turreted monitor "Monterey "; the armored 



