defies our laws should not only be denied citizenship, but a domicile.
The enactment of a national bankrupt law of a character to be a
permanent part of our general legislation is desirable. It should be
simple in its methods and inexpensive in its administration.
The report of the Postmaster-General not only exhibits the operations
of the Department for the last fiscal year, but contains many valuable
suggestions for the improvement and extension of the service, which are
commended to your attention. No other branch of the Government has so
close a contact with the daily life of the people. Almost everyone uses
the service it offers, and every hour gained in the transmission of the
great commercial mails has an actual and possible value that only those
engaged in trade can understand.
The saving of one day in the transmission of the mails between New York
and San Francisco, which has recently been accomplished, is an incident
worthy of mention.
The plan suggested of a supervision of the post-offices in separate
districts that shall involve instruction and suggestion and a rating
of the efficiency of the postmasters would, I have no doubt, greatly
improve the service.
A pressing necessity exists for the erection of a building for the joint
use of the Department and of the city post-office. The Department was
partially relieved by renting outside quarters for a part of its force,
but it is again overcrowded. The building used by the city office never
was fit for the purpose, and is now inadequate and unwholesome.
The unsatisfactory condition of the law relating to the transmission
through the mails of lottery advertisements and remittances is clearly
stated by the Postmaster-General, and his suggestion as to amendments
should have your favorable consideration.
The report of the Secretary of the Navy shows a reorganization of the
bureaus of the Department that will, I do not doubt, promote the
efficiency of each.
In general, satisfactory progress has been made in the construction of
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