]
WASHINGTON, _July 19, 1876_.
_To the House of Representatives_:
I transmit a report from the Secretary of State, in answer to the
resolution of the House of Representatives of the 1st of April last, on
the subject of commercial intercourse with Mexico and Central America.
U.S. GRANT.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, _July 31, 1876_.
_To the House of Representatives_:
The act making appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the
Government for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1877, is so defective
in what it omits to provide for that I can not announce its approval
without at the same time pointing out what seems to me to be its
defects. It makes but inadequate provision for the service at best,
and in some instances fails to make any provision whatever.
Notably among the first class is the reduction in the ordinary annual
appropriations for the Revenue-Cutter Service, to the prejudice of the
customs revenue.
The same may be said of the Signal Service, as also the failure to
provide for the increased expense devolved upon the mints and assay
offices by recent legislation, and thus tending to defeat the objects of
that legislation.
Of this class also are public buildings, for the protection,
preservation, and completion of which there is no adequate
appropriation, while the sum of $100,000 only is appropriated for the
repairs of the different navy yards and stations and the preservation of
the same, the ordinary and customary appropriations for which are not
less than $1,000,000.
Pages:
740
741
742
743
744
745
746
747
748
749
750
751
752
753
754
755
756
757
758
759
760
761
762
763
764