The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-15 00:00:00

FRANCE.

I announce with much gratification that, since the ad-
journment of the last Congress, the question then existing
between this Government and that of France, respecting
the French Consul at San Francisco, has been satisfactorily
determined, and that the relations of the two Govern-
ments continue to be of the most friendly nature.
GREECE.
A question also which has been pending for several
years between the United States and the kingdom of
Greece, growing out of the sequestration, by public autho-
rities of that country, of property belonging to the present
American Consul at Athens, and which had been the sub-
ject of very earnest discussion heretofore, has recently
been settled to the satisfaction of the party interested and
of both Governments.
SPAIN.
With Spain peaceful relations are still maintained, and
some progress has been made in securing the redress of
the wrongs complained of by this Government. Spain
has net only disavowed and disapproved the conduct of the
officers who illegally seized and detained the steamer
Black Warrior at Havannah, but has also paid the sum
claimed as indemnity for the loss thereby inflicted on the
citizens of the U. ited States.
In consequence of the destructive hurricime which visited
Cuba in 1814, the supreme authority of that island issued
a decree permitting the importation, foi- the period of six
months, of certain building materials and provisions, free
of duty, but revoked it when about half the period only
had elapsed, to the injury of the citizens of the United
States, who had proceeded to act en the faith of that de
cree. The Spanish Government refused indemnification
to parties aggrieved until recently, when it was assented
to, payment being promised to be made so soon as the
amount due cau be ascertained.
Satisfaction claimed for the arrest and search of the
steamer El Dorado has not yet been accorded, but there is
every reason to believe that it will be, and that case, with
others, continues to be urged on the attention of the Span-
ish Government Ido not abandon the hope of conclud-
ing with Spain soma general arrangement, which, if it do
not wholly prevent the recurrence of difficulties in Cuba,
will realer them less frequent, and whenever they shall
oc.ur facilitate their more speedy settlement.
MEXICO.
The interposition of this Government has been invoked
by many of its citizens, on account of injuries dose to their
persons and property, for which the Mexican Republic is
responsible. The unhappy situation of that country for
5 me time past has not allowed its Government to give due
cousideration to claims of private reparation, and has ap-
I erred to call for and justify some forbearance in such mat-
ters on the part of this Government. But if the revolution-
ary movements which have lately occurred in that republic
end in the organisation of a stable Government, urgent ap-
peals to its justice will then he made, and it may be
hoped, with success, for the redress of all complaints of our
citizens.

CENTRAL AMERICA.
In regard to the American Republics, which, from
their proximity and odder considerations, have peculiar
relations to this Government, while it has been my con-
stant aim strictly to observe all the obligations of political
friendship and of good neighbourhood, obstacles to this
have arisen in some of them, from their own insufficient
power to check lawless irruptions, which, in effect, throws
most of the task on the United States. Thus it is that the
distracted internal condition of the State of Nicaragua has
made it incumbent on me to appeal to the good faith of our
citizens to abstain from unlawful intervention in its af-
fairs, and to adopt preventive measures to the same end,
which, on a similar occasion, had the best results in reas-
suring the peace of the Mexican States of Sonora and
Lower California.

TREATIES.
Since the last session of Congress a treaty of amity, com-
merce, and navigation, and for the surrender of fugitive
criminals, with the kingdom of the Two Sicilies ; a treaty
of friendship, commerce, and navigation with Nicaragua;
and a convention of commercial reciprocity with the Haw-
aiin kingdom, have been negotiated. The latter kingdom
and the State of Nicaragua have else acceded to a declara-
tion recognising as international rights the principles con-
temned in the convention between the United States and
Russia of the 22d July, 1854. These treaties and conven-
tions will be laid before the Senate for ratification.
TREASURY.
The statements made in my last annual Message respect.
ing the anticipated receipts and expenditures of the Trea-
sury have been substantially verified.
It appears from the report of the Secretary of the Tree-
' sury that the receipts duziiig the last fiscal year ending
Juno 10, 1855, from all sources, were $64,093,930; and
that the public expenditure for the same period, exclusive
of payments on account of the public debt, amounted to
$56,365,393. Daring the same period the payments made
in redemption of the public debt, including interest and
premium, amounted to $9,844,528.
The balance in the Treasury at the beginning of the pre-
sent fiscal year, July 1, 1855, was $18,931,976 ; the receipts
for the first quarter, and the estimatea receipts for the re-
mainiiig three quarters, amount, together, to $67,918,734;
thus affording in all, as the available resources of the cur-
rent fiscal year, the sum of $36,856,710.
If to the actual expenditure of the first quarter of the
current fiscal year be added the probable expenditures for
the remaining three quarters, as estimated by the Secre-
tary of the Treasury, the sum total will be $71,226,846,
thereby leaving a❑ estimated balance in the Treasury on
July 1, 1856, of $15,623,873 41.
In the abeve estimated expenditure of the present fiscal
year are included $3.000.000 to meet the last instalment of
the $10,000,00 provided for in the late treaty with Mexico,
and $7,750,00a appropriated on account of the debt due to
Texas, which two sums makes an aggregate amount of
$10,750,000, and reduce the expenditures, actual or esti-
metel, for ordinary objects of the year, to the stun of
$60,476,000.
The amount of the public debt at the commencement of
the present fiscal year was $40,583,631, and, deduction
being made of subsequent payments, the whole public debt
of the Federal Government remaining at this time is less
than $4'►,000,000.
The remnant of certain other Government stock,
amounting to $ '13,000, referred to in my last Message as
outstanding, ha,. since been paid.
I am fully persuaded that it would be difficult to devise
a systeni superior to that by which the fiscal business of
the Government is now conducted. Notwithstanding the
great number of public ageuts of collecticn and disburse-
ment, it is believed that the checks and guards provided,
including the tequirereent of monthly returns, render it
scarcely possible for any considerable fraud on the part of
those agents, or neglect involving hazard of serious public
loss, to escape detection. I renew, however, the recom-
mendation, heretofore made by me, of the enactment of a
law declaring it felony on the part of public-officers to insert
false entries in their books of record or account, or to make
false returns, and also requiring them on the termination of
their service to deliver to their successors all books, records,
and other objects of a public nature in their custody.
Derived as our public memo is, in chief part, from
duties on imports, its magnitude affords gratifying evi-
dence of the prosperity, not only of our commerce, but of
the other great interests upon which that depends.
The principle that all moneys not required for the cur-
rent expenses of the Government should remain for active
employment in the hands of the people, and the conspicu-
ous fact that the annual revenue from all sources exceeds
by many millions of dollars the amount needed for a pru-
dent and economical administration of public affairs can-
not fail to suggest the propriety of an early revision and
reduction of the tariff of duties on imports. It is now so
generally conceded that the purpose of revenue alone can
justify the imposition of duties on imports, that in re-ad-
justing the impost tables and schedules, which unquestion-
ably require essential modifications, a departure from the
principles of the present tariff is not anticipated.