The Sun.
London, England, 1869-12-24 00:00:00

PROPOSED urrouns.

There are two changes in the organization of the Trea-
sury Department which I consider important. The first
change wtich I refer to is the creation of a Chief Con-
troller of the Treasury, who shall be nut ho-ised to con-
trol the system of accounting by the several Auditors
and Controller,, and to whom all appeals shall ha male
upon questions arising iu the accounting offices of the
Treasury. The creation of this office, clothed with the '
powers iudicated, will give uniformity to the accounting
system, and I trust it will be in the power of the offices
appointed to sitnplify the system and 'materially reduce the
expenses of the Department in this particular.
The second change to which I call attention is, in my
opinion, even more important. At present there are eight
divisions in the Sceretary's Office whose duties are con-
nected exclusively with the customs revenue system.
Thero is no person except the Secretary of the Treasury
who is by law authorised to pass finally, or in any way
authoritatively, upon questions arising in the administra-
tion of the customs revenue laws. At the present time
the revenue from customs is as large as the revenue from
the excise system ; the number of men employed and the
field of its operations are nearly as groat. It is impossible
for the Secretary of the Treasury to give the various ques-
tions that arlso in-trio-atuniunn.wina ue taw s s rui LliaL
attention which is essential to the service. The duties of
superintending the collection of customs revenue are so
varied, delicate, and important as to justify and require
the exclusive attention of the most competent person
whose service can be obtained.

The experience of the present year in the administra-
tion of the Internal Revenue system, and the collection
of the exeise tax, justifies the opinion that the establish-
ment of the office of Commissioner of Customs Revenue,
corresponding in powers and position to that of Commis-
sioner of Inter-al Revenue, and the appointment of a
competent Commissio,er would render the execution of
the Customs Revenue laws much more efficient and har-
monious, while the revenue would probably be increased
to the amount of many millions of dollars annually, nor
is it probable that the expense would be materially
greater.

TifE DECHEME IN THE PUBLIC DEBT.
Including interest earned and not paid and deducting
cash on hand the debt of the United States on the Ist of
March last was $2,525,463,260 01, and subject to the same
condition it was 82,453.659,735 23 on the Ist of the present
month, showing a decrease of $71,903,50178. This appa-
rent decrease of the public debt. is less than the actual
decrease. Considerable sums have been paid on account
of war and other old claims, not previously ascertained,
and therefore not included in any debt statement. The
account of March 1, from tho necessity of the case in-
cluded only the interest accrued and not then payable,
but as a matter of fact there were outstanding and over-
due interest coupons, and these, several millions, have
since been paid out of the ordinary revenue. Previous
to March 1 no interest account had ever been kept with
the several loans. Such measures as were found practic-
able have since been taken to ascertain the exact condi-
tion of these amounts. The bonds i ssued by the United
States in aid of railways, amounting to $62,625,320, being
in the nature of a loan, aro not included in the foregoing
statement.
During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1869, there was
an excess of receipts over expenditures, including the in-
terest on the public debt, of $49,453,149 46 ; of this ex-
cess $12,992,370 03, as nearly as can now be ascertained,
arose previous to March the Ist, and the remainder
$36,460,779 43 between that time and the Ist day of July.
This excess was applied from time to time to the purchase
of 5-20 Bonds, and the excess of receipts since July Ist has
been used in the same manner. The purchases amounted in
the aggregate on the 30th day of November to 875,176,880.
As a large part of the excess of receipts was realised in
coin, sales of gold hive been made from time to time and
the proceeds applied to the purchase of bonds.