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

T 1.3 BETE:WE MARINI'.

The Revenue 31atine system is an important and ex-
petsive branch of the Customs Revenue service. There
are 36 vessels belonging to the Department, of which 12
are ee ilieg vessels and 21 are steamers. They vary i❑ size
from 40 to 480 tots; 173 officers, and 2,100 men are re-
quired to men these vessels, and their running expenses
amount to about $865,000 a year. Five of the vessels,
side. wheel steamers, of 480 tons burden, are lake steamers
and out of commission. They are rapidly diminishing in
value, whi'e the care of them involves an annual expense
of about $70,000. The vessels now in the service have
beeu purchased and built at various times, and, as far as
I can ascettain, without special reference to the nature of
the duty to be performed, and certainly without any me-
tered plan. From one-half to three-fourths of the whole
number are not adapted to the business.
Congress recently ttPPropriated $300,000 for the con-
struction of four additional vessel; and proposals were
issued and bids received under the authority thus con-
ferred upon the Secretary of the Tree sury, -but no con-
tracts have yet been wide. Au examination of the sub-
ject has forced the conviction upon me that it is inex-
pedient to incur the expenditure until the Department is
in posses i to Of more accurate and complete iuformation.
I shall, the rifore, take the opinion of a board of competent
officers upon the following points -• First, the size and
character of vessels required by the nature of the service
that they are to perform; secondly, whether they should
be constructed of iron or wood, or of a combination of
these materials. When the report of the Commissioner
shall have been received proposals will be issued for the
construction of fear vessels as authorized.
THE UNITED STATES MINTS.

In addition to present Mint at Philadelphia, six
branch mints have Leen established at various times in
different parts of the country, one at San Francisco, one
at New Orleans, one at Charlotte, N.C., one at Dahlonega,
Ga., ono at Denver, Go!., and one at Portland, Oregon.
Since the commencement of the war the branches at New
Orleans, Dablonega, and Charlotte have been closed. An
assay office, it is believed, will satisfy the necessities of
the mining interests in Colorado, and for the present only
a limited business will be done at the Portland Mint. In-
deed, with the construction of railroads, and the conse-
quently increasing facilities for communication, I am of
opinion that the business of coining will be chiefly at one
mist ispla the Pacific and at one mint upon the Atlantic
coast. Under an act of Congress passed July 23, 1866,
preparations are making for the sale of the mints at Char-
lotte and Dablonega.
The mining and coining of the precious metals is now
so large a national interest that it deserves more attention
than it. has hitherto received. At present there is no bureau
or officer in the Treasury Department at Washington
charged specially with the management of this great inte-
rest. I therefore recommend that provision be made for
the appointment of a branch officer to be entrusted wiar
this branch of the public business, under the direction of
the Secretary of the Treasury.
THE COINAGE DIMINISHING.
The coinage of the country is diminished in amount by
the fact that in England and France the mint expenses are
much less than with us. It would no doubt have a tend-
ency to prevent the export of the precious metals in the
form of bullion if the mint charges were to be reduced or
altogetLer abolished.
An agreement was made on the 11th day of February,
1869, between the Secretary of the Treasury on behalf of
the United States, and certain parties in California, leasing
a lot of land in San Francisco known as the Custom-
House Block, fa' the period of 115 years. This lease is
subject to the condition that it shall be void if Cot%) ess,
on or before the Ist day of January, 1870, shall take ad-
verse action in reference thereto. In view of the fact
that the lease is for a long period of time, and being of the
opinion that the Government should retain control of pro-
perty that may be needed for public pur poses, I think it
expedient for Congress to annul the lease.
NEW BUILDINGS.
Considerable progress has been made upon the founda-
tions of the Post-office Building in the city of New York,
and of the Post-office and independent Treasury building
in the city of Boston. The Supervising Architect of the
Treasury Department is of the opinion that the walls and
roofs of the buildings may be completed during the next
year, if sufficient appropriations are furnished. The works
having been undertaken, I am of opinion that it is econo-
mical to make the necessary appropriations for their
speedy completion.
AMERICAN SHIPPING.
During the month of December the Department will be
prepared to submit a report upon the condition of our
commercial marine. That report will show that the navi-
gation interests of the country have not recovered from
the losses sustained during the war, and that efficient mea-
sures aro necessary for its restoration.
INCREASE OP SALARIES.

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I cannot omit to call the attention of Congress to 1119
inadequacy of the salaries paid to officers in the Treasury
Department who exercise discretion, and whose acts bind
the Government, or effect directly its expenditures or
revenues. Some of the salaries were fixed when the Go-
vernment was organised, others when new officers were
lidded, and but few of them have been increased recently.
It is unquestionably true that persons having equal ability
and clothed with similar responsibility receive much larger
comt ens.ation from individuals and corporations, and
although many of the officers now in the public service are
likely to continue, from the circumstance that their vo-
cation has led them aside from the ordinary channels of
business, yet as an act of justice to them and in the inte-
rest of the Government, I earnestly recommend an increase
of their pay.
Speaking generally, this increase of pay should be
extended to Revenue officers in the Customs service, such
as collectors, surveyors, naval officers, and especially
to appraisers and examiners in the Appraisers' Derart-
ment. Should the recommendation to repeal the laws
granting shares of penalties, fines, and forfeitnres to