The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1852-12-11
r III E. G. A l. E ID y n | A n

staining me lrdDi>N Will WIN II 'he S'''i"
mcnt> of Eastern Asia regard all overtures
from foreigners am not without hopes OF
beneficial rcsul, of the expedition. Should 1t
be crowned with success. the advantages Will
not bc confined to the United States. but. az
in the case of China, will he equally enjoyed
bv all other maritime Lowers. | have much
satisfaction in stating that in all the steps pre-
paratorv to this expedition, the government
of the United States has been materially aid
ed by the GOOD Offices of the King OF the
Netherlands the only European power hav-
ing any commercial relations with Japan.
In passing from this survey of our torei On
relations. invite the attention of Congress to
the condition OF that department of the Gov
crnmcnt to which this branch of the public
business is entrusted Our intercourse with
iorci IN powers has of late years greatly IN
creased. both in consequence of our growth
and the introduction of many new States IN
to the family of nations. In this way the De-
partmrnt Of State has become Ovcrburdcncd.
1t has. by the recent establishment of the De-
partmcnt of the Interior. been relieved OF
some portion of the domestic business. If the
residue of the business of that kind, such as
the distribution of Congressional documents,
the keeping, publishing and distribution of
the laws of the United States, the execution
OF the copyrig ht law, the subject of repricveS
and parlons, and some other subjects relating
tie interior administration, should be transfer
red from the Department Of State. it would
unqurstionabv be for the benefit of the pub
lie service would also suggest that the
building appropriated to the State Depart
mcnt is not fire proot; that there Is reason to
think there are defects in its construction,
and that the archives of the Government III
charge Of the Department, with the precious
collections Of the manuscript papers OF Wash
inyton. jefferson, Hamilton, Madison. and
Monroe. are exposed to destruction by fire
\ similar remark NAV be made Of the build
ings appropriated to the War and Navy De
parncnts.
The condition of the Treasury is exhibited
III the annual report from that Department.
The cash receipts into the Treasury for the
fiscal year ending he 3oth June last, rXclu-
Slyc of trust funds. were forty nine millions
seven hundred and twenty ght thousand
three hundred and cightv>ix dollars and
-
expenditures for the same period, likewise
exclusive of trust funds. were forty mill
ion, seven thousand rirht hundred and nine
tv->ix dollars and twenty cents. (Si6.oo1.-
go 2o;) of which nine millions four hundred
and iilv-fivc thousand eight hundred AMI fiji
teen dollars and ri.htvthrrr cents. t>?.i5j.-
SD S3.) was on account of the principal and
interest of the public debt. including the last
in>taimcnt OF. the Indemnity to MrXi"o.undcr
the treaty of Guadalupe lIdalgo. leaving a
balance of SlI.G32l $50 b in the Trca>uI
Oh the first day of July last. Sine thu latter
period further purchases ofthe principal OF
the public debt have been made to the extent
Of : ,ijf.jl7 l?,ruI the surplus in the Treas
urv will continue To br applied TO that object
whenever the stock can be- procured within
the limits. As TO price, authorized lv law
The value of inrriun mere handizr inlpnrtr,
during the last fiscal wear. was two hundred
AMI seven million. two hundred and fort,
THOUSAND one hundred and one dotlar> & 3"7
2i".l"l:) and the value OF domestic prnlur
tons exported was one hundred and forty
nine millions rnht hundred and >i<rv-nn,
thousand nnr hundred and eleven ou..ar
Ii9,N ."ll.) BESIDES seventeen millions NV,
hundred and tnur th"nsand and tw,r,y->i,
dollars. tSl1.2"i. o2G) foreign mrrchdn,liZ,
exported; making the aggregate OF t!l. cntir,
exports one hundred and siNtv--,.v,.n millions
tn, five thousand nine hundred and rhir,v
seven dollars (>l6'. u6j. "31D exclusive Of
sh" ahnVc there was "Nporlrd for,v-two mill
lnnS ti," huLIrri AID seven thuu.aui NV.
hundred and rIghtv-ti,c dollars (S;2.5G..
.>j) in specie: and imported from torri-r
ports five millions two hundred slxiv-tw,
thou.and >ix hundred and ,ortv-.hrre dollars
l>5.262.6l3D
In NV first annual message to Congress.
called Your attention to what seemed to III,
,umr defects in the present tariff. and rcrom
mrndcd such m"riiira'i"ns As in my jude
mcnt were best adapted To remedy lis evil
and promote the pr">pcri,. OF the country
Nothing has sinr. occurred to change nv
views on this important question.
Without r-rcatin" III" arguments contain
ed III my former message III favor Of tli>rIim
inatin. protective duties. deem il my du,,
To call your attention To one or two other
considerations affecting this subject Tn,
first l., the effect of lar-c importations of for
cign foods upon our currency. Most of m,
gold of California. IA fast As it is coined. find.
It's way directly to Europe, in payment tol
goods purchased. In the second place AS our
manufacturing establishments are broken
down hv competition with foreigners. til,
capital invested IN them is lost. thousands of
honest and industrious cItIzcus are thrown
ont of employment. and the farmer to that en-
4 a A.
sale of his surplus produce. In the third
place, the destruction of our manufactures
leaves the turci gncr without competition in
one market. and he consequently raises the
price of the article sent here for sale, As /,
now seen III the increased cost of iron i'm
ported from England. The prosperity and
wealth every nation must depend upon its
productive industry. The farmer is stimuat.
ed to eXertlon by finding ready market for
his surplus products, and benefited bv being
able to cA"hange them, without loss OF time or
expense OF transportation, for the nanutac-
lures winch his comfort or convenience re-
quircs. This is ALWAYS done to the best adj
vantage, where a portion Of the community
III which he hives is engaged in other pursuits.
. Eat most manufacture require an amount of
capital and a practical skill which cannot be
commanded, unless they be protected for a
time from ruinous competition from abroad
Hence the necessity OF LAYING those duties
upon imported goods which the Constitution
authorizes for revenue, in such manner as
to protect and encourage the labor of our own
citizens. Duties. however, should not be fix
ep at so high rate as to exclude the foreign
article, but should be so graduated as to ena-
ble the domestic manufacturer to compete
with the torei gner in our own markets. and
10y tins competition to reduce the price of the
manufactured article to the consumer to the
lowest rate at which it can be nrodnccd -