Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-01-10

duties collected IN the country are there paid IN
specie Sound policy demands that at that great com
mercia and hnancDI centre branch mint should be
established, which should be the custodian of the large
amount of public moneys there collected and which will
enable foreign coin and bullion 10 be converted most
speedily into our own currency without the risk delay
and expense OF transportation to any other point
Ii as believed that the establishment such an institu
ton at that point would not charge much additional
nua expense upon the Treasury The Treasurer thereof
would supersede the office of Assistant Treasurer The
branch minis Dahonega Georgia. and Charlotte North
Carolina, may be converted into assay Offices whereby
several superfuous officers might be dispensed with
The depostes of bullion at those establishments been
regularly declining, without any decrease in the annual
expenses The transportation from thence of bars and
ngos the values of which would be attested by Govern
assayers would be easily effected at little risk or
expense.
For these and other reasons heretofore expressed by
my predecessors, earnestly recommend the Immediate
establishment of branch minis at New York and San
Francisco and the dscontnuance of those in North Caro-
lima and Georgia minis for coinage, retaining them
assay Offices under such regulations to the number Of
officers, &c. as Congress may deem proper
The expenses OF the mint and branches have of course
greatly increased since the accession OF California, and
viii be still further augmented in Congress should
determine to establish the two additional branches ut San
Francisco and New York would therefore suggest for
the consideration of Congress the proprety of authorizing
small segniorage the bullion deposited by corpora
tons individuals for the purpose of covering the actual
expenses of coinage, instead of allowing the latter to
main as an exclusive charge upon the Treasury This, it
mnts and the charge would be but fractional per
centage amounting only to very few cents per
This Department is required by law to submit
nualy Congress the mint assays Of certain foreign
coins and it is recommended that this requirement be
extended embrace annual assays of the coins of
those foreign countries with which the United States have
considerable commercial and that an ap-
preparation not exceeding thousand dollars be made
to deay the annual expense of procuring such foreign
coin only be obtained from abroad.
Invoices of merchandise imported from foreign
nd tn ad Int uredb NV
existing laws to be made out in the currency
of the country whence the shipment made and the value
which such currency shall have in computations at
has from time to time in respect several
foreign countries been prescribed by specific laws
The President of the United States is authorized, by
the sxtyrst section of the act of 1799 to establish fit
and proper regulations for estimating duties imported
merchandise the original of which shall be exhibited
deprecated currency issued and circulated under the
authority of any foreign Government In the execution
of this power consuls of the United States required
certify invoices of merchandise shipped from the
countries of their residence and made out in deprecated
currency currency the value of which is not fixed
by our laws the value of such currency in Spanish
United States silver dollars 1t is obvious however,
far the foreign currency consists of co that the
accurate and reliable method of ascerainng its value
compared with by actual assay Mt the mint
While the results of such annual assays will place with
in the power of the President the best of perform
ing the duty of establishing fit and proper regulations
the subject they will also enable Congress to revise and
correct from time to time, by further legislation the
foreign coins already fixed and regulated by laws 1t
to be observed that the proceeds of the coins thus pro-
cured WILL after assay, be returned the Treasury and
carried to the credit Of said appropriation for subsequent
disbursement in like 1t will therefore, be
duced only by the expense of transmitting the coin from
abroad and the loss consequent upon their assay.
Miscellaneous.
BY the second section of the act of 10th August 1916
the money received from the property John Smithson
amounting to S515 l69 lent to the Treasury at six
per cent interest and in addition the interest which
had accumulated this fund the time of the passage
of said act amounting to S42 1879 the Treasury has
tnued to pay under the provisions of said law an an
nua interest of upwards of thirty thousand dollars Dur
ing the whole of this latter period large surplus ncud
ing OF course this fund has been lying unproductve in
the Treasury and the above annual payment has been
extra charge upon the Treasury and will continue
be- unless Congress should think proper to otherwise
der As there is at present every prospect of continued
large surplus in the Treasury, would respectfully sug
gest in order to this annual payment that the
partment should be authorized make the above fund
actually productive by investing the full amount in stocks
OF the United States, on terms which will render the
suit equally advantageous to the Smithsonian Institute as
1t now is under the present annual payments direct from
the Treasury.
The Board of General Appraisers established in purs
ance OF the third section of the of Sd March, 1851
entitled An act to amend the acts regulating the ap
praisement Of merchandise and for other purposes"
promptly entered upon their general duties conem
plated by that act During the past one of the
board under instructions of this Department visited the
several ports upon northern frontiers and from the
Information communicated by him. and the satisfactory
manner IN which he executed his instructions the
beneficial results must follow Another of the board is
about to proceed to California and is doubted by
the department that the action of the General Appraisers
will tend very materially to establish that uniformity in
appraisements desirable and by which both the
nue. and the honest importer will be greatly benefited
BY the act Of 3D. March, 1916, cutter nor
steamer be purchased built unless an
therefor shall be made.
The several iron steamers then in progress Of construc
ton have been condemned unfit for purposes
Some of the sailing cutters have become unseaworthy
the number of vessels appertanng this branch of the
service has been therefore, necessarily reduced to an
tent injurious to the interests Of the revenue.
The brig Lawrence, the western coast is found
70 be unsuted to this service consequence of the great
expense attendant upon keeping vessel Of her size
commission, and the want of proper sailing qualities.
therefore recommend that authority be given for her dis
posa and the building of six additional vessels which are
required for our greay-extended coast Should autho-
nty be gwen as suggested to sell the Lawrence" and
appropriate the proceeds towards the building and equip
ping of the six vessels there will be required in add
ion to accomplish that object the Of seventy-fve
thousand dollars
would respectfully recommend to Congress conside
able increase to the pay Of the officers of the
marine employed on the Pacific where their present COM
'ensaton IS entirely inadequate, in consequence of the
'ery heavy expenses to which they unavodaby sub
ect In that quarter Whilst the army there has had its
BAY greatly augmented and all the civil officers connected
With the collection of the receive double salaries
what are paid at the Atlantic ports the officers of the
evenue marine alone left without any addition to their
BAY At this time the board the cut
ers there are receiving nearly the pay the COM
nssioned officers and earlier date instances
ed where the former have actually received higher rates
han the latter would further recommend that any in
Of v,v1