Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1854-12-05

certainly would have been most satisfactory 70 me
II the objects Of the "Cyanesn mission could have
been contaminated without any act Of public force ;
but the arrogant contumacy of the Offenders rem
dered II impossible TO avoid the alternative either
70 break up their establishment or 70 leave them
impressed with the idea that they might perseyere
with impunity In a career of nsoence and plumber
This transaction has been the subject OF COM
plant on the part Of some foreign powers, and has
been characterized with more Of harshness than Of
justice. If comparisonswere TO be instituted, II
would not be difficult to present repeated instances
Ia the history Of States standing in the very front
Of modern civilization, where communities, far less
offending and more defenceless than Greytown,
have beenehastised with much greater severity and
where not cities only have been laid in ruins, but
human life has been recklessly sacrificed, and the
blood of the innocent made profusely TO minge
with that Of the guilty.
Passing from foreign to domestic affairs, your
attention is naturally directed to the financial con-
dition Of the country, always subject OF general
interest. For complete and exact information re-
gardng tho finances and the various branches OF
the public service connected herewith, refer you
20 the report of the Secretary of the Treasury
from which it win appear, that the amount Of re-
venue during the last fiscal year. from all sources,
was seventy three million FIVE hundred and forty
nine thousand seven hundred and five dollars; and
that the public expenditures for the same period,
exclusive of payments on account Of the public
debt, amounted to iiity-onc million eighteen thous
and two hundred and forty-nine dollars
During the same period, the payments made in
redemption Of the public debt, including interest
and premium, amounted to twenty-f -four million
three hundred and thirty-six thousand three hun
drcd and eighty dollars To the sum total of the
receipts Of that year Is to be added balance re-
manning In the Treasury ut the commencement
thereof amounting TO twenty one million nine hun
bred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and
ninety-twO dollars and at the close Of the same
year, corresponding balance amounting to TWEEN
~ million one hundred and thirty-seven thousand
nine hundred and sixty-seven dollars Of receipts
above expenditures, also remained in the Treasu-
ry. Although, in the opinion Of the Secretary of
the Treasury, the receipts Of the current fiscal
year are not likely to equal in amount those Of the
last yet they win undoubtedly exceed the amount
of expenditures by at least fifteen millions Of dol
lars
shall therefore, continue to direct that tho sur
plus revenue be applied, SO far as 1t be judi
cloudy and economically done to the reduction Of
the public debt, the amount Of which, at the COM
mencement Of the last fiscal year, was sixty-seven
million three hundred and forty thousand six hum
dred and twcnty-eight dollars; Of which there had
been paid on the twentieth day of November, 1854,
the sum Of TWENTY-FIVE million three hundred and
two dollars; leaving a balance of outstanding
public debt Of only forty-four million nine hun
drcd and seventy five thousand four hundred and
dfty-sx dollars, redeemable at different periods
within fourteen years There are also remnants of
other government stocks, most Of which are alrea-
DIV due, and on which the interest has ceased but
which have not yet been presented for payment
amounting to two hundred and thirty -three thou
sand one hundred and seventy-nine dollars. This
statement exhibits the fact that the annual income
of the government greatly exceeds the amount Of
its public debt which latter remains unpaid, only
because the time of payment has not yet matured,
aud it cannot be discharged at once except at the
option Of public creditors who prefer to retain the
securities Of the United States and the other fact,
not less striking that the annual revenue from all
sources, exceeds by many millions of dollars, the
amount needed for a prudent and economical ad-
rninistration Of the government.
The estimates presented to Congrczs from the
different Executive Departments, at the last SEES
zion amounted to thirtyeight million four hundred
and six thousand five hundred and eighty-one dol
lars and the appropriations made TO the sum OF
ffty-eight million one hundred and sixteen thou
sand nine hundred and fifty-eght dollars. OF this
excess Of appropriations over estimates however,
more than twenty millions was applicable to extra
ordinary objects, having no reference to the usual
annual expenditures. Among these objects was
embraced ten millions to meet the third article of
the treaty between the United States and Mexico
90 that, in fact for objects Of ordinary expendi-
ture the appropriations were limited to considera-
by less than forty millions of dollars. / therefore
renew my Recommendation for reduction Of the
duties on imports. The report of the Secretary OF
tho Treasury presents a series of tables, showing
the operation of the revenue system for several
successive years, and as the general principle Of
reduction Of duties with view to revenue and not
protection may now be regarded the settled poll
cy of the country, trust that little difficulty will
be encountered in settling the details Of measure
TO that effect.
In conne1ion with this subject, ! recommend a
change in the laws, which recent experience has
shown to be essential to the protection of the gov
srnment There 10 no express provision oflaw, re-
curing the records and papers Of public character
Of the several officers Of the government to be left
In their offices for the use of their SUCCESSORS
any provision declaring II felony on their part to
make false entries in the books or return false &C
counts. In the absence of such express provision
by law, the outgoing officers In many instances,
have claimed and exercised tn right to take into
their own possession, important books and papers,
on the ground that these were their private pro-
pcrty; and have placed them beyond the reach OF
the government. Conduct Of this character,
brought in several instances TO the notice Of the
present Secretary Of the Treasury, naturally
awakened his suspicion, and resulted In the
disclosure that ut four ports, namely-Oswego,
Toledo, Sandusky, and Milwaukee, the Treasury
had, by false entries, been dcfruded, within the
four years next preceding March, 1853, Of the sum
Of one hundred and ninety-eght thousand dollars.
The great difficulty with which the detection Of
these frauds has been attended, In consequence Of
the abstraction Of books and papers by the retiring
officers, and the facility with which similar frauds
IN the public service may be perpetrated, render
the necessity Of new legal enactments, in the re-
spects above referred to, quite obvious. For other
material notifications Of the revenue laws, which
seem TO me desirable, refer you to the report Of
the Secretary Of the Treasury. That report and
the tables which accompany It, furnish ample proofs
Of the solid foundation which the financial secu-
rity Of the country rests and Of the salutary inu
snce Of thcfndependent treasury system upon com
merce and all monetary operations.
The experience Of the last year furnishes addi-
tonal reasons, regret-to cay, Of painful charac
Ter, for the recommendation heretofore made, to
provide for Increasing the military force employed
IN the territory inhabited by the Indians. The set
tlcrs ON the frontier have suffered much from the
,,r,,ron,a ~ rrefstorx banda and large parties