The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-12-09

connection cannot
Nat at the very moment when the general government,
through the nsrumenalty Of the independent treasury
system, was meeting with promptness, It's Liabilities Of
every character and by the act OF dsoursng its
specie funds aordng relief banks and the country,
Tie State governments for the want Of such system,
p rsIe thes aebss and The effort 70 Dc SO
were subjected the charge OF either paying their ab
es in currency or adding % ne distress Of
funds These dcultes are the legitimate fruits Of their
past policy, and for the present must be endured will
b their own fault Ranother revuson should find them in
As an additional restraint upon the tendency of the
oanks TO ISSUE we'll for the purpose Of keeping
ample supply Of specie in constant circulation the sup
prceson Of all bank notes under the denomination OF
twenty dollars is recommended 70 the consideration Of
nose under whose jurisdiction these State institutions
exist
Previous TO the act Of 10th February 1857 the director
q the mint required by law 70 make his annual
pert the President by the th Of that he is
directed TO make his report To the Secretary Of the
treasury, to the 30th June Of each year that may ap
poar the annual report the finances The director
has made his annual report 70 the President for the csen
dar year the LIST January last and has reported TO
This department the operations Of the mint and its branch
during the remaining half Of the last fiscal year, the
s0th June last The report is herewith transmitted,
me director calls the attention Of this department to
proprety OF such amendment Of existing laws relative
. coinage that where nne gold bars made and paid
made for parting and toughenng there shall be charge
~ half per cent paid into the treasury thereon which
would have been imposed had the .s same a., been n
2lst February, 1858, this charge Of
la per cent was payable the treasury addition
70 the charges for refining parting bullion whether it
was paid depositors in the form OF coin, in bars, in
ots or disks the sixth section Of the act of March
1853 chapter Co., provides that the charge for refining
casting or forming bars ngots disks shall not exceed
the actual cost of the operation The effect of this
posed equally bullion coined withdrawn in the form
q fine bars by the act Of February q, 1853 and to
strict this duty entirely 70 coin This is Of COURSE e4ui
yaent paying premium Of half per cent upon all
bullion exported the form of fine bars would have
subjected by law to that burden had been coined.
concur with director the opinion that is not good
policy TO impose this half per all bullion coined
Tor circulation and at the time exempt fine bars
withdrawn for expectation II depositors OF bullion
choose to export the form of fine bars, they should
be at liberty exercise that option but they should not
be allowed premium of half per cent upon such
withdrawn for exportation which is the effect OF i'm
posing that duty that bullion which is coined and
emptng done by the section of the act of March 81
1862 referred to- that which withdrawn in the form OF
nne bars. l accordingly recommend that the original
provision of the 9th section OF the act OF February Il
1853 be restored.
By the act of March g. 1857 amendatory of "An act to
provide the better organization of the treasury and for
lhe collection safe keeping, transfer and disbursement OF
Me public revenue" it was provided "tnat each and
every dsbursng officer agent of the United States
having any money of the United States entrusted
20 him for disbursement, shall be- and he hereby re
guired TO deposit the with the Treasurer of the
United States with Of the assistant treasurers
Or public depositres and draw for the only in favor
Of the persons whom payment is TO be made in pursu
Of law and Instructions except when payments are
be made in under twenty dollars in which cases
such dsbursg agent may check IN his own name stating
That IL Ia to pay small Claims"
The object OF this provision OF law TO protect the
government from the improper of the public funds in
Me of dsbursng officers 1t the desire OF the
department TO carry II the fullest that IL
could be enforcement of its provisions according
10 its letter was impraccable II would have required
considerable increase Of clerical force of different
sces for which provision had been made by Congress,
AAd Of the departments compliance with its re-
auirements impossible. Payments by the discussing
ocers of the army and navy. well payments by
portion of such officers IN the Interior Department could
navy settling with the officers and crew OF vessel in
foreign ports paymasters in the army at remote points
from any public depoeitary; dsbursng agents charged
with the payment Of Indian annues could not discharge
Aheir duties IL q literal compliance with this law had
Been required. Regarding the object Of the
= enforce n 10 the umcet extent ia my power caused
circulars Nos and appended 10 this report 10 be issued
the various public depcsares and dsoursng agents OF
Mis- department. by which will be seen that the OBJ
cct the law has been carried out and in the mode pre-
scribed far possible to do So 1t IL believed
Mat the regulations thus adopted, will elecuay secure
he object which Congress had view In the passage OF
the act Of March 1857 and would recommend that the
NV be SO amended as 70 conform 70 these AZ
sahJec and would ask the early attention Of Congress
Nm. ,.,.
proprIacd last session Of Congress o enable the
Secretary the Treasury such experiments and
Of different beds Of n test whether any OF
much In their native state possess alloys will
s tendency oxydzc 10 greater extent than others
and ascertain under what they are
md where order facilitate the proper selections OF
ron for public works" To carry out the object in viewI
caused circulars be all masters whose names
could be asceraned soliciting specimens OF ore and ron
and calling for information pertinent the subject and in
eomplnnce with the request already large number OF spe
eimens have been received ana are oeng receiver ua
interest the result, and communicating much valuable
Information in relation to the production OF iron, which
has become OF the the great national Industrial
interests So the specimens all received and
arranged and the Information which accompanies them
Ia been abstracted and collected competent chemist
will he
and analyses Conclusive evidence has already been re
seved that decided difference N the susceptibility OF
different irons 10 oxydze does exist and hoped that
ne proposed analysis will discover the cause. However,
shculd the experiments fail in this respect they will at
least show the localities from which the least oxydzabe
non can be procured Some idea may be formed cf the
importance Of being able 10 discriminate between irons ~
70 their susceptibility TO oxydiEe from the fact that the
quantity used by the government, In this department
Alone since January 1852 exceeds 1000 900 pounds
and the navy and departments may each safely be
put fs equal amounts The use Of iron capable OF
resisting oxygen for rigging anchors, chain plates
shea,hng &c, in our commercial marine, would be i'm
In accordance with the authority vested the Secreta-
~ of the Treasury by The Joint resolution approved Feb
Yuary 20 1851 20 provide Tor ascertning the relative
value Of the coinage or the United States and Great Br
.n and fixing relative value Of the unitary coins OF
Nhc countries. appointed Professor j. III Alexander
nctonaroR In Britain IN relation TO some plan OF
plans OF mutually arranging, on the decimal basis, the
coinage OF the two countries as that the respective un
shall hereafter be easily and exactly commensurabe Prof
Alexander IN london, and expect the result Of hts
mission will be embodied statement and report from
him at early day. which viii be laid before Congress as
soon received.
The Joint resolution 10 prevent the oountereitng the
coins Of ee United States approved February 20, 1851,
empowered the Secretary Of the Treasury 10 in
curry be made, by two competent commissioner into
and claimed have been discovered by
J. T. Barclay Fsq for preventing the abrasion, counter
feitne and deterioration the q the United sta:es
0nder said authority, ] appointed Professors Henry
vethake and r. Rogers, 81 Pennsylvania, and directed
every facility 10 be afforded them nj the mint In Phiiade
phia to pursue their investigations. anticipate at an
carly day the results OF the said inquiry
70 Congress with my opinion 10 the probable value Of
SAr alleged discoveries.
In the settlement Of the accounts Of the Clerk Of the
House OF Representatives by the accounting officers o. the
treasury, question arose To the power Of The two
Bco.es az Congress their respective contingent funds
Upder resolutions passed by the House Of Representatives
ehe Clerk had paid certain 10 different employees Of
nc House for rendered by them and the
question presented TO whether he could be al
lowed credit for such payments in view OF the provisions
81 the act cf March 3, 1s45 which evidently intended
prevent the application Of the contingent fund OF the two
houses such purposes Ny opinion thai the act OF