The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-12-07
TWO CENTS.

which declares that all duties imposts and exeses
shall be uniform throughout the United States and that
81 preference shall be given by any regulation of com
or rcvcnue 10 the ports Of State those Of
another. Though he may not be able under any sys-
to have the same precise valuation in every port yet
at which most nearly approximates TO u should be
adopted 2 second objection Is that FAR from pre-
venting existing frauds il offers greater opportunities for
fRud than the present law.
II is sought TO avoid these difficulties and cmbarra-
ments by making the market price at New York the
standard of value and 10 levy duties not only there but
hroughout the United States upon chat basis do not
see that il meets the objections which lave been pre-
sented against the system The danger Of affecting
the market prices by improper combinations would exist
IL would be attended with like difficulties IN reaching the
true valuation of merchandise The appraisers at other
ports would encounter the attempts at fraud snd
undervaluaon without possessing equal means OF deec
ton. Its operation would be unequal and unjust
the importer ut New York paying duty upon
the real value of his merchandise, whilst at all
other ports he would be required to pay upon a
fictitious value the actual value Of an article IN
New York on one day would often bc very diff
from It's actual value in New Orleans aud San Fran
cisco another the day, The importer at
New York would pay his duty upon the real value oi h
goods at the time he receives thc whilst at all other
places he would be required to pay upon hctos value
ascertaincd some previous period at another point
These objections would to be sufficient to reject tue
proposition but the mpracticabity of working such
plan is conclusive against it, The difficulty of ascertain
ing in Boston, Philadelphia, Charleston, New Orleans
and other points upon the Atlantic and Gulf the market
value of merchandise in New York would be great but
when the rule is extended to the Pacific its enforcement
would be not only volatve of the constitutional prov
sons to which have referred, but of every principle OF
Justice and equality.
Adhering to the principles of the present tariff act,
would recommend such changes will produce the
required for the public service In accordance
with the suggestion contained in last annual report
recommend that schedules c. ID, f, G. II be raised,
spectiyely to 25 20, l5 10, and per cent see no
good for having departed in the act OF 1857 from
the system of decimal dvi ons The present state OF
things affords fit opportunity of correcting the error
This change will increase the revenue from customs ST.
500 0O0 upon the basis OF the mporations OF the last
fiscal year.
To raise the additional amount needed will not require
increase all the rates of duty OF the present tariff
1t will become necessary therefore, to select certain ar
cles to be transferred from lower to higher schedules In
making such changes the true principles governing the
imposition of duties for revenue should be kept IN Ylcw
and such determinations made as consistently thereWt
will best promote the various interests of country
without doing injustice to any The information con-
tanned I'm table will afford to Congress the necessary d
ia for their action That table contains the imporatons
with the rates of duty and amount of revenue defvable
thcreom for each of the three last fiscal years. When
the amount which the legislation o Congress shall make
il necessary to raise shall have been asceraned with any
thing like reasonable certainty the information contained
in this table will render the work of making such trans
fers simple and easy ..
The public debt the lst July, 1857, S29 0G0,
3S6 90 stated in my last report During the last is
there that DEBT the sum oil g0f,-
400 "a leaving the of $50 55977 &C outstanding
on the lst July, 1858. To this amount must be added
the sum of $40 900 000 negotiated during the present
fiscal year. of the loan authorized by act Of June a. 1858
There issued under the provisions of the act of De-
cember 23 1857 during the last fiscal year, treasury
notes to the amount of S23 300 of which there was
redeemed and the department informed thereof during
the same period S396l 500, leaving the sum of SD,
754 800 outstanding the lst July 1858. The details
are shown Ly statements marked and s. In estimating
the receipts and expenditures for the present and next lis
cal years it contemplated TO redeem the outstanding
treasury notes AS these notes will become due and a
bic during the next fiscal year, provision should be
made to meet them am opposed to the policy of adj
ding this amount to the permanent public debt by funding
the notes On the other hand their entire redemption in
year would call for an increase OF the tariff to point
which would render necessary another revision of it i'll
the uaceedng year The true policy is to look in the
present revision of the tariff to their gradual redemption
commencing with the next fiscal year. To carry out
this policy, Congress should provide for the raising OF
such amount of revenue as will enable the department to
redeem portion of them, and, at the time,
tend for year the provision of the act of December
23 1851 authorizing the REISSUE OF such portion of them
as the means Of the government will not enable to
deem BY this shall gradually discharge this
part Of the public debt without placing upon the people
an onerous additional burden in the unnecessary increase
of their taxes.
The operations Of the ndependent treasury system have
been conducted during the st fiscal year with the usual
SUCCESS Another years EXP rcnce confirms the opinions
expressed on this subject in my former annual report
am well satisfied that the wholesome restraint which
the collection Of the government dues IN specie eSers
over the operation of present banking system contrib
ued in no small degree to mitigate the disasters of the
late revusion The opportunity which it afforded at an
early period of relieving the financial cnarrassments OF
the country by the policy of rcdccmng portion OF the
public debt and furnishing the country thereby with the
specie used in its recmptoa attended with the hap
picst results Ii is difficult to estimate the extent of the
relief which was thus afforded, though believe that the
intelligent Judgment of business in according
to it the most beneficial effects. The adoption Of sim
lar system by the different States suggested in my last
report would afford additional protection to the country
against the runous effects Of banking, and
aucnt arrangement of the currency remedy simple
and lust for evil great must commend itself 10 the
favorable consideration those 60 whom the subject is
intr,istcd
The attention Congress again called to the provis
ions of the act of March g. 1857, the subject of depos
its by the dsbursng agents of the government
In my last report stated in general terms that it was
mpractcabe execute the law according to it's literal
requirements, and the were briefly set forth
The objects which the act sought to accomplish meet the
entire approval of the department. and it has been car
ried out to the utmost extent that practicable.
illustrations will show the mpossiblity of executing
the law as IL now stands BY its provisions purscr in
the navy woud be required to deposit the funds placed in
his hands for the payment of the officers and of
a vessel in one of the public repositories, and he
could only draw it out by draft in favor of the person
10 whom he desired to make payment. vessel on a
foreign station is absent not unfrequently for two and
three years and whilst thus absent the purscr would have
to pay the officers and by drafts public depos
tory in the United States He would also have to pay
all other expenses which exceeded the of twenty
dollars by similar drafts in favor of the person to whom
the payment was to be made discussing agent in the
Indian Department would be required to pay the Indians