Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1860-12-15


public debt, unless contingent events should
hereafter render extraordinary expenditures
necessary. M
This result has been attained in q consid-
erable degree by the care exercised by the
appropriate departments in entering into
public contracts. l bave myself never in
terfered with the award of any such con-
tract, except in single case with the Col.
oznation Society, deeming it advisable to
cast .he whole responsibility in each case
on the proper head of the department, with
the general instruction that these contracts
should always be given to the lowest and
best bidder. 1t has ever been my opinion
that public contracts are not q legitimate
source of patronage to be conferred upon
personal or political favorites but that in
all such cases public officer is bound to act
for the Government as prudent individual
would act for himself
AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE, &C.
1t is with great satisfaction | communi.
cate the fact that, since the date of my last
annual message, not a single slave has been
imported into tho United States in violation
of the laws prohibiting tho African slave
trade. This statement is founded upon q
thorough examination and investigation of
the subject. Indeed, the spirit which pre-
evailed some time among portion of our fell
low-citizens in favor of this trade seems to
have entirely subsided.
also congratulate you upon the public
sentiment which exists against the crime of
setting on foot military expeditions within
the limits Of the United States, to proceed
from thence and make war upon the people
of unoffending States, with whom we are at
peace. In this respect happy change has
been effected since the commencement of my
Administration. 1t surely ought to be the
prayer of every Christian and patriot that
such expeditions may never again receive
countenauce in our country or depart from
our shores.
1t would he useless repetition to do
more than refer, with earnest commcndaticn
to my former recommendations in favor of q
Pacific railroad-of the grant OF power to
the President to employ the naval force in
the vicinity, for the protection OF the lives
and property of our fellow citizens passing
in transit over the different Central Americ-
an routes, against sudden and lawless out.
breaks and depredatiOns and also to pro-
tect American merchant vessels, their crews
and cargoes, against violent and unlawful
seizure and confscation in the ports of Mex
leo and the South American Republics. when
these may be in disturbed and revolution
ary condition. 1t is my settled conviction,
that without such power we do not affjr1
that protection to those engaged in the com.
merce of the country which they have a
right to demand.
ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS-.
again recommend to Congress the pas
sage OF o law in pursuance Of the provisions
of the Constitution, appointing n day GER
tain, previous to the 4th of March, in each
year of an odd number, for the election of
% al
A similar power has already been exercised
with general appreciation, in the appoint
ment of the same dav throughout the Union
for holding the election of electors for Pres
ident and Vice President of the United
States. My attention was earnestly direct
ed to this subject from the fact that the
Thirty-ftth Congress terminated on the 81
of March, 1889 without making the neces-
sary appropriation for the service OF tho
Post Office Department. | was then foreed
to consider the best remedy for this omission,
and an immediate call Of the present Com
gress was the natural resort Unnn inquiry,
however, | ascertainei that fifteen out of
the thirty. y.three States composing the Con-
federacy were without Representatives, and
that, conseqnentlv these fifteen States wo'd
be disfranchised by such call. Those fit-
teen State. will be in the same condition on
the 4th of March next. Ten of them cannot
elect Representatives, according to existing
State laws, until different periods, extending
from the beginning of August next until
the months of October and November.
In my last message gave warning that,
in time of sudden and alarming danger
the salvation of our institutions might de-
pend upon the power of the President i'm
mediately to assemble full Congress, to
meet the emergency.
TARIFF.
1t is now quite evident that the financial
necessities of the Government will require
q modification of the tariff during your pre-
sent session, for the purpose of increasing
the revenue. In this aspect, desire to re-
iterate the recommendation contained in my
! last two annual messages. in favor of impo-
sing specific instead of adj rd'Orem duties on
all imported articles to which these can be
| properly applied. From long observation
| and experience | am convinced that specific
| duties are necessary, both to protect the
revenue and to secure to our manufacturing
interest that amount Of incidental encour
agement which unavoidably results from
| revenue tariff.
AS an abstract proposition it may be ad-
mitted that al ralOrem duties would, in the
ory, be the most Just and equal. But if the
experience of this and of all other CONNER
| cial nations has demonstrated that such du-
ties cannot be assessed and collected with
out great frauds upon the revenue, then it
is the part of wisdom to resort to specific
duties. Indeed, from the very nature of an
ad ralorem duty this must be the result
| Under it the inevitable consequence is, that
foreign goods will be entered at less than
their true value. The treasury will, there
fore, lose the dnty on the difference between
their real and fictitious value, and to this
extent we aredefrauded.
The temptations which ad ralorem duties
present to dishonest importer are irressti-
BILE. His object is to pass his goods through
the custom-house at the very lowest valua-
tion necessary to save them from confisca-
ton. In this he too often succeeds in spite
of the vigilance of the revenue officers
| Hence the resort TO false invoices, one for
the purchase and another for the CUSTOM
house, and to other expedients to defraud
the government. The honest importer pro-
duces his invoice to the collector, stating
the actual price at which he purchased the
| article abroad Not so the dishonest import-