Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1863-01-20
HIGHLY IMPORTANT.
First Report Of the Commissioner OF In
ternal Revenue.
Estimated Aggregate Revenue for Else al
Year Ending june Next, over Seven
Six Million Dollars.
TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
OFFICE OF INTERNAL REyBNUE,

JANUARY Is, 1868.
SIR: have tho honor to submit the follow
Ing statement concerning the organization OF
this Office, and the present condition OF its
facts contemplated In the SD section Of the
Excise Law; nor will the facts therein required
deserve consideration until one year Of expert
ence, at least, from tho frat Of September,
1852
l entered upon my duties, as Commissioner
Of Internal Revenue, on the 18th day of July
last, and, although the organization Of the Of
fee is now nearly accomplished, the returns Of
assessors and collectors arc not yet so general
and complete in their character as 10 enable
me 10 furnish statistics of Importance as the
basls of an estimate of the revenue TO be dc.
rived from specific subjects OF taxation. The
States not In actual rebellion have been divided
Into collection districts, corresponding In NUM-
Der, generally, 10 tho Representatives to which
they will Be severally entitled in the 3Sth Con-
gress. An assessor and collector have been mp
pointed IN each. Tho whole number Of dis
trcts ID l63, including two In Virginia not filed
by appointment Of assessors and collectors.
The assessors and collectors have been re-
qulred 10 make returns Of the number Of deputy
collectors and assistant assessors, and the resi-
denco Of each. Collectors have also been re-
quired TO state the amount of the penal sum of
the bond given by each deputy. The whole
number Of deputy collectors thus appointed 10
$685. the number of assistant assessors is 2, 55S,
making an aggregate Of collectors, deputy col
lectors, assessors, and assistant assessors, Of
3,8l4. There are also 90 male clerks and fe-
male clerks who have been appointed In tho
Treasury Department, and assigned for duty in
this ONCE. The whole number of persons en-
| ployed In assessing and collecting the revenue
Is, therefore, $3.50. The number OF assessors
and collectors appointed docs not correspond
with the number Of districts, as there are sew
eral vacancies existing.
l have not the means, at the present time, Of
estimating, with confidence, the amount of
revenue which will be derived under the Excise
Law Of July LIST, 1859. During the b.st month,
| have caused a careful investigation to be in
stltuted into the several sources Of revenue, and
an estimate to be made OF the amount which
may be derived from each source.
According TO this estimate, there will be re-
celyed from all sources, except stamp duties,
during the current fiscal year, ending the 30th
Of June next, the sum Of SOL III, 100. / estl-
mate that the receipts from stamp duties, during
the same period, will amount to the sum OF
sl5,OOO,O 900, making an aggregate revenue oil
s76, III, 100. This result has been reached by
the most careful inquiry that could he instituted
into the amount of the various kinds of manu-,
features, the revenue to be derived from each,
and by like careful inquiry into all the other
sources of income. This estimate Is less by
about eight million Of dollars than the general
estimates which had the honor to submit Ia
you early In the month Of December last.
have only TO say, that in the more careful in,
vestlgation which has recently been made, the
revenue from each source has been estimated
below, rather than above, what may reasonably
be anticipated. II may be assumed, further
that without material changes In the business
of the country, the revenue from the SAINT
sources, for the fiscal year 1884, will not be
less than $l50, 900.
Before proceeding TO estimate the expenses
of assessing and collecting the revenue desire
TO express the opinion that an Increase In the
pay Of assessors Is very important, II not abso'
lutely necessary. In many Of tho cities and
pOpulous districts, the services Of competent
persons have boen secured and retained, only
by the assurance that such recommendation
would be made 10 Congress. els Of import
anee TO the Government that the assessor
should be a man Of Intelligent business capaci
ty and untaltering integrity. The compensa
ton provided by law Is not adequate for thu
services Of men who possess these qualihca
lions. In many cases the expense OF procuring
a suitable ONCE for the transaction Of publil
business, and the proper furnishing Of thI
same, has consumed the entire compensation
which the assessor ls entitled to receive. l
seems TO me that an allowance by the day, o.
> by the year, 10 preferable to compensation b.
, commissions. II provision were made to
reasonable amount for office rent, an allowance
OF Ave dollars per day for the time employed
without regard to the nature Of the service per
} formed, might DO an adequate compensation
= for assessors In much the larger portion Of tn
y country. II would, however, think, be ncces
. sary, If such should DO the general rule, tina
the Secretary of the Treasury should be author
lied to allow additional compensation to as
SCISSORS in portions Of the country where tn
expenses OF living are larger which eompOn
: sation should not In any case amount to NOR
than thiTty-nyS hundred dollars per annum.