Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-12-08

Its predecessors, and ike most uoCumeuA0
that emenate from Mr.. Lincoln's pen, is
plain, direct, comprehensive and readable
paper. For the greater part 1t is simply
reeitatlve in its character. giving US great
deal of outline Information in a moderate
amount of space The summary as to our
foreign relations speaks for ITSELF and We
presume could not be better digested In
any comment than in the text itself. We
note the absence of any allusion to our
difficulties with Brasil. No mention is
made at all of that power. AS for what Is
going on in japan, and her inconsistent
aud capricious conduct, the country will
care very little these times, and the same
may be said of China. Our foreign rela'
lions, outside Of Great Britain and France,
are really a matter of little moment just
now, and only with those powers because
of threatened complications.
Passing 10 our domestic affairs, the sta
tis,ics OF the Treasury Department are first
In the Presidents attention. Our total
actual receipts for the fiscal year ending
on the first of July last, up to which time
only the books of the department seem to
have been balanced, were eight hundred
and eighty. four millions, seventy six thous-
and, six huudred and forty1six dollars and
seventy seven cents, while the disburse-
ments were upwards of eighteen millions
less, say eight hundred and sixty five mill
lions in round terms. OF course the great
or part OF our receipts were from loans
We borrowed from the people upward OF
two thirds OF the amount, or over six hun
dred millions, while we got from them in
the shape of taxes, customs, sales of public
lands. &C., the balance, say little over
two hundred millions.
In war times such figures are not and
ought not to be embarrassing to the people,
and we doubt not every reading citizen
will give the exhibit set forth By the Pres
ident his careful attention. In viewlof
the large excess of our borrowed receipts
over those otherwise obtained, We are glad
to Sc e the President, in concurrence with
the Secretary of the Treasury, recon-
msudlDg increased taxation. In this con-
nec.iou We may note the recommendation
of the President to exempt q certain
amouut Of the government bonds, in each
bona fide holders hands, from taxation,
and also from seizure for debt. We doubt
the policy of such legislation. We believe
that it would not pay, aud in the end
would ouly prove troublesome, expensive
and mischieyous. The fact that govern
meat bonds now pay decidedly less tag
THAI other securities, ia enGonrsG"r'--'
enough. Those who will not invest In
them under the extraordinary Inducements
offered, such as gold interest and re-
duced taxation, will not be likely
to avail themselves of anything fur
Their in the same direction. The class
of holders to whom the proposed
exemption would be really desirable must
be very small indeed. All incomes Of six
hundred dollars and under are exempt,
which is the only bonus, we think, that
the government can afford to grant. As
the friend aud protector of the poor man,
1t Was the duty of the government to ex-
empt that amount Of income, and as a
matter sfPolicy the exemption has worked
we'll. Anything further would be Practi-
cling generosity at the expense of justice to
the national treasury.
What a vast affair this war isl Not
only do the exhibits of the Treasury De-
partment show it, but also the few brief fg-
ures afforded US from the records of the Ma
W aud War Departments. Think of an armed
marine of six hundred aud seventy. one
vessels. carrying four thousand six humid
red and ten guns, aud ffty-one thousand
men to use them. Many people think be-
cause the Florida and Alabama eluded
capture aud destruction SO long, that our
navy does not amount to much and accom-
plisbes very little. How faulty aud short.
coming such al idea is the facts show,
when 1t is stated that We have captured
during the year three hundred and twenty
four vessels, and thirteen hundred
since tho war ~begsu. a Navy that
In addition to such fruitful work is per-
forming police duty night and day along
more than three Thousand miles of coast lie
certainly doing its part to suppress the
rebellion. We are surprised to know that
SO small part of our vast expenditure
since the war began has been on account
of the Navy. We had supposed that the
actual cost of the vessels alone from March
1851 to November 1864, the dates given,
would have amounted to nearly or quite
the two hundred and thirty eight millions
reported BY the Secretary of the Navy.
The Post Of1cs Department is done great
injustice in the way the figures are reported
In the copy of the message furnished to-
day. We detected the error, but could
not get the proper correction until too