Litchfield enquirer., 1865-12-14

Ination, the duties should be so adjusted as Hall most heavily on articles of luxury. leaviu I the necessaries of life as free from taxation a the absolute wants of the Government, sconom Iieally administered, will justify. No favore class should demand freedom from assessment and the taxes should be SO distributed as not t fall unduiy on the poor, but rather on the accu mnlated wealth of the country. We shoult
 look at the national debt just as it is--not as
 national blessing, but as heavy burden on tn, industry of the country, to be discharged with ! out unnecessary delay.
 1 TREASURY DEPARTMENT.
 It Is estimated blythe Sec retary of the Tres
 sury that the expenditures for the fiscal yea
 ending the Both of June, 1866, will exceed tn,
 receipts S112,l 947. It is gratifying, how
 ever, to state that it is also estimated that the
 revenue for the year ending the 30th of June \ 1867, will exceed the expenditures in the sum
 of $lll ,682, SIS. This amount, or so much as
 may be deemed sufficient for the purpose, may
 be applied to the reduction of the public debt
 which, on the 3lst day of October. 1865, was
 $2, TAO ,854,750. Every reduction will dimin.
 ish the total amount of interest to be paid. and
 so enlarge the means of still furth her reductions ] until the whole shall be liquidated; and this
 as will de seen from the estimates of the Sec
 retary of the Treasury, may be accomplished by annual payments even within period moi
 exceeding thirty years. have faith that we I shall do all this within reasonable time tba,
 as we have amazed the world by the suppress
 sion of a civil war which was thought to be be.
 yond the control of any Government l; so we
 shall equally. show the superiority of our in.
 stitutions by the prompt and faithful discharge
 of our national obligations. 1 PEACE WITH THE WORLD. have dwelt thus fully on our domestic af- fairs because of their transcendent importance Under any circumstances our great extent of territory and variety of climate, producing al-
 most everything that is necessary for the want and even the comforts of man, make us singu- larly independent of the varying policy of for eign Powers, and protect us against every temptation to " entanglng alliances" while at the present moment the re-establishment of harmony, and the strength that comes from harmony, will be our best security against !" na- tions who feel power and forget right" For myself, it has been and it will be my constar t aim to promote peace and amity with all for + eign nations and Powers; and have every reason to believe that they all. without excep- ton, are animated by the same disposition. Our relations with the Emperor of China, so ! recent in their origin, are most friendly Our
 commerce with his dominions is receiving new
 developments and it is very pleasing to find
 that the Government of that great Empirs
 manifests satisfaction with our policy, and re-
 poses just confidence in the fairness which
 marks our. intercourse. The unbfoken harmo- ny between the United Statessand the E,npe- TOT of Russia is receiving new support from an enterprise designed to carry telegraphc lines across the continent of Asia, through his doninionss and 90 to connect us with all Flu rope by q new channel of intercourse. Our
 commerce with South America is about to re. ceive encouragement by direct line of mail
 steamships te the rising Empire of Brazil
 The distinguished party of men of science who
 have recently left our country to make scien-
 tiic exploration of the natural history and rev. ers and mountain ranges of that region, have
 received from the Emperor that generous vel come which was to have been expected from
 his constant friendship for the United States,
 and his well-known zeal in promoting the ad-
 vancement of knowledge. A hope is enter
 tained that our commerce with the rich and
 populOus countries that border the Mediterra-
 mean sea may be largely increased. Nothing will be wanting on the part of this Govern
 ment Is to extend the protection of our flag over the enterprise of our fellow citizens. We re ceive from the Powers iu that region assur
 ance of geod will and it is worthy of note that special envoy has brought us messages of condo;euce on the death of our late Chief
 Magistrate from the Bey of Tunis, whose rule includes the old dominions of Cart haze, on the African coast ett.a s r las @y BRITISH NEUTRALITY. Oar domestic contest, now happily ended I has left some traces in our relations with one at least of the great maritime Powers. The
 formal accordance of belliperent rights to the insurgent States was unprecedented and has not been justified by the issue. But in the systems of neutrality pursued, by the Powers which made that concession there was a mark. cd difference The materials of war for the insurge9t States were furnished in great measure, from the workshops of Great Britain
 and British ships, manned by British subjects and prepared for receiving British armamepts. sailed from the ports of Great Britain to make war upon American commerce, under the shell ter of commission from the insurgent States These ships having once escaped from British i ports, ever afterwards entered them in every
 part of the world to reft and so to continue
 their depredations. The Consequences of this lcondnct were most disastrous to the States
 then in rebellion, increasing their desolation
 and misery by the promulgat:on of our civil aeo1test. It had moreover. the effect. to a great extent, to drive he American flag from the sea, and to transfer much of our shipping and our commerce to the very Power whose
 subjects had created the necessity for such a change. These events took place before was called to the administration of the Government. The sincere desire for peace by which I am
 animated led me to approve the proposal al- ready made, to submit the questions which had thus arisen between the countries to arbitra- 1 ton. These questions are of such moment ! that they must have commanded the attention l of the great Powers, and are so interwoyeu with the peace and interest of every one of them as to have ensured an imperial decision Ifegfet to inform you that Great Britain de. clined the asbitrament, but, on the other hand
 invited us te the formation of joint commits
 sion to settle mutual claims between the two countries, from which those for the depreda-
 lions before mentioned should be excluded. The proposition in that very unsatisfactory I form has been declined. :
 The United States did not present the sub.
 ject as an impeachment of the good faith of a
 Power which was protesting the most friendly dispositions. bnt as involving questions of pub 1 lie law, of which the settlement is essential to