Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-12-09

mere article of trade, u add 70 the mouey
cspIal OF foreign lands. They show the ~.
Ct sslty of retiring our paper money that tns
re turn Of COLO and silver 10 The avenues OF
trade may be inv ed, and a demand ere sts1
which wili cause the retention a. home of at
least so much OF the Productions Ot our rich
and Inexhausuple gold bearing fields a. may
he sufficient for purposes of circulation.
II unreasonable to expect a returG 10
sound currency so long as he Govern nent
and banks, by continuing ~ issue irredeemfhle
notes, fill the channels of circulation with de-
preclated paper. NotwIthstandu 4 coinage
by Cur minis, since i>49, OF eight hundred and
seventy-fcuT millions of dollars, the people are
now Strangers to the currency which was de-
signed for their use and benefit, and spscunens
OF the precious metals bedri ng the national d.
wee aie seldom seen. except when produced
10 crafty The intnIeS- excited by their royelty
Ii deprecIaied paper il 10 b. continued as the
permanent currency of he country, and all
our coin Is 10 become a mere article Of traffic
and speculation, TO the enhancement in prlce
OF all that is indispensable to tue comfort OF
The people, 1t would e1 wise economy toabollsh
our mints, thus saving the nation the care and
expense incident 10 such establis hmants, and let
All our prs cious metals be exported in bullion.
The ume has come, however, when the Cow
eminent and National Banks should be re-
CURED 10 take the most efficient steps and make
all necessary arTan gements tor 4 res umptiou OF
specie payments. Let specie payments once
De earnestly Inaug Ufa'ed by the Government
ana banks, and the value of the paper circu-
laiIon would directly approximate d specie
standard.
Specie payments having been resumed by the
Government and banks, all notes II oils of
paper issued by either of a less demon. nation
Than twenty dollars should by law be excluded
from circulation. SO that the peoDle may have
the benefit and convenience of a gold aud silver
currency which in all their Business trans
actions will be uniform in value at home and
abroad.
Every man Of property or industry, every
man who desires TO preserve what he honestly
possesses, or TO ootain what he can honestly
earn, has direct interest IN maintaining a safe
crc ulalInG mediUm-sucG a medium as shall
be real and substantial, Eot liable to yiorate
with opinions, not subject to be blown up or
blown down by the breath of speculation. but
to be made stable and secure A uIsordered
currency is one OF the greatest political evils
III unoermnes the virtues necessary for the
support of the social system. aud encourages
propensifles destructive OF its happiness; il
wars against industry. frugality, and econ
omy, and II fOste the evil spirits OF extraya-
gaHce ard speculation. 1t has been asserted by
one of our profound and most gifted states
mer, that "of all the contrivances for cheating
the labOring classes of man kind, none has haan
more eifectual than that which deludes them
with paper money. This is the most effectuaI
OF inventions to fertiliZe the rich mans fields
by the sweat Of the poor mans brow. OrdI-
nary tyrsnny, oppression, excessive taxation
these bear lightly on the happiness of the mass
OF the community compared with a
fraudulent currency, and the robberies COM
mltted by deprecated paper. Our own his
tory has recorded for our instruct enoueh,
and more than enough, OF the demoralIZng
tendency, the in Jus tice, and the intoIerahIe on
preston on the ylrtuOus and well-disposed of
4 degraded paper-currency authorized by law
or IN any way Countt nanced by Government"
IL Is one OF the most successful devices, in
times OF peace or war. OF expansions or revul-
SONS, 10 accomplish -he transfer of all The pre-
clous metals from the. reat mass of The people
into the hands of the few, here they are
hoarded IN secret places or deposited under
bolts and bars, while the people are left 10 en-.
dure all the Inconvenience, sicrifica, and de-
moTall@tion resulting from the u.s. OF depre.
ci1ted ard worthless paper.
The Secretary of the Interior, in his report
gives valuable information IN reference 10 the
interests confided 10 the supervision OF his Da-
partmtnt. and reviews the operations OF toe
Land Oihce, Pension Office, Patent Otfica, and
The lnCian Bureau.
During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1865
SIX million SIX hundred and fifty-five thousand
seven hundred acres OF public land Were dis
posed OF. The entire cash receipts of the Gem
rfal Land Onice for the same period were
Sl't12''io, beng greater by S2ei,So3 than the
amount realized from the same sources during
The previous year. The entries under the
homestead law cover two million three hun.
dred and twenty-eight thousand nine hundred
and twenty three acres, nearly one fourth OF
" hioh was taken under the act OF June n,
loC6, which applies only to the States OF Ala,
Florida.
ON The 3Oth of June, 1369, one hundred aud
siX'y-nine thousand six hundred and forty.
TIN ee names were borne on tue pension rolls
and during the year ending on that day the
tCtal amount paid Tor pensions, including the
expenses of disbursement, was S2iOIOg-J
be ne SJ,oJlO25 greater than that expended for
like purposes during The preceding year.
During the year ending the Both of S-ptem-
ter last, the expenses OF the Patent OHic- ex.
ceeded The receipts by one hundred and seven
ty-One dclIars anu, lnciudiLg REISSUES and de.
signs, fourteen thousand one nUndred and tifty-
tElee patents We're is sued.
Treaties with various Indian tribes have
beer concluded, and Will he submitted to the
~ N - IFS cor ST lfnft nal sarsn \
ly sanction the stipulations which provide for
reserying lands for the various tribes, where
they may be encouraged TO abandon their
nomadic habits and engage in agricultural
and industrial pursuits. This policy, inaugu-
rated many years since, has met with signal
success, " henever IT has been pursued in good
faith and with becoming liberality by the
United States. The necessity for extending il
as far as practicabie liz our relations with the
aboriginal population Is greater now than a.
any preceding period Whilst We furnish sub
slstence and instruction To the Indians, auc
guarantee the undIstur bed enjoyment OF their
treaty rights, We should hahituaily insist upon
the faithful observance of their agreement 10
remain within their respective reservations
This is The only mode by which collisions with
other tribes and with the whites can ba AVOID.
ed, and the safety of our frontier settlements
secured.
The companies constructing the railway from
Omaha to Sacramento have beenmos, emerge l.
icaliy engaged in prosecuting the work, and il
is believed that the line will be- completed be.
six per cent bonds issued 10 these companies
amounted, on the 5th instant. 70 sii 80. .Gto and
additional work mad been performed to the ex.
tent OF S3,200,CC0.
The Secretary Of the Interior in August last
invited my attention to the report OF a Govern.
ment director Of the Union Pacific Railroad
Company, who had been spe eially instructed
to examine the location, construction, and
equipment OF their road. L submitted for the
spInion OF the Attorney General certain nues
tions in regard to the authority of the Execu.
tive which arose upon this report, and those
which had from time to time been pTssep ted by
the commissioners appointed to inspect each
successive section of the work. After care.
fully considering the law OF the case he ar
frmed the right OF the Executive TO order If
necessary, a thorough revision of the entire
road. Commissioners Were thereupou An.
pointed to examine this and ether lines ano
have recently submitted a statement of their
Investigations, Of which the report Of the Sec.
retary Of the Interior furnishes specific infor.
nation.
The report Of the Secretary OF War con-
tains Information Of In terest and Importance
respecting the several Bureausof the War De-
psriment and the opera tions OF the army
The strength Of our N i;itary force. on the 3Uih
OF Septen nber last. was forty.eight thousand
men, ana II Is computed thar. by the first of
jar uary next, this number will be decreased
To ior y.three thousand. 1t Is the Opinion of
the Secretary Of War that within the uext
year q con siderable dimiI ution Of the Infantry
force may be made without defriment to the
H. ferests OF the country and in view of the
Iah lie ment, and the absolute necessity of re.
vrh haY NroR - ha