The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1869-12-16

estimates for tho ensuing year are NOR,
favorable to the Government and will NJ
doubt show large decrease Of the pub
lie debt. The receipts 10 the Treasury
beyond expenditures have exceeded thu
amount necessary to place to the credit
of tho sinking fund as provided By law
To lock up the surplus in tho Treasury
and Withdraw it from circulation, would
lead to such contraction Of currency a;
to cripple trade and seriously affect the
prosperity of tho country Under tlese
F, circumstance, the Secretary Of the
Treasury and myself heartily coacurred
in the propriaty of using 4Il tho surplus
currency in the Treasury in the pur'
chase OF government bonds, thus re-
ducing the interest bearing debt Of the
country, and of submitting to Con-
gress aa account of the disposition to be
made Of the bonds so purchased. The
bonds nov held by the Treasury amount
to about 500, 900 900, including those
belonging to the sinking fund, | rec
ommend that the whole be placed to the
credit Of the sinking fund
Your attention is respectfully invited
to the recommendations Of the Secretary
of the Treasury for the creation Of the
Office Of Commissioner Of Customs Rev
enue, for the increase Of salary to GER
tain classes Of Ollicial3, and the substiu-
ton of increased National bank circu-
lation to replace Q outstanding three
per cent. certificates and most especially
to his recommendation for the repeal Of
laws allo ling shares of fines, penalties,
&c. to officers Of tho Government or to
iniormcrs,
The office of Commissioner of Inter.
nal Revenue is one of the most arduous
and responsible under the Government,
it falls but little, if any short of Cab.
met position in its importance and re
sponsibility. Would ask for it, there
fore, such legislation as in your judge
meDt will place the Office on footing of
dignity commensurate with its import
ance aud with the character aud qualifs
cations of the class Of men required to
fill it properly,
CUBA.
The United States is the froest Of all
nations; Sc too, its people smpathizo
wit all peoples struggling for liberty and
self government. But while so sympa
timing, it is due to our honor that we
should abstain from enforcing our views
upon unwilling nations and from taking
an interested part without invitation in
the quarrels between different nations
or between governments and thei subS
jects. Our course should always be 10
conformity with strict justice and law,
international and local. Such has been
the policy of the Administration in deal
ing with these questions. For more
than a year,a valuable province ofSpaln,
aud near neighbor of ours, in whom
all our people cannot but feel deep in
teseSt, has been struggling for iudepend.
enco and freedom. The people and
Government Of the United States enter
tain the same warm feeling and sympa-
thy for the people of Cuba in their
pending struggle that they manifested
throughout the previous struggles be-
tween Spain and her former colonies in
behalf Of tho latter. But the contest
at no time has assumed the condition
which amounts to war in the sense Of
international law, or which would show
the existence of a dc tactO political or
ganization Of the insurgents suficien. to
justify a recognition Of bcligOrenCy.-
The principle is maintained, however,
that this nation is its own judge when
t. accord the rights OF bellisereucy Ell
Their to people struggling to free them
selves from a government they believe
to be oppressive, or to independent
nations at war with each other. The
Unite States have no disposition 10
iutelcro with the existing relations oil
Spain TO her colonial possessions on this
continent, They believe that in due time
Spain aud other European powers will
find their interest in terminating those
relations and establishing their present
dependencies as independent powers
members of the family of nations
These dependencies are no longer re
garded as subject to transfer from ont
European power to another, When The
1rese at relations Of the colonies csasel
they are to become Independent pow
crs, exercising the rights Of choice auC
their future condition and relations will
other powers.
MEDIATION.
The United States in order to put Z
stop to bloodsbed in Cuba, and in the
interest of a nOighboriug people, pro
posed their good Offices to bring tho OK
istins contest to termination, The of
fer not being accepted by Spain on