Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-12-17
REPORT or THR SECRETARY OF
THE TREASURY.


Secretary Boutwell,, In his report, COM |
plimcnts the officers IN charge Of the vari. |
ous bureaus and divisions of tke Treasury |
department by stating that they have |
faithfully parformcd their duties, and he |
commonds their several reports to the
consideration Of Congress
The decrease in the cost Of collecting
revenue has not been attended by any loss
of cfliiency In the service, On the other |
hand IL is believed that the means for the
detection of smuggling are better than |
ever before, and that the custom house |
service Is also constantly improving.
Under the existing laws certain revenue
officers and other persons appearing as in
formers are entitled to shares in lines,
penalties. and forfeitures The SecretarY's
experience has convinced him that the |
evils attending this system are greater than
the benefits derived from IL.
In March last there were employed in
the Treasury department Mt Washington, |
2,S4S clerks, messengers, and laborers, at |
monthly cost Of $2S5,02l.5i. At present |
the whole number of employees is 2,441, |
and their monthly pay amounts to $685. |
2SOSl, showing decrease of expenses at |
the rate Of $57 16S.04 per annum 1t was
found necessary however, during the pc |
RODS mentioned, TO increase the force In |
the Internal Revenue office, and In the |
Office of the First Comptroller. This |
increase, I'm the aggregate, is at the rate of
$SO,4l8 per annum This statement docs
not relate TO the force in the bureau of en-
craving and printing --, a 1rCl
In March last there were 90 special
agents in the service of the department,
receiving, in the aggregate, for their ser.
vices The sum of $S7i,i0 per day. The
number now employed is 81, and their
daily pay $36S65. The pay of the agents
has been increased generally, in the hope
that more efficient service might be OBJ
tanned
Arrangements have been made for the
manufacture of paper for the currency
and other obligations Of the United States
and for the printing of the same, which
will increase the security of the govern
ment against unlawful issues from genuine
plates.
The revenue marine system is an i'm.
portaut and expensive branch of the Gus
toms revenue service. There are 30
vessels belongiug 10 the department, of
which IL arc sailing vessels, and "a arc
steamers. They vary in size from 40 to 4S
tons. Ono hundred and seyenty.throe Of
ficcrs and z, 400 men are required 10 man
these vessels, and their rtihning expenses
amount TO about $S65,000 q year. From
one hale to, three fourths of tho vessels
now in the service arc not adapted 70 the
business "a II. IA H
The attention Of Congress Is called TO
the inadequacy of the salaries paid to Of
iccrs in the Treasury department, who
exercise discretion and whose acts bind
the government or affect directly its ex-
penditurcs or revenues, and on increase OF
their pay is earnestly recommended
The Secretary also states that this in
crease Of pay should be extended TO the
revenue officers In the customs service,
such rs collectors, surveyors, naval OIL.
GERS and especially 70 Appraisers and
examiners IN the appraisers department.
Including. interests earned and not
paid and deduCting the cash on hand
the debt of the United States on the 1st
of March last was $2,525, 4G3, ,26O01, and
subject to the same condition IL was $s {.
A53 $50, 1923 on the 1st of the present
month, showing a deetesse of $7l,903,-
52liS. This apparent decrease of the
public debt is less than the actual dc
crease Considerable sums have been
paid on war and other old claims not
previously asccrtained, and therefore not
included in any debt s:atenent The ao,
count of March l, from the necessity of
the case, included only the interest &C.
Crued and not then payable; but as a mat
ter of TACT there were outstanding and over
have since been paid out of the ordinary
rCvcnue Previous To March /, no inter.
est account had ever been kept with the
several loans Such measures as were
found practicable have since been taken
to ascertain the exact condition of these
accounts. The bonds issued by the United
States in aid of railways, amounting to
S62, ,626, ,320, being in the nature of loan,
are not included in the foregoing state
mcnt
During the fiscal year ending June 30,
1869, there was an excess of receipts over
expenditures, including the interest on
public debt, of $la,453, 14946 OF this
excess, $i2 ,002, ,37003 as nearly Us can
now be ascertained, arose previous to
March l, and the remainder $36, AGO, 10
.43 between that time and the first day
of July This excess was applied from
time TO time TO the purchase OF b.20 bonds,
and the excess of receipts since July has
been used In the same manner. The pur-
chasos amounted in the aggregate, on the
Both day OF November, to SAC, 500.
AS large part of the excess of re,
ccipts was realized in coin, sales of gold
have been made from time to time, and
the proceeds applied to the purchase OF
bonds. With the exception of the sale OF
moderate amounts of coin in Chicago, New
Orleans, ST. Louis, and Baltimore, for the
payment of duties, the sale of gold, and
the purchase of bonds have been made
uniformly through the agency of thu
United States, Treasurer in New York
and without any expense TO the govern
mcnt except, the comparatively smal
amount paid for advertising the proposals
The average premium on gold sold sine,
March LIST has been 80 s 10 per cent, ant
the average premium paid for bonds ha
lA-1ll .ta h..at
of the sales of gold, and the purchase o
bonds, the average prices paid for bonds
in coin has been So 55.100 per cent
THE act of February p5, 1862 provided
that the coin received for duties ON i'm
ported goods should he annually set apar
as sinking fund To the extent of one pc,
cent Of the entire Indebtedness OF In,
United States. In conformity with thi
requirement, l have purchased bonds Il
the amount Of &20,044, 800, and designate,
them rs belonging 20 the sink
ing fund.- Q These purchases are )
substantial compliance with the staI
ute from the 4th of March las
| have not felt myself authorized a
required TO make any provision for tn
time that olapsed after the passage of th
act and previous 10 the commencement q
the administration. With the excess Z
means at my command, | have purchase
bonds in addition to those purchased 70
the sinking fund 10 the amount of $55, ,43s
600. These are held as a special furC
subject % the action OF Congress, and
respectfully recommend that they be adde
TO the sinking fund, aud that any furthe
purchases that may be made be so adde
until the gross amount shall constitute
fund equal 10 that which would have bee
created if there had been no delay in Il
execution Of the law, - r'tF +
"The depreciation Of currency Is due
two causes First, an excessive issue, an
secondly TO the want of faith in the 90
ernmeht; and the extent of the influen,
of the first named cause cannot be asce
talned until the second is removed sul
stantially. Whenever our credit shall !