The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-01-05

WASHINGTON. Jan. 5.-The report OF the Spe.
cisl Commissioner of Revenue. Hon. David A.
Wells addressed to the Secretary Of the Trea.
sury, was laid before the House to day.
The results OF a somewhat extended investi-
CATION are presented, not with a view of esta-
blishing or confirming any particular theory,
tion OF positive daSa, what policy In legislation
is likely TO prove hereafter most advantageous
to the revenue, and most certain to establish
tho credit and industry of the whole country
upon sound and subsi iantlal bass.
The first step or startlD g. point of the inquiry
is the present condition OF the capital aud in
dustry of the United States:-
question are to o considerable degree contradic.
tory and parRdoXtcal. On the one nand there is
much that indicates that the country is rapidly
recovering from the effects of the war. and
Iesumlng that wonderful career of progress
and development which especially charac-
in the thirteen years from 1877 to 1860 On the
other hand, there is another class OF facts which
as enthusiastically inuicate the existence of
agencies which tend 10 arrest obstruct
national development, and which foster specu.
latioa, idleness extravaganoe Of living, discon-
aent with moderate and slow gains, haste to be
ricb, and the spirit OF trading as distinguished
ffcm the spirit OF production.
It's proposed in the first instance, to briefly
ktate The evidence In support OF the first propo-
0p eviGepSe @ ma mas neen prenenteo % IN IN
Two previous reports, but recapitulatton of
the leading elements OF national wealth. on
which the national credit reposes. can never be
considered as uutimely SO long as a dlsttust of
the resources OF the nation Is Tor any purpose
sops holding official or other puolic stations.
This evidence may be grouped as follows:-
~ Frst-lmmigratlon. From the lst of July,
1866. TO the LIST of December 1868, about 600 900
native OF foreign countries have sought per.
manent home In the United States. Investiga-
tions made some years ago (and the Oh tracter
of the immigration has since greatly improved)
showed that q, these immigrants T briog with them
OF eighty dollars per head; while their average
value TO the country ss producers cannot be
estimated at less than half the average value of
an ordinary laDorer in the South prior to the
war. viz: $1,000 each. Immigration, then, since
the termination OF the war, may oe regarded as
having added $50 600 600 directly aud $500 600 900
indirectly. to the wealth and resources OF the
Secondly-A general increase in the products
OF domestic industry. The Commissioner is
fully aware of The difficulties attendant upon
the determination of estimates in this depart.
ment; prices, with the present irredeemable,
fnctuaIing currency, being wholly valueless as
measure, while a statement OF quantities, to
be strictly accurate must be considered not
only with reference TO quality, but also to the
normal increase in production, W hich under all
circumstances accompanies an increase of
population. Nevertheless. the wealth OF the
country Is lis capacity for annual production:
aud an analysis of this production is the
sulest, and at present the only, available
method OF testing that wealth.
81 eaBing generally. however, In the first
Instance, Lhe Com m mssioner as serts that all the
conclusions. viz,:-That within the last fve
yesrs more cotton spindles have been put in
operation, more iron furnaces erected, more
iron smelted, more bars rolled, more steel
made, more coal and copper mined, more lum.
ber sawed and hewn, more houses and shops
constructed, more manufactures OF different
kinds started, and more petroleum collected,
refined, and exported than during any equal
period In the history OF the countIy and Chat
this increase has been greater both as regards
quality ana Quantity, and greater than the
normal increase of wealth and pooulation
Besides this general statement, the Commits.
sioner adduces much specific evidence on cot
petroleum, coal, lake tonnage, etc. He next
shows the continued increase in the agrloul
measured by quantity or value.
Under the head of railway extension and
movement, IL appears that during the ten
years from 1858 to 1858, the incre lse of tonnage
moved on the roads has been al rate OF six
teen Times greater than the ratio OF the In
crease or population.
In discussing the agencies concerned In
national development, he says that all tnvesti-
CATION clearly shows them TO have been mainly
two. namely, first, great natural resources In
respect TO abundant and fertile territory, great
natural facilities for intercommunication,
abundant and cheap raw material. and diversity
Without insalubrity OF climate; and secondly,
fore has left man and capital over an area
almost continental, free and unrestrained to
work out their own development. Since l840
especially, other agencies have come in as
powerful adjuncts viz, continued Influx of
cobtinued Invention and application OF labor
saving machinery, and most rapid extension
of the railway sy stem which last. by giving q
market to ali the products of our national
domain. has greatly stimulated the spirit OF
Industry AID enterprise. With these. also
Should undoubtedly be included the purchase
ofCalifornia and the discovery OF gold on the
Pacific.
AZ respects the relation OF legislation by the
Nauonal Government TO the results under
consideration, II we except the adoption OF a
liberal policy in the disposition OF the public
lands, IL is difficult at least for the period
which has elapsed between 1910 aud 1850, TO
af1irm much that is positive unless, in con.
fOrmity with the maxim that that govern ment
is best which governs least. absence OF leglsla-
ton Is to be regarded in the light of a positive
good. IL important results followed the acaui-
sition OF California, such results certainly
| peitber foreseen nor anticipates; while as re.
CARDS commercial legislation, a review of all
4 tboiacts cannot fail to suggests doubt whether
tbeevils which have resulted from instability
nave not far moro than counterbalanced any
/ Advantage that may have proceeded from the
eyperience OF fucluating policy.
4 The Commissioner Is well aware that this
opinion will not be readily accepted by those
who have been educated TO believe that the In.
4 dustrial and commercial prosperity of the
eountry was seriou.ly affected by the legislation
which took place during the years which
eIapsed from lS42 70 l846. But upon this point