The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-12-30


ton upon me that it is inexpedient to in
cur the expenditure until the department
is in possession of more accurate and com
plete information. [ shall, therefore
take the opinion of board Of competen
officers upon the following points First
the size and character ofthe vessels requi
red by the nature of the service tina
they are to perform. Second; vhethel
they should be constructed of iron OF
wood, or of o combination of these mate
rails. When the report of the Committee
shall have been received, proposals vii
be issued for the construction Of vessstl
AS authorized.
In addition to the parent mint 1t Phil
adelphia, branch minis have been estab-
lished at various times, in different part.
of the country one at SanFrancisco, ons
at New Orleans, one ut Charlotte II. O.,
one at Dahlonega, Ca, ono az
Denver, Col, and one at Portland,
Oregon. Since the commencement of
the war the branches at New Orleans,
Dahlonegs and Charlotte have been clos
ed. An assay Office, it ia believed, wild
satisfy the necessities of the mining int
rests in Colorado, and for the present only
limited business will be done in the
Portland mint. Indeed, with the con-
atruction of railroads and the consequent
" increasing facilities for communication,
l asa Of Che opinion that the business of
coming will be chiefly at one mint upon
the Pacific coast and ct one mint OF the
Atlantic coast Under an set of Congress
passed July %, 1865, preparation are
making for the sale of the minis at Char
lotte and Dahlonega. The mining and
coming Of the precious metals ID now
so large national interest that ID deser-
YES more attention than it has hitherto
received. At present there il NO bureau
or Office in the Treasury Department ct
Washington, charged specially with the
management of this great interest. l.,
therefore, recommend that provision be
made fer the appointment OF proper
officer to be entrusted with this branch
of public business, under the direction Of
the Secretary of theTreasury. The coinage
of the country is diminished in amount
by the fact that in England and Francs
the mint expenses are much less than
with us. It would, no doubt have a.
tendency to prevent the export of the
precious metals in the form of bullion,
if the mint charges were to be reduced or
altogether abolished.
An agreement was made Feb. IL, 1859
between the Secretary of the Treasury on
behalf of tho United States, and certain
parties in California, leasing lot OF
land in San Francisco, known as Custom
House Block, for period of twenty Ave
years This lease is subject TO the condi-
tion that Congress may, on or before the
first of January, 1870, take adverse &C.
ton in reference thereto. In view of the
fact that the lease is for long period Of
time, and being of the opinion that the
government should obtain control Of the
property that may be needed for public
houses, think it expedient tor Congress
to annul the lease
Considerable progress has been made
upon the foundation of the post Office
building in the city of New York, and Of
building in the city of Boston. TEE
supervising architect of the Treasury
Department is of the opinion that the
walls and roofs of the buildings may be
completed during the next year if sufl-
cient appropriations are furnished. The
works having been undertaken, | am OF
the opinion that it is economical to make
the necessary appropriations for their
speedy completion.
During the month of December the
Department will be prepared to submit q
report upon the condition of our com
mercial marine. That report will show
that the navigation interests of the coun-
try have not recovered from the losses
sustained during the war, and that eff
Gent measures are necessary for it's res
toration.
I cannot omit to call the attention of
Congress to the inadequacy of the sala-
ries paid to officers in the Treasury De-
partment, who exercise discretion, and
whose acts bind the Government, or affect
directly its expenditures or revenues.
Some of the salaries were fixed when the
Government was organized; others when
new officers were added, and but few OF
them have been increased recently. 1t lie
unquestionably true that persons having
equal abilities, and clothed with similar
responsibility, receive much larger com
pensation from individuals and corpora
tons; and although many of the officers
now in the public service are likely to
continue, from the circumstance that theiI
vocation has led them aside from the
ordinary channels of business, yet, as an
act of justice to them, and in the interest
of the Government, 1 earnestly recommend
an increase of their pay. Speaking, gen.
eraiy, this increase of pay should extend
to revenue officers in the customs service
such as collectors, surveyors, naval officers
and especially to appraisers and examiners
in the Appraisers Department. Should
the recommendation to repeal the Law
granting shares of penalties, fines and
forfeitures to public officers be adopted
it will be necessary to increase the sala