Evening star., 1869-12-06


quirements, and may. with safety, be reduced.
But the funding of the debt in q four or q
four and half per cent. loan would reduce
nual current expenses largely; thus, after fund
ing. justifying a greater reduJtion Of taxation
than weuld bc now eNpedient. l suggest post
ponement OF this question until the next meet
ing OF congress.
1t nlay be advisablekto modify taxation and
tariff in instances where unjust OF surdensOHe
determinations are made by the present law;
but general revision of the laws regulating this
subject L recommend the POStpopement of for
the present. 4 also suggest the renewal 81 the
tax ON incomes. but at u reduced rate, say of
three per cent, and this tax TO expire i'll three
years.
With the funding of the national debt as here
suggested, feel safe in saving that taxes, and
the re We nue. from imports. NAV be reduced safely
from sixty to eighty millions Ier annum at once.
and may be still further reduced from year to
year as the resources OF the country are deyel-
Oped.
The report OF the Secretary of the Treasury
shows the receipts of the Government for the
fiscal wear ending June 30, 1853, te be $40 O9g},1H
dollars, aud the expenditures, including inter
Cst boUnties, &c, To be S2l ,490 ,5s1 dollars The
estimates for the ensuing wear are more favora-
bic TO the government, and will 10 doubt show
much larger decrease of the public debt.
The receipts in the Treasury beyond expendli-
lures have exceeded the amount necessary to
place to the credit OF the sinking fund, as pro-
yiled by law. To lock up the surplus in the
Treasury and withhold it from circulation
would lead TO such a contraction of the cur
reney as to cripple trade and seriously affect the
prosperity OF the country. Under these circum-
stances the Secretary Of the Treasury ard my
self heartily concurred in the propriety OF using
all the surplus currency in the Treasury in the
purchase of Government bonds, thus reducing
the iEterest-beaung deltedness Of the conn
try, and Of submitting to Congress the question
O1 the disposition tO be node of the bonds so
urchased. The bonds now held by the Trea-
suTy amount Ia about 5000 .O0a, including those
belonging to the sinhing fund. 1 recommend
that the whole be placed to the credit Of the
sinking fund.
ff,,ll,-
recommendations of the Secretary of the Treas
ury for the creation Of the office of Commis-
sioner of Custom revenues; for the increase of
salaries TO certain classes OF officials; the sub
stitutiOn of increased national bank circulation
to replace the outstanding three per cent. GER
tihcates; and most especially To his recOmmen-
OF fines, penalties, fOrfeitures, &c, to officers Of
the Government or 10 iHfOrmers.
The Office of Commissioner of Internal Reve-
nue l. one Of the most ar,!uous and responsible
under the Government. 1t falls but little if
any, short of a Cabinet position i'm its importance
and responsibilities. i would ask for it, there
fore, such legislation as, i'm your Judgment will
place the office upon footing of dignity COM
mensurate with its Importance. and with the
character and qualifications OF the class OF men
required to fill il tprOperly.
As the United states is the freest of all
nations, so too its people sympathiZe with all
people struggling for liberty and self-govern-
ment. But while so sympathiZing il is due to
our honor that VIC should abstain from enforcing
our views upon unwilling nations, and from
taking an interested part, lciLort iRritdtiOR. in
the quarTels between different nations, or be-
ween governments and their subjects. Our
course should always Ice in conformity with
strict justice and law, international and local.
Such has been the policy of the administration
III dealing with these questions.
For more than year a valuable province of
Spain, and a near neighbor OF ours. in whom all
our people cannot but feel q deep interest, has
been struggling Tor independence and freedom
The people and Government OF the United
States entertain the same warm feelings AMI
Sympathies for the people OF Cuba in their
pending struggle that they manifested through
former Colonies, in behalf of the latter. But
the contest has at no time assumed the cOndi-
tons which amount TO war in the sense OF in-
terRational law, or which would show the exist
ence of a de facto political organization of the
insurgents sufficient to justify recognition of
bctligerents.
The principle is maintained however that this
nation is its own judge when to accord the
rights OF bellgerency either TO "a people strug-
Cling to free themselves from a gOyernmentthcy
believe TO be oppressive, on to independent nG-
tions at war with each other.
The United States have no disposition to in
terfeTe with the existing relations OF Spain to
her colonial possessions on this continent. They
believe that in due time Spain and other Euro
pean powers will find their interest in termi-
mating those relations and establishing their
present dependencies independent powers
members OF the family OF nations.
These dependencies are no longer regarded as
subject TO transfer from one European power to
another. When the present relation OF colonies
ceases they are to become independent powers,
exercising the right OF choice, and OF self-cOn-
troll in the determination OF their future condi-
tiOn and relations with other powers.
The United States, in order to put stop to
blOOdshod in Cuba. and in the interest OF
ncighbOring people, proposed their good offices
10 bring their existing contest 10 a termination.
The offer not being accepted by Spain, on
basis which We believed could be received by
Cuba. was Withdrawn. IL il hoped that the
good officers of the United States may vet prove
advantageous fVr the settlement of this unhappy
strife.
Meanwhile, a number Of illegal expeditions
against Cuba have been broken mp. It has been
the endeavOr of the administration to execute the
neutrality laws in good faith no matter how un-
pleasant the task, made by the sufierings which
We have endured from lact of like gcod faith
towards us by other nations.
On the 18th of March last, the United States
schooner Lizzie Major arrested ON the
high seas by Spanish frigate and two passen-
gers taken FROM il, and carried as prisoners to
Cuba. Representations of these facts were
made to the Spanish Government as soon
official information OF them reach Washington.
The two passengers were set at liberty. AMI the
spanish Government assured the United States
that the CAPTAIN of the irlsate u! making the
reprimaEtled Tor the Tregularity of his c6ndncJ.
and that the Spanish authorities in Cuba would
not sanction any act that could violate the
rights. or treat With ulsreS.ect the sovereignty
of this nation.
The question of the seizure of the brig Mary
Lowell at one OF the Bahama Islands, by Spanisl,
auIIOf1tlS>, IL now Oh
between this Government and those of Spain
and Great Britain.
The Captain General of Cuba about May last
i>sued a proclamation authorizing search 10 be
made OF vessels on the high seas. Immediate
TcmonstTanee was made agsiins. this, whereupon
the Captain General issued a new proclamation
limiting the right or search to vessels of the
United States so far "a authorized under the
treaty Of 1I9J. This proclamation was, how
ever, immedia withdrawn.
l have always felt that the most intimate re-
latiOnS should be cultivated between the Reput-
lie OF the Cuited States and all INDEPENDENT
nations on this continent. II may be well worth
considering whether new treaties between Us
and them may not be profitably entered into to
secure more intimate relations, friendly, cm-
mercial and otherwise.
The subject of an interoceanic canal TO con-
meet the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through
the isthmus OF Darien j. one i'm which commerce
is greatly interested. Instructions have been
given TO our Minister to the Republic Of the
CnHed States OF Columbia to endeavor 10 OBJ
tain authority for survey by this Government,
in order TO determine the practcabilty of sucl
all undertaking. and the charter for the right of
way to build, by private enterprise, such work
If the survey proves il to be practicable.
In order to comply with the agreement Of the
United States as 10 a mixed commission at Lima
for the adjustment of claims, il became neces-
sary 20 seud commissioner and secretary to
Lima in August last. No appropriation having
been made by Congress for this purpose, IL il
now asked that one be made, covering the past
and future expenses Of the commission.
n IL a.. al IL.