New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-12-07

Of three per cent and this tax to expire in three years
with the funding the National debt here suggested
safe in saying that taxes and the revenue from ln
ports may be reduced safely from sixty to eighty millions
per at once, and may be still further reduceu
from year year. the resources of tho country are
developed The report of the Secretary of the Treasury
shows tho receipts Of the Government for he nsca year
ending juno So 1862 to be SSO943I7 aud the e1pend
lures including interest, bounes, &c, to be S32l45Si
The estimates the ensuing are more fayoraoe 10
the Government, and will no doubt show much Ialeer
decrease Of the public debt.
The receipts the Treasury beyond expenditures have
exceeded the amount necessary to place to the ced OF
the Sinking Fund provided by law. To lock mp the
surplus in the Treasury and withhold 1T from cculaton
would lead TO such contraction of the currency as 10
cripple trade and seriously affect the prosperity OF inc
country Under these circumstances, the Secretary OF
the Treasury and myself heartily concurred In the
propiey Of using all the surplus currency In the treasury
I'm the purchase Of Government bonds thus reducing tho
nterestbeaung debt Of the country and OF submitting 10
Congress the question OF the disposition to DO made OF the
bonds so purchased The bonds held by the Treasury
amount to about SO 100000 including those belonging 10
tho Sinking Fund recommend that the whole be placed
TO the credit Of the Sinking Fund.
Your attention is respectfully invited to the recon-
mendatons OF the Secretary Of the Treasury for the
creation OF the Office OF Commissioner OF Customs Kew
enue the increase OF salary to certain classes OF o
Gals and the substitution of increased national bank cir
cuaon to replace the outstanding three per cent cert-
Gates and especially TO his recommendation for the
repeal Of laws allowing shares Of fines penalties, forfeit
ures &c. officers of tho Government or TO informers
The Office OF Commissioner Of Internal Revenue Is ono
II tho most arduous responsible under the Govern
nen IL falls but little any short OF Cabinet posi-
ton in its Importance and responsibilities would ask
viii place the office on footing Of dignity commensurate
with its Importance, and with character ana qualhca-
tons Of the class Of men requisite to MI IL properly
TIE CASE OF CUBA.
AS the United States is the first Of all nations too,
the people sympathize with all peoples struggling for
liberty and setgovenment But while so sympathzing.
duo TO honor that should 20 abstain from en-
forcing our views upon unwilling nations and from TAX
ing an interested part ,cHo irritation In the quarres
between different nations, or between e0verhne.ls anu
their subjects course should always be In conformity
with strict justice and law, international ana local.
such has been the policy Of the Administration in dealing
with these questions. For more than year valuable
province OF Spain and near neghbor OF ours In whom
an our people cannot but feel deep interest, has
been struggling for independence and Tree;
States entertain the warm feelings and sympathles
for the people Of Cuba their pending struggle that they
Spain and former colonies i'll behalf OF the latter
But the contest has at no time assumed the conditions
which IN the sense Of international law
or which would show the existence Of dc fdco political
~ P fe ST INC pmncnle s Waufsed
however, that this nation Is It's own judge when TO
struggling to free themselves from govern
mont they believe TO be oppressive or 10 INDEPENDENT
nations at war with each other. The United States have
no disposition TO interfere with the existing relations OF
Spain TO her Colonial possessions on this Continent They
believe that in due time Spain and other European
powers will find their interest in terminating those re-
latOns and establishing their present dependencies as
independent pOweTs-menbers OF the family OF nations
The dependencies longer regarded subject 10
transfer from one European power to another when
come ndepe9dent 9He s sgts 9ns s1 OF
their future condition ana relations with otber
Powers the United States, in order TO put stop TO
bOodshed in Cuba, and IN the interest OF neighb0rng
people proposed their good offices To bring the existing
contest TO termination The oiler not being accepted
by Cuba, was Withdrawn. 1t is hoped that tho good
Offices Of the United states may yet prove advantageous
FOR the settlement OF this unhappy snfe. heanWhIea
h VI - as bepn The e1Scavor OF INC Adminstra.
ton to the neutrality laws in good faith no
matter how unpleasant the task made so by the hurer
ing we have endured from lack Of Ike good faith toward
On the 26th OF March last the United States schooner
Lizzie Major was arrested on the high seas by Spanish
frgae. and two passengers were taken from and car
red prisoners to Cuba Representations OF these facts
were made TO the Spanish Government soon as sui
cent information Of them reached Washington The two
passengers set at liberty and the Spanish Govern
meut assured the United States that the captain OF the
frigae, making the capture. had acted without law
that he had been reprimanded for the rreguary OF ms
conduct aud that the Spanish authorities IN CGDa Would
sanction any act that could violate the rights or eat
with disrespect tho sovereignty Of this nation.
The question Of the seizure Of the brig Mary Lowell nj
OF the Bahama Islands by Spanish authorities Is now
the subject OF correspondence between The Government
and those OF Spain and Great Britain The CaptanGtn-
era Of Cuba, about May last issued proclamation au'
thorzng search to be made OF vessels the high seas
Immediate IcDOnstrahce was made against th5 NI.ro
upon the CaptainGeneral issued new proclamation
States so far as authorized under the treaty OF 1895 This
proclamation, however, was Immediately withdrawn. !
be cultivated between the Republic Of tho United States
and all independent nations on tins continent II may be
United States and them may not be probably entered
into to secure more intimate relations, friendly CONNER
cia, and otherwise.
THE DARIES CANAL.
The subject OF the nterOceanic canal to connect the
Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Isthmus OF
Daren is in which commerce Ia greatly Interested
Instructions have been given to our Minister TO the Re
public of the United States Of Colombia TO endeav0r to
obtain authority for survey by the Government In order
to determine the practlca6iy OF SUCH an nndernBhg'
and for the right Of to build by private en-
terprse such work IL the survey proves to be pract-
cable
In order to comply with tho agreement Of the United
States mixed commission ut LANA for the adjust
ment Of claims 1t became necessary TO send Commits
and Secretary Lima In August last No appr0-
paton having been made by Congress for TINS purpose
i asked that one be made covering the past ana
The good offices OF the United States TO bring about
peace between Spain and the South American Republics,
with which she s ut war; having been accepted ny SPAN
Peru. ana Chill Congress has been invited 70 be hed III
Washington during the present Winter.
A grant has been given 10 Europeans OF an exclusive
right Of transit over the territory OF Nicaragua 10 when
cs with vested rights of citizens of the United ststcs
The Department OF State has now this subject under
PERU AND THE SPANISH GuSBoArs.
The Minister OF Peru having made representations that
there a state OF between Peru and Spain. and
that Spain constructing IN and near New-fork 81
HunbOats which might DC uscu Dy spain I'D suc wa" as
TO relieve the force ut Cuba TO operate against
Peru orders gwen " prevent their departure No
further steps having been taken Ivy the representative al
the Peruvian Government 10 prevent the departure OF
these vessels and not feeling authorized to deta tho
prUperty OF a nation with which We arc at peace, on
mere Executive order the matter has been referred TO
the Courts TO decide -,
The conduct OF the war between the Allies and the
Republic Paraguay made the intercourse WIN mat
country difficult that il has been dcceu huNiSaO I'd
withdraw representative from there.
THE ALABAMA CLAIMS.
tle cInsp of last AdmListrat Oh cODYeo
ton was signed London for the settlement OF All out