The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-12-06
WHEE1Ne. ". VA, TUESDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 1870.

CculOlG sLLuutluup ALS 5lGuuGA Souoh uStAOHl
and the absence OF a supply Of water in
the ncighborhoOd leaves but little hope oi
safety for either tho building or It's con!
tents in CaSe OF the accident Of fire. It's
destruction would involve the loss Of the
rolls containing the original acts and reso.
lutions OF Congress, of the historical records
Of the Revolution, Of the confederation, ol
the whole series Of diplomatic and consul
lar archives since the adoption Of the con.
stitution, and OF the many other
records and papers lel with
that department when it was the
depository Of tho great archives.
recommend an appropriation for
the construction Of o building for the De.
partment Of State. l recommend to
your reconsideration the propriety Of
transferring to the Department Of the In
terror, to which they seem more appro-
priately to belong, all powers and other
duties in relation to the territories with
which the Department Of State is now
charged by law or usage; and from the
Interior Department to the War Depart.
ment the Pension Bureau, SO far as itreg.
ulates the payment of soldiers pensions.
would further recommend that the pay
ment OF naval pensions bc transferred to
one Of the Bureaus Of the Navy Depart.
ment. The estimates for the expenses Of
tue Government for the fiscal year are
SIS, pa, ,846.Ol less than for tho current
one, but exceed the appropriation Tor the
present year, for the same items, IS, or, ,127,-
30. In this estimate, however, Is includ-
ed $22 1888, ,27S 81 for public works here
tofOre begun under Congressional proyis.
ion, and Of which only so much Is asked
rs Congress may choose to give. The
for the same works for the
present fiscal year was $l1 0S4,51S 0S.
The average value Of gold as compared
with National currency, Tor tho whole OF
The year 1860, was about 1874, and
for II months Of 1870 the
relative value has been about 1.15. The
approach to specie basis is very crafty
Ing, but the fact cannot be denied that the
Instability Of the value Of our currency is
prejudfcial to our prosperity and tends to
keep up prices to the detriment Of trade.
The evils OF deprecated and fuctuating
currency are so great that, now when the
premium on gold has fallen so much, 1t
would seem that the time has arrived
when, by wise and prudent legislation,
Congress should, look to policy which
would place our currency ut par with gold
at no distant day. .
The tax collected from the people has
been reduced more than eighty million
dollars per, anuum. By steadineSs in
our present course there is no reason why
in few short years, the national tax
gatherer may not disappear from the door
Of the citizen almost entirely. With the
revenue stamp dispensed by the post.
masters in every community, q tax upon
liquors Of all sorts and tobacco in all its
forms, and by wise adjustment OF the
tariff, which will put duty only upon
those articles which one could dispense
with, known as lrxuries, and those which
we use more Of than we produce, revenue
enough may be raised after few
years Of peace and consequent reduction
Of our Indebtedness TO fulfill all our obli-
cations. A further reduction OF expense
In addition to reduction Of the interest ac-
count may be relied on to make this practi-
cable. Revenue reform, if It means this,
has my hearty support; IT 1t implies a
collection Of oil the revenue for the sup
port Of the Government, on the payment
Of the principal and interest Of the public
debt, pensions, &C., by directly taxing the
people, then am against revenue reform,
and confidently believe the people are
with mc. Ifit means failure to provide
the necessary means to defray oil the ex.
pcnses Of the Government, and thereby q
repudiation Ofthe public debt and pen
si0ns, then am still more opposed to
such kind OF revenue reform. Revenue
reform las not been defined by any OF Its
advocates, to my knowledge, but seems
to be accepted as something which is to
supply every mans wants without any
cost or eIEort on his part. A true revenue
reform cannot be made in day, but
must be the work OF national legislation
and Of time, AS soon as the revenue can
be dispensed with all duty should be re-
moved from coffee, tea and other articles
Of universal use, not produced by our
selves. The necessities Of the country
compel us to collect revenue from our i'm
ports. Our army Of assessors and col.
iectOrs is not o pleasant sight to the Citi'
zen, but that or o tariff tor revenue
is necessary. Such tariff, so far as il
acts in the encouragement to homo pro-
ducts, affords employment 10 labor at liv-
ing wages, in contrast to the pauper labor
Of the old world, and also in the develop.
ment Of home resources. Under the act oi
Congress OF the 10th day Of July, 1870.
The army has gradually been reduced,
so that on the lst of January, 1871, the
number Of commissioned officers and men
will not exceed the number contemplated
by law. ,.' r.
The War Department buildings an old
structure, not IRE. proof, and entirely in
adequate in dimensions 10, our present
wants. Many, thousands OF dollars are
now paid annually for the rent Of private
to accommodate the various
bureaus Of the Department. | recon-
mend an appropriation for new War
Department building suited to the present
and growing wants ofthe nation. =.
The report Of the Secretary Of War
shows very satisfactory reduction in the
expenses Of the army for the last fiscal
year. For details you are referred TO his
accompanying report, 0 -
The expenses Of the navy for the whole
Of the last year, that is, from December,
1869, the date Of the last report, are less
than $l9,00O,000, or about $1,000, ,00C
less than they were the previous year.
The expenses Of the Navy Department in
this fiscal year, since July lst, show for
the FIVE months decrease Of over 81, ,400,'
900 from those Of the corresponding
months Of last year. The estimates fol
the current year were $28,205,67S 81 ;
those for next year are $40, 1885, ,Sl7, With
S957,OOO additional for temporary and
permanent improvements. These esti.
mates are made closely for the main.
tenauce Of the naval establishment as il
is, without much in the nature Of perma'
ment improvements. The appropriations
,,n,o rnoda Coz tho Last and CnPrnnk va0pS