New-York tribune., 1870-12-06


1862 at 50 per cent without undertaking 10 specify the
means by which iti 10 bo accomplished. cano over
state tic Importance OF such legislation ~ VIII secure
roy lyal OF American commerce.. So, .,, T., ,.,.,,
The repOd OF the Lighthouse Board sets IOrth IN ucia
the difficulties which have arisen IN that prch 9 'he
nhc service from the operation 0f the NTH section of
ihe act Of July II, 1870 making appropriations loI te
or tbe wear ending June 80 1871 Tho legislation asked
for By the Board seemed To me 10 De noocSSai} Inu
report OF the superintendent OF inc OVas' outaey &
during the last surveying year
TRANSFORMING MERCHANDISE IN BOND
On the lst day OF october last regulations "re suoo
concerning the transportation OF mcrohahuiso o" lne
ports Of importation TO certain other ports n loe uhed
states without apprasement or Limitation OF duties az
e ort ~ arrival agreeably 10 tho provisions OF the act
entitled An act TO reduce Internal tax, ana Tor Oher
purposes approved July 10 1870 copy OF the regq1
Hons will he transmitted to GOngress In the nature OF the
casea tbe regulations are stringent, but when the
railway companies shall have given the bonus requren
and the jmpoitnR merchants Of the interior cities shall
have made arrangements for the importation OF goods
mpcn the basis OF the act satisfied that no serious
cbapfs or the Goyernment without doubt. the act in
the Opportunity Tor lle lnlrodn. to VI & 10
goods i'm the cOry In violation OF revenue law uI the
Termination which have given TO the subject In the
preparation OF regulations leads mt 10 VhhA tho' 'o
business can be safely conducted
EXPENSE OF COLLECTING CUSTOMS.
The appropriation for the expenses OF collecting the
customs revenue under the approved May J 1885, IL
at the rate Of S42OOOOO annually. in addition to sneh
sums AZ may be received from fines, penalties, and Tor
fixtures and from storage cartage drainage and labor
Experience has shown that this amount Is insufficient
and "a deficiency appropriation VIII be needed at ehch
,cs ion OF Congress until the permanent appropriation IL
Increased have instituted careful sion in the
Treasury Department this branch OF expendl-
lures, and agents are employed IN h'estS"',hhe th
the expenses Of the CustOm-HOuses OF ihe
country for the purpose OF ascertaining whether
reduction OF the number Of employees and OF salaries
practicable. BY this saving will bo effected
but it will in the oyent be impossible to reduce me eA
penses within tho appropriation. From 1858 10 1876 the
permanent appropriation was at the rate OF $C0OO per
annum, in addition to the receipts before emu
mcrated as applicable to this branch OF service, VICE
From 1876 to 1860 inclusive the total receipts HOu
customs were about S72OOoMO ana the expenses mSts
than 81 per cent. Tne receipts for tine year end,
ing june 80 1870 were ~ and the R.o ss fS
1860 revenue collected did not exceed an average on
$jOOOOOOO year, and the temptation 10 smusEilhS anu
fraud was much leSA under low system 9l qGs Inn o
it Is at the present time, AT the prlnclpa hnPotn6
cities Of the country 1t j. necessary TO uate
force for the protection Ot the what'cs anu @
lines within or near such cities. III u ii'o ~ ~hoooS
sary to guard against smugg,ihg W 'fg fg ptca,nep
often Of several officers upon aud around ono ann
and other vessel importing large quahuueS WI soyus
while engaged IN discharglnG lr a nn tbd Aantic
and Pacific oceans dnd the Gull OF Mexico, ~e5o
furnishing opportunities for the introduction OF goods
in violation of the revenue laws, .qutCs to Pos'o
of large number OF skifu and trustworthy persons
The acquisition Dot Of Of a'E snry inc the
ton Of business by railways and steamers on the
Northern frontier add materially 10 tIe EXPENSE OF coz
lecing and guarding the revenue theIelore respect
fully recommend the increase OF the permanent apufo-
Of So 600 for each half year and after the 3Oth
day of June, 1870. At several Of the important
recommend such alteration OF the law as Will pro
vide for principal Appraiser NJ each port VINO Shall
be responsible for The business OF the Olce
PUBLIC BUILDINGS
Tho Treasury Department has the care OF 10 public
buildings that are completed and Of II that are in
the course OF erection all Of which had cost the 3Oh
of June last 9OO9s %. The appropriation for the re-
pair preservation of these buildings for the current
year Is 100000 sum manifest inadequate, being less
than Oncthird Of one cent Unless larger annual aP
prOpriatiOns made, the buildings Will rapidly dete-
TiOrlte in valne, and finally Will need much larger
repairs the erection OF new ones IN their stead WIN
the increase of population IN the country appr"lohs
custOmhouseS and other public buildings The preHent
mode of inaugraitng these works seeulsto mt uhWlse
aSos te aIe Subject m Is TSs tSat
proposition is introduced into Congress for the erection
Department, aud by the secretary 10 the supervising
Architect OF the Treasury; but II is also true that the su
peTyisng Architect has only general information upon
the subject and In answer 10 sudden call ana without
time the preparation Of plans aud estimates, nc
not gyc safe opinion 10 the necessity the cost Of
the work. respectfully recommend that hereafter when
applications made for the construction Of public
buildings, the frs step the part OF Congress will De 10
instruct the Treasury Department 10 make careful in
qulI the y OF te work ANA als0 To- prepare
estimates TO he laid before Congress This being done,
and the work authorized, IL would seem 10 be wise to
make single appropriation sufficient 10 meet the entire
cost and then hold the Department and the Supervising
Architect responsible for the speedy completion Of the
within The estimates. satisfied tha- much waste OF
public money aud much complaint the part Of
cz rs arises from the small appropriations which are
made from year 10 year The inevitable consequence or
the policy is that the public works injured in the pro-
cess OF cOniructOn and The expenses are largely IN
erased. The supervising architect Of the Treasury
states in bis report that the expenditure authorized
n the the City Of i He%-YoTR viii 9 be- inSde9nate
unless Tho character OF the work is changed from The
original design. II seems Ia he due to the City OF New
York. fO general and apparent reasons and in consider
alton Of the fact that most eligible site has been
cured BY the cooperation and in degree at the
pcsc, OF The city, that thebuidng should not only he "a
hrcproof structure but also OF such design and work
manshp as TO rank among the best public buildings In
TIE EEyENUE M,RISE SERVICE
At the present time there steamers and 10 sailing
vessels attached to the Revenue Marine service the num-
Der having been reduced during the year by the sale Of
two vessels Of the latter class At the third session OF
the XIth Congress appropriation Of 10000 was
made for the construction Of four steam Revenue cutters
Aerproposals had been issued and bd, received which
that the public interests did not require vessels ~ a.
large size as those for which proposal had issued
consisting Of Capt G. r. Patterson the Coast survey
ana capt D0ugas Otngcr and Capt j. II. MerryInan OF
the hoNeue nlaIle ahd instructed them to consider
and report upon the character Of the adapted
To The service fha action IN reference the COustrc-
ton or Tue NeSse authorized Was delayed for the report
OF the Commission That report was made on the
lst day OF May, 1870 Executive Document No.
y, senate second Session Of the present Congress).
Upon the completion of the work OF the Commissions
proposals were again Issued for the structiOn the
Iour vessels aulDOfHed by law Satisfactory bids were
received Hnd on tho 22d OF July and the I'D August
0t, "'It uaue. me CONSTRUCTION gwen by
the Controller to the fth section The Act making Al
prOpria0ns for the Legislative Executive and Judicial
Expenditures OF the Government" for the year ending
the 3Oth OF Jue 1871, rendered tho appropriation
available ana IT, therefore, became necessary notify
the contractors that their contracts must be con
sdcred rs nun and void. One Of the Contractors has
asked Ia have his contract formally annuled, which has
been done. / recommend q renewal OF the apprOpria-
ton or D0O for tho construction Of steam revenue cut
tcrs without Limitation as 10 the number specification
10 the SIZE or the vessels to be built The report
Comm sOn shows that thirteen of the vessels now in se
are either ola OF not adapted to the service Tho opinion
entertained 10y me that the vessels in larger than
the nature OF the service required Is confirmed by the
report OF the Commission. They recommend that the
number Dc reduced To 80 and the aggregate tunnagc
duced from 920 tuns 10 7l75 uns. They also state that
II Will be practicable upon the proposed basis
tho total number OF officers, plots petty officers and
mon from l,2G6, thc number thCn In aerYice. tn