Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-12-10


the countries TO which they arc accredited, but
the fact exists, that the carrying Is done almost
entirely In foreign bottoms, and while this
state oi affairs exists we cnpnot control our
due Share of the Commefce of the world
Between the Pacific States and Chiha and
Japan is about all the CARRYING trade now con.
ductcd by American vcssels I vouIH recum.
mend a libcfal policy towards tha, Rne Of
American steamers. one That VIII ihsurc its
suCccse, & even increased usefulness The cost
of. building Iron Vessels, the only ones that
can compete with foreign ships In carrying
trade, is so much greater in the United States
than in foreign countries that without some
assistance from the government they cannot
be successfully built here. There will be
several propositions laid before Congress in
the course of the present session looking TO
remedy for this evil Even II il should be at
some cost TO the national treasury, | hope
suNh encouragement will be given MS will Sc
cure American shipping on ,he high seas and
American slipbuidiDg at home.
THE DEPARTMENTS.
The condition of The archives at the Depart
ment of State calls for the early action of Con-
gress. The building now rented by that de-
partment is u lgail structure at an incOnvenicnt
distance from the Executive Mansion and from
the other departments, II is ill-adapted to the
purpose for which it is used, has not capacity
proof It's remote situation, Its slender con
structiOn, and the absence Of supply of water
in the ncighbOrhOOd, leaves but little hope OF
safety for either the building or its contents in
case of the accident of n fire. lis destruction
would involve the loss of the rolls containing
the origin acts and resolutions OF Congress, Of
the historic records OF the revolution and of
the confederation, of the whole series of diplC
matte consular archives since the adoption Of
the Constitution, and of the many other yalua-
bic records and papers lett with the depart
ment when it was the principal depository of
the government archives. | recommend an
appropriation for the construction of build
ing for the department of State.
l recommend TO your reconsideration the
propriety of transferring tn the Department of
the Interior, to which they seem more apprn-
priately to belong, all powers and dutles in re-
lation TO the Territories with which the De-
parlment of State is now charged by law or
usage, and from the Interior Department to
the War Department the Pension Rurean so
iar as it regulates the payment Of soldiers
pensions. | would further recommend that
the payment of naval pensions he transferred
to one OF the Bureaus of the Navy Depart
ment.
FINANCES.
The estimates for the expenses of shc gov
crnment for the next fiscal year are $1S244,-
3iGOf less than the current one, but exceed
apploprlauonS lor inc present year lof the
same item $8,072, ,1215G In Ills estimate,
however, is included $22 ,33S, ,27s.27 for public
works heretofore begun under Congressional
provision, and of which only so much is asked
as Congress may choose to give The appra-
priation for the same work for the present
fiscal year was $1I 9S4 ,5l8.0S.
The average value of gold as compared
with the national currency for the whole of
year 1862 was about 1874 and for eleven months
Of 1870 the same relative value has been about
1l5. The approach To specie basis is very
gratifying, but the fl cannot be denied that
the instability of the value of our currency is
prejudicial to- om prosperity, and tends to
keep up psiecs to the delriment of trade.
The evils OF deprecated and iuctuating
currency are so great that row, when the
premium on gold has fallen so much, it would
seem that the Time had arrived when, by wise
and prudent legislation, Congress should look
to II policy which would place our currency at
par with gold at no distant day.
REVENUE REFORM.
The tax collected from the people has been
reduced more than eighty million dollars per
annum. BY steJtitsss in our present course
there is no reason why, in few short years,
the NATIONAL tax garheror may not disappear
from the door of the citizen almost entirely.
With the revenue stamp dispensed by post
masters in every community, n tax upon Ii
quors of all sorts and tobacco in all its FIRMS,
and by wise adjustment of the tariff, which
Will put duty only upon those articles which
we could dispense with, articles known as
luXuries and on those articles which we use
more OF than we produce, revenue enough
may he raised after II few years of peace aud
consequent reduction of Indebtedness to fulfill
all our obligations II further reduction of cX,
penses, in addition to reduction of interest
account Any be pelied ON to make thisrevcnuc
reform practicable If revenue relnrm means
NiS hng q "a
collection OF all the revenue iOL the support OF
tins government, for the payment of principal
and interest OF the public debt, pensions, etc,
by directly taxing the people, then | am
against revenue reform, and conf lently be-
licyc that the people are with me, Ii it means
| failure To provide the necessary means to de-
fray all expenses Of the government and
thereby reputation of the public debt and
pensions, then | am still more opposed to such
kind OF revenue reform. Revenue reform has
not been defined by any of its adYOcat to my
! knowledge, but seems to be accepted us some
thing which is to supply every mans wants
without any cost OF effort on his part A true
reveane reform cannot be made in day, but
must be the work of national legislation and
of time, AS soon as, tlIe revenue can be dis
pensed with, all duty should be removed from
coffee ten and other articles of universal use
not produced by ourselves. .HF
The necessiti, 5 OF the counhry compel us TO
COltCl revenue from our imports. An army
Of assessors and collectors is not pleasant
sight to the citizen, but that or tariff Tor rev
enuc is necessary. Such tariff so far as 1t
acts in encouragement to home products,
affords employment to labor at living wages
4 in contrast TO the pauper wages of the old
world, and also aids in the development OF
home resources, .l1I .t...t.
THE ARMY. .-
Under the act of Congress of July 10, 1870
the army has gradually been reduced 81 that
on the lst of January, 1871, the number OF
commissioned officers and men will not ex-
coed the number contemplated by that law.
The department bnilding is an old structure
not fire proof, ana entirey inadequate in di-
mensions 10 our present wants many thou
sands Of dollars are now paid annually for
rent of private buildings TO accommodate the
various bureaus Of the department. | recon-
mend an appropriation for IL new War Depart
ment building suited to the present aud grow
ing wants of the nations MAJ -.tf o. llt
The report OF the Secretary OF War shows a
very satisfactory reduction In the expenses OF
the army for the last fiscal year. For details
you are referred to his accompanying report
rHE NAVY.
The expeRses OF the Navy for the whole OF
the last year, l. O., nom December 1869, the
] AFW