Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1870-12-16


.;tl,e9 frontier Of Brazil to the uIerchnnt ships
4 Sof all Dations. The greatest living British
authority on this subject, while asserting tho
abstract right of the British claim, says: cit
seems difficult to deny that Great Britain
4 may ground her refusal upon strict law; but
it is equally difficult to deny, first, that in SO
dong she exercises harshly an extreme and
\ hard law; secondly, that her conduct with
respect to the navigation of the st. Lawrence
is In glaring and disoreditable inconsistency
2 With her conduct with respect to the naviga-
tion of tho Mississippi. On the ground that
she possessed small domain in which the
Mississippi took its rise, she insisted On tho
right to navigate the entire volume Of its
wators. On The ground that she possesses
both banks of the st. Lawrence where it dis
embogucs itself into the sea, she denies the
United States the right of navigation through
about one-half Of the waters Of Lakes Onta-
riou, Erie, Huron and Superior, andthe whole
of Lake Michigan, throgh which river flows
are the property of the United States. The
whole nation is interested in securing cheap
transportation from the agricultural States Of
tho West to tho Atlantic soaboard. TO the
citizens of those States it secures n greater
return for their labor; to tho inhabitants Of
tho seabord itaffords, cheaper food to the
nation an increase in the national surplus of
wealth. It islioped that tho Government Of
Great Britain will sec the Justice Of abandon.
{ ing the unnatural and inconsistent claim to
y which s hers Canadisn Provinces have urged
her adherence. Our depressed commerce is
asubjcct to which 1 called your speoial atten.
ton ut the last session, and suggested that
we will in the future have to look more to the
countries South of US, and to China and Ja-
pan for its revival. Our representatives to all
these Governments have exerted their inau.
ence to encourage trado between tho United
States and tho countries to which they arc
acceded but the fact is that the carrying is
done almost entirely in foreign bottoms, and
control our duo share of TIE commerce of the
world. That between the Pacific States aud
China and Japan is about all the carrying
trade now conducted in American vessels
would recommend liberal policy toward
that line Of American steamers--one thut
will insure its success, and even increased
usefulness The cost of building iron vessels,
the only ones that can compete with foreign
ships in the carrying trade, is 80 much greater
in the United States than in foreign countries
that, without some assistance from the Gov
ernment, they cannot be successfully built
here. There will be several propositions laid
before Congress, in the course Of the present
session, looking to a remedy for this evil
Even if it should be at some cost to the ma
tional treasury, hope such encouragement
will be given as will secure American ship.
ping on the high seas, and ship building at
homo.
The condition of tho archives at the Dc.
partment Of State, calls for tho early action of
Congress. The building now rented by that
Department is frail structure at an inoonve-
nient distance from the Executive Mansion,
and from the other Departments it is i'll
adapted to the purpose for which it is used !;
has not tho capacity to accommodate the ar
chiyes, and is not fire. proof. Its remote sit.
udtion, its slender construction, and the ab
sencc of q supply Of water in the neighborhood
leaves but little hope of safety, for either the
building or its contents, in case Of tho acci.
dent of fire. Its destruction would involve
the loss Of the rolls containing the original
Acts and Resolutions of Congress; of tho
historic records of the Revolution and of the
Confederation of the whole series of diplo-
matte and CT rsular archives since the adop.
tion of tho Constitution, and Of the many
other valuable records and papers left with
that Department when it was the principal
depository of the governmental archives. l
recommend an appropriation for the construc-
tion of building for the Department. of
State. recommend to your consideration
the propriety Of transferring to the Depart,
ment of the Interior, to which they seem more
appropriately to belong, all powers and duties
in relation to tho Territories, with which the
Department of State is now charged by law
or usage; and from tho Interior Department
to the War Department of the Pension Blu.
reau, so for as it regulates tho payment OF
soldiers pensions. I would rur;iler recon-
mend that tho payment Of naval pensions be
transferred to one of tho Bureaus of the Navy
Department
The estimates for the expenses of the Gov.
ernment for the next fiscal year are SIS, ,244
346.0l less than for the current ono, but OK.
ceed tho appropriations for tho present year
for the same items $8,972, 1876. In this
estimate, however, is included $22, 1888 ,278. 81
for public works heretofore begun under
Congressional provision, and of which only SO
: much is asked as Congress may choose to
give. Tho appropriation for the same works
for tho present fiscal year was 81 1884 ,518 08
The average value Of gold as compared with
national currency for the whole year of 1868
was about 134, and for elovcn montas of 1870
the Same relative value has boon about 115
Tho approach to aapece basis is very graf
s flying, but the fact cannot be denied that the
instability Of the value of our curronoy is
prejudicial to our prosperity, and tends to
keep up prices, to the detri,nent of trade
The evils Of deprecated and Auctuating
currency are so great that now, when the