The weekly clarion., 1870-12-15

other great rivers. By the treaty cOnclude'
/ at Magence. in 1881, the Rhine declared FIRE
| from the point where it Is first navigabl
into the sea. BY the convention betweel
| Spain and Portugal concluded in 1885, tn
navigation of the Douro throughout it
whole extent was made free for the sub
jects Of both crcwns- In. 1858 the Argen
tine Confederation. by treaty. threw opei
the free navigation Of the Parana and Uru
quay to the merchant vessels Of all nations
Ia 1856 the Crimean war was closed by
treaty, which provided for the free naviga
tion of the Danube. In 1858, Bolivia, b.
treaty, declared that It regarded the river
Amazon and La Plata, In accordance witt
fixed principles Of national law, as high.
ways or channels opened by nature for th,
commerce of all nations. In 1869 the Para
quay was made free by treaty. and In De
cember, 1866, the Emperor Of Brazil, by I'm,
perial decree, declared the Amazon 70 b.
open 20 the frontier of Brazil TO the mer.
chaut ships Of all nations. The greases
living British authority on this subject
while asserting the abstract right of Lhs
British claim. says: " 1t seems difficult tc
deny that Great Britain may ground her re-
fusal upon strict law, but it Is equally diff
cult to deny, first that in so doing she ex-
ercises harshly an extreme aud hard law
secondly, her conduct with respect to the
navigation OF the st. Lawrence Is in glarIns
and discreditable Inconsistency with her
conduct with respect to the navigation oi
tie Mississippi"
On the ground that she possessed a small
domain in which the Mississippi took It's
rise she insisted on the right TO navigate the
entire volume ofits waters. On the ground
that she possesses both banks of the st.
Lawrenc where it tdisembogues itself into
the sea. she denies to the United States the
right of navigation, though about one-half
the waters of lake Ontario, Erie, Huron aud
superior. and the whole of Lake Michigan,
through which the river flows. are the prop
erty of the United States. The whole ma
tion is interested in securing cheap trans
pOrtatioD from the agricultural States of
the West to the Atlantic seabOard. To the
citizens of these States itsecures a greater
return for their labor; to the inhabitants of
the seaboard it affords cheaper food; to the
nation an increase in the annual surplus of
wealth. Ii is hoped that the Government of
Great Britain will see the justice Of aband-
Oning the narrow and inconsistent claim TO
which her Canadian provinces have urged
her adherence. Our depressed commerce is
a subject to which called your special at
tention at the last session and suggested
that we will in the future have TO look more
to the countries south of US and to China
aud Japan for its revival. Our representa-
tives TO all the Governments have exerted
their influence to encourage trade between
the United States and the countries to which
they are accredited. But the fact exists that
the carrying is done almost entirely in for
el2n DObLOLlS. anu white LIlls sLdLt OF audlrs
exists we cannot control our due share of
the commerce of the world. That between
the Pacific States and China and Japan is
about all the carrying trade now conducted
in American vessels. L would recommend
liberal policy toward that line of American
steamers. One that will insure its success
l1d even increased usefulness. The cost of
building iron vessels, the only ones that can
compete with foreign ships in the carrying
trade, is SO much greater in the United
States than in foreign countries, that with
Dut some assistance from the Government,
hey cannot be successfully built here.
There would be several propositions laid
before Congress in the course of the pres
snt session, looking TO remedy for this evil.
Even if it should be at some cost to the Ma
.ional Treasury, L hope such encourage
nent will be given as will secure American
shipping on the high seas and American
,hip p-buIlding at home. The condition of
he archives at the Department OF State
:alls for the early ac ion of Congress. The
building now rented by that department Is
rail structure. at an inconvenient distance
rom the Executive Mansion and from the
Dther departments; it Is ill adapted to the
purpose for which it is used has not capac-
ty to accommodate the archives, and is not
ireproof. Its remote situation, its slender
and the absence of a supply
IF water in the neighborhOOd, leaves but
little hope of safety for either the building
"a
.ructiOn would involve the loss of the rolls
the original acts and resolutions
)f Congress, of the historic records Of the
revolution and of the confederation. OF the
whole series of diplomatic and consular
Irchives since the adoption of the constitu-
ion, and of the many other valuable re-
lords and papers left with that department
when it was the principal depository of the
archives, / recommend an
for the construction of a
building for the Department of State. l
to your consideration the pro-
1riety of transferring to the Department
IF the Interior, to which they seem more
appropriately to belong, all powers and
luties in relation TO the Territories with
" Vhich the Department of State is now
charged by law or usage, aud from the In
erior Department to the War Department
he Pension Bureau so far as it regulates
he payment of soldiers pensions. / would
nrther recommend that the payment of
naval pensions be transferred to one of the
bureaus of the Navy Department.
The estimates tor the expenses of the
Government for the next fiscal year are
blS 244.3 .346 01 less than for the current one,
1ut exceed the appropriations for the pres
mt ear for the same items $S,972.127 So.
In this estimate, however, is included $22-
1873 278 81 for public works heretofore be-
yun under congressional provision, and OF
which only so much is asked as Congress
nay choose to give. The appropriation for
he same works for the paesent fiscal year
gold. as compared with national currency,
or the whole year 1869, was about l34. and
or eleven months of 1870 the same relative
7alue has been about ll5. The approach to
specie basis is very gratifying, but the fact
cannot be denied that the instability of the
ralue of our currency is prejudicial to our
and tends TO keep up prices TO
he detriment of trade. The evils of de-
)reciated aud fuctuating currency are so
Ereat that now, when the premium on gold
las fallen so much, it would seem that the
ime has arrived when, by wise and prudent
egislation, Congress should look to policy
which would place our currency at par with
yold at no distant day The tax collected
rom the people has been reduced more than
eighty millions of dollars per annum. BY
teadineRs in our present course there Is no
eason why in few short years the nation
Il tax gatherer may not disappear from the
loor of the citizens almost entirely. With
he revenue stamps dispensed by postmast-
RS in every community, tax upon liquor
If all sorts and tobacco in all its forms.
hould. by a wise adjustment Of the tariff,
which will put duty only upon those artf-
les which we could dispense with, known
8 luxuries, and are those which we use
more of than we produce. revenue enough
nay be raised after a few years of peace !
md consequent reduction of Indebtedness
o Iuinll ali our OO'lgaIlons. A further re-
luctiOn of expenses, in addition TO a reduc- |
ion OF interest account may be relied on |
o make this practicable.
Revenue reform if it means this. meets my |
learty support; il it implies a collection Of |
III the revenue for the support of the Gov |
rnment for the payment Of principal and
interest OF the public debt. pensions, etc /,
" directly taxing the people, then L am |
Igainst revenue reform. and / confidently |
Delieve the people are with me. Ifit means |
allure TO provide the necessary means to |
Iefray all the expenses of Government |
md thereby reputation of the public debt |
md pensions, then L am still more opposed |
o such kind of revenue reform. Revenue |
eform has not been defined by any Of its |
Idyocates TO my knowledge. hut seems 10 be |
accepted as something which is to supply |
very mans wants without any cost or eff |