New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-12-06

for either the building or its contents IN case
~ the accident of fire. Its destruction
wonid involve the loss of the rolls contain
inc the original acts and resolutions of Con-
rress. of the historic records OF the kevolu-
fion and of the Confederation, of the whole
series Of diplomatic and consular archives
since the adoption of the constitution and
of the MANY other valuable records and pa
pers left with that Department when it was
the principal depository Of the governmental
archives. / recommend an appropriation
for the construction of building for the
Department of State.
l recommend to your consideration the
propriety of transferring to the Department
Of the. Interior, to which they seem moro
appropriately to belong, all powers ana
dutiesa;n relation to the Territories, with
which the Department of State il now
charged by law or usage, and from the I'm
terror Department to the War Department
the pension bureau, SO far as it regulates
the payment of soldiers pensions. wOslld
further recommend that the payment OF
naval pahsions be transferred to one Of the
bureaus Of the Navy Department.
The estimates for the expenses of the
government for the next fiscal year are
'4IS,244,3 BAG OF, less than for the current one,
but exceed the appropriations for the present
year for the same, items, 1892, l27 81. In
this estimate, however, is included $22,33S,
rs 81 for public works heretofore begun
under Congressional provision, and of which
only 30 much is asked as Congress may
choose to give.
The appropx; alton for the same works for
the present fiscal year was $ll ,9S4,5lS Us:
The average Ss.lue Of gold, as compared
with national currency for the whole Of the
wear 1869, was about 1874, and for eleven
months Of 1870, she same relative value has
been about lis.
The apprOach 20 a specie basis is very
gratifying, but tie fact can not be denied
that the instability ofrthe value Of our cur
Yency is preiudieial to our prosperity, and
tends to keep ND prices, to the detriment Of
trade The evils of a deprecated and fiuc-
tuating currency are 80 great, that now,
when the premium -cn gold has fallen SO
much, it would seem that the time has ar
rived when by wise and prudent legislation
Congress should look to policy which
would place our currency at par with gold
at no distant day.
The tax collected frosa the people has
been ra1nced more than eighty millions OF
dollars per annum. BY Steadiness in our
present eDurs &c there is no reason why IN a
few short wears the natiOnal tax-gatherer
NAV not disappear from tie door Of the
citizen aln,est entirely. With the revenue
stamps dispensed by pOstmastsrs in every
community, tax upon liquOref all sorts,
and tobacco IL all its forms, sE0uid, by q
wise adjustment OF the tar1ft when VIII put
a duty only upon those articles which we
could dispense with, known as suxuries,
and those which ire use more OF than we
produce, revenue enough may be raised
after a few years Of peace and consequent
reduction Of indebtedness; to fulfill ali our
obligations. A further reduction OF ex-
penses, in addition to reduction OF interest
account, may be relied on to make thss
Wacticable.
Skeyenue reform, if it means this, has my
hearty support. II it implies collection
Of all the revenue Tor the support OF 1he
government, for the payment OF principal
and interest Of the public debt, pensions,
etc.. by directly taxing the people, then L
am against revenue reform, and conf
IDENTIFY believe the people are with me.
If it means failure to provide the necessary
means to defIay all the expenses of govern
ment, and thereby reputation OF the public
debt and pensions, then am still more OBJ
posed to such kind of revenue reform.
Revenue reform has not been defined by
any Of its advocates, to my knowledge. but
seems to be accepted Ga something which is
to supply every mans wants without any
cost or effort on his part. A true revenue
reform can not be made in a day, but must
be the work Of national legislation and of
time. As soon as the revenue can be dis
pensed with, all duty should be removed
from coffee, tea and other articles OF uni
versal use not produced by ourselves. The
necessities of the country compel us to col
iect revenue from our imports. An army OF
assessors and collectors is not q pleasant
sight to the citizen, but that or tariff for
revenue is necessary. Such tariff, so far
as it acts as an encouragement to home pro-
duction, affords employment to labor at
living wages in contrast to the Pauper labor
of the Old World, and also in the develop
ment of the same resources.
Under the act of Congress OF the fifteenth
day OF July, 1870, the army has gradually
been reduced, SO that on the first day OF
january, 1871, the number. OF commissioned
officers and men will not exceed the number
contemplated by that law. a
The War Department building is an old
structure, not fire proof, and entirely made
:nate to 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,
recommend an appropriation for new Wal
Department building, suited to the present
and growing wants Of the nation. The re
mort Of the Secretary.of War shows very
satisfactory reduction in the expenses OF Tx
army for the last fiscal year. For details
YOU are referred to his accompanying report
The expenses Of the Navy for the whole
of last year-that is, from December
1869. the date of the last report-are les:
than nineteen million dollars, or about one
million less than they were the previous
year. Tho expenses since the commence
ment Of the fiscal year-that is, since July
l-show for the five months decrease o.
over two million four hundred thOusanC
dollars from those Of the corresponding
months of last year. The estimates, for the
current year were $2S,205,67l 81. THOSE
for next year are So, 6S3,3l7, with S9o3, iot
additional for necessary permanent i'm
proyements. These estimates are made
closely for the mere maintenance OF the nava
establishment as it now is, without much
in the nature Of permanent Improvement
The appropriations made for the last and
current years were evidently intended by
Congress, and are sufficient only to KEEP
the navy on its present footing, by the re
pairing and refitting of our old ships. This
policy must Of course gradually bnt surely
destroy the navy, and it is in itself far from
economical, as each year that it is pursued
the necessity for more repairs in ships ana
navy yards becomes more imperative ant
more costly, and our current expenses arr
annually increased for the mere repair o
ships. MANY of which must soon become un
safe and useless.
hope, during the present session of Con
gress, to be able to submit to it plan b,
which naval vessels can be built and re
pairs made with great saving upon tn
present cost 1t can hardly be wise states
inanship in government which represent
acountrv with. over five thousand miles 9
coast line on both oceans, exclusive c
Alaska, and containing 40,00e,0O0 Of pr,
gressive people, with relations of ever
nature with almost every foreign countr,
to rest with such inadequate means of ei
forcing any foreign policy, either of prote
ton or redress. Separated by the ocea
from the nations Of the eastern cOntinen