Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1870-12-08


and the absence of supply of water il
, the neighborhood leaves but little hope
of safety for either the building or it:
contents in case of the accident of fire
Its destruction would involve the loss
of the rolls containing the original acts
4 and resolutions of Congress, of the his
terical records of the Revolution, of the
confederation, of the whole series of di.
plomatic and consular archives since the
adoption of the constitution, and of the
many other valuable records and papers
left with that department when it was
the principal depository of the great ar
chives. l recommend an appropriation
for the construction of building for
the Department of State. recommend
I to your reconsideration the proEriety
of transferring 10 the Department of the
Interior, TO which they seem more ap-
Ipropriately to belong, all powers and
other duties in relation to Tie terrific
ries with which the Department of State
is now charged by law or usage and
from the Interior Department to fhc
War Department the Pension Bureau,
so far as it regulates the payment of SOL
diers' pei. ions. | would further recon-
mend that the payment of naval pensions
be transferred TO one of the Bureaus of
the Navy Department. The estimates
for the expenses of the Government for
the fiscal year are SIS, "a, ,346.0l less than
| for the current one, but exceed the ap-
preparation for the present year, for the
same items, SS,972, 1856. In this esti-
mate, however, is included S22 ,33S, ,27S.-
81 for public works heretofore begun
nnHQr Nnnnraecinnai rrnriSfnn anH Of
which only so much is asked as Con-
gress may choose to give. The appro-
| priatiOn for the same works for the pres
ent fiscal year was S1l, ,9S4, ,51S-0S. The
average value of gold as compared with
National currency, for the whole of the
year 1869, was about 1.34. and for II
months OF 1870 the relative value has
been about l.15. The approach to specie
basis is very gratifying, but the fact
cannot be denied that the instability of
the value of our currency is prejudicial
to our prosperity and tends TO keep up
prices to the detriment of trade. The
evils of deprecated and fluctuating
curreHcy are so great that, now when
the premium on gold has fallen so much,
it would seem that the time has arrived
when. by wise and prudent legislation,
Congress should look to a policy which
would place our currency at par with
gold at no distant day.
The tax collected from the people has
been reduced more than eighty million
dollars per annum. By steadiness in
our present course there is no reason
why in a few short years, ihe national
tax gatherer may not disappear from the
door of the citizen almost entirely
With the revenue stamp dispensed by
the postmasters in every community, a
tax upon liquors of all sorts and tobacco
in all its forms. and by a wise adjust
ment of the tariff, which will put a duty |
only upon those articles which one cod |
dispense with. known as luxuries, and |
those which we use more of than we |
produce, revenue enough may be raised !
after few years Of peace and cOnse-
queDt reduction of our Indebtedness. to
fulfill all our obligations. A further re-
duction of expense in addition to re-
duction of the interest account may be
relied on to make this practicable. Rev
enue reform, if it means this, has my
hearty support if it implies collection
Of all the revenue for the support of the
on the payment of the prin-
,ipal and interest of the public debt,
pensions, &c, by directly taxing the
people. tfen | am against revenue re-
'orm. and confidently believe the people
ire with me. If ii means a failure to
provide the necessary means to defray
Ill the expenses of the Government, and
hereby a reputation of the public cebt
md pensions. then am still more op-
,osed to such kind of revenue reform.
Revenue reform has not been defined by
nv of its advocates, to my knowledge,
,ut seems to be. accepted as something
which is to supply every mans wants
anv cost or effort On his part
true revenue reform cannot be made j
n a dav. but must be the work of ma
ional legislation and of time. AS soon {
s the revenue can be dispensed with all
uty should be removed from coffee,
ca and other articles of universal use, I
OF produced by ourselves. The neces-
tiles of the country compel us to COL P,
sct revenue from our imports. Our az 1
Nv of assessors and collectors is not a
leasant sight to the citizen, hut that or |
tariff for revenue is necessary. Such t
tariff, so far as it acts in the encourage t
lent to home products affords employ
ent to labor at living wages, in con- e
asst to the pauper labor of the old t
rorld. and also in the development of S
ONE resources. Under the act of Con- t
ress of the 18th day of July, 1870. 9
The army has gradually been reduced, u
, that on the 1st of January. 1871, the {
umber of commissioned officers and C
en will not exceed the number con- Ii
mplated by law. n
The War Department building is an il
d structure, not firc-proof, and entire p
inadequate in dimensions TO our pres W
IT wants. Many thousands of dollars I
e now paid annually for the rent of o
.ivate buildings to accommodate the IL
lrious bureaus of the Department. v
commend an appropriation for new p
ar Department building suited to the II
esent and growing wants of the ma tt
)n. IL
The report of the Secretary of War ii
ows very satisfactory reduction in 81
e expenses of the army for the last fis- IL
year. For details you are referred L
his accompanying report. ly
The expenses of the navy for the sh
hole of the last year, that is, from De- m
mber, 1869, the date OF the last report, g
e less than $4,000, or about 81, 100000 to
s. than they were the previous year. &c
le expenses Of the Navy Department az
this fiscal year, since July 1st, show fo
+ the five months a decrease of over 81
100000 from those of the correspond an
3 months of last year. The estimates TO
fthe current year were S.205, ,67S.37; W
ase for next year are S20,GS3,317. with tn
$1,000 additional for temporary and sh
improvements. These esti- tn
ltes are made closely for the mainte- pr
nee of the naval establishment as it is, sv
thout much in the nature of perma- st
mt Improvements. The apprcpria- lal