The Lincoln County herald., 1870-12-15
TnR PURLIc ARCHIVES.

Sntcu Oy tuat department u irHll
struc,ure, at an incosvenicnt distonce
FROM the executive mansion and from the
othee departments /; il is iH adapted to
tho purpose for which It is used has
not capscity to accom,uo oda,e the archives
snd IL not IRE proof. Ito remote situa
tion its slender construction and the
sbsencs of . supply Of water IN the
neighbVrhood, leaves bnt little hope Of
safety for either the building or its con
tents in case Uf the accident Of Grc.
Iss destruction would involve the loss of
the rolls containing the original ucts and
resolutions oi Conetess Of the historic
records of the revelation and of the con
federation Of the whole Of tho diplo-
matte. aud consular archives .ince the
adoption of the constitution and of the
m,ny other vaiuable records and papers
left with that department when il was the
principal depository OF the gove' nment
archives. | recommend m appropriation
for the construction of building for the
department OF State.
CHANGES IN THE DEPARTMENT..
recommend to your reconsideration
che propriety Of transferring TO the de
partmcnt of the Interior. to which they
tccm more appropriately to belong, all
powers and duties in relation to the Ter.
ritcries, with which the department Of
State is now c. arged by law or usage,
and from the Interior department 10 the
War department Of the pension bureau
40 far as it regulates the payment Of sol
diers' pensions.
Iwould further recommend that the
payment Of naval pensions be transferred
to one of tho bureaus of the Navy dc
partmcnt.
THE EXPENSES OF THE GOVERNMENT
The Estimates for the expenses Of the
government for the fiscal year are SIS,.
pa, ,346 OF less than for the current one,
tu. exceed the appropriations for the
present year Tor the sane items SS012,-
1876. In this e.timate, however, is
included s22 33S, ,27S 81 for public works
heretofore begun under congressional
provision, and of which only so much is
asked as Congress may choose to give,
The appropriation for the same work for
the present fiscal year was sll 9Sl l,jlS.
OS.
SPECIE PAYMENT.
The average value Of gold as compared
with the national currency for the whole
Of the year 1869 was about l34, aud for
eleven months Of 1870 the same relative
value has been about lis This ap-
proach to aspece basis is very gratifying,
but the fact cannot be denied that the
instability Of the value Of our currency
Is prrjudcial to our prosperity aud tends
to keep up prices to the deirimeut Of
trade. The evils Of deprecated and
fuctuating currency are SO great that now
when the premium on gold has fallen so
much, it would ,ecm that the time has
arrive ! when, by wise and prudent legis.
lation, Congress should look to a policy
which would place our currency at par
with gold at no distant day The taxes
collected from the people have hcnn re
duccd more than eighty million dollars
per annum.
THE MILLENNIUM OF TAX PAYERS.
BY steadiness in our p: csent course
there is no reason why, in few short
years, the national tax gatherer may not
disappear from the door of the citizen
almo I entirely With the revenue
stamps dispensed BY pos'm,sters in every
community, tax upon liquors Of all
sorts, aud tobacco in all its forms, and by
a wise adjustment of the tariff which
put a duty only upon those articles
which VIC could dispense with known as
Injuries, aad on those which We use
more Of than We have produced, revenue
enough my be raised, after few years of
peace aud consequent reduction OF in
debtcdness, to fulfil all our obligations.
A further reduction of expenses in ad-
dtion TO a reduction Of interest account,
may be relied on to make this practicable.
HIS POSITION ON RivEUE REFORM.
Revenue reform if it means this, hes
my earnest support. II it implies u
collection Of all the revenue for support
Of the government, for the payment Of
the principal and interest of the public
debt, pensions, &c , by directly taxing the
people, then am against revenue reform
and confidently believe the people are
with me. If it means failure to provide
the necessary means TO defray all the
expenses Of the government and thereby
reputation Of the public debt aud pen
sions, then am still more opposed to
such kind of revenue veform. Revenue
reform has not been de6ned by any Of its
advocates to my knowledge, but seems to
be accepted as something which is to
supply every mans wants without any
cost or effect on his part A true rev
enue reform cannot be made in a day,
but must be the work Of national legisla.
ton and Of time. As soon as the rev.
enue can bc dispensed with, oil duty
should be removed fro m coffee, tea and
other articles Of universal use not pro,
duced by ourselves The necessities Of
the country counsel us to collect revenue