Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1870-12-16

s during the last fiscal year was $50, 408 7s8. TO-
The coinage for the year was 24,6a6,011, and the
value of gold and silver bars stamped was IS, 74S
,52 81 respectfully ask the attention of Con-
yress to the bill prepared In this department, and
submitted at the last session. and to the accompa
1ving reports relative to the minis and coinage
system of the country The bill was prepared with
care and has since been submitted to the criticism
Of large number of practical and scientific men
Congress. During the year several Branch MINIS
and Assay Offices have been visited by Mr.. Knox
and DR.. Linderman. The Assay Office at Boise
City, Idaho y nearly completed, and will require
business. Provisions should be made for the re-
1emption of the bronze and other tokens issued by
the government
THE REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF MINING STA
TIsTICs,
for the year 1869 has been printed since the close
of the session in July last, and that for the year
1870 will be made during thewinter. The continu-
ance of the work appears to be matter of ma
tional importance.
COMMERCE.
The proportion of American vessels engaged in
foreign trade has not increased relatively during
the past year, although there has been an actual
increase in entries of American vessels at the ports
OF the United States, amounting in the aggregate
to 10000 tons. The total tonnage engaged in
foreign trade entered at all the ports of the United
States, has increased from 1888 900 tons in 1862 to
5,95,O0O tons in $780, but the proportion of Amer
can tonnage remains as in 1859, at l36 per cent.
Without undertaking to specify the means by
which it is to be accomplished, Icannot overstate
the importance of such legislation as will secure
the revival of American commerce.
~ LIGHTHOUSES.
The report of the Lighthouse Board sets forth In
detail the difficulties which have arisen in that
branch of the public service from the operation OF
the fifth section of the act of July H. 1870 making
appropriations for the Legislative and executive
expenses of the government for the year ending
June 30, 1871; The legislation asked for by the
board seemed to me to be necessary.
~ 1921, COAST SURVEY
The report of the Superintendent of the Coast
Survey is given, with brief, but satisfactory,
statement of the progress made during the. last
surveying year. Nc kE$
TRANSPORTATION OF GOODS IN BOND
ON the first day of october last regulations were
issued concerning the transportation of merchan-
disc from ports of importation to certain other
ports in the United States without apprasement
or liquidation of duties at the port of arrival,
agreeable to the provisions of the act to reduce
internal tax, and for other purposes, approved
July "a, 1870. A copy of the regulations will be
transmitted to Congress. In the nature OF the
case, the regulations are stringent, but when the
railway companies shall have given the bonds re-
CURED and importing merchants of interior cities
shall have made arrangements for the importation
of goods upon the basis of the act, am satisfied
that no serious difficulties will arise either with
the railways, merchants, or the government
Without doubt the act increases the opportunity for
IN violation of the revenue law; but the examine
ton which L have given the subject in
the preparation of the regulations, leads me
to THINK that the business be safely conducted
CUSTOM HOUSE EXPENSES.
Inc appropriation for the expense OF collecting
the customs revenue, under the act approved
March 81, 1885, is at the rate of 81, 100000 annu-
ally, i'll addition to such sums as may be received
from fines, penalties, forfeitures, and from
storage, carriage, drayage, and labor. Expert
ence has shown that this amount is insufficient,
ana deficiency appropriation will be needed at
each session of Congress until the permanent
appropriation is increased. l have instituted
careful supervision in the Treasury Department
over this branch of expenditures, and agents are
employed investigating the expenses of the
custom houses of the country for the purpose of
ascertalnlng as to whether reduction of the
number of employees and salaries is practicable.
BY this means some saving will be effected,
but it will in any event be impossible to reduce
expenses, within the appropriations. From 1858
to 1865 the permanent appropriation was at the
rate of S3,60000O per in addition to the re-
ceipts before enumerated as applicable to this
branch of the service. From 1856 to 1860 inclu-
slve, the to al receipts from customs were about
S272O00,O00, and the expenses of collection were
Sl5,S79O00, or at the rate of more than 5H per
cent. The receipts for the year ending June 30,
1870, were $194, 53S 374 A. andthe expenses So
1876, or not exceeding 3h per cent. From 1856
TO 1oGO, the revenue collected did not exceed an
average OF 800 600 per year, and the temptation
Tor smuggling and fraud was much less under a
low system OF duties than it is at the present time.
AT the principal importing cities of the country, it
- necessary to employ large force for the protec
tion OF wharyes and water-lines within or near
such cities. 1t is also necessary to guard against
smuggling by the presence often of several officers
upon anQarOund steamers and other vessels i'm
porting large quantities of goods, while engaged
in discharging their cargoes. 1t is also apparent
that the extensive line of coast ON the Atlantic
ana Pacific Oceans, and- Gulf of Mexico, every
where furnishing opportunities for the introduce
tlon OF goods in violation of the revenue laws, re-
qulres the presence of a large number of skillful
and trustworthy persons. The acquisition of
Alaska, and the establishment Ofinterior ports of en-
try for the accommodation of business by railways
and steamers on the Northern frontier, add mate
rally to the expenses of collecting and guarding
the revenue |, therefore, respectfully recommend
an increase OF the permanent appropriation for
collecting the revenue for customs to the sum of
900 for each half year from and after the Both
day of June, 1870. At several of the important
ports there are two appraisers, whose powers are
equal. recommend such an alteration of the law
as VIII provide for one principal appraiser at each
port, who shall be responsible for the business of
the office.
PUBLIC WORKS.
The Treasury Department has the care of no
public buildings that are completed, and seventeen
that are in course of erection, all of which had
cost on the Both Of June last S35, 900, 99S 49, As
the appropriations for the repair and preservation
OF these buildings for the current year is 100000.
the sum is manifestly inadequate, being less than
one third Of one per cent; Unless larger annual
appropriations are made, the buildings will rapidly
deterlorate in value, and finally will need much
larger repairs the erection of new ones in their
stead With the increase of population in the
country, appropriations must be annually made
Tor the erection of Post Offices, Custom Houses
and other. public buildings. The present mode of
lnauguratlng these works seems to me unwise.
APPIopIIdtiOuS are O1Lon maze without Sufflccnt
information upon the subject. 1t is true that
when q proposition is introduced into Congress
Tor the erection of public building, the subject
Is referred to the Treasury Department and by
the Secretary to the Supervising Architect
OF the Treasury; but it is also true that the Su-
pervising Architect has only general information
sudden call, and without time for the preparation
OF plans and estimates. cannot giveaa sound opin-
Ion as to the necessity cost of the work.
respectfully recommend that hereafter, when APP
arn 1l,nIa 60, @1,a
of public buildings, the first step, on
the part OF Congress, will be to instruct the Treas
ury Department to make careful inquiry as to the
necessity of the work, and also to prepare esti-
mates to be laid before Congress This being DONE
and the work authorized, it would be wise to make
an appropriation sufficient to meet the entire cost
Architect responsible for the speedy completion Of
the building, substantially upon the plans duly au
thorlzed, and within the estimate. l am satisfied
that much waste of public money occurs, and much
complaint ON the part of citizens arises from the
small appropriations which are made from year
10 year a Inc inevitable consequence of this policy
rs mat pubic works injured in the process Of
construction, and the expenses are largely in
The Supervising Architect of the Treasury states
III ms report that the expenditure authorized by
law for the construction of the Post Office in the
ely cIy OF New York will be inadequate unless the
character of the work is changed from the original
aeslgn; 1t seems to be due to the city of New
ork, FOR general and apparent reasons and in CON
ssl o OF the fact that most eligible site
- =, SSS'iSu ny OoOpeTdtlOu ana III some de-
gree at the expense of the city, that the building
s si not only be fre-proof structure, but
a a OF sucn design and workmanship as to rank
among the best public buildings inthe country.
2 THE REVENUE MARINE SERVICE
AT the present time there are twenty-four
steamers and ten sailing vessels attached to the
revenue marine SERVICE the number having been
reduced during theyearby tile sale of two Vessels
OF the latter class. TAT the third session of the
Fortleth Congress an appropriation of 100000
was MADE Tor me construction of four steam reve
ffDP f,sa, 1,a.l