The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-12-05

! VI tue lhMs lug dOVeIuuleut OuBut u
!. pay iair salaries and rely upon the goo
= faith Of its officers for the performance o
c their duties. One of the difficulties whicl
: the Department hRs TO meet frequently i
: that custom officers have an interest in thu
r proceedings for the discovery Of fraud
C and the settlement OF cases and the prose
I cution of them, which is different from
] the real interest of the government; anC
: MS q necessary result the conduct oi suct
officers Is open to suspicion, both on thC
part ofthOse who are punished by then
: and the government they ostensibly rep
resent. II may be deemed expedicnt tc
leave the law us II now stands in regard
To the inlOrmGrs who orc not officers
making il penal offence for any officer tc
enter into an arrangement with an in.
former for any share OF the proceeds oi
the information, md giving to the inform.
or perpetual right of action for the recov-
J cry OF any money or other valuable thing
paid or given to un officer engaged In tho
discovery or prosecution Of a lraudor legal
wrong against tho government.
The report Of the Comptroller of the
Currency shows that ono hundred and
foTty.fve banks have been organized un.
der the act approved July 18th, 1871,
providing for tho issue Of $4,000, 900 ad.
dlional bank circulation, and that the
sum Of $22, 2,3330O0 has been issued by
virtue Of the same act. ....
4 The Treasury has redeemed $99, ,230, 900
of tho three per cent. certificates then in
circulation, leaving tho sum Of twenty
three million four hundred and ninety
thousand dollars now outstanding.
take tho liberty of suggesting that ii
appears to me To DO wise to leave the dis.
tributiOn of the circulation authorized by
said act rs II now reads. Should the
States that have already received their
proportions OF the circulation bG author.
lied to take what may remain only brlet
period will elapso before demand will
be made from the States with limited
circulation for IN increase 1t seems
prudent, therefore, to retain tho balance
OF the APPROXIMATIONS for distribution in
those States now having claim to II on
the basis Of equality ofapportionment.
The details OF the subscriptions to the
loan show that the national banks have
upon tho whole acted literally, more
than hundred millions Of dollars having
been subscribed for them on their own
accounts. 1t is nOt,unreasonable to tender
10 these institutions the opportunity to
subscribe for bonds under the act Of July
IA, 1870, to an amount equal to the deposits
required Of them Us security for circula-
tion, and to couple with 1t that alter ninety
days TO the extent that the offer may be
declined other banking associations may
be formed In the several States where the
existing banks shall have failed to make
the required subscriptions, and tho circu-
lation be transferred from such banks TO
tho new associations. The banks now
organized cannot Justly complain, II
having an opportunity to pursue the busi-
ness upon the bonds and declining II, other
associations shall succeed TO their fran
chises and rights.
The business ofLhe Bureau Of Engraving
and Printing has been carried on with
diligence during the year and with salts.
factory results Although some efforts have
been made Of counterfeiting the special pa
pers used by the department, they have
not been successful, and the specimens cap
tured arc 30 crude as not to excite serious
apprehensions as to its ultimate success.
Since the first OF July, 1860, seventy mil.
lion sheets Of paper have been manuiac.
turcd, all Of which have been accounted
for on the books Of the department.
| respectfully recommend that an ap.
preparation be made for n new issue Of
national bank notes those now In use
arc much worn, and very successful
counterleits Of several denominations
have appeared. ...nN
The public building used as custom
house, court house and post office OF Chi.
cago was destroyed by the great fire on
the 9Th Of October last The outer walls re'
main and the building could berepalrcd,
but anticipating tho growth Of Chicago
and the magnitude Of its public buildings,
advise the erection OF o building suited
to the wants Of a first class city. It's
important that much larger park of
land should be obtained, either by addition
TO the present lot or by the purchase Of
another site. On the 18th OF October last
wrote letter to Governor Palmer ask
ing him to recommend 10 tho Legislature
the passage Of an act granting authority
to the courts Of the State Of Illinois To
condemn such land as might bo required
in case the Government should be unable
10 obtain ii by purchase At q reasonable
price, payment to be made upon M ap-
praisal In every case. The site for o
building erected by the Government for
public uses should be large enough to
separate II from all other structures, thus
furnishing sufficient light for the prosecu-
tiOn of business and adequate security,
also, against fire and the depredations Of
lawless persons. II is hardly necessary to
say that in the existing condition Of Of
fairs at Chicago Il Is important that an ap-
preparation, available during the present
fiscal year, should be made without un-
necessary delay.
Since my last annual report, the super
vising architect has completed the custom
house, court house and post Office ut Port
land, Maine; the court house md post
Office at Des Moines, Iowa; the court
house and post Office ut Madison, WiscOn
sin; tue appraisers stores at Philadelphia,
and the assay Office at Boise City, Idaho.
II Is now expected that tho custom house
anil post office at st. Paul, Minnesota;
the marine hospital ut Chicago, Illinois
the court house and post office at Astoria,
Oregon; the custom house at Machias,
Maine the branch mint at San Francisco,
California, and the custom house at Cairo,
| illinois, will be finished and ready lor
use by the first day of July next At that
time there will remain in an unfinished
condition, the court house and post office
at Columbia, South Carolina; the custom
house al New Orleans; tho custom house
and post Office ut Knoxville, Tennessee !;
the custom house and post office at Port
land, Oregon; the custom house, post
Office and independent treasury at Boston,
and the custom house aad post office at
Omaha, Nebraska. The prosecution Of
these works, four Of which arc Of greal