, 1872-12-03
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

The tone OF the Presidents Message ia supe-
rior to that of any Of his previous communica-
tions to Congress. There are certain 1ecom-
mendations embodied in it in which we cannot
CONCUR, and notably those relating to steamship
subsidies and the postal telegraph scheme but
we are pleased to observe in the general drift
and scope Of the document better comprehen-
sion Of public affairs, and more diGgent appi-
cation to business than We have heretofore no.
ticed in General Grants messages.
The message begins with m appropriate a11u-
sion to the Boston fire and without further pre-
the Geneva Conference Tho temporary inter-
ruption Of the Conference BY the claim for
indirect damages, the President says, was solved
Sin manner entirely satisfactory to this Gov
eminent, and in accordance with the views and
the policy which it had maintained" Tho thanks
Of our Government have been expressed to the
Governments which appointed the Geneva Arbi-
traitors, and also to the ArbitratorB themselves.
The President also highly commends the services
of Mr.. Charles Francis Adams and states that the
IuCcA u 01EdA Dl1kAl uG6 6lEu14bQ 1U3I dpF4t-
citation Of the ability and industry displayed by
that gentleman. The services Of MIR. Bancroft,
in presenting our case to the Emperor Of Ger
many in the matter Of the San Juan award are
also highly commended. The President recon-
mends that Congress Immediately pnss the
necessary laws to carry into effect the clauses Of
the treaty regarding the fsheriea,--the most
important OF which is that which provides for
the admission of Canadian-caught fish and fish
oil free of duty. With the final adjustment of
this treaty, our relations with Great Britain will
be Of the most friendly character, which the
President says it shall be his endeavor to main
tain lnbroken.
Those who expected to find in the message
the foreshadowing Of m aggressive policy to-
ward Mexico, Cuba, and the West Indies will be
disappointed. The continuance Of the Cuban.
rebellion is referred to, and the continued exist
ence Of Cuban slavery condemned, but there il
no intimation Of 3 purpose to interfere with
either, except in the way Of friendly advice to
the Government of Spain, and the adoption Of
measures. if practicable, to prevent American
citizens from holding or dealing in slaves in.
Cuba There is no a1lusion in the message
to Santo Domingo.
The total receipts of the Treasury for tho
fiscal year ending June 80, 1872, reached the
large sum of 1874 106 837 Of which 52l6, 1885,
or nearly two-thirds, was derived from duties on
imports. The receipts from internal taxation
we're s130, ,642, ,177. The disbursements during
the same period were S377, ,478, GIG, of which
$1oC, ,918, $40 Was for redemption Of the princi-
pal of the public debt, and Sill, 1857, ,839 for In
terest. The current expenses Of the Govern
ment, exclusive Of these two items, we're $751;
POI, 1857.
The President recommends that there be no
further reduction Of taxes at present. he
thinks that justice to the public creditors re-
quires that the existing rate Of taxation be
maintained, and that specie payments should be
resumed Us soon as practicable, shaving due
regard to the interests Of the debtor class and
the vicssitudes of trade and commerce."
Attention is called to plans for providing
some cheaper means of transporting the pro-
ducts Of the West and Southwest to the Atlantic
seaboar7 We renrat that tha only nlenR ar1,