Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-12-05

vantage to subscribers and none to the
United States Government. Mr.. Creswell
has not considered but one side of the
question"
From the Baltimore Sun.
The Presidents Message
The Presidents message, which was de-
livered to the two houses of Congress Tues
day, shortly after one O'Clock, and was pub
lished in aclSu7s EatrG within two hours af
forwards, while it touches upon great
number of important subjects, hardly dis
cusses any of them in way to challenge
special criticism or comment. In the very
first sentence of the message the President
speaks of the past year, especially the lat
ter part of it," as IAN eventful one to the
country and then proceeds to summarize
the events that have happened, somewhat
oddly including among them, and in the
same breath with the Virginius affair, the
fact that political partisanship has almos1
ceased to exist, especially in the agricultu
raj regions" The statement is somewhat
obscure, and whether intended to refer to
the rise of the oranges at the West, or the
decline of the Ku-Kluk at the South, does
not clearly appear. In any case the fact
chronicled can hardly be classed among
eoeats.
Following the usual order of subjects OBJ
served in such documents, the message be.
gins as far from home as possible, with oul
foreign relations, and with one of the re-
hottest of these-the Emperor of China
Gradually approaching matters of more
consequence, the President refers to the
payment by Great Britain of the Geneva
award, and urges the appointment of &
commission to make distribution of the a.
mount among the parties entitled to it.
Common honesty would suggest as much
and it is to be hoped that the Presidents
recommendation will be acted upon. There
can be no Justification for the appropria
ton or retention of this money by the Uni
ted States. A very sensible and timely re-
commentator is made in reference to the
subject of expatriation. It is shown how
exceedingly defective our present legisla
ton is, and how anomalous the position
of this country before the world in this re-
spect. The nation which was the first tc
resist the slavish doctrine of perpetual al
legiance is now among the last to indicate
how its own citizens may elect foreign
nationality.
Upon the subject of the Virginius moth
ing new is communicated in the message
The terms of settlement are stated in the
most favorable manner possible to the Uni
ted States, with curious omission to men
ton those provisions and qualification
which the public have been given to un-
derstand form part of the settlement ano
which were evidently inserted as safe
guards of Spanish honor and to sootht
Spanish pride. The President excuses
himself from going into greater detail, up
on the ground that the correspondence be
tween the two governments was conducted
in cypher and by telegraph, and he awaits
the receipt of the actual text by mail.
Passing from matters foreign to domes
tic. the President recommends further a
mendments to the constitution authoriz
ing the executive to veto bills in part an6
to eppEoys ] part Psehi6itlng sn legs lsg1s
four hours of its sitting, and restricting
that body when convened in extra session
to such business as the executive may
lay before it. It is questionable whether
any of these measures are sufficiently i'm
portant to require an amendment OF the
constitution.
In introducing the subject of the nationa
finances, the President alludes to the pres
tent difficulty of making both ends meet
and the necessity of greater economy in thu
matter of the government expenditures
One saving recommended being the sus
pension, for the present, of work upon gov
eminent buildings not yet commenced, thu
hope is incidentally expressed that ont
day we may feel rich enough to build
houses at Washington for the cabinet off
GERS and all persons who now receive com
mutation for quarters or rent at govern
ment expense and that the States may bt
tempted to do the handsome thing BY
building similar residences for their Sen
ators.
Later on in the message the city of Wash
ington, its improved streets and avenues
and its board of public works, come in TO
IA s'first rate notice" at the hands of tn
President The idea, which has ceased t.
be novel one, is presented that the EN-
bellishment of the capital should be an oh
ject of pride and interest to the who'll
country, and that the improvements il
question should be regarded as "a nation
al Investment"
Upon the subject of the finances .gener
ally, and the cognate topics of the curren
cy and the "panic," the message will hard
ly satisfy the expectations of those wht
have been more or less eagerly awaiting
its utterances. There is want of clear
ness in the language of the message which
is painfully suggestive of want of clearnes
in the ideas of the writer. First and fore
most we have the declaration "that we can
not have permanent prosperity until a spe
Gle basis is reached, and that basis can
not be reached and maintained until GU
exports, exclusive of gold, pay for our i'm
ports, interest due abroad, and other speci
obligations. or SO nearly so as to leave al
appreciate accumulation of the preciou
metals in the country from the product o
our Mines"
Next we are shown how, from increas
of population, increase of manufacturing
industries, and the habit of the southern
negroes to carry their wages in thei
breeches' pockets instead of depositine
them in the savings banks, the currency i
practically in state of gradual contrac
ton. It is further regarded as patent t.
the most casual observer that much mor'
currency or money is required during tn
fall and winter months than during thu
rest of the year it is more than intimatet
that with a ron-elastic currency panic
may thus come to be an autumnal institu
ton, like the equinox, connected will
knowing the crops" To meet the emer
gency it is suggested that power be giver
to the Secretary of the Treasury during
these periods of annual stringency to ISSUE
To national banks a certain amount O