The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-12-17

Ano AcpOIt vi tuc OOmullbSlOueI VI Al
riculture, herewith, contains suggestion
OF much interest TO the general public
and refers to the approaching Centennial
and the part his department is ready +
take in it. ] feel that the Nation a
large is interested in having this expo
siton a success, and commend to Con
gress such action as will secure create
general interest in 1t. Already man,
foreign Nations have signified their in
tention to be represented ut it. 1t ma,
be expected that every civilized NatioI
will be represented. -'sm
The rules adopted to improve the civi
service of the Government have been ad
hered to as closely as has been practicable
with the opposition with which they
meet. The effect, / believe. has been
beneficial on the whole, and has tended
to the elevation of the service, but it is
impracticable to maintain them without
the direct and positive support of Con-
gress. Generally the support which this
reform receives is from those who give it
their support only to find fault when the
rules are apparently departed from. Re-
movals from Office without preferring
charges against the parties removed are
frequently cited as departures from the
rules adopted, and the retention of those
against whom charges are made by ire
spOnsible persons and without good
grounds is also often condemned as a
violation of them. Under these circum-
stances, therefore, / announce that if
Congress adjOurns without positive legis-
lation on the subject of civil service re-
form, 1 will regard such action as a dis
approval of the system, and will aban-
don it. Except so far as to require ex-
animation for certain appointees, to de-
termine their fitness, competitive exam
nations will be abandoned. The gentle
men who have given their services with
out compensation, as members of the
the governmental the Civil Service Of the
country, have shown much zeal and
earnestness in their work, and to them,
as well as to myself, it will be source
of modification if it is to be thrown
away. But / repeat that it is impossible
to carry this system to a successful issue
without general approval and assistance,
and positive law to support it.
l have stated that the elements Of
prosperity to the Nations capital and
labor, skilled and unframed, and pro-
ducts of the soil, still remain with us.
To direct the employment Of this is a
problem deserving the most serious at
tention of Congress. If employment
can be given to all labor offering itself,
prosperity necessarily follows. I have
expressed the opinion, and repeat it,
the first requisite to the accomplishment
of this end is the substitution of sound
currency in place ofone of fuctuatiHg
value. This secured, there are many in
terests that might be fostered, to the great
profit of both labor and capital. How
to induce capital to employ labor is the
question. The subject of cheap trans
portation has occupied the attention of
Congress. New light on this question
will, without doubt, be given the COM
mittee appointed by the last Congress to
investigate and report upon this subject.
A revival of ship-building and particu-
larly of iron steamship building is of
vast importance to our National pros
perity. The United States is new pay
ing over 100000 per annum for
freights and passage on foreign ships, to
be carried abroad and expended
in the employment and support of
other people, beyond fair percentage of
what should 90 to foreign vessels, esti-
mating on the tonnage and travel of each
respectively. 1t is to be regretted that
this disparity in the carrying trade ex-
lists, and to correct / would be willing to
see great departure from the usual
course of the Government in supporting
what might be usually termed private
enterprise. 1 would not suggest as a
remedy direct subsidy to American lines
of steamships, but would suggest the
direct offer of ample compensation for
the mails between Atlantic and
and seaboard cities and the Continent on
American owned and American built
steamers, and would extend this liber-
ality to vessels carrying the mails to the
South American States, and to Cen
tral America and Mexico, and would
pursue the same policy from our Pacific
seapOrts to foreign seaports on the Pacific.
It might be demanded that vessels built
for this service should come UP to a
fixed by legislation. tunnage
and speed, and all other qualities look
ing to the possibility of the Government
them at some time for war pur-
poses. The right also of taking posses
sion of them in such emergency should
be guarded. offer these suggestions,
believing them worthy of considerations
in all seriousness, affecting all sections and
all interests alike. If anything better
can be done to direct the country into a
course of general prosperity no one will
be more ready than to adopt this plan.
Forwarded herewith is. the plan and
report of the Commissioners appointed
under the act of Congress approved June
20, 1874, to wind up the affairs Of the
District Government. 1t will be seen
from the report that the total debt of the
District of Columbia, less assets on hand
and available, as bonded debt issued
prior to July 1, 1873, $8, ,883, ,940.43 1856
bonds. Act of Congress, June 20, 1874,
81, ,088, 1878. Certificates of the Board
Of Audit, $4,770, ,558.45, total, $15,742,-
667.61; less special improvement assess
ments chargeable to private property in
excess of any demand against assessment,
$164, ,054.37, less chesapeake and Ohio
Canal Bonds $4,000, and Washington
and Alexandria Bonds $50, 900 in the
hands of the Commissioners Of the Sink
ing Fund 81, ,748,0 81, leaving an actu-
al debt, less said fund, of $l2, ,994, ,6l3 "a.
In addition to this there are claims pre-
ferred against the Board of the District,
in the aggregate, reported by
the Board of Audit, $3,147,787 48, Of
which greater part will probably be re-
jected. This sum can with no more pro-
priety be included in the debt of the Dis
trict Government than the thousands of
claims against the General Government
can be included as portion of the Ma
tional debt, but the aggregate sum thus
stated includes something more than the
funded debt chargeable exclusively to
the District of Columbia.
u. s. GRANT.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, Dec. z, 1874.
YOUNG broker of st. Louis, left his
Office, recently, and hied him into