The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-12-17

lent naturalization, and OF the unauthorized use
q Of certificates thus improperly obtained. In
some cases the fraudulentcharactero Of the natural
iZation has appeared upon the face of the certif
cate itself In others, examination discloses that
the holder had not complied with the law, and in
still others, certificates have been obtained where
z the persons holding them not only were not ent-
f.tled TO be naturalized, but had not even been
within the United States at the time Of the pre-
tended naturalization. Instances Of each Of these
classes Of frauds are discovered at our legations
where the certificates Of naturalization are pre-
, sented, either for the purpose of obtaining
passports or in demanding the prOtec
tion Of the legation. When the fraud
is again found the face of sucn certificates they
are taken up by the representatives of the Gov
eminent and forwarded TO the Department Of
state, but even the record OF the court in which
- the fraudulent naturalization occurred remains,
: and duplicate certificates are readily obtainable
: upon the presentation of these for the issue of
. passports or demanding the protection OF the
| Government The fraud sometimes escapes no.
hce and such certificates are not unfrequently
used in the transaction Of business TO the injury
/ Of innocent parties. Without placing any addi-
. tiOnal obstacle in the way of the obtainment of
citizenship, by the worthy and well intentioned
foreigner who comesin good faith, notwithout,
isli fraudulent naturalization, and TO secure the
ready cancellation Of the record of every naturali-
zatiun made in fraud. t.I ID
Since my last annual message the exchange has
been made Of the ratification Of treaties of extra
dition with Belgium Ecuador, Peru. and. saliva
dor; also of treaty OF commerce and navigation
with Peru ,sand sones of commerce and consular
privileges with Salvador, all of which have been
uuly proclaimed, as mas also q declaration With
Russia with reference to trade marks.
OUR FINANCIAL CONDITION.
The report of the Secretary of the Treasury
which, by law, is made directly to Congress, and
forms no part of this message, will show receipts
and expenditures of the Government for the last
fiscal year, the amount received from each source
of revenue, and the amount paid out for each of
the departments of the Government. 1t will be
! observed from this report that the amount of re-
ceipts expenses has been but 81 ,3H ,SS2. 80
for the fiscal year ending June TO- 1874 and that
for the current fiscal year the estimated receipts
over expenditures will not much exceed nine mil |
lions of dollars. In view of the large National |
debt existing, and the obligations to add one per
cent. per annum TO the sinking fund-a sum |
amounting now to Sl4 900 900 per annum-I sub |
NIT whether revenues should not be increased or |
expenditures diminished to reach this amount of |
surplus 20 provide for the sinking fund, and the
partial failure to comply with the contracts and |
| obligations of the Government.
At the last session of Congress a very consider
| able reduction made in rates of taxation and |
| in the number of articles submitted to taxation.
! The question may well be asked whether ornOt in
some instances, unwisely. In connection with
| this subject, too, L am of the opinion that the
means of collecting the revenue, especially from
! imports has been embarrassed by legislation, so
| as to make it questionable whether or not large
amounts are not lost by failure TO collect to the
/ direct loss of the Treasury and TO the prejudice
| Of the interests of honest importers and taxpay
ers.
The Secretary Of the Treasury, in his report.
| favOrs legislation looking to specie payments |
thus supporting views previously expressed in
this message. lie also recommends economy in
appropriations, and calls attention TO the loss of
revenue from repeating the tax on tea and coffee
without benefit to the consumer; recommends an
increase of ten cents gallon on whisky, and fur
ther that no modification be made in the bank and
currency bill passed at the last session of Con
gress, unless modification should become neces-
sary by reason of the adoption of necessary mea-
sures for returning to specie payments In these
recommendations cordially join.
THE TARIFF.
would suggest to Congress the propTiety of re-
adjusting the tariff so to increase the revenue
and at the same time to decrease the number of
articles upon which duties are levied. Those ar
ticles which enter into our manufactures and are
not produced at home, it seems to me should be
entered free. Of those articles of manufacture of
which we produce a constituent part but do not
produce the whole, that part which we do not :
produce should enter free also. will instance /
fine wool, dyes, etc. These must be imported TO
form part of the manufacture OF the higher
grades Of wooden goods; and chemicals used as
dyes, compounded in medicines and used in var-
GUS ways in manufactures come under this class.
do not produce Should Stimulate The Manufacture
of goods requiring these, and therefore would be
5;,e eenelt 70 home PEotncton; Tiers are many
we do not produce ourselves, the tariff upon =,
which increases the cost of producing the manu- !
factured article. All corrections in this regard :
are in the direction of bringing labor and capital
in harmony with each other and of supplying one !
of the elements much needed.
ARMY AND NAVY. :
The report of the Secretary of War; herewith t
all the Information concerning all the operations q
wants and necessities of the army, and contains | 5
many suggestions and recommendations which | '
commend TO your special attention. There is no q
class of Government employees who are harder I
worked than the army officers and men none e
who perform their tasks more cheerfully and more
efficiently, and under circumstances of greater t
privatiOns and hardships. Legislation is desir- a
able to render more efficient this branch of the v
public service. All the recommendations of the 5
Secretary of War regard as judicious, and es- t
pecially commend TO your attention the following I
The consolidation of Government arsenals; mile I
age TO officers travelling under orders; the eXemp- I
ton of fmOney received from the sale of subsistence
stores from being convertedint the Treas the
eofapproprlatonsf for the purpose of subsistence
stores without waiting for Che beginning of the :
fiscal year for which the appropriation is made; n
for additional appropriate tions for the collection {
of torpedo material; for increased appropriations
forthe nanutacture OF arms; for relieving the
riOus States from Indebtedness for arms charged
to them during The rebellion; for dropping officers
from the rolls OF the army without trial for the
O1ense of drawing pay more than once for the e
period; for the dscoura cement Of the plan c
20 pay soldiers by checks; and for the establish o
literature at West Point. The reasons for the g
concentrations are obvious, and are set forth d
sufficiently in the report attached. also recon- Z
mend that the statute staff corps of the army he +
fixed, where this has not already been DONE that u
promotion may be made and vacancies filled as u
they occur in each grade when reduced below the v
number fixed by law. The necessity for such o
legislation is specially felt now in the pay depart
ment whose number is inadequate to the perform b
aDce OF Ule uutleS now required OF them by law. II
The efficiency of the navy has been largely in c
creased during last year under the impulse of the U
foreign complications which threatened us. AT l
the commencement of the last session of Congress
most of our efficient wooden ships were nut i'm o
condition for immediate service and the repairs q
of our iron clad feet were pushed with the ut II
most vigOr. The result is that most of these are 0
now in an effective state, and need only to be II
manned and set in commission to 90 at once into 9
service. Some of the new sloops authorized by e
Congress are already in commission and most of q
the remainder are launched and wait only the d
completion of machinery TO enable them to take C
their places as part of our effective force Two p
iron torpedo ships have been completed during a
the last year, and four of our large double tur-
reted iron -clads are now undergoing repairs. r
When these are finished, every thing that is need
full for our navy as now authorized will be in q
ditlOn for service, and with the advance in q
science of torpedo warfare, the American navy, .
comparatively small as it is will be found pow b
erful for the purposes of a peaceful nation. a
Much has also been accomplished during the Il
year IN ald OF science and TO increase the sum Of
general knowledge and further the interests of c
commerce and civilization. Extensive aud much d
needed soundings have been made for hydro I
graphic purposes, and to fix the proper routes of
ocean telegraphs; the surveys Of the great 18TH
mus have been undertaken and completed, and Il
two vessels of the navy are now employed in con-
junction with those of England France and Ger V
many and Russia in observations connected with ]
the transit Of Venus useful and interesting to the
scientific world. Estimates for this branch of t
public service do not differ materially from those
of last year, the general support of the service
beiEg somewhat less, and those for improve I
ments at the various stations rather I
lower than the corresponding estimate made I
year ago. The regular maintenance and i
steady increase in the efficiency of this most d
important arm, in the proportion to the growth 5
of our marine Intercourse and interests, is re- I
commended TO the attention of Congress- The X
use of the navy during peace might be further c
utilized by direct authorization of the employ v
ment of naval vessels in surveys Of the supposed
navigable waters of other natiOnalities ON this {
continent, especially the tributaries of the two
great rivers of South America, the 0rinoco and a
Amazon. Nothing prevents under existing laws e
such exploration except that expenditures must v
be made in such development of commercial in G
terests advantageous to the people reached and
TO those who may establish relations with them.
POSTAL AFFAIRS.
The education of the people entitled to exercise
the right of franchise | regard as essential to :
prosperity everywhere and especially so in Re i
publics where both education or previous condi- I
ton does not enter into account in giving suf !
frage. Next to the public school the post-ofice :
is the great agent of education over vast ter
ritory. The rapidity with which new sections are Z