The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-05

being DESTROYS at the same time to guard against
the Inconvenience which might arise In extraor-
binary cases rom q division OF commands, ana
from the completely or powers and attriDutions In
the respective public posts and with the important
object of maintaining In your most precious island
ms legitimate sovereign authority and public tran
with tne ADVICE o mis- COanc Of Minister'S to give
Your Exceency full authorization, cOnferring
upon you all the powers which by the royal ordi-
nances are granted TO the governors OF cities In
state OF slege fplazas stfadOs). In consequence Of
this His Majesty gives Your Exceiency ample and
from the island and send to the peninsula any pub
lie functionaries, whatever may be their Office,
rank, class or condition, whose stay in the island
may be prejudcial, or whose public private
conduct may arouse your suspicion, replacing
them n. by the faithful ssrvt o%s
Excelency's confidence; 6M also to suspend
ne execution OF any orders or general in
structt0as tchaterer emandtt1ag rom any or the
branches or the administration IN such degree
Your Erce,lencv may deem erpedtenu for the royal
visional, and Your Excellency being required to
give account thereof to His Majesty. In extending
appreciation and Of the high confidence he reposes
In your well-known loyalty, HIS Majesty hopes
that, IN worthy JUSTIFICATION Of this confidence,
you Will use the greatest prudence and circum-
spection, Joined to untiring activity, and trusts
that Your Excellency, being by this present act of
sibihty. you viii redoube your vigilance to cause
the laws to be observed justice to be administered,
and rewarded and to secure the punishment, with
out nestation or disslmulatiOn. the misdoings OF
those who, forgetfui OF their Obligations and OF
what they owe 10 the best and most benifcent of
sovereigns, cOntravene their duties and give Tree
rein TO their sinister Vaccinations, IN lnIractlon Of
the laws and OF the governmental prescriptions
issued IN virtue thereof BY royal order cOmmu-
nlcate this to Your Excellency for your inlorma-
ton MAY God preserve Your ExceIency INA, many
The CAPTAIN GENERAL of the Island OF Cuba.
MADRID, May IS. 1925
Economy by the New system OF Compute
u
form OF the Revenue Service.
Under the act of March g. 1873 the Secretary of
the Treasury is required TO proclaim on the LIST OF
January Of each year the value in American gold
dollars OF foreign coins Of standard weight and
hneness estimated by the Director OF the Mint at
Washington. The proclamation OF this year, the
nrst under the new law, has been delayed until
the Attorney General can render an opinion on the
question whether the yearly estimates OF the
Director Of The Mint, when proclaimed by the
Secretary, are to govern custom house officers in
the reduction Of foreign invoices OF dutiable mer-
chandse to United States money Of account
which, by law, is the standard gold dollar Of the
United States, or whether those oficers are TO
continue to change foreign into American money
in the computation Of duties at the rates nxed by
various acts OF Congress and running back
for many years. These old valuations are
based on assays made at the Mint OF foreign
coins in actual circulation, nearly all Of which,
by ordinary wear or through slight inaccuracies or
coming operations, were below standard weight
and were, therefore, estimated by the assaying
officers at something less than the true standard
value In the French franc, for example, the
assayed value is over four per cent less than
the standard value and the government has lost
that percentage on all duties collected on French
goods for a number OF years. Other commercial
ma vha hnjr
coinage was Of silver, have changed their coinage
to gold, which gives q greater intrinsic value to
the amounts expressed IN invoices II these In.
voices were to be reduced to United States money
at the old valuations the government would suffer
an appreciabe loss OF revenue. 1t was to provide
against such losses that the act OF March 8 1879
was procured by the Treasury Department,
but the failure Of Congress to make the repeal
ing clause OF the law sufficiently positive led the
department to apprehend trouble in enforcing the
new standards Of value and hence the submission
OF the question to the Attorney General. That
of1cer's opinion sustans the Treasury construc-
ton OF the law, and proclamation will be forth
coming in few days. As foreign coins are not
now. as they were formerly, legal tenders in the
United States it becomes manifest, on an examina-
ton Of the question, that If the custom houses
were intended to continue operations under the
old laws the act OF last March would have no den-
mite practical operation. The government will
gain about 81, 00O. 900 year on customs duties,
and the importing interest will have an average
OF three-quarters OF one per cent added to the
gross cost OF their goods. The new general regu-
lations OF the Treasury Department concerning
the customs and navigation laws are in print and
Will shortly be issued to the custom houses. They
contain great deal Of new matter, based upon
the numerous laws passed since the last edition Of
al wifi rofer tn the af
smuggling by way OF Canada.
An attempt has been MADE to simplify some Of
the most complex and vexatious features OF Gus
tom house surve ilance over shipping and mer-
chandse but with poor success, owing TO the ne.
cessty OF conforming to long series Of clumsy
and conflicting statutes, passed IN the triple in
terests OF revenue protection and perquisites, An
EFFORT to improve the system Of appointment, pro-
motion and tenure OF office In the subordinate
grades Of customs officers has succeeded on paper,
though the practical eject remains to be SEEN
Secretary Richardson has introduced some old
fashioned New England economy in the work, by
directing that o1cial correspondence shall be con-
Quoted on q minimum quantity Of paper OF fair
domestic quality, and that plain printed headings
shall replace any existing extravagances In htho.
graphed headings fancy rulings. textures and
col0rs OF writing paper while private supplies
Of initalled and monogramed stationery
at the pubic cost are prohibited. In another part
OF the book customs oricers are informed that il
ia their duty to warn innocent persons against
lating the customs laws and regulations, through
nattention or ignorance-ap plain intimation to the
swarm Of customs oflcials who thrive by petty
prosecutions, intimidations and neeclngs Of unin-
territorial Offenders
The Senate judiciary Committee.
The Senate Judiciary Committee have had sew
eral meetings during the recess at the residence
OF Senator Edmunds, ana considered the Bankrupt
Dill. Yesterday they met at the Capitol, and fur
Their discussed that measure. with the view of per-
fecting and reporting 1t to the Senate at an early
day.
Decisions by the Mexican and United
states Claims Com issiOn.
The United States and Mexican Commission has
now resumed its business and will doubtless dis
pose OF all the cases on the docket by the expra.