The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-12-17

Congress on which more delicate relations are
depending.
TnE TREASURY DEPAErsssr.
! The report u tbe Secretary sf TIE Treasury
shows The receipts from customs for the fiscal
year ending June So 1874, 10 have been Slsg :
l0i si5 ~, and for the fiscal year ending June
-, l-s3, ~ have been sl57 lG7. 52s IS; decrease
Tor the last fiscal year Of o., a8S, III "a Re
celpts from internal revenue for The year ending
yh june. Ia, were slGi 40, IA ~ and for
me year ending Slth Of June. ls75 were sll0.-
of,f s., increase. o. ,5g7 20 o. The report
also shows complete history OF The work Of the
department for the iast year. and contains re
/ COMMUNICATIONS for reform aud for legislation
which eoncsr in, but cannot comment on so
iully a. should like % do II space would per
mt, but will conhne myself 70 few suggestions
which look upon vital W the beet intrcsts OF
the Ireasury-I mean
SPECIE RRsuxFrrox
Too mnch stress cannot be laid upon this ques-
Ton, ana hope Congress may be indu..d at
the earliest day practicable o. Insure the con
summation OF the act Of the Last Congress Al its
last session, 10 bring about specie resumption on
AMI after the fret day Of January, i-Is, at fur
thest III would be a great lessing IL this could
be contaminated. even at AN earlier day Nothing
seems ~ me more certain than that a full healthy
and permanent reaction cannot take place In
favor Of the Industries and financial welfare
OF the country, until we return 20 a
measure OF values recognized throughout the
civilized world While We use currency not
equivalent 70 the standard. the worlds reoog-
nized standard. specie. becomes a commodity
Ike the products OF the soil the surplus sssking
a market wherever there Is demand for IL. In
der our present ~ stem we should want none nor
would We have any. Were IL not that customs
dues must he paid in coin, and because OF the
pledge TO pay the interes, OF the public debt in
COIN, the yield OF precious metals would low out
for the purchase Of foreign productions and
leave the United States hewers OF wood and
drawers Of water. because Of wiser legislation ON
The subject OF finance by the nations with whom
we have dealings. am not prepared 10 say that
| can suggest the best legislation 10 secure the
end Most heartily common ed. IL will be a
az ~. ruA h.
approve any measure of Congress look ng efec-
lively toward securing resumption. Unlimited
imitation would probably bring about specie pay
ment more speedily than any legislation looking
10 redemption Of legal tenders IN coin, bat il
would be at the expense OF honor. The legal
tenders would have no value beyond settling
present Liabilities, or, properly Speaking.
pudiating them. They would buy nothing after
debts were all settled. There are few measures
which seem TO me important IN this connection.
and which commend - your consideration.
LEGISLATION RECOMMENDED
| I. repeal Of 40 much OF the legal tender act
az makes the notes receivable for debts con
tracted after a date 20 be fixed In the act Itself,
so IL Is not later than the nrst OF January, ls.7.
We should then have quotations Nc real values
not fictitious once gold would no longer be at
premium. but currency at Il discount; healthy
reaction would set in AZ once AMI with degree
10 make the currency equal TO what Il pGrporte
~ be; the merchants, Manufacturers and trades-
men Of every calling could do business on a fair
margin Of profit, the money 70 be received having
an unvarying value; laborers and all classes
who work for stipulated pay or salary would
ceive more benefit FROM their income. because
the extra profits would no longer be char ed by
the capitalists TO compensate them fer the risk
Of downward nuctuation IN the value of the
currency.
?. That the Secretary Of the Treasury be au-
thorized b. redeem, say not 70 exceed a. 0oo,-
II. monthly of legal tender notes, by issuing in
their stead long term bonds braring interest at
/ the rate Of z3-l Q per cent. per snunm. Of de
nominations ranging fIom 800 70 81 900 each
This would In time reduce the legal tender notes
! 20 a volume that could lie kept shoat without de
handing large redemplone sud- My.
3. That additional power be given To the Sec
rotary Of the Treasury 70 accumulate gold for final
redemption OF currency, Increasing the revenue.
curtailing expenses, or both. IL Is preferable TO
do both and I recommend that q reduction Of
expenditures be maize whenever IL can be done
without impairing Government obligations Or
Gripping due execution thereof.
One measure for increasing the revenues andth
only one think IL the restoration Of ule duty on
tea and coffee. The duties would add probably
els 900 coo u the present amount received for
imports, and wonld IN no way Increase the price
paid for these articles by the consumers. These
orioles are the PIodu.ts Oh countries ootiesung
sumers, reduce the duties they proporLonAtely
iscrease them. With this addition 10 the revenue
many duties now collected, and which give but
/ al insignificant return for the cost Of collection
muet he RENTED, and 70 the direct advantage
OF consumers alone. ! would mention thoee ar
ticles which enter into manufactures Of all sorts.
All duty paid upon such articles 60 directly 10
the cost Of the article when manufactured here.
and must be paid for by consumers. The dutee
now only come from the consumer alone, but acs
as a projection 10 foreign manufacturers of the
same competing article Ia our own and distant
markets.
I will suggest. or mention. another subject
bearing upon the problem Of how - enable the
Secretary n the Treasury 70 acc umlate balances.
II IL ~ devise some better method OF verifying
claims against the Government than At present
exists through the Court of Claims especially
those claims growing out OF the late war Moth
ing is more certain than that large percentage
OF amounts passed and paid are part or wholly
fraudulent, far in excess OF the real losses
sustained. The large amount OF losses proven
on gcod testimony are according toexisting laws.
by Afidavits OF fictitious INSCRIPTIONS per
sons t. have been sustained on small farms and
plantations, not only far beyond the possible
yield " those places for any one year but every
one knows who has experience in filling the soil
and has visited the scenes Of the spoiations, are
/ in many instances more than the individual
claimants were ever worth, including their per
sona and real estate The report Of the Attorney
General, which will lie submitted % Congress az
an early day. will contain detailed history of
awards made OF claims pending OF the class here
referred 10.
TIE WAR DEPARTMENT.
The report Of the Secretary OF War, accompa-
/ nying this message, gives a detailed account of
the army operations for the year just passed.
expenses for maintenance etc, with rccommen-
datons for legislation, 10 which i respectfully
invite your attention.
1. The necessity OF making 0 80 900 Of the ap-
preparation for the Subsistence Department
available before the beginning Of the next fiscal
year. Without this provision troops at points
distant from supplies must either 20 without
\ food, or the existing laws must lie violated. II
not attended with dispropOrtionate cost 10 the
Treasury.
\ ?. Ills recommendations OF an enactment o. a
system ~ annuiiies for families Of ssed OFF
I GERS by voluntary reductions from the monthly
\ pay Of officers. This plan s not attended with
burden upon the Treasury, and would for tbs
future relieve much distress which every old ar
my officer has witnessed in the psst IN case Of
officers dying suddenly or being killed, leaving
families without even Of reaching their
friends. II fortunate enough 10 have friends TO
aid them.
8. The repeal OF the law abolishing mileage
and a return IN the old system.
| a. The trial with torpcdoee under Nc corps Of
| Engineers, and an Appropriation for the same.
should war ever occur between the United States
I and maritime tOrpatops Nj h.