The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-12-10

out how and when e1patriation may be accom-
p,ished by its citizens. Instances are brougbt 10
Tho attention of the Government wbeIe citizens o.
the United States nsturalized or nGti,o-born, have
formally become ciuIeis or shbJtcts Oh foreign
/ powcrs but who, nevertheless, in the absence Of
any provisions of legislation on these questions,
when inv olVed in difficulties, or when II seems To
be to their interest claim 10 he citizens OF Tue
United States, and demand the Intervention of "A
Government which they have long .incc abandoned,
and TO which for years they nave rendered no
service, nor held themselves IN any way amonabe.
In other cases, nlturaized citizens, Immediately
after naturalization, have returned 10 tneir native
| country, have become engaged In bu,iness have
accepted offices pursuits inconsistent with Amer
/ lean citizenship and evidence no intent To return
70 the United States until called upon 10 discharge
some duty 10 the country where they are residing,
when at they assert their citzenship, and call
upon the representatives OF the Government To aid
them in their pretensions. IL IL but justice to all
| bona tde citizens that no doubt should exist on
such questions, and that Congress should determine.
| by enactment of law how expatriation Will be ac-
complished and change OF citizenship be esab-
lished
also invite your attention TO the necessity
regulating by law the status Of American women
who may marry foreigners, and OF defining pore
fully that Of children born in foreign country OF
American parents, Who may reside abroad and also
OF further provision regulating, giving legal
effect, to marriages of American citizens contracted
III foreign countries.
The correspondence submitted herewith shows
few of the constantly occurring questions on the
points presented TO the consideration of the Gov
ernment There are few subjects TO engage the
attention OF Congress on which more delicate rea-
tons are depending.
The month of July last the building erected for
| the Department Of State was taken possession of
and occupied by that department. am happy to
say that the archives ana valuable property OF the
! Government in the custody of that department are
| now safely deposited and properly cared for.
The report Of the Secretary of the Treasury shows
the receipts from customs for the fiscal year ending
June go 1874, to have been $l6J, $500 aud for
| the fiscal year ending June 80, 1875 - have been
1857 ,722.35, decrease for the last fiscal year
of s. 1886, llla4. The receipts from internal reye-
! nue. for the year ending the 3Oth OF June, 1874
$l02, 4O9 1890, and for the year ending on
the Soth of June, 1875, were $4,000, i93.5s, an
increase of 81, 597 80. The report also shows
a complete history of the working OF the
Department for the last year, and contains recon-
mendatons for reforms and for legislation, which
! concur in but cannot comment on so fully AZ L
should like to do If space would permit but will
confiue myself TO a few suggestions which look
upon as vital TO the best interests OF the whole
! people, coming within the puryiew of the Treasury.
/ mean specie resumption. Too much stress cannot
b. laid upon this question, and hope Congress
may be induced at the earliest day practicable to
insure the contamination of the act of the last
Congress- at its last session, to bring about specie
resumption and after the list day OF January,
| 1879, at the furthest 1t would be great blessing
II this could be contaminated even at an earlier
day. Nothing seems to me more certain than that
a iul healthy and permanent reaction cannot take
place in favor of the industries and financial well
fare OF the country, until We return TO measure of
values recognized throughout the civilized world.
s Tne s qs Il. standard Srren'' the not worlds
recognized standard of specie becomes
commodity like the products OF the SOIL the surplus
seeking market wherever there is a demand for IT.
Under our present system We should want none,
nor would we have any we're II not that customs
dues be paid in conn., and because OF the pledge
TO pay the interest Of the public debt in coin, the
yield Of precious metals would flow out for the pur-
chase of foreign productions, and leave the United
States the hewers of wood and the drawers of water
because n wiser IegslgtOu Oh thu subject OF
finance ty tL nations with whom we have deaiipes
am not prepared to tay that can suggest the
best ley isation to secare the end heartily to be
commended il will lie source of great gratt-
cation to me 10 be able to approve any measure
OF Congress looking effectively toward securing
resumption. Unlimited imitation would prob
| ably bpng about specie payments more speedily
! than any legislation looking to the retention of
! legal tenders in coin, but II would be at the ex-
pensc of honor. The legal tenders would have
| no value beyond settling present liabilities, or.
| properly speaking. repudlating them. They would
buy nothing after the debts were all settled. There
a few measures which seem to me important in
! this connection, and which commend TO your
earnest consideration First, the repeal OF so
much of the Legal Tender acts as makes these
notes receivable for debts contracted after date to
10 be fixed in the act itselfsay not later than the
lat of January, 1877. We should then have quota
ton ct real values not fictitious ones. Gold would
! no Longer DE at premium, but currency at dis
count. healthy reaction would set in at once, and
with a desire to make the currency equal TO WI at
II purports to be. The merchants, manufacturers
and tradssnen, and every calling, could do business
on fax margin Of profit The money to be r..
| ceived having unyaryng value, laborers and all
classes who work for stipulated pay or salary would
receive for their income because extra profits
would no ger be charged 10y the capitalist to
compcns ate for the risk OF q downward nuctuation
in value of the currency.
Second That the Secretary of the Treasury be
authorized redeem, say not To exceed $1,000 600
monthly of legaltender notes, by issuing, in their
stead, long bond bearing interest at the rate Of
65-i0O per cent per annum, OF denominations
ranging from $50 TO 81 600 each. This would in
time reduce the lega!-tender notes 10 volume that
coud be kept afoat without demanding redemption
! in large suddenly.
hrd ADJ al tDONyf he o. Nen
retary OF the Treasury to accumulate gold for final
redemption, either by increasing revenue, curtail-
ing expenses both. 1t is preferable to do both,
anu recommend that reduction Of expenditures
| be made wherever it can be done without impairing
Government obligations or crppling the due execu-
| tiOD thereof. One measure for increasing the rev.
enue and the only think of, is the restoration
| o. the duty on tea and coffee. These duties would
add probably sis,OOOVoo to the present
amount received for imports, and would i'll
those "a articles by the Consumers These
articles are the products of countries collecting
revenue from exports, and as we, the largest con-
suruers, reduce the duties they proportionately in
| crease them. With this addition to the revenue,
| nl,ny duties now collected, and which give but an
Insignificant return for the cost of collection, might
I be RENTED, and TO the direct advantage Of the
! consumers at home. ! would mention those arti-
| cies which enter into manufactures OF all sorts.
All duties paid upon such articles go directly to the
cost Of the article when manufactured here, and
must be paid for by the consumers. The duties not
only come from the consumers at home, but act as
| protection TO foreign manufacturers OF the same
| completed articles III own and distant markets.
| I will suggest mention another subject bearing
| upon the problem of how 20 enable the Secretary
| OF the Treasury to accumulate balances. II is to
| devise 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. Nothing is
| more certain than that largo percentage of the
amounts passed and paid in part, wholly,
fraudulent, are far in excess Of the real losses
| sustained. The large amount of losses, proven on
good testimony, according TO the existing laws, by
the afhda,its OF fictitious or INSCRIPTIONS persons
TO have been sustained small farms and planta-
tious not only far beyond the possible yield OF
those places for any one year, but, every
knows who has experience in filling the soil, and
| who has visited the scenes Of these spoations, are
in many instances more than the individual claim
ants WORTH including their personal
and real estate. The report Of the Attorney Gen.
era which will be submitted to Congress at an
early day, will contain detailed history Of the
awards made, and of the claims pending OF The
class here referred TO.
The report Of the Secretary OF War, accompany
ing this message, gives detailed account Of
army expenditures for the year Just passed,
expenses for maintenance. etc., with recon-
| mendations for legislation to which / respect
| fully invite your attention. To some Of these /
invite special attention: First the necessity of max
ing $500 QUO appropriation for the Subsistence De-
partment available before the beginning of the next
fiscal year. Without this provision troops at points
distant from supply or production must either 20
without food or existing laws must be violated. II
isnot attended with cost TO the Treasury. Second.