Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-12-07

ton, and hope consress may be induced.at
the earliest day practicable, % insure inc
contamination OF the act OF the laSt Consvress-
n its last session. to bring about snecIe No.
sumption Ion and after the ist day OF jan
usry, 1873" st furthest. 10 would he a
great blessing IL this could be con-
summaied even at an earlier daV
Nothing seems 10 me more certain than thSt
a tnll, healthy and permanent reaction can
not take place In favor OF The industries ana
financial welfare OF the country until we
return 70 measure OF values recognized
throughout the civilized world. While we
use currency not equivalent 70 this stand
asru, the worlds recognized standard, specie
oeoo,nes a commodity like the prodncf OF the
there is a demand for IL Under our presenf
system We should want none, nor would we
nave any, were II not that customs dues
pledge 20 pay interest on the pubuc ,ieb, in
coin. The yield OF precious metals would
i no% Out Az lpr sne % o ,9re,gn prodne
OF wood and drawers OF water" becauSe
OF wiser legislation on the subject OF
finance by the nations with whom we
say that / can suggest the best legis-
lation 10 secure the end most heartily
recommended. IL will he source OF great
qualification 20 me 20 be able 20 approve any
measure OF Congress looking effectively to-
wards securing resumption Tnlfna ifed
lnnatlon would probably bring about specie
payments more speedily than any legisla-
tion looking 10 the redemption OF the legal
tenders in coin. But ~ would he M fhe sx-
penSe OF honor. The legal tenders would
have no value beyond settling present ia
hilities. or, properly speaking. repud aing
Them. They would buy nothing affer dphfs
were All settled. There sre a few measures
which seem 20 me important IN this cnnnce-
ton, and which / commend 10 Your earnest
consideration A repeal OF SO much OF the
legal tender act as makes these notes re-
ceivablc for debts contracted amer a date 70
b. hNed in the aci itSelf.t say not later than
me LIST OF January. tSla. We should then
nave Quotations al real values. not fictitious
ones. Gold would no longer be a. premium,
but currency ~ a discount. A healthy re.
action would set i'm al once. and vrfth'ff a
aesIre 20 maze nc currency equal 10 what a.
rers ana tradesmen OF every calling could 10
business on q faiT margin OF pfoat the money
- be IecelNed having an unvaIying value.
LshOrers and al classes who work for s-fna
lated pay or salary would receive more for
Their income, because extra pr,Tts woula no
longer be charged by the capitalist. 70 compen-
safe Tor the risk Of downward huctuation in
the value Of the currency. Second That The
Secretary OF the Treasury be Authorized 20 re
deem say not 70 exceed 5000 900 monthly. OF
tegat tenuer notes, by issuing In their stead a
long bond bearing Interest Al the rate Of
$50 lOUths per cent. per annum OF denomina-
uors rangiHg from so 60 1850 each. This
WCuld IN time reduce the legal tender notes 70
volume that cOuld be kept afoat without de-
mandine redemption IN larger sums sud DENLY.
IhId That additional power be given 20 the
Secretary Of the Treasury 20 accumulafe cold
iOr final redemption, either bv Increasing reye-
nue. Curtailng expenses or bOth-ft il prefera-
ble % 10 both-and l recommend that reduc-
IL csn be doue without impan.ng Sov-
eminent obligations or crippling the
dHe eNetCi on thereof. one measure for in
cTtaslug lie TcVenUe-Rnd the only one think
OILS the restoration OF the duty on tea AMI
coffee. These duties would urObablv add SIC
ye0,roO % the present amount received from
imports aud would tn no wav increase the
LTlces paid Tor those articles by the consumers.
These articles are the products OF countries
collectng revenue from eNVar-s. and Rs We the
largest consumers, reduce the duties they prO-
pofuOEaly increase them. With this addition
10 the revenue many duties nov collected, and
which give bat an lnsi gnihc cant return for the
cost OF collection. might be RENTED, and TO
the direct advantage Of consumers AZ hDne. I
would mention those articles WI ich enter into
manufactures Of an sorts. All duty paii ut,on
sueh articles so directly 10 the cost OF the
article when manufactured here. and must be
paii Tor by the consumers. These duties NOT
only come from the consumers AZ home bat
act AZ a protection TO foreign manufacturers OF
tne same conpieted articles In cur own and
distant markets. / will suggest or msntio On
smother subject bearing upon the problem of
. how to enable the Secretary CT the Treasury
20 accumulate balances
10 is TO devise some better method ofverffy-
ing claims against the government than AZ
present exists through the Count OF Claims
especially those claims growing out OF the
late war. Nothing is more certain than that a
very large percentage or the amounts passed
and paid, are either wholly fraudulent or
IL
The large amount OF losses prOven-on good
testimony according 10 existing laws, by
atfidavits OF fictitious or INSCRIPTIONS per
sons-to have been sustained on small farms
and plantations are not only FAR beyond the
possible yield OF these places for any one
year. but, as every one knows who has had
experience in filling the soil, and who has
visited the scenes OF these spOilatIODs. are i'm
many Instances more than the Individual
claimants were ever worth iuclu ling their
personal and real estate. The report OF the
xCl will c.-f.s
10 Congress al an early Jay will contain a
detailed history OF awards made OF claims
pending, OF the class here referred TO.
The report of the Secretary of War. accom-
panying this message. gives a detailed &C
count OF army operations for the year just
passed; expenses FOR the mainterP nee, sc,
with recommendations FOR legislation &c.
which I respectfully Invite your attention.
To some OF these Invite special attention.
First, the necessity OF making 500 900 OF the
Appropriation for the Subsistence Depart
ment available before the beginning OF the
next fiscal year. Without this provision,
troops at points distant from supply prOiuc-
ton must either go without food or existing
laws must be violated. Ii is not attended
with cost 10 tho Treasury. Second, his rec
Ommendation for the enactment OF sys-
tenn OF annuities for the families OF deceased
officers by voluntary Deductions from
the monthly pay Of officers. This,
again, is not attended with burden
the future relieve much distress which every
Old army officer has witnessed IN the past
Of officers dying suddenly or being killed,
leaving families without even the means OF
reaching their friends, il fortunate enough 10
have friends to aid them. Third: tue repeal
OF the law ab0llshing mileage, and a return
10 the old system. Fourth: the trial with
torpedoes under the corps OF engineers aud
appropriation for the same. Should war
ever occur i-etween the United States and
any maritime power, torpedoes viii be
among, IL not the mosI ~tectlve aud cheap
est auxiliary for the defence Ca 0arOorS, and
also IN aggressive operations, tar We can
have. Hence AZ il advisable 10 learn ov ex-
pertinent their best construction and app.-
cation. as well as effect. Fifth: a permanent
organization for the signal service cOrps
This service has now become necessity of
peace, as well as war, under the ADVANCE
ment made by the present able management
Sixth: a renewal Of the appropriation for
compiling the official records OF the war ETC
The condition OF our navy at this time Is n
sui Ject OF satisfaction. IL does not contain
Il IL true any OF the powerful cruising from
clads which make 80 much OF the maritime
strength OF some other nations, but neither
our continental situation nor our foreign
policy requires tnat we should have a large
number OF ships OF this character while this
situation, and the nature OF our ports com.
blne 20 make those of other nations lille
10 al