National Republican., 1875-12-08

usCdl year elQlQR June ", lbIo. 10 nave
been sl5I le7 2$5 decrease from the last hscal
year Of IS sse lllsi Receipts from internal reve-
nue. for the year ending June 30 1874, were tlo2,-
were sllO0O7, i0s IS, increase, s7,5o7, ,TOSes The
report also shows a complete history Of the work
ings oftbe nepartment for the llst year, ana con-
which concur in, but cannot comment on 50 FULLY
as should like TO do II space would permit; but
look upon as vital to the best interests Of the
whole people, coming within the purvicw OF
.Treasnry." l mean specie resumption. Too
hope Congress may be induced at the earliest
day practicable to insure the consummation Of the
act Of the last Congress at its last session. to bring
about specie resumption son and after the lst day
Of January, 1872" at furthest.
1t would be great blessing If this could be con-
summated even at an earlier day. Nothing seems
TO me more certain than that d full, healthy and
permanent reaction cannot take place in favor of
the industries and financial welfare OF tho coun-
try until we return to measure of values recog
niZed throughout the civilized world While we
use currency not equivalent to this standard,
the worlds recognized standard, specie, becomes
commodity like the products of the soil, the sur
plus seeking market wherever there is a de-
mand for it. Under our present system we should
want none, nor would We have any were ii not
that customs dues must be paid in coin, and be-
cause of the pledge to pay interest on the public
fiow 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 to
say that can suggest the best legislation TO Sc
cure the end most heartily recommended.
INFLATIoN is REPUTATION.
1t will be n source of great qualification to me
TO he able to approve any measure Of Congress
looking effectively toward securing resumption"
Unlimited initiation would probably bring about
specie payments more speedily than any legisla
tion looking to the redemption of the legaltenders
in coin. But 1t would be at the expense of honor.
The legal tenders would have no value beyond
settling present liabilities, or properly speaking,
rpDuliatinr them. Tley would bring nothing
after the debts were all settled. There are a few
measures which seem to me important in this
connection, and which commend to your earnest
consideration. repeal of so much Of the legal
tender act as makes these notes receivable for
debts contracted AFTER date to be fixed in tho act
ITSELF say not later than the 1st of January 1871
We should then have quotations at real values,
not fictitious ones. Gold would no longer be at a
premium, but currency at discount. A healthy
reaction would set in at once, and with it desire
to make the currency equal to what 1t purports
to be.
of every calling could do business on fair margin
of profit, the money to be received having an un-
varying value. 1aborers and all classes VINO
work for stipulated pay or salnry would receive
more for their income, because extra profits would
no longer be charged by the capitalist to compen-
safe for the risk of downward huetuation In the
value Of the currency Second. That the Secre-
tary of the Treasury be authorized to redeem, say
not to exceed s. 2000, 900 monthly Of legal tender
notes by issuing in their stead long bond, bear
ing Interest at the rate of 365-l00 per cent per
annum of denominations ranging from so to
81. each. This would, time. reduce the legal
tender notes to a volume that could be kept afOat
without demanding redemption in large sums sud-
denly. Third. That additional power be given to
fore foT nai redemptiOn either b increasing REVENUE
curtailing expenses or both 1t is preferable to do
both, and recommend that reduction Of expendi-
lures be made wherever II can be done without
impairing Government obligations or crippling
the due execution thereof. One measure for IN
creasing the revenue, and the only one thlnk OF,
is the restoration Of the duty on tea and eofee.
DUTIES on TEA AND corrEB.
These duties would add probably 900 to
the present amount received from imports, and
would in no way increase the prices paid for those
articles by the consumers. The articles are the
ports and as We (the largest consumers) reduce
the duties they proportiOnally increase them.
With this addition to the revenue, many duties
now collected, and which give but an Insignificant
return for the cost of collection might be remitted
and to the direct advantage of CONSUMERS at home.
would mention those articles which enter into
manufactures of all sorts. All duty paid upon
such articles goes directly to the cost Of the article
when manufactured here, and must be paid for by
the consumers. These duties not only come from
the consumers at home, but act as protection to
foreign manufacturers of the same completed arti-
cles in our own and distant markets. will sug-
gest or mention another subject bearing upon the
problem of show to enable the Secretary of the
Treasury to accumulate balances"
1t is to 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
centage of the amounts passed and paid are either
wholly fraudulent are far in excess of the real
losses sustained. The large amount of losses
proven-On good testimony according to existing
laws, by affidayits of fictitious or INSCRIPTIONS
persons-to have been sustained on small farms
and plantations, not only far beyond the possi
Bile Weld Of those places for any one year. but as
every one knows who has had experience in till
ing the soil and who has visited the scenes Of these
spOlatiOns, are in many instances more than the
individual claimants were ever worth, including
their personal and real estate. The report of the
Attorney General; which w Mil be submitted to
history of awards made and Of claims pending of
the class here referred to.
MILITARY AFFAIRS.
The report of the Secretary OF War, accompa-
nying this message, gives a detailed account Of
army operations for the year just passed. expenses
for maintenance, &C., with recommendations for
Legislation, to which l respectfully invite your
attention. To some Of these invite special atten-
tiOn.
First. The necessity of making 100000 Of the
appropriation for the subsistence department avail
able before the beginning of the next fiscal year.
Without this provision troops at points distant
from supply production must either go without
food or existing laws must be violated 1t is not
attended with cost to the Treasury.
Second. His Recommendation for the enactment
ceased officers by voluntary deductions from the
monthly pay Of officers This again is not attended
with burden upon the Treasury, and would for the
officer has witnessed in the past, of officers dying
suddenly or being killed and leaving families
without even the means OF reaenlng their triends
if fortunate enough to have friends to aid them.
Third The repeal of the law abolishing mileage,
and return to the old system.
Fourth. The trial with torpedoes under the Corps
Of Engineers and appropriation for the same
Should war ever occur between the United States
and any maritime power, torpedoes will be among,
If not the most effective and cheapest auxiliary
for the defense of harbors and also in aggressive
operations that we can have. Hence, it Is adVis-
able to learn by experiment their best construc-
ton and application as well as effect.
Fifth. A permanent organization for the Signal
Service corps. This service has now become a
necessity Of peace as well as war under the al
vancement made by the present able manage
ment-
compiling the Official records OF the war, etc.
CONDITION OF THE NAVY.
The condition of our navy at this time is a sub
ject of satisfaction. 1t does not contain, 1t is
true, any Of the powerful cruising ironclads
which make 50 much Of the maritime strength Of
some other nations, but neither our continental
situation nor our foreign policy requires that we
should have large number of ships Of this char
acter; while this situation and the nature of
little dangerous to us under any circumstances.
Our navy does contain, however, considerable
though not properly cruisers, are powerful and
effective for harbor defense and foroperations near
shores OF ssss ALL the
rebuilt, their rotten wooden beams replaced with
iron their hulls strengthened, and their engines
are now in the most efficient condition, and ready
for sea as soon as they can be manned and put in
commission. r| t
The ive double-turreted iron-ciads belonging to
our navy by far the most powerful Of our ships for
fighting purposes, are also in hand undergoing
repairs and could be ready for sea in periods vary
ing from four to six months. With these COM
pleted, according % the present design. and our
two iron torpedo-boats now ready, our iron-elad
feet will be- for the purposes Of defense at homo,
equal TO any force that can readily be brought
against It. IL slr s-
: of our wooden navy, also, cruisers of various
sizes to the number Of about forty including those
now In commission, are in the Atlantic, and could
be ready for duty as fast as men could be enlisted
third are in effect new ships, and though some Of
the remainder need considerable repairs to their
boilers and machinery they all are or can readily
This constitutes feet Of moro than fifty war
ships, OF which ffteen are ironelads, now in hand
on the Atlantic coast.
The navy has been brought 10 this condition BY
iudicious and practical application of what could
be spared from tho current appropriations Of the
last few years, and from that made to meet the
possible emergency of two years ago.
1t has been done quietly, without proclamation
display and Thought has necessarily straight
ened the department In its ordinary expenditure,
and as far as the iron clads concerned has ad-
ded nothing TO the cruising force Of the navy,
yet the result Is not the less satisfactory, because
1t is TO be found in great increase OF real rather
than apparent force. The expenses incurred in
the mafntalnance Of an effective naval Force In all
fits braches necessarily large, but such force is
essential 10 position, relations and character,
and effects seriously the weight of our principles
-r.E.ll amfU1