Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-12-15


. have returned to their native land
and have become engaged in busi-
ness, and have accepted Office in pur-
suits inconsistent with American citi-
zenship, and evinccd no intent to re-
turn to the United States until called
to discharge some duty to the coun-
try where they are residing. when ut
once they assert their citizenship, and
call upon the representatives Of the
4 government to aid them in their un-
Just pretension. 1t is but justice to
b0na-fide citizens that no doubt
should exist upon such questions.
and that Congress should determine
the enactment of a law how an cxpa-
triation will be accomplished and a
change of citizenship be established.
] also invite your attention to the
necessity of regulating by law the
/ STATUS OF AMERICAN WOMEN
who may marry foreigners, and de-
i tining more fully that of children
born in foreign country of Ameri-
can parents who may reside abroad.
and also of some further provision
regulating or giving effect to mar
riages of American citizens contract
ed in foreign. countries. The cores
pondehcc herewith shows constantly
occcurring questions on these points,
lpDinted to the consideration Of the
government. There are few subjects
to engage the attention of Congress
on which more delicate relations arc
depending.
In tho month of Tu1.- tIo
i NEW BUILDING,
erected for the Department of State
was taken possession of and occupied
by that department. am happy to
say that the archives and valuable
papers Of the Government in the Gus
tody Of that department are now
safely deposited and properly cared
for.
| The report of the
SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY
shows that the receipts from customs
for the fiscal year ending June 80,
/ 1874, to have been $163, los, ,S33.69 and
for the fiscal year ending June 80,
/ 1875, to have been $l57. .167, 1926, a
decrease for the last fiscal year of S.
936, ,11.a. The receipts from inter-
nal revenue for the year ending June
80, 1874, were $1O2. .4O9, ,7S4.9O, and for
the year ending June 80, 1876, were
$4,000, ,70S.5S, an increase of
i 81, ,497, ,70S6S. The report also
shows a complete history Of the work
ing Of the Treasury Department for
the last year and contains recommcn-
dations for reforms and for legisla-
tions, which l concur in, but cannot
comment as fully as | should like to
do II space would permit, but will
confine myself to few suggestions
which / look upon as vital to the best
interests Of the whole people, COM
ing within the puryiew Of the Treas
ury. ] mean
4 SPECIE RESUMPTION.
i Too much stress cannot be laid up
ON this question, and hope Congress
may be induced at the earliest day
practicable, to insure the consuma-
ton of the act of the last Congress al
+ its last session, to bring about specie
resumption on and after the lst oi
, January, 1879. at the farthest. |,
would be q great blessing if this could
be consumated even at an earlier day
, Nothing seems TO me more certain
than full, healthy. permanent re-ac
! tion cannot take place in favor of thu
|, industries and financial welfare of tho
, country until we return to measur,
, of values recognized throughout th'
civilized world. While we use cur
rency not equivalent to the standard
. the world recognizes, specie become;
a commodity like the products of TIL
! soil, the surplus seeking a markc
, wherever there is market forit. Tn
! der our present system we shonlt
: want none. nor would we have an,
! were il not that custom duties mus
be paid in coin. and because of tn
pledge to pay the interest of the pub
! lie debt in coin. The yield of prcciou
= metal would flow out for the pur
: chase of foreign productions an'
leave the United States shewers o
wood and drawers of water" becaus
!. of W ser legislation on the subject o
!. finance by the nations with whom "
' have. dealings. an not prepared t
!. say that can suggest the best legis
d lation to secure this end. but mos
i heartily commend it.
h Ii will be source of great gratifi
cation to me to be able to perceiv
: any measures of Congress looking ei
J. fectivcly towards the securing of re
d sumption. Unlimited imitation woul
n probably bring about specie paymen
i more speedily than any legislatio
it looking to the redemption of leg;
;. tenders in coin but il would be &
IS the expense of honor. The legal ter
o ders would have no value beyond Sc
/ Ting the present liabilities, or, prol
|. erly speaking, repudiatine then
n They would buy nothing aft'
Z the debts were all settled.
Is STEPS TOWARDS PROGRESS.
=, There are few measures While
:, seem to me important in this come
!, ton. and which / heartily eommen
- to your recommendation:
: A repeal of so much of the leg
i, tender acts as makes the note reeci
=. able for debts contracted after da
&c = to be fixed in the act itself. so that
y is not later than the fast of Januar
ys 1877. We should then have quot
= tation at real values, not fictitio,
- - ones. Gold would no longer be at
/, premium, but currency would tn.
~ ~ be equal, what II purports to be. III
"a merchants, the manufacturers, al
~ tradesmen of every calling could {
- business on fair margin Of profit {
- money received having mvaryil
~ value. Laborers, and all classes wi
-, ~ work for stipulated pay or salar
N would receive more for their inc0n
:" :, because extra profit would no long
=. be charged by the capitalists to col
"a "a pensatc for the risk Of a downwa
-, iluctuation in the value of current
- I'd. That the Secretary Of the Tres
~ ury be authorized to redeem, say n
he to exceed $2,000O00 monthly of lee
=. nv tender notes, by issuing in their ste
al o bond bearing interest at the rate
ha 325-lO0 per cent. per annum, of 4
~ !. nominations ranging from $500
y y $1,000 each. This would In time
y deem tho legal tender notes tn a v,
~ ~ ume that could be kept afloat wit
,r M out demanding redemption in lar
as sums.
~; ~ Sd. That additional power be q
ra en- to the Secretary Of the Treasu
Nc Nc to accumulate gold for tho final
40 demption of currency, increasing
-. ~ revenue and curtailing expenses
=, both.
~ W Il 10 preferable to do both, and I
commend . reduction Of eYpen
tnres be made whenever Il can be df
without impairing government oil
ent cations, or crippling the dnc cxccntl
ion thereof. Cne measure for increasl
Ia. the rsvenne, and tho only one, i thi
the II the restoration OF tho duty on
Ia. and coffee. These dntics would q
/ il probably $lS,0OOOOO to the amo,
! is received for imports, and would In
i'm way increase the pr,ccs paid for tn
OBJ articles by the consumers. Those
the ticles arc the products OF counts
zen collecting reyenue from exports, d
% We, tho largest consumers, reill
of the duties they proporticnally incrc
an them,
hat With this addition to the revcI
10 many duties now collected and VIII
at give but An Insignificant return of
OBJ revenue collected, might be REMIT
ilty and to tho direct advantage of o
aumAra alone. 1 WOuld mention In