National Republican., 1877-12-04

II
hostilitics, In collecting and securing the
many thousand balss of cotton scattered
through the Southern States, which had been
sold by Its former owners to the Confederate
States.
The amount Of cotton taken was known 70
be greatly In excess of that which camc into
the hands OF authorized agents Of the Govern
mont subsequent to June 30, 1865; and, in
view OF the facts, that almest all Of tho fifty
thousand bales of cotton collected after that
date, the proceeds of which reached the Treas
ury, had been sold to tho Confederate States
during the war, OF was unlawfully acquired by
companies formed for the purpose Of running
tho blockade, and that the restrictions Of the
act whereby the power of the Secretary to
grant relief was confined within very narrow
limits, the reason for the payment Of 90 small
an amount, as contrasted with the vast sum
demanded, Is apparent.
Upon the summary statement thus made
the Secretary recommends that all authority
or power In this department to pass upon
claims that do not accrue within a brief period
before they are presented, and which are not
steadily prosecuted by the claimants, DO taken
away; that no claim once passed upon by the
Department shall be reopencd, and that the de-
cisions heretofore rendered shall be final.
II is possible that, In acting upon tho multi
tudc Of claims growing out Of great war, In
justice has In some cases been done, and that
honest claims have not been paid. while some
fraudulent claims have been paid. But greater
injustice would be done by reopcning claims
growing out Of the war. II Is the best policy
to consider all such claims not heretofore paid
as closed, unless Congress, by special acts in
particular cases, shall extend appropriate re-
lief.
There should be a limitation Of timc within
which q claim should be presented, and Q like
limitation within which a suit In behalf Of the
United States should be commenced. Such
Limitation Is especially needed as to suits
brought by the United states against sureties
on Official bonds, In some cases claims agninst
the principal debtor, long delayed by the neg
lect of the Government, are unjustly pressed
against the surety. Nearly all the fraudulent
and exaggerated claims that have been pre-
sented to this Department are alleged to have
accrued long since, and the evidence of the
facts that would be complete defcnse Is lost
by time. Such claims are supported by plau-
sible ailldavits, and, in some cases, by forgery
and perjury. statute Of limitations In all
cases would bc proper measure, not only as
TO claims between citizens, but as TO claims for
or against the Government.
The Secretary recommends this subject to
the attention Of Congress.
BUREAU OF ENGRAVING AND PRINTING.
OF the appropriation Of $500, 600 for the pay
mont Of labor and expenses In this Bureau for
the present fiscal year, 100000 will remain
II.
ternal revenue stamps for cigars, liquors, snud,
and tobacco, printed under contract by the
New York bank-note companies last year, will
be printed In the Bureau the current year, at q
reduction IN cost to the Government of $685.
sil.s9. The printing of the backs of legal
tender notes and Of tho five-dollar national
currency notes, last yoar done by the Colum-
bian Bank-Note Company, of this city, will
also be executed in tn" Bureau, and at a rcduc-
tion in cost, rs compared with the rates paid
last year, of $i0,2o43O. The act making ap-
preparations for the Legislative, executive, and
judicial expenses Of the Government for the
present fiscal year, no Statutes at Large, p.
152,) appropriates for dies, paper, and stands
for the internal revenue, $466, 900, tho engray.
ing and printing to be done in the Bureau of
Engraving and Printing of the Treasury De-
partment, provided the cost does not exceed
the prices paid under existing contracts. The
contracts referred to were made In 1874 with
the American, National, and Continental Bank
Note Companies, and were terininable on
ninety days notice.
On the 10th day Of June last tho Secretary
requested the Chief of the bureau to make
such observations as he desired upon the COM
parative cost Of printing internal revenue
stamps by private companies and by the
bureau, and In reply received, OH the 23d of
june, statement that the stamps referred to
could be done by the bureau for $257 500, as
against $3.50, 80 paid to the bank-note com
panies last year; all of the printing to be done
by plate and surface-printing from teel-plates
Being satisfied that this saving could be ef-
fected, and the law preferring that the work
be done in the Treasury Department, the Sec
retary, on the 25th Of June, gave the required
ninety days notice, and on the LIST Of October
authorized the work to be done in the bureau
The adhesive and proprietary stamps used by
the Commissioner Of Internal Revenue arc
still printed by the National Bank Note Com
pany, under contract made August 10, 1876
which took effect September /, 1875, and Is
still in force. As these classes of stamps have
never been executed by the bureau, and may
not have been intended to be included by Con-
gress in the provision referred to, no disturb
ance has been made of the previously existing
arrangements.
On the accession Of the present Secretary to
the Department, all the printing upon the
notes, bonds, and securities of the United
States and the notes of the national banks was
done In the bureau and Department. except
the green backs Of the legal-tenders and the
black backs Of the nationsl-bank fves. These
were executed by the Columbian Bank Note
Company of this city under contract made
February 20, 1877, and terminable on ninety
days notice. lnasmuch as the prices named
in this contract were fixed in the original con-
tract dated June, 1874, when the cost of labor
and material was much higher than now, the
secretary deemed IL Tor the Interest OF the
Government to terminate IL, Sc that the whole
subject of engraving and printing by private
companies would be within the power Of the
Government at the meeting of Congress.
The act providing for the expenses of the
bureau for the current fiscal year requires that
the work shall be performed at the Treasury
Department, If it can be done as cheaply, as
perfectly, and rs safely as elsewhere. 10 Stat
utes at large, p. 353.) To determine the ques-
ton of the cost Of executing work in the bureau
and elsewhere, the Secretary issued an adver-
tisement September 9, inviting proposals, on
the 25th of that month, for printing the green
backs on legal-tender notes and the black backs
on national-currency notes. for the period of
one year from the LIST of October. The estimate
of the bureau on both classes of work, being
an average of Ss.7l per thousand perfect sheets,
as against $lS per thousand paid the bank note
company last year, and less than the bid of any
of the companies, the Secretary deemed it his
duty, under the law, to bring this work within
the bureau, at least for the present.
Af.er careful examination, the Secretary Is
satisfied that the work, rs done in the bureau.
Is more perfectly done than that heretofore
done in private establishments even at the
high rates paid. Upon the question Of safety,
the Secretary cannot see how 1t Is possible for