Evening star., 1877-11-21

THE ARMY BILL and the navy def ciency
bill were both signed by the President this
morning.
THE NOMINATION of VIM ]. Hunter, for
receiver of public moneys at Hayes City,
Kansas, was confirmed by the Senate to-day.
TIE SIGNATURE of the Vic, Pres,ee 1t
was sfnxed to the joint resouti IN pa ssed by
Congress fixing the site for the equestrian
statue of Gen. Greene this morning.
SENATOR THURMAN's MOTION to dis
charge the committee on privileges and elsc-
tions from further consideration of the
Butler COrbin South Carolina contested
election case was the subject of discussion in
The Senate to-day.
AMONG THE CALLERS at the White House
this morning were Senators Matthews,
Withers and Randolph, Speaker Randall,
and Representatives. Cnitteuden, Danfori,
Hale, Reagan, Stenger and Browne. Secre
tarles Evarfs, Thompson and Schurz called
this afternoon.
INDIANS ON SHORT RATIONs.-The Com
missioner of Indian Affairs has ordered sup
plies to be forwarded from several points TO
the bands of Sioux under Agent Irwin,
moving towards the Missouri, who, when
last heard from, were beginning 10 suffer
from short ratiOns.
THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON INDIAN
favorably to the Senate for confirmation In-
dian Commissioner Hayt and Mr.. Sheldon,
Indian agent of the Round Valley agency,
California; K. A. Howard appointed agent OF
the POncas agency, Indian Territory, was
rejected by the committee.
INTERNAL REvENUE APPOINTMENTS To-
pAY.-George X. Dunlap, storekeeper 7th
district of Kentucky; s. P. Sheriff., store
keeper and gauger 9th district of North Car
Olina; James A. Rhodes, stOrekeeper and
gauger 5th district OF Tennessee; w. 3. Till
man, storekeeper and gauger 5.h district OF
Tennessee.
THE SAN DOMINGO TREATY.-The Senate
in executive session yesterday discussed
briefly proposition 10 remove the ban Of
secrecy from executive proceedings concern
ing the San Domingo treaty, in order to
clear the la.e Charles Sumner from charges
which have been made against him in con
nectiOn with his action on that treaty. Sew
ersl Senators favOred j the proposition and no
objections were made thereto, but action was
deferred on the motion until future meet
Ing.
How THE ARMY SHOULD BE INCREASED.
The adjutant general of the army has sub.
mitted 10 the Secretary of War, to accom-
paDy the report of that official to Congress,
reports upon the mode in which the army
should be Increased, which, he thinks should
be by adding mel in the discretion of the Pres
tdent, to existing companies, so that instead
OF making new companies from recruits
those already in existence should be filled
TO a proper standard of men. The adjutant
general also recommends the enlargement of
the humber of officers on the retired list.
The METRIC SYsTEM-The Postmaster
General, in replying to the request contained
in the House resolution OF November 6, in
reference to the use of the metric system of
weights aud nea asures, suggests two posi- Die
objections, viz: The expense incident to the
change. and the apprehended diff Guilty and
annoyance of Introducing new system of
universal application. 1t is estimated that
the number of metric scales and balances re-
qufred 10 replace those now in use would b
43,stl, and the immediate outlay for their
purchase sl2i ,Iss; and an interval of e ghteen
months between the time when the appropri-
alton of this amount becomes available and
the period of the obligatory use of th ,deci-
NAL system would obviate the last obj ction
Oy giving the pOstmasters and pub IL d
least six months after the new scale AMI
balances are supplied to become fam tIar
with their practical workings.
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS
OF INTERNAL REvENUE.-Tne Commits
sioner Of Internal Revenue has submitted
his annual report to the Secretary OF the
Treasury. The report shows the total nu m-
Der OF djstilleries registered and operated
during the fiscal year ending June 30th 1877
TO be 1910. The receipts from the several
sources relating to distilled spirits for the
same period were S51 ,469. 1912, showing a
net aggregate increase over the previous
year Of s1yOi3 .C6i.59. The total collections
from tobacco for the same period were S4f,-
LOG 1852. comparative statement show,
that while there has been a decrease in col
lections from cigars of S170 ,32s 0s, there has
cites of 1924 ,9957s From all the sources
compared there IS shown TO be an incre ase
IN the sum total from collections OF 81 ,3ll,
2OI01. This is the largest collection m ade iu
any one year from tobacco since the present
inIernal revenue law has been in operation
The total production OF manufactured to.
baccO and cigars for the fiscal year ending
June 80 was II sol ,1i9 pounds, showing an
Increase on the previous year OF Z ,7O4, ,i2k
pounds. A statement OF the average capital
and deposits OF banks shows the totals to be
as follows: Average capital, $211 ,63 l,5s6; av-
| erage taxable capital, Sls6 ,060 $50; average
deposits, S4s3, ,55o 2i2. A comparative state
ment shows falling Off in the total amounts
| assessed In the year 1877 Of SI,7O4 32i 81 from
the amount assessed In the previous year. al
amount almost equal TO the decrease of as
sessmenis ON the single article OF distilled
! spirits, seized or fraudulently removed, on
| which there was assessed in 1871 3 7O1 1880
less than in 1876, In which year verS large
stupendOus frauds committed by dlstillers
In various parts of the country and disc ~
cred I'm the latter part OF the year 1875. TIE
tax On deposits, capital aud circulation OF
banks. &C., In the fiscal year ended June 81,
1877, was Se3 ,437 less than in the previous
year, decrease which must be accounted
for by the general depression Of business pre-
vailing In the past year, and to which macy
banks, and particularly savings institutions,
were compelled to succumb. 1t should be
remembered that the amount reported ia 1876
showed An unusual Increase OF the tax on the
carrent banking business Of that year over
previous years. The tax assessed on pro-
prietary articles removed from mandatory
unstamped will probably always remain
small, but the apparent decrease OF 81, ,s34 "a
reported this year from the amount assessed
In the previous year Is partly accounted for
by the fact that the amount assessed on pro
prietary articles in 1876 included items,
amounting To 81 1869, which were assessei
for gas manufactured in 1862 and subseq uent-
ly, and should have been assessed in pre-
viOus years. As the taxes on legacies and
SUGGESTIONS and on incomes and dividends
were abolished, and as assessments thereof
are only made for transactions which had
their origin prior 10 the LIST OF o.
tober, 1870, and under the saviug
clause of the repeating acts, the amounts
so assessed must OF necessity grow less
every year; hence the decrease on leya
cies and SUGGESTIONS of Sol .II9 81, and o..
income and dividends OF Sl65 2O643 Tns
amount assessed Oh tobacco, snuff and cigars
removed from factory unstamped shows the
large increase Of 1914 ,505.79 ovrr the mount
assessed in the previous year. In the aunu Al
report of the commissioner of irterual reva