The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-12-08

Certainly the issue OF ourgold coinage, reduced
weight materially beloy its egal-tcndcr value,
would not be any the lessa present dcbascmcnt
Of the coinage BY reason If IT, equaling or even
| exceeding in weight gold coinage which al
| some past time had been commercially equal 10
the lc@al-tcndcr value assigned TO the new f.
sue. In recommending hat the regulation %!
any silver coinage which NAV be authorized hy
Congress should observe he conditions OF com.
mercial value and limited lcgal-tendcr, am
governed by the feeling tat every possible in
| crease should he given to the volume Of me tai
lie money which can be kept in circulation and
! thereby every possible aid afforded TO the prO-
pie the process Of rcsumng specie payments.
! II is because of my conviction that a disregard
Of these conditions would Illustrate the good
| results which are desired from the proposed
| coinage and cmbarrasS with new elements Of
confusion and uncertainty the business Of the
country, that urge upon your attention these
| considerations.
respectfully recommend 10 Congrc,, that IN
| any legislation providing for silver coinage
| and importing to it the quality Of legal tCudcr,
| there De impressed on the measure a firm pro
| vision cvcmpting the oubliC debt heretofore IT,
| sued and now outstanding from the payment;
| either Of principal or interest, in any coinage
| Of less value than the present gold coinage If
| the country
The organization Of
THE CIVIL SERVICE
of the country has for a number OF wear, at-
tractcd more and more II public attention 80
general has become the opinion that the meth
DDS Of admission to ii, and the conditions Of re-
naming in il, are unsOtnd; that both the great
political parties have agreed in the most cN.
plicit declarations Of tie necessity Of reform,
and in the most emphatic demands for ii. /
have fully considered these declarations and de-
mands 10 be the expressions of the sincere con-
yictions of the intelligent masses of the people
upon the subject, and thatthey should be rccog-
nizcd and followed by earnest and prompt ac-
ton on the part of The leg slative and executive
departments Of the government In pursu-
anCc Of the purpose indicated before my aces
sion to office, | underworld 10 have my own
views distinctly understood and upon nv in
auguration my accord with the public opinion
was stated IN terms believed 10 be plain and
unambiguOus. My experience in the EXrcu-
tive duties has strongly confirmed my belief in
the great advantage that the country would
find IN observing strictly the plan of the con-
stituton, whicc imposes upon the Executive
the sole duty and responsibility Of the selection
Of those Federal officers who by law are appoint
ed not elected, and which in like manner
assigns 10 the Senate the complete right to
advise and consent to or TO reject the nom.
nations 50 made, while the House Of Rep
rcscntatiyCS stands as the public censor Of
the performance Of official duties, with
the prcrogathc Of investigation in all
cases of derclictioy. The blcmishes and i'm.
ItIltClbllN III Tic tINIl-StTNlNt may, rs lulNk,
he traced in most cases to a practical confusion
of the duties assigned to the several depart
mcnts of the Government. My purpose in this
respect has been to return to the system estab-
lishcd by the fundamental law, and to do this
with the hcartiest cooperation and a most cor
dial understanding with the Senate and House
OF Representatives, the political diilicultie, in
the selection Of numerous officers for posts Of
widcly-yaryng responsibilities and duties are
acknowledged To be very great No system
can be expected to secure absolute freedom
from mistakes and the beginning of any at
tempted change OF custom is quite likely to be
more embarrassed in this respect than any sub
scquent period 1t is here that the cOnstitu-
ton seems to most prove its claim the great
wisdom accorded TO it. 1t gives to the EXecu-
tive the assistance Of the knowledge and cype-
riencc of the Senate, which, when acting upon
nominations as to which they may be disntcr-
cstcd and impartial Judges, secures rs strong a
guaranty Of freedom from errors of importance
rs is perhaps possible in human affairs. In
addition To this recognize the public adyan-
tagc Of making all nominations rs nearly as
possible inpnrls,.~t =. - -, nom
more caprice or favor in these directions, anl
in those Offices which special training is of
greatly increased value, / believe such rule
as TO the tenure Of office should obtain as may
induce men of proper qualification 10 apply
themselves industriously To the task Of bccOm-
ing proficient Bearing these things in mind,
] have cndeavOrcd TO reduce the number of
changes in subordinate places usually made
upon the change Of the general administration,
and shall most heartily cooperate with Con
grcss in the better systcmatiZing Of such meth
DDS and rules Of admission to the public service
and Of promotion within it as may promise to
be successful in making thorough competency,
efficiency and character the decisive tests in
these matters.
ask the renewed attention Of Congress to
what has already been done 10y the Civil Ser
the act of Congress, by my predecessor TO pre-
pare and revise the civil service rules. In le-
gard to much of the department service, espe-
cially at Washington, it may be difficult to Or
ganizc better system than that which has
thus been provided, and IL is now being used To
Il considerable extent, under my direction. The
commission has still Il legal existence although
for several years no appropriation has been
made for dciraying its expenses. Believing
that this commission has rendered valuable
service, and will he a most unusual agency in
improving the administration of the civil ser
vice, respectfully recommend that suitable
appropriation be Immediately made To enable
it To continue its service. 1t is my purpose to
transmit To Congress, n early a. practicable,
the report by the chairman of the commission,
and 10 ask your attention To such measures
upon this subject as, in my opinion, viii fur
thcr promote the Improvement of the ciyD ser
vice.
During the past year the United States have
continued To maintain peaceful relations with
foreign Powers. The outbreak Of war between
Russia and Turkey, though at one time attend
ed by grave apprehension as 10 its cilcctupon
other European nations, has had no tendency
to disturb the amicablc relations cXisti1g be
tween the United States and each of tie two
contending Powers. An atti.udr of ju,t and
impartial neutrality has been preserved and
am gratticd To state that IN the midst of their
hostilities, both the Russian and the Turkish
Governments have shown an earnest desire 10
adhere To the obligations Of all treaties with
the United States, and give due regard 10
rThts of American citizens.
ITALY.
By the terms of the treaty defining the
rights, immuniticS and privilege, Of CDnsuls
between Italy and the United States ratified in
1868, either Government may, after the lapse of
ten wears, terminate the existence Of the treaty,
hy giving twelve months notice uf its intcu-
item The Government Of Italy, availiug itself
uf this facility, has now given the required no
ticc and the treaty will accordingly end on the
18th of September, 1873. Ii is understood
however, that the Italian Government wishes
Ia renew il in lis general scope, describing only
certain notifications i'm some of its arti les I'm
this disposition ! concur, and shall hope that
M srrinus obstacles may iutrrNpur tn ,,r,yput