Litchfield enquirer., 1877-12-13

above its commercial value, is,I ampersuaded,
 delusiop-; nor can I think that there is any
 substantial distinction between an original is- sue of silver dollars at nominal value mate rially above their commercial value, and the
 restoration of the silver dollar at 8 rate which
 once was, but has ceased tObe, it's commercial value. Certainly the issue of our gold coinage reduced in weight materially below it's legal tender value would not be any the less pres
 ent debasement of the coinage by reason of it's equalling, or even exceeding in weight gold coinage, which some past time, had been com ! mercially equal to the legal tender value as- signed to the new issue. In recommending that the regulation of any silver coinage, which l may be authorized by congress, should observe the conditions of commercial value and legal | tender, am governed by the feeling that eve " possible increase should be given to the vol l ume of metallic money which can be kept in l circulation, and thereby every possible aid af- forded to the people in the processof resuming | specie payments. It is because of my convic- | tions that disregard of these conditions would l frustrate the good results which are desired | from the proposed coinage and embarrass with 1 new elements of confusion and uncertainty the | business of the country, that furge upon your attention these considerations. respectfully recommend to congress that ln any legislation providing for silver coinage
 and imparting to it the quality of legal tender | there be impressed on the measure firm pro- vision exempting the public debt heretofore is- 1 sued and now outstanding from payment, ei- ther of principal or interest, in any coinage of l less value than the present gold coinage of the country.
 CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
 The organization of the civil service of the l country has for a number of years attracted more and more of the public attention. So
 general has become the opinion that the meth ods of admission to it and the conditions of re- | maining in it are unsound, that both the great political parties have agreed in most explicit | declarations of the necessity of reform, and in
 the most emphatic demands for it. l have l fully believed these declarations and demands ! to be the expression of sincere conviction of the intelligent masses of the people on the sub- l ject, and that they should be recognized and | followed by earnest and prompt action on the
 part of the legislative and executive depart
 ments of the government in pursuance of the l purpose indicated. Before my accession to Of- l flee endeavored to have my own views dis
 tinctly understood, and upon my inauguration
 my accord with public opinion was stated in
 terms believed to be plain and unambiguous.
 My experience in the executive duties has
 strongly confirmed the belief in the great ad-
 vantage the country would find in observing
 strictly the plan of the constitution which im-
 poses upon the executive the sole duty and re- sponsibility of the selection of those federal of f1cers who by, law are appointed not elect ed and which in like manner assigns to the
 senate the complete right to advise and consent
 to or reject the nominations so made, while
 the house of representatives stands as the pub
 lie censor of the performance of official duties
 with the prerogative of investigation and pro- l in oil Of darpliofiOn hIpm-
 ishes and imperfections in the civil service
 may, as 1 think, be traced in most cases to
 practical confusion of the duties assigned
 the several departments. of tue government. 1 My purpose in this respect has been to return l to the system established by the fundamental
 law, and to do this with the heartiest co-opera- 1 tion and most cordial understanding with the
 senate and house of representatives. The
 practical difficulties in the selection of numer-
 ous officers for posts of widely varying respon-
 abilities and duties, are acknowledged to be
 very great. No system can be expected to se-
 cure absolute freedom from mistakes, and the
 beginning of any attempted change of custom | is quite likely to be more embarrassed in this
 respect than any subsequent period. 1t IS here 1 that the constitution seems to me to prove it's
 claim to the great wisdom accorded to 1t. It gives to the executive the assistance of the 1 knowledge and experience of the senate, which,
 when acting upon the nominations as to which 1 they may be disinterested and impartial judges,
 secures as strong guaranty of freedom from
 errors of importance as is perhaps possible in
 human affairs. In addition to this recognize
 the public advantage of making all nominations
 as nearly as possible impersonal, in the sense | of being free from mere caprice or favor in the
 selection for those offices in which special
 training is of greatly increased value. l be- l lieve such rule as to the tenure ot office
 should obtain as may induce men of proper
 qualifications to apply themselves industriously l to the task of becoming proficient. Bearing
 these things in mind, have endeavored to re-
 duce the number of changes in a subordinate
 places, usually made upon the change of the 1 general administration and shall most heartily | cooperate with congress in the better system
 atizing of such methods anHrules of admission
 to the public service and of promotion within 1 it as may prove to be most successful in mak-
 ing thorough competency, efficiency and char
 acter the decisive tests ill these matters
 ask the renewed attention of congress to
 what has already been done by the civil ser
 vice commission appointed in pursuance of an
 act of congress by my predecessor to prepare
 and revise the civil service rules in regard
 to much of the departmental service, especial | ly at Washington. It may be difficult to or 1 ganiZe better system than that which has | just been provided, and it is now being used to
 a considerable extend ucder my direction. 1 The commission has still legal existence, al-
 though for several years no appropriation has
 been made for defraying it's expenses. Believ-
 ing that this commission has repdered valuable
 service and will be most useful agency in im-
 proving the administration of the civil service, | I respectfully recommend that suitable ap-
 propriation, to be immediately available, be 1 made to enable it to continue it's labOrS. It is | my purpose to transmit to congress as early as practicable a report by the chairman of the
 commission, and to ask your attention to such
 measures on this subject as in my opinion will | fourther promote the improvement of the civil l service THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT.
 The annual report of the secretary of the
 treasury on the state of the finances presents | important questions for the action of congress,
 upon some of which have already remarked. | The revenues of the government during the fis- cal year ending June 30, 1877, were $269, ,000,- l 58662 The total expenditures for the same
 period were 1928 660, ,O08. 93, leaving surplus
 revenue of $3O, $40, 577.69. This has substan-
 tially supplied the requirements of the sinking fund for that year. The estimated revenues of
 the current fiscal year are $265, 800, 900, and
 the estimated expenditures for the same period
 are $222, 430, ,643. .72. If these estimates prove
 to be correct, there will be surplus revenue of $33, ,O09, ,356.28, an amount nearly sufficient
 for the sinking fund for that year. The esti-
 mated revenues for the next fiscal year are
 $269, 250, 900. It appears from the report that
 during the past fiscal year the revenues of the government compared with the previous year,
 have largely decreased. The decrease, amount
 ing to the sum of $18, 481, 452.54, was mainly
 on customs duties caused partly by large fall
 ing off of the amount of imported dutiable
 goods and partly by the general fall of prices in the markets of production of such articles as
 pay ad-valorem taxes. While this is felt in- juriously in the diminution of the revenue, it
 has been accompanied with very large in-
 crease of expectations. The total exports dur
 ing the last fiscal year, including coin, have
 been $658, ,637, ,457, and the imports have been
 $492 097, $40, leaving balance of trade in
 favor of the United States amounting to the
 sum of $166, ,539, ,917, the beneficial effects of
 which extend to all branches of business. The
 estimated revenue of the next fiscal year will