National Republican., 1878-12-03

such Jurisdiction It has the prestige Of court Of
ustice Us iudsO are appointcd for lifo and trans.
alt ther business deliberately, systematically. and
publicly. They arc goyefned by the ordinary ruos
OF law, and their decisions are Of record, with an
appeal T. proper cnses to the supreme Court Of The
In this connection your attention Is invited to the
Importance OF providing some limitation OF time
within which claims against individuals aud
against the Government shall be prosecuted, or for
want of such prosecution he forever barred Such
Limitations, which form part Of the codes Of all
the public peace demands an end Of litigation, but
mainly upon the well-foundei assumption that q
delay beyond reasonable time TO prosecute
claim furnishes presumption that II Is unounded.
Even as to real estate an aequiesence la a known
adverse possession for twenty years In most Of our
states furnishes conclusive bar 10 the claim Of
any person out OF possession. Tho limitation OF
TX years after the claim against the Government
frst accruos established BY Law In the Court Of
Claims, seems To be reasonable.
With regard TO the claims In favor Of the Govern
ernment, especially against those who have exc
cuted bonds as suretisa seems Just that some pro-
fendants Cases frequently arise where suits are
brought ssainst surety upon . bond, upon the
revision q some account which has been apPa,
principal aud other sureties have died or are In
solvent, aud where the Government should have
vent. In such eass De only relief which the Sec.
rotary can extend Is under tho general law author.
izlng compromises, remedy subject to much
All lcsislsiion upon this subjest should look to
the qutetng OF old claims, whether against or In
favpr Of tho Government A decision. made as
or other oficerof this Department having jurxiic.
tion should ~ resarded as anal, both In the de-
ositons providing for the revision, Ia tho Court Of
Ciaims or elsewhere. Of such decisions, are op-
posed to the true principles Of legislation.
ExPoRTs AND IMPORTS.
large space Is given In the report to commercial
matters, The duties on imports, the sugar colorina
fmuds, and the tact that, with ono or two unimpor-
tant exceptions, the United States stands atone
among the commercial nations OF the globe with
respect to tho excess OF exports over imports.
The gold values Of the exports OF merchandise
from the United States, and imports Of merchandise
into the United States, during the last fiscal year
Us appears from returns made TO and compiled by
the bureau Of Statistics, are US follows:
Exports OF domestic merchandise ..... sbso,70ea6s
Exports Of foreign merchandise ....... H,l56.agS
Total exports OF merchandise ... 6oi. .ss5 '7G6
Imports OF merchandise. 431,Oolo oS2
Excess of exports over imports of
merchandise e........u......... s25I,sti23i
| Compared with the previous year the importa-
tons are les BY sli2Il,5si and the explorations
greater by S92,lJ05i6
The annual average Of the excess of imports over
| exports Of merchandise for the ten years ended
June 30 1879, wus Sl0L 706g12 but during the last
three years there has been an excess OF exports over
imports Us follows In 1876, s1gGt3 isl In 1871.
| sljl ,I52 0gi. and In 1873 s257, ,sil "a.
The total amount OF exports and imports Of specie
and bullion during the last fiscal year has been as
Exports Of specie and bullion. .s33 74o125
Imports ofspccie aud bullion. ssi,S ,Sli
Excess Of exports over imports. s39is,sll
| INTERNAL REVENUE.
The receipts from the several sources Of tax
alton under the internal revenue laws for the
fiscal years ended, respectively, June 30, 1877,
and June 30, 1873, are shown in the following
tabular stateinent: