Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1878-12-05

The Secretary is OF the opinion that change Of
the law is not necessary 10 authorize this depart
lnent to receive United States notes for custons
duties on and alter the LIST day OF January. lSss-
while they are redeemablc and are redeemed on de-
mand in coin. After resumption it would seem
useless Inconvenience TO require payment OF such
duties i'm coin rather than in United States
notes The Resumption act. by clear implicatlon.
so far .modifes previous laws to permit pay
ments in United States notes as wei as IN COLI
The provision for coin payment was made in the
midst of war when the notes were deprecated ana
the public necessities required an assured rcseaie
in coin 10 support the public credit. This alone
justified the refusal by the Government to take
its own notes for the taxes levied by IL. IL
has now definitely assumed TO pay these note in
coin and this necessarily implies the receipt oil
these notes coin. To refuse them is only To in
vite their presentation for CON- Any other con.
struction would require the notes 70 be presented
80 the Assistant Treasurer in New York for coin.
and If used in the purchase OF bonds to be returned
70 the same officer or. If used for the payment Of
customs duties. be carried to the Collector of
Customs who must daily deposit in the treasury
all money received by him. II is not to be assumed
that the law requires this indirect and inconvenient
process after the notes are rcdeemseAe In com on
demand of the holder. They aro then ut parity
with CON- and both should be received indiserin-
inately.
If United States notes are received for duties al
the port Of New York, they should be received tor
States. Unconstitutional preference would be
given 10 that port over other ports II this pr1y-
lcgc is denied to the citizens of other ports. they
could make such use of these notes only by trans
porting them to New York and transporting the
coin to their homes for payment: and al fhls not
not only without benefit to the Government. but
with loss in returning the eor gain TO New York.
where il is required for REDEMPTION PURPOSES.
The provision In the law for rcticratfion In New
York was believed TO be practical redemption in all
parts of the United States Actual redemption was
confined TO single place from the necessity uf
maintaining only coin reserve and where tho
coin could he easily accumulated apd kept
With this view OF the Resum ption act. the Seerr-
tary will feel IL to be his duty, unless Congress
otherwise provides. to direct that after the lst day
of January next and Hbile United States notes are
redeemed az the treasury, they be rccsivcdthe same
as cois by the officers Of this department in all
payments in all parts IF tho United States.
Ii an further prevision Of law is deemed nhess-
sary by Congress 10 authorize the receipt OF C,ti
States notes tor customs dues or tcr bcrIs the
Secretary respectfully submits that this authority
should continue only while the notes redeemed
in coin. However desirable continuous resumption
may be, and however confident VIC may feel IL its
MAINTENANCE. set the experience Of many nations
has proven that il may be impossible in periods OF
great emergency. in such events the public faith
demands that the customs duties shall be collected
in ccill and paid 10 the public creditors and this
pledge should never be VIOLATED CT oar ability to
perform il endangered.
The tendency Of late among commercial natione il
10 the adoption Of single standard OF gold ana the
issue of silver for fractional coin. W. may. by
ignoring this tendency give temporarily increased
value to the stores of silver held in Germany and
France until market absorbs them. but by
adopting silver standard as Eearly equal 20 gold
as practicable make market for our large pro
duction Of silver and furnish full honest dollar
that will be boarded. transported, or circulated
without Disagreement or rcproach.
1t Is respectfully submitted that the United
States already largely interested in trade viii
all parts of the world. aud becoming. by its popu
lation. wealth. commerce and productions leadins
member of the family of natos.s. should not adoT
standard of less intrinsic value than other com
al N atioua