, 1879-07-31
PUGET SOUND ARGUS
ORR WASHINGTON LETTER.


the Treasury Department is very
gratifying to every Republican and
lover of his country. Although it's
not possible to make up the con'ln'
sions with strict accuracy, owing TO
the absence of data from distant rev.
enue points, yet we may state that
the gross receipts Of the year ending
June S0th last were estimated to be
$274,034,9l6, against s257, ,76j,o7S
for the preceding year, an increase
of sl6,27l,03S, made up as follows
Customs, s7,3ll,795; internal revs-
nue., s2,332, ,154; miscellaneous, &c..
627,OS9. The receipts exceed the
aggregate estimates presented to
Congress in December last by the
Secretary Of the Treasury by So
100000. The ordinary expenditures
for the fiscal year were sl6l, ,oSS,252,
against sl34,463,452 during the pre-
eeding year-an increase OF $780,
624,S0O. This includes s5,50o,000
paid on account of the fisheries
award, s5,500,0O0 on account OF per-
sion arrearages, and sl,Soo,ooo paid
Capt. Eads for Improvements at the
mouth of the Mississippi river. De
ducting those three extraordinary
items, the excess Of ordinary expen'
dtures for the last fiscal year, com
pared with the year ending June 30,
1878, was about Sl3,000,0U0. The
net surplus of revenue over expendi-
lures is s7,946,000. One word should
be said with reference to the interest
on the public debt which amounted
to about sl05,000,000, an increase of
about s2,500,000 over the preceding
year. This temporary increase was
due TO the successful refunding op.
erations of Secretary Sherman, by
which all the matured 6 per cent.
bonds were refunded at 4 per cent.
The value OF Secretary Sherman's
refunding operations will be more
appreciated at the close OF the pres
ent fiscal year, when its results will
be made fully apparent for the first
time, and when the expenditures in
the column Of interest on the public
debt will drop from 500, 100000 per
annum to $S4,00o,000. The Repub-
lican party may go before the coun'
try boasting on this speudid sho ing
and Sec'y Sherman may Justly take
pride in it.
The m. annest of Democratic tao.
tics has been illustrated in the re.
ports sent here from Maine impeach.
ing the character as soldier and a
man OF Danl. F. Davis, the republican
candidate for Governor there. The
assault was so bare. faced u fraud and
fa,sehood that Democrats and Green
hackers who served with Mr.. Davis
in the army have publicly vindicated
him. The desperation of the Demo.
cratic course is illustrated in these
things, which confirm the belief that
the Democratic greenback conglom-
Grafton is hopeless of success except
through lying and deception since
the miserable failure OF the extra
session.
In accordance with the unanimous
desire expressed by Senators on both
sides of the Chamber, Capt. Isaac
Bassett, the veteran doorkeeper OF
the U. S. Senate, has been retained
in that position. He was first ap.
pointed page in 1881 when II " ars
Of age, through the influence of the
distinguished Senator from Massa-
chussetts, Daniel Webster, and has
served continuous in various posi-
tions in the Senate Chamber to the
present tims--a period of FORTY.
EIGHT YEARS. Capt. Bassett is now
preparing a work which he designs
publishing two years hence, on the
completion of his half century Of ser.
vice, containing sketches, reminis
cences, and incidents of the members
of ;he Senate during that
long period of time, embracing some
of the most eventful epochs known
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