The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-12-16

grains of silver has not increased. Durine
the year prior to the passage of the bill
authorizing its coinage, the market value
of the silver which it contained was from
ninety to ninety-two cents, as compare,
with the standard gold dollar During tn,
last year the average market value Of tn,
silver dollar has been lightweight and a
half cents.
1t is obvious, that the legislation of tn,
last Congress in regard 70 silver, so far as il
was based on an anticipated rise in the
value or silver as result of that legislation
has failed to produce the effect then predic
ted. The longer the law remains in force
requiring as it does the coinage of a nomi
nal dollar, which, in reality, is not a dollar
the greater becomes the danger that thi.
country will be forced to accept a singI,
metal as the sole legal standard of value. in
circulation, and this is a standard of less
value than it purports to be worth in tn
recognized money of the world
The Constitution of the United States
sound financial principles, and our best in.
terestS, require that the country should
have as its legal tender money, both gold
| and silver coin, of an intrinsic value. a,
bullion, equivalent to that which, upon it,
face, 1t purPorts TO possess. The Constitu-
ton, IN express terms, recognizes both gold
aud silver as the only true legal tender
money: To Danish either of these metals
| from our currency Is to narrow and limit
the circulating medium of exchange to the
disagreement of important interests The
| United States produces more silver than
| any other country, and is directly interest
| ed IN maintaining il one of the two
precious metals which furnish the coinage
OF the world. 1t will, in my Judgment,
| contribute to this result if Congress will
REPEAL so MUCH OF EXISTING LEG1s1.A.
as requires the coinage of silver dollars,
containing only 4l21 grains of silver, and in
| Its stead will authorize the Secretary of the
| Treasury to coin silver dollars of equiva
lent value as bullion, with gold dollars.
| This will defraud no man, and will be in
| accordance with familiar precedents Con-
gress, on several occasions, has altered the
ratio of value between gold and silver, in
order to establish it more nearly in accord
ance with the actual ratio of value between
the two metals.
In financial legislation every measure in
the direction of greater fidelity in the dis
charge of pecuniary obligations, has been
found by experience to diminish the rates
of interest which debtors are required to
pay, and to increase the facility with which
money can be obtained for every legitimate
purpose. Our own recent financial history
shows how surely money becomes abundant
whenever confidence il the exact perform
ance of moneyed obligations is established.
PENSION FOR GEN. GRANT.
/ commend to the attention of Congress
the great services of the Commander-in-
Chief of our armies during the war for the
Union, whose wise, firm and patriotic con-
duct did so much to bring that momentous
conflict to a close. The legislation of the
United States contain many precedents for
Al. l. 1
merit, authorizing rank and emoluments to
be conferred for eminent services to the
country. An act of Congress authorizing
the appointment of a Captain General of
the Army, with suitable provisions relating
to compensation, retirement, and other de-
tails, would, in my judgment, be altogether
fitting and proper, and would be warmly
approved by the country.
NATIONAL BOARD OF HEALTH.
The National Board of Health has sub
mitted to the Secretary of the Treasury its
annual report of operations, for transmits
sion to Congress, according to the require
ment of the act of June s, 1879.
1t appears that the expenditures of the
Board for the year ended September 80, |
$780, amounted to $266, 762 10. While the |
act provides that the appropriation made |
by said act shall be disbursed under the |
direction of the Secretary of the Treasury,
on estimates made by the National Board of
Health, to be approved by him, no further |
duty deVOlves upon the Secretary as to such |
than to decide whether the |
acquisitions made by the board are for pur- |
poses within the provisions of law making ,
the appropriation. A large proportion of
the amount expended appears to have been |
used by the board under section of said !
act, in cooperating with and aiding State |
and municipal boards of health in the ex-
ecution and enforcement of the rules and |
regulations of such boards to prevent the !
of contagious or infectious |
diseases into the United States from foreign !
or into one State from another.
The several amounts for these and other |
purposes, and for the general expenditures
of the board, having been drawn by the !
board upon acquisitions specifying in gen.
eral the legal and proper purposes for which
the funds were to be used neither the
Secretary nor the accounting officers of the
Treasury have deemed it their duty to ex-
ercise any supervision over the details of
the various expenditures of the amounts
thus drawn from the Treasury. The Secre-
tary has no reason to believe, however, that
the funds have not been properly expended.
comprehensive
IMPROVEMENT OF THE MISSISSIPPI
and its tributaries is a matter of transcend
ent Importance These great Waterways
system of inland transportation
spread like network over a large portion
of the United States, and navigable to the
extent of many thousands of miles Pro
ducers and consumers alike, have a COM
mon interest in such unequaled facilities
for cheap transportation. Geographically,
and politically, they are the
strongest tie between the various sections
of the country. The channels of communi-
cation and interchange are the property Of
the Nation. Its jurisdiction is paramount
over their waters, and the plainest princi-
Piles of public interest require their intelli-
gent and careful supervision, with view to
their pro .ection, improvement, and the en-
hancement of their usefulness.
The channel of the Columbia river, for a
distance ofabout one hundred miles from
its mouth, is INSTRUCTED by a succession of
bars, which occasion serious delays in navi-
CATION, and heavy expense for lighterage
and towage. A depth of at least twenty
feet at low tide should be secured and main
tanned, to meet the requirements of the exs
tensiye and growing inland and ocean COM
merce it subserves. The most urgent need,
however, for this great water way is a per-
improvement Of the channel at the
mouth of the river.
Report Of Secretary Of the Treasury.
that Silver Coinage be
Suspended.