The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1881-12-10

eDce to Atlanta Cotton Exposition. The October
number OF the reports was devoted To valuable
the world.
The International Sanitary Conference, for
whlen,ln 1879 Congress made provision, assembled
In this city early in January last and its ses ions
were prolonged until March, Although it reached
no specific conclusion affecting the future action
OF the participant powers, the interchange of
views proved To be most valuable. The full pro
tccos OF the sessions have already been presented
to the Senate.
As pertinent to this general subject, call your
attention 10 the operations of the National Board
OF Health, established by act of Congress ep-
proved March 3, 1870. Its sphere of duty was en-
larged by the act OF June 2 in the same year. By
the last named act the Board was required TO in
Stltute such measures as may be deemed neces-
sary for preventing the introduction of contagious
infectious diseases from foreign countries into
the United States or from one State into another.
The execution of the rules and regulations pre-
pared by the Board and approved by my prede-
cessor has none much to arrest the progress of
epidemic diseases, and has thus rendered substan-
tial benefit to the Nation.
The International Sanitary Conference, to which
have referred, adopted form of n bill of health
to be used by all vessels seeking to enter the ports
of the countries whose representatives parrci-
pated in it's deliberations This form has since
been prescribed by the National Board of Health
aud Incorporated with its bills and regulations,
which have been approved by me in pursuance
of the law The health of the people is of
preme importance. All measures looking TO their
protection. against lhe spread of contagious
diseases aid to the Increase of our sanitary
knowledge for such purposes deserve the atten-
ton of Congress.
The Finances.
The report of the Secretary OF the Treasury rep
resents in detail a highly satisfactory exhibit of
the state OF finances and condition of various
that department. The ordinary revenues from all
sources for the fiscal year ending June 10, 1881.
were: From customs. SIPS 15e 676.O2; from inter
nal revenue. Sl3a 26i, 3S5 ST. from public lands
1921 Sos Is: from tax on circulation and deposits
Of National Banks, 81 1l6,ll5 Il; from repayment
Of interest by Pacific Railroad Companies, $780,
$3.50: from sinking fund for Pacific Railroad
Companies, sos, 1904; from customs fees, fines
penalties, etc, Sl,225,vl4s6 from fees, consular
letters, patents and lands S2.244 2S3 90; from the
| proceeds of sales of Government property, S262,-
Ia 90; from profits coinage S. i6S, 4s5 81: from
revenue of the District of Columbia. S!0l6 1879 81
| from miscellaneous sources, Sc, 200 s5O13; total
ordinary receipts. $500 1872, 29257 The ordinary
expenditures for the same period were: For civil
81 ,9OS 95i.92: for Indians, s6,5l4 l5l.O9: for
pensions. s5O,05O, 27s 81; for the mill
tary establishment, including river and
haTbor improvements aud arsenals,
81 Oi6, 6i6,0j5: tor the Naval establishment, 10
| GLIDING vessels. machinery and improvements at
Navy Yards, 81 sos 067, l66; for miscellaneous ex
| penditures, including public buildings. light
houses and collecting the revenue, 81 lS5, 72S ,057
for expenditures on account OF the District OF so
debt. IS 25Os "A, lls: for premium on bonds pur
chased, $780, PASS Total ordinary expend-
tures. S2607l 5ss l59 leaving surplus of revenue
| of $40, OO6, $40 49s. which applied follows
| To the redemption of bonds for the sinking fund.-
| S7i,37l 300; fractional currency for the sinking
fund, 500 00l S. loan of February, 1861, 81 AS
&c., 104os of 1864 81 ole $50: 20s of 1862 SIS 800
520S of 1864 So 400; POS of 1868. S31300 consOls
of 1865, 81 43l 500 .onsols of 1867 1859 $50 80; con
soils of 1868. 1897 AGO. loan indemnity stock. slO.-
600; old demand, compound interest and other
notes. SIS $780, and to the increase of cash I'm the
Treasury, sl4 637 023 o. total 500 069 40L9S The
| requirements of the sinking fund for the year
amounted to 500 7s6, O64 o., which sum includes a
balance of $40 Sl7.128 7S not provided for during
the previous fiscal year. The sum of s7,4is02h,
It'll 1Aff Gott
of 81 $50 5S7347 The increase of the revenues for
1881 over those of the previous year was 81, 1885,
oII,0v is the h9sssni that tse
will reach $40 OOO, Oo0 and the expenditures s270-
10000, leaving surplus of slS0 900 appli-
cable to the sinking fund and the redemption OF
the public debt.
RETIREMENT OF SILVER CERTIFICATES.
approve the recommendation of the Secretary
OF the Treasury that provision be made for the
early retirement of silver certificates and that the
a o tSe ePcy Of the Govegn
meut to maintain silver at near the gold standard
and were accordingly made receivable for all Gus
toms, taxes and public dues; 66.0OO,O 600 of them
are now outstanding. They found un
necessary addition to the paper currency, d
sufficient amount of which may be readily sup
piled by the National Banks. In accordance with
the act of February %. 1878, the Treasury Depart
ment has monthly caused at least 1000, 900 in
value of silver bullion to be coined into silver
been already coined. while about 81 600,
600 are In circulation for the reasons
which he specifies. l concur In
the secretary's recommendations that the provis
ion for coinage of q fixpd amount each month bt
repealed, and that hereafter only so much bt
mand. The Secretary advises that the issue o.
gold certificates should not for the present be re
moved and suggests that the National Banks may
properly be foi hidden by law to retire their eur
Tency except upon reasonable notice of their in
tention SO 20 do. Such legislation would seem Il
be justified by the recent action of certain bank
| the occasion referred to III the Secretary'S
port
standing only about $4,000 has been redeemed
the past year. The suggestion that this amount
may properly be dropped from future statement
tb of the as 10 tb
advisability of relieving the calendar of the
United States Court in the Southern District o
New York by the transfer to another tribunal o.
the numerous suits there pending against col
lectors.
THE REVENUE FROM CUSTOMS
The revenue from customs for the past fisca
year was Sl9S, l59 67602, an increase OF sl1 6S7.
Oil over that of the preceding year: $685. 9S,
562 80 of this amount was collected at the port O
| New York, leaving Si0,25l ia 63 as the amount
collected at all the other ports of the country. o
this sum- s47 .977 1877 63 collected sugar and
molasses 81. 2S5. GA. 7S on wool and its manufac
lures, x2l 49,, 534 "a on iron and steel and manu-
features thereof, $40 s25 lis p manufactures o.
cotton and Sc, 3.OI on wines and spirits
siS3 O5S 729 ST. The expenses of collection for tn,
past year were Sc 4l945. an increase over the pre-
ceding year of $751;. 420.04. Notwithstanding the
increase in revenue from customs over the preced
ing year. the gross value of imports, includins
free goods decreased SIS, 000, 600 The marked de
crease was I'm the value of unmanufactured WOO
sl2o.O,6H The value OF imports OF sugar on the
other hand showed increase of ga, 574 "a: O.
steel rails SAB 4o5 2l of barley 81 542 o. and O.
were as follows: Domestic merchandise. SOC. $50,
AZ; foreign merchandise. slsi5l3 80: total
500 23s, 7sl 60; imports of merchandise s6i2, 664
BIS: excess of pXDOrtS imDOrte of mQrpha N
disc, $50 III 49, aggregate of exports and imports
,5i5 OIL ga Comparec with nh, the previous year
exports of merchandise. and decrease of SIS 800
lis I'm the value of imports.
EXPORTS AND IMPORTS.
The annual average of increase of imports o.
merchandise over the exports thereof for the ter
years previous to June 80 1873, was SlO4 SO6, go
but for the last six years there has been an excess
of exports over the imports of merchandise
amounting to 81 1So. 66s l0S; an annual average o.
sl96, OH. The specie value OF the exports o.
domestic merchandise was 1916 In 1870, and
1888 9i7 in 1881 an increase of 1907 309.474 OIL
iS5 per cent The value OF imports was 1888,
4OS in 1870, and S642 66i62S in 1881. increase
s2O,6IS22O, or AZ per cent. during each year from
1862 to 1879 inclusive The exports of specie were
exceeded in the imports. the largest excess Of
such exports over Imports was reached during the
year 1864. when il amounted to S92 2S0.929. bu
during the year which ended June 80 1885, the
imports of coin and bullion exceeded the exports
by S75,S9l S9l, and during the last fiscal year the
excess of imports over exports was ssi, l6s,65o.
REDEMPTION OF BONDS
lntthe last annual report of the Secretary of the
| Treasury the attention of Congress was called to
the fact that 1863 65 05O in five per oentum bonds
and s2O3, 57S, 15D In six per centum bonds would
become redeemable during the year, and Congress
was asked to authorize the refundlng of these
bonds at lower rate of interest. The bill for
such refunding having failed to become law.
the Secretary of the Treasury In April last mott
fed the holders of the 400 of six per cent.
um bonds then outstanding that the bonds would
be paid ut par on the LIST day of July following. or
| that they might be continued at the pleasure OF
the Government to bear interest at the rate OF
SH per centum per annum. Under