Huntsville gazette., 1881-12-10
MESSAGE.
The Principal Features of this Important
! N DnflInl laInf

The Principal Features of this Import ant
\. Document.
To the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States
. An appalling calamity has befallen the Amer
lean people since their chosen representatives
last met IN the halls where you are now as
semDled We might else recall with unalloyed
content the rare prosperity with which
tnroughont the year the nation has been
blessed Its harvests have been plenteous,
ltS varied industries have thriven, the health
OF its people has been preserved, it has MAIN
tanned with foreign governments the uudis-
turDed relations of amity and peace. For these
manifestations of His favor we owe to Him
who holds our destinvin Hisirands the tribute
of our grateful devotion. To that mysterious
exercise OF will which has taken from us the
loved and lllustrious citizen who was but
lately the head of the nation, we bow in Sor-
row and submission. The memory of his ex-
alted character, of his noble achievements
and of his patriotic life, will be treasured for
ever as a sacred possession of the whole peO-
pie. The announcement of his death drew
fromforeign governments and peoples tributes
OF sympathy and sorrow which history will
record as signal tokens of the kinship of ma
tlonS ana the federation OF mankind.
\. FOREIGN RELATIONS.
The feeling of good will between our Gov
ernment and that of Great Britain was never
more marked than atpresent. In recognition
of this pleasing fact | directed, on the occa
sion of the late centennial celebration at
Yorktown, that salute be given to the Brit
ish flag.
At the electrical exhibition and congress.
also held at Paris. this country was creditably
represented by eminent specialists who, i'll
the absence of an appropriation, generously
lent their efficient aid at the instance of the
State Department. While our exhibitions in
this almost distinctively American field of
achievement have won several awards, rec
Qmmend that Congress provide for the repay
ment of the personal expenses incurred in
the public interest by the honorary commits
sioners and delegates.
No new questions respecting the status of
our naturalized citizens in Germany have
arisen during the year, and causes of COM
plant, especially in Alsace and Lorraine, have
practically ceased, through the liberal action
of the imperial government in accepting our
often expressed views on the subject. The
application of the Treaty of 1868 to the lately
acquired Rhenish provinces has received
very earnest attention, and q definite and
lasting agreement on this point Is confidently
expected.
The participation of the descendants OF
BaronVo Steuben ia the Yorktown festivities,
and their subsequent reception by their
American kinSmen, evince the ties of good
Will which unite the German people and our
own.
The questions growing out of the proposed
Inter oceanic water way across the ISthmuS
of Panama are of grave national Importance.
This Government has not been unmindful of
the solemn obligations imposed upon it by its
compact of 1876 with Colombia the independ
ent and sovereign mistress of the territory
crossed by the canal and has sought to rem
der them effective by fresh engagements with
the Colombian Republic, looking to their
practical execution. The negotiations to this
end, after they had reached what appeared to
be q mutually satisfactory solution here, were
met in Colombia by disavowal of the power
which its envoy had assumed, and by q pro
nosal forrenewed negotiation on a modified
basis. Meanwhile TINS Government learned
that Colombia had proposed to the EuroDean
Powers to join in q guarantee of the neu-
trality of the proposed Panama Canal,
guarantee which would be in direct
xr ~lNIs 10
sole guarantee of the integrity of Colombian
territory, and of the neutrality of the canal
itself. NY lamented predecessor felt it his
duty to place before the European powers
the reasons which make the prior guarantee
of the United States Indispensable, and for
which the interjection of any foreign guaran-
tee might be regarded as n superfiuous and
unfriendly act. ForeSeeing the probable re-
lance of the British Government on the pro-
visions of the Clayton-Bulwer treaty of 1850,
as atfording room for share in the guaran-
tees which the United States covenanted
with Colombia four years before, l have not
hesitated to supplement the action of my
predecessor b Y proposing to her Majesty's
Government the modification OF that instru
ment and the abrogation of such clauses
thereof as do not comport with the obliga
tions of the United States toward Colombia or
with the vital needs OF the the two friendly
parties to the compact.
This Government sees with great concern
the continuance of the hostile relations be-
tween Chill, Bolivia and Peru. An early
desired not only that they may be spared
further misery and bloodshed, but because
their continued antagOniSm threatens con-
sequences which are, in my Judgment, dan
gerous to the interests of republican govern
mentS and calculated to destroy the best ele-
ment of our free and peaceful civilization. AS
in the present excited condition or popular
feeling in these countries there has been Sc
rious misapprehensiOns of the position OF the
United States. and as separate diplomatic in
tercOurSe with each through independent
ministers is sometimes subject, owing to the
want of prompt reciprocal communication, to
temporary misunderstanding, have deemed
it judicious at the present time to send spe-
cial envoy accredited TO all and each OF them,
furnished with general instructions which
will, trust, enable them to bring these pow
ers into friendly relations.
FINANCIAL.
The report of the Secretary of the Treasury
represents in detail highly satisfactory ex-
hibit of the state of the finances and the con-
dition of various branches of the public serv-
ice administered by that department.. The
ordinary revenues from all sources for the
fiscal year ending June 10, 1881, were: From
Customs, Sl9S, l59. .6l602; from internal reve-
nue., S135, ,264 3S5.5l; from public lands, $2,22l.
S63l7: from tax on circulation and deposits OF
national banks, S., ,1l5.I2; from repayment
of interest by Pacific Railway companies,
$50, $3.50; from sinking fund for Pacific Rail
way Companies, SS05, 1901; from Customs
fees. fines. penalties etc, 81 ,225 ,5l4S6; from
fees consular, letters patent and lands, 81
24f ,9S3.99; from the proceeds OF sales OF Gov
ernment property, S2b,2Ii .fUU, from prOHtS on
coinage, S., i6S Ass from revenues of the. Dis
trict Of Columbia, 81 ,016 1924; from miscel-
laneous sources, S6 206, ,SS023. Total ordinary
receipts, $780,, ,S22, ,921.57:
The ordinary expenditures for the same pc
riod were: Civil expenses, S17,941 ,lll.l9; tor
foreign intercourse 81 093, ,954.92; for the lndl-
ans S65l4 ,l6l.09; for pensions, s50,050, ,279.62
for the military establishment, including nv
er and harbor improvements, and arsenals,
$40 466 ,46055; for the naval establishment, IN
Gliding vessels, machinery and improve
ments at navy yards, SIS ,S66, ,63766; for miscel-
laneous expenditures, including puDhc Dulld-
ings, light houses and collecting the reve-
count of the District of Columbia. S3,5i3.9l2O3; ;
for premium ON bonds purchased, sl06, l24 ,slS.
leaving surplus of revenue of 500, ,069 40i .95,
which was applied, as follows: to the redemp-
ton of bonds for the sinking fund, S4, ,43l,-
300; fractional currency, Sl09,00l ,005; loan
of February, 1861, 81 AIS, 600; I040s of 1854, 81
0I6 $50; 5-20s, of 1862, Sls,300; 5-20s of 1854,
So, 400; 5-20s of 1865, 1900; consols of 1860,
sl43 $50 O00 consols of 1867, S95, ,9l5 900; con-
soils of 1868, S33, 100000. Loan indemn1t1es,
stock, S., 900 600; old demand. compound IN
terest and other notes, s., ,S33 900; and to the
increase of cash in the treasury, Sl4 ,637 023 81
Total, Sl00, ,069 404.9S. The requirements OF the
sinking fund for the year amounted to S9O,Iso,-
O65. o. which sum includes balance OF 49,
SI1 12S.7S not provided for during the pre-
vious fiscal year. The sum OF S14, ,4SO 20l - Wfis
applied to this fund, which left dehclt OF
1926. .s75.47 The increase of the revenues
for 1891 over those of the previous year was