Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-07

as might be necessary for preventing the intro
ductlon Of contagious or infectious diseases
from foreigG countries into the United States,
or from one State into another. The execu-
ton OF the rules and regulations prepared by
tae board aud approved by my predecessor
has done much to arrest the progress
Of epidemic diseases and has thus rendered
substantial service to the nation. The Inter-
natioHal Sanitary Conference. to which have
referred, adopted form of g bill of health to
be used by all vessels seeking tn enter the
ports # the Countries whose representatives
participated in its deliberations This form
has since been prescribed by the National
Board of Health and incorporated with its
rules and regulations which have been ap-
prov d by me in pursuance of law. The health
of the people is of supreme impol tance All
measures looking to their protection against
the spread of contagious diseases, and TO the
increase OF our sanitary knowledge for such
purposes, deserve the attention of Congress.
THE FEDERAL TREASURY.
The report of the Secretary Of the Treasury
presents in detail highly satisfactory exhibit
of thestate # the finances and the condition of
the vsriou branches Of the public service ad-
ministered by that department
SOURCES AND TOTAL OF RECEIPTS.
The ordinary revenues from all sources for
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1881. were:
From customs, Sl98.159.676 02; from internal
revenue. Sl35 254.3s5 81; from sal of public
lands, S!,20l,s53 o.; from ts x on circulation
and deposits of national banks S8li6 1l5 ~;
from repayment of interest by the Pac fic
Railway ompanies, $40 SS3 so; from the sink
ing fund for the Pacific Railway Companies
SsO5, 1880 81; from customs fees. fines. patents
etc. 81 ,225,5l4 So; from fees, Consular letters
patents and lands, $s,24i,9S3 9S
from the proceeos of the sales of gov
ernment property, S26, 2174OO; from profits
the District of Columbia, S!.0l6 1893 %; from
miscellaneous sources. IS. .s05. $50 13. Total or
dieary receipts $780, 7S2, 292 81.
EXPENDITURES
The ordinary expenditures for the same pc
riOd were: For civil expenses, S17g Al, nj 81 {;
for foreign intercourse, 81 093 954 81; for the
Indians. $6,5i4.161 90; for pensions, $iO,0l9-
297 q; for the military establishment, includ-
ing river and harbOr Improvements and arsen-
ais, 70. 1854 55; for the naval establishment
incucing vessels, machinery and improve
ments at tn navy yards $l5,5e 671 66;
for miscellaneous expenditures. including
publ ic buildings. lighthouses, and collecting
the revenue Sal S21 $50 81; for expenditures on
account OF the District of Columbia. S35i3 912-
,; for interest on the public debt, $S2 503 al 49,
for premium on bonds purchased. 81 Ojl, 24S 7S
leaving a surplus revenue of 5 U0.069, 404 SO,
which was applied as follows:
THE SURPLUS REVENUE
To the redemption OF bonds for the sinking
fund S7.437. 12' fractional currency for the
sinking fund S1(g0'l s.; for the loan of Feb
ruary. Si1. So 4lSf 90 90; for The ten-'orties of
1864 S20l6. 80 90; for the five twenties of 1852
1864, &340 900: for the fve-twenties
of 1865, 50 73a 0l0 for consols of 1865, $143l5,-
0t0 for cOns0ls Of 1857, SO, ,591,500; for consols
of 1853, g3 374. 600; Texan indemnify stock
$4,000; old demand. compound interest and
other notes. SIS 330. 600. and to the increase of
cash in the Treasury, Sl4,6 023 03. Total
Sl0JO69,4 40I SO.
TaE sINKING FUND,
The requirements of the sinking fund for the
year amounted to $50 49, ODD OF which sum in
Pl a ha Of or ida6
for d ring he previous fiscal year the sum
of a 4S POI 05 was applied 20 this fund Whiuh h
left deficit of Sl6,2O ,S73 a.
PROSPECTIVE RECEIPTS.
The increase of the revenues for 1881 over
those Of the previous year was S29 .352 9O1 TO-
1t is estimated thai the recPip's during the
present fiscal year will reach $40. .000,0O0, and
the expenditures S270, ,000 t00 leaving surplus
OF Sl30 0OO000 applicable to the sinking fund
and the redemption of the public cebt
RETIREMENT OF SILVER CERTIFICATES.
I approve the recommendation of the Sec
retary of the Treasury, that provision be nude
for the early retirement OF silver certificates,
and that the act requiring their issue be re
pealed They were issued in pursuance of the
policy Of the government 10 maintain silver
were acc rdingly made receivable
for all customs, taxes and public dues. About
SiXty-six millions of them are now outstanding
They form an unnecessary addiuon to the
may be readily supplied by the national banks
THE SILVER COINAGE
In accordance with the act of February 9S
1878, the Treasury Department has onthly
caused at least two millions in value OF silver
bullion to be coined into standard silver dol
lars One hundred ami two millions of these
dollars have been already coined, while only
about thirtY-four millions are in circulation
For the reasons, which he specifies, concur in
the Secretary s recommendation that the provi-
cia of Gxrad = o,oI,
month be repealed, and that hereafter only
so much be coined as shall be necessary to
supply the demand.
NATIONAL BANK CIRCULATION.
The Secretary advises that the issue Of gold
certificates should not for the present be re-
sumed, and suggests that the national banks
may properly be forbidden by law to retire
their currency except upon reasonable notice
OF their intention so to do. Such Legislation
would seem to be justified by the recent ac-
tion of certain banks on the occasion referred
to in the Secretary S report.
FRACTIONAL CURRENCY.
Of the fife n millions of the fractional cur
rency still outstanding only about S80,000 has
been redeemed the past yesr. The sugges-
ton tn this amount may properly
be dropped from future statements of the
public debt seems worthy of approval.
CUSTOMS SUITS IN NEW YORK
So also does the suggestion of the Secretary
as to the aGRisability of relieving the caler dar
OF the United States Courts in the Southern
district of New York, by the transfer TO an
other tr bunal of the numerous suits there
pending against collectors.
AMOUNT AND SOURCE OF CUSTOMS.
The revenue from customs for the past g. cal
year was $19S. 159 $40 OF, an increase of Sill 639
6l1 ~ ever that of the year preceding; Sl3S-
09S 552 80 of this amount was collected at the
port of New York. leaving $50; 25i,1l3 63 as the
amount collected at Ill the other ports of the
country. OF this sum, S47, ,977. 1877 63 was col
lected on sugar, melado az molasses; R27, 1885,
GA 78 on wool and its manufactures; S2t, ,462-
S3i "a on iron and steel and their manuf4c-
lures; 8 9 rSS,665 81 on manufactures of silk;
Sl0,SE5 ll5 81 on manufactures of cotton, and
sc, ,469 64i OF on wines and spirits, making a
total revenue from these sources of SIS3, ,OjS,-
720 g..
EXPENSES OF COLLECTION.
The expenses of collection for the past year
we're Ss4t.93l, $50. an increase Of the preceding
year of ssSi,410 0f.
THE DECREASED VALUE OF IMPORTS,
Notwithstanding the increase in the revenue
from customs over the preo ding year, the
gross value of the imports Including free
dollars The most marked decrease was in the
value of unmsnufactured ool 5 4,023. .6S2, and
in that u scrap nd pig iron S12,610.61. The
value of imported sugar. on the other hand,
showed an inc ease of $7,457, ,474; of steel rails
Sf345 52l: of Farls y. So 154 204 and of steel in
bars, ingots, etc, 81, ,62O,046.
IMPORTS OF THE YEAR
Contrssted with the imports during the fls-
cal year. the exports we're as follows! Domes-
tic merchs ndise. SS3.925,947: foreign mer-
ports If merchandise S6 2,664t28 Excess of
exports over Imports of merchandise $685.
7i27l8 Az regate of exports and Imports
S1.545O41 974. Compared with the previous year
there was an increase OF S66, ,73S, ,6SS in he
values of exports OF merchandise and a de-
crease OF 81, ,z9n. .1l8 in the value Of imports
The annual average of the excess Of imports
OF merchandise over exports thereof for the
ten years previous to june 80. 1873 was S104-
zoe, 922, but for the las six years there has
bern an exeess OF exports over imports Of
me chandise amounting TO 81. .130 669, 1t5 an
annual average Of Sl9S, ,77SO17. The specie
value OF the exports of domestic merchandise
was S37e, ,6l6 473 in 1880 aud $685. s25 Q47 In 1881
an increase Of S507. 200 474 or 135 per cent The
value of imports $l35, ,95S 40S in 1870. and
S642 664 CPS in 1881, an increase of $206 706 800
or ~ per eeng
TIE EBB AND FLOW OF SPECIE
During, EACH year, from 1869 to 1879 in
elusive, the exports Of spec exceeded the im-
ports. The largest excess Of such exports over
imports was reached duTiug the year 1854 when
it amounted to SO 231 gS9 out du ing the year
ended Juoe 81, lss0, thr imports Of coin and
bullion exceeded the eXOOrts by S75 S91 .391.
ana during tie asst fiscal yesr the excess of
imports over exports was e9l, los, $50.
REFUNDING.
In the last annual report of the Secretary of
tha Treasury the attention of Congress was
called TO the fact thst S4f9,b50 0 ia per
cent? DO dS 8ad S2O3, SIS. S50 in g per centum
bonds would become redeem able curing the
year. ana CODgre, was asked TO authorize the
refunding Of these bonds at lower rate of in
terest. 4 bill for such refunding haviog failed
to become a law the Secretary of the treasury
i'm April last notified the holders of the $685.
690. .4C0 per centum bonds then outstanding
that the bopds would be paid at par on the