St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-12-09
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.


President, as follows:
An appalling calamity has befallen
the American people since their chosen
Representatives last met in the halls
where you are now assembled. We
might else recall with unallOyed con-
tent the rare prosperity with which
throughout the year the nation has
been blessed. Its harvests have been
plenteous, its various interests have
thriven, the health of its people has
been preserved. 1t has maintained
with foreign governments the undis-
turbed relations of amity and peace,
| For these manifestations of his favor
we owe to him who holds our destiny
in his hands the tribute of our grateful
devotiOns to that mysterious exercise
of his will which has taken from us the
loved and illustriOus citizen who was
but lately the head of the nation. We
bow in sorrow and submission. The
memory of his exalted character, of his
noble achievements and of his patriotic
life will be treasured forever as sacred
possession of the whole people. The
announcement of his death drew from
foreign governments and peoples trib-
utes of sympathy and sorrow which
history will record as signal tokens OF
the kinships of nations and the fedora
| ton of -mankind.
Considerable attention is paid to Our
relations with foreign governments, in
the course of which remarks the Presi-
dent congratulates the country on the
amity which exists between America
and other nations. We give below ex-
tracts from the message which touch
on the more important matters.
THE PANAMA CANAL.
The questions growing out of the
proposed Inter-Oceanic water way
across the Isthmus of Panama are OF
grave national Importance. This gov
eminent has not been unmindful of the
solemn obligations imposed upon it by
its compact of 1916 with Columbia as
the independent and sovereign mistress
of the territory crossed by the canal,
and has sought to render them effective
by fresh engagements with'the COlum
bian Republic, looking to their practi-
cal execution. The negotiations to this
end, after they had reached what APP
peared to he mutually satisfactory
solution here were met i'll Columbia
by IA disavowal of the powers which its
envoy had assumed and by proposal
for renewed negotiation on modified
basis. Meanwhile this government
learned that Columbia had proposed to
the European powers to join i'll guar
antee of the neutrality of the proposed
Panama Canal-a guarantee which
would be in direct cOntraventiOn of our
obligation as the sole guarantee of the
integrity of Columbian territory and
of the neutrality of the canal itself.
NV lamented predecessor felt it his
duty to place before the European pow
ers the reasons which make the prior
guarantee of the United States indis-
pensable, and for which the interjec-
ton of any foreign guarantee might be
regarded as a superfiuOus and unfriend-
ly act. have not hesitated to supple
ment the action of my predecessor by
proposing to Her Majesty's government
the modification of the treaty of 1850,
and the abrOgatiOn of such clauses
thereof as do not cOmpOrt with the OBJ
legations of the United States toward
Columbia or with the vital needs of the
two friendly parties to the compact.
NATIONAL FINANCES.
The report of the Secretary of the
| Treasury represents in detail a highly
satisfactory exhibit of the state of the
finance and the condition Of the various
branches of the public service admins
tered by that department. The in
crease of the revenues for 1881 over
those of the previous year was S29,
352, 9Ol 10. 1t is estimated that the re-
ceipts during the present fiscal year will
reach S400, 000,000 and the expendi-
lures S270, 200, 900, leaving a surplus OF
SI30, 600, 900 applicable to the sinking
fund and the redemption of the public
debt. | approve the recommendation
of the Secretary of the Treasury, that
provision be made for the early retire
ment of silver certificates and that the
act requiring their issue be repealed
They were issued in pursuance of the
policy of the government to maintain
silver at near the gold standard, and
were accordingly made receivable fOl
all customs, taxes and public debts
About sixty-six million of them are
now outstanding. They form an I'M
necessary addition to the paper curren-
cy, IA sufficient amount of which may be
readily supplied by the national banks
In accordance with the act of February
%, 1873, the treasury department
has monthly caused at least 81, OOO, OOO
in value of silver bullion to be coined
into standard silver dollars. One
hundred and two millions of these dol
lars have been already coined, while
only about S34 10000 are in circula-
ton.
REDUCTION OF TAXES.
| 1t seems to me that the time has ar
rived when the people may justly de-
mand some relief from their present
onerous burden, and that by due econ
omy in the various branches of the pub
lie service this may readily be afforded.
| therefore concur with the Secretary
in recommending the abolition of all
internal revenue taxes except those up
Oh tobacco in its various forms and up
on distilled spirits and fermented liq-
uOrs, and except also the special tax
upon the manufacturers of and dealers
in such articles. The retention of the
latter is desirable, affOrding the officers
of the government a proper supervi-
sion of these articles for the prevention
of fraud.
REPEAL OF TAXES.
l agree with the Secretary of the
Treasury that the law imposing stamp
tax upon matches, proprietary articles,
playing cards, checks and drafts may
with propriety be repealed, and the
law also by which banks and bankers
are assessed upon their capital and de-
pOsits. There seems to be a general
sentiment in favor of this course. In