The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-12-08

4 zens have been hitherto courteously
\ guarded by the representatives Oi
4 Great Britain.
PREVENTION UP COLLISIONS AT SEA.
renew my recommendation of such
legislation as will place the United
States in harmony with other maritime
| powers, with respect to the information
AZ rules for the prevention of collisions
at sea.
LONGITUDE AND TIME.
ln conformity with your joint reso-
luton of the Sd of August last, have
directed the Secretary OF State to adj
dress foreign governments in respect
| to a proposed conference for consider
ing the subject of the universal adop-
tion OF common prime meridian to be
used in the reckoning of longitude, and
| in the regulation of time throughout
the civilized world. Tlleir replies will,
| in due time, be laid before you.
An agreement was reached at Taris
! in 1875 between the principal powers
for the interchange Of official publica-
tions through the medium of their re-
spective foreign departments. The adj
mirable system which has been builtup
by the enterprise of the Smithsonian
| Institution affords n practical basis for
our cooperation in this scheme, and an
ARRANGEMENT has been effected by which
that institution will perform the neces-
sary labor under the objection of the
Department of State. A reasonable
compensation therefor should be pro-
vided by law.
DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR SERVICE.
A clause in the act making appropria-
tions for the Diplomatic and Consular
fav tao in.
of both branches of such service on
salaried basis, leaving fees to inaYe to
the benefit of the Treasury. 1 cordial
ly favor such project as likely to COZ
rect abuses in the present system. The
Secretary of State will present to you
ut an early day a plan for such reor-
ganization.
THE TREASURY.
A full and interesting exhibit of the
operations of the Treasury Department
is afforded by the report of the Secreta-
ry. 1t appears that the ordinary reve-
nues from all sources for the present
year ended June 30, 1882, were as fol-
lows: From customs, 500, 4l0, 1929;
from internal revenue, STAG, 497 ,595.45;
from sales of public lands, 81 1853 140.67;
from tax on circulation and deposits of
railroad bonds, $3.50. 794.45; from re-
payment of interest by Pacific railway
companies, $40, 554.37: from sinking
fund for Pacific railroad companies,
$796, 271.42; from customs fees, fines,
penalties, ETC., $134 1884 800; from fees
for Consular letters patent and lands,
1888, 990.97; from proceeds of sales Of
Government property, 1914 $685.; from
profits on coinage. bullion deposits and
assays, $4,1 JIG, 693.73; from Indian trust
funds, SIS, 705, 243.22; from deposits by
individuals for surveying public lands,
$2,052, 306.36; from revenues of the Dis
trict of Columbia, $1,715,1 76.41; from
miscellaneous sources, SO, 1888 ,445.43; to-
tai ordinary receipts, S403, 525, 2502S.
The ordinary expenditures for the
same period were: For civil expenses,
SIS, 042, 3S6.42;; for foreign intercourse,
ST 1857, 5S6.19; for Indians, $1,736, 47.40;
for pensions, SCI .345, 1895; for the mil
itary establishment, including river and
harbOr improvements and arsenal, $43,-
$40, 494.19; for the naval establishment,
including vessels, machinery and i'm
provements at navy yards, SIS, O32, 0i6.-
%; for miscellaneous expenditures, in
Guiding public buildings, lighthouses
and collecting the revenue, $34, $50, 237.-
so; for expenditures on account of the
District of Columbia, $3.50. 543.S7; for
interest on the public debt, ST. OFT ,206.-
20; total ordinary expenditures, $751;
9S1, 1887, leaving surplus revenue of
$145, $40, Sl0.7l; which, with an amount
drawn from the cash balance in the
Treasury of $40, 1877 ,654.84; making
$166, 281 ,5O555. There was applied to
the redemption of bonds for the sinking
fund, $50, 079, $50; of fractional currency
for the sinking fund, So, 705 ,553; of loan
of July and August, 1861, So, 572, $50; of
loan of March, 1868, 81, Az, 900; of fund
ed loan of 1881, S37, 1914 ,450; of loan of
1858, 100000; of loan of February, 1851.
S303, 900; of tive-twenties of 1862, $2l0,-
600; of five-twenties of 1854, $40, 900; Of
5-20's of 1865, $1,000; of 10-40's Of 1864,
$54,550; of cOnsols of 1866. $50, 450; of
consols of 1867, $408250; of consols Of
1869, Sal 400; of Oregon war debt, $685.
$50; of old demand compound interest
and other notes, $1S,350; total, $780,
PSI $685..
THE FOREIGN COMMERCE
of the United States during the last fis-
cal year, including imports and exports
of merchandise and specie, was as fol-
lows: Exports-Merchand $3.50, 49,
272; specie, $40, All ,479; total, S799,959,-
1870. Imports Merchandise, S72i $780,
574, specie, $40, 472, 800; total, $767, ILL.,
O64. The excess of exports over i'm
ports of merchandise, So, so. 6S3. This
excess is less than it has been before any
of the previous six years, as appears by
the following table: Year ended June
30, excess of exports over imports of
merchandise, 1876, S79,643,4Sl; 1877,
$151 .152,094; 1878, S257 ,S14 ,234; 1879,
1924, 1851 1865; 1880, Sl67. 6S3,912; 1881,
$259,7l2,71S; 1882, S25,902, 1888.
NATIONAL BANKS.
During the year there have been or
ganized III national banks and Of these
Institutions, there are now in operation
2,269-a larger number than ever before.
The value of their notes in actual cir
culation on July 1, 1882, was 1924 $3.50,
458. / commend to your attention the
Secretary's views in respect to the like
lihoOd of a serious contraction of this
circulation and to the modes by which
that result may, in his judgment, be
averted.
COINAGE.
In respect Of the coinage of silver dol