The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1882-12-08
Ministers from the Argentine Repub-

Ministers from the Argentine Repub-
lie, Austria, Hungary, Brazil, Chilli,
China, France, Japan and Mexico, the
Netherlands and Russia have presented
their credentials. The missions of Den
mark and Venezuela at this capitol
have been raised in grade. SwitZer-
land has created Il plenipOtentiary mis-
sion to this Government, and an En-
bassy from Madagascar and q Minister
from Siam will shortly arrive. Our
diplomatic intercourse has been enlaTg-
ed 10y the establishment of relations
with the new Kingdom of Servia, by
the creation of a mission to Siam, and
by the restoration of the mission to
Greece. The Shah of Persia has ex-
pressed his qualification that Charge
d'Atfaires will shortly be sent to that
country, where the rights of our citi-
Zens have been hitherto courteously
guarded by the representatives Of
Great Britain.
PREVENTION OF COLLISIONS AT SEA.
Jrenew my Recommendation of such
legislation as will place the United
States in harmony with other maritime
powers, with respect to the internation-
al rules for the prevention of collisions
at sea.
LONGITUDE AND TINE.
III conformity with your Joint resO-
lntion of the Sd of August last, have
directed the Secretary of State to ad-
dress foreign governments in respect
to a proposed conference for consider
irg the subject of the universal adop-
tion OF common prime meridian to be
used in the reckoning of longitude. and
iii the regulation of time throughout
the civilized world. Their replies will,
in due time, be laid before you.
An agreement was reached at Paris
in 1873 between the principal powers
for the interchange of official publica-
tons through the medium of their re-
spective foreign departments. The adj
mirabe system which has been built up
by the enterprise of the Smithsonian
Institution affords 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 direction 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-
tons for the Diplomatic and Consular
Service cOntemplateS the reorganization
of both branches of such service on
salaried basis, leaving fees to inure to
the benefit of the Treasury. cordial
ly favor such project as likely to cor
rect abuses in the present system. The
Secretary of State will present to you
at 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
lows: From customs, S22O. 410, 730.25;
from internal revenue, Sl46. 487, 595. As;
from sales of public lands, 81 1853 140.67;
from tax on circulation and deposits Of
railroad bonds, $3.50, 79i.45; from re-
payment of interest by Pacific railway
companies, SSl0, 554.37: from sinking
fund for Pacific railroad companies,
S796,27l AZ; from customs fees, fines,
penalties, ETC., 1884 ,33i 500; from fees
for Consular letters patent and lands,
81, 63S, 99O.97; from proceeds of sales Of
Government property. 1914 $685.; from
profits on coinage, bullion deposits and
assays, S4.ll6.6 93.73; from Indian trust
funds. S5,705, 2I3.22;; from deposits by
individuals for surveying public lands,
3, o., 306.36; from revenues of the Dis
trict of Columbia, $1,7l5.l 76.4l; from
miscellaneous sources, So, 3S3 ,445.43; to-
tai ordinary receipts, $403, 525, 25O.S.
The ordinary expenditures for the
same period were: For civil expenses,
SlS,Ot2. 3S6. ~; for foreign intercourse,
81 ,3S7 $50. 10; for Indians, S1,736, 747.40;
for pensions, SCI .3i5, 1885; for the mil
itary establishment, including river and
harbor improvements and arsenal, 49,
57D. i94. l9; for the naval establishment,
including vessels, machinery and i'm
prOvements at navy yards, Sl5, O32, O46.-
2G; for miscellaneous expenditures, in
Guiding public buildings, lighthouses
and collecting the revenue, S34 $50, 2237.-
so; for expenditures on account of the
District of Columbia, 81, 33O. 543.S7; for
interest on the public debt. ST. OFT ,206.-
10: total ordinary expenditures, S257,-
ISL. 1887, leaving surplus revenue of
S145. 543, Sl0.T; which. with an amount
drawn from the cash balance in the
Treasury of $a0,T37 ,654.S4; making
SI66, 2Sl ,505.il5. There was applied to
the redemption of bonds for the sinking
fund, $50 ,079.ljO; OF fractional currency
IOI GIlt SlIIhlUH ltiltt, ['D.tOD.IDOs VI lOau
of July and August, 1861, S62 .572, O50; of
loan OF March, 1853, 81, $500; of fund
ed loan of 1881, S37 ,19i $50; of loan of
1858. SlO0,000; of loan of February, 1851.
1903 600; of five-twenties of 1862. $2lO.-
0OO: of iive-twentieS of 1864, $7i0, OO0; of
SOS of 1865, $1,000; of 10-i0's of 1864,
SD. 5J0; of conSOls of 1865, $50, 450; of
consols of 1867, SiOS.25O; of consols of
1868, Sal 400; OF Oregon war debt, $685.
$50; of old demand compound interest
and other notes, $1S,35O; total, $685.
2Sl $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-Aierchandi $3.50, 49,
272; specie. SI9. All 40; total, S799, $780,
73G. rts-Merchandise, $724, $780,
57I; specie, SO AZ, $50; total, S767, ILL.,
064. The excess of exports over i'm
ports of merchandise, Sd, G02.6 S3. This
excess is less than it has been before any
of the previous six years, as appears by
the following table: Year ended June
| so, excess of exports over imports of
merchandise, 1876, $79,6i3, 48l; 1877,
$l5I .l5209l; 1878, S2i7 ,Sl4,234: 1879,
$26i, 661 .6G6; 1850, Sl67 ,6S3,9l2; 1881,
| SZOJ, SI-.ticf ioo-s %'-I,co-;ooo'
NATIONAL BANKS,
During the year there have been or
| ganiZed Ill 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 |, 1882, was 1924 ,656,
ASS. | commend to your attention the
Secretary's views in respect to the like
| l;hpnI Of SnrinnS pf inn nf f!,it.
circulation and to the modes by which
that result may, in his judgment, he
| averted.
COINAGE.
In respect of the coinage of silver dol
lars and the retirement of silver certifi-
Gates, / have seen nothing to alter, but
much to confirm the sentiments to
which | gave expression last year. A
conparison between the respective
amounts of silver dollars in circulation
On November l, 1881, and on November
|, 1SS2. shows u slight increase of a mll-
lion and half Of dollars, but during
the interval there had been in the whole
number coined an increase of $6,O 600,
300. OF the S128, O00. 900 thus far minted,
little more than 1886. 0O0, 600 are in oircu-
ation. The mass of accumulated coin
has grown so great that the vault room
at present available for storage is scarce
| iy sufficient to contain it. 1t is not APP
parent why it is desirable to continue
this coinage now so enormously in eX-
cess of the public demand.
SILVER CERTIFICATES
| AS to the silver certificates, in addi-
ton to the grounds which seemed last
year to justify their retirement, may be
mentioned the effect which is likely to
ensue from the supply of gold certifi-
Gates for which issuance Congress re-
Gently made provision, and which are
now in active circulation.
REDUCTION OF TAXES.
You cannot fail to notice with interest