The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-12-13

| Interior Africa
Tho rioh populous valley Of the Congo II being
%oaD of Which tho
King OF the Belgians r. President, and citizen
OF the United States the chief executive officer.
Large tracts OF territory have boon CODED TO the
association by native chiefs.
Roado have boon opened and STEAMBOATS, placed
on the river and tho nuclei OF states established
70 and HhI sSe
slave trade. The objects OF the society
are philanthropio. 1t does not aim at permanent
political control, but socks the neutrality OF the
The United States cannot be Indifferent to
this work, nor to the interests OF their citizens
to cooperate with other commercial powers in
promoting the rights of trade and residence In
the Congo valley. free from the interference or
Social and Scientific.
In view of the frequency of invitations from
foreign governments to participate In social and
scientific congresses tor the discussion Of I'm
portant matters of general concern, repeat the
| suggestions of my last message that provis-
Ion be made for the exercise OF discretionary
power by the Executive in appointing delegates
/ to such conventions. Specialists are ready to
| serve the National interests In such capacity
| without personal profit or other compensation
than the defrayment of expenses actually In
CURED, and this q comparatively small annual
| appropriation would suffice to meet.
Restrictions of Commerce.
have alluded in my previous message to the
injurious and vexatious restrictions suffered by
our trade in the Spanish West Indies.
Brazil, whose National outlet for tts
through the United States, imposes
heavy export duty upon that product, Our
| petroleum exports are hampered In Turkey and
In other Eastern ports by restrictions as to
| storage and by onerous taxation. For
these misch'efs adequate relief is not
ike that With Hawaii or that lately ne esa
athd with Mexico and now awaiting the action OF
| the Senate. Is 1t not advisable to provide some
measure of equitable retaliation in our relations
with Governments which discriminate against
our own? II, for example, the Executive were
empowered to apply TO Spanish vessels and car
goes from Cuba and Porto Rico the same rules
OF treatment and scale of penalties for technical
faults which are applied to our ves-
sells and cargoes in the Antilles, re-
sort to that course might not be barren
of good results.
Finance and Revenue.
The report of the Secretary of the Treasury
gives a'ful and interesting exhibit of the finan-
cial condition of the country 1t shows that
the ordinary revenues from all sources, for the
fiscal year ended June 80, 1888, amounted 10
sS9s, 2s7, 5sl95, whereof there was received
the 5Sas s9ss from
sales of public lands, $7,955, SOAP; from
tax on circulation and deposits OF National
banks s9,lll ,oos.s5; from, profits on the coinage
OF bullion, deposits and assays. "a, Acc, 205.17;
from other sources. sl7,333, 60 Total, $685.
2s7.5sl 95. For the same period the ordinary ex-
pen sIt gcs a. wefe for civil expenses
t2,4l9275.2i; for Indians, $7,362, 5000:
for pensions sec Ol2 573G4 for the military estab-
lishments and arsensls s4s,9ll, 9s7.93; for the
naval establishment, including vessels and i'm
provements at navy yard, S15233, 43217: for
miscellaneous expenditures, including public
revenues, $40 09s, 4s2 70; for expenditures on
count of District of Columbia, 1851 O2s.4S; for
interest on the public debt, $3.50, 1925: total
S265. 4OS 1874 Leaving a surplus revenue of
~
drawn from the cash balance in the
treasury of $1,299 3l2.65-sl34, l7s, 756. 96-was
applied TO the redemption of the sinking fund.-
and s44,s5o, 700 of fractional currency For the
sinking fund, s46,55696 of the funded loan Of
1881 were continued at 80 per cent. SOS, $780, $50
of the loan of July and August, 1861, were con-
tinued at 80 per cent; aud $40, 1894 900 of the
funded loan of 1907, 81 AIS $50 of the funded loan
OF 1881, $7l9,15O OF the loan OF February 1861,
the loan of July and August 1861 $500 900
of loan of March, 1862 Sl16,s5O; of loan of July,
1882, $47 $685. of 520s of 1862 5000 of 520s of
1864, $1,000; OF 5-2Os of 1865, $1,000; OF 1O-4Os
of 1865, $685. $50; of consols of 1865, s4osOO; of
consols of 1867, $235,700; of consols of 1868.
1854, $50; of Oregon war debt, $3.50: of
retunding certificates, sos, 100; OF old demand
compound interest and other notes, Sl3,300
Total, 1884, l7s, 1886.
Inter nal Taxation.
There are cogent reasons, however, why the
national Indebtedness should not be thus
rapidly extinguished. Chief among themis the
fact that only by excessive taxation Is such
rapidity attainable. In communication to the
Congress, at its last session, L recommended that
all excessive take be abolished, except those
relating 10 distilled Spirits and that substantial
reductions be also made in the revenues from
customs. statute has since been enacted oy
which the annual tax and tariff receipts of the
Government have been cut down to the extent
of at least $4,000 900 or $60000,000 While I
have no doubt that still further reductions may
be wisely made, do not advise the adoption at
this session of any measure for large diminu-
ton OF the national revenues The results OF the
legislation OF the last session Of Congress have
not as yet become sufficiently apparent to justi-
fy any radical revision or sweeping modltica-
tons OF the existing law.
In the interval which must elapse before the
effects of the act of March 3. 1883, can be def
nitely ascertained portion at least OF the surplus
revenues may be wisely applied TO the long
neglected duty of rehabilitating our nation and
providing defenses for the protection OF
our harbors This is matter TO which shall
again advert
Consolidation of Revenue Districts.
The Secretary of the Treasury advises a con-
solidatiOn OF certain of the customs districts of
the country, and suggests that the President be
vested with such power In relation thereto as is
now given him by Section 3,14l of the Revised
Statutes. The statistics on this subject which are
contained In his report furnish OK themselves a
strong argument in defense of his views. At
the adjournment of Congress the number of
internal revenue collection districts 126
BY executive orders, dated June %, 1888,
directed that certain of the districts be CONSOLE
dated. The result has been a reduction OF one
third their number, which at present is but
elBuIy
Indian Affairs.
From the report of the Secretary of War It
will be seen that in only single instance has
there been any disturbance of the
quiet condition of onr Indian tribes-a raid
from Mexico into Arizona by small party OF
Indians, which was pursued by Gen. Crook into
the mountain regions from which IL had come.
1t is confidently hoped that serious outbreaks
will not again occur, and that the Indian tribes,
which have for so many years disturbed the
West, will hereafter remain in peaceable sub
mission.
Coast Defenses.
again call your attention to the present con-
dhion of our extended ser coast, upon which
are so many large cities whose wealth
and Importance to the country would
in time of invite attack from mod
ern armored ships, against which our
existing defensive works could give no adequate
protection. Those works were built before the
Introduction of modern heavy rited guns into
maritime warfare. and TX they are not put in an
efficient condition we may easily be subjected TO
humiliation by hostile power greatly inferior
to ourselves.
Torpedo Defenses.
As germane 10 this subject, call your atten-
ton to the impor ance OF perfecting our subma-
rine torpedo defenses. The board authorized by
the last Congress to report on the method which
should be adapted for the manufacture of
heavy ordnance adopted to modern warfare has
visited the principal iron and steel works
in this country and in Europc. IL Is hoped that