Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-12-11
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

too great for us to publish, and if published
in full, would be read by few. We publish
in lieu of the whole an abstract as furnis h.
ed by the Bait Sun which is not too long
to read, and the reading of which will su-
persede the necessity of reading the mes
sgge in ertenso.
The message opens with the usual refer
ence to the foreign relations of the United
States, which he is able to state are every
where peaceful. Of more immediate inter-
est, however, is the recommendation, made
by the Secretary Of the Navy and Endorsed
by the President as an important measure
of national defense in case of war with any
foreign power, that immediate steps be ia
ken for the creation Of an interior coast line
of waterway across the peninsula of F'lorl-
da, along the coast from Florida to Hamp-
ton Roads, between the Chesapeake bay
and the Delaware river, and through Cape
Cod, thus recognizing more or less directly
the national character of the projected
Chesapeake and Delaware ship-canal.
commercial treaties have been made with
Seryia, Roumania, Corea and Madagascar;
legations have been established in Persia,
Corea and Siam, and it is recommended
that the interests of American citizens re-
siding or trading in Bulgaria and the Cen
trail American States be cared for by the
presence of consular representatives of the
United States. Reference is made to the
Brazilian export duty on coffee, and to the
penalties for technical faults applied to
American vessels and cargoes in the Antil-
les and the suggestion is made that retail
atory measures applied to Spanish vessels
and cargoes from Cuba and Puerto Rico
might not be barren of good results. At
tention is called to the work Of the Inter-
national African Association in the Congo
valley, and Congress is reminded that it
may become advisable for us to cooperate
with other commerce al powers in promoting
the rights of trade in that region "free from
the interference or political control of any
one nation" No large reduction of reve-
nues is advised. Congress sreminded that
tariff bill has been recently passed, the
results of which are not yet sufficiently APP
parent to warrant a further notification Of
the tariff or internal revenue laws, He
states, however, that the legislation refer
red to has cut down the income of the gov
eminent some fifty or sixty millions of dol
lars-a statement at variance with that
made by the Secretary of the Treasury, who
puts the net reduction at but $50, OOO, 0Oo.
The sulplus of revenue over expenditure,
which the President estimates at $50, 000,
900, it is recommended should be spent in
rehabilitating our navy and providing coast
defenses. The suggestion of the Secretary
of the Treasury as tothe proper method of
perpetuating the national bank system is
approved. 1t is accordingly recommended
that the tax of per cent. on the circulation
of the national banks be repealed, and that
the amount of the circulation allowed on
bonds deposited for security be increased to
80 per cent. on the market value of such
bonds. The effect of this would be to
make it profitable to the banks TO base their
circulation on per cent. which are not
redeemable till 1907. With respect to the
disposition to be made of trade dollars the
President and Secretary of the Treasury,
while not favor;ng exactly the Same plan,
are in substantial agreement The former
recommends that the trade dollar be ac-
cepted by the treasury and the mints as
bullion at a small percentage above the cur
rent market price of silver of like fneness
The Secretary suggests simply that the
standard silver dollar be exchanged, dollar
for dollar, for the trade dollar, the latter to
be regarded az SO much bullion bought I'M
der the act of 1878. Approval is given also
the Secretary of the Treasury's plan for the
consolidation of certain customs districts
and it is added that by the reduction of in
ternal revenue districts, recently perfected.
their number has been reduced from 1913
to SO. Dwelling on the unprotected condi-
ton of our extended seacoast, the number
of large and wealthy cities with which it is
dotted, the age and weakness of our works
of defense, their inferior armament and i'm
perfect torpedo equipment, the President
urges the reconstruction of our navy and
the building of plant for the manufacture
of heavy ordnance, and points to the over
flowing condition of the treasury as q fact
that renders the present the proper time
for the inception of SO patriotic work.
Attention is called to the growth of the
number of postotfices from 46, 231 in 1882
to Al, 1868 in 1888. The recommendation is
made, adversely to the views of the Post
master-General, that the rate of postage on
drop letters, which at present l. two cents
where the carrier system is established and
one cent elsewhere, be made uniform by
reducing it everywhere to one cent. Ref
erence is made to the long mooted PROPOSE
ton that the government should assume
the same control over the telegraph that it
has always exercised over tho mail, but the
President is unable to accord his approval
to the project. The suggestion is made,
however, that the government should be
authorized to exercise some sort Of super
vision over the interstate telegraph COM
munication. The fees of Jurors and wit
nesses in the Federal courts, fixed by laws
| of old date, are insufficient. It is recon-
mended that they be increased, ana that
district attorneys and malshals be paid by
salaries, rather than as at present, by fees
"a change which, it is suggested, may di-
minish the number of prosecutions made
merely for the sake of fees. Congress is
invited to consider the important question
whether Federal aid may not with perprle-
| ty be extended to public primary education
| in parts of the country where the precen-
| tage of illiteracy is high. The failure of
the anti polygamy legislation of March,
| 1882, is cited, and the strong recommended
ton is made that Congl ess repeal the act
upon which the existing government of
Utah depends assume control of the Terri
tory, and establish in authority a commits
sion with powers fitting it to deal effectively
with the Mormon problem. The question
of regulating interstate commerce is pre-
scented for consideration. The right of
railway corporations to reasonable profit is
conceded, but Congress should protect the
people from injustice. The effects of the
civil rights act in the short time daring
which it has been in operation are pronoun-
ced beneficial. The act passed by the Sem
ate at its last session regulating the presi
dental succession is recommended to the
favorable consideration OF the present Con-
gress 1t is asked that the Executive be
empowered to veto particular items of an
appropriation without impairing the valid
ity of other items which meet his approval
In concluding, the President recommends
the passage of new civilrights bill guar
anteeing to the colored citizens the rights
secured to him by the fourteenth amend
ment.
A Valuable BOOk-A Treatise on the Horse