Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1884-12-05
The Presidents Message.

Inc PRESIDENT message
The President in the message transmitted
Monday to Congress reviews with his usual
palnstaking care the public incidents, both
of a domestic and foreign character, that
have marked the history of the past year,
and upon questions of policy affecting the
industries, the commerce, the finances the
taxation, the foreign relations and defenses
of the country, makes a number of import
ant suggestions that will doubtless receive
from the national legislature all the con-
sideratian they deserve. In the outset he
alludes to the recent presidential election,
and congratulates the country upon the fact
that, despite the fervor and intensity of the
contest and "the slight preponderance by
which the issue was determined" the public
peace suffered no disturbance. In this he
secs signal demonstration of "the strength
and wisdom of our political Institutions,
vet in view Of the controversy over the ma
tional election eight years ago, and the evil
dent risk of the dispute over the recent con-
test by reason of the narrowness of the mar
gin by which it was decided, he again calls
the attention of Congress to the necessity OF
providing more precise and definite regula-
tons for counting the electoral vote Our
foreign relations continue 10 be wholly ami
cable With Nicaragua treaty has been
concluded by which the United States Sc
cures certain advantages for the construc-
ton of an interoceanic canal, a railway and
telegraphic line through the territory of that
republic. With Spain has been negotiated
reciprocity treaty, the result of which
would, it is thought, be "to make the inter
course between Cuba and Porto Rico and
ourselves scarcely less intimate than the
commercial movement between our domes-
tic ports" The treaty of a similar charac.
ter with Mexico has been ratified, and but
awaits the necessary tariff legislation Of Con-
gress to become effective. These treaties are
the expression of a settled policy on the part
of the government to cultivate, through re
ciprocal concessions, intimate trade relations
with all the countries of this hemisphere
and the mission of the Central and South
! American commission, about 10 proceed
TO Mexico is TO prepare the way for general
enlargement OF our commercial Intercourse
with American States" The neutrality laws
of the United States, it Is recommended,
should be enlarged "tO cover all patent acts
of hostility committed in our territory and
| aimed against the peace of a friendly nation
| The President sees no reason why "overt
preparations in this country for the commits
sion of criminal acts should not be punish
able, whether such acts are intended 10 be
committed here or abroad" Some modif-
cation of our naturalization laws is also re-
| quired. The recommendations of the Secre-
tary of the Treasury, whose views, as is gen
orally known, are somewhat in advance Of
those OF his party, are concurred in with
some explicitness. The coinage of silver
| dollars and the issuance of silver certificates
should be Immediately suspended experience
| houinu 10 I., i,a,NNaeti.1a - 81.
| former into circulation, while the growing
abundance of the latter threatens to drive
gold out of circulation, thus effecting seri.
GUS contraction of the currency and Great.
ing the conditions of financial panic. "Un.
less this coinage and the issuance of silver
certificates be suspended, silver is likely al
nc distant day To become our sole metallic
standard" To speed the retirement of the
trade dollar 1t is suggested that "a SLIGHT al.
vance over their bullion value" might be
offered for them. The Identification of our
subsidiary silver coin and an increase of their
weight is thought TO be advisable. The
Recommendation that all internal revenue
taxes except those on distilled spirits be
abolished is renewed. The revenue thus lost
will cut down the present surplus, but still
leave margin Large enough to permit such
| tariff reduction as may seem to be advisable
when the results of recent revenue laws and
commercial treaties shall have shown in
what quarters those reductions can be most
judiciously effected" The Secretary of the
| Treasury's advice that commission be
created to study the problem of INCREASING
our foreign trade and thus relieving the de-
| preston under which our industries are now
languishing" is concurred in. Special at.
tention is invited to the Secretarys recon.
mendation of subsidies as the best means OF
building up our merchant marine. The
rapid redemption of the per cent. bends
threatens the destruction of the basis on
which the national banks can probably rest
their circulation, and the question how TO
avert the contraction Of currency caused by
this threatened retirement of national bank
notes, is recognized as one of constantly in
creasing importance, and the hope is ex-
pressed that, as temporary expedient at
least, the banks be allowed to issue notes TO
the full par value of the bonds deposited by
them with the treasurer A considerable re-
ductlon in the expenditures of the War De.
partment is noted. A notable feature of the
past year has been the entire absence of In.
dian outbreaks. The deienseless condition
of the important cities of the seaboard. as
demonstrated by the chief engineers report
is discussed at some length.
The time has now come, in the Presidents
opinion, when defensive works NAV be be.
| gun with some confidence that they will
not be rem dered useless before their compile.
ton by the progress made abroad in the i'm
| provement of guns. "For the most import.
ant cities, those whose destruction or cap.
ture would be national humiliation, ade
| quate deiences, inclusive of guns, may be
made by the gradual expenditure of $780,
| OOO,O00, much less than victorious enemy
could levy as a contribution. An appro.
priatlon OF about one.tenth of that amount
is asked 10 begin the work" One of the
Tour steel cruisers authorized by the acts OF
1882 and 1888 is described rs more than half
finished, and certain adverse criticisms up.
on the designs OF these cruisers are men.
toned as discredited by the favorable opin
ion of these vessels held by the naval au.
thOriues. The restoration Of the navy Ia
its former efficiency is warmly urged. The
recommendation of the Postmaster. General
favorable ~ the reduction Of the rate on
drop letters in cities, and the increase of the
unit OF weight in rating first-class matter
from one-half 10 one ounce is approved, and
the extension of the free-delivery system is
recommended, as also the project for secur.
ing Exceptional dispatch in dealing with
letters IN free delivery offices by payment of
extraordinary postage" Drastic legislation
with regard TO Utah; the repeal OF the pre-
emption law the enactment Of statutes re.
solving legal complications in regard 10
lapsed land grants 10 railroad companies
and the funding of the debt of the several
Pacific Railroads under sufficient guaranty
are other topics that Congress ~ invited 10
| consider. Large space IL given 10 the new