The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-12-11

h t,e reporr of the Secretary. II appears ina
the ordinary revenues for me nscal yea
ended June 80, 1854, were from customs SlJ0,
or 49, IS; from internal revenue, SlZl.Jo6,
6725l; from all other sources, 81, SGT, 3V 10
total ordinary revenue, SS4S5l9,S592- IN,
public expenditures during the same period
Tor civil expenses, 81, 81, 9G.I1 for foreign
intercourse S1.260, 1851; for Indians, sc, 4t5,
99s g; for pensions, So, 40 22S.36; for thu
military establishment, including river anC
harbor improvements and arSenals, $50, 40,
6l3 80: for the naval establishments, includ
ing vessels, machinery and improvements q
navy yards, Sh,Ss, Coll for miscelianeoui
| lighthouses and collecting the reve
nue. SIS, $780, for expenditures OF
account of the District of Columbia
! 50, 4O7, U4962; fer interest on on the pub
/ lie debt, SJ647s, 37S.43; for the sinking
fund, s46, $50. 2229. 80; total ordinary expendi
| lures, $50 GIG, 49, leaving a surplus OF go,
| 6O3. 396, or as compared with the proceed
| ing fiscal year there was a net decrease et
| $50 90, 900 in the amount of expenditures
The aggregate receipts were less than those
of the year previous by about so4,Oo.Oo0
| The falling off of revenue from customs
| made up nearly S2a,000.OO0 of this deficiency,
and about 23.Oo0OO0 of the remainder was due
to the diminished receips from the internal
taxation. The Secretary estimates the total
receipts for the fiscal year which ends on
June 30 1885, At S330, 100000 and the total ex'
penditures at S24O GO, 2Ul. 16, in which are in,
cluded the interest on the debt and the
amount payable to the sinking fund. This
would leave surplus for the entire year OF
about sS4 100000. The value of exports from
the United States to foreign countries during
the year ending June 3Dth, 1884, was as fol
lows: Domestic merchandise, 4.S64, So;
tai merchandise, s74O,573,6o9; specie,
specie, SSO7 gle, Sse The cotton and cotton
manufactures included in this statement
were valued at S2Os, 200, AIS; the breadstuffs at
the mineral oils at s47,l14,34S. During the
same period the imports were as follows:
Merchandise, S657, 697, 693; gold and silver,
S37, 436 262; total, sos, 123,yo5. More than
ninety-three per cent. of the entire value OF
imported merchandise consisted of the fol
lowing articles: Sugar and molasses, $l0S,-
So, 274; wool and wooden manufactures, $751;
542 292; silk and its manufactures, $40 94g, rs;
coffee, $40, $50, I05; iron and steel and manu-
features thereof, 81, 49,, 500; chemicals, 1884,
$3.50; flax, hemp, jute and like substances
and manufactures thereof, SIS, ivy; cotton
and manufactures of cotton, S3O,t55,4I6;
hides and skins other than fur skins, ST.
350,306.
SILVER COINAGE.
l concur with the Secretary of the Treasury
in recommending the immediate suspension
of the coinage of silver dollars and the issue
of silver certificates. This is matter to
which, in former communications, l have
more than once invoked the attention of
the National Legislature. 1t appears that an
nually for the past six years there have been
coined, in compliance with the Act OF Feb
ruary %, 1878, more than twenty-seven
standing is reported by the Secretary to be
nearly one hundred and eighty-fve millions,
whereof little more than forty millions or
less than twenty-five per cent. are in actual
circulation. The mere instance of this fact
seems to me to furnish of itself a cogent ar
gument for the repeal of the statute which
has made such fact possible, but there are
other and graver considerations that
tend in the same direction. The
Secretary avows his conviction
that unless the coinage and
pended, silver is likely at no distant day to
become our sole metallic standard. The
commercial disturbance and the impairment
of the National credit that would be thus oc-
casiOned can scarcely be Over-eStimated. l
hope that the Secretary's suggestions res
pecting the withdrawal from circulation of
the one dollar and two dollar notes will re-
ceiYe your approval 1t is likely that con-
siderable portion of the silver now in the
vaults of the Treasury might find its way
into currency. While trade dollars have
ceased, for the present at least, TO be an ele-
ment Of active disturbance in our currency
system, some provision should be made for
their surrender to the Government. On view
of the circumstances under which these
were coined, and of the fact that they have
never had legal tender quality, there
should be offered for them only a slight ad-
vance over their bullion value. The Secre-
tary in the course OF his report considers the
propriety of identifying the designs of our
subsidiary silver coins and of so increasing
their weight that they may bear their due
ratio of value to the standard dollars. His
conclusions in this regard are cordially ap-
proved.
In my annual message of 50 I referred to
the abolition of all excise taxes, except those
relating to distilled liquors. That recon-
mendatiOn is now renewed. IN case these
taxes shall be abolished the revenues that
will still remain to the Government will be,
in my opinion, not only sufficient to meet its
reasonable expenditures, but will afford q
surplus large enough to permit such
TARIFF REDUCTION
as may seem to be advisable when the re-
suits of recent revenue laws and CONNER
cial treaties shall have shown in what quar-
tiers these reductions can be most judiciouSly
effected.
One of the gravest of the problems which
appeal to the wisdom of Congress for solu-
ton is the ascertainment OF the most erect
i've means of increasing our foreign trade
and thus relieving the depression under
which our industries are now languishing.
The Secretary of the Treasury advises that
the duty of Investigating this subject be en-
trusted ii the first instance to competent
commission. While fully recognizing the
considerations that may be urged against
this course, am nevertheless of the opinion
that upon the whole no other would be
likely to effect speedier or better results.
That portion of the Secretary's report
which concerns the condition of the interest
cannot fail to command your attention. He
emphatically recommends that as an incen-
tive to investment of American capital in
American steamships, the Government shall
by liberal payments for mail ranSpSrtatiOn.
or otherwise lend its active assistance to i'll
dividual enterprise and declares his belief
that unless that course be pursued our for
eign carrying trade must remain as it is to-
day-almOSt exclusively in the hands of for
eignerS. One phase of the subject is now es-
pecially prominent in view of he repeal. by
the act of June IT, 1884, of all Salutary prOviS-
ions arbitrarily compelling American vessels
to carry the mails to and from the United
States. As it is necessary to make prOvis-
ions to compensate the owners of such yes
sells for performing that service after April
Is, 1885, it is hoped that the whole subject Will
receive early consideration that will lead to
the enactment of such measures for the re-
vival of our merchant marine as the wisdom
of Congress may devise.
The three per cent. bonds of the Govern
ment to the amount of more than Sl,O00,OO-
00O have since my last annual been redeemed
by the Treasury. The bonus of that issue
still outstanding amount to little over
$780, 000, 900, about one-fourth of which will
be retired through the operations of the
sinking fund during the coming year as these
bonds still continue the basis for the calcul-
alton of National Banks. The question of
how to avert the contraction OF the cur
rency caused by their retirement is one of
constantly increasing Importance.
1t seems to be generally conceded that the
law governing that matter exacts from the
banks excessive security, and that upon
their present bonus deposit larger circula-
with safety. 1 hope that the bill which
passed the Senate at the last session, per
uniting the issue of notes equal to the face
value of the deposited bonds, will commend
itself to the approval of the House of Rep
resentativeS.
In the expenses of the War Department the
Secretary reports a decrease of more than
S9,000.00O, of which reduction S5,6O0,0O0 was
effected in the expenditures for rivers and
harbors, and =, 7OO, 900 in expenditures for the
Quartermasters Department. Outside of
that department, the annual expenses of all
the army bureaus proper except possibly
the ordnance bureau are substantially
charges which cannot be materially dimin-
ished without a change in the numerical
the Quartermaster's Department can readily
be subjected to administrative discretion,
and it is reported by the Secretary of War
that as result of exercising such discretion
in reducing the number of draught animals
in the army, the annual cost of supplying
and caring for such animals is now 81, l0S,-