The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-12-11

d
are here under consideration, should no
DO alike punishable whether such act.
are intended to be committed In our owr
country or in foreign country with
which we are at peace. The prompt ant
thorough treatment Of this question /.
one which intimately concerns the ma
tional honor.
THE CONSULAR SERVICE.
The legislation of the last session
effected in the diplomatic aud consula,
service certain changes and reduction,
which have been productive of embarrass
ment: The population and commercial
activity of our country are steadily on
The increase and are giving rise to new
varying and often delicate relationships
with other countries. Our foreign estab.
lishment now embraces nearly double the
area of operations that it occupied
twenty years ago. The confinement oil
such service within the limits of ex.
penditure then established is not, il seems
to me, in accordance with true economy.
A community of sixty millions Of people
should be adequately represented in ita
intercourse with foreign nations. A
project for the reorganization of the
consular service and for recasting the
scheme of extra territorial jurisdiction is
now before you. If the limits of a short
session will not allow of it's full consid.
Grafton, / trust that you will not fail to
make suitable provision for the present
needs of the service.
THE REVENUES.
The ordinary revenues for tho fiscal
year ending june 80, 1884, were $34S,.
6l9. .s69.92. The public expenditures
during the same period were 1920, ,9l6. .473.
Leaving a surplus of S57 ,603, 1896 as com.
pared with the preceding fiscal year.
There was net decrease of over SOL.
0OO, 600 in the amount of expenditures.
The aggregate receipts were less than
those of the year previous by about
$54, 100000. The falling off in revenue
from customs made up nearly $40. 100000
OF this deficiency, and about $23 100000
OF tho remainder was duo to the dimin-
ished receipts from internal taxation.
The secretary estimates the total
receipts for the fiscal year which will end
June 80, 1885, at $3SO,OOO, 900, and the
total expenditures at $290620, POI .16, in
which SUM are included the interest on
the debt end the amount payable to the
sinking fund. This would leave n sur.
plus for the entire year of about s39, ,O0O,-
900.
EXPORTS AND IMPORTS.
ihe value of exports from the United
States to foreign countries during the
year ending June 80, 1884, was IA fol-
lows: Domestic merchandise, 1924. .964,.
852; foreign merchandise, Sl5, ,548,7 ,757.
Total merchandise, $40, ,513,6O9; specie,
s67 ,l33 1888. Total exports of merchan.
disc and specie, $s07 GAG. .992. The cot.
ton and cotton manufactures included in
this statement were valued at $2OS, 800.
AIS; the breadstuffs at Sl62,544,715; {;
the provisions at $ll4,4l6,547, and the
mineral oils at $47, ,l03 ,24S. During the
same period the imports were as follows ::
Merchandise, $667 .697 ,693; gold and
silver, 1877 ,426,2 ,262. Total, sos, l23, ,955.
THE SILVER COINAGE.
concur with the secretary of the
treasury in recommending the immedi.
ate suspension of the eoinage of silver
dollars, aud of the issuance of silver
certificates. The number now outstand.
ing is nearly one hundred and eighty five
million whereof but little more than
forty million, or less than % per cent,
-s'S AZ SStaoi sic SeCTGlhTy
asserts his conviction that unless this
coinage and the issuance of silver Ger.
tificates be suspended, silver is likely, at
no distant day, to become our sole metal.
lie standard. The commercial disturb.
ance and the impairment of national
credit that would be thus occasioned can
scarcely be overestimated. l hope that
the secfetary's suggestions respecting the
withdrawal from circulation of the one
dollar and two dollar notes will receive
your approval. 1t il likely that con.
siderable portion of the silver now
encumbering the vaults of the treasury
might thus find lis way into the currency.
INTERVAL REVENUE TAXES.
In my annual message Of 1882 I re.
commended the abolition of all excise
taxes except those relating to distilled
epirits. This recommendation ia now
renewed. In case those taxes shall be
abolished the revenues that will still re-
main 10 the Government will, in nv
opinion, Nc. only suffice To meet it's
reasc nable expenditures, but will afford
o surplus large enough to permit such
tariff reduction as may seem to be ad.
visabic when the results of recent reve.
nue. lava and commercial treaties shall
hsse shown in what quarters those re-.
ducttons car be most judiciously affected.
FOREIGN TRADE.
One of the grsvest of the problems
which appeal to the wisdom of Congress
for solution is the ascertainment Of the
most effective means for 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 intrusted in
the first instance to q competent com.
mission. 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 toeffect speedier or better
results. That portion of the secretary's
report which concerns the condition OF
opr shipping interests cannot fail to COM
mand your attention. He emphatically
recommends that as an incentive u the
investment of American capital in
American steamships the Government
shall, by liberal payments for mail trans.
portatiou or otherwise, lend its active
assistance to individual enterprise, and
declares his belief that unless that
conrse be pursued our foreign carrying
trade must remain as 1t is to day-almost
exclusively In the hands of foreigners.
One phase Of this subject is now especi.
ally prominent in view of the repeal by
the Act Of June 26, 1884, Of all statutory
provisions arbitrarily compellinI, Ameri.
can vessels 10 carry the mails to and
from the United States. As it - neces.
sary to mako provision to compensate
the owners of such vessels for perfor,sina