The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-12-05

Foreign merchandise. 15,5is,757
Total merchandise $780, COZ
Specle..... .................. 6T,l33,3s3
Total exports of merchandise and
specie. 1907 ,6i6 ,992
The cotton and cotton manufactures in
cluded in this statement were valued at S20S-
900, 415; the breadstuifs at Sl62, 544,115; the
provisions at Sll4,416, 547, and the mineral oils
at $47 103, 2IS. During the same period The
imports were as follows
Merchandise. 1861, 697, G93
OoId anu SlVcr'.. 3I,426, 1862
Total. sos, 123, $50
More than IS per cent of the entire value
of imported merchandise consisted of the
following articles: Sugar and molasses, S103,
SS4,214; wool and wooden manufactures, S53,
d., 292 silk and its manufactures, $40, $40 =
12S; coffee, $40, 1856, 105; iron and steel and
manufactures thereof, SAL ,46i, 500; chemicals,
S3S, AGA ,965; flax, hemp jute, and like sub
stances, and manufactures thereof, S33 49,
39S cotton and manufactures of cotton,
$50, Al, 416 hides and skins other than for
skins, So $50 90G.
THE SILVER DOLLAR
I concur with the Secretary of the Treasury
in recommending the immediate suspension
of the coinage of silver dollars and of the is
suance of silver certificates This is a mat
ter to which in former CO nmunications
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 require
ments of the act of February %, ISIS,
more than twenty-seven million silver
dollars. The number now outstanding is
reported by the Secretary TO be nearly
one hundred and eighty-fve million, where
of but little more than forty million,
or less than twenty-five per cent. are
in actual circulation. The mere existence
of this fact seems to me to furnish
of itself cogent argument for tho
repeal of the statute, which had made such
fact possible But there are other and gravcr
considerations that tend in the same drec-
ton The Secretary avows his conviction
that unless this coinage and the issuance of
silver certificates be suspended, silver is likely
at no distant day to become our sole metallic
standard. The commercial disturbance and
the impairment of national credit that would
be thus occasioned can scarcely be ovcres-
tmated
THE REDUCTION OF INTERNAL REVENUE.
In my annual message of 1889, recon
mendcd the abolition OF all excise taxes eX-
cept those relating to distilled spirits. This
recommendation is now renewed If these
taxes shall be abolished, the revenues
t that viii still remain to the
not only suffice to meet its reasonable expen-
ditures, but will afford a surplus large enough
to permit such tariff re luction as may seem
| TO he advisable, when the results of recent
revenue laws and commercial treaties shall
have shown in what quarters these reductions
can be most judiciously effected.
OUR DEPRESSED INDUSTRIES.
One of the gravest of the problems which
appeal to the wisdom of Congress for solution
Is the entertainment of the most effective
means for increasing our foreign trade, and
thus relieving the depressions under
which our industries are now
languishing. The Secretary of the
Treasury advises that the duty of invcsti-
eating this subject lie ntrusted in the first
instance to competent commission. While
fully recognizing the considerations that may
be urged against this course, | am neverthe-
less OF the opinion that, upon the whole, no
other would be likely to effect speedier or
better results. Thac portion of the Secre-
tarys report which concerns the con-
ditlon of our shipping interests can
not fall to command yoIr attention. He
I emphatically recommends that as an incentive
to the investment OF American capital in
American steamships, the Government shall
by liberal payments for mail transportation
or otherwise lend its active assistance to in
dlvldual enterprise, and declare his belief that
unless that course be pursued our foreign
carrying trade must remain, as it is to-day,
+ almost exclusively i'll the hands of foreigners
One phrase of this subject is now especially
prominent, in view of the repeal by the act of
June 20, 1851, of all statutory provisions arbi
trarily compelling American vessels
to carry the mails to and from the
United States, As it is necessary t.
make provision to compensate the owners of
such vessels for performing that service after
April, 1sSj, it is hoped that the whole sub
lect will receive early consideration that will
! lead to the enactment of such measures for
| the revival of our merchant marine as the
| wisdom of Congress may devise.
THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
! In the expenses of the War Department, the
secretary reports n decrease of more than
S9,OOOOlO. OF this reduction, s., 600 900 was
| effected in the expenditures for rivers and
harburs, and 3, 1OG, 0OJ in expenditures for
/ the quartermaster's department. Outside of
that department the annual expenses of all
the army bureaus proper except possibly the
| ordnance bureau are substantially fixed
charges which cannot he materially dimin-
ished without a change in the numerical
strength of the army. The expenditures in
the quartermaster's department can readily
be subjected to administrative discretion,
and it is reported by the Secretary
of War that as result of exercis-
Ing such discretion, in reducing the number
OF drauSht and pack animals in the army
the annual cost of supplying and caring for
such animals is now ST. los, OSj. 30 less than
1t was in 1882. The reports of military com.
mandcrs show that the last year has been
notable for its entire freedom from Indian
, outbreaks
In defiance of the Presidents proclamation
of July |, 1854, certain intruders sought to
make settlements i'll the Indian Territory.
They were promptly removed by a detach-
ment of troops.
During the past session of Congress a bill
to provide suitable fre-proof building for
the Army Medical Museum and the library
of the Surgeon-Generars Office received the
approval of the Senate. \ similar bill, re
ported favorably to the House of Represen-
tatives by one of its committees, is still pend
ing before that body. 1t Is hoped that dur
ing the coming session the measure may be-
come law, and thereafter immediate steps
may he taken to secure a place of safe de
post for these valuable collections, now in a
state of insecurity
RIVER AND HARBoR EXPENDITURES.
The funds with which the works for the
improvement of rivers and harborS We're
prosecuted during the past year were de-
rived from the appropriations of the act of
August :, 1882, together with such few bal
ances as were on hand from previous appro-
priations, The balance in the treasury subject
10 requisition July /, 1853, was $40 ,649 80.
The amount appropriated during the fiscal
year 1854 was : ,3l9, G}iG2, and the amount