Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-12-02
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

:
Washington correspondence yesterday even
ing we append the following synopsis:
He alludes to the recent presidential cleo
ton, and congratulates the country upon
T! the fact that, despite the fervor and intensi-
ty Of the contest and "the slight preponder-
ance by which the issue was determined"
the public peace suffered no disturbance.
In this he sees a signal demonstration of
"the strength and wisdom of our political
| nsli;ulicns,n yet in view of the controversy
over the national election eight years ago,
and the evident risk of dispute over the re-
cent contest by reason of the narrowness of
the margin by which it was decided, he
again calls the attention of Congress to the
necessity of providing more precise and
definite regulations for counting the electo-
raj vote. Our foreign relations continue to
he wholly amicable. With Nicaragua
treaty has been concluded by which the
United States secu ce:t in adv lntages f
;ne construction Of an interoceanic canal, q
railway and telegraph line through the ter
ritory of that republic. With Spain has
heen negotiated reciprocity treaty, the re-
suit of which would, it is thought, be ito
lrake The intercourse between Cuba and
Porto Rico and ourselves scarcely less init
maize than the commercial movement be-
tween our domestic ports" The treaty of
:. similar character with Mexico has been
ratified and but awaits the necessary tariff
legislation of Congress to become effective.
These treaties are the expression of q set
tied policy on the part of the government
10 cultivate, through reciprocal concessions,
intimate trade relations with all the coun.
tries of this hemisphere, and the mission of
The Central and South American commits
sion which is about to proceed to Mexico is
10 prepare the way for a general "enlarge-
rnent of our commercial intercourse with
American States" The neutrality laws of
the United States, it is recommended, should
no enlarged"to cover all patent acts of hos
IiIity committed in our territory and aimed
asnInst the peace of friendly nation"
| The President sees no reason why covert
prf paations in this country for the COM
ishable, whether such acts are intended
- he committed hero or abroad" Some
modification Of our naturalization laws
j. also required. The recommendations
# the Secretary of the Treasury, are
runrurrrd in with some explicitness.
rhc coinage Of silver dollars and the
l-snahce of silver certificates should
Dc Immediately suspended, experience
'Iaving shown it TO be impossible to get The
t"rm"r into circulation, while the growing
abundance of the latter threatens to drive
gold cut of circulation, thus etlecting n seri
n,is contraction of the currency and Great
;ng the conditions of financial panic. "Un-
less this coinage and the issuance of silver
certificates be suspended, silver is likely at
~" distant day to become our sole metallic
,tardard.' To speed the retirement of the
rale dollar it is suggested that "a slight
advance 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 rev.
rnue taxes except those on distilled spirits
I,e abolished is renewed. The revenue thus
lost will cut down the present surplus, but
still leave Il margin Large enough to per-
init such tariff reduction as may seem TO be
advisable when the results Of recent reve-
uuc laws and commercial treaties shall have
shown III what quarters those reductions
can be most judiciously effected" The
Secretary Of the Treasurys advice that
commission be created to stndy the prob
lem of increasing our foreign trade and
thus relieving the depression under which
our industries are now languishing" is con-
CURED in. Special attention is invited to
the Secretary's recommendation of subsidies
as the best means Of building up our mer-
chant marine. The rapid redemption of tue
3 per cent bonds threatens the destruction
OF the basis on which the national banks
can protilably rest their circulation, and
The question how to avert the contraction
of currency caused by this threatened re.
tirement Of ma ional bank notes, is recog.
nized as one of constantly increasing i'm
porance, and the hope is expressed that
| tn,o t,t1 ho,,
he allowed to issue notes to the full par
value Of the bonds deposited by them with
the treasurer A considerable reduction
III the expenditures of the War Depart
ment is noted. A notable feature Of the past
year has been the entire absence of In
dian outbreaks. The defenceless 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 may be begun with some
confidence that they will not be rendered
useless before their completion by the pro-
gress made abroad in the Improvement Of
guns. "For the most important cities,
those whose destruction or capture would
be a national humiliation, adequate de-
fences, inclusive of guns, may he made by
The gradual expenditure of $G0,000O0O.
much less than victorious enemy cou d
levy as contribution. An appropriation
Of about one-tenth of that amount is asked |
to begin the work." One of the four steel
cruisers authorized by the acts of 1882 and
1883 is described as more than half finished,
and certain adverse criticisms upon the |
designs of these cruisers are mentioned as
discredited by the favorable opinion of these
vessels held by the naval authorities. The
restoration Of the navy TO its former eff
cheney is warmly urged. The recommend
alton of the Postmaster General favorable |
10 the reduction Of the rate on drop letters
in cities, and the increase of the unit of
weight in rating iirst-class matter from one.
half to one ounce is approved, and the ex-
tension of the frec-delivery system is re-
commended, as also the project for securing
exceptional dispatch in dealing with let.
cro, Il h.: e