Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-03


mode last mentioned the control of our taxa
ton for revenue will be always retained in our
own hands unrestricted by conventional agree
ments with other governments.
SECURITY OF LIFE AND PROPERTY AT SEA.
In conformity also with congressional au-
thority the maritime powers have been invited
to confer, in Washington, in April next, upon
tho practicability Of deyisipg uniform rules
and measures for the greater security Of life
and property at sea. A disposition to accept
ON the part of number of the powers has
already been manifested, and If the co-opera-
ton Of the nations chiefly interested shall be
secured important results may be confidently
anticipated.
The act of June &c, 1884 and the acts amen
datory thereof, in relation to tonnage sduties
have given rise to extended correspondence
with foreign nations, with whom we have ex-
listing treaties of navigation and commerce,
and have caused wide and regrettable diverg-
ence of opinion in relation to the imposition Of
the duties referred to. These questions are
important, and shall make them the subject
of special and more detailed communication
at the present session.
REVISION OF THE NATURALIZATION LAWS NEEDED.
With the rapid increase of immigration to
our shores and the facilities of modern travel,
abuses of the generous privileges afforded by
our naturalization laws call for their careful
which certificates of American citizenship can
now be obtained has induced class, unfortu-
nately large, to avail themselves of the oppor-
tunity to become absolved from allegiance to
their native land and yet by a foreign residence
to escape any just duty and contribution Of
service to the country of their propose adop-
ton. Thus while evading the duties of citizen
ship to the United States they may make
prompt claim for its national protection and de-
mand its Intervention in their behalf. Inter-
national complications of a serious nature
arise and the correspondence of the State De-
partment discloses the great number and COM
plexity OF the questions which have been
raised
Our laws regulating the issue of passports
should be carefully revised, and the institution
of central bureau of registration at the capi-
tai is again strongly recommended. BY this
means full particulars of each case of natural
ization in the United States would be secured
and properly indexed and recorded, and thus
many cases of spurious citizenship would be
detected and unjust responsibilities would be
avoided.
THE REORGANIZATION OF THE CONSULAR SERVICE
is a matter of serious importance to our ma
tional interests. The number of existing prin-
cipal consular offices is believed to be greater
than is at all necessary for the conduct of the
public business II need not be our policy to
maintain more than a moderate number of
principal offices, each supported by a salary
sufficient to enable the incumbent to live in
comfort, and so distributed as to secure the
convenient supervision, through subordinate
agencies, of affairs over a considerable district.
repeat the recommendations heretofore made
by me, that the appropriations for the mainte-
nance OF our diplomatic and consular service
should be recast; that the so-called notarial or
unofficial fees, which our representatives
abroad are now permitted to treat as personal
perqusites, should be forbidden; that system
of consular inspection should be instituted;
and that limited number of secretaries of
legation at large should be authorized.
THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION IN NEW YORK.
Preparations for the centennial celebration,
on April 80, 1889, of the Inauguration of George
Washington as President of the United States.
at the city of New York, have been made by a
voluntary organization Of the citizens of that
locality, and believing that an opportunity
should be afforded for the expression of the
interest felt throughout the country In this
event, 1 respectfully recommend fitting and
cooperative action by Congress on behalf OF
the people of the United States.
THE REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY
exhibits in detail the conditions Of our ma
tional finances and the operations of the sew
eral branches of the government related to his
department. The total ordinary revenues Of
the fiscal year ended June 80, 1888, amounted
to s379, 266 O7476, of which S219 091 SO was
receivedfrom customs duties and S124, 296, 81. SO
from internal-revenue taxes. The total re-
ceipts from all sources exceeded those for the
fiscal year ended June 80. 1887 by 81, 1862. 797. TO-
The ordinary expenditures of the government
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888, were
S259, 1855, 95S67, leaving surplus OF S119,612,-
1869 The decrease in these expenditures
compared with the fiscal year ended June &c.
1887, was 1928, 221.9O, Notwithstanding the
payment of more than S5,0O0.0O0 for pensions
in excess of what was paid for that purpose in
the aforementioned year.
The revenues of the government for the year
ending June 80, 1889, ascertained for the quar-
ter ended September 30, 1888, and estimated
for the remainder of the time. amount to
S377, O00, 900; and the actual and estimated Or
binary expenditures for the same year are
S273, 1000, 900, leaving an estimated Surplus Of
S1G4 900 900. The estimated receipts for the
year ending June 80, 1890, are 1871 600, 900, and
the estimated ordinary expenditures for the
same time are S275, 767, ass. a. showing surplus
of S101, 232, 511.66. The foregoing statements
of surplus do not take. into account the sum
necessary to be expended to meet the require
ments of the sinking-fund act, amounting to
more than 81, DOC, 900 annually. The cost of
collecting the customs revenues for the last
fiscal year was IA per cent; for the year 1885
it was 8. ~ per cent. The excess Of internal
revenue taxes collected during the last fiscal
year over those collected for the year ended
June 80, 1887, was S. 489 174.26, and the cost of
collecting this revenue decreased from 3.4 per
cent in 1887 to less than 3.2 per cent for the
last year. The tax collected on oleomargarine
was $723. 948. 04 for the year ending June 80,
1887, and 1854, 88 for the following year.
THE PURCHASE OF BONDS.
The requirements of the sinking-fund act
have been met for the year ended June 80, 1888,
and for the current year also, by the purchase
of bonds. After complying with this law as
positively required and bonds sufficient for
that purpose had been bought at premium, it
was not deemed prudent to further expend the
surplus in such purchases until the authority
to do so should be more explicit. A resolution,
however, having been passed by both houses of
Congress removing all doubt as to executive
authority, daily purchases Of bonds were CON-
menced ON the 23d day of April, 1888, and have
continued until the present time. BY this plan
bonds of the government not yet due have been
purchased up to and including tho 30th day of
November, 1888, amounting to S94, 700, 400, the
premium paid thereon amounting to $l7 $685.
613.08.s
The premium added to the principal of these
bonds represents an investment yielding about
2 per cent interest for the time they still had
to run: and the saving to the government rep
resented by the difference between the amount
of interest at per cent upon the sum paid for
principal and premium and what il would have
paid for interest at the rate specified in the
bonds if they had run to their maturity, is
about S27, 1855 900. At first sight this would
seem to be profitable and sensible transac-
ton on the lart of the government. But, as
suggested by he Secretary of the Treasury