Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1888-12-04
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
.ooaliaasa 80 Firs, - J

coniaanty ant .cipated
The act Of jane -. 1854 and the acti
amendatory thereof, N reati N to tonnage
duties, have given rise 10 extended CORES
pondsnce with foreign nations with whom
we have existing treaties OF navigation anc
commerce, and have caused wide and regret
table divergence Of opinion in relation TO the
imposition Of the duties referred to- THESE
questions are important, and / shall make
them the subjacs Of a special and more do
tailed communication at the present session
ABUSE OF NATuRALIzATIoS PRIVILEGES.
With the rapid increase OF immigration TO
our shores AMI the facilities If mo lern travel,
abuses OF the generous privileges afforded by
our naturalization laws call for their careful
revision.
The easy and unguarded manner in which
certificates OF American citizenship can now
be obtained has induced a class unfortu.
nately large, 10 avail thems Ives of tine op
portunity to become absolved from allegiance
10 their native lald aud vet by a foreign
residence 70 escape any just duty aul contri
button n service 70 the country OF heir pro
posed adoption Thus while evading the du.
ties OF citizenship 10 tins United States they
make prompt claim for its national protec.
ton and demand is Intervention in their be-
half international com Iic4tions OF a seri.
Gus nature arise, and the correspondence OF
the state department disc!oses the great mum
Der and colnplexity OF the questions which
have been raisei
Our laws regulating the issue Of passports
should be carefully revised. au1 tho instltu
ton Of central bureau OF registration al
the capital il again strongly recommended.
BY this means fun particulars Of each case Of
naturalization in tue United States would ID
secured and properly iadexed and recorded,
and thus many cases of spurious citizenship
would be detected aud unjust rasponsibilitie:
would be avoided.
The reorganization Of the consular service
10 matter Of serious Importance 70 our ma,
tionnl interests. fhe number of existing prin.
cipal consular offices IS believ ID to be greater
than j. at eli nscessary for the conduct OF
the public business. 1t need not be our policy
10 maintain more than a moderate numbet
of prime pal Offices, each supported by a sal.
airy sufficient 90 enable the incumbent to live
in comfort and SO distributed to secure the
convenient superv sion, through subordinate
agencies, of affairs over a considerable dis
trict
/ repeat tho recomm sndatons heretofore
made by me, that tho appropriations for the
maintenance of our diplomatic and consular
service should be recast; that the so-caAed
notarIal on unofficial fees, which our repre-.
sentatives abroad are now permitted TO treat
as personal perquisitas, should be forbidden,
that n system of consular inspection shonld
be instituted, and that a limited number oil
secretaries Of legation at large should DO au.
thorizea.
Preparations for the centennial celebration,
ON April so, 1889 Of the Inauguration OF
Georse Washington as presi ieat of the
United States, at the city of New York, have
been made by a voluntary organization
OF the ci izans of that locality, anal believing
that an opportunity should be afforded for
the expression of the interest felt throughout
the country in this event. ] respectfully rec
ommend fitting and cooperative action by
congress in behalf of the people of the United
States
THE NATIONAL FINANCES.
The report of the secretary OF the treasury
exhibits in detail the condition of orr nation
al finances and the operations OF the several
branches OF the government related to his
department
The total ordinary revenues of the govern
ment FOR the fiscal year ended June 30, 1888,
amounted to SSi92i6,0H1 G OF which S2l9,.
O9l, 173G3 was received from customs duties
and Sf2t, 295 S71.9S from internal revenue
taxes.
The total receipts from all sources exceed
ed those for the fiscal year ended June so,
1887, by 1882, 797.l
The ordinary expenditures OF the govern
ment for the fiscal year ending jane 80, 1888,
were $3.50 353, 05S6i, leaving surplus OF
Stl0,6l2 1860.
The decrease in these expenditures as com
pared with the fiscal year eule June 1887,
was IS, 2IS, 2sL90, notwithstanding the pay
mont Of more than S5,0JO,00l for pensions in
"a g, : /.
the latter mentioned year
The revenues Of the government for the
year ending June 30, 1889. ascertained for the
quarter eadei Sept so, 1883, and estimated
for the remainder OF the time, amount TO
SSf7, 001 900: and the ac,ual and estimated
ordinary expenditures for the same year are
SasS, 10000, leaving an estimated surplus OF
SI0400o,o00
The estimated recaipts for the year ending
June 80. 1899, are S}11, 900 900, and the est
mated or.i0aly expenditures for the sans
time are $40, a65, ass 81 showinga surplus oil
Sl0i, 81 51166
The foregoing statements of surplus do not
take into account the sum necessary TO be ex
pended to meet the requirements OF the sink
ing fund net. amounting to more than Sii,
100000 annually
The cost Of collecting the customs revenues
TOT tue last HStslt ttsK was = IT II tStiS AS1
the year 1885 It was Ss9 per cent
The excess of internal reveuue tax.s col
lected during the last fiscal year owe these
collected for the year led June ~, 1881,
was S., 4s9, ia. Is. and the cot of co.l7 sng
this revenue decreased from "a per cent. in
1857 TO less than 81 per cent fos I e lass
year. The tax collected on oleomarga9ire
was SOS. 1904 for the year ending June 50.
1851, and $s64, fsa.ss for the following year.
TaE PURCHASE or BOMBS,
The requirements of the sinking fund act
have been me. fer the year ended june 81,
1858 and for the current year also, by the
purchase CT bonds. After complying with
this law as positively required, AMI bonds
sufficient for that purpose hal been bought
at premium, it was not deemed prudent 70
further expend the surplus in such purchases
until the authority to do SO should be more