The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-12-04

line incapable of being guarded, reciprocal
commercial treaties may be found expedient
as 1t is believed that commercial policies,
inducing freer mutual exchange OK products,
can be most advantageously arranged by
Independent, but cooperative legislation:
In the mode last mentioned the control OF
our taxation for revenue VIII always be re-
tained in our own hands unrestricted Dy
conventional agreements with other govern
ments.
In conformity also with Congressional
authority, the maritime powers have Deen
invited to confer In Washington in April
next upon the practicabilEy Of deyising uni
form rules and measures for greater security
Of life and property at sea. A disposition
to accept on a part of a number Of the
powers has already been manifested, and II
the cooperation Of the nations chiefly inter-
eS.ed shall be secured, important results may
be confidently anticipated.
TONNAGE DUES.
The act OF June 26. 1884, and the acts
amendatory thereof. in relation to tonnage
duties, have given rise to extended CORES
pondenee with foreign nations with whom
we have existing treaties Of navigation and
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 subject Of special and more de-
tailed communication at the present session.
NATURALIZATION.
With the rapid increase of immigration TO
| our shores and the facilities Of modern trav-
ell, abuses of the generous privileges afforded
by our naturalization laws call for their care
full revision. The easy and unguarded man
ner In which certificates Of American citizen
ship can now be obtained has induced class
/ unfortunately large, to avail themselves Of
the opportunity to become abselved from al
legiance TO their native land, and yet by a
foreign residence to escape any Just duty and
their proposed adoption. Thus, while eyad-
ing the duties Of citizenship to the United
States, they may make prompt claim for its
national protection and demand its interven-
| tion In their behalf International cOmplica-
tions OF serious nature arise. and the cor
respondence of the State Department dis
| closes the great number and complexity of
the questions which have been raised. Our
laws regulating the issue OF passports should
be carefully revised, aud the institution Of a
central bureau of the registration at the cap
| ital Is again strongly recommended. BY this
| means full particulars Of each case Of natur-
aliZation in the United States would be Sc.
cured and properly indexed and recorded
| and this many cases Of spurious citizenship
would be detected and unjust responsibility
| would be avoided.
| DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR SERVICE.
The reorganization Of the consular service
is matter of serious importance to our ma
tional interests. The number Of existing
principal consular offices is believed to be
greater than is at all necessary for the con-
duct Of the public business. 1t need not be
| our policy to maintain more than moderate
number OF principal Offices, each supported
| by q 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 eonsid-
| erable district
repeat the recommendations heretofore
made by me. that the appropriations for the
| maintenance Of our diplomatic and consular
service should be recast; that the so-called
notarlai or unofficial fees, which our repre-
| sentatiVes abroad are now permitted to treal
as personal perquisites, should be forbidden
that system OF consular inspection should
be instituted; and that limited number OF
secretaries OF legation at large should be au-
| thOriZed.
THE APPROACHING CENTENNIAL.
Preparation for the centennial celebration
on April 30, 1899, of the Inauguration OF
George Washington as President of the
United States, at the city of New York. have
been made by voluntary organization OF
the citizens Of that locality, and believing
that an opportunity should be afforded foI
the expression Of the interest felt through.
out the country in the event, l respectfully
recommend fitting and cooperative action bS
Congress ON behalf Of the people Of the Unit
ed States.
| THE CONDITION OF OUR FINANCES.
The report of the Secretary of the Treas.
ury exhibits in detail the condition Of oul
national finances and the operations Of tht
several branches Of the government related
to his department. The total ordinary rev
enues Of the government for the fiscal yea
ended June 80, 1888, amounted to S379, ,266,
074.56, Of which S219, ,091, 1883 was received
from customs duties and S124, ,296, ,S71 .98 from
internal revenue taxes. The total receipts
from all sources exceeded those for the fisca
year ended June 80. 1887, by 81, 1862, ,797. 10
The ordinary expenditures Of the govern
ment for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888
were $3.50 653, ,958.67, leaving a surplus Oi
S119,6l2.116.09. The decrease in these ex
expenditures, as compared with the fiscal
year ended June 30, 1887, was SS,27S, ,221. 80
notwithstanding the payment Of more thar
$4,000 900 for pensions in excess of what wa:
paid for that purpose In the latter mentioned
| year.
The revenues Of the government for thu
year ending June 30, 1889, ascertained for this
quarter ended Sept. 80, 1888, and estimated
for the remainder Of the time, amount L
S377,OOO,0OO, and the actual and estimated or
| dinary expenditures for the same wear arr
S273.00O,000, leaving an estimated surplus o.
| SlO4.OOO,0OO. The estimated receipts for the
year ending June 30, 1890, are S377, ,0OO, 600
and the estimated ordinary expenditures fol-
the same time are S275, ,767, ,4SS.34, showing Q
| surplus OF S101, ,232, ,5l1.66.
The foregoing statements Of surplus do MOI
take into account the sum necessary to bs
expended to meet the requirements Of thI
sinking act, amounting to more than S47, 900,
GOO annually. The cost Of collecting the Gus
toms revenues for the last fiscal year wa
244 per cent. for the year 1885 1t was 3.77 pei
cent. The excess Of Internal revenue take
collected during the last fiscal year owe
those collected for the year ended June &c
1887, was 81, 4S9 1925, and the cost Of collect
Ing this revenue decreased from 3.4 per cent
In 1887 to less than 3.2 per cent. for the las
year. The tax collected on OleOmargarine
was S723, S.04 for the year ending June 80
1887, and 1854, sS for the following year.
THE PURCHASE OF BONDS TO REDUCE TIL
SURPLUS.
The requirements Of the sinking fund ac
having been met for the year ending June 20
1888, and for the current year also by tn,
purchase Of bonds, after complying with thi
law as positively required and bonds suffi
cient for the purpose had been bought at
preA.ium, 1t was not deemed prudent to fur
ther expend the surplus In such purchase
until the authority to do so should be NOR
explicit. A resolution, however, having bee
passed by both houses Of Congress, removinl
all doubt as to executive authority, dali
| purchases OF bonds were commenced on tn
I'd day OF April, 1888, and have CONTINUES
until the present time. By this plan, bond
OF the government not yet due have beel
purchased up to and including the 3Oth da
OF November, 1888, amounting to S94, 700 4O(
the premium paid thereon amOuntingtO SIT
S,6l3.0S. The premium added to the prin
cipal Of these bonds, represents an invest
ment yielding about per cent. interest 10
the time they still have to run, and the saw
ing to the government represented by tn
difference between the amount of interest a
per cent. upon the sum paid for principa
and premium and what 1t would have pait
for interest at the rate specified in the bond
II they had run to their maturity, is abou
S27. .165, 900.
At first sight this wonlc seem to be pro
ftable and sensible transaction on the par
of the government, but, as sugge, ed by tn
Secretary Of the Treasury. the surplus thu
expended for the purchase Of bonds wa
money drawn from the people In excess 0
any actual need of the government and wa
expended rather than allow it to remain idl
in the treasury.
III this surplus, under the operation Of Jus
and equitable laws, had been left In tn
hands OF the people. 1t would have beel
worth In their business at least six per cen
per annum. Deducting from the amount o
interest upon the principal and premium 0
the bonds for the time they had run, at tn
rate of six per cent. the saving Of two De
cent made for the people by the purchase o