Bismarck weekly tribune., 1888-12-07

have been disposed of either by arbitra-
ton or by a lump settlement. Similar
claims of our citizens will continue to be
urged upon the Chilian government.
and, it is hoped, will not be subject to
further delay.
Proclamation was duly made on
Nov. 8, 1887, of the conventional ex.
tension of the treaty of June 8, 1875,
with Hawaii, under which relations of
such special and beneficent intercourse
have been created.
The president announces an advanta-
geous treaty of amity with Peru, and
the satisfactory settlement of claims Of
american citizens against Ecuador and
Denmark and Hayi by arbitration, and
the extension Of time for the ratification
of q treaty for q rehearing Of claims
against Venezuela. He advises re-
ciprocal commerce treaties with South
and Central American countries and
with San Domingo and Hayti. A meet
ing Of the maritime powers in Washing
ton in April to devise means for the
greater security of life and property at
sea. is approved. A special message
will be sent to congress on the subject Of
tonnage duties.
Revision of the Naturalization Laws.
With the rapid increase Of immigra-
tion to our shores and the facilities Of
modern travel, abuses of the generous
privileges afforded by our naturalization
laws calls for their careful revision. The
easy and unguarded manner in which
certificates of American citizenship can
now be obtained has induced class, un-
fortunately large, to avail themselves Of
kS>1
allegiance to their native lands, and vet
by foreign residence to escape any Just
duty and contribution of service to the
country of their proposed adoption.
Thus, while evading the duties Of citi-
zenship to the United States, they NAV
make prompt claim for its national pro-
lection and demand its Intervention in
their behalf. International complica-
tions of q serious nature arise, and the
correspondence Of the state department
discloses the great number and complex
ity Of the questions which have been
raised.
Reorganization Of Consular Service.
The reorganization of the consular
service is a matter of serious importance
to our national interests. The number
of existing principal consular offices is
believed to be greater than is at all nec-
essary for the conduct of the public b,lsi-
ness. 1t need not be our policy to main
tain more than moderate number of
principal offices, each supported by q
salary sufficient to enable the incumbent
to live in comfort, so distributed as to Sc
cure the convenient supervision through
subordinate agencies Of affairs over q
considerable district.
The Washington Centennial.
An emphatic Endorsement is given to
the proposition for the centennial cele-
bration on April 80, 1887, of the inaugur-
alton Of Washington in New York.
Finances Of the Nation.
The report Of the secretary Of the
treasury exhibits in detail the condition
of our national finances and the opera
tions of the several branches Of the gov
ernment related to his department.. The
total ordinary revenues Of the govern
ment for the fiscal year ended June 80,
1888, amounted to $879, 1855, ,974.76, Of
which $219, ,091 ,172. SO was received from
customs duties and $124, ,296, ,871.98 from
internal revenue taxes.
The total receipts from all sources
exceeded those for the fiscal year
ended June 80, 1887, by 37,S82, ,707. 10.
The ordinary expenses for the fiscal
year a c-s ending ID June 80, 1888, were $685.
659,958. 81, leaving q surplus Of $119,-
penditures, as compared with the fiscal
year ended June SO, 1887, was Sc, ,278.-
22O. 80 notwithstanding the payment Of
more than $5, ,O00, 900 for pensions in ex-
cess of what was paid for that pur-
pose in the latter mentioned year. The
revenues Of the government for the
year ending June 80, 1889, ascertained
for the quarter ended June 80, 1883.
and estimated for the remainder of the
time, amount to $977, 900, 900, and the
actual and estimated ordinary expendi-
lures for the same year are 272. .OGO. 900.
leaving an estimated surplus Of $1O4.
OO0, 900.
The estimated receipts for the year
ending June 30, 1890, are $877, ,OOO. .OUO,
and the estimated ordinary expendi-
lures for the same term are $275, ,467.- q
488. "a, showing surplus of SOL 1884,
511.88. The foregoing Statements.
surplus do not take into account the
sum necessary to be expended to meet
the requirements Of the sinking fund
+ act, amounting to more than a.. .OOO,-
600 annually. The cost of collecting
the customs revenues for the last fiscal
year was 2.M per cent. For the year
1885 it was 2.T 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, la .26, and
the cost Of collecting this revenue de-
creased from 8.4 per cent in 1887 to less
than 80 per cent for the last year. The
tax collected on oleomargarine was $728, :
s046.Q for the year ending June so,
1881, and 4se4, ,1sy.ss for the following
year.
The requirements Of the sinking fund
act have beap met for the year ended
June q, 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 besn bought ct 9 premium
y twas not deemed prudent to further