Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1888-12-06

which no reasonable no 20 had bsen given and
which does not appeal to have been efficiently
maintained n seizure OF vess IL under the Amer
ican flag has boon reported, aud in consequences,
measures 10 prevent md redress any inolesta-
tion OF any OF our innocent merchantmen have
been adopted.
COMMUNICATIONS WITH HONOLULU.
Proclamation was duly made ON the 9th day
OF Notemeer, t6l, OF the conventional exten-
sion OF ths treaty OF June 8, ls 5, with Hawaii,
under whish relat ions OF such special and
bJneneen; intercourse have been created In
tho vast ho.d OF Orien al comm rec now un-
folded ON ouc acihc lorders, no feature pre-
sents stronger recomme ndations for Congress
sional action than tho establ shment OF COM
munlcation by submarine telegraph with Homo
lulu. The geographical position OF the Hawaiian
group in rela ion TO our Pacific States, creates a
natural inte. dependency and mutually OF in
10 foster, and which make close communication
a logical and commerc' al necessity.
OUR SISTER REPUBLIC.
The wisdom OF conc uding a treaty OF COM
merc.al reciprocity with Mexico has been here
tofore stated In M messages To Congress-, and
the lupse OF time an growth OF commerce with
that close neighbor an sister Republic confirm
the Judgment so expressed. The precise relo-
cation OF our boundary lin is nscdful, All nde-
qua.e appropr alton Is low recommended.
IL Is with sincere satisfaction that am en-
abled to admit the spirit Of good neighborhood
and friendly coop. rat on and concilatlon that
has marked tn CORE soon lence ind action of
tee Mexican Authorities tkeir share OF the
task in maintaining law and order about the
line OF our common boundary.
The long pending boundary dispute between
Costa Rica and Nicaragua wai referred to my
arbi ration, and by nn awnrd ma o on the 22d OF
March last the question has been finally settled
to the expressed satisfaction Of bo n OF the par
ties in IN. ere5'.
Other foreign mat ers referred to are the abo-
litiOn OF slavery in Brazil, the claims against
Chilli, Hayti, and Venel ola, and the assem-
blago at Washington during the coming year of
the representatives OF South and Central Ameri-
can States, with those of Mexico Hayti, and
San Domingo, to discuss important commercial
topics.
The report Of tho Secretary Of tho Treasury
shows that the total ordinary revenues OF the
Government for the fiscal year ended June 30
lssI amounted to 1919, 266,O4 20, of which s21 D.
OBJ l7L63 was received from customs duties
and Sl24, 29j,8i1 9S frC m internal revenue taxes
The total receipts from all sources exceeded
those TO; tho lis al year ended June 80 1897 by
81, 6l,.9L1O The ordinary expenditures for the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1888, were S259,6 81
9jS.67, leaving a surplus OF Sll9,612 ll6.09. The
decrease in expen litur- compared with the
fiscal year enied June 81 1887 was Ss 27s, ,22O 3O
notwi, hstanding a payment OF more than
S5,OCO,ON for pensions in excess OF what
was paid for that purpose in the latter
mentioned year. The estimated receipts for
the year ending June 30, 1870, are S377, 10000
and the estimated ordinary expenditures for
the same time are S275, 7o7, 1884 showing a
surplus of Sl0l 23l, ,51I.G6. The foregoing state
ments Of surplus do not take into account the
sum necessary TO be expended to meet the
requirements of the sinking fund act, amount
ing TO more than $i70O,OO0 annually. The cost
OF collecting the customs revenues for the last
nScal year was 2.44 per cent. the year 1889 IL
was 377 per cent. The excess OF internal revenue
taxes collected during the last fiscal year over
those collected for the year endel June 3d. 1887,
was S5 499 ia 2j, and the cost of collecting this
revenue decreased from g. per cent. in 1887 to
less than 80 per cent. for the last year. The tax
collected on oleomargnrine was S723 9IS. CA for the
year ending June 80, 1887, and 1854 l3J.SS for the
following year.
The requirements of the Sinking Fund Act
have been met for the year ended June 80 1898
and for the current year. also, by the purchase
bonds.
positively required and bonds 5uffcit mt for that
purpose had been bought ut a premium, it was
not deemed prudent t. further extend the sur
plus in such purchas until the authority to do
should he more explicit. resolution, 10 Sever
having been passed by both houses of Congress
removing all doubt as to Executive authority,
daily purchases Of bonds were comm On ced on
the sd day OF April, 1888, AMI have continued
until tho present time. BY this plan, bonds of
the Government not yet dCe have been pur-
chased up to and including the th day of No
vember, 1858, amount ng TO SYI, 700, 400 tins pre-
MUM paid thereon amounting to 81, 5OS, ,6l3.0S.
The premium added To tle principal OF these
bonds represents an investment yielding about
per cent interest for the time they still had to
run, and the saving to the Government repre-
sented by the difference bstwesn the amount of
interest at per cent. upon the sum paid for
principal and premium and what 1t would have
paid for interest at the rate specified on the
bonds. IL they had run to their maturity, is
about $17, l65,C0J. At first sight this would
seem seem to be profitable and sensible
ernment, but as suggested by the
Seer stlry of the Treasury, the surplus thus ex-
pended for the purchase Of bonds was money
drawn from the people In excess OF any actual
need OF the Government, and expended
rather than allow IL TO ain idle in the Iroas-
ury III this surplus, under the operation OF Just
and equitable laws, hal been left in the hands
of the people, 1t would have been worth in cir
business at least per cent. per annum. De-
ducting from the amount of int. rest upon the
priL pal and premium upon the bonds ana the
time they had to run at the rate OF per cent,
the saving of 2 per cent. made for the people by
the purchase OF such bonds, the loss viii ap-
pear to be S557 Q, 200 This calculation
would seem to demonstrate that il excessive
AMI unnecessary taxation is continued and
the Government is forced TO pursue this
policy OF purchasing it's own bonds at
the premiums which IL will be necessary to pay,
the loss to the peop'e will be hundreds OF
millions OF dollars. Since tho purchase of bonds
was undertaken as mentioned, nearly all that
have been offered were at last accepted. 1t has
beoa m .de quite apparent that the Government
was in dlnger OF being subjected to combina-
tions to raise their pric1. Notwithstanding the
large sums pIid out in the purchase OF bonds,
November 1855 was So, is $500 after deduct.
ing about 600 just drawn oIt for the pay
ment OF pensions
AT the close Of the fiscal year ended June 80
1887, there had been coinsd under ths compul-
sorry silver coinago act, S266 0SS, 30 in silver
dollars, SIS, so, SO OF which were in the hands
OF tho peop,e. On the 3lth day OF June, Is B.
there had been coined S2J9 q g 900, and Of this
SJ5, ,S29, 3,3 was in circulation in coin and $780,
80, ,316 in silver certihcate5 for the redemption
held by the Government.
On the 3Oth day of November, 1888, s3l2, ,570-
900 had been coined, SJ0,9709 $50 OF the silver dol
lars were actually in circulation AMI S237, ,4lS-
3i6 in certifca es. The Secretary recommends
the suspension OF the further coinage of siv r.
an l in such recommendation 1 earnestly con-
cur.
The secretary Of War reports that the army
at the date of the last returns consisted Of 159
officers and "a, $40 enlisted men. The actual ox-
penditures Of the War Department for the fiscal
year ended June 30, 1885, amounted TO al, ,165.-
1O7 .O7, OF which sum 80, ,158 5l6.63 was expended
for public works including river and harbor inn
provements Plans and Specifications for guns
for the establishment of an army gun factory
have been prepared and bids for the work will be
advertised for; The recommendation OF tho
Secretary of War that there shall be plan for
the examination OF officers to test their htness
for promotion Is approved.
The death OF General Sheridan in August last
was a national afiiction. The army then lost
the grandest OF its chiefs. The country lost a
brave and experienced soldier, n wise and dis
Greet counselor and n modest and sensible
ma gnosg % wno Ia AMY e,on TaS % w,snn snnr
fail to pay deserved and willing homage to his
greatness and the glory OF his career; but they
will cherish with more tender sensibility the
loving memory OF his simple, generous and con-
siderate N lture.
The condition OF the Apache Indians, 3s2 In
number, held "a prisoners at Mount Vernon bar
racks, Ala, IL declared to be good The children
are sent 10 Carlisleo or Hampton for schooling
am not at all in sympathy with those benevo-
lent but injudicious people who are constantly
insisting that the Indians should be returned
to the reservation. Their removal was an alb
solute necessity, IL the lives and property OF the
citizens upon the frontier are to be at all re-
garded by tho Government. Their continued
restraint at a distance from the scene OF their
repeated and cruel murders and outrages is still
necessary.