Huntsville gazette., 1889-12-14
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
President Harrison's First Com
munication to Congress. -
a Review Of Foreign and Domestic Affairs
- They Relate to the Welfare Of
the Government and Hap.
Piness of the People.

| House and Senate to-day the COM
! mittees appointed to wait on the Presi-
| dent reported that they had performed
that duty and had been informed by the
President that he would communicate
with the two houses by a message in
writing. Thereupon message from
the President was announced and its
reading proceeded, the following being
| a synopsis:
'HThere are few transactions in the admins
| tration of the Government says the PreSf-
dent, "that are even temporarily held in the
| confidence of those charged with the con-
| duct of the public business. Every step
| taken is under the observation of an intelli-
| gent and watchful people. The state OF the
Union is known from day to day, and sug-
| gestions as to needed legislation find an
earlier voice than that which speaks in these
| annual communications OF the President to
Congress.
| Proceeding, the President says that good
| will and cordiality have characterized our
| relations and correspondence with other
| governments, and the year just closed leaves
| few international questions of Importance
| lieved to exist that can long postpone the
| consideration and adjustment of the still,
| pending questions upon satisfactory and
honorable terms.
ALL AMERICANS.
It is matter of high significance, and no
| less of congratulaton, that the first year
of the second century of our constitutional
existence finds, as honOred guests within
our borders, the representatives of all the in
dependent States of North and South Amer
lea, met together in. earnest conference
touching the best methods of perpetuating
and expanding the relations of mutual in
tereSt and friendlineSS.
EQUAL DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION.
1t is recommended that we send ministers
plenipotentiary to all South American coun-
tries sustaining diplomatic relations with
the United States. All other countries send
| ministers of this grade to us. In Paraguay,
Uruguay and Bolivia we are represented only
by resident ministers. This is not consid-
cred judicious in view of our relations with
these countries. Hawaii and Hayti, the
President thinks, should receive similar
treatment, and be invited to participate in
the present international congress.
THE CHINESE QUESTION.
The Chinese question is handled guardedly,
but with due regard to the rights of those of
the race already here, and the maintenance
of friendly feeling between this country and
China The Samoan treaty is to be submitted
to the Senate. The President hopes the Can
adian difficulties can be adjusted without
trouble. The President wants boundary
lines in narrow channels of the waters join
ing the great lakes so marked as to be visible
to the naked eye and thinks that the extra
dition treaty between us and Great Britain
should be made more sweeping in scope
Such treaty will soon be submitted.
We want more friendly relations with
Cuba and Porto Rico. We are not settling
Spanish claims very fast American railway
builders in Peru and Portugal, whose prop
erty has been seized by those governments,
must be protected. The Nicaragua canal is
all right, thanks to the amicable adjustment
between Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
ABoLIsHING THE SLAVE TRADE.
America is to take part in the Information
Brussels, Belgium November 16, to abol-
ish the slave trade in Africa We are on
friendly terms with Germany. We cOntem-
plate with satisfaction Japans progress, but
COrea
We are on friendly terms with Persia, but
in Turkey things need adjusting. In France,
ican citizens find things a trif1e mixed. This
will have to be adjusted. Our relations with
the new government of Brazil are cordial.
OUR REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES.
The aggregate receipts from all sources for
the year were $685., ,05O, ,0oo 81, divided as fol-
lows: From customs, $223, 49,, 741.6S; from in
ternal revenue, $130 SS1 ,51392; from miscella-
neous sources, $32,335 ,s03.23.
period were $2Sl 996,615.60, and the total ex-
penditures, including the sinking fund, were
$329, SIS, ,929.25. The excess of receipts over
expenditures was, after providing Tor the
sinking fund, $57 470, 1859.
For the current fiscal year the total reve-
nues, actual and estimated, are $685., ,0O0, 900,
and the ordinary expenditures, actual and
estimated, are $293 100000, making with the
sinking fund, total expenditure of $34l ,321,-
1859, leaving an estimated surplus OF $43,-
678,S83.01.
'The existence of SO large an actual and
anticipated surplus should have the imme-
diate attention of Congress, with view to
reducing the receipts of the treasury to the
needs of the Government as closely az may
be-" says the President "It has called into
use expedients for putting it into circulation
not collect revenue for the purpose of an
ticipating our bonds beyond the require
ment of the sinking fund. The loanIng OF
public funds to the banks without interest
upon the security of Government bonds,
regard as unauthorized and dangerous
expedient. 1t results in temporary ana
unnatural increase of the banking capital
of favored localities, and compelS q cautious
and gradual recall of the deposits to avoid
injury to the commercial interests. lt IS not
to be expected that the banks having these
deposits will sell their bonds to the treasury
so long as the present highly beneficial ar
rangement is continued. They now prac-
tcally get interest bOtn upon tne DondS anu
The deposits now outstanding should be
gradually withdrawn and applied to the
purchase of bonds.
TARIFF REVISION RECOMMENDED.
sTrecommend a revision of our tariff law,
both in its administrative features and in the
schedules. Some disturbance of business
may perhaps result from consideration OF
this subject by Congress- but this temporary
i'll effect will be reduced to the minimum by
prompt action and the assurance which
the country enjoys that any necessary
impair the just and reasonable protection of
our home industries. The inequalities OF
the law should be adjusted, but the protect
i've principle should be maintained and fair
ly applied to the products of our farms as
well as our shops. These duties necessarily
have relation to other things besides the
public revenues. We can not limit their ef-
fects by fixing our eyes on the public treas
ury alone. They have direct relation to
home production, to work, to wages and to
the commercial independence of our coun-
try and the wise and patriotic legislator
should enlarge the field of his vision TO IN
clude all of these.
saThe free list can very safely be EXTENDED
by placing thereon articles that do not oHer
injurious competitor to such domestic PROD
ucts as our home labor can supply, the
President says. ''The removal OF the inter-
nal tax on tobacco would relieve an lmpor-
tant agricultural product from burden
which was imposed only because our rev.
enue from customs duties was insumclent
for the public needs. If safe provision
against fraud can be devised the removal OF
the tax upon spirits used in the arts ana 10
manufactures would also offer an unoDjec-
tionable method of reducing the surplus.
AIDING BANK CIRCULATION.
ssThe amount of National bank notes IN
circulation has decreased since the year 1873
STA los, ,729 of which $37 799 229 is chargeable
to the last year. 1t is probable the adoption
of the suggestions made by the Comptroier
of the Currency, viz: That the minimum
deposit of bonds for the establishment OF
banks be reduced, and that an issue OF notes