Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-03-02
AFFAIRS OF THE NATION.
Considerable Increase in the
 Public Debt.
COMMERCIAL UNION WITH CANADA
Condition of the Governments Finances Up to Date-Increased Pension Pay ments-President Cleveland's s Last Public Reception-FavorableO Outlook for Crops.

Up to Date-Increased Pension Pay
 Reception-FavorableO Outlook for Crops.
 WASHINGTON, March 2-The public debt, according to the statement issued from the treasury department, has increased S6, 443,- S34 during the past month Unusually heavy pension payments, amounting to saO,- 914,954 is assigned as the chief reason for an increase instead of decrease in the debt since Feb. l. The net cash or surplus in the treas ury has decreased about $17, ,OOO, 900 during the month, and amounts to S4S096, 15S. Ma tional bank depositaries hold S4S, SIS, ,991 of government funds, or about $l, 500, 900 less than on Feb. l. The gold fund balance in the treasury has increased about $2, ,OOO, 900 during the past month and amounts to sl96,- ,9sO, and the silver fund balance exclu- sive of S6, 0OO 900 trade dollar bullion, has in- creased Se,500,OOO, and now amounts to S21, ,5G4, ,965.
 Government receipts during February past were $50, 1S3 l59, against s31, l5l ,93l in Febru- ary, 1888, the decrease being due to dimin- ished customs receipts, which this year in February were SIS, 76s, ,037 against SIS, ,691, ,O64 ill February, 1888. Expenditures during the past month were unusually large, owing to heavy pension pa yments, and amounted to S33, 7S6, ,517, or about S14, ,OOO GOO more than in February, 1SSS The total receipts and ex- penditures for the first eight months of the current fiscal year, compared with the cor responding months of the previous year. were as follows: Receipts, 1888, $254, 366, ,9l5; ex- penditures, slS3, 446 929. Receipts, 1889, $a55,- PIG, O,423; expenditures, S222, 434 ,6o5 This shows an increase in receipts for the eight months of the current year over those of the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year of about q, 900, ,OOO; and on the other hand an increase of $S9, ,0OO, 900 in expendi- lures so far this year over expenditures for the eight months of last year.
 COMMERCIAL UNION WITH CANADA.
 In the house the joint resolution was passed to promote commercial union with Canada. It provides that whenever it shall be duly certified to the president that the government of Canada has declared a desire to establish commercial union with the United States having uniform revenue system, like inter- nal taxes to be collected and like import duties to be imposed on goods to be brought into either country from other nations, with no duties upon trade between the United States and Canada, he shall appoint three commissioners, with those who may be like "tse ueSlS ledbeu uo represent the government of Canada, to prepare plan for the assimila- tion of the import duties and internal revenue taxes of the two countries and an equitable division of receipts in commercial union; and said commissioners shall report to the president, who shall lay the report before congress.
 CLEvELAND's LAST RECEPTION.
 The presidents last public reception drew fully 2,O00 people, mostly strangers in the city, to the White House. When about 500 had been admitted the outside doors of the mansion were closed. The president shook hands with those who were so fortunate as to get inside, and after this ordeal was over de- cided not to receive the others Many old ac- quaintances of the president were among those who called to say good-by.
 THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS
 The signal office monthly weather crop bull letin reports that generally the weather for February and season up to the first of March has been favorable, and notwithstanding the deficiency of moisture i'll the winter wheat section, the resulting crop conditions are more favorable than those of last year, although the success of the crops depend largely on the weather of the current month.