Huntsville gazette., 1890-12-06

Il n
eltner party. 1t is sincerely hoped that be-
Tore the opening of another scaling season
some SON arrangements may be effected which
VIII assure to the United States property
Iignt, derived from Russia, which was not
oisregarded by any nation for more than
elgnty years preceding the outbreak of the
| existing troubles.
| MEXICAN AFFAIRS.
Ihe friendship between our country and
| Mexico, born of close neighborhood and
strengthened by many considerations of in
timate intercourse and reciprocal interest
has never been more conspicuous than now
nor more hopeful of increased benefit to both
/ nations. The intercourse of the two coun-
trles by rail, already great, is making CON
slant growth.
| RELATIONS WITH SPAIN
The cordial character of our relatiossss "a
SPAN warrants the hope that by theeontin-
| uance OF methods of friendly negotiation,
| much may be accomplished in the direction
| OF an adjustment of pending questions and of
the increase of our trade The extent and
| Development of our trade with the island of
| Cuba invest the commercial relations of the
| United States and Spain with a peculiar i'm
portance. 1t IS not doubted that special ar
| rangement in regard to commerce, based
upon the reciprocity provision of the recent
Tariff act, would operate most beneficially
/ for both governments This subject ia now
| receiving attention.
THE CONSULAR SERVICE
The legislation of the past few years has
| eyinced on the part of Congress a growing
realization of the Importance of the consular
| service in fostering our commercial relations
abroad and in protecting the domestic rev
| enues. As the scope of operations expands,
| increased provision must be made to keep up
| the essential standard of efficiency. The
| necessity of some adequate measure of super
vision and inspection has been so often pre-
| sented that need only commend the subject
| TO your attention.
FINANCIAL.
| The revenues of the Government from all
| sources for the fiscal year ending June 80,
| 1890, were S463. .o63, ESQ 55 and the total ex-
| penditures for the same period were S35S 6IS-
| 5S4.52. The postal receipts have not hereto
| fore been included in the statement
| pose of comparison the sum of s6o,ss2 ,697 81
| should be deducted from both sides of the
| account. The surplus for the year, includ
| ing the amount applied to the sinking fund
was sos ,3+t, 1906. The receipts for 1890 were
SIS, ,030 ,923.79, and the expenditures i5,739,-
| S71 in excess of those of 1889. The customs
ceipts from internal revenue S11, ,725, SO,
while on the side of expenditures, that for
| pensions was S19.312 ,074.96 in excess of the
preceding year.
RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES
The Treasury statement for the current
| fiscal year, partly actual and partly estimat-
| ed is as follows:
Receipts from all sourcese. $406 900 600; total
expenditures, Ss54 900 900, leaving a surplus
| of $50 000, ,o90--not taking the postal receipts
| into account on either side. The loss of rev
| enue from customs for the last quarter is
| estimated at s25, 100000, but from this is de-
| Quoted gain of about Sl6.000,000 realized
| during the ur5t 1Oifr months OF the wear.
For the year 1892 the total estimated re-
ceipts are 1878 100000 and tho estimated ex-
penditures 1857 ,s52 ,209.42, leaving an estimat-
| ed surplus of SIS 147 ,790. .5s, which, with cash
| balance of s52, 900 600 at the beginning of the
| year, will give $66 147 ,7905S as the sum avail
| able for the redemption of outstanding
ceipts and expenditures for the Post paice
| Department being equal are not included in
| this statement on eithet side.
| PURCHASE OF SILVER BULLION.
| The act odirpctinr the nurchasa of silver
| bullion and the issue of Treasury notes
| thereon" approved June IA, 1890, has been
| ury with an earnest purpose TO get into cir
culation at the earliest possible dates the full
| monthly amounts of Treasury notes coitem-
plated by its provisions, and at the same
time to give to the market for silver bullion
such support the law contemplates. The
recent depreciation in the price of sill
| yer has been observed with regret
The rapid rise in price which antici-
pated and followed the passage of the
| act was influenced in some degree by specu
| lation, and the recent reaction is in part the
| result of the same cause and in part of the
| recent monetary disturbances. Some months
| of further trial Will be necessary to deter
| mine the permanent effect of the recent legs
| lation upon silver values, but it is gratifying
| to know that the increased circulation Sc
| cured by the act has eXerted and will continue
| to exert a more beneficial influence upon
| business and upon general values.
CIRCULATION OF MONEY.
| The efforts of the Secretary to increase the
|
| down the treasury surplus to the lowest prac-
| tcable limit have been unremttng, and in
| very high degree successful. The tables pre-.
Sented by him, showing the increase OF
| money in circulation during the past two de-
| cades, and especially the table showing the
| increase during the eighteen months he has
| are interesting and instructive. The in
| crease of money in circulation dur
| ing the nineteen months has been IN
! the aggregate So, ,S66, ,Sl3, or about Sl.50 per
| capita, and of this increase only S7,lO0,O00
| was due to the recent silver legislation.
| That this substantial and needed aid given
! to commerce resulted in an enormous re-
] duction of the public debt and of the annual
| interest charge is matter of increased salts
! faction. There have been purchased and re-
| deemed since March 4, 1883, 4 and 4l2 per
cent. bonds to the amount of S2l1 ,S32 49, at a
cost of S246, ,620,74l, resulting in the reduction
| of the annual interest charge of $500 sos,
| and total saving of interest of S5l ,516,1O6.
THE INTERNAL REVENUE
| Inotice with great pleasure the statement
! of the Secretary that the receipts from in
ternal revenue have increased c aSo dprihg ing the
| cost of collecting this larger revenue was
| less by $9G,6l7 than for the same purpose in
the preceding year. The percentage OF cost cost
| of collecting the customs revenue was less
| for the last fiscal year than ever before.
THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
| The report of the Secretary of War exhibits
several gratifying results attained during tne
| year by wise and unostentatious methods.
| The percentage of desertionS from the army
! ian evil for which both Congress and the de-
| partment have long been seeking remedy
| has been reduced during the past year "a per
| cent, and for the months of August and
| September during which time the favorable
| effects of the act of June l6 were felt, IS per
| cent as compared with the same months OF
| 1889.
| OFFICIAL RECORDS.
The results attained by a reorganization
| and consolidation of the divisions haylnS
charge of the hospital and service records OF
| the volunteer soldiers are very remarkaDle.
| This change was effected in July, 1859, ana at
| THAT time there were 1864 cases awaiting az
| tention, more than half of these being calls
| from the Pension Office for information nee
| essary to the adjudication of pension claims.
! On the 3oth day of June last, though over ooo,-
| 600 new calls had come in, there was not q
| single case that had not been examined anu
/ answered.
COAST DEFENSE WORKS AND ORDNANCE.
| / concur in the recommendations OF tne
| Secretary that adequate and regular appro
| nriations be continued for coast de1ense
| works and ordnance. Plans have been prac
| tically agreed upon and there can be no goou
| reason for delaying the execution OF Ipeln'
! willie the defenseless state of our great sea
ports furnishes an urgent reason for Wise
| expedition
STATE MILITIA.
The encouragement that has been extenoed