Los Angeles herald., 1891-05-02
The New Spanish Treaty in
Blaine's Hands.
Secretary Foster ON the Finan.
cial Situation.
Steps Taken to Put Subsidiary Coin
in Circulation.
The Repeal of the Special Tobacco Tax
Goes Into Efect-Public Debt
Statement, Etc.
Associated Press Dispatches.

Associated Press Dispatches
WASHINGTON, May Especial Com
missioner Foster and James G. Blaine,
Jr., have returned to Washington from
Europe. Foster called upon Secretary
Blaine this morning, bearing a copy of
the new reciprocity agreement negoti-
ated by him with the Spanish govern
ment. Its contents will not be made
public at present. Mr.. Blaine declined
to state whether or not the document
was treaty or an agreement under the
new tariff.
SILVER PURCHASES.
The treasury department today made
the first purchase OF silver for the pres
ent month. The amount offered was
$4,000 ounces, of which 175,000 were
purchased, as follows: 10000 ounces at
$0.97 5000 at $0.9S; 10000 at $0 9S4.
PUBLIC DEBT STATEMENT.
Aggregate of interest bearing debt, eX-
elusive of United States bonds issued to
the Pacific railroads, $610,771, ,520. Debt
on which interest has ceased since ma
turity, 81 $3.50, ,635. Aggregate debt bear
ing no interest, including national bank
fund deposited in the treasury under the
act of July A. 1890, $397 ,S02. .240. Ag-
gregate of certificates and notes offset by
cash in the treasury, $53S, ,444, ,056. Ag-
gregate OF debt, including certificates
and notes April 30, 1891, 81. .54S, ,67S ,45l.
Decrease of the bonded debt during the
month, $2,71l.3S1. Total cash in the
treasury, 500, 1852, ,S5S. Debt less cash in
the treasury April 30th, ss4S,5l5, ,535.
Debt less cash in the treasury March 81,
| $3.50 ,029, 920. Net decrease in debt DUR
ing the month 81 1,514,S27.
SECRETARY FOSTERS FINANCIAL VIEWS.
Secretary Foster, in speaking today
concerning financial matters, said, in
his opinion, the government would be
| able to take care of all its obligations,
and that in addition to 1886, 900, 900 of
bonds already retired by this admins
tration, it would, in his opinion, add
considerable amount in the two years
that remain. Concerning the $100,000,-
900 legal tender redemption fund in the
treasury the secretary said he did not
expect that any condition of affairs
would arise which would make it neces-
cary for the government to touch it. He
intimated, however, that this fund
might be usedwithout legislative action,
in case OF absolute necessity, to prevent
discredit to government obligations.
Foster said the last statement made by
Leech, director of the mint, was an ad-
mirable one. There were some state
ments in it, however, which he would
have expressed differently, had he pre-
pared the paper himself.
| cunsrnr.pu corN ron CrpCrrr IrrnN
The first step contemplated by Secre-
tary Foster for getting the subsidiary
coin now in the treasury, into circula-
ton, was taken today, when the follow
ing notice, signed by United States
Treasurer Nebeker, was prepared at the
treasury department, and to be sent to
| banks and bankers throughout the
United States "The coinage of stand
ard silver dollars authorized by the act
of February 2Sth, 1873, has been discon-
tinued by the act of July 14th, 1890.
| The treasurer finds it inconvenient to
furnish them otherwise than in the re-
| demption of silver certificates or treas
ury notes, but will forward silver half
dollars, quarter dollars or dimes, to any
address, tree of cost for transportation, by
express, in sums of 5000 or more, or
by registered mail in packages of $40,
in exchange for any other kind of money
deposited in the treasury or any sub
treasury or depository bank. Remit
tances for this purpose will be received
by the treasurer and assistant treasurers
in the form of drafts on any bank or
banker in Washington, New York, Bos-
ton, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Cincinnati,
! Chicago, st. Louis, New Orleans or San
Francisco"
| SPECIAL TOBACCO TAX REPEALED.
Under the provisions of the Mckinley
tariff act, beginning today all special
taxes imposed upon dealers in leaf to-
bacco, dealers in manufactured tobacco,
manufacturers of tobacco and cigars and
peddlers, are repealed. The law, how
ever, requires that these various classes
of dealers shall register the names OF
their place of business, ETC., with the
local collector OF internal revenue. with
the exception of dealers in man
ufactured tobacco. The number
of dealers of the latter
class according to the report of the com
missioner of internal revenue for 1890,
was 603,0SS who paid a tax of $2.40
each. 1t is said at the department that
the abolition of this special tax OF 81. 40
will cause a loss to the government OF
81 900, 900 annually.
SIXTY THOUSAND SEALS TO SLAUGHTER.
Secretary Foster has fixed the maxi
mum amount of seals which the Com
mercial company will be allowed to take
during the coming season at 10000.
CONSUL GENERAL MERRY.
The treasury department has recog-
nized Consul General Merry as consul
general of Nicaragua, at San Francisco.
WATERWAYS WTIT