Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-09


and stability Of our financial institutions.
With the movement Of crops the outflow Of
gold was speedily stopped. and . return sst in.
loss At the port Of New York e27, s54 600, and il
il confidently believed that during the winter
and spring this aggregate will b steadily and
largely increased
ThI REDUCTION OF fHR sulPLUA
The presence Of . large cash surplus In the
Treasury has fcr many years been the subject
OF much unfavorable criticism and has fur
nished IN argument 70 those who have desired
to place the tariff upon purely revenue basis.
II was agreed by all that the withdrawal from
circulation Of 30 large an amount Of money
was An embarrassment to the business Of the
country and made necessary the intervention
OF the Department at frequent intervals to
plus on March I. 1889, was SIS, s27, 1903. The
policy OF applying this surplus 70 the redemp-
ton of the Understanding securities Of the
United States was thought to he preferable to
that OF depositing it without interest in selected
national banks There have been redeemed
since the date last mentioned If Understanding
securities S259.079.350. resulting in a reduction
OF the annual interest charged Of S1l ,6S4 ,675.
The money which had been deposited in banks
without interest has been gradually Withdrawn
and used in the redemption Of bonds,
The result of this policy, of tho silver legis-
iation, and OF the refunding OF the ~ per cent
bonds has been o large increase of the money
In circulation. At the date last named the
circulation was 81, 404, 205, $50, or S23.03 per
capita; while on the 1st day of December, 1891,
1t had increased to 81, 577, z62070. or S243S per
capita. The offer of the Secretary Of the Treas
ury to the holders OF the Az per cent bonds to
extend the time of redemption, at the option Of
the government, at an interest of per cent,
was accepted by the holders Of about onc-half
the amount, and the unextended bonds are be-
Ing redeemed on presentation.
The War Department.
The report Of the Secretary of War exhibits
the rosults Of an intelligent, progressive, and
business-lihe administration Of q Department
which has been too much regarded as one Of
mere routine. The separation of Secretary
Proctor from the Department by reason Of his
appointment as Senator from the State Of
Vermont is source OF great regret to me and
to his colleagues in the Cabinet, as am sure it
Will be to all those who have had business with
the Department while under his charge.
lnthe administration of army affairs some
especially good work has been accomplished.
The efforts of The Secretary to reduce the per-
centage of assertions by removing the causes
tEat promoted 1t have been SO successful as to
enable him to report for the last year a lower
percentage of assertions than has been before
rOached In the history OF the army. The re-
suiting money saving is considerable, but the
Improvement in the morale of the enlisted men
is the most valuable incident Of the reforms
which have brought about this result.
The work of securing sites fore shore batter
les for harbor defense and the manufacture Of
mortars and guns of high power to equip them
have made good progress during the year. The
preliminary work of tests and plans, which SO
long delayed a start, is now out of the way.
CT, To-, H..
enlarged shop and a more complete equipment
at Watervliet the Army will soon be abreast Of
the Navy In gun construction. Whatever un-
avoidable causes of delay may arise there
should be none from delayed or insufficient
appropriations. We shall be greatly en-
bdrrassed In the proper distribution and use Of
naval vessels until adequate shore defenses are
provided for our harbors.
concur In the recommendation Of the Sec
Rotary that the three-battalion organization be
adopted for the infantry. The adoption of a
smokeless powder and of modern rifle equal
In range, precision and rapidity of fire to the
best now in use will, hope, not be longer de-
layed.
The project Of enlisting Indians and organic
ing them into separate companies upon the
same basis as other soldiers was made the sub
ject of very careful study by the Secretary and
received my approval. Seven companies have
been completely organized and seven more are
In process OF organization. The results of six
months training have more than realized the
highest anticlpations. The men are readily
brought under discipline, acquire the drill with
facility, and show great pride in the right dis
charge of their duties and perfect loyalty to
their officers, who declare that they would take
them into action with confidence. The dis
cipline, order, and cleanliness of the military
posts will have a wholesome and elevating in
huence upon tho men enlisted, and through
them upon their tribes. while more friendly
For he yu}. and
the Government will certainly be promoted.
The great work done in the Record and PEN
sion Division OF the War Department by Major
Ainswortb, of the Medical Corps, and the clerks
under him, is entitled to honorable mention.
Taking up the work with nearly 4l,0OO cases
behind. he closed the last fiscal yesr without a
single case left over, though the new cases had
increased so per cent in number over the pre-
vious year by reason Of the pension legislation
of the last Congress.
The Department OF Justice.
concur in the Recommendation Of the At
torney General that the right in felony cases to
a review by the Supreme Court be limited.
1t would seem that personal liberty would have
a safe guaranty if the right of review in cases
involving only fine and imprisonment were
limited to the circuit court of appeals. unless a
constitutional question should in some way be
involved.
The judges Of the Court Of Private Land
Claims, provided for by the act Of March 8,
1891, have been appointed and the court organ
lied. 1t is now possible to give early relief to
communities long repressed in their develop
ment by unsettled land titles and to establish
the possession and right of settlers whose lands
have been rendered valueless by adverse and
unfounded claims.
The act Of July 9, 1888, provided for the in
corporation and management Of a reform
school for girls in the District of Columbia;
but it has remained imperative for the reason
that no appropriation has been made for con-
an institution il very urgent Many girls could
be saved from depraved lives by the whole
some influences and restraints of such q school
recommend that the necessary appropriation
be made for site and for construction.
The enforcement by the Treasury Depart
ment of the law prohibiting the coming of Chi
nese to the United States has been effective as
to such as seek to land from vessels entering
our ports. The result has been to divert the
travel to vessels entering the ports of British
Columbia, whence passage into the United
States a. obscure points along the Dominion
boundary is easy. A very considerable number
of Chinese laborers have, during the past year,
entered the United States from Canada and
Mexico.
Tho officers Of the Treasury Department and
of the Department of Justice have used every
means at their command to intercept this inn
migration, but the impossibility of perfectly
guarding our extended frontier is apparent.
The Dominion Government collects head tax
of $50 from every Chinaman entering Canada,
ard thds derives considerable revenue from
those who only use its ports to reach position
leo ,xasvn % ID