Mexico weekly ledger., 1892-12-08

been paid on. fer psns.oass dur s.t sh! +. ad II e.
pended during the period from March !, 1883, TO
March / 1883; and. third. that under the exist
re-, rsys .ap.n v aP u w DsIdh hays + b,ssn Collected upon
| imported suzars II the duty had been main
tanned has gone into the pockets OF the people;
s sas "a are sa any Who still think that the surplus
should have been kept out OF circulation oy
hoarding it In the treasury or deposited IN
banks without interest, while this government
upon the bonds deposited as security for the
sion Iegislation was . public robbery. or that
the dutiss upon sugar should have been main.
tanned, ! am content to lsavs the argument
whore 1t now rests while VS. wait to see
legislation.
THE ~xEvKsuRs.
Al The "a. esve srum for the ., asss. year wsrs ending s4ss s IA
go q, and the sHdps s ds M for all
balance Of so.sl4,45s6s, There were paid
heriaa sbs s a1i .s rs Thu npG Surplus aa' in 'a the
treasury and the bank redemption fund, passed
by the act of July IL. 1890, to the general fund,
furnished In large part the cash available and
used for the paym ants made upon the public
debt t cs@p customs wi aati shs ts y's of i 81. c ssE 81. f..
06, while our receipts from internal revenue
increased 1891, $50 10. leaving the net loss Of
revenue from these principal sources $50. 49,,
4l7. 95. The net loss of revenues from all
sources was 81, 67b. 872 81.
n RRcKIPrs.
The estimated receipts for the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1893, are $3.50, ~ 800 ss and the
estimate | appropriations s4s7. 26l ,a5 81, leaving
an estimated surplus OF receipts over the ex-
psnditurss Of Sc $4,000 This does not In.
recommendation of the secretary that the
sinking fund law be repealed, concur. The
afd'm tas law Hr bones To- s june the 30, pa'i is5s
has already sTessdsd the rsquirsmsnts By
bonds ia the future before maturity should be
a matter of convenience. not OF compuision.
We should not collect revenue for that pur-
BBsissi sa Of H al, SO s5s as 81 & Of sf' receipt. ipae over e a9 ,ns
diturss for the year 1894. should be aided the
estimated surplus at the beginning OF the year,
must be deducted, as stateliby the secretary,
about $t,c0O,OOJ of estimated unexpepded ap-
preparations.
THK DRAIN OF GOLD.
The public confidence In the purpose and
ability of the government to maintain the
parity OF all our money issues, whether coin or
paper, must remain unshaken. The demand
for gold in Europe, and the consequent calls
upon us. are in 4 considerable degree the result
of the efforts of some of the European govern
msnts to increase their gold reserves, and these
efforts should be met by appropriations upon
our part. The conditions that have
created cree this drain OF the treasury
So nv ~ NA priv
zeal and not commercial. In view of the fact
that a general revision of our revenue laws in
the near future seems to be probable. 1t would
be better that any changes should BE- a part Of
thar revision rather than OF a temporary ma
ture.
During the last fiscal year the secretary pur-
chased. under the act Of July IA, 1899, 81. Ss6 748
ounces OF silver. and issued IN paym snt thereof
sSl, lqs. BOG ia notes nc Is. ~! The t total parchs ;se o7 1in ss,
ounces. and the aggregate of notes issued Sll6.-
7s3, $50.
THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
The report Of the secretary of war brings
again to the attention of congress some i'm
portsnt suggestions as to the re- Organization
of the infantry and artillery arms OF the serv.
that they be pressed. Our army is small, but its
organisation should all the more be put upon
the most approved modern basis. The condi-
FRONTIER" heretofore required the main
tsnance OF many small posts, but now
right one. The new posts SHOULD have the
proper strategic relations to tbs only from
tiers" We now have, those of thu sea coast and
of the northern and part of our southern boun-
dairy. do not think that auy QUESTION of ad-
vantage in localities or st ites shouli d determine
the location OF the new post 1hs organi,
IN ,litary information which the secretary has
effected is a work the usefulness of which will
become every year more apparent. The work
of building heavy guns and the construction of
coast defenses has been well begun and should
be carried on without CHI LEX.
Tx DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
The report of ths attorney general is by law
submitted directly to congress, but / can not
refrain from saying that he has conducted the
,RaIss grsas profes ed 1ni s hfRari In i bss on leysrsl
directions secured from thu courts decisions
giving increased protection to the officers
classes of crime that escaped local cognizance
and punishment into the tribunals Of the
United States. where they could bs tried with
Ihsvs heretofore expressed nv concurrence
in the recommendation OF the attorney general
that degrees of murder should bs recognized In
the states. These grades are founded on cor
rect distinctions in crime. The recognition of
discretion in apportiouing punishment and
would greatly relieve the executive of what is
coming to be a very heavy burden-the exam
ination of these cases on application for COM
mutation.
THE COURT OF CLAIMS.
The aggregate of claims pending against the
government in the court of ciaimsis enormous.
Claims to the amount Of nearly S40G. 000. 900 for
taking Of property, far injury OF persons calm
that court for examination. When to those are
added the Indian depredations claims and the
reached that is indeed Startling. In
the defense of those claims the gov
s Tbs slain rs st have : great pr.ss aisssv'n tsst1
evidence, whereas the government has to send
agents to rumage the field for what they can
1 WSsr sn the f hnis to olb DC est.b b Pssali "a fbs great Gist
loyalty Of the claimant during ths war. If this
great threat against our revenues is to have no
the department Of justice with appropriations
sufficiently liberal to secure the best legal
talent in the defense of these claims and to
pursue its vague search for evidence.
THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
The report of the postmaster-g general shows
a most gratifying increase and a most efficient
and progressive MANAGEMENT of thu great BUSH
crease in revsnues.in the number of post offices
and In the miles of mail Interchange furnishes
further evidences of the high state of pros
perity which our people are enjoying New
offices mean new hsmlets and towns; new
routes mean the extension Of our border set
active The -postmaster-g gem
eral reviews the whole period Of
his administration of the office aud brings some
of his statistics down to the month of Noyem-
Der last. The postal revenues have increased
during the last year nearly S5,OOO,00. The
defe1t for the year ending Juns 30, 1885,. is
ing year. The deficiency of the present fiscal
year. it is estimated, will be reduced to 81, 552.-
t tsa n ".tcn n snl . yss amy bn 10 = ss snrpIns ef quri9g
| $1,000. 600 should then be shown.
In the calculations t payments to be made
under the contracts for OCEAN mail service have
not been included. There have bsen added
1,0S0 new mail routes during ths year with q
| mileage of 1888 miles. and the total mum bsr of
new miles of mail trips added during the year
is nearly IL, 600. The number of miles of
mail journeys added during the last four years
/ Is ABOUT 1O.UOJ,UUU, ILLS huultlOn DelUX Zl,UUt,UUU
of miles more than were in operation in the
whole country in 1881.
| The number of post of1c, Is has been In
creased by 2, 100 during the ysar, and during
the past four years. up to October 90 last. this
total increase in the number of Offices has been
nearly 1900. The numbYr of ira ,-deliv4 ry
offices has been nearly doubled in the past four
years, and the number of monsy-order Offices
more than doubled within that time. For
three years ending Juns 20, 1899, the posta se
revenue amounted to Sls7, 74l, 49,, viii b was
an increase of S52, s43, $50 over ths revenue
for the three years ended June so. 1885.
the increase during the last three
years being more than three and a half
times as great as the increase during the three
years ending June 30. 1881 No SUCH increase
as that shown for these three years has ever
previously appeared in the revenues Of the de-
partment. The postmaster general has eK-
tended to the post oficss III the larger cities the
merit system Of promotion, Introduced by my
direction into the dspar ments nere, and 1t has
| resulted there, as ia the departments, ia q
| large volume of work and that better done.
TIE DECLINE OF OUR MERCHANT MARINE.
Ever since our merchant marine was driver
from the sea by the rebel cruisers during tha
war of the rebellion, the Unit d States has
be | paving an enormous annual tribute to
foreign countries in the shape OF freight and