Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-12-07
WORK REVIEWED.
Continued from First page

Continued from First page
laws since the scope of those changes and the
time Of their taking effect cannof in any degree
be forecast or foretOld by him. His estimates
must be based upon existing laws and upon a
continuance OF existing business conditions ex-
cept so far as these conditions may be affected
by causes other than new legislation.
The estimated receipts for the fiscal year
ending june 81, 1894 are $40, III 365 Is and the
estimated appropriations S45, 26l, S5S3 leaving
an estlma.e1 surplus OF receipts over the ex-
clude any payment to the sinking fund. In the
Recommendation of the secretary that the sink
ing fund law be repealed | concur. The re-
demptlon of bonds since the passage of the law
TO June 30, 1892 has already exceeded the
requirements by the sum of $3.50 l06Sl. 40 The
retirement of bonds in the future before ma
OF compulsion. We should not collect revenue
Tor that purpose but only use any casual sur
Plus To the balance of Sa2 $50, OS006 of receipts
over expenditures for the year 1894. should be
added the estimated surplus at the beginning
or the year, S2Oyf2,311.OS and from this aggre-
gate there must be deducted as stated by the
secretary, about S4iOOOOOO, OF estimated unex-
pended appropriations.
Tue 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 mistaken The demand
for gold in Europe and the consequent calls
upon us are IN a considerable degree the result
OF tAceIorts of some of the European govern
ments TO increase their gold reserves, and these
efforts should be met by appropriate legislation
created this drain of tbs tire asury gold are in
an important degree political and not CONNER
cial In view of the fact that a general reyis-
ION or our revenue Laws in the near future
seems to be probable, it would be better that
any changes should be part Of that revision
rather than OF a temporary nature.
During the last fiscal year the secretary pur-
chased under the act of July IA, $780, "a. 3SS74S
ounces Of silver, and issued in payment there
since the passage OF the act have been l20, 49,
eSl ounces, and the aggregate Of notes issued
$LlnIS5 5u The average price paid for silver
curing the year was 81 cents per ounce, the
highest price being Slu2A, July /, 1891, and the
lowest SOS5 March 81, 1892. In view of the fact
and that no conclusion has as yet been reached,
! withhold any recommendation as TO the legisr
htson upon this subject.
Secretary of Wars Report.
The report OF the secretary of war brings
again TO the attention Of congress some import
ant suggestions as to the reorganization nf the
infantry and artillery arms of the service,
which his predecessors have before urged that
they be pressed. Our army is small, but its
organization should all the more be put upon
the most approved modern basis The condi-
tons upon what we have called the frontier
nave heretofore required the maintenance OF
many small posts, but now the policy OF con-
centration Is obviously the right one: The new
posts should have the proper strategic relations
TO the only frontiers we now have those Of
the sea coast and OF the northern and part of
our southern boundary. ! do not think that
any QUESTION OF dONdnJttRe LOCALITIES states
should determine the location of the new
posts The organization and the en-
Iargement OF the bureau of mill
taIy Information which the 2ecretary has
effected is a work the useful ess OF which will
become every year more apparent. Tn work
OF building heavy guns ana the construction Of
coast Licenses has been well begun, and should
be carried on ..ithnut check.
The report If the attorncy- gen eral is b. law
submitted dlrec. " 70 congress. but cannot re
fr1iu rom s. ing that ne mas conducted the
increasing WORK Of the depa. tmeut of justice
Wi b great professional skill. He has il sew
eral directions secured from the courts deci-
sion GIVING increased protection to the officers
OF the United states and bringing some Class,
OF crime that scaped local co nIzIuC ana p IL
1shmeut MO the tribunals OF tine United states
where they could be tried impa tialy.
The numerous appICsltla rs Tor eXecutlVe
Glen money presented In behalf OF persons con-
victed III the United states courts and givea
peniteuai.-ry sentences have ca. led my attcn-
ton to a TACT referred to 5y the att rEey-gcl-
eral in his report, namely: That time
allowance tor good behavior Tor such
prls q rs IS prescribed by the federal
statU ties only where the state in which peni-
teutlary n located had made no such provision.
PrisOLUrs are given the benefit OF the provls-
ions Of tie state law regulating he pelite
Il r. o which they may he s ut. These are
various-sorne perhaps too liberal and some
perhaps TOO illiDsral. me result IS that a
sentc &c for i've years means one thing If he
prisOl-r Is sent 20 one state Tor confinement
and quite n different thing Il he is sem 70
another. / recommend that a uniform cred
for gOos beLstvIsr be lreSc-Ib' % by con gress.
have D fore CS.uressed my concurrence in IN.
yecoInm rda iU.4 of the attorney general that
degrrrs OK murder should be re. OgnIzed n
federal court. IS they are, ! l. hcyg. la al the
states. These grades are founded on
various distinctions in crime. The recog-
milton OF them would enable the courts
to exercise some discr ton in &pportlOn,
ing punishment and would gre ally relieve
the executive of what is coming to be very
heavy Durden-the examination Of these cases
on application Tor Communication.
Enormous Claims.
The aggregate OF claims pending against the
government in the court OF claims is enormous.
Claims to the amount of nearly Iour hundred
million dollars for the taking Of or injury to
the property OF persons claiming to be loyal
during the war are before that court for ex-
animation. When to these are added the Indian
depreciation claims and the French spoliation
claims an aggregate Is reached that Is indeed
startling. In the defens OF these claims the
government is at disadvantage. The claim
ants have pr, served their evidence, whereas
the government has to send agents to runmage
for what they can find. This difficulty is pc
cuharly great where the fact TO be established
n the disloyalty of the claimant during the
war II this great threat against our revenues
ts to have no other check, certainly congress
should supply the department of Justice with
appropriations sufficiently liberal to secure t.ie
best legal talent In the defense of these claims
and to pursue its vague search for evidence
effectively.