Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-12-09


deposits. or who think that the extended
pension legislation was a public robbery,
or that the duties upon sugar should
have been maintained, l am content TO
leave the argument where IL now rests,
while we wait to see whether these crit
icisms Will take the form OF legislation.
The revenues for the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1892, from all sources were S42o,,
S6S, 26O ~, and the expenditures for all
purposes were $4l5, 953, S56 So, leaving a
balance of $9.9l4.4 O3 IS. There were paid
during the year upon the public debt $4O,-
StO4b 9S. The surplus I'm the treasury
and the bank redemption fund, passed by
the act of July II, 1890, to the general
fund furnished in large part the cash cash
available and used for the payments
made upon the public debt. Compared
with the year 1891, our receipts from GUS
toms duties fell off $i20e9,2n OS, while
our receipts from internal revenue in
creased $S,2S4,S -, leaving the net loss
OF revenue from these principal sources
S33,7Sf,4l7 95 The net loss OF revenue
from all sources was $32, 6i59l2 81.
The revenues, estimated and actual, Tor
/ the nsca year ending June 80, 1893, are
placed by the secretary at $iSS SSS 500 a.
/ showing surplus of receipts over ex-
/ penditures OF 100000. The cash balance
in the treasury at the end Of the he d fiscal "a
year, IL is estimated, viii be $40, 1892, 377 o..
The estimated receipts for the fiscal year
ending June 30. 1894, are $3.50, l2l 1865 80, and
the estimated appropriations. N51, 26l,-
1886 80, leaving an estimated surplus of re-
! ceiptS over expenditures of $50, $50, 900 %.
I This does not include any payment to the
sinking fund. In the recommendation or
be repealed, / concur. The redemption Of
! bonds since the passage OF the law TO June
30, 1892. has already exceeded the nc, require
| ments by the sum of $780, ,6Sl 40. The
| retirement Of bonds In the future before
| maturity should be a matter of conven-
! fence, not of compulsion. We should not
/ collect revenue for that purpose, but only
use any casual surplus. To the balance
/ of $32, $50, OS0 % of receipts over expendi,
lures for the year 1884, should be added
! the year, so, 992, 81 OBJ; and from this ag-
gregate must be deducted, as stated by
the secretary, about $4,000 GOO OF esu-
mated unexpended appropriations.
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 mistaken.
SILVER.
During the last fiscal year the secretary
purchased, under the act of July IA, 1880,
payment therefor S5l, LOG, sos in notes. The
total purchases since the passage of the
act have been 100 49, d ounces, and the
aggregate of notes issued Sl1G,7S3 $50. The
average price paid for silver during the
year was "a cents per ounce, the highest
price being 81 OF 3D. July !, 1891, and the
lowest, SO cents, March q, 1882. In view Of
the fact that the monetary conference is
now sitting, and that no conclusion has
vet been reached 1 withhold any recon-
mendation as to legislation upon this sub
THE ARMY.
The report of the Secretary OF War
brings again 70 the attention of Congress
some important suggestions as TO the
REORGANIZATION OF the infantry and artil-
lery arms of the service, which his pre-
! decessors have before urgently present
ed. our army is small, but its organiza-
ton should all the more be put upon the
most approved modern basis. The con-
ditions upon what we ,I have called the the
maintenance OF many small posts, but
now the policy of concentration is obvi-
ously the right one. The new posts
lions to the only frontiers" we now
have, those Of the sea coasts and of our
northern and part of our southern bound
airy. / do not think that any question OF
advantage to localities or TO states should
determine the location of the new posts.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
The report OF the Attorney-General is
by law submitted directly 10 Congress.
but l can not refrain from saying that
he has conducted the increasing work OF
the Department OF Justice with great
professional skill. He has in several di-
rections secured from the courts deci-
sions giving increased protection to the
officers of the United States and bring
ing some classes of crime that escaped
local cogniZance and punishment into the
tribunals of the United States, where
they could be tried with impartialty.
/ recommend that Congress prescribe
uniform credit for good behavior on the
part of United States prisoners confined
in the various state penitentiaries.
l have before expressed my concur
renee in the recommendation of the At
torney-General that degrees of murder
should be recognized I'm the federal stat
utes as they are, i believe, in all the
states. These grades are founded on
correct distinctions in crime. The recog-
milton of them would enable the courts
to exercise some discretion in apportion-
ing punishment and would greatly re-
lieve the executive of what is coming to
be very heavy burden-the examina-
ton of these cases on application for
Communication.
PoSTOFFICE DEPARTMENT.
The report of the Postmaster-General
shows a most gratifying Increase and
most efficient and progressive manage
ment of the great business Of that depart
ment. The remarkable increase In reVe-
nues, in the number Of postotfces and In
the miles of mail carriage furnishes fur
Their evidence Of the high state of pros
perity which our people are enjoying.
New offices mean new hamlets and towns,
new routes mean the extension of our bor-
der settlements, and increased revenues
mean an active commerce. The Postmas-
ter-General reviews the whole period OF
his administration of the Office and brings
some OF his statistics down to the month
OF November last. The postal revenues
have increased during the last year near
ing June 90, 1892, is sSis,Sn less than the
deficiency OF the preceding year. The de-
hctency of the present fiscal year, II is
estimated, will be reduced to Sl,552, 423.
the next fiscal year, but a surplus of near
ly A,0OO,000 should then be shown. In
these calculations the payments to be
made under the contracts for ocean mail
service have not been included. There
have been added 1880 new mail routes
during the year. with a mileage OF S,563
miles, and the total number of new miles
of mail trips added during the year is
nearly 1900 600. The number of miles of
mail journeys added during the last four
years is about 10000, 0O0 this addition being
81 100000 of miles more than were I'M oper-
alton in the whole country in 1861 The
number of postoffices has been increased
by 2,790 during the year; and during the
past four years and up TO October 29
last. the total increase In the number of
offices has been nearly 5000. The number
OF free-delivery offices has been nearly
doubled in the past four years, and the
number OF money-order offices more than
doubled within that time.
OUR MERCHANT MARINE.
Ever since our merchant marine was
driven from the sea by the rebel cruisers
during the war of the rebellion, the United
States has been paying an enormous an
nual tribute TO foreign countries in the
shape OF freight and passage moneys.
Our grain and meats have been taken at
our own docks and our large imports
their laid down by foreign shipmasters.
An increasing torrent of American travel
to Europe has contributed vast sum an
nually TO the dividends OF foreign ship
owners. The balance of trade shown by