The record-union., 1892-12-07

50 far as these figures are based On the esti-
7 male oi receipts and Expenditures iOr he re-
I manning months OF the current fiscal year
tneie are not the usual elements OF uncer-
/ taiiity, out some added elements OF new re G.
nue. legtslatlon. or even the expectation OF 1t,
may seriously reduce the public revenues dur
| Ing The period of uncertainty and during the
| press of business adjustment to the new con-
dItlons when they became known. But the
! secretary has very wisely refrained rom
| guessing as TO the effect of the possible
/ changes in our revenue laws, Since the scope
OF lhese changes and the time OF their taxing
erect cannot IN any degree be forecast or fore
] told by him, his estimates must be based
/ upon existing laws and upon continuance
/ or existing business conditions, except 50 far
! as these conditions may be affected by causes
/ other than new legislation
The estimated receipts for the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1898, are $3.50, 121, 800 3S,
ana the estimated appropriations Sf0 ,261 :
| 335 So, leaving an estimated surplus of re-
celpts over the expenditures of S32 $780,
/ $50 O5. This does not include any payment
| TO the sinking fund.
! In the recommendation of the Secretary
/ thai the sinking fund law be repealed, con-
| cur. Tne redemption of bonds since the pas
/ sage OF the law to June 80, 1892, has already
exceeded the requirements by the sum Of
4 $500, 10,GS1 40. The retirement of bonds
/ IN the future before maturity should be a mat
/ ter of convenience, not of compulsion We
! should not collect revenue for that purpose,
DuI only use any casual surplus
10 the balance of S32, 500, $50 05 of re-
/ cSlptS over expenditures Tor the year 1892
shouId be added the estimated surplus at the
beginning OF the year of 2O,992,377 33, and
/ rom tins aggregate there must be deducted,
| a. stated by the Secretary, about S44 ,OO0,-
OOO OF estimated unexpired appropriations.
PARITY OF OUR MONEY.
The public confidence in the purposes and
| ABILITY OF the Government to maintain the
| parity OF all our money issues, whether coin
| or paper, must remain unshaken. The de
mand for gold in Europe, and the consequent
calls upon the United States are in q consid-
| cradle degree the result of the efforts of some
| OF the European Governments to increase
their gold reserves and these efforts should
be met by appropriations on our part. The
! conditions that have created this drain on the
| treasury gold are in an important degree po-
ntlcal, and not commercial. In view of the
! fact that a general revision of our revenue
laws in the near future seems TO be probable
/ II would be better that any changes should be
| a part of that revision rather than OF a tempo
| rary nature.
During the last fiscal year the Secretary
| purchased under the Act of July II, 1890,
| $780, ,74S ounces OF silver, and issued in
| payment thereof SOL, JOG, COS in notes. The
| total purchase since the passage of the Act has
been l2O 9,S91 ounces, and the aggregate
of notes issued S116,7S3, 599. The average
| price paid for silver during the year was "a
| cents per ounce, the highest being ST. O23I.
ON July l, 1891, and the lowest So cents,
| March 21. 1892. In view of the fact that the
| Monetary Conference is now sitting and that
no conclusion has vet been reached, | with
! hold any recommendation to the leglsla-
LlOlA upOLi ltlIS SuDJGCt-
THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
The report of the Secretary of War brings
again to the attention of Congress some i'm
| portant suggestions as to the reorganization
| OF the infantry and artillery arms OF the Serv-
Ice which MS predecessors have heretofore
| urged that be passed. Our army is small, but
its organization should all the more be put
upon the most modern basis. The conditions
| upon what we have called the "frOntier" have
heretofore required the maintenance of many
small posts, but the new policy of concentra-
tion is obviously the right one. The new
| posts should have the proper strategic rela-
| tiOnS to the only "frontierS' We now have.
those of the west and the north and part of
our southern boundary. l do not think that
| any question of advantage in localities or
States should determine the location of the
| new posts.
The organization and enlargement of the
Bureau OF Military Information, which the
| Secretary has effected, is a work the useful
ness of which will become every year more
apparent.
The work of building heavy guns and the
construction OF coast de1enses has been well
begun, and should be carried on without
check.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
The report of the Attorney General is by
! law submitted directly to Congress, but / can
not refrain from saying that he has conducted
the increasing work of the Department OF
Justice with great pro .eSsional skill. He has
in several directions secured from the courts
decisions making increased projections to the
| officers OF the United States, and bringing
some classes OF crime that escaped punish,
ment in the tribunals of the United states
where they could be tried with impartiality
The numerous applications for Executive
clemency, presented in behalf Of persons con-
Victed in the United States Courts and given
penitentiary sentences, have called nv atten.
ton to a fact referred to by the Attorney
General i'll his report, namely, that q time
| allowance for good behavior for such prison
! ers is prescribed by the Federal Statutes only
| where the state in which the penitentiary is
! located made no such provisions. Prisoners
hnr,.
/ State law regulating the penitentiary in
| which they may he sent, These vary. Some
| are perhaps too liberal and some perhaps too
/ ilHberal. the result is, a sentence for five
! years means one thing if the prisoner is sent
10 one State for confinement, and it is quite
different if he be sent to another. I recon-
mend that a uniform credit for good behavior
| be prescribed by Congress.
have before expressed my concurrence in
| the recommendation of the Attorney General
! that degrees of murder should be rccOrniZ4d
in the Federal statutes, as they are, | believe
/ in all the States. These grades are founded on
| correct distinctions in crimes. The recogni-
ton OF that would enable the courts to eXer-
| else some discretion in apportioning punish
ment, and would greatly relieve the Executive
| OF what is coming to be a very heavy burden
! the examination of these cases on applica-
tion for communication.
ENORMOUS CLAIMS.
| The aggregate of cllims is enormous. Claims
to the amount of nearly $4,000. 900 for tax
ing OF evidence of injury to persons claiming
court for examination. When to these are
added the Indian depreciation claims and the
| French spoiiation claims, an aggregate is
| reached that IS indeed startling. In the de
fense of these claims the Government is at 4
great disadvantage. The claimants have pre-
| served their evidence, whereas the Govern
ment has to send agents to rummage the tieIC
for what they can find. This dificuty is pc
| culiarly great where the fact to be established
| IS the disloyalty of the claimant during the
war. II tins great threat against our revenue
| is to have other check if al
gress should supply the Department OF Justice
| with appropriations sufficiently liberal to Sc
| cure the best legal talent for the defense OF
| these claims, and to pursue its vague search
for evidence.
POSTOFFICE DEPARTMENT
The report of the Postmaster-Genera shows
| n most gratifying increase and a most efficient
and progressive management of the great
business of that department. The remarkable
increase in revenue in the number of post
Offices and in the miles of mail into change
furnishes another evidence of the high state OF
the prosperity which our people are enjoying.
| New offices mean new hamletS towns routes:
mean the extension of our border settlements
and increased revenues; mean active COM
merce.
The Postmaster-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 nearly S5,O00,000 The deficit
TOR the year ending June. 1892 is SS4S 341
less than the deficiency of the preceding wear,
The deficiency of the present fiscal year, il is
estimated, will be reduced to $1,75243
| which will not only be extinguished during
the next fiscal year. but surplus of nearly
Sl,000,000 should there be shown. In these
calculations the payments to be made under
the contracts tor ocean mail service have not
been included.
There have been added 1890 new mail
routes during the year with mileage OF 8,S63
miles, and the total number of miles of new
mail trips added during the year is nearly
/ 17O00,O0O. The number of miles .of mail
| journeys added during the last four years is
| about 76,000,00O, this addition being II =