The Portland daily press., 1896-12-08
PORTLAND TUESDAY MORNING. DECEMBER

onstrated the usefulness of this innova-
| tion. In connection with this plan of
examinations, promotions and transfers
| of deserving 1Dcumbents nave been quite
extensively made with excellsnt results.
During the past yeRr thirty five appoint
ments have been made in the consular
service, twenty yseven of which wero
made to I'll vacancies caused by death or
resignation, or TO supply naNly created
posts, two to succeed in
cumbents removed for cause,
two for the purpose of displaeing
alien consular officials hy American
citizens, and four merely changing the
official title of incumbent from CONNER
cal agent TO consul. Twelve of these
appointmentsu were transfers or promo
tions from other positions under tho De-
paItment OF State, four Of those appoint
ed had rendered. previous service under
the department.. eight were made Of
persons who passed a satisfactory examl
nation, seven were appointed to places
not included 81 the order of Septem ber
30, 1895, and four appointments as above
stated involved no change of incumhen-
oy. The inspection of consular offices
prCvidod for by an appropriation for that
purpose at the last session of tie Con-
gress has been productive of such whole
some effects that | hope this important
work will in the future be continued. l
know OF nothing that can be doLe with
the same slight expense SO improving
to the service. ! desire to repeat the
recommendation contained in my last
annual message IN favor of providing at
public expense official residences for our
Ambassadors and Ministers at foreign
capitals: The reasons supporting this
Recommendation are strongly stated in
= ho of ba of Sf0ta and
the subject seems of such Importance
that hope it may receive the early at
tention of the Congress.
BEHRING SEA AND THE SEALS
We have, during the last year, labored
faithfully and against unfavorable con-
ditions, to secure better preservation of
seal life in the Behrina Sea. Both the
United States and GTeat Britain nave
lately dispatched commissioners to these
waters to study the habits and condition
of the seal herd and the causes OF their
rapid decrease. Upon the reports of
these commissioners soon to be sunm it
ted, and with the exercise of patience
and good sense on the part of all inter
rested parties, it is earnestly hoped
that hearty cooperation may be secured
for the protection against threatened ex-
tinotion Of seal life in the Northern Pa
citic and Rehring Sea.
THE FINAN CES.
The Secretary of the Treasury reports
that during the fiscal year ended June
30, 1896, the receipts of the government
from ali sources amounted to S4O9, 475.
408.7 During the same period its ex-
penditures were $434, 57S. 654. 48, the excess
Of expenditures over receipts thus
amounting to S25, 2o3, 245 70. The ordin-
airy expenditures during the year were
81, 0l5, S52. 81 less than during the preced-
ing fiscal year. OF the receipts mentioned
there was derived from customs the sum
of $3.50, OIL, ,75l.67, and from internal rev.
enue $l46 $50, 615.66. The receipts from
| customs show an increase of 81 S63, S4. +
| 20 over thoss from the same source for
| the fiscal year onded June 80, 1895, and
| the receipts from internal revenue An in
| crease of 3d. 594, 537. 81. The value OF our
| imported dutiable merchandise during
| the last fiscal year was 1869. 757, 470, and
| the value of free goods imported S409,-
| 967, 40. being an increase of Sc, 523, 675
| in the value of dutiable goods, and SAL
| 231 034 in the value of free goods over the
preceding year. Our exports OF merchan-
disc, foreign and domestic, amounted in
value to 1882, 606, ,998, being an increase
over the preceding year OF S75. .068, 773
The average ad yalorem duty paid on
dutiable goods imported during the
year was 30. 81 per cent, and an free and
dutia BILE goods together 20. 5h per cent.
The cost of collecting our internal revu-
nue. was 2.7S per cent RS against 2.Sl
per cent. for the fiscal year ending June
30, 1896. The total production OF dis
titled spirits, exclusive of fruit brandias
was Sc, 5e8, 700 taxable gallons, being an
increase of 6, ,639, 10S gallons over the pre-
oeding year. There was also in Increase
of 1, 443, 676 gallons of spirits, produced
in fruit, as compared with the preceding