The evening times., 1898-12-05

TO be a valuable medium for disseminat-
ing information and furthering the va
ried interests OF the International Union.
During the past year the important
work of collecting information Of p-acI-
cal benefit TO American industries md
trade through the agency of the Dip
matte aud consular officers has en-
steadily advanced and in order to lay
such data before the public with the
least delay the practice was begun III
January. 1888, of issuing the commercial
reports from day TO day as they are e
ceiyed by the Department of State. 1t
is believed that for promptitude as well
as fuilness of information the service
thus supplied TO our merchants and man
ufacturers will be found TO show sensible
Improvement and to merit the liberal sup
port of Congress.
PRIV ATE PROPERTY ON THE SEA.
The experiences of the last year bring
forcibly home TO us a sense of the bur
dens and the waste of war. We desire,
in common with most civilized nations, to
reduce to the lowest possible point the
damage sustained in time of war by
peaceabe trade and commerce. 1t is true
We may suffer in such cases less than
Z
damaged more or less by the state of
uneasiness and apprehension into which
an outbreak of hostilities throws the en-
tire commercial world. 1t should be our
object. therefore, TO minimize so far
! practicable, this inevitable loss and dis
| turbance- This purpose can probably
/ best be accomplished by an international
/ agreement to regard all private property
! at sea as exempt from capture or de-
! Strnpffpn nv fprr.sca hf hpltigerpOt
! powers. The United States Government
/ has for many years advocated this hu-
name and beneflcent principle. and is now
1 In position TO recommend il 10 other pow
4 ers without the imputation of selfish mo-
lives / therefore suggest for your con-
sideration that The Executive be author
1 ized to correspond with the governments
OF the principal maritime powers with a
view OF incorporating into the permanent
law of civilized nations the principle of
/ the exemption of all private property at
sea, not contraband of war from capture
/ or destruction by belligerent powers
CONDITION OF THE TREASURY.
! The Secretary of the Treasury reports
/ that the receipts of the Government from
all sources during the fiscal year ended
June 80 1895 including SOL, 75l 223 received
/ from the sale of Pacific railroads,
amounted TO SiO5, 32l. $685. and its eXpendi-
J lures to SAB 36S, $50 There was collected
I from customs Sl49 515. .062 and from inter-
nal revenue 70.9006 64l. Our dutiable i'm
/ ports amounted 10 1924 635. .419 "A decrease
/ OF S5S.l56,69O over the preceding year, and
importations free Of duty amounted TO
SZsl, 4li.l75, decrease from the preceding
! year OF $9o.524o6S Internal revenue re-
celpts exceeded those of the preceding
year by S24.2l2067.
The total tax collected on distilled
spirits was $S2, $40, 999; on manufactured
/ tobacco, s36, ,2So, SD, and on fermented Hq-
I uors, $50 5l5, AL We exported merchan-
disc during the year amounting to 81, ,23I,-
! 4N2.SSo, an increase of $50, iSS,77i from the
preceding year.
II Is estimated upon the basis of pres
/ ent revenue laws that the receipts of the
! Government for the year ending June 80.
1873, Will be S5',S14.641 and its expenditures
s6SS,S1i,6i1, resulting in a deficiency of
/ SIP, coo coo --
On the LIST Of December, 1898, there was
held in the Treasury gold coin amounting
10 slSS, i4l,547, gold bullion amounting to
! 545, silver bullion amounting to
4 SS3S59,250 and other forms of money
amounting to s45l. .9e3 9Sl
J On the same date the amount of money
/ of all kinds in circulation. or not includ-
I ed in Treasury holdings, was 81, $50. SIS, ,504.
NAi4 AOl Ahlc OF Sib9, sSi,Spb. rs
. umating our population a 15 l94. 600 at the
4 time mentioned the per capita circulation
was s25H. On the same date there was
: in the Treasury gold bullion amounting
! to Sl3S, ,502 545.
NATIONAL CREDIT ADVANCED.
The provisions made for strengthening
the resources of the Treasury in connec-
/ ton with the war has given increased
confidence in the purpose and power of
/ the Government to maintain the present
standard and has established more firmly
/ than ever the national credit at home and
abroad. A marked evidence of this is
found IN the inflow OF gold to the Treasu-
! ry. Its net gold holdings on November l.
1898, We're s239, 162 sa compared with
! Sl5S.513lH on November l. 1897, and an
increase of net cash of S20I. T56 100 Novern-
/ Ger !, 1897, to $500. .23S 275. November l, 1893
/ The present ratio of net Treasury gold to
outstanding Government liabilities. in
! cluding United States notes Treasury
! notes of 1880. silver certificates. currency
! certificates standard silver dollars. and
/ fractional silver coin, November !, 1895,
was 25.35 per cent as compared with 1886
per cent, November !, 1887.
RETIREMENT OF GREENBACKs.
renew so much of my recommendation
/ of December 1881, as follows:
That when any of the United States
| notes are presented for redemption in gold
and are redeemed in gold such notes shall
| be kept and set apart and only paid out
in exchange for gold This is an obvious
duty. II the holder of the United States
/ note prefers the gold and gets ii from the
Government, he should not receive back
/ from the Government a United States
THE ON