Year: 1874

per annuln, l submit whether the revenue


should not be increased OF the expenditure
diminished to reach this amount Of surplus
Not to provide for the sinking fund. is a par


tlal failure to comply with the contracts ano


obligations of the government.


AT the last session Of Congress q very con.
siderable reduction was made in rates Of tax.
alton and the number Of articles submitted tt
taxation. The question may well he asked
whether or not, in some instances unwisely
| In connection with this subject. too.
venture the opinion that the means of col
lecting the revenue, especially Of imports,
| have been embarrassed by legislation 50 as ia
| make it questionable whether or not large
| amounts are lost by failure to collect, TO tha
loss Of the treasury and the prejudice of the
interests Of honest importers and tax payers.


The Secretary OF the Treasury, in Lis re-
port. favols legislation looking to specie pay
ments, thus supporting the views previously
expressed i'll this message. He also
calls. attention to the loss OF rev.
enue from repeating the tax on tea
and coffee, without benefit to the consumer !;
recommends all increase OF ten cents a gal
lon on whisky; aud further that no modiii-
cation lie made in the banking and currency
bill passed at the last session of Congress.
unless modification should become neces.
sary by reason of the adoption of measures
for returning to specie payments. In these
recommendations l certainly join.


TARIFF ADJUSTMENT.


would suggest to Congress the propriety
OF adjusting the tariff 50 as to increase the
revenue but at the same time decrease the
number OF articles upon which duties are
levied. Those articles which enter into our
manufactures, and are not produced at
n,
free. Those articles Of manufacture of which
we produce constituent part-hut do not
produce the whole-that part which we do
not produce should enter free also. will
instance fine wool dyes, &c. These articles
must be imported to form part OF the man.
uiacturing Of the higher grades of woolen
goods. Chemicals used as dyes, compound
ed in medicines and used in various ways in
manufacturing, comes under this class. Tx
introduction, free Of duties, of such woods AZ
we do not produce should stimulate the
he uss o those Of We sS9di not res%dgag esdacsg
and therefore would be benleft to
home production. There are many articles
entering into home manufacture which we
do not produce ourselves, the tariff upon
which increases the cost of producing the
article All corrections in
this regard are in the direction Of bringing
labor and capital in harmony with each
other and Of supplying one of the elements
80 much needed.


THE ARMY.


The report of the Secretary of War
herewith attached and forming part oil
this message, gives all the information con-
corning the operations, wants and necessi-
ties OF the army, and contains many sugges-
tons and recommendations which I com
tn os11o okko.
class of government employees who are
harder worked than the army officers and
none who perform their tasks more cheer
fully and efficiently, and under circumstan-
ces OF greater privation and hardships. Leg
lslatiOn is desirable to render more efficient
this branch of the public service. All the
recommendations of the Secretary of War
regard as judicious, and especially COM
mend to your attention the following:


The consolidation Of government arsen2ls.
The restoration Of mileages to officers trav
cling under orders.


The exemption OF money received from
the sale of subsistence stores from being COW
cred into the treasury.


The use Of appropriations for the pur-
chase OF subsistence stores without wait
ing fer the beginning of the fiscal year for
which the appropriation is made.


For additional appropriations for the COL
lection Of torpedo material.


For increased appropriations for the man.
ufacture of arms


For relieving the various States from III
oebtedness for arms charged to them during
the rebellion.


For dropping officers from the rolls of the
army without trial.


For the punishment Of the ofense OF draw
ing pay more than once for the same period.


For discouragement Of plans to pay SOL
diers by checks. and for the establishment
of Proiessorship OF Rhetoric and English
Literature at West Point


The reasons for the recommendations are
obvious, and are set forth sufficiently in the
report attached. l also recommed
be made where this has not already been
done, so that promotions may be made and
vacancies filed as they occur in each grade
when reduced below the number provided
tor. The necessity for such legislation is spe-
cially felt now in the pay department. The
number Of vacancies in that department is
below the number adequate to the perform
ance OF the duties required OF them ny law


THE NAVY.


The efficiency of the navy has been largely
increased during the last year under the i'm
pulse Of the foreign complications which
threatened Us at the commencement Of last
session OF Congress- Most OF our efficient
wooden ships were put in condition for i'm
mediate service, and the repairs Of the iron
clad fleet were pushed with the utmost rigor.
The result is that most Of these are effective
and need only to be manned and set in COM
mission . to 60 at once into service.
lied by Congress are already
in commission, and most Of the remainder
are launched, and want only the completion
of their machinery to enable them to take
their places as part Of our effective force
Two iron torpedo ships have been COM
pleted during the last year, and four of our
large double turreted iron cladsa are now un-
dergoing repairs. When these are finished,
every thing that's needful of our navy a.
now authorized, will be in condition for
service, and with all the advance in science
of torpedo war fare, the American navy,
Se Eeand at small any te ns it all p:ver is, T
tor the purposes Of a peaceful nation. Much
also has been accomplished during the year
in aid Of science and to increase the sum oi
general knowledge and further the interests
Of commerce and civilization Extensive
and much needed soundings have been
made for photographic purposes and to fix
the proper routes OF ocean telegraphs.. Fur.
ther surveys Of the great isthmus lave been
undertaken and completed, and two yes
sells Of the navy are now employed in con.
junction with those Of England
France, Germany aud Russia in observations
connected with the


/ TRANSIT OF VENUS,


useful and interesting to the scientific world


The estimates for this branch of the public


service do not differ materially from those


Of last year, the general support OF the ser
vice being somewhat less, and those for i'm
provements at the various stations rathe


larger than the corresponding estimate mad


a year ago. The regular maintenance and


steady increase in the efficiency of thi


most important arm in proportio,
to the growth of our maritime inter


course and interests is recommended to th


attention Of Congress. The use of the nav,


direct authorization Of the employment &
naval vAsse1a in the snrreus Of fhe arn,,oaa,