Year: 1874

~
recommend further legislation to punish iraudu
! lent naturalization and to secure the ready can
collation. OF the record OF every NATURALIZATION


TREATIES OF ExTRADIrIoN.


Since my last annual Message the exchange has
been maze OF the rati tincaton OF treaties OF extra
ditlon VITA Belgium. Ecuador, Peru and salvador
also oil q treaty Of commerce and navigation with
Peru and one OF commerce and consular privileges
claimed, as has also DECLARATION Win Russia
with reference TO trade marks.


TREASURY RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES
The report OF the secretary OF the Treasury,
which by law is made directly TO Congress and
celpts and expenditures OF the government for
the last fiscal year, the amount received rom
for for each o Of = the departments Of government t
IL will be observed from this report that the
amount Of receipts over expenditures has
been but 81 344, ,882 80 for the fiscal year ending
June 30 1874. and that the current fiscal year the
estimated receipts over expenditures Will not
national DEBT existing and the obligation to add
one per cent per annum to the sinking fund. q
sum amounting now to over $34, 900 per an
num-


SHALL vHg REVENUES BE TNcREAsERi


submit whether the revenues should not be
this amount OF surplus. Not to provide Tor the
sinking iund Is partial failure to comply with the
At the last W session 'f' Of Congress q very CON.
siderable reduction was made In rates
OF taxation and in the number Of articles sub 10
mitted to taxation. The question may well be
asked whether or not IN some instances unwiseyf


EMBARRASSMENT IN COLLECTING DUTIES.


In connection with this subject, tOO venture the
opinion that the means or collecting the revenues
especially from imports, have been SO embarrassed
by legislation as to make it questionable whether
lect TO the direct loss OF the Treasury and to the
prejudice OF the interests OF honest importers and
taxpayers.


THE sECRErARY's RECOMMENDATIONS.


Ine secretary OF the Treasury. IN MS re.
return to specie payments, thus supporting
views previously expressed IN this Message. He
also recommends economy In appropriations, calls
the tax on tea and coffee without benefit to the
consumer, recommends an increase OF ten cents
gallon on whiskey, and, iurther that no modif-
cation be made IN the Banking and Currency bill
passed at the last session OF Congress unless m0d
icatlon should become necessary by reason OF the
adoption OF measures for returning to specie pay
ments. In these recommendations cordially join.


READJUsTMENT OF THE TARIFF.


would suggest TO Congress the proprety
OF readjusting the tariff so as to increase the
revenue and at the same time decrease the
Those articles which enter into our manufactures
and are not produced at home, II seems TO me-
should be entered free Those ARTICLES OF manu-
1acture which we produce constituent part or
but do not produce the WHOLE that which we do
not produce should enter Tree also. Will instance
fine wool, dyes, &C. These articles must be i'm
ported to form part OF the manufacture OF the
higher grades Ol woOllen goods, chemicals used as
dyes. compounded IN medicines and used IN varl-
Gus ways IN manufactures, come under this class
The introduction Tree OF duty Of such woods as we
do not produce should stimulate the manufacture
produce, and, therefore, would be benefit to
home production. There are many articles enter
duce ourselves, the tarlr upon which increases
the cost Of producing the manufactured 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 OF
property so much needed.


THE WAR DEPARTMENT.





Message gives ali the information concern.
the army, and contains many suggestions and
recommendations which l commend to your
special attention. There is no class OF govern
ment employees who are harder worked than the
army officers and men, none VINO perform their
tasks more cheerfully and efficiently and under
circumstances OF greater privations and hard
ships Legislation Is desirable to render more
eficlent this branch Of the public service.
Ali the recommendations OF the secretary OF War
regard as judici0us, ana especially commend to
your attention the following THE consolidation
o
exemption oi money received from the sale OF sub
sistence stores from being covered into the Treas.
subsistence stores without waiting Tor the begin
ming Of the fiscal year for which the appro-
ior me collection of torpedo material; Tor IN
creased appropriations Tor the manufacture OF
arms; for relieving the various States from In
debtedness for arms charged to them during the
rebellion; for dropping officers from the rolls OF
the army, without TRIAL ior drawing pay more tnan
OF the plan to pay soldiers by checks and for the
establishment OF prolessorship OF rhetoric
and English literature at West Point


The reasons Tor these recommendations are OBJ
vious and are set forth sufficiently IN the report
attached. also recommend that the status OF
the staff corps OF the army be fixed, where this
has not already been done, SO that promotions
may be made and vacancies filled as they occur IN
each grade, when reduced below the number to be
fixed by law. The necessity i0r such Legislation
is specially felt now in the Pay Depart
department. is below the number adequate
to the performance OF the duties required OF them
by law.


THE NAVY DEPARTMENT.


The effciency OF the navy has been largely In
creased during the last year. Under The Impulse
OF the foreign complications which threatened Us
at the CONNIE ncement OF the last session OF Con.
gress most OF our efficient wooden ships were put
in condition for immediate service, and the re-
utmost vlgor. The result is that most OF these are
now In an effective state and need only to be
manned and put In commission to go al
once into service. Some of the new sloops author.
ized by Congress are already In commission and
most OF the remainder are launched and wait only
the completion OF their machinery TO enable them
to take their places as part Of our effective iorce
Two iron torpedo ships have been completed dur
ing the last year and lour OF our large d0uble.tur
reted iron-clads are now undergoing repairs.
When these are finished everything that is useful
IN @ condlon os for or Service u'nSl1ae and with the
advance IN the science oil torpedo warfare the
American navy, comparatively small as 1T is, Will





peaceful nation.


SCIENTIFIC WORK OF THE GOVERNMENT.
Much has also been accomplished during the
year IN aid OF science and to increase the sum O
general knowledge and further the interests ol
commerce and civilization; extensive and much
needed soundings have been made for hydro
graphic purposes, and to fix the proper
routes Of ocean telegrapny further surveys
OF the great Isthmus have been undertaken and
completed, and two vessels OF the navy. are now
employed, In conjunction with those OF England,
France. Germany and Russia, in observations con
nected with the transit OF Venus, so useful and In
teresting to the scientific world. the estimates
for this branch oil the public service do not diner
materially from those OF last year, those for The
general support of the service being some
what less and those .Or permanent improve
ments at the various stations rather
larger than the corresponding estimate made
year ago. The regular maintenance and q
steady increase In the efficiency OF this most
important arm IN proportion to the growth OF ouI
maritime intercourse and interests Is recon-
mended TO the attention Of Congress-. The use ol
the navy In time OF peace might be further uti.
ized by q direct authorization OF the employment
aud D