Year: 1870

between the Pacific States and China and japan is
| about all the carrying trade now conducted in
| American vessels. / would recommend liberal
policy toward that line of American steamers; one
that will insure its success and even increased use
| fulness.


that can compete with foreign ships in the carrying
trade is so much greater in the United States than
| in foreign countries that, without some assistance
from the Government, they cannot be successfully
built here. There will be several propositions laid
before Congress in the course of the present ses-
| sion looking to remedy for this evil. Even if it
| should be at some cost to the National Treasury,
| hopo such encouragement will be given as will Sc
American ship-buifding at home.
BUILDING FOR DEPARTMENT OF STATE.
| The condition of the archives at the
Department of State calls for the early
action of Congress. The building now rented
by that Department is q frai structure at best
| and at an incOnvenient distance from the Execu.
| tive Mansion and from the other Departments. 1t
is ill-adapted to the Purposes for which it is used
has not capacity to accommodate the archives, and
is not freprOof. Its remote situatiOn its slender
construction, and the absence of supply of water
in the neghborhood, leaves but little hope of safe
ty for either building or its contents in case of the
accident of fire. Its destruction would involve
the loss of the rolls containing the original acts
and resolutions of Congress of the historic records
of the revolution, of the confederation OF the whole
series of diplomatic and consular archives since the
adoption of the Constitution and of the many
other valuable records ard papers left with that de-
partment when it was the principal depository of
l.
priation for the construction of building for the
Department of State


DEPARTMENT POWERS AND DUTIES.


recommend to your reconsideration the pro-
priety of transferring to the Department of the
Interior to which they seem more appropriately to
belong, all powers and duties In relation to the ter
ritOries with which the Department of the State is
now charged by law usage; and from the In
terror Department to the War Department, the
Pension Bureau so far as it regulates the payment
of soldiers pensions. would further recommend
that the payment of naval pensions be transferred
to one of the bureaus of the Navy Department.


GOVERNMENT EXPENSES.


The estimates for the expenses of the Government
for the fiscal year are $1844 346 less than for the
current one, but exceed the appropriations for the
present year for the same items, SS972, ,756. In
this estimate however, is included S2 33S 81 for
public works heretofore begun under Congressional
permission, and of which only so much is asked as
Congress may choose to give. The appropriation
for the same work for the present fiscal year was
d1 1884, ,51S0s


CURRENCY, GOLD AND TAXES.


The average value of gold as compared with
national currency for the whole of the year 1869
was i4 and fer eleven months Of 1870 the same
to specie basis is very gratifying, but the fact
cannot be denied that instability of the value of
currency is preudicia to prosperity, and tends
to keep up prices to the detriment of trade The
evils of deprecated and fiuctuatin9 currency are
so great that, now, when the premium on gold has
fallen so much, it would seem that the time has ar
rived when by wise and prudent legislation Con-
gress should look to policy which would place
our currency at par with gold at no distant day
The tax collected from the people has been reduced
more than $4,000 900 per annum. By steadiness in
our present course, there is no reason why in few
short years the national taX-gatherer may not dis
appear from the door of the citizen almost en-
tirely.


With the revenue stamp dispensed by postmasters
in every community, tax upon liquors of all sorts
and tobacco In all its forms, and by wise adjust
ment of the tariff, which will put duty only upon
those articles which we could dispense with, known
luxuries, and those which we use more of than
we produce, revenue enough may be raised after
few years of peace and consequent reduction of in
debtedness, to fulfill all our obligations; and a
further reduction of expenses in addition to re-
duction of interest account may be relied on to
make this practicable.


REVENUE REFORM.


Revenue reform, if it means this, has my hearty
support. If it implies collection of all the revenue
for the support of the Government; for the pay
pensions, &C., by directly taxing the people, then
am against revenue reform, and confidently believe
the people are with me. If itmeans failure to pro-
vide the necessary means to defray the expenses of
the Government. and thereby Reputation of the
public debt and pensions, then am still more op-
posed to such kind of revenue reform.


Revenue reform has not been defined by any of
its advocates to my knowlege, but seems to be ac-
cepted as something which is to supply every
mans wants without any cost or effort on his part
true revenue reform cannot be made in a day,
but must be the work of national legislation and of
time. AS soon as the revenue can be dispensed
with all duty should be removed from coffee, tea,
ana Otner arL1CleS OF universal use not prOQuCeQ
by ourselves. The necessities of the country COM
pei us to collect revenue from our imports. An
army Of assessors and collectors is not pleasant
sight to the citizens, but that or tariff for revenue
is necessary. Such tariff, SO far as it acts in en-
couragement to home products, affords employ
ment to labor at living wages in contrast to the
pauper labor of the old world, and also in the de-
velopment of home resources. Under the act of
Congress of the 18th day of Jnly 1870 the army has
gradually been reduced. SO that on the first day of
January, 1871, the number ofcommissioned officers





templated by that law.


DEPARTMENT BUILDING.


The Department building is an old structure,
not fire-prOof and entirely Inadequate in dimen-
sions to our present wants. Many thousands of
dollars are now paid annually for rent of private
buildings to accommodate the various Bureaus
ton for War Department building suited
to the present and growing wants of the nation.
ARMY AND NAVY


! The report of the Secretary of War shows very
satisfactory reduction in the expenses of the
army for the last fiscal year. For details you are
referred to his accompanying report The ex-
penses of the navy for the whole of the last year,
i,e., from December l. 1869, the date of the last
report are less than $4,000 0OO or about 81 600
less than they were the previous year.
The expenses since the commencement Of this
months decrease of over $a 100000 from those of
the corresponding months of last year.


The estimates for the current year were s2s, ,205-
76S. .O3. Those for the next year are 800 683, ,317
with $955, 100 additional tor the necessary perma
nent improvements These estimates are made
closely for the maintenance Of the naval establish
ment as it now ie, without much in the nature Of
permanent improvement. The appropriations
made for the last and current years evidently
intended by Congress and are sufficient only to
keep the navy on its present footing, by the re-
pairing and retting of our old ships. This policy
must of course gradually but surely destroy the
navy; and it is in itself far from economical, as
each year that it is pursued the necessity for mere
repairs in ships and navy yards becomes more I'M
perative and costly, and our current expenses
annually increased for the mere repair of ships,
many of which must soon become unsafe and USE
less.
Ihope during the present session of Congress to
be able to submit to 1t plan by which naval ves-
sells can be built and repairs made with great saw
ing upon the present cost. 1t can hardly be wise
craftsmanship of Government which represents
a country with over five thousand miles of coast
line on both oceans, exclusive of Alaska, and con-
tanning forty millions of progressive people, with
relations of every nature with almost every foreign
country, to rest with such inadequate of en-
forcing any foreign policy either of protection or
| redress


Separated by the ocean from the nations of the
Eastern continent our navy is our only means OF
protection to our citizens abroad, or for the en-
| fOrcement of any foreign policy.


PosT-oFFICE DEPARTMENT..
The accompanying report of the Postmaster Gen.
eral shows a most satisfactory working of the de-
partment. With the adoption of the recommends
tions contained therein, particularly those relating
| to a reform in the franking privilege. snd the
adoption of correspondence cards. elf-sustaining
postal system may speedily be looked for, and al
| no distant day further reduction of the rate oi
| postage attained.


recommend authorization by Congress to the
Postmaster General and Attorney General to issue
all commissions to officials appointed through theil
respective departments. AT present these commits
sions, where appointments are Presidential, are is
sued by the State Department. The law in all de
partments of Government, except those of the
Postofce and of Justice, authorizes each to issue
! its own commissions.


| CIVIL. SERVICE Reform.


Always favoring practical reforms, respectfully