mission to Siam, and by the restoration of the mission to Greece. The Shah of Persia has expressed his gratification that a charge d'affaires will shortly be sent to that country, where the rights of our citizens have been hitherto courteously guarded by the representatives of Great Britain.

I renew my recommendation of such legislation as will place the United States in harmony with other maritime powers with respect to the international rules for the prevention of collisions at sea.

In conformity with your joint resolution of the 3d of August last, I have directed the Secretary of State to address foreign governments in respect to a proposed conference for considering the subject of the universal adoption of a common prime meridian to be used in the reckoning of longitude and in the regulation of time throughout the civilized world. Their replies will in due time be laid before you.

An agreement was reached at Paris in 1875 between the principal powers for the interchange of official publications through the medium of their respective foreign departments.

The admirable system which has been built up by the enterprise of the Smithsonian Institution affords a practical basis for our cooperation in this scheme, and an arrangement has been effected by which that institution will perform the necessary labor, under the direction of the Department of State. A reasonable compensation therefor should be provided by law.

A clause in the act making appropriations for the diplomatic and consular service contemplates the reorganization of both branches of such service on a salaried basis, leaving fees to inure to the benefit of the Treasury. I cordially favor such a project, as likely to correct abuses in the present system. The Secretary of State will present to you at an early day a plan for such reorganization.

A full and interesting exhibit of the operations of the Treasury Department is afforded by the report of the Secretary.

It appears that the ordinary revenues from all sources for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1882, were as follows:

From customs - $220,410,730.25

From internal revenue - 146,497,595.45

From sales of public lands - 4,753,140.37

From tax on circulation and deposits of national banks - 8,956,794.45

From repayment of interest by Pacific Railway companies - 840,554.37

From sinking fund for Pacific Railway companies - 796,271.42

From customs fees, fines, penalties, etc. - 1,343,348.00

From fees--consular, letters patent, and lands - 2,638,990.97

From proceeds of sales of Government property - 314,959.85

From profits on coinage, bullion deposits, and assays - 4,116,693.73

From Indian trust funds - 5,705,243.22

From deposits by individuals for surveying public lands - 2,052,306.36

From revenues of the District of Columbia - 1,715,176.41

From miscellaneous sources - 3,383,445.43

Total ordinary receipts - 403,525,250.28

The ordinary expenditures for the same period were--

For civil expenses - $18,042,386.42

For foreign intercourse - 1,307,583.19

For Indians - 9,736,747.40

For pensions - 61,345,193.95

For the military establishment, including river and harbor improvements, and arsenals - 43,570,494.19

For the naval establishment, including vessels, machinery, and improvements at navy-yards - 15,032,046.26

For miscellaneous expenditures, including public buildings, light-houses, and collecting the revenue - 34,539,237.50

For expenditures on account of the District of Columbia - 3,330,543.87

For interest on the public debt - 71,077,206.79

Total ordinary expenditures - 257,981,439.57

Leaving a surplus revenue of $145,543,810.71, which, with an amount drawn from the cash balance in the Treasury of $20,737,694.84, making $166,281,505.55, was applied to the redemption--

Of bonds for the sinking fund - $60,079,150.00

Of fractional currency for the sinking fund - 58,705.55

Of loan of July and August, 1861 - 62,572,050.00

Of loan of March, 1863 - 4,472,900.00

Of funded loan of 1881 - 37,194,450.00

Of loan of 1858 - 303,000.00

Of loan of February, 1861 - 1,000.00

Of five-twenties of 1862 - 2,100.00

Of five-twenties of 1864 - 7,400.00

Of five-twenties of 1865 - 6,500.00

Of ten-forties of 1864 - 254,550.00

Of consols of 1865 - 86,450.00

Of consols of 1867 - 408,250.00

Of consols of 1868 - 141,400.00

Of Oregon War debt - 675,250.00

Of old demand, compound-interest, and other notes - 18,350.00 -

***

State of the Union Address
Chester A. Arthur
December 4, 1883

To the Congress of the United States:

At the threshold of your deliberations I congratulate you upon the favorable aspect of the domestic and foreign affairs of this Government.

Our relations with other countries continue to be upon a friendly footing. With the Argentine Republic, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Hayti, Italy, Santo Domingo, and Sweden and Norway no incident has occurred which calls for special comment. The recent opening of new lines of telegraphic communication with Central America and Brazil permitted the interchange of messages of friendship with the Governments of those countries.

During the year there have been perfected and proclaimed consular and commercial treaties with Servia and a consular treaty with Roumania, thus extending our intercourse with the Danubian countries, while our Eastern relations have been put upon a wider basis by treaties with Korea and Madagascar. The new boundary-survey treaty with Mexico, a trade-marks convention and a supplementary treaty of extradition with Spain, and conventions extending the duration of the Franco-American Claims Commission have also been proclaimed.

Notice of the termination of the fisheries articles of the treaty of Washington was duly given to the British Government, and the reciprocal privileges and exemptions of the treaty will accordingly cease on July 1, 1885. The fisheries industries, pursued by a numerous class of our citizens on the northern coasts, both of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, are worthy of the fostering care of Congress. Whenever brought into competition with the like industries of other countries, our fishermen, as well as our manufacturers of fishing appliances and preparers of fish products, have maintained a foremost place. I suggest that Congress create a commission to consider the general question of our rights in the fisheries and the means of opening to our citizens, under just and enduring conditions, the richly stocked fishing waters and sealing grounds of British North America.

Question has arisen touching the deportation to the United States from the British Islands, by governmental or municipal aid, of persons unable there to gain a living and equally a burden on the community here. Such of these persons as fall under the pauper class as defined by law have been sent back in accordance with the provisions of our statutes. Her Majesty's Government has insisted that precautions have been taken before shipment to prevent these objectionable visitors from coming hither without guaranty of support by their relatives in this country. The action of the British authorities in applying measures for relief has, however, in so many cases proved ineffectual, and especially so in certain recent instances of needy emigrants reaching our territory through Canada, that a revision of our legislation upon this subject may be deemed advisable.

Correspondence relative to the Clayton-Bulwer treaty has been continued and will be laid before Congress.

The legislation of France against the importation of prepared swine products from the United States has been repealed. That result is due no less to the friendly representations of this Government than to a growing conviction in France