PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



665 



present debasement of coinage by reason of its 

 equaling or even exceeding in weight a gold coinage 

 which at some past time had been commercially 

 equal to the legal-tender value assigned to the new 

 issue. 



lu recommending that the regulation of any sil- 

 ver coinage which may be authorized by Congress 

 should observe these conditions of commercial value 

 and limited legal tender, I am governed by the feeling 

 that every possible increase should be given to the 

 volume of metallic money which can be kept in cir- 

 culation, and thereby every possible aid afforded to 

 the people in the process of resuming specie pay- 

 ment. It is because of my firm conviction that a 

 disregard of these conditions would frustrate the 

 good results which are desired from the proposed 

 coinage, and embarrass with new elements of con- 

 fusion and uncertainty the business of the country, 

 that I urge upon your attention these consider- 

 ations. 



The organization of the civil service of the coun- 

 try has for a number of years attracted more and 

 more of the public attention. So general has be- 

 come the opinion that the methods of admission to 

 it, and the conditions of remaining in it, are unsound, 

 that both the great political parties have agreed in 

 the most explicit declarations of the necessity of 

 reform, and in the most emphatic demands for it. 

 I have fully believed these declarations and demands 

 to be the expression of a sincere conviction of the 

 intelligent masses of the people upon the subject, 

 and that they should be recognized and followed by 

 earnest and prompt action on the part of the legis- 

 lative and executive departments of the government 

 in pursuance of the purpose indicated. 



Before my accession to office I endeavored to 

 have my own views distinctly understood, and upon 

 my inauguration my accord with the public opinion 

 was stated in terms believed to be plain and unam- 

 biguous. My experience in the executive duties has 

 strongly confirmed the belief in the great advantage 

 the country would find in observing strictly the plan 

 of the Constitution, which imposes upon trie Execu- 

 tive the sole duty and responsibility of the selection 

 of those Federal officers who, bylaw, are appointed, 

 not elected ; and which, in like manner, assigns to 

 the Senate the complete right to advise and consent 

 to, or to reject, the nominations so made ; while the 

 House of Representatives stands as the public cen- 

 sor of the performance of official duties, with the 

 prerogative of investigation and prosecution in all 

 cases of dereliction. The blemishes and imperfec- 

 tions in the civil service may, as I think, be traced, in 

 most cases, to a practical confusion of the duties as- 

 signed to the several departments of the government. 

 My purpose, in this respect, has been to return to the 

 system established by the fundamental law, and to 

 do this with the heartiest cooperation and most 

 cordial understanding with the Senate and House 

 of Representatives. 



The practical difficulties in the selection of nu- 

 merous officers for posts of widely-varying respon- 

 sibilities and duties are acknowledged to be very 

 great. No system can be expected to secure abso- 

 lute freedom from mistakes, and the beginning of 

 any attempted change of custom is quite likely to 

 be more embarrassed in this respect than any sub- 

 sequent period. It is here that the Constitution 

 seems to me to prove its claim to the great wisdom 

 accorded to it ; it gives to the Executive the assist- 

 ance of the knowledge and the experience of the 

 Senate, which, when acting upon nominations, as to 

 which they may be disinterested and impartial 

 judges, secures as strong a guarantee of freedom 

 from errors of importance as is perhaps possible in 

 human affairs. 



In addition to this, I recognize the public advan- 

 tage of making all nominations, as nearly as possible, 

 impersonal, in the sense of being free from mere 

 caprice or favor in the selection ; and in those of- 



fices in which special training is of greatly increased 

 value, I believe such a rule as to the tenure of office 

 should obtain as may induce men of proper qualifi- 

 cations to apply themselves industriously to the tank 

 of becoming proficients. Bearing these things in 

 mind, I have endeavored to reduce the number of 

 changes in subordinate places, usually made upon 

 the change of the general administration ; and shall 

 most heartily cooperate with Congress in the better 

 systematizing of such methods and rules of admin- 

 siou to the public service, and of promotion within it, 

 as may promise to be most successful in making 

 thorough competency, efficiency, and character, the 

 decisive tests in these matters. 



I ask the renewed attention of Congress to what 

 has already been done by the Civil-Service Com- 

 mission, appointed, in pursuance of au act of Con- 

 gress, by my predecessor, to prepare and revise civil- 

 service rules. In regard to much of the department 

 service, especially at Washington, it may be difficult 

 to organize a better system than that which baa thus 

 been provided, and it is now being used to a consid- 

 erable extent under my direction. The commission 

 has still a legal existence, although for several years 

 no appropriation has been made for defraying its 

 expenses. Believing that this commission has ren- 

 dered valuable service, and will b.e a most useful 

 agency in improving the administration of the civil 

 service,! respectfully recommend that a suitable ap- 

 propriation, to be immediately available, be made, to 

 enable it to continue its labors. 



It is my purpose to transmit to Congress as early 

 as practicable a report by the chairman of the com- 

 mission, and to ask your attention to such measures 

 on this subject as, in my opinion, will further pro- 

 mote the improvement of the civil service. 



During the past year the United States have con- 

 tinued to maintain peaceful relatious with foreign 

 powers. 



The outbreak of war between Russia and Turkey, 

 though at one time attended by grave apprehension 

 as to its effect upon other European nations, hits had 

 no tendency to disturb the amicable relations exist- 

 ing between the United States and each of the two 

 contending powers. An attitude of just and impar- 

 tial neutrality has been preserved, and I am gratified 

 to state that, in the midst of their hostilities, both 

 the Russian and the Turkish Governments have 

 shown an earnest disposition to adhere to the ob- 

 ligations of all treaties with the United States, and 

 to give due regard to the rights of American citi- 

 zens. 



By the terms of the treaty, defining the rights, 

 immunities, and privileges of consuls, between Italy 

 and the United States, ratified in 1868, either gov- 

 ernment may, after the lapse of ten years, terminate 

 the existence of the treaty by giving twelve months' 

 notice of its intention. The Government of Italy, 

 availing itself of this faculty, has now (riven the re- 

 quired notice, and the treaty will, accordingly, end 

 on the 17th of September, 1878. It is understood, 

 however, that the Italian Government wished to re- 

 new it, in its general scope, desiring only certain 

 modifications in some of its articles. In this dispo- 

 sition I concur, and shall hope that no serious obtita- 

 cles may intervene to prevent or delay the negotiation 

 of a satisfactory treaty. 



Numerous Questions in regard to passports, nat- 

 uralization, ana exemption from military srirlo*IiM 

 continued to arise in oases of emigrant* from Ger- 

 many who have returned to their native country. The 

 provisions of the treaty of February M, ISMW. how- 

 ever, have proved to bo so ample and so Judicious 

 that the legation of the United States at Berlin haa 

 been able to adjust all claims arising under it, not 

 only without detriment to the amicable relations exist- 

 ing between the two governments, but. It i bcheywL 

 without injury or injustice to any duly naturalittd 

 American citizen. It is desirable that the treaty 

 originally made with the North German Lnion in 



