A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents. Volume 4, part 3: James Knox Polk
History
A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents. Volume 4, part 3: James Knox Polk
Polk, James K. (James Knox), 1795-1849; Presidents -- United States; United States -- History -- Sources; United States -- Politics and government
The act of the 6th of August, 1846, "to establish a warehousing system,"
has been in operation more than a year, and has proved to be an
important auxiliary to the tariff act of 1846 in augmenting the revenue
and extending the commerce of the country. Whilst it has tended to
enlarge commerce, it has been beneficial to our manufactures by
diminishing forced sales at auction of foreign goods at low prices to
raise the duties to be advanced on them, and by checking fluctuations in
the market. The system, although sanctioned by the experience of other
countries, was entirely new in the United States, and is susceptible of
improvement in some of its provisions. The Secretary of the Treasury,
upon whom was devolved large discretionary powers in carrying this
measure into effect, has collected and is now collating the practical
results of the system in other countries where it has long been
established, and will report at an early period of your session such
further regulations suggested by the investigation as may render it
still more effective and beneficial.
By the act to "provide for the better organization of the Treasury and
for the collection, safe-keeping, and disbursement of the public
revenue" all banks were discontinued as fiscal agents of the Government,
and the paper currency issued by them was no longer permitted to be
received in payment of public dues. The constitutional treasury created
by this act went into operation on the 1st of January last. Under the
system established by it the public moneys have been collected, safely
kept, and disbursed by the direct agency of officers of the Government
in gold and silver, and transfers of large amounts have been made from
points of collection to points of disbursement without loss to the
Treasury or injury or inconvenience to the trade of the country.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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