hat a system of consular
inspection should be instituted, and that a limited number of
secretaries of legation at large should be authorized.

Preparations for the centennial celebration, on April 30, 1889, of the
inauguration of George Washington as President of the United States, at
the city of New York, have been made by a voluntary organization of the
citizens of that locality, and believing that an opportunity should be
afforded for the expression of the interest felt throughout the country
in this event, I respectfully recommend fitting and cooperative action
by Congress on behalf of the people of the United States.

The report of the Secretary of the Treasury exhibits in detail the
condition of our national finances and the operations of the several
branches of the Government related to his Department.

The total ordinary revenues of the Government for the fiscal year ended
June 30, 1888, amounted to $379,266,074.76, of which $219,091,173.63 was
received from customs duties and $124,296,871.98 from internal-revenue
taxes.

The total receipts from all sources exceeded those for the fiscal year
ended June 30, 1887, by $7,862,797.10.

The ordinary expenditures of the Government for the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1888, were $259,653,958.67, leaving a surplus of
$119,612,116.09.

The decrease in these expenditures as compared with the fiscal year
ended June 30, 1887, was $8,278,221.30, notwithstanding the payment of
more than $5,000,000 for pensions in excess of what was paid for that
purpose in the latter-mentioned year.

The revenues of the Government for the year ending June 30, 1889,
ascertained for the quarter ended September 30, 1888, and estimated for
the remainder of the time, amount to $377,000,000, and the actual and
estimated ordinary expenditures for the same year are $273,000,000,
leaving an estimated surplus of $104,000,000.

The estimated receipts for the year ending June 30, 1890, are
$377,000,000, and the estimated ordinary expenditures for the same time
are $275,767,488.34, showing a surplus of $101,232,511.66.

The foregoing statements of surplus do not take into account the sum
necessary to be expended to meet the requirements of the sinking-fund
act, amounting to more than $47,000,000 annually.

The cost of collecting the customs revenues for the last fiscal year was
2.44 per cent; for the year 1885 it was 3.77 per cent.

The excess of internal-revenue taxes collected during the last