A COMPILATION OF THE MESSAGES AND PAPERS OF THE PRESIDENTS

BY JAMES D. RICHARDSON

A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE STATE OF TENNESSEE

VOLUME IX

PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY OF CONGRESS 1902

Prefatory Note

This volume comprises the papers of Benjamin Harrison and of GroverCleveland (second term). The events of these two Administrations ofeight years, though highly interesting, coming as they do down to March4, 1897, are so recent and fresh in the public mind that I need notcomment on them. 

This volume is the last of the series, except the Appendix and Indexvolume. The work of compiling was begun by me in April, 1895, just afterthe expiration of the Fifty-third Congress. I then anticipated thatI could complete the work easily within a year. Though I have given myentire time to the undertaking when not engaged in my official duties asa Representative, instead of completing it within the time mentioned ithas occupied me for nearly four years. The labor has been far greaterthan the Joint Committee on Printing or I supposed it would be. I hadno idea of the difficulties to overcome in obtaining the Presidentialpapers, especially the proclamations and Executive orders. In thePrefatory Note to Volume I, I said: "I have sought to bring togetherin the several volumes of the series all Presidential proclamations, addresses, messages, and communications to Congress excepting thosenominating persons to office and those which simply transmit treaties, and reports of heads of Departments which contain no recommendationfrom the Executive. " But after the appearance of Volume I, and whilepreparing the contents of Volume II, I became convinced that I had madea mistake and that the work to be exhaustive should comprise everymessage of the Presidents transmitting reports of heads of Departmentsand other communications, no matter how brief or unintelligible thepapers were in themselves, and that to make them intelligible I shouldinsert editorial footnotes explaining them. Having acted upon the otheridea in making up Volume I and a portion of Volume II, quite a number ofsuch brief papers were intentionally omitted. Being convinced that allthe papers of the Executives should be inserted, the plan was modifiedaccordingly, and the endeavor was thereafter made to publish all ofthem. 

In order, however, that the compilation may be "accurate andexhaustive, " I have gone back and collected all the papers--those whichshould have appeared in Volumes I and II, as well as such as wereunintentionally omitted from the succeeding volumes--excepting thosesimply making nominations, and shall publish them in an appendix in thelast volume. While this may occasion some little annoyance to the readerwho seeks such papers in chronological order, yet, inasmuch as they allappear at their proper places in the alphabetical Index, it is notbelieved that any serious inconvenience will result. 

The editor and compiler has resorted to every possible avenue and hasspared no effort to procure all public Presidential papers from thebeginning of the Government to March 4, 1897. He has looked out forevery reference to the work in the public prints, has endeavored to readall the criticisms made because of omissions, and has availed himself ofall the papers to which his attention has been called by anyone; hasdiligently and earnestly sought for same himself, and has, as statedabove, inserted all omitted papers in the Appendix, so that he feelswarranted in saying that if he has given to the country all he couldfind and all any critic or reviewer has been able to find he has donehis whole duty and reasonable complaint can not be made if any paper isstill omitted. In view of the inaccessibility of many of the messages byreason of their not having been entered on the journals of either Houseof Congress, and of the fact that the Government itself does not possessmany of the proclamations and Executive orders, it may be that thereyet can be found a few papers omitted from this work; but with muchconfidence, amounting to a positive conviction, I feel that assurancemay be safely given that only a few, if any at all, have beenoverlooked. 

Congress in June, 1897, by law requested me to prepare an index to theentire compilation. I am now and have been for over two years engaged inthis work. I hope to be able to give the last volume, which will includethe Appendix and Index, as above stated, to Congress and the public inabout two months. It would have been completed at this time but for thefact that in addition to making the Index simply an index to the variousmessages and other papers I have added to it the encyclopedic feature. There will therefore be found in the Index, in alphabetical order, alarge number of encyclopedic definitions of words and phrases used bythe Chief Executives, and of other politico-historical subjects. Itis believed that this feature will not detract in any manner from theIndex, but, on the other hand, will add largely to its value and tothe value of the entire compilation. 

JAMES D. RICHARDSON. 

NOVEMBER 24, 1898. 

Benjamin Harrison

March 4, 1889, to March 4, 1893

Benjamin Harrison

Benjamin Harrison, twenty-third President of the United States, was bornat North Bend, Ohio, August 20, 1833. His father, John Scott Harrison, was the third son of General William Henry Harrison, ninth Presidentof the United States, who was the third and youngest son of BenjaminHarrison, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. JohnScott Harrison was twice married, his second wife being Elizabeth, daughter of Archibald Irwin, of Mercersburg, Pa. Benjamin was the secondson of this marriage. His parents were resolutely determined upon theeducation of their children, and early in childhood Benjamin was placedunder private instruction at home. In 1847 he and his elder brother weresent to a school on what was known as College Hill, a few miles fromCincinnati. After remaining there two years entered the junior class atMiami University, at Oxford, Ohio, where he was graduated in 1852. Wasmarried October 20, 1853, to Caroline Scott, daughter of Dr. John W. Scott, who was then president of Oxford Female Seminary, from which Mrs. Harrison was graduated in 1852. After studying law under Storer & Gwynnein Cincinnati, Mr. Harrison was admitted to the bar in 1854, and beganthe practice of his profession at Indianapolis, Ind. , which has sincebeen his home. Was appointed crier of the Federal court, at a salary of$2. 50 per day. This was the first money he had ever earned. JonathanW. Gordon, one of the leaders of the Indianapolis bar, called youngHarrison to his assistance in the prosecution of a criminal tried forburglary, and intrusted to him the plea for the State. He had takenample notes of the evidence, but the case was closed at night, and thecourt-house being dimly lighted by tallow candles, he was unable to readthem when he arose to address the court and jury, paying them aside, he depended entirely upon his memory and found it perfect. He made aneloquent plea, produced a marked impression, and won the case. Sincethen he has always been an impromptu speaker. Formed a partnership laterwith William Wallace, but in 1860 the latter became clerk of MarionCounty, and the firm was changed to Harrison & Fishback, which wasterminated by the entry of the senior partner into the Army in 1862. Was chosen reporter of the supreme court of Indiana in 1860 on theRepublican ticket. This was his first active appearance in the politicalfield. When the Civil War began assisted in raising the SeventiethIndiana Regiment of Volunteers, taking a second lieutenant's commissionand raising Company A of that regiment. Governor Morton tendered himthe command of the regiment and he was commissioned its colonel. Mr. Harrison appointed a deputy reporter for the supreme court. In theensuing autumn the Democratic State committee, considering his positionas a civil officer vacated by this military appointment, nominated andelected a successor, although his term of office had not expired. Theirview was sustained by the State supreme court; but in 1864, whileColonel Harrison was in the Army, the people of Indiana gave theirjudgment by reelecting him to the position of supreme-court reporterby an overwhelming majority. In 1862 the Seventieth Indiana went intothe field with Harrison as its colonel, their objective point beingBowling Green, Ky. It was brigaded with the Seventy-ninth Ohio and theOne hundred and second, One hundred and fifth, and One hundred andtwenty-ninth Illinois regiments, under Brigadier-General Ward, ofKentucky, and this organization was kept unchanged until the close ofthe war. Colonel Harrison had the right of the brigade, and his commandwas occupied at first in guarding railroads and hunting guerrillas, hisenergies being largely spent in drilling his men. When General Rosecransset out for Chattanooga General Ward was sent on duty to Nashville, andon January 2, 1864, his command was called to the front. Later thisbrigade became the First Brigade of the Third Division of the TwentiethArmy Corps, under General Hooker, General Ward resuming its command. The campaign under General Sherman, upon which his regiment with itsassociate forces entered, was directed, as is now known, against theConfederate army of General Joseph E. Johnston, and not against anyparticular place. In the Federal advance one of the severest actions wasfought at Resaca, Ga. , May 14 and 15, 1864, and the Seventieth Indianaled the assault. His regiment participated in the fights at New HopeChurch and at Golgotha Church, Kenesaw Mountain, and Peach Tree Creek. When Atlanta was taken by Sherman, September 2, 1864, Colonel Harrisonreceived his first furlough to visit home, being assigned to specialduty in a canvass of the State to recruit for the forces in the field. Returning to Chattanooga and then to Nashville, he was placed in commandof a provisional brigade held in reserve at the battle at the latterplace (December 15 and 16, 1864), and was but little engaged. When thefight was over he was sent in pursuit of the Confederate general Hood. Recalled from that pursuit, was next ordered to report to GeneralSherman at Savannah. While passing through New York he succumbed to anattack of scarlet fever, but in a few weeks was able to proceed on hisway. Joining Sherman at Goldsboro, N. C. , resumed command of his oldbrigade, and at the close of the war went with it to Washington to takepart in the grand review of the armies. Was duly mustered out of theservice June 8, 1865, not, however, until he had received a commissionas brevet brigadier-general, dated January 23, 1865. Returning toIndianapolis after the war, resumed his office of reporter of thesupreme court, but in 1867 declined a renomination, preferring to devotehimself exclusively to the practice of law. Became a member of thefirm of Porter, Harrison & Fishback, and, after subsequent changes, of that of Harrison, Miller & Elam. Took part in 1868 and 1872 in thePresidential campaigns in support of General Grant, traveling overIndiana and speaking to large audiences. In 1876 at first declined anomination for governor on the Republican ticket, consenting to run onlyafter the regular nominee had withdrawn. In this contest he receivedalmost 2, 000 more votes than his associates, but was defeated. Was amember of the Mississippi River Commission in 1879. In 1880, as chairmanof the Indiana delegation in the Republican national convention, he castnearly the entire vote of the State for James A. Garfield for President. President Garfield offered him a place in his Cabinet, but he declinedit, preferring the United States Senatorship from Indiana, to whichhe had just been chosen, and which he held from 1881 to 1887. In theSenate he advocated the tariff views of his party, opposed PresidentCleveland's vetoes of pension bills, urged the reconstruction andupbuilding of the Navy, and labored and voted for civil-service reform. Was a delegate at large to the Republican national convention in 1884, and in 1888 at Chicago was nominated for the Presidency on the eighthballot. The nomination was made unanimous, and in November he waselected, receiving 233 electoral votes to 168 for Grover Cleveland. Was inaugurated March 4, 1889. Was again nominated for the Presidencyat the national Republican convention which met at Minneapolis in 1892, but was defeated at the November election, receiving 145 electoralvotes, against 276 votes for Grover Cleveland. Upon his retiring fromoffice located at Indianapolis, Ind. , where he now resides. 

 * * * * *

INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 

FELLOW CITIZENS: There is no constitutional or legal requirement thatthe President shall take the oath of office in the presence of thepeople, but there is so manifest an appropriateness in the publicinduction to office of the chief executive officer of the nation thatfrom the beginning of the Government the people, to whose service theofficial oath consecrates the officer, have been called to witness thesolemn ceremonial. The oath taken in the presence of the people becomesa mutual covenant. The officer covenants to serve the whole body of thepeople by a faithful execution of the laws, so that they may be theunfailing defense and security of those who respect and observe them, and that neither wealth, station, nor the power of combinations shall beable to evade their just penalties or to wrest them from a beneficentpublic purpose to serve the ends of cruelty or selfishness. 

My promise is spoken; yours unspoken, but not the less real and solemn. The people of every State have here their representatives. Surely I donot misinterpret the spirit of the occasion when I assume that thewhole body of the people covenant with me and with each other to-dayto support and defend the Constitution and the Union of the States, toyield willing obedience to all the laws and each to every other citizenhis equal civil and political rights. Entering thus solemnly intocovenant with each other, we may reverently invoke and confidentlyexpect the favor and help of Almighty God--that He will give to mewisdom, strength, and fidelity, and to our people a spirit of fraternityand a love of righteousness and peace. 

This occasion derives peculiar interest from the fact that thePresidential term which begins this day is the twenty-sixth under ourConstitution. The first inauguration of President Washington took placein New York, where Congress was then sitting, on the 30th day ofApril, 1789, having been deferred by reason of delays attending theorganization of the Congress and the canvass of the electoral vote. Ourpeople have already worthily observed the centennials of the Declarationof Independence, of the battle of Yorktown, and of the adoption of theConstitution, and will shortly celebrate in New York the institution ofthe second great department of our constitutional scheme of government. When the centennial of the institution of the judicial department, by the organization of the Supreme Court, shall have been suitablyobserved, as I trust it will be, our nation will have fully enteredits second century. 

I will not attempt to note the marvelous and in great part happycontrasts between our country as it steps over the threshold into itssecond century of organized existence under the Constitution and thatweak but wisely ordered young nation that looked undauntedly down thefirst century, when all its years stretched out before it. 

Our people will not fail at this time to recall the incidents whichaccompanied the institution of government under the Constitution, or tofind inspiration and guidance in the teachings and example of Washingtonand his great associates, and hope and courage in the contrast whichthirty-eight populous and prosperous States offer to the thirteenStates, weak in everything except courage and the love of liberty, thatthen fringed our Atlantic seaboard. 

The Territory of Dakota has now a population greater than any of theoriginal States (except Virginia) and greater than the aggregate offive of the smaller States in 1790. The center of population when ournational capital was located was east of Baltimore, and it was arguedby many well-informed persons that it would move eastward rather thanwestward; yet in 1880 it was found to be near Cincinnati, and the newcensus about to be taken will show another stride to the westward. Thatwhich was the body has come to be only the rich fringe of the nation'srobe. But our growth has not been limited to territory, population, andaggregate wealth, marvelous as it has been in each of those directions. The masses of our people are better fed, clothed, and housed than theirfathers were. The facilities for popular education have been vastlyenlarged and more generally diffused. 

The virtues of courage and patriotism have given recent proof of theircontinued presence and increasing power in the hearts and over thelives of our people. The influences of religion have been multipliedand strengthened. The sweet offices of charity have greatly increased. The virtue of temperance is held in higher estimation. We have notattained an ideal condition. Not all of our people are happy andprosperous; not all of them are virtuous and law-abiding. But on thewhole the opportunities offered to the individual to secure the comfortsof life are better than are found elsewhere and largely better than theywere here one hundred years ago. 

The surrender of a large measure of sovereignty to the GeneralGovernment, effected by the adoption of the Constitution, was notaccomplished until the suggestions of reason were strongly reenforcedby the more imperative voice of experience. The divergent interestsof peace speedily demanded a "more perfect union, " The merchant, the shipmaster, and the manufacturer discovered and disclosed to ourstatesmen and to the people that commercial emancipation must be addedto the political freedom which had been so bravely won. The commercialpolicy of the mother country had not relaxed any of its hard andoppressive features. To hold in check the development of our commercialmarine, to prevent or retard the establishment and growth ofmanufactures in the States, and so to secure the American market fortheir shops and the carrying trade for their ships, was the policy ofEuropean statesmen, and was pursued with the most selfish vigor. 

Petitions poured in upon Congress urging the imposition ofdiscriminating duties that should encourage the production of neededthings at home. The patriotism of the people, which no longer found afield of exercise in war, was energetically directed to the duty ofequipping the young Republic for the defense of its independence bymaking its people self-dependent. Societies for the promotion of homemanufactures and for encouraging the use of domestics in the dress ofthe people were organized in many of the States. The revival at the endof the century of the same patriotic interest in the preservation anddevelopment of domestic industries and the defense of our workingpeople against injurious foreign competition is an incident worthy ofattention. It is not a departure but a return that we have witnessed. The protective policy had then its opponents. The argument was made, as now, that its benefits inured to particular classes or sections. 

If the question became in any sense or at any time sectional, it wasonly because slavery existed in some of the States. But for this therewas no reason why the cotton-producing States should not have led orwalked abreast with the New England States in the production of cottonfabrics. There was this reason only why the States that divide withPennsylvania the mineral treasures of the great southeastern andcentral mountain ranges should have been so tardy in bringing to thesmelting furnace and to the mill the coal and iron from their nearopposing hillsides. Mill fires were lighted at the funeral pile ofslavery. The emancipation proclamation was heard in the depths of theearth as well as in the sky; men were made free, and material thingsbecame our better servants. 

The sectional element has happily been eliminated from the tariffdiscussion. We have no longer States that are necessarily only plantingStates. None are excluded from achieving that diversification ofpursuits among the people which brings wealth and contentment. Thecotton plantation will not be less valuable when the product is spun inthe country town by operatives whose necessities call for diversifiedcrops and create a home demand for garden and agricultural products. Every new mine, furnace, and factory is an extension of the productivecapacity of the State more real and valuable than added territory. 

Shall the prejudices and paralysis of slavery continue to hang upon theskirts of progress? How long will those who rejoice that slavery nolonger exists cherish or tolerate the incapacities it put upon theircommunities? I look hopefully to the continuance of our protectivesystem and to the consequent development of manufacturing and miningenterprises in the States hitherto wholly given to agriculture as apotent influence in the perfect unification of our people. The men whohave invested their capital in these enterprises, the farmers who havefelt the benefit of their neighborhood, and the men who work in shop orfield will not fail to find and to defend a community of interest. 

Is it not quite possible that the farmers and the promoters of thegreat mining and manufacturing enterprises which have recently beenestablished in the South may yet find that the free ballot of theworkingman, without distinction of race, is needed for their defense aswell as for his own? I do not doubt that if those men in the South whonow accept the tariff views of Clay and the constitutional expositionsof Webster would courageously avow and defend their real convictionsthey would not find it difficult, by friendly instruction andcooperation, to make the black man their efficient and safe ally, notonly in establishing correct principles in our national administration, but in preserving for their local communities the benefits of socialorder and economical and honest government. At least until the goodoffices of kindness and education have been fairly tried the contraryconclusion can not be plausibly urged. 

I have altogether rejected the suggestion of a special Executive policyfor any section of our country. It is the duty of the Executive toadminister and enforce in the methods and by the instrumentalitiespointed out and provided by the Constitution all the laws enacted byCongress. These laws are general and their administration should beuniform and equal. As a citizen may not elect what laws he will obey, neither may the Executive elect which he will enforce. The duty toobey and to execute embraces the Constitution in its entirety and thewhole code of laws enacted under it. The evil example of permittingindividuals, corporations, or communities to nullify the laws becausethey cross some selfish or local interest or prejudices is full ofdanger, not only to the nation at large, but much more to those who usethis pernicious expedient to escape their just obligations or to obtainan unjust advantage over others. They will presently themselves becompelled to appeal to the law for protection, and those who would usethe law as a defense must not deny that use of it to others. 

If our great corporations would more scrupulously observe their legallimitations and duties, they would have less cause to complain of theunlawful limitations of their rights or of violent interference withtheir operations. The community that by concert, open or secret, amongits citizens denies to a portion of its members their plain rightsunder the law has severed the only safe bond of social order andprosperity. The evil works from a bad center both ways. It demoralizesthose who practice it and destroys the faith of those who suffer byit in the efficiency of the law as a safe protector. The man in whosebreast that faith has been darkened is naturally the subject ofdangerous and uncanny suggestions. Those who use unlawful methods, ifmoved by no higher motive than the selfishness that prompted them, maywell stop and inquire what is to be the end of this. 

An unlawful expedient can not become a permanent condition ofgovernment. If the educated and influential classes in a communityeither practice or connive at the systematic violation of laws thatseem to them to cross their convenience, what can they expect when thelesson that convenience or a supposed class interest is a sufficientcause for lawlessness has been well learned by the ignorant classes?A community where law is the rule of conduct and where courts, notmobs, execute its penalties is the only attractive field for businessinvestments and honest labor. 

Our naturalization laws should be so amended as to make the inquiryinto the character and good disposition of persons applying forcitizenship more careful and searching. Our existing laws have been intheir administration an unimpressive and often an unintelligible form. We accept the man as a citizen without any knowledge of his fitness, and he assumes the duties of citizenship without any knowledge as towhat they are. The privileges of American citizenship are so great andits duties so grave that we may well insist upon a good knowledge ofevery person applying for citizenship and a good knowledge by him ofour institutions. We should not cease to be hospitable to immigration, but we should cease to be careless as to the character of it. There aremen of all races, even the best, whose coming is necessarily a burdenupon our public revenues or a threat to social order. These should beidentified and excluded. 

We have happily maintained a policy of avoiding all interference withEuropean affairs. We have been only interested spectators of theircontentions in diplomacy and in war, ready to use our friendly officesto promote peace, but never obtruding our advice and never attemptingunfairly to coin the distresses of other powers into commercialadvantage to ourselves. We have a just right to expect that ourEuropean policy will be the American policy of European courts. 

It is so manifestly incompatible with those precautions for our peaceand safety which all the great powers habitually observe and enforce inmatters affecting them that a shorter waterway between our eastern andwestern seaboards should be dominated by any European Government thatwe may confidently expect that such a purpose will not be entertainedby any friendly power. 

We shall in the future, as in the past, use every endeavor to maintainand enlarge our friendly relations with all the great powers, but theywill not expect us to look kindly upon any project that would leaveus subject to the dangers of a hostile observation or environment. Wehave not sought to dominate or to absorb any of our weaker neighbors, but rather to aid and encourage them to establish free and stablegovernments resting upon the consent of their own people. We have aclear right to expect, therefore, that no European Government willseek to establish colonial dependencies upon the territory of theseindependent American States. That which a sense of justice restrainsus from seeking they may be reasonably expected willingly to forego. 

It must not be assumed, however, that our interests are so exclusivelyAmerican that our entire inattention to any events that may transpireelsewhere can be taken for granted. Our citizens domiciled for purposesof trade in all countries and in many of the islands of the sea demandand will have our adequate care in their personal and commercialrights. The necessities of our Navy require convenient coaling stationsand dock and harbor privileges. These and other trading privilegeswe will feel free to obtain only by means that do not in any degreepartake of coercion, however feeble the government from which we asksuch concessions. But having fairly obtained them by methods and forpurposes entirely consistent with the most friendly disposition towardall other powers, our consent will be necessary to any modification orimpairment of the concession. 

We shall neither fail to respect the flag of any friendly nation or thejust rights of its citizens, nor to exact the like treatment for ourown. Calmness, justice, and consideration should characterize ourdiplomacy. The offices of an intelligent diplomacy or of friendlyarbitration in proper cases should be adequate to the peacefuladjustment of all international difficulties. By such methods we willmake our contribution to the world's peace, which no nation values morehighly, and avoid the opprobrium which must fall upon the nation thatruthlessly breaks it. 

The duty devolved by law upon the President to nominate and, by andwith the advice and consent of the Senate, to appoint all publicofficers whose appointment is not otherwise provided for in theConstitution or by act of Congress has become very burdensome and itswise and efficient discharge full of difficulty. The civil list is solarge that a personal knowledge of any large number of the applicantsis impossible. The President must rely upon the representations ofothers, and these are often made inconsiderately and without any justsense of responsibility. I have a right, I think, to insist that thosewho volunteer or are invited to give advice as to appointments shallexercise consideration and fidelity. A high sense of duty and anambition to improve the service should characterize all publicofficers. 

There are many ways in which the convenience and comfort of those whohave business with our public offices may be promoted by a thoughtfuland obliging officer, and I shall expect those whom I may appoint tojustify their selection by a conspicuous efficiency in the discharge oftheir duties. Honorable party service will certainly not be esteemedby me a disqualification for public office, but it will in no case beallowed to serve as a shield of official negligence, incompetency, ordelinquency. It is entirely creditable to seek public office by propermethods and with proper motives, and all applicants will be treatedwith consideration; but I shall need, and the heads of Departments willneed, time for inquiry and deliberation. Persistent importunity willnot, therefore, be the best support of an application for office. Headsof Departments, bureaus, and all other public officers having any dutyconnected therewith will be expected to enforce the civil-servicelaw fully and without evasion. Beyond this obvious duty I hope to dosomething more to advance the reform of the civil service. The ideal, or even my own ideal, I shall probably not attain. Retrospect will bea safer basis of judgment than promises. We shall not, however, I amsure, be able to put our civil service upon a nonpartisan basis untilwe have secured an incumbency that fair-minded men of the oppositionwill approve for impartiality and integrity. As the number of such inthe civil list is increased removals from office will diminish. 

While a Treasury surplus is not the greatest evil, it is a seriousevil. Our revenue should be ample to meet the ordinary annual demandsupon our Treasury, with a sufficient margin for those extraordinary butscarcely less imperative demands which arise now and then. Expenditureshould always be made with economy and only upon public necessity. Wastefulness, profligacy, or favoritism in public expenditures iscriminal. But there is nothing in the condition of our country or ofour people to suggest that anything presently necessary to the publicprosperity, security, or honor should be unduly postponed. 

It will be the duty of Congress wisely to forecast and estimatethese extraordinary demands, and, having added them to our ordinaryexpenditures, to so adjust our revenue laws that no considerable annualsurplus will remain. We will fortunately be able to apply to theredemption of the public debt any small and unforeseen excess ofrevenue. This is better than to reduce our income below our necessaryexpenditures, with the resulting choice between another change of ourrevenue laws and an increase of the public debt. It is quite possible, I am sure, to effect the necessary reduction in our revenues withoutbreaking down our protective tariff or seriously injuring any domesticindustry. 

The construction of a sufficient number of modern war ships and oftheir necessary armament should progress as rapidly as is consistentwith care and perfection in plans and workmanship. The spirit, courage, and skill of our naval officers and seamen have many times in ourhistory given to weak ships and inefficient guns a rating greatlybeyond that of the naval list. That they will again do so upon occasionI do not doubt; but they ought not, by premeditation or neglect, tobe left to the risks and exigencies of an unequal combat. We shouldencourage the establishment of American steamship lines. The exchangesof commerce demand stated, reliable, and rapid means of communication, and until these are provided the development of our trade with theStates lying south of us is impossible. 

Our pension laws should give more adequate and discriminating relief tothe Union soldiers and sailors and to their widows and orphans. Suchoccasions as this should remind us that we owe everything to theirvalor and sacrifice. 

It is a subject of congratulation that there is a near prospect of theadmission into the Union of the Dakotas and Montana and WashingtonTerritories. This act of justice has been unreasonably delayed in thecase of some of them. The people who have settled these Territories areintelligent, enterprising, and patriotic, and the accession of thesenew States will add strength to the nation. It is due to the settlersin the Territories who have availed themselves of the invitations ofour land laws to make homes upon the public domain that their titlesshould be speedily adjusted and their honest entries confirmed bypatent. 

It is very gratifying to observe the general interest now beingmanifested in the reform of our election laws. Those who have been foryears calling attention to the pressing necessity of throwing about theballot box and about the elector further safeguards, in order that ourelections might not only be free and pure, but might clearly appear tobe so, will welcome the accession of any who did not so soon discoverthe need of reform. The National Congress has not as yet taken controlof elections in that case over which the Constitution gives itjurisdiction, but has accepted and adopted the election laws of theseveral States, provided penalties for their violation and a methodof supervision. Only the inefficiency of the State laws or an unfairpartisan administration of them could suggest a departure from thispolicy. 

It was clearly, however, in the contemplation of the framers of theConstitution that such an exigency might arise, and provision waswisely made for it. The freedom of the ballot is a condition of ournational life, and no power vested in Congress or in the Executive tosecure or perpetuate it should remain unused upon occasion. The peopleof all the Congressional districts have an equal interest that theelection in each shall truly express the views and wishes of a majorityof the qualified electors residing within it. The results of suchelections are not local, and the insistence of electors residing inother districts that they shall be pure and free does not savor at allof impertinence. 

If in any of the States the public security is thought to be threatenedby ignorance among the electors, the obvious remedy is education. Thesympathy and help of our people will not be withheld from any communitystruggling with special embarrassments or difficulties connected withthe suffrage if the remedies proposed proceed upon lawful lines and arepromoted by just and honorable methods. How shall those who practiceelection frauds recover that respect for the sanctity of the ballotwhich is the first condition and obligation of good citizenship? Theman who has come to regard the ballot box as a juggler's hat hasrenounced his allegiance. 

Let us exalt patriotism and moderate our party contentions. Let thosewho would die for the flag on the field of battle give a better proofof their patriotism and a higher glory to their country by promotingfraternity and justice. A party success that is achieved by unfairmethods or by practices that partake of revolution is hurtful andevanescent even from a party standpoint. We should hold our differingopinions in mutual respect, and, having submitted them to thearbitrament of the ballot, should accept an adverse judgment with thesame respect that we would have demanded of our opponents if thedecision had been in our favor. 

No other people have a government more worthy of their respect and loveor a land so magnificent in extent, so pleasant to look upon, and sofull of generous suggestion to enterprise and labor. God has placedupon our head a diadem and has laid at our feet power and wealth beyonddefinition or calculation. But we must not forget that we take thesegifts upon the condition that justice and mercy shall hold the reinsof power and that the upward avenues of hope shall be free to all thepeople. 

I do not mistrust the future. Dangers have been in frequentambush along our path, but we have uncovered and vanquished them all. Passion has swept some of our communities, but only to give us a newdemonstration that the great body of our people are stable, patriotic, and law-abiding. No political party can long pursue advantage at theexpense of public honor or by rude and indecent methods without protestand fatal disaffection in its own body. The peaceful agencies ofcommerce are more fully revealing the necessary unity of all ourcommunities, and the increasing intercourse of our people is promotingmutual respect. We shall find unalloyed pleasure in the revelationwhich our next census will make of the swift development of the greatresources of some of the States. Each State will bring its generouscontribution to the great aggregate of the nation's increase. And whenthe harvests from the fields, the cattle from the hills, and the oresof the earth shall have been weighed, counted, and valued, we will turnfrom them all to crown with the highest honor the State that has mostpromoted education, virtue, justice, and patriotism among its people. 

MARCH 4, 1889. 

SPECIAL MESSAGE. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _March 17, 1889_. 

_To the Senate of the United States_:

I transmit herewith, in answer to the Senate resolution of the 11thultimo, a report of the Secretary of State, with accompanying papers, in regard to the case of Louis Riel, otherwise known as Louis DavidRiel. [1]

BENJ. HARRISON. 

[Footnote 1: Tried and executed by the authorities of British NorthAmerica for complicity in the rebellion in the Northwest Territory. ]

PROCLAMATIONS. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

The following provisions of the laws of the United States are herebypublished for the information of all concerned:

Section 1956, Revised Statutes, chapter 3, Title XXIII, enacts that--

 No person shall kill any otter, mink, marten, sable, or fur seal, or other fur-bearing animal within the limits of Alaska Territory or in the waters thereof; and every person guilty thereof shall for each offense be fined not less than $200 nor more than $1, 000, or imprisoned not more than six months, or both; and all vessels, their tackle, apparel, furniture, and cargo, found engaged in violation of this section shall be forfeited; but the Secretary of the Treasury shall have power to authorize the killing of any such mink, marten, sable, or other fur-bearing animal, except fur seals, under such regulations as he may prescribe; and it shall be the duty of the Secretary to prevent the killing of any fur seal and to provide for the execution of the provisions of this section until it is otherwise provided by law, nor shall he grant any special privileges under this section. 

 * * * * *

Section 3 of the act entitled "An act to provide for the protectionof the salmon fisheries of Alaska, " approved March 2, 1889, providesthat--

 Sec. 3. That section 1956 of the Revised Statutes of the United States is hereby declared to include and apply to all the dominion of the United States in the waters of Bering Sea, and it shall be the duty of the President at a timely season in each year to issue his proclamation, and cause the same to be published for one month in at least one newspaper (if any such there be) published at each United States port of entry on the Pacific coast, warning all persons against entering such waters for the purpose of violating the provisions of said section, and he shall also cause one or more vessels of the United States to diligently cruise said waters and arrest all persons and seize all vessels found to be or to have been engaged in any violation of the laws of the United States therein. 

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, pursuant to the above-recited statutes, hereby warn all persons againstentering the waters of Bering Sea within the dominion of the UnitedStates for the purpose of violating the provisions of said section1956, Revised Statutes; and I hereby proclaim that all persons foundto be or have been engaged in any violation of the laws of the UnitedStates in said waters will be arrested and punished as above provided, and that all vessels so employed, their tackle, apparel, furniture, and cargoes, will be seized and forfeited. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 21st day of March, 1889, and ofthe Independence of the United States the one hundred and thirteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas, pursuant to section 8 of the act of Congress approved March 3, 1885, entitled "An act making appropriations for the current andcontingent expenses of the Indian Department and for fulfilling treatystipulations with various Indian tribes for the year ending June 30, 1886, and for other purposes, " certain articles of cession andagreement were made and concluded at the city of Washington on the 19thday of January, A. D. 1889, by and between the United States of Americaand the Muscogee (or Creek) Nation of Indians, whereby the saidMuscogee (or Creek) Nation of Indians, for the consideration thereinmentioned, ceded and granted to the United States, without reservationor condition, full and complete title to the entire western half of thedomain of the said Muscogee (or Creek) Nation in the Indian Territory, lying west of the division line surveyed and established under thetreaty with said nation dated the 14th day of June, 1866, and alsogranted and released to the United States all and every claim, estate, right, or interest of any and every description in and to any and allland and territory whatever, except so much of the former domain ofsaid Muscogee (or Creek) Nation as lies east of said line of divisionsurveyed and established as aforesaid, and then used and occupied asthe home of said nation, and which articles of cession and agreementwere duly accepted, ratified, and confirmed by said Muscogee (or Creek)Nation of Indians by act of its council approved on the 31st day ofJanuary, 1889, and by the United States by act of Congress approvedMarch 1, 1889; and

Whereas by section 12 of the act entitled "An act making appropriationsfor the current and contingent expenses of the Indian Department andfor fulfilling treaty stipulations with various Indian tribes for theyear ending June 30, 1890, and for other purposes, " approved March 2, 1889, a sum of money was appropriated to pay in full the SeminoleNation of Indians for all the right, title, interest, and claim whichsaid nation of Indians might have in and to certain lands ceded byarticle 3 of the treaty between the United States and said nation ofIndians concluded June 14, 1866, and proclaimed August 16, 1866, saidappropriation to become operative upon the execution by the dulyappointed delegates of said nation specially empowered to do so ofa release and conveyance to the United States of all right, title, interest, and claim of said nation of Indians in and to said lands inmanner and form satisfactory to the President of the United States; and

Whereas said release and conveyance, bearing date the 16th day ofMarch, 1889, has been duly and fully executed, approved, and delivered;and

Whereas section 13 of the act last aforesaid, relating to said lands, provides as follows:

 SEC. 13. That the lands acquired by the United States under said agreement shall be a part of the public domain, to be disposed of only as herein provided; and sections 16 and 36 of each township, whether surveyed or unsurveyed, are hereby reserved for the use and benefit of the public schools to be established within the limits of said lands under such conditions and regulations as may be hereafter enacted by Congress. 

 That the lands acquired by conveyance from the Seminole Indians hereunder, except the sixteenth and thirty-sixth sections, shall be disposed of to actual settlers under the homestead laws only, except as herein otherwise provided (except that section 2301 of the Revised Statutes shall not apply): _And provided further_, That any person who, having attempted to but for any cause failed to secure a title in fee to a homestead under existing law, or who made entry under what is known as the commuted provision of the homestead law, shall be qualified to make a homestead entry upon said lands: _And provided further_, That the rights of honorably discharged Union soldiers and sailors in the late Civil War as defined and described in sections 2304 and 2305 of the Revised Statutes shall not be abridged: _And provided further_, That each entry shall be in square form as nearly as practicable, and no person be permitted to enter more than one quarter section thereof, but until said lands are opened for settlement by proclamation of the President no person shall be permitted to enter upon and occupy the same, and no person violating this provision shall ever be permitted to enter any of said lands or acquire any right thereto. 

 The Secretary of the Interior may, after said proclamation and not before, permit entry of said lands for town sites, under sections 2387 and 2388 of the Revised Statutes, but no such entry shall embrace more than one half section of land. 

 That all the foregoing provisions with reference to lands to be acquired from the Seminole Indians, including the provisions pertaining to forfeiture, shall apply to and regulate the disposal of the lands acquired from the Muscogee (or Creek) Indians by articles of cession and agreement made and concluded at the city of Washington on the 19th day of January, A. D. 1889. 

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested by said act of Congress approvedMarch 2, 1889, aforesaid, do hereby declare and make known that so muchof the lands as aforesaid acquired from or conveyed by the Muscogee (orCreek) Nation of Indians and from or by the Seminole Nation of Indians, respectively, as is contained within the following-describedboundaries, viz:

Beginning at a point where the degree of longitude 98 west fromGreenwich, as surveyed in the years 1858 and 1871, intersects theCanadian River; thence north along and with the said degree to a pointwhere the same intersects the Cimarron River; thence up said river, along the right bank thereof, to a point where the same is intersectedby the south line of what is known as the Cherokee lands lying west ofthe Arkansas River, or as the "Cherokee Outlet, " said line being thenorth line of the lands ceded by the Muscogee (or Creek) Nation ofIndians to the United States by the treaty of June 14, 1866; thenceeast along said line to a point where the same intersects the west lineof the lands set apart as a reservation for the Pawnee Indians by actof Congress approved April 10, 1876, being the range line betweenranges 4 and 5 east of the Indian meridian; thence south on said lineto a point where the same intersects the middle of the main channel ofthe Cimarron River; thence up said river, along the middle of the mainchannel thereof, to a point where the same intersects the range linebetween range 1 east and range 1 west (being the Indian meridian), which line forms the western boundary of the reservations set apart, respectively, for the Iowa and Kickapoo Indians by Executive ordersdated, respectively, August 15, 1883; thence south along said rangeline or meridian to a point where the same intersects the right bankof the North Fork of the Canadian River; thence up said river, alongthe right bank thereof, to a point where the same is intersectedby the west line of the reservation occupied by the Citizen band ofPottawatomies and the Absentee Shawnee Indians, set apart under theprovisions of the treaty of February 27, 1867, between the UnitedStates and the Pottawatomie tribe of Indians, and referred to in theact of Congress approved May 23, 1872; thence south along the said westline of the aforesaid reservation to a point where the same intersectsthe middle of the main channel of the Canadian River; thence up thesaid river, along the middle of the main channel thereof, to a pointopposite to the place of beginning, and thence north to the place ofbeginning (saving and excepting 1 acre of land in square form in thenorthwest corner of section 9, in township 16 north, range 2 west ofthe Indian meridian in Indian Territory, and also 1 acre of land in thesoutheast corner of the northwest quarter of section 15, township 16north, range 7 west of the Indian meridian in the Indian Territory, which last-described 2 acres are hereby reserved for Government use andcontrol), will, at and after the hour of 12 o'clock noon of the 22d dayof April next, and not before, be open for settlement, under the termsof and subject to all the conditions, limitations, and restrictionscontained in said act of Congress approved March 2, 1889, and the lawsof the United States applicable thereto. 

And it is hereby expressly declared and made known that no otherparts or portions of the lands embraced within the Indian Territorythan those herein specifically described and declared to be open tosettlement at the time above named and fixed are to be considered asopen to settlement under this proclamation or the act of March 2, 1889, aforesaid. 

And warning is hereby again expressly given that no person enteringupon and occupying said lands before said hour of 12 o'clock noon ofthe 22d day of April, A. D. 1889, hereinbefore fixed, will ever bepermitted to enter any of said lands or acquire any rights thereto, andthat the officers of the United States will be required to strictlyenforce the provision of the act of Congress to the above effect. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

Done at the city of Washington, this 23d day of March, A. D. 1889, andof the Independence of the United States the one hundred andthirteenth. 

[SEAL. ]

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

A hundred years have passed since the Government which our forefathersfounded was formally organized. At noon on the 30th day of April, 1789, in the city of New York, and in the presence of an assemblage of theheroic men whose patriotic devotion had led the colonies to victory andindependence, George Washington took the oath of office as ChiefMagistrate of the new-born Republic. This impressive act was precededat 9 o'clock in the morning in all the churches of the city by prayerfor God's blessing on the Government and its first President. 

The centennial of this illustrious event in our history has beendeclared a general holiday by act of Congress, to the end that thepeople of the whole country may join in commemorative exercisesappropriate to the day. 

In order that the joy of the occasion may be associated with a deepthankfulness in the minds of the people for all our blessings in thepast and a devout supplication to God for their gracious continuance inthe future, the representatives of the religious creeds, both Christianand Hebrew, have memorialized the Government to designate an hour forprayer and thanksgiving on that day. 

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States ofAmerica, in response to this pious and reasonable request, do recommendthat on Tuesday, April 30, at the hour of 9 o'clock in the morning, the people of the entire country repair to their respective placesof divine worship to implore the favor of God that the blessings ofliberty, prosperity, and peace may abide with us as a people, and thatHis hand may lead us in the paths of righteousness and good deeds. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States of America to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done in the city of Washington, this 4th day of April, A. D. 1889, andof the Independence of the United States the one hundred andthirteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

A highly favored people, mindful of their dependence on the bounty ofDivine Providence, should seek fitting occasion to testify gratitudeand ascribe praise to Him who is the author of their many blessings. It behooves us, then, to look back with thankful hearts over the pastyear and bless God for His infinite mercy in vouchsafing to our landenduring peace, to our people freedom from pestilence and famine, toour husbandmen abundant harvests, and to them that labor a recompenseof their toil. 

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United Statesof America, do earnestly recommend that Thursday, the 28th day ofthis present month of November, be set apart as a day of nationalthanksgiving and prayer, and that the people of our country, ceasingfrom the cares and labors of their working day, shall assemble in theirrespective places of worship and give thanks to God, who has prosperedus on our way and made our paths the paths of peace, beseeching Him tobless the day to our present and future good, making it truly one ofthanksgiving for each reunited home circle as for the nation at large. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 1st day of November, A. D. 1889, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred andfourteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas the Congress of the United States did by an act approvedon the 22d day of February, 1889, provide that the inhabitants of theTerritory of Dakota might upon the conditions prescribed in said actbecome the States of North Dakota and South Dakota; and

Whereas it was provided by said act that the area comprising theTerritory of Dakota should for the purposes of the act be divided onthe line of the seventh standard parallel produced due west to thewestern boundary of said Territory, and that the delegates elected astherein provided to the constitutional convention in districts north ofsaid parallel should assemble in convention at the time prescribed inthe act at the city of Bismarck; and

Whereas it was provided by the said act that the delegates elected asaforesaid should, after they had met and organized, declare on behalfof the people of North Dakota that they adopt the Constitution of theUnited States, whereupon the said convention should be authorized toform a constitution and State government for the proposed State ofNorth Dakota; and

Whereas it was provided by said act that the constitution so adoptedshould be republican in form and make no distinction in civil orpolitical rights on account of race or color, except as to Indians nottaxed, and not be repugnant to the Constitution of the United Statesand the principles of the Declaration of Independence, and that theconvention should, by an ordinance irrevocable without the consent ofthe United States and the people of said States, make certainprovisions prescribed in said act; and

Whereas it was provided by said act that the constitutions of NorthDakota and South Dakota should, respectively, incorporate an agreement, to be reached in accordance with the provision of the act, for anequitable division of all property belonging to the Territory ofDakota, the disposition of all public records, and also for theapportionment of the debts and liabilities of said Territory, and thateach of said States should obligate itself to pay its proportion ofsuch debts and liabilities the same as if they had been created by suchStates, respectively; and

Whereas it was provided by said act that the constitution thusformed for the people of North Dakota should, by an ordinance of theconvention forming the same, be submitted to the people of North Dakotaat an election to be held therein on the first Tuesday in October, 1889, for ratification or rejection by the qualified voters of saidproposed State, and that the returns of said election should be made tothe secretary of the Territory of Dakota, who, with the governor andchief justice thereof, or any two of them, should canvass the same, andif a majority of the legal votes cast should be for the constitutionthe governor should certify the result to the President of the UnitedStates, together with a statement of the votes cast thereon and uponseparate articles or propositions, and a copy of said constitution, articles, propositions, and ordinances; and

Whereas it has been certified to me by the governor of the Territoryof Dakota that within the time prescribed by said act of Congress aconstitution for the proposed State of North Dakota has been adoptedand the same ratified by a majority of the qualified voters of saidproposed State in accordance with the conditions prescribed in saidact; and

Whereas it is also certified to me by the said governor that at thesame time that the body of said constitution was submitted to a vote ofthe people a separate article, numbered 20 and entitled "Prohibition, "was also submitted and received a majority of all the votes cast forand against said article, as well as a majority of all the votes castfor and against the constitution, and was adopted; and

Whereas a duly authenticated copy of said constitution, article, ordinances, and propositions, as required by said act, has beenreceived by me:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States ofAmerica, do, in accordance with the provisions of the act of Congressaforesaid, declare and proclaim the fact that the conditions imposedby Congress on the State of North Dakota to entitle that State toadmission to the Union have been ratified and accepted and that theadmission of the said State into the Union is now complete. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 2d day of November, A. D. 1889, andof the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred andfourteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas the Congress of the United States did by an act approvedon the 22d day of February, 1889, provide that the inhabitants of theTerritory of Dakota might upon the conditions prescribed in the saidact become the States of North Dakota and South Dakota; and

Whereas it was provided by said act that the area comprising theTerritory of Dakota should for the purposes of the act be divided onthe line of the seventh standard parallel produced due west to thewestern boundary of said Territory, and that the delegates elected astherein provided to the constitutional convention in districts south ofsaid parallel should at the time prescribed in the act assemble inconvention at the city of Sioux Falls; and

Whereas it was provided by the said act that the delegates elected asaforesaid should, after they had met and organized, declare on behalfof the people of South Dakota that they adopt the Constitution of theUnited States, whereupon the said convention should be authorized toform a constitution and State government for the proposed State ofSouth Dakota; and

Whereas it was provided by said act that the constitution so adoptedshould be republican in form and make no distinction in civil orpolitical rights on account of race or color, except as to Indians nottaxed, and not be repugnant to the Constitution of the United Statesand the principles of the Declaration of Independence, and that theconvention should, by an ordinance irrevocable without the consent ofthe United States and the people of said States, make certainprovisions prescribed in said act; and

Whereas it was provided by said act that the constitutions of NorthDakota and South Dakota should, respectively, incorporate an agreement, to be reached in accordance with the provisions of the act, for anequitable division of all property belonging to the Territory ofDakota, the disposition of all public records, and also for theapportionment of the debts and liabilities of said Territory, and thateach of said States should obligate itself to pay its proportion ofsuch debts and liabilities the same as if they had been created by suchStates respectively; and

Whereas it was provided by said act that at the election for delegatesto the constitutional convention in South Dakota, as therein provided, each elector might have written or printed on his ballot the words"For the Sioux Falls constitution" or the words "Against the SiouxFalls constitution;" that the votes on this question should be returnedand canvassed in the same manner as the votes for the election ofdelegates, and if a majority of all votes cast on this question shouldbe "For the Sioux Falls constitution" it should be the duty of theconvention which might assemble at Sioux Falls, as provided in theact, to resubmit to the people of South Dakota, for ratification orrejection, at an election provided for in said act, the constitutionframed at Sioux Falls and adopted November 3, 1885, and also thearticles and propositions separately submitted at that election, including the question of locating the temporary seat of government, with such changes only as related to the name and boundary of theproposed State, to the reapportionment of the judicial and legislativedistricts, and such amendments as might be necessary in order to complywith the provisions of the act; and

Whereas it was provided by said act that the constitution formed forthe people of South Dakota should, by an ordinance of the conventionforming the same, be submitted to the people of South Dakota at anelection to be held therein on the first Tuesday in October, 1889, forratification or rejection by the qualified voters of said proposedState, and that the returns of said election should be made to thesecretary of the Territory of Dakota, who, with the governor and chiefjustice thereof, or any two of them, should canvass the same, and ifa majority of the legal votes cast should be for the constitution thegovernor should certify the result to the President of the UnitedStates, together with a statement of the votes cast thereon and uponseparate articles or propositions, and a copy of said constitution, articles, propositions, and ordinances; and

Whereas it has been certified to me by the governor of the Territory ofDakota that at the aforesaid election for delegates the "Sioux Fallsconstitution" was submitted to the people of the proposed State ofSouth Dakota, as provided in the said act; that a majority of all thevotes cast on this question was "For the Sioux Falls constitution, "and that the said constitution was at the time prescribed in the actresubmitted to the people of South Dakota, with proper changes andamendments, and has been adopted and ratified by a majority of thequalified voters of said proposed State in accordance with theconditions prescribed in said act; and

Whereas it is also certified to me by the said governor that at thesame time that the body of said constitution was submitted to a voteof the people two additional articles were submitted separately, towit, an article numbered 24, entitled "Prohibition, " which received amajority of all the votes cast for and against said article, as wellas a majority of all the votes cast for and against the constitution, and was adopted; and an article numbered 25, entitled "Minorityrepresentation, " which did not receive a majority of the votes castthereon or upon the constitution, and was rejected; and

Whereas a duly authenticated copy of said constitution, additionalarticles, ordinances, and propositions, as required by said act, hasbeen received by me:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States ofAmerica, do, in accordance with the act of Congress aforesaid, declareand proclaim the fact that the conditions imposed by Congress on theState of South Dakota to entitle that State to admission to the Unionhave been ratified and accepted and that the admission of the saidState into the Union is now complete. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 2d day of November, A. D. 1889, andof the independence of the United States of America the one hundred andfourteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas the Congress of the United States did by an act approvedon the 22d day of February, 1889, provide that the inhabitants of theTerritory of Montana might upon the conditions prescribed in said actbecome the State of Montana; and

Whereas it was provided by said act that delegates elected as thereinprovided to a constitutional convention in the Territory of Montanashould meet at the seat of government of said Territory, and that afterthey had met and organized they should declare on behalf of the peopleof Montana that they adopt the Constitution of the United States, whereupon the said convention should be authorized to form a Stategovernment for the proposed State of Montana; and

Whereas it was provided by said act that the constitution so adoptedshould be republican in form and make no distinction in civil orpolitical rights on account of race or color, except as to Indians nottaxed, and not be repugnant to the Constitution of the United Statesand the principles of the Declaration of Independence, and that theconvention should, by an ordinance irrevocable without the consent ofthe United States and the people of said State, make certain provisionsprescribed in said act; and

Whereas it was provided by said act that the constitution thus formedfor the people of Montana should, by an ordinance of the conventionforming the same, be submitted to the people of Montana at an electionto be held therein on the 1st Tuesday in October, 1889, forratification or rejection by the qualified voters of said proposedState, and that the returns of said election should be made to thesecretary of said Territory, who, with the governor and chief justicethereof, or any two of them, should canvass the same, and if a majorityof the legal votes cast should be for the constitution the governorshould certify the result to the President of the United States, together with a statement of the votes cast thereon and upon separatearticles or propositions, and a copy of said constitution, articles, propositions, and ordinances; and

Whereas it has been certified to me by the governor of said Territorythat within the time prescribed by said act of Congress a constitutionfor the proposed State of Montana has been adopted, and that the same, together with two ordinances connected therewith, has been ratified bya majority of the qualified voters of said proposed State in accordancewith the conditions prescribed in said act; and

Whereas a duly authenticated copy of said constitution and ordinances, as required by said act, has been received by me:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States ofAmerica, do, in accordance with the provisions of the act of Congressaforesaid, declare and proclaim the fact that the conditions imposed byCongress on the State of Montana to entitle that State to admission tothe Union have been ratified and accepted and that the admission of thesaid State into the Union is now complete. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 8th day of November, A. D. 1889, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundredand fourteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas the Congress of the United States did by an act approvedon the 22d day of February, 1889, provide that the inhabitants of theTerritory of Washington might upon the conditions prescribed in saidact become the State of Washington; and

Whereas it was provided by said act that delegates elected as thereinprovided to a constitutional convention in the Territory of Washingtonshould meet at the seat of government of said Territory, and that afterthey had met and organized they should declare on behalf of the peopleof Washington that they adopt the Constitution of the United States, whereupon the said convention should be authorized to form a Stategovernment for the proposed State of Washington; and

Whereas it was provided by said act that the constitution so adoptedshould be republican in form and make no distinction in civil orpolitical rights on account of race or color, except as to Indians nottaxed, and not be repugnant to the Constitution of the United Statesand the principles of the Declaration of Independence, and that theconvention should, by an ordinance irrevocable without the consent ofthe United States and the people of said State, make certain provisionsprescribed in said act; and

Whereas it was provided by said act that the constitution thus formedfor the people of Washington should, by an ordinance of the conventionforming the same, be submitted to the people of Washington at anelection to be held therein on the first Tuesday in October, 1889, forratification or rejection by the qualified voters of said proposedState, and that the returns of said election should be made to thesecretary of said Territory, who, with the governor and chief justicethereof, or any two of them, should canvass the same, and if a majorityof the legal votes cast should be for the constitution the governorshould certify the result to the President of the United States, together with a statement of the votes cast thereon and upon separatearticles or propositions, and a copy of said constitution, articles, propositions, and ordinances; and

Whereas it has been certified to me by the governor of said Territorythat within the time prescribed by said act of Congress a constitutionfor the proposed State of Washington has been adopted, and that thesame has been ratified by a majority of the qualified voters of saidproposed State in accordance with the conditions prescribed in saidact; and

Whereas it is also certified to me by the said governor that at thesame time the body of said constitution was submitted to a voteof the people two separate articles, entitled "Woman suffrage" and"Prohibition, " were likewise submitted, which said separate articlesdid not receive a majority of the votes cast thereon or upon theconstitution, and were rejected; also that at the same election thequestion of the location of a permanent seat of government was sosubmitted, and that no place received a majority of all the votescast upon said question; and

Whereas a duly authenticated copy of said constitution and articles, as required by said act, has been received by me:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States ofAmerica, do, in accordance with the provisions of the act of Congressaforesaid, declare and proclaim the fact that the conditions imposed byCongress on the State of Washington to entitle that State to admissionto the Union have been ratified and accepted and that the admission ofthe said State into the Union is now complete. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 11th day of November, A. D. 1889, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundredand fourteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

EXECUTIVE ORDERS. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, March 11, 1889_. 

Whereas civil-service rules for the railway mail service were approvedJanuary 4, 1889, to go into effect March 15, 1889; and

Whereas it is represented to me by the Civil Service Commission in acommunication of this date that it will be impossible to completearrangements for putting said rules into full effect on said date, orsooner than May 1, 1889:

_It is therefore ordered_, That said railway mail rules shall takeeffect May 1, 1889, instead of March 15, 1889: _Provided_, That suchrules shall become operative and take effect in any State or Territoryas soon as an eligible register for such State or Territory shall beprepared, if it shall be prior to the date above fixed. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _April 17, 1889_. 

Special Departmental Rule No. 1 is hereby amended by including among theplaces excepted from examination thereunder in section 2 the following:"and inspector of furniture. "

As amended so much of that section as relates to the office of Secretaryof the Treasury will read as follows:

 2. In the Department of the Treasury, in the office of the Secretary: Government actuary and inspector of furniture. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

REGULATIONS FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF ARMS, ORDNANCE STORES, QUARTERMASTER'S STORES, AND CAMP EQUIPAGE TO THE TERRITORIES AND THEDISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, PRESCRIBED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATESIN CONFORMITY WITH THE SECOND SECTION OF THE ACT ENTITLED "AN ACT TOAMEND SECTION 1661, REVISED STATUTES, MAKING AN ANNUAL APPROPRIATION TOPROVIDE ARMS AND EQUIPMENTS FOR THE MILITIA. "

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _April 23, 1889_. 

1. Arms, ordnance stores, quartermaster's stores, and camp equipageshall be issued to the Territories on requisitions of the governorsthereof, and to the District of Columbia on requisitions approved by thesenior general of the District militia present for duty. Returns shallbe made annually by the senior general of the District militia in themanner as required by sections 3 and 4 of the act above referred to inthe case of States and Territories. 

2. It is forbidden to make issues to States and Territories in excess ofthe amount to their credit under the provisions of section 1661, RevisedStatutes, as amended by the above act. 

3. Any regulations established hitherto which in any way conflict withthese are hereby revoked. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

MAY 4, 1889. 

Special Departmental Rule No. 1 is hereby amended by including among theplaces excepted from examination thereunder in section 2 the following:"custodian of dies, rolls, and plates at the Bureau of Engraving andPrinting, two subcustodians, keeper of the vault, and distributer ofstock. "

As amended so much of that section as relates to the office of theSecretary of the Treasury will read:

2. In the Department of the Treasury, in the office of the Secretary:Government actuary, inspector of furniture, custodian of dies, rolls, and plates at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, two subcustodians, keeper of the vault, and distributer of stock. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENTS OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _May 27, 1889_. 

Departmental Rule VIII is hereby amended as follows:

At the end of section 1 insert an additional clause, as follows:

 (_d_) From the office of the President of the United States, after two years' continuous service therein immediately preceding the transfer, to any place in the classified service without examination, upon the requisition of the head of the Department to which the transfer is to be made and the certification of the Commission. 

In section 2, line 1, after the word "authorized, " insert the following:"except as provided in section 1, clause (_d_). "

BENJ. HARRISON. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. 

EXECUTIVE ORDER. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _May 29, 1889_. 

_It is hereby ordered_, That the several Executive Departments and theGovernment Printing Office be closed on Thursday, the 30th instant, toenable the employees to participate in the decoration of the graves ofthe soldiers who fell during the rebellion. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _June 7, 1889_. 

In November, 1862, President Lincoln quoted the words of Washington tosustain his own views, and announced in a general order that--

 The President, Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy, desires and enjoins the orderly observance of the Sabbath by the officers and men in the military and naval service. The importance for man and beast of the prescribed weekly rest, the sacred rights of Christian soldiers and sailors, a becoming deference to the best sentiment of a Christian people, and a due regard for the divine will demand that Sunday labor in the Army and Navy be reduced to the measure of strict necessity. 

The truth so concisely stated can not be too faithfully regarded, andthe pressure to ignore it is far less now than in the midst of war. Torecall the kindly and considerate spirit of the orders issued by thesegreat men in the most trying times of our history, and to promotecontentment and efficiency, the President directs that Sunday-morninginspection will be merely of the dress and general appearance, withoutarms; and the more complete inspection under arms, with all men present, as required in paragraph 950, Army Regulations, 1889, will take place onSaturday. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: REDFIELD PROCTOR, _Secretary of War_. 

AMENDMENTS OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _June 10, 1889_. 

Special Departmental Rule No. 1 is hereby amended as follows:

In section 2, at the end of paragraph 1, insert the following: "foremenof laborers, skilled laborers, elevator conductors, foreman of cabinetshop, and cabinetmakers. "

So that as amended so much of section 2 as relates to the office of theSecretary of the Treasury will read:

 In the office of the Secretary: Government actuary, inspector of furniture, custodian of dies, rolls, and plates at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, two subcustodians, keeper of the vault, and distributer of stock, foremen of laborers, skilled laborers, elevator conductors, foreman of cabinet shop, and cabinetmakers. 

In section 3 strike out the last paragraph and insert in lieu thereofthe following:

 In the Geological Survey: General assistant, executive officer, chief photographer, editor, all scientific employees of the Geological Survey officially designated as follows: Chief geologist, geologist, assistant geologist, chief paleontologist, paleontologist, and assistant paleontologist, chief chemist, chemist, assistant chemist, chief physicist, physicist, assistant physicist, chief geographer, geographer, assistant geographer, chief topographer, topographer, assistant topographer, chief hydrographer, hydrographer, assistant hydrographer, supervising engineer, engineer, assistant engineer, paleontological draftsman, chief mechanician, mechanician, assistant mechanician. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _June 18, 1889_. 

Departmental Rule X, Customs Rule VII, Postal Rule VII, and Railway MailRule VI are hereby amended by adding to each of said rules, at the endthereof, the following:

 _Provided_, That certification may be made, subject to the other conditions of this rule, for the reinstatement of any person who served in the military or naval service of the United States in the late War of the Rebellion, and was honorably discharged therefrom, without regard to the length of time he has been separated from the service. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

JULY 26, 1889. 

Clause (_h_) of section 2 of General Rule III is hereby amended byadding to that clause, at the end thereof, the following: "or fortemporary appointment for not exceeding thirty days in any part of theclassified service. "

Approved:

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

JULY 26, 1889. 

Section 5 of Railway Mail Rule II is hereby amended by adding anadditional clause, as follows:

 (_c_) Printers, employed as such. 

Approved:

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _August 17, 1889_. 

Clause 5 of Railway Mail Rule II is hereby amended by adding thereto thefollowing clauses:

 (_d_) Clerks employed exclusively as porters in handling mail matter in bulk, in sacks, or pouches, and not otherwise. 

 (_e_) Clerks employed exclusively on steamboats. 

Approved:

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

AUGUST 20, 1889. 

Clause 2 of Special Departmental Rule No. 1 is hereby amended byincluding among the places excepted from examination in the office ofthe Supervising Architect the following: "engineers and draftsmen ofclasses 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, not exceeding ten in all: _Provided_, Thatthese ten places shall cease to be excepted places from and after June30, 1890. "

As thus amended so much of clause 2 as relates to the office of theSupervising Architect will read as follows:

In the office of the Supervising Architect: Supervising Architect, assistant and chief clerk, confidential clerk to Supervising Architect, photographer, engineers and draftsmen of classes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, notexceeding ten in all: _Provided_, That these ten places shall cease tobe excepted places from and after June 30, 1890. 

Approved:

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

OCTOBER 29, 1889. 

Section 2 of Special Departmental Rule No. 1 is hereby amended by addingto the places excepted from examination in the Bureau of Engraving andPrinting the following: "plate cleaners, transferrers, hardeners, provers, pressmen, machinists, plumbers, carpenters, and blacksmiths. "

Approved:

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENTS OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

Section 2 of Railway Mail Rule IV is hereby amended by substituting forclause (_b_) of said section the following:

 (_b_) The Commission shall certify from the register of the State or Territory in which the vacancy exists the names of the three eligibles thereon having the highest averages, resident in the counties of said State or Territory through or on the borders of which the section of the road passes on which the person to be appointed is to serve, who have not been three times certified: _Provided_, That if there are not three eligibles resident in said counties, then certification shall be made in like manner from the counties of said State or Territory nearest to the line of said road in which there are three eligibles; or if there are not three eligibles upon the register of said State or Territory, then certification may be made from the register of any adjoining State or Territory: _Provided further_, That if upon the register of the State or Territory in which vacancy exists there are the names of eligibles having a claim of preference under section 1754, Revised Statutes, the names of such eligibles shall be certified before the names of other eligibles of higher grade. 

At the end of the rule add an additional section, as follows:

 7. In case of public and pressing exigency demanding the immediate employment of experienced railway mail clerks who can not be at once supplied in the manner provided for in section 2 of this rule, or by transfer under Rule V, or reappointment under Rule VI, there may be employed, without examination or certification, under such regulations as the Postmaster-General may prescribe, for a period not to exceed thirty days, which, with the consent of the Commission, may be extended to sixty days, any persons who have been in the railway mail service, who have the requisite knowledge and experience, who may be available. Every such employment and the reasons therefor shall be at once reported to the Commission. 

Approved, November 1, 1889. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

Special Customs Rule No. 1 is hereby amended by adding to the placesexcepted from examination at the port of New York the following:

 Office of the General Appraiser: Chief clerk and law clerk. 

Approved, November 18, 1889. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

FIRST ANNUAL MESSAGE. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, December 3, 1889_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

There are few transactions in the administration of the Governmentthat are even temporarily held in the confidence of those chargedwith the conduct of the public business. Every step taken is under theobservation of an intelligent and watchful people. The state of theUnion is known from day to day, and suggestions as to needed legislationfind an earlier voice than that which speaks in these annualcommunications of the President to Congress. 

Good will and cordiality have characterized our relations andcorrespondence with other governments, and the year just closed leavesfew international questions of importance remaining unadjusted. Noobstacle is believed to exist that can long postpone the considerationand adjustment of the still pending questions upon satisfactory andhonorable terms. The dealings of this Government with other states havebeen and should always be marked by frankness and sincerity, ourpurposes avowed, and our methods free from intrigue. This course hasborne rich fruit in the past, and it is our duty as a nation to preservethe heritage of good repute which a century of right dealing withforeign governments has secured to us. 

It is a matter of high significance and no less of congratulation thatthe first year of the second century of our constitutional existencefinds as honored guests within our borders the representatives of allthe independent States of North and South America met together inearnest conference touching the best methods of perpetuating andexpanding the relations of mutual interest and friendliness existingamong them. That the opportunity thus afforded for promoting closerinternational relations and the increased prosperity of the Statesrepresented will be used for the mutual good of all I can not permitmyself to doubt. Our people will await with interest and confidence theresults to flow from so auspicious a meeting of allied and in large partidentical interests. 

The recommendations of this international conference of enlightenedstatesmen will doubtless have the considerate attention of Congress andits cooperation in the removal of unnecessary barriers to beneficialintercourse between the nations of America. But while the commercialresults which it is hoped will follow this conference are worthy ofpursuit and of the great interests they have excited, it is believedthat the crowning benefit will be found in the better securities whichmay be devised for the maintenance of peace among all American nationsand the settlement of all contentions by methods that a Christiancivilization can approve. While viewing with interest our nationalresources and products, the delegates will, I am sure, find a highersatisfaction in the evidences of unselfish friendship which everywhereattend their intercourse with our people. 

Another international conference having great possibilities for good haslately assembled and is now in session in this capital. An invitationwas extended by the Government, under the act of Congress of July 9, 1888, to all maritime nations to send delegates to confer touching therevision and amendment of the rules and regulations governing vesselsat sea and to adopt a uniform system of marine signals. The response tothis invitation has been very general and very cordial. Delegates fromtwenty-six nations are present in the conference, and they have enteredupon their useful work with great zeal and with an evident appreciationof its importance. So far as the agreement to be reached may requirelegislation to give it effect, the cooperation of Congress isconfidently relied upon. 

It is an interesting, if not, indeed, an unprecedented, fact that thetwo international conferences have brought together here the accreditedrepresentatives of thirty-three nations. 

Bolivia, Ecuador, and Honduras are now represented by resident envoys ofthe plenipotentiary grade. All the States of the American system nowmaintain diplomatic representation at this capital. 

In this connection it may be noted that all the nations of the WesternHemisphere, with one exception, send to Washington envoys extraordinaryand ministers plenipotentiary, being the highest grade accredited tothis Government. The United States, on the contrary, sends envoys oflower grades to some of our sister Republics. Our representative inParaguay and Uruguay is a minister resident, while to Bolivia we send aminister resident and consul-general. In view of the importance of ourrelations with the States of the American system, our diplomatic agentsin those countries should be of the uniform rank of envoy extraordinaryand minister plenipotentiary. Certain missions were so elevated by thelast Congress with happy effect, and I recommend the completion of thereform thus begun, with the inclusion also of Hawaii and Hayti, in viewof their relations to the American system of states. 

I also recommend that timely provision be made for extending to Hawaiian invitation to be represented in the international conference nowsitting at this capital. 

Our relations with China have the attentive consideration which theirmagnitude and interest demand. The failure of the treaty negotiatedunder the Administration of my predecessor for the further and morecomplete restriction of Chinese labor immigration, and with it thelegislation of the last session of Congress dependent thereon, leavessome questions open which Congress should now approach in that wise andjust spirit which should characterize the relations of two great andfriendly powers. While our supreme interests demand the exclusion ofa laboring element which experience has shown to be incompatible withour social life, all steps to compass this imperative need should beaccompanied with a recognition of the claim of those strangers nowlawfully among us to humane and just treatment. 

The accession of the young Emperor of China marks, we may hope, an eraof progress and prosperity for the great country over which he is calledto rule. 

The present state of affairs in respect to the Samoan Islands isencouraging. The conference which was held in this city in the summerof 1887 between the representatives of the United States, Germany, andGreat Britain having been adjourned because of the persistent divergenceof views which was developed in its deliberations, the subsequent courseof events in the islands gave rise to questions of a serious character. On the 4th of February last the German minister at this capital, inbehalf of his Government, proposed a resumption of the conference atBerlin. This proposition was accepted, as Congress in February last wasinformed. 

Pursuant to the understanding thus reached, commissioners were appointedby me, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, who proceededto Berlin, where the conference was renewed. The deliberations extendedthrough several weeks, and resulted in the conclusion of a treaty whichwill be submitted to the Senate for its approval. I trust that theefforts which have been made to effect an adjustment of this questionwill be productive of the permanent establishment of law and order inSamoa upon the basis of the maintenance of the rights and interests ofthe natives as well as of the treaty powers. 

The questions which have arisen during the past few years between GreatBritain and the United States are in abeyance or in course of amicableadjustment. 

On the part of the government of the Dominion of Canada an effort hasbeen apparent during the season just ended to administer the laws andregulations applicable to the fisheries with as little occasion forfriction as was possible, and the temperate representations of thisGovernment in respect of cases of undue hardship or of harshinterpretations have been in most cases met with measures of transitoryrelief. It is trusted that the attainment of our just rights underexisting treaties and in virtue of the concurrent legislation of the twocontiguous countries will not be long deferred and that all existingcauses of difference may be equitably adjusted. 

I recommend that provision be made by an international agreement forvisibly marking the water boundary between the United States and Canadain the narrow channels that join the Great Lakes. The conventional linetherein traced by the northwestern boundary survey years ago is not inall cases readily ascertainable for the settlement of jurisdictionalquestions. 

A just and acceptable enlargement of the list of offenses for whichextradition may be claimed and granted is most desirable between thiscountry and Great Britain. The territory of neither should become asecure harbor for the evil doers of the other through any avoidableshortcoming in this regard. A new treaty on this subject between the twopowers has been recently negotiated and will soon be laid before theSenate. 

The importance of the commerce of Cuba and Puerto Rico with the UnitedStates, their nearest and principal market, justifies the expectationthat the existing relations may be beneficially expanded. Theimpediments resulting from varying dues on navigation and from thevexatious treatment of our vessels on merely technical grounds ofcomplaint in West India ports should be removed. 

The progress toward an adjustment of pending claims between the UnitedStates and Spain is not as rapid as could be desired. 

Questions affecting American interests in connection with railwaysconstructed and operated by our citizens in Peru have claimed theattention of this Government. It is urged that other governments inpressing Peru to the payment of their claims have disregarded theproperty rights of American citizens. The matter will be carefullyinvestigated with a view to securing a proper and equitable adjustment. 

A similar issue is now pending with Portugal. The Delagoa Bay Railway, in Africa, was constructed under a concession by Portugal to an Americancitizen. When nearly completed the road was seized by the agents of thePortuguese Government. Formal protest has been made through our ministerat Lisbon against this act, and no proper effort will be spared tosecure proper relief. 

In pursuance of the charter granted by Congress and under the terms ofits contract with the Government of Nicaragua the Interoceanic CanalCompany has begun the construction of the important waterway between thetwo oceans which its organization contemplates. Grave complications fora time seemed imminent, in view of a supposed conflict of jurisdictionbetween Nicaragua and Costa Rica in regard to the accessory privilegesto be conceded by the latter Republic toward the construction of workson the San Juan River, of which the right bank is Costa Rican territory. I am happy to learn that a friendly arrangement has been effectedbetween the two nations. This Government has held itself ready topromote in every proper way the adjustment of all questions that mightpresent obstacles to the completion of a work of such transcendentimportance to the commerce of this country, and, indeed, to thecommercial interests of the world. 

The traditional good feeling between this country and the FrenchRepublic has received additional testimony in the participation ofour Government and people in the international exposition held atParis during the past summer. The success of our exhibitors has beengratifying. The report of the commission will be laid before Congressin due season. 

This Government has accepted, under proper reserve as to its policy inforeign territories, the invitation of the Government of Belgium to takepart in an international congress, which opened at Brussels on the 16thof November, for the purpose of devising measures to promote theabolition of the slave trade in Africa and to prevent the shipment ofslaves by sea. Our interest in the extinction of this crime againsthumanity in the regions where it yet survives has been increased by theresults of emancipation within our own borders. 

With Germany the most cordial relations continue. The questions arisingfrom the return to the Empire of Germans naturalized in this country areconsidered and disposed of in a temperate spirit to the entiresatisfaction of both Governments. 

It is a source of great satisfaction that the internal disturbances ofthe Republic of Hayti are at last happily ended, and that an apparentlystable government has been constituted. It has been duly recognized bythe United States. 

A mixed commission is now in session in this capital for the settlementof long-standing claims against the Republic of Venezuela, and it ishoped that a satisfactory conclusion will be speedily reached. ThisGovernment has not hesitated to express its earnest desire that theboundary dispute now pending between Great Britain and Venezuela may beadjusted amicably and in strict accordance with the historic title ofthe parties. 

The advancement of the Empire of Japan has been evidenced by the recentpromulgation of a new constitution, containing valuable guaranties ofliberty and providing for a responsible ministry to conduct theGovernment. 

It is earnestly recommended that our judicial rights and processes inKorea be established on a firm basis by providing the machinerynecessary to carry out treaty stipulations in that regard. 

The friendliness of the Persian Government continues to be shown by itsgenerous treatment of Americans engaged in missionary labors and by thecordial disposition of the Shah to encourage the enterprise of ourcitizens in the development of Persian resources. 

A discussion is in progress touching the jurisdictional treaty rights ofthe United States in Turkey. An earnest effort will be made to definethose rights to the satisfaction of both Governments. 

Questions continue to arise in our relations with several countries inrespect to the rights of naturalized citizens. Especially is this thecase with France, Italy, Russia, and Turkey, and to a less extent withSwitzerland. From time to time earnest efforts have been made toregulate this subject by conventions with those countries. An improperuse of naturalization should not be permitted, but it is most importantthat those who have been duly naturalized should everywhere be accordedrecognition of the rights pertaining to the citizenship of the countryof their adoption. The appropriateness of special conventions for thatpurpose is recognized in treaties which this Government has concludedwith a number of European States, and it is advisable that thedifficulties which now arise in our relations with other countries onthe same subject should be similarly adjusted. 

The recent revolution in Brazil in favor of the establishment of arepublican form of government is an event of great interest to theUnited States. Our minister at Rio de Janeiro was at once instructed tomaintain friendly diplomatic relations with the Provisional Government, and the Brazilian representatives at this capital were instructed bythe Provisional Government to continue their functions. Our friendlyintercourse with Brazil has therefore suffered no interruption. 

Our minister has been further instructed to extend on the part of thisGovernment a formal and cordial recognition of the new Republic so soonas the majority of the people of Brazil shall have signified theirassent to its establishment and maintenance. 

Within our own borders a general condition of prosperity prevails. Theharvests of the last summer were exceptionally abundant, and the tradeconditions now prevailing seem to promise a successful season to themerchant and the manufacturer and general employment to our workingpeople. 

The report of the Secretary of the Treasury for the fiscal year endingJune 30, 1889, has been prepared and will be presented to Congress. It presents with clearness the fiscal operations of the Government, andI avail myself of it to obtain some facts for use here. 

The aggregate receipts from all sources for the year were$387, 050, 058. 84, derived as follows:

 From customs $223, 832, 741. 69 From internal revenue 130, 881, 513. 92 From miscellaneous sources 32, 335, 803. 23

The ordinary expenditures for the same period were $281, 996, 615. 60, and the total expenditures, including the sinking fund, were$329, 579, 929. 25. The excess of receipts over expenditures was, afterproviding for the sinking fund, $57, 470, 129. 59. 

For the current fiscal year the total revenues, actual and estimated, are $385, 000, 000, and the ordinary expenditures, actual and estimated, are $293, 000, 000, making with the sinking fund a total expenditure of$341, 321, 116. 99, leaving an estimated surplus of $43, 678, 883. 01. 

During the fiscal year there was applied to the purchase of bonds, inaddition to those for the sinking fund, $90, 456, 172. 35, and during thefirst quarter of the current year the sum of $37, 838, 937. 77, all ofwhich were credited to the sinking fund. The revenues for the fiscalyear ending June 30, 1891, are estimated by the Treasury Department at$385, 000, 000, and the expenditures for the same period, including thesinking fund, at $341, 430, 477. 70. This shows an estimated surplus forthat year of $43, 569, 522. 30, which is more likely to be increased thanreduced when the actual transactions are written up. 

The existence of so large an actual and anticipated surplus shouldhave the immediate attention of Congress, with a view to reducing thereceipts of the Treasury to the needs of the Government as closely asmay be. The collection of moneys not needed for public uses imposes anunnecessary burden upon our people, and the presence of so large asurplus in the public vaults is a disturbing element in the conductof private business. It has called into use expedients for puttingit into circulation of very questionable propriety. We should notcollect revenue for the purpose of anticipating our bonds beyond therequirements of the sinking fund, but any unappropriated surplus in theTreasury should be so used, as there is no other lawful way of returningthe money to circulation, and the profit realized by the Governmentoffers a substantial advantage. 

The loaning of public funds to the banks without interest upon thesecurity of Government bonds I regard as an unauthorized and dangerousexpedient. It results in a temporary and unnatural increase of thebanking capital of favored localities and compels a cautious and gradualrecall of the deposits to avoid injury to the commercial interests. Itis not to be expected that the banks having these deposits will selltheir bonds to the Treasury so long as the present highly beneficialarrangement is continued. They now practically get interest both uponthe bonds and their proceeds. No further use should be made of thismethod of getting the surplus into circulation, and the deposits nowoutstanding should be gradually withdrawn and applied to the purchase ofbonds. It is fortunate that such a use can be made of the existingsurplus, and for some time to come of any casual surplus that may existafter Congress has taken the necessary steps for a reduction of therevenue. Such legislation should be promptly but very consideratelyenacted. 

I recommend a revision of our tariff law both in its administrativefeatures and in the schedules. The need of the former is generallyconceded, and an agreement upon the evils and inconveniences to beremedied and the best methods for their correction will probably not bedifficult. Uniformity of valuation at all our ports is essential, andeffective measures should be taken to secure it. It is equally desirablethat questions affecting rates and classifications should be promptlydecided. 

The preparation of a new schedule of customs duties is a matter of greatdelicacy because of its direct effect upon the business of the country, and of great difficulty by reason of the wide divergence of opinion asto the objects that may properly be promoted by such legislation. Somedisturbance of business may perhaps result from the consideration ofthis subject by Congress, but this temporary ill effect will be reducedto the minimum by prompt action and by the assurance which the countryalready enjoys that any necessary changes will be so made as not toimpair the just and reasonable protection of our home industries. Theinequalities of the law should be adjusted, but the protective principleshould be maintained and fairly applied to the products of our farms aswell as of our shops. These duties necessarily have relation to otherthings besides the public revenues. We can not limit their effects byfixing our eyes on the public Treasury alone. They have a directrelation to home production, to work, to wages, and to the commercialindependence of our country, and the wise and patriotic legislatorshould enlarge the field of his vision to include all of these. Thenecessary reduction in our public revenues can, I am sure, be madewithout making the smaller burden more onerous than the larger by reasonof the disabilities and limitations which the process of reduction putsupon both capital and labor. The free list can very safely be extendedby placing thereon articles that do not offer injurious competition tosuch domestic products as our home labor can supply. The removal of theinternal tax upon tobacco would relieve an important agriculturalproduct from a burden which was imposed only because our revenue fromcustoms duties was insufficient for the public needs. If safe provisionagainst fraud can be devised, the removal of the tax upon spirits usedin the arts and in manufactures would also offer an unobjectionablemethod of reducing the surplus. 

A table presented by the Secretary of the Treasury showing the amountof money of all kinds in circulation each year from 1878 to the presenttime is of interest. It appears that the amount of national-bank notesin circulation has decreased during that period $114, 109, 729, of which$37, 799, 229 is chargeable to the last year. The withdrawal of bankcirculation will necessarily continue under existing conditions. It isprobable that the adoption of the suggestions made by the Comptrollerof the Currency, namely, that the minimum deposit of bonds for theestablishment of banks be reduced and that an issue of notes to thepar value of the bonds be allowed, would help to maintain the bankcirculation. But while this withdrawal of bank notes has been going onthere has been a large increase in the amount of gold and silver coin incirculation and in the issues of gold and silver certificates. 

The total amount of money of all kinds in circulation on March 1, 1878, was $805, 793, 807, while on October 1, 1889, the total was$1, 405, 018, 000. There was an increase of $293, 417, 552 in gold coin, of $57, 554, 100 in standard silver dollars, of $72, 311, 249 in goldcertificates, of $276, 619, 715 in silver certificates, and of $14, 073, 787in United States notes, making a total of $713, 976, 403. There was duringthe same period a decrease of $114, 109, 729 in bank circulation and of$642, 481 in subsidiary silver. The net increase was $599, 224, 193. Thecirculation per capita has increased about $5 during the time covered bythe table referred to. 

The total coinage of silver dollars was on November 1, 1889, $343, 638, 001, of which $283, 539, 521 were in the Treasury vaults and$60, 098, 480 were in circulation. Of the amount in the vaults$277, 319, 944 were represented by outstanding silver certificates, leaving $6, 219, 577 not in circulation and not represented bycertificates. 

The law requiring the purchase by the Treasury of $2, 000, 000 worth ofsilver bullion each month, to be coined into silver dollars of 412-1/2grains, has been observed by the Department, but neither the presentSecretary nor any of his predecessors has deemed it safe to exercise thediscretion given by law to increase the monthly purchases to $4, 000, 000. When the law was enacted (February 28, 1878) the price of silver in themarket was $1. 204 Per ounce, making the bullion value of the dollar 93cents. Since that time the price has fallen as low as 91. 2 cents perounce, reducing the bullion value of the dollar to 70. 6 cents. Withinthe last few months the market price has somewhat advanced, and on the1st day of November last the bullion value of the silver dollar was 72cents. 

The evil anticipations which have accompanied the coinage and use of thesilver dollar have not been realized. As a coin it has not had generaluse, and the public Treasury has been compelled to store it. But thisis manifestly owing to the fact that its paper representative is moreconvenient. The general acceptance and the use of the silver certificateshow that silver has not been otherwise discredited. Some favorableconditions have contributed to maintain this practical equality in theircommercial use between the gold and silver dollars; but some of theseare trade conditions that statutory enactments do not control and of thecontinuance of which we can not be certain. 

I think it is clear that if we should make the coinage of silver at thepresent ratio free we must expect that the difference in the bullionvalues of the gold and silver dollars will be taken account of incommercial transactions; and I fear the same result would follow anyconsiderable increase of the present rate of coinage. Such a resultwould be discreditable to our financial management and disastrous to allbusiness interests. We should not tread the dangerous edge of such aperil. And, indeed, nothing more harmful could happen to the silverinterests. Any safe legislation upon this subject must secure theequality of the two coins in their commercial uses. 

I have always been an advocate of the use of silver in our currency. We are large producers of that metal, and should not discredit it. Tothe plan which will be presented by the Secretary of the Treasury forthe issuance of notes or certificates upon the deposit of silver bullionat its market value I have been able to give only a hasty examination, owing to the press of other matters and to the fact that it has beenso recently formulated. The details of such a law require carefulconsideration, but the general plan suggested by him seems to satisfythe purpose--to continue the use of silver in connection with ourcurrency and at the same time to obviate the danger of which I havespoken. At a later day I may communicate further with Congress upon thissubject. 

The enforcement of the Chinese exclusion act has been found to be verydifficult on the northwestern frontier. Chinamen landing at Victoriafind it easy to pass our border, owing to the impossibility with theforce at the command of the customs officers of guarding so long aninland line. The Secretary of the Treasury has authorized the employmentof additional officers, who will be assigned to this duty, and everyeffort will be made to enforce the law. The Dominion exacts a head taxof $50 for each Chinaman landed, and when these persons, in fraud of ourlaw, cross into our territory and are apprehended our officers do notknow what to do with them, as the Dominion authorities will not sufferthem to be sent back without a second payment of the tax. An effort willbe made to reach an understanding that will remove this difficulty. 

The proclamation required by section 3 of the act of March 2, 1889, relating to the killing of seals and other fur-bearing animals, wasissued by me on the 21st day of March, [2] and a revenue vessel wasdispatched to enforce the laws and protect the interests of the UnitedStates. The establishment of a refuge station at Point Barrow, asdirected by Congress, was successfully accomplished. 

Judged by modern standards, we are practically without coast defenses. Many of the structures we have would enhance rather than diminish theperils of their garrisons if subjected to the fire of improved guns, andvery few are so located as to give full effect to the greater range ofsuch guns as we are now making for coast-defense uses. This generalsubject has had consideration in Congress for some years, and theappropriation for the construction of large rifled guns made one yearago was, I am sure, the expression of a purpose to provide suitableworks in which these guns might be mounted. An appropriation now madefor that purpose would not advance the completion of the works beyondour ability to supply them with fairly effective guns. 

The security of our coast cities against foreign attacks should not restaltogether in the friendly disposition of other nations. There should bea second line wholly in our own keeping. I very urgently recommend anappropriation at this session for the construction of such works in ourmost exposed harbors. 

I approve the suggestion of the Secretary of War that provision be madefor encamping companies of the National Guard in our coast works fora specified time each year and for their training in the use of heavyguns. His suggestion that an increase of the artillery force of the Armyis desirable is also, in this connection, commended to the considerationof Congress. 

The improvement of our important rivers and harbors should be promotedby the necessary appropriations. Care should be taken that theGovernment is not committed to the prosecution of works not of publicand general advantage and that the relative usefulness of works of thatclass is not overlooked. So far as this work can ever be said to becompleted, I do not doubt that the end would be sooner and moreeconomically reached if fewer separate works were undertaken at the sametime, and those selected for their greater general interest were morerapidly pushed to completion. A work once considerably begun should notbe subjected to the risks and deterioration which interrupted orinsufficient appropriations necessarily occasion. 

The assault made by David S. Terry upon the person of Justice Field, of the Supreme Court of the United States, at Lathrop, Cal. , in Augustlast, and the killing of the assailant by a deputy United States marshalwho had been deputed to accompany Justice Field and to protect him fromanticipated violence at the hands of Terry, in connection with the legalproceedings which have followed, suggest questions which, in myjudgment, are worthy of the attention of Congress. 

I recommend that more definite provision be made by law not only for theprotection of Federal officers, but for a full trial of such cases inthe United States courts. In recommending such legislation I do not atall impeach either the general adequacy of the provision made by theState laws for the protection of all citizens or the general gooddisposition of those charged with the execution of such laws to giveprotection to the officers of the United States. The duty of protectingits officers, as such, and of punishing those who assault them onaccount of their official acts should not be devolved expressly or byacquiescence upon the local authorities. 

Events which have been brought to my attention happening in otherparts of the country have also suggested the propriety of extending bylegislation fuller protection to those who may be called as witnesses inthe courts of the United States. The law compels those who are supposedto have knowledge of public offenses to attend upon our courts and grandjuries and to give evidence. There is a manifest resulting duty thatthese witnesses shall be protected from injury on account of theirtestimony. The investigations of criminal offenses are often renderedfutile and the punishment of crime impossible by the intimidation ofwitnesses. 

The necessity of providing some more speedy method for disposing of thecases which now come for final adjudication to the Supreme Court becomesevery year more apparent and urgent. The plan of providing someintermediate courts having final appellate jurisdiction of certainclasses of questions and cases has, I think, received a more generalapproval from the bench and bar of the country than any other. Withoutattempting to discuss details, I recommend that provision be made forthe establishment of such courts. 

The salaries of the judges of the district courts in many of thedistricts are, in my judgment, inadequate. I recommend that all suchsalaries now below $5, 000 per annum be increased to that amount. It isquite true that the amount of labor performed by these judges is veryunequal, but as they can not properly engage in other pursuits tosupplement their incomes the salary should be such in all cases as toprovide an independent and comfortable support. 

Earnest attention should be given by Congress to a consideration of thequestion how far the restraint of those combinations of capital commonlycalled "trusts" is matter of Federal jurisdiction. When organized, asthey often are, to crush out all healthy competition and to monopolizethe production or sale of an article of commerce and general necessity, they are dangerous conspiracies against the public good, and should bemade the subject of prohibitory and even penal legislation. 

The subject of an international copyright has been frequently commendedto the attention of Congress by my predecessors. The enactment of such alaw would be eminently wise and just. 

Our naturalization laws should be so revised as to make the inquiry intothe moral character and good disposition toward our Government of thepersons applying for citizenship more thorough. This can only be doneby taking fuller control of the examination, by fixing the times forhearing such applications, and by requiring the presence of some one whoshall represent the Government in the inquiry. Those who are the avowedenemies of social order or who come to our shores to swell the injuriousinfluence and to extend the evil practices of any association thatdefies our laws should not only be denied citizenship, but a domicile. 

The enactment of a national bankrupt law of a character to be apermanent part of our general legislation is desirable. It should besimple in its methods and inexpensive in its administration. 

The report of the Postmaster-General not only exhibits the operationsof the Department for the last fiscal year, but contains many valuablesuggestions for the improvement and extension of the service, which arecommended to your attention. No other branch of the Government has soclose a contact with the daily life of the people. Almost everyone usesthe service it offers, and every hour gained in the transmission of thegreat commercial mails has an actual and possible value that only thoseengaged in trade can understand. 

The saving of one day in the transmission of the mails between New Yorkand San Francisco, which has recently been accomplished, is an incidentworthy of mention. 

The plan suggested of a supervision of the post-offices in separatedistricts that shall involve instruction and suggestion and a ratingof the efficiency of the postmasters would, I have no doubt, greatlyimprove the service. 

A pressing necessity exists for the erection of a building for the jointuse of the Department and of the city post-office. The Department waspartially relieved by renting outside quarters for a part of its force, but it is again overcrowded. The building used by the city office neverwas fit for the purpose, and is now inadequate and unwholesome. 

The unsatisfactory condition of the law relating to the transmissionthrough the mails of lottery advertisements and remittances is clearlystated by the Postmaster-General, and his suggestion as to amendmentsshould have your favorable consideration. 

The report of the Secretary of the Navy shows a reorganization of thebureaus of the Department that will, I do not doubt, promote theefficiency of each. 

In general, satisfactory progress has been made in the construction ofthe new ships of war authorized by Congress. The first vessel of the newNavy, the _Dolphin_, was subjected to very severe trial tests and tovery much adverse criticism; but it is gratifying to be able to statethat a cruise around the world, from which she has recently returned, has demonstrated that she is a first-class vessel of her rate. 

The report of the Secretary shows that while the effective force of theNavy is rapidly increasing by reason of the improved build and armamentof the new ships, the number of our ships fit for sea duty grows veryslowly. We had on the 4th of March last 37 serviceable ships, and though4 have since been added to the list, the total has not been increased, because in the meantime 4 have been lost or condemned. Twenty-sixadditional vessels have been authorized and appropriated for; but it isprobable that when they are completed our list will only be increased to42--a gain of 5. The old wooden-ships are disappearing almost as fast asthe new vessels are added. These facts carry their own argument. One ofthe new ships may in fighting strength be equal to two of the old, butit can not do the cruising duty of two. It is important, therefore, thatwe should have a more rapid increase in the number of serviceable ships. I concur in the recommendation of the Secretary that the construction of8 armored ships, 3 gunboats, and 5 torpedo boats be authorized. 

An appalling calamity befell three of our naval vessels on duty at theSamoan Islands, in the harbor of Apia, in March last, involving theloss of 4 officers and 47 seamen, of two vessels, the _Trenton_ and the_Vandalia_, and the disabling of a third, the _Nipsic_. Three vessels ofthe German navy, also in the harbor, shared with our ships the force ofthe hurricane and suffered even more heavily. While mourning the braveofficers and men who died facing with high resolve perils greater thanthose of battle, it is most gratifying to state that the credit of theAmerican Navy for seamanship, courage, and generosity was magnificentlysustained in the storm-beaten harbor of Apia. 

The report of the Secretary of the Interior exhibits the transactionsof the Government with the Indian tribes. Substantial progress has beenmade in the education of the children of school age and in the allotmentof lands to adult Indians. It is to be regretted that the policy ofbreaking up the tribal relation and of dealing with the Indian as anindividual did not appear earlier in our legislation. Large reservationsheld in common and the maintenance of the authority of the chiefs andheadmen have deprived the individual of every incentive to the exerciseof thrift, and the annuity has contributed an affirmative impulse towarda state of confirmed pauperism. 

Our treaty stipulations should be observed with fidelity and ourlegislation should be highly considerate of the best interests ofan ignorant and helpless people. The reservations are now generallysurrounded by white settlements. We can no longer push the Indian backinto the wilderness, and it remains only by every suitable agency topush him upward into the estate of a self-supporting and responsiblecitizen. For the adult the first step is to locate him upon a farm, and for the child to place him in a school. 

School attendance should be promoted by every moral agency, and thosefailing should be compelled. The national schools for Indians have beenvery successful and should be multiplied, and as far as possible shouldbe so organized and conducted as to facilitate the transfer of theschools to the States or Territories in which they are located when theIndians in a neighborhood have accepted citizenship and have becomeotherwise fitted for such a transfer. This condition of things will beattained slowly, but it will be hastened by keeping it in mind; and inthe meantime that cooperation between the Government and the missionschools which has wrought much good should be cordially and impartiallymaintained. 

The last Congress enacted two distinct laws relating to negotiationswith the Sioux Indians of Dakota for a relinquishment of a portion oftheir lands to the United States and for dividing the remainder intoseparate reservations. Both were approved on the same day--March 2. The one submitted to the Indians a specific proposition; the other(section 3 of the Indian appropriation act) authorized the Presidentto appoint three commissioners to negotiate with these Indians forthe accomplishment of the same general purpose, and required that anyagreements made should be submitted to Congress for ratification. 

On the 16th day of April last I appointed Hon. Charles Foster, of Ohio, Hon. William Warner, of Missouri, and Major-General George Crook, of theUnited States Army, commissioners under the last-named law. They were, however, authorized and directed first to submit to the Indians thedefinite proposition made to them by the act first mentioned, and onlyin the event of a failure to secure the assent of the requisite numberto that proposition to open negotiations for modified terms under theother act. The work of the commission was prolonged and arduous, but theassent of the requisite number was, it is understood, finally obtainedto the proposition made by Congress, though the report of the commissionhas not yet been submitted. In view of these facts, I shall not, as atpresent advised, deem it necessary to submit the agreement to Congressfor ratification, but it will in due course be submitted forinformation. This agreement releases to the United States about9, 000, 000 acres of land. 

The commission provided for by section 14 of the Indian appropriationbill to negotiate with the Cherokee Indians and all other Indians owningor claiming lands lying west of the ninety-sixth degree of longitude forthe cession to the United States of all such lands was constituted bythe appointment of Hon. Lucius Fairchild, of Wisconsin, Hon. John F. Hartranft, of Pennsylvania, and Hon. Alfred M. Wilson, of Arkansas, and organized on June 29 last. Their first conference with therepresentatives of the Cherokees was held at Tahlequah July 29, withno definite results. General John F. Hartranft, of Pennsylvania, wasprevented by ill health from taking part in the conference. His death, which occurred recently, is justly and generally lamented by a people hehad served with conspicuous gallantry in war and with great fidelity inpeace. The vacancy thus created was filled by the appointment of Hon. Warren G. Sayre, of Indiana. 

A second conference between the commission and the Cherokees was begunNovember 6, but no results have yet been obtained, nor is it believedthat a conclusion can be immediately expected. The cattle syndicate nowoccupying the lands for grazing purposes is clearly one of the agenciesresponsible for the obstruction of our negotiations with the Cherokees. The large body of agricultural lands constituting what is known as the"Cherokee Outlet" ought not to be, and, indeed, can not long be, heldfor grazing and for the advantage of a few against the public interestsand the best advantage of the Indians themselves. The United Stateshas now under the treaties certain rights in these lands. These willnot be used oppressively, but it can not be allowed that those who bysufferance occupy these lands shall interpose to defeat the wise andbeneficent purposes of the Government. I can not but believe that theadvantageous character of the offer made by the United States to theCherokee Nation for a full release of these lands as compared with othersuggestions now made to them will yet obtain for it a favorableconsideration. 

Under the agreement made between the United States and the Muscogee (orCreek) Nation of Indians on the 19th day of January, 1889, an absolutetitle was secured by the United States to about 3, 500, 000 acres of land. Section 12 of the general Indian appropriation act approved March 2, 1889, made provision for the purchase by the United States from theSeminole tribe of a certain portion of their lands. The delegates of theSeminole Nation, having first duly evidenced to me their power to actin that behalf, delivered a proper release or conveyance to the UnitedStates of all the lands mentioned in the act, which was accepted byme and certified to be in compliance with the statute. 

By the terms of both the acts referred to all the lands so purchasedwere declared to be a part of the public domain and open to settlementunder the homestead law. But of the lands embraced in these purchases, being in the aggregate about 5, 500, 000 acres, 3, 500, 000 acres hadalready, under the terms of the treaty of 1866, been acquired by theUnited States for the purpose of settling other Indian tribes thereonand had been appropriated to that purpose. The land remaining andavailable for settlement consisted of 1, 887, 796 acres, surrounded on allsides by lands in the occupancy of Indian tribes. Congress had providedno civil government for the people who were to be invited by myproclamation to settle upon these lands, except as the new court whichhad been established at Muscogee or the United States courts in some ofthe adjoining States had power to enforce the general laws of the UnitedStates. 

In this condition of things I was quite reluctant to open the lands tosettlement; but in view of the fact that several thousand persons, manyof them with their families, had gathered upon the borders of the IndianTerritory with a view to securing homesteads on the ceded lands, andthat delay would involve them in much loss and suffering, I did on the23d day of March last issue a proclamation[3] declaring that the landstherein described would be open to settlement under the provisions ofthe law on the 22d day of April following at 12 o'clock noon. Two landdistricts had been established and the offices were opened for thetransaction of business when the appointed time arrived. 

It is much to the credit of the settlers that they very generallyobserved the limitation as to the time when they might enter theTerritory. Care will be taken that those who entered in violation of thelaw do not secure the advantage they unfairly sought. There was a gooddeal of apprehension that the strife for locations would result in muchviolence and bloodshed, but happily these anticipations were notrealized. It is estimated that there are now in the Territory about60, 000 people, and several considerable towns have sprung up, for whichtemporary municipal governments have been organized. Guthrie is said tohave now a population of almost 8, 000. Eleven schools and nine churcheshave been established, and three daily and five weekly newspapers arepublished in this city, whose charter and ordinances have only thesanction of the voluntary acquiescence of the people from day to day. 

Oklahoma City has a population of about 5, 000, and is proportionately aswell provided as Guthrie with churches, schools, and newspapers. Othertowns and villages having populations of from 100 to 1, 000 are scatteredover the Territory. 

In order to secure the peace of this new community in the absence ofcivil government, I directed General Merritt, commanding the Departmentof the Missouri, to act in conjunction with the marshals of the UnitedStates to preserve the peace, and upon their requisition to use thetroops to aid them in executing warrants and in quieting any riots orbreaches of the peace that might occur. He was further directed to usehis influence to promote good order and to avoid any conflicts betweenor with the settlers. Believing that the introduction and sale ofliquors where no legal restraints or regulations existed would endangerthe public peace, and in view of the fact that such liquors must firstbe introduced into the Indian reservations before reaching the whitesettlements, I further directed the general commanding to enforce thelaws relating to the introduction of ardent spirits into the Indiancountry. 

The presence of the troops has given a sense of security to thewell-disposed citizens and has tended to restrain the lawless. In oneinstance the officer in immediate command of the troops went furtherthan I deemed justifiable in supporting the _de facto_ municipalgovernment of Guthrie, and he was so informed, and directed to limit theinterference of the military to the support of the marshals on the linesindicated in the original order. I very urgently recommend that Congressat once provide a Territorial government for these people. Seriousquestions, which may at any time lead to violent outbreaks, are awaitingthe institution of courts for their peaceful adjustment. The Americangenius for self-government has been well illustrated in Oklahoma; but itis neither safe nor wise to leave these people longer to the expedientswhich have temporarily served them. 

Provision should be made for the acquisition of title to town lots inthe towns now established in Alaska, for locating town sites, and forthe establishment of municipal governments. Only the mining laws havebeen extended to that Territory, and no other form of title to lands cannow be obtained. The general land laws were framed with reference to thedisposition of agricultural lands, and it is doubtful if their operationin Alaska would be beneficial. 

We have fortunately not extended to Alaska the mistaken policy ofestablishing reservations for the Indian tribes, and can deal with themfrom the beginning as individuals with, I am sure, better results; butany disposition of the public lands and any regulations relating totimber and to the fisheries should have a kindly regard to theirinterests. Having no power to levy taxes, the people of Alaska arewholly dependent upon the General Government, to whose revenues theseal fisheries make a large annual contribution. An appropriation foreducation should neither be overlooked nor stinted. 

The smallness of the population and the great distances between thesettlements offer serious obstacles to the establishment of the usualTerritorial form of government. Perhaps the organization of severalsub-districts with a small municipal council of limited powers for eachwould be safe and useful. 

Attention is called in this connection to the suggestions of theSecretary of the Treasury relating to the establishment of another portof entry in Alaska and of other needed customs facilities andregulations. 

In the administration of the land laws the policy of facilitating inevery proper way the adjustment of the honest claims of individualsettlers upon the public lands has been pursued. The number of pendingcases had during the preceding Administration been greatly increasedunder the operation of orders for a time suspending final action in alarge part of the cases originating in the West and Northwest, and bythe subsequent use of unusual methods of examination. Only those who arefamiliar with the conditions under which our agricultural lands havebeen settled can appreciate the serious and often fatal consequences tothe settler of a policy that puts his title under suspicion or delaysthe issuance of his patent. While care is taken to prevent and to exposefraud, it should not be imputed without reason. 

The manifest purpose of the homestead and preemption laws was to promotethe settlement of the public domain by persons having a _bona fide_intent to make a home upon the selected lands. Where this intent is wellestablished and the requirements of the law have been substantiallycomplied with, the claimant is entitled to a prompt and friendlyconsideration of his case; but where there is reason to believe thatthe claimant is the mere agent of another who is seeking to evade a lawintended to promote small holdings and to secure by fraudulent methodslarge tracts of timber and other lands, both principal and agent shouldnot only be thwarted in their fraudulent purpose, but should be made tofeel the full penalties of our criminal statutes. The laws should be soadministered as not to confound these two classes and to visit penaltiesonly upon the latter. 

The unsettled state of the titles to large bodies of lands in theTerritories of New Mexico and Arizona has greatly retarded thedevelopment of those Territories. Provision should be made by law forthe prompt trial and final adjustment before a judicial tribunal orcommission of all claims based upon Mexican grants. It is not just to anintelligent and enterprising people that their peace should be disturbedand their prosperity retarded by these old contentions. I express thehope that differences of opinion as to methods may yield to the urgencyof the case. 

The law now provides a pension for every soldier and sailor who wasmustered into the service of the United States during the Civil War andis now suffering from wounds or disease having an origin in the serviceand in the line of duty. Two of the three necessary facts, viz, musterand disability, are usually susceptible of easy proof; but the third, origin in the service, is often difficult and in many deserving casesimpossible to establish. That very many of those who endured thehardships of our most bloody and arduous campaigns are now disabled fromdiseases that had a real but not traceable origin in the service I donot doubt. Besides these there is another class composed of men many ofwhom served an enlistment of three full years and of reenlisted veteranswho added a fourth year of service, who escaped the casualties of battleand the assaults of disease, who were always ready for any detail, whowere in every battle line of their command, and were mustered out insound health, and have since the close of the war, while fighting withthe same indomitable and independent spirit the contests of civil life, been overcome by disease or casualty. 

I am not unaware that the pension roll already involves a very largeannual expenditure; neither am I deterred by that fact from recommendingthat Congress grant a pension to such honorably discharged soldiers andsailors of the Civil War as, having rendered substantial service duringthe war, are now dependent upon their own labor for a maintenance and bydisease or casualty are incapacitated from earning it. Many of the menwho would be included in this form of relief are now dependent uponpublic aid, and it does not, in my judgment, consist with the nationalhonor that they shall continue to subsist upon the local relief givenindiscriminately to paupers instead of upon the special and generousprovision of the nation they served so gallantly and unselfishly. Ourpeople will, I am sure, very generally approve such legislation. And Iam equally sure that the survivors of the Union Army and Navy will feela grateful sense of relief when this worthy and suffering class of theircomrades is fairly cared for. 

There are some manifest inequalities in the existing law that should beremedied. To some of these the Secretary of the Interior has calledattention. 

It is gratifying to be able to state that by the adoption of new andbetter methods in the War Department the calls of the Pension Office forinformation as to the military and hospital records of pension claimantsare now promptly answered and the injurious and vexatious delays thathave heretofore occurred are entirely avoided. This will greatlyfacilitate the adjustment of all pending claims. 

The advent of four new States--South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, andWashington--into the Union under the Constitution in the same month, and the admission of their duly chosen representatives to our NationalCongress at the same session, is an event as unexampled as it isinteresting. 

The certification of the votes cast and of the constitutions adopted ineach of the States was filed with me, as required by the eighth sectionof the act of February 22, 1889, by the governors of said Territories, respectively. Having after a careful examination found that the severalconstitutions and governments were republican in form and not repugnantto the Constitution of the United States, that all the provisions of theact of Congress had been complied with, and that a majority of the votescast in each of said proposed States was in favor of the adoption ofthe constitution submitted therein, I did so declare by a separateproclamation as to each--as to North Dakota and South Dakota onSaturday, November 2;[4] as to Montana on Friday, November 8, [5] and asto Washington on Monday, November 11. [6]

Each of these States has within it resources the development of whichwill employ the energies of and yield a comfortable subsistence to agreat population. The smallest of these new States, Washington, standstwelfth, and the largest, Montana, third, among the forty-two in area. The people of these States are already well-trained, intelligent, andpatriotic American citizens, having common interests and sympathies withthose of the older States and a common purpose to defend the integrityand uphold the honor of the nation. 

The attention of the Interstate Commerce Commission has been called tothe urgent need of Congressional legislation for the better protectionof the lives and limbs of those engaged in operating the greatinterstate freight lines of the country, and especially of the yardmenand brakemen. A petition signed by nearly 10, 000 railway brakemen waspresented to the Commission asking that steps might be taken to bringabout the use of automatic brakes and couplers on freight cars. 

At a meeting of State railroad commissioners and their accreditedrepresentatives held at Washington in March last upon the invitation ofthe Interstate Commerce Commission a resolution was unanimously adoptedurging the Commission "to consider what can be done to prevent the lossof life and limb in coupling and uncoupling freight cars and in handlingthe brakes of such cars. " During the year ending June 30, 1888, over2, 000 railroad employees were killed in service and more than 20, 000injured. It is competent, I think, for Congress to require uniformityin the construction of cars used in interstate commerce and the use ofimproved safety appliances upon such trains. Time will be necessary tomake the needed changes, but an earnest and intelligent beginning shouldbe made at once. It is a reproach to our civilization that any classof American workmen should in the pursuit of a necessary and usefulvocation be subjected to a peril of life and limb as great as that ofa soldier in time of war. 

The creation of an Executive Department to be known as the Department ofAgriculture by the act of February 9 last was a wise and timely responseto a request which had long been respectfully urged by the farmers ofthe country; but much remains to be done to perfect the organization ofthe Department so that it may fairly realize the expectations whichits creation excited. In this connection attention is called to thesuggestions contained in the report of the Secretary, which is herewithsubmitted. The need of a law officer for the Department such as isprovided for the other Executive Departments is manifest. The failure ofthe last Congress to make the usual provision for the publication of theannual report should be promptly remedied. The public interest in thereport and its value to the farming community, I am sure, will not bediminished under the new organization of the Department. 

I recommend that the weather service be separated from the WarDepartment and established as a bureau in the Department of Agriculture. This will involve an entire reorganization both of the Weather Bureauand of the Signal Corps, making of the first a purely civil organizationand of the other a purely military staff corps. The report of the ChiefSignal Officer shows that the work of the corps on its military side hasbeen deteriorating. 

The interests of the people of the District of Columbia should not belost sight of in the pressure for consideration of measures affectingthe whole country. Having no legislature of its own, either municipalor general, its people must look to Congress for the regulation of allthose concerns that in the States are the subject of local control. Ourwhole people have an interest that the national capital should be madeattractive and beautiful, and, above all, that its repute for socialorder should be well maintained. The laws regulating the sale ofintoxicating drinks in the District should be revised with a view tobringing the traffic under stringent limitations and control. 

In execution of the power conferred upon me by the act makingappropriations for the expenses of the District of Columbia for theyear ending June 30, 1890, I did on the 17th day of August last appointRudolph Hering, of New York, Samuel M. Gray, of Rhode Island, andFrederick P. Stearns, of Massachusetts, three eminent sanitaryengineers, to examine and report upon the system of sewerage existing inthe District of Columbia. Their report, which is not yet completed, willbe in due course submitted to Congress. 

The report of the Commissioners of the District is herewith transmitted, and the attention of Congress is called to the suggestions containedtherein. 

The proposition to observe the four hundredth anniversary of thediscovery of America by the opening of a world's fair or exposition insome one of our great cities will be presented for the consideration ofCongress. The value and interest of such an exposition may well claimthe promotion of the General Government. 

On the 4th of March last the Civil Service Commission had but a singlemember. The vacancies were filled on the 9th day of May, and since thenthe Commissioners have been industriously, though with an inadequateforce, engaged in executing the law. They were assured by me that acordial support would be given them in the faithful and impartialenforcement of the statute and of the rules and regulations adoptedin aid of it. 

Heretofore the book of eligibles has been closed to everyone, exceptas certifications were made upon the requisition of the appointingofficers. This secrecy was the source of much suspicion and of manycharges of favoritism in the administration of the law. What is secretis always suspected; what is open can be judged. The Commission, withthe full approval of all its members, has now opened the list ofeligibles to the public. The eligible lists for the classifiedpost-offices and custom-houses are now publicly posted in the respectiveoffices, as are also the certifications for appointments. The purpose ofthe civil-service law was absolutely to exclude any other considerationin connection with appointments under it than that of merit as tested bythe examinations. The business proceeds upon the theory that both theexamining boards and the appointing officers are absolutely ignorantas to the political views and associations of all persons on thecivil-service lists. It is not too much to say, however, that somerecent Congressional investigations have somewhat shaken publicconfidence in the impartiality of the selections for appointment. 

The reform of the civil service will make no safe or satisfactoryadvance until the present law and its equal administration are wellestablished in the confidence of the people. It will be my pleasure, as it is my duty, to see that the law is executed with firmness andimpartiality. If some of its provisions have been fraudulently evadedby appointing officers, our resentment should not suggest the repeal ofthe law, but reform in its administration. We should have one view ofthe matter, and hold it with a sincerity that is not affected by theconsideration that the party to which we belong is for the time inpower. 

My predecessor, on the 4th day of January, 1889, by an Executive orderto take effect March 15, brought the Railway Mail Service under theoperation of the civil-service law. [7] Provision was made that the ordershould take effect sooner in any State where an eligible list was soonerobtained. On the 11th day of March Mr. Lyman, then the only member ofthe Commission, reported to me in writing that it would not be possibleto have the list of eligibles ready before May 1, and requested that thetaking effect of the order be postponed until that time, which wasdone, [8] subject to the same provision contained in the original orderas to States in which an eligible list was sooner obtained. 

As a result of the revision of the rules, of the new classification, andof the inclusion of the Railway Mail Service, the work of the Commissionhas been greatly increased, and the present clerical force is found tobe inadequate. I recommend that the additional clerks asked by theCommission be appropriated for. 

The duty of appointment is devolved by the Constitution or by the law, and the appointing officers are properly held to a high responsibilityin its exercise. The growth of the country and the consequent increaseof the civil list have magnified this function of the Executivedisproportionally. It can not be denied, however, that the laborconnected with this necessary work is increased, often to the point ofactual distress, by the sudden and excessive demands that are made uponan incoming Administration for removals and appointments. But, on theother hand, it is not true that incumbency is a conclusive argument forcontinuance in office. Impartiality, moderation, fidelity to publicduty, and a good attainment in the discharge of it must be added beforethe argument is complete. When those holding administrative offices soconduct themselves as to convince just political opponents that no partyconsideration or bias affects in any way the discharge of their publicduties, we can more easily stay the demand for removals. 

I am satisfied that both in and out of the classified service greatbenefit would accrue from the adoption of some system by which theofficer would receive the distinction and benefit that in all privateemployments comes from exceptional faithfulness and efficiency in theperformance of duty. 

I have suggested to the heads of the Executive Departments that theyconsider whether a record might not be kept in each bureau of all thoseelements that are covered by the terms "faithfulness" and "efficiency, "and a rating made showing the relative merits of the clerks of eachclass, this rating to be regarded as a test of merit in makingpromotions. 

I have also suggested to the Postmaster-General that he adopt some planby which he can, upon the basis of the reports to the Department and offrequent inspections, indicate the relative merit of postmasters of eachclass. They will be appropriately indicated in the Official Register andin the report of the Department. That a great stimulus would thus begiven to the whole service I do not doubt, and such a record would bethe best defense against inconsiderate removals from office. 

The interest of the General Government in the education of thepeople found an early expression, not only in the thoughtful andsometimes warning utterances of our ablest statesmen, but in liberalappropriations from the common resources for the support of educationin the new States. No one will deny that it is of the gravest nationalconcern that those who hold the ultimate control of all public affairsshould have the necessary intelligence wisely to direct and determinethem. National aid to education has heretofore taken the form of landgrants, and in that form the constitutional power of Congress to promotethe education of the people is not seriously questioned. I do not thinkit can be successfully questioned when the form is changed to that of adirect grant of money from the public Treasury. 

Such aid should be, as it always has been, suggested by some exceptionalconditions. The sudden emancipation of the slaves of the South, thebestowal of the suffrage which soon followed, and the impairment of theability of the States where these new citizens were chiefly found toadequately provide educational facilities presented not only exceptionalbut unexampled conditions. That the situation has been much amelioratedthere is no doubt. The ability and interest of the States have happilyincreased. 

But a great work remains to be done, and I think the GeneralGovernment should lend its aid. As the suggestion of a national grantin aid of education grows chiefly out of the condition and needs ofthe emancipated slave and his descendants, the relief should as faras possible, while necessarily proceeding upon some general lines, beapplied to the need that suggested it. It is essential, if much good isto be accomplished, that the sympathy and active interest of the peopleof the States should be enlisted, and that the methods adopted shouldbe such as to stimulate and not to supplant local taxation for schoolpurposes. 

As one Congress can not bind a succeeding one in such a case and asthe effort must in some degree be experimental, I recommend that anyappropriation made for this purpose be so limited in annual amount andas to the time over which it is to extend as will on the one hand givethe local school authorities opportunity to make the best use of thefirst year's allowance, and on the other deliver them from thetemptation to unduly postpone the assumption of the whole burdenthemselves. 

The colored people did not intrude themselves upon us. They were broughthere in chains and held in the communities where they are now chieflyfound by a cruel slave code. Happily for both races, they are now free. They have from a standpoint of ignorance and poverty--which was ourshame, not theirs--made remarkable advances in education and in theacquisition of property. They have as a people shown themselves tobe friendly and faithful toward the white race under temptations oftremendous strength. They have their representatives in the nationalcemeteries, where a grateful Government has gathered the ashes ofthose who died in its defense. They have furnished to our Regular Armyregiments that have won high praise from their commanding officers forcourage and soldierly qualities and for fidelity to the enlistment oath. In civil life they are now the toilers of their communities, makingtheir full contribution to the widening streams of prosperity whichthese communities are receiving. Their sudden withdrawal would stopproduction and bring disorder into the household as well as the shop. Generally they do not desire to quit their homes, and their employersresent the interference of the emigration agents who seek to stimulatesuch a desire. 

But notwithstanding all this, in many parts of our country where thecolored population is large the people of that race are by variousdevices deprived of any effective exercise of their political rights andof many of their civil rights. The wrong does not expend itself uponthose whose votes are suppressed. Every constituency in the Union iswronged. 

It has been the hope of every patriot that a sense of justice and ofrespect for the law would work a gradual cure of these flagrant evils. Surely no one supposes that the present can be accepted as a permanentcondition. If it is said that these communities must work out thisproblem for themselves, we have a right to ask whether they are at workupon it. Do they suggest any solution? When and under what conditions isthe black man to have a free ballot? When is he in fact to have thosefull civil rights which have so long been his in law? When is thatequality of influence which our form of government was intended tosecure to the electors to be restored? This generation shouldcourageously face these grave questions, and not leave them as aheritage of woe to the next. The consultation should proceed withcandor, calmness, and great patience, upon the lines of justice andhumanity, not of prejudice and cruelty. No question in our country canbe at rest except upon the firm base of justice and of the law. 

I earnestly invoke the attention of Congress to the consideration ofsuch measures within its well-defined constitutional powers as willsecure to all our people a free exercise of the right of suffrage andevery other civil right under the Constitution and laws of the UnitedStates. No evil, however deplorable, can justify the assumption eitheron the part of the Executive or of Congress of powers not granted, butboth will be highly blamable if all the powers granted are not wiselybut firmly used to correct these evils. The power to take the wholedirection and control of the election of members of the House ofRepresentatives is clearly given to the General Government. A partialand qualified supervision of these elections is now provided for by law, and in my opinion this law may be so strengthened and extended as tosecure on the whole better results than can be attained by a law takingall the processes of such election into Federal control. The colored manshould be protected in all of his relations to the Federal Government, whether as litigant, juror, or witness in our courts, as an elector formembers of Congress, or as a peaceful traveler upon our interstaterailways. 

There is nothing more justly humiliating to the national pride andnothing more hurtful to the national prosperity than the inferiority ofour merchant marine compared with that of other nations whose generalresources, wealth, and seacoast lines do not suggest any reason fortheir supremacy on the sea. It was not always so, and our people areagreed, I think, that it shall not continue to be so. It is not possiblein this communication to discuss the causes of the decay of our shippinginterests or the differing methods by which it is proposed to restorethem. The statement of a few well-authenticated facts and some generalsuggestions as to legislation is all that is practicable. That the greatsteamship lines sailing under the flags of England, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy, and engaged in foreign commerce, were promoted andhave since been and now are liberally aided by grants of public moneyin one form or another is generally known. That the American lines ofsteamships have been abandoned by us to an unequal contest with theaided lines of other nations until they have been withdrawn, or inthe few cases where they are still maintained are subject to seriousdisadvantages, is matter of common knowledge. 

The present situation is such that travelers and merchandise findLiverpool often a necessary intermediate port between New York and someof the South American capitals. The fact that some of the delegates fromSouth American States to the conference of American nations now insession at Washington reached our shores by reversing that line oftravel is very conclusive of the need of such a conference and verysuggestive as to the first and most necessary step in the direction offuller and more beneficial intercourse with nations that are now ourneighbors upon the lines of latitude, but not upon the lines ofestablished commercial intercourse. 

I recommend that such appropriations be made for ocean mail service inAmerican steamships between our ports and those of Central and SouthAmerica, China, Japan, and the important islands in both of the greatoceans as will be liberally remunerative for the service rendered andas will encourage the establishment and in some fair degree equalizethe chances of American steamship lines in the competitions which theymust meet. That the American States lying south of us will cordiallycooperate in establishing and maintaining such lines of steamships totheir principal ports I do not doubt. 

We should also make provision for a naval reserve to consist of suchmerchant ships of American construction and of a specified tonnage andspeed as the owners will consent to place at the use of the Governmentin case of need as armed cruisers. England has adopted this policy, andas a result can now upon necessity at once place upon her naval listsome of the fastest steamships in the world. A proper supervision of theconstruction of such vessels would make their conversion into effectiveships of war very easy. 

I am an advocate of economy in our national expenditures, but it isa misuse of terms to make this word describe a policy that withholdsan expenditure for the purpose of extending our foreign commerce. Theenlargement and improvement of our merchant marine, the development ofa sufficient body of trained American seamen, the promotion of rapid andregular mail communication between the ports of other countries and ourown, and the adaptation of large and swift American merchant steamshipsto naval uses in time of war are public purposes of the highest concern. The enlarged participation of our people in the carrying trade, the newand increased markets that will be opened for the products of our farmsand factories, and the fuller and better employment of our mechanicswhich will result from a liberal promotion of our foreign commerceinsure the widest possible diffusion of benefit to all the Statesand to all our people. Everything is most propitious for the presentinauguration of a liberal and progressive policy upon this subject, and we should enter upon it with promptness and decision. 

The legislation which I have suggested, it is sincerely believed, will promote the peace and honor of our country and the prosperity andsecurity of the people. I invoke the diligent and serious attention ofCongress to the consideration of these and such other measures as maybe presented having the same great end in view. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

[Footnote 2: See pp. 14-15. ]

[Footnote 3: See pp. 15-18. ]

[Footnote 4: See pp. 20-24. ]

[Footnote 5: See pp. 24-25. ]

[Footnote 6: See pp. 25-26. ]

[Footnote 7: See Vol. VIII, pp. 847-851. ]

[Footnote 8: See p. 27. ]

SPECIAL MESSAGES. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _December 17, 1889_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

The act of Congress approved July 9, 1888, "for an international marineconference to secure greater safety for life and property at sea, " andin virtue of which the present conference is now holding its sessionsat Washington, provides by the third section that the labors of theconference shall terminate on the 1st day of January, 1890, or sooner, by direction of the President. 

I transmit herewith a report from the Acting Secretary of State, accompanied with a letter from Rear-Admiral S. R. Franklin, United StatesNavy, president of the conference, stating that in all probability thelabors of the conference can not be brought to a close by the time fixedby the present law. 

In consideration of the many important questions now under discussion bythe conference, which should if possible be satisfactorily determinedbefore the final adjournment, I earnestly recommend that a further actbe passed to enable the conference to continue its sessions for a periodof two months from January 1, 1890. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _December 18, 1889_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a communication of 16th instant from the Secretaryof the Interior, submitting the report, with accompanying papers, of thecommission appointed under the provisions of the act of March 2, 1889(25 U. S. Statutes at Large, p. 1002), to conduct negotiations with theCoeur d'Alene tribe of Indians for the purchase and release by saidtribe of such portions of its reservation not agricultural and valuablechiefly for minerals and timber as such tribe shall consent to sell, etc. , together with the agreement entered into by said commissionSeptember 9, 1889, with said Indians. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _December 20, 1889_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a communication of the 16th instant from theSecretary of the Interior, submitting a draft of a bill "to provide forthe reduction of the Round Valley Indian Reservation, in the State ofCalifornia, and for other purposes. " I invite your attention to thepapers herein referred to, showing the necessity for the proposedlegislation, and ask that the bill herewith receive careful and earlyconsideration. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, January 7, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I herewith inclose a report from the Secretary of State, withaccompanying papers, in relation to the death of George Pauls, a Germansubject, at Wilmington, N. C. , May 8, 1886, and the claim of his widowfor compensation on that account. In view of the statements made by theSecretary of State, I earnestly recommend that an appropriation of$5, 000 be made in behalf of Mrs. Pauls. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, January 13, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a report of the Secretary of State of the 13thinstant, recommending that the necessary means be provided to erectsuitable buildings on the grounds so generously presented in the year1884 to this Government for the use of its legation at Bangkok by HisMajesty the King of Siam. 

I commend the matter to the favorable consideration of Congress. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, January 16, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a report from the Secretary of State, in relationto the claim of the Government of Sweden and Norway, under the treatybetween the United States and that Government of July 4, 1827, for thebenefit of the lower rate of tonnage dues under the shipping acts of1884 and 1886. 

I recommend the immediate adoption by Congress of the necessarylegislation to enable this Government to apply in the case of Sweden andNorway the same rule in respect to the levying of tonnage dues under thetreaty of 1827 as was claimed and secured by this Government under thesame instrument in 1828. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 20, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a letter of Professor T. C. Mendenhall, chairman ofa committee of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and president of that association, and also the memorial prepared bysaid committee, relating to the preservation of the forests upon thepublic domain. 

I very earnestly recommend that adequate legislation may be providedto the end that the rapid and needless destruction of our great forestareas may be prevented. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, January 20, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a letter from the Secretary of War, relating to thecondition and needs of the band of Apache Indians now held at MountVernon Barracks and at Governors Island. The reports of General Crookand Lieutenant Howard, which accompany the letter of the Secretary, showthat some of these Indians have rendered good service to the Governmentin the pursuit and capture of the murderous band that followed Natchezand Geronimo. It is a reproach that they should not in our treatment ofthem be distinguished from the cruel and bloody members of the tribe nowconfined with them. 

I earnestly recommend that provision be made by law for locating theseIndians upon lands in the Indian Territory. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, January 27, 1890_. 

_To the Senate of the United States_:

I transmit, in reply to the resolution of the Senate of the 8th instant, a report from the Secretary of State, with accompanying documents, inrelation to the execution of the acts of Congress approved May 6, 1882, and October 1, 1888, concerning Chinese. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 10, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

In pursuance of the power vested in me by the terms of the last clauseof section 3 of the act of Congress approved March 2, 1889, entitled"An act making appropriations for the current and contingent expensesof the Indian Department and for fulfilling treaty stipulations withvarious Indian tribes for the year ending June 30, 1890, and for otherpurposes, " a commission, as therein authorized, was appointed, consisting of Charles Foster, of Ohio, William Warner, of Missouri, andGeneral George Crook, of the United States Army. This commission wasspecially instructed to present to the Sioux Indians occupying the GreatSioux Reservation, for their acceptance thereof and consent thereto inmanner and form as therein provided, the act of Congress approved March2, 1889, entitled "An act to divide a portion of the reservation of theSioux Nation of Indians in Dakota into separate reservations and tosecure the relinquishment of the Indian title to the remainder, and forother purposes. "

The report of the commission was submitted to me on the 24th day ofDecember, 1889, and is, with the accompanying documents and a letter ofthe Secretary of the Interior, herewith transmitted for the informationof Congress. It appears from the report of the commission that theconsent of more than three-fourths of the adult Indians to the terms ofthe act last named was secured, as required by section 12 of the treatyof 1868, and upon a careful examination of the papers submitted I findsuch to be the fact, and that such consent is properly evidenced by thesignatures of more than three-fourths of such Indians. 

At the outset of the negotiations the commission was confronted bycertain questions as to the interpretation and effect of the act ofCongress which they were presenting for the acceptance of the Indians. Upon two or three points of some importance the commission gave inresponse to these inquiries an interpretation to the law, and it wasthe law thus explained to them that was accepted by the Indians. Thecommissioners had no power to bind Congress or the Executive by theirconstruction of a statute, but they were the agents of the UnitedStates, first, to submit a definite proposition for the acceptanceof the Indians, and, that failing, to agree upon modified terms tobe submitted to Congress for ratification. They were dealing with anignorant and suspicious people, and an explanation of the terms andeffect of the offer submitted could not be avoided. Good faith demandsthat if the United States accepts the lands ceded the beneficialconstruction of the act given by our agents should be also admittedand observed. 

The chief difficulty in the construction of the act grows out of itsrelation to prior treaties, which were by section 19 continued inforce so far as they are not in conflict with the terms of the act. The seventh article of the treaty of 1868, relating to schools andschoolhouses, is by section 17 of the act continued in force for twentyyears, "subject to such modifications as Congress shall deem mosteffective to secure to said Indians equivalent benefits of sucheducation. "

Section 7 of the treaty of 1868 provides only for instruction in the"elementary branches of an English education, " while section 17 of theact, after continuing this section of the treaty in force, provides afund which is to be applied "for the promotion of industrial and othersuitable education among said Indians. " Again, section 7 of the treatyprovides for the erection of a schoolhouse for every thirty children whocan be induced to attend, while section 20 of the act requires theerection of not less than thirty schoolhouses, and more if foundnecessary. 

The commissioners were asked by the Indians whether the cost of theEnglish schools provided for in section 7 of the treaty and of theschoolhouses provided for in the same section and in section 20 of theact would be a charge against the proceeds of the lands they were nowasked to cede to the United States. This question was answered in thenegative, and I think the answer was correct. If the act, withoutreference to section 7 of the treaty, is to be construed to expressthe whole duty of the Government toward the Indians in the matter ofschools, the extension for twenty years of the provisions of thatsection is without meaning. 

The assurance given by the commissioners that the money appropriated bysection 27 of the act to pay certain bands for the ponies taken by themilitary authorities in 1876 would not be a charge against the proceedsof the ceded lands was obviously a correct interpretation of the law. 

The Indians were further assured by the commissioners that the amountappropriated for the expenses of the commission could not under the lawbe made a charge upon the proceeds of their lands. This, I think, is acorrect exposition of the act. 

It seems from the report of the commission that some of the Indians atthe Standing Rock Agency asked whether if they accepted the act theycould have the election to take their allotments under section 6 of thetreaty of 1868 and have the benefits of sections 8 and 10 of thattreaty, and were told that they could. 

As the treaty is continued in force except where it contravenes theprovisions of the act, I do not see any difficulty in admitting thisinterpretation. 

It will be found that the commission has submitted many recommendations, some of them involving legislation and others appealing to powersalready possessed by the executive department. The consent of theIndians to the act was not made dependent upon the adoption of any ofthese recommendations, but many of them are obviously just and promotiveof the true interests of the Indians. So far as these requirelegislation they are earnestly commended to the attention of Congress. 

The Secretary of the Interior has prepared and submits with his lettertransmitting the report of the commission the draft of a bill embodyingthose recommendations of the commission requiring legislation. 

The appropriations necessary to carry into effect the provisions of theact should be promptly made and be immediately available. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, February 12, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a report from the Secretary of State, respecting theInternational Marine Conference which was held in the city of Washingtonin the year 1889, together with a copy of the proceedings of theconference, including the final act. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 17, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a communication of the 11th instant from theSecretary of the Interior, submitting a copy of a report from theCommissioner of Indian Affairs and accompanying draft of a bill to amendthe first section of an act entitled "An act to provide for theallotment of lands in severalty to Indians on the various reservations, and to extend the protection of the laws of the United States and theTerritories over the Indians, and for other purposes, " approved February8, 1887. 

The matter is presented for the consideration and action of Congress. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 18, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a communication of the 8th instant from theSecretary of the Interior, submitting a report of the Commissioner ofIndian Affairs and accompanying agreement, made with the Sisseton andWahpeton bands of Dakota or Sioux Indians, for the purchase and releaseof the surplus lands in the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation, in theStates of North and South Dakota, the negotiations for said purchase andrelease having been conducted under the authority contained in the fifthsection of the general allotment act of February 8, 1887 (24 U. S. Statutes at Large, p. 388), which provides, among other things, that the"purchase shall not be complete until ratified by Congress, and the formand manner of executing such release shall also be prescribed byCongress. "

This agreement involves a departure from the terms of the generalallotment act in at least one important particular. It gives to eachmember of the tribe 160 acres of land without regard to age or sex, while the general law gives this allotment only to heads of families. There are, I think, serious objections to the basis adopted in thegeneral law, especially in its application to married women; but if thebasis of the agreement herewith submitted is accepted, it would, Ithink, result in some cases, where there are large families of minorchildren, in excessive allotments to a single family. Whatever is donein this case will of course become in some sense a precedent in thecases yet to be dealt with. 

Perhaps the question of the payment by the United States of theannuities which were forfeited by the act of February 16, 1863(12 U. S. Statutes at Large, p. 652), should not have been considered inconnection with this negotiation for the cession of these lands. But itappears that a refusal to consider this claim would have terminated thenegotiation, and if the claim is just its allowance has already beentoo long delayed. The forfeiture declared by the act of 1863 unjustlyincluded the annuities of certain Indians of these bands who were notonly guilty of no fault, but who rendered meritorious services in thearmies of the United States in the suppression of the Sioux outbreakand in the War of the Rebellion. 

The agreement submitted, as I understand, provides for the payment ofthe annuities justly due to these friendly Indians to all the membersof the two bands per capita. This is said to be the unanimous wish ofthe Indians, and a distribution to the friendly Indians and theirdescendants only would now be very difficult, if not impossible. 

The agreement is respectfully submitted for the consideration ofCongress. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 24, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a communication of 18th instant from the Secretaryof the Interior, submitting copy of a report from the Commissioner ofIndian Affairs, inclosing, with accompanying papers, a draft of a billauthorizing the removal of the Indians of the Papago or Gila BendReservation, in Maricopa County, Arizona Territory, to the Papago IndianReservation, in Pima County, in said Territory, or to the Pima andMaricopa Indian reservations, commonly known as the Gila River and SaltRiver Indian reservations, respectively, in said Territory, and forother purposes. 

The matter is presented for the early consideration and action ofCongress. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 24, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a communication of the 18th instant from theSecretary of the Interior, submitting a copy of a report of theCommissioner of Indian Affairs and accompanying item for insertion inthe bill making appropriations for the current and contingent expensesof the Indian Department, which makes provision for further compensationof Henry B. Carrington, special agent appointed under the act of March2, 1889, "to provide for the sale of lands patented to certain membersof the Flathead band of Indians in Montana Territory, and for otherpurposes, " to secure the consent of the Indians thereto and appraisethe lands and improvements thereof; for an appropriation to remove theIndians whose lands have been sold to the Jocko Reservation, and foradditional legislation considered necessary to complete this matter, as suggested by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. 

I also transmit a copy of the report of Special Agent Carrington and itsinclosures. 

The matter is presented for the early consideration of Congress. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _March 4, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

In pursuance of the authority and direction contained in the act ofCongress approved January 14, 1889, entitled "An act for the relief andcivilization of the Chippewa Indians in the State of Minnesota, " threecommissioners were appointed by the President on February 26, 1889, astherein authorized and directed, namely, Henry M. Rice, of Minnesota, Martin Marty, of Dakota, and Joseph B. Whiting, of Wisconsin, tonegotiate with said Indians. 

The commissioners have submitted their final report, with accompanyingpapers, showing the results of the negotiations conducted by them, andthe same has been carefully reviewed by the Secretary of the Interior inhis report to me thereon. 

Being satisfied from an examination of the papers submitted that thecession and relinquishment by said Chippewa Indians of their title andinterest in the lands specified and described in the agreement with thedifferent bands or tribes of Chippewa Indians in the State of Minnesotawas obtained in the manner prescribed in the first section of said act, and that more than the requisite number have signed said agreement, Ihave, as provided by said act, approved the said instruments in writingconstituting the agreement entered into by the commissioners with saidIndians. 

The commissioners did not escape the embarrassment which unfortunatelytoo often attends our negotiations with the Indians, namely, anindisposition to treat with the Government for further concessions whileits obligations incurred under former agreements are unkept. I am sureit will be the disposition of Congress to consider promptly and in ajust and friendly spirit the claims presented by these Indians throughour commissioners, which have been formulated in the draft of a billprepared by the Secretary of the Interior and submitted herewith. 

The act of January 14, 1889 (25 U. S. Statutes at Large, p. 642), evidently contemplated the voluntary removal of the body of all thesebands of Indians to the White Earth and Red Lake reservations; but aproviso in section 3 of the act authorized any Indian to take hisallotment upon the reservation where he now resides. The commissionersreport that quite a general desire was expressed by the Indians to availthemselves of this option. The result of this is that the ceded land cannot be ascertained and brought to sale under the act until all of theallotments are made. 

I recommend that the necessary appropriations to complete the surveysand allotments be made at once available, so that the work may be begunand completed at the earliest possible day. 

A copy of the report made by the commissioners, with copies of all thepapers submitted therewith, except the census rolls, is herewithpresented for the information of the Congress. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _March 24, 1890_. 

_To the House of Representatives_:

In answer to the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 8thinstant, in relation to the employment by the Regular Army of the UnitedStates of Indian scouts for the purpose of pursuing hostile Indians intheir raids in the territory of the United States and Mexico, and inregard to the proposed transfer of the Apache Chiricahua Indians fromMount Vernon Barracks, Ala. , to Fort Sill, Ind. T. , I transmit herewitha communication from the Secretary of State on the subject, togetherwith the accompanying papers. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _March 29, 1890_. 

_To the Senate of the United States_:

In compliance with the resolution of the Senate of the 28th instant, the House of Representatives concurring, I return herewith the bill(S. 1332) entitled "An act granting to the city of Colorado Springs, in the State of Colorado, certain lands therein described for waterreservoirs. "

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, March 31, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I herewith transmit a report from the Secretary of State, in relationto the discriminating duty now imposed upon foreign works of art, and recommend that action thereon looking to the removal of thediscrimination be taken by Congress during its present session, ifpracticable. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, April 15, 1890_. 

_To the House of Representatives_:

I herewith transmit, in reply to the resolution of the House ofRepresentatives of the 3d instant, a report from the Secretary of State, accompanied by certain correspondence in regard to the seizure of theschooner _Rebecca_ by the Mexican customs authorities at Tampico inFebruary, 1884. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, April 18, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith the fifth annual report of the Commissioner of Labor. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _April 18, 1890_. 

_To the House of Representatives_:

In compliance with the resolution of the House of Representatives, theSenate concurring, I return herewith House bill No. 5179, entitled "Anact fixing the rate of interest to be charged on arrearages of generaland special taxes now due the District of Columbia if paid within aspecified time. "

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _April 21, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

In compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives, theSenate concurring, I return herewith House bill No. 105, entitled"An act in relation to immediate transportation of dutiable goods, amendatory of the act of July 10, 1880. "

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, April 21, 1890_. 

_To the Senate of the United States_:

In answer to the resolution of the Senate dated March 25 last, inrelation to La Abra Silver Mining Company and the distribution orpayment of moneys to that corporation on account of the award in itsfavor by the Mexican Government, I transmit herewith a report from theSecretary of State upon the subject, together with the accompanyingpapers. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _April 30, 1890_. 

_To the Senate of the United States_:

In compliance with a resolution of the Senate, the House ofRepresentatives concurring, I return herewith Senate bill 895, entitled"An act to organize the Territory of Oklahoma, to establish courts inthe Indian Territory, and for other purposes. "

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _May 8, 1890_. 

_To the House of Representatives_:

In answer to the resolution of the House of Representatives of March 31, 1890, respecting the importation into foreign countries of breadstuffsand provisions from the United States and the rates of duty imposed uponsuch articles, I transmit herewith a report from the Secretary of Stateon the subject, together with the accompanying papers. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _May 13, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a communication of the 10th instant from theSecretary of the Interior, and the accompanying copies ofcorrespondence, relative to the condition of the Northern CheyenneIndians at the Pine Ridge Agency, S. Dak. 

The desire of these Indians to be united upon some common reservationwith their brethren now occupying the Tongue River Reserve, in Montana, is quite natural, and such an arrangement would, I think, promote thebest interests of both of these bands. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _May 17, 1890_. 

_To the Senate of the United States_:

In compliance with a resolution of the Senate of this date, I returnherewith the bill (S. 903) entitled "An act for the erection of a publicbuilding in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. "

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _May 19, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I inclose herewith a draft of a bill submitted by the Secretary of theInterior, providing for the survey and disposal of a tract of landsituated in the city of Monterey, Cal. , known as the "Cuartel" lot. 

The lot referred to is one of the tracts excluded from the survey of thePueblo lands of Monterey, Cal. , by the decision of Acting Secretary ofthe Interior Muldrow of October 4, 1887 (6 Land Decisions, p. 179), onthe ground that it was in a state of reservation for national purposes. 

A communication from the Secretary of War to the Secretary of theInterior, copy herewith, states that this lot has been occupied atintervals by the War Department for military purposes, but as it is notwithin the limits of any declared military reservation the act of July5, 1884 (23 U. S. Statutes at Large, p. 103), providing for a transferto the Interior Department of abandoned military reservations, does notapply. 

The lot is no longer required for military purposes, and a willingnessis expressed by the War Department that the Department of the Interiorshould assume control of it. A copy of the tracing, with notes, isinclosed, showing an approximate survey and describing the situationof the lot. 

I also inclose a copy of a report of the Commissioner of the GeneralLand Office to the Secretary of the Interior, setting forth that underthe decision of Mr. Muldrow the tract of land known as the "Cuartel"lot belongs to the United States by conquest and by treaty, and is in astate of reservation for national purposes, and respectfully submittingthat Congress may continue its status as fixed by said decision or enactappropriate laws providing for its disposition as public land. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _May 19, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a report of the International American Conference, recently in session at this capital, recommending the survey of a routefor an intercontinental line of railroad to connect the systems of NorthAmerica with those of the southern continent, and to be conducted underthe direction of a board of commissioners representing the severalAmerican Republics. 

Public attention has chiefly been attracted to the subject of improvedwater communication between the ports of the United States and those ofCentral and South America. The creation of new and improved steamshiplines undoubtedly furnishes the readiest means of developing anincreased trade with the Latin-American nations. But it should not beforgotten that it is possible to travel by land from Washington to thesouthernmost capital of South America, and that the opening of railroadcommunication with these friendly States will give to them and to usfacilities for intercourse and the exchanges of trade that are ofspecial value. 

The work contemplated is vast, but entirely practicable. It will beinteresting to all, and perhaps surprising to most of us, to notice howmuch has already been done in the way of railroad construction in Mexicoand South America that can be utilized as part of an intercontinentalline. 

I do not hesitate to recommend that Congress make the very moderateappropriation for surveys suggested by the conference and authorize theappointment of commissioners and the detail of engineer officers todirect and conduct the necessary preliminary surveys. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _May 21, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a communication of the 20th instant from theSecretary of the Interior and accompanying correspondence in the matterof the request of the Seminole Nation of Indians for negotiations withthe Creek Nation of Indians for the purchase of an additional quantityof land, being about 25, 000 acres, for the use of the Seminoles. Therequest is based upon the fact that former purchases do not embrace allof the lands upon which the Seminole Indians have made improvements, andwhich by the corrected survey were given to the Creeks. The money to bepaid for these lands is to be reimbursed to the Government by theSeminoles. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _May 26, 1890_. 

_To the House of Representatives_:

In compliance with the resolutions of the House of Representatives ofthe 23d instant, the Senate concurring, I return herewith the billsH. R. Nos. 380 and 2007, entitled, respectively, "An act to amend an actentitled 'An act to authorize the Cairo and Tennessee River RailroadCompany to construct bridges across the Tennessee and Cumberlandrivers, ' approved January 8, 1889, " and "An act granting a pension tothe widow of Adam Shrake. "

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _May 27, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a letter from the Secretary of State, inclosinga report adopted by the International American Conference, recentlyin session at this capital, recommending the establishment of aninternational American bank, with its principal offices in the city ofNew York and branches in the commercial centers of the several otherAmerican Republics. 

The advantages of such an institution to the merchants of the UnitedStates engaged in trade with Central and South America and the purposesintended to be accomplished are fully set forth in the letter of theSecretary of State and the accompanying report. It is not proposed toinvolve the United States in any financial responsibility, but only togive to the proposed bank a corporate franchise, and to promote publicconfidence by requiring that its condition and transactions shall besubmitted to a scrutiny similar to that which is now exercised over ourdomestic banking system. 

The subject is submitted for the consideration of Congress in the beliefthat it will be found possible to promote the end desired by legislationso guarded as to avoid all just criticism. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _May 28, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a communication of the 26th instant from theSecretary of the Interior, and accompanying item of appropriation, toenable the President to continue the negotiations authorized by sections14 and 15 of the Indian appropriation act approved March 2, 1889, withthe Cherokee Indians and with all other Indians owning or claiming landswest of the ninety-sixth degree of longitude in the Indian Territory, for the cession to the United States of all their title, claim, orinterest of every kind or character in and to said lands, etc. 

The matter is presented for the favorable action of Congress. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _June 2, 1890_. 

_To the House of Representatives_:

In compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives of the29th ultimo, the Senate concurring, I return herewith the bill (H. R. 7345) entitled "An act authorizing and directing the Secretary of Warto establish new harbor lines in Portage Lake, Houghton County, Mich. "

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _June 2, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

The International American Conference, recently in session at thiscapital, recommended for adoption by the several American Republics--

1. A uniform system of customs regulations for the classification andvaluation of imported merchandise;

2. A uniform nomenclature for the description of articles of merchandiseimported and exported; and

3. The establishment at Washington of an international bureau ofinformation. 

The conference also at its final session decided to establishin the city of Washington, as a fitting memorial of its meeting, aLatin-American library, to be formed by contributions from the severalnations, of historical, geographical, and literary works, maps, manuscripts, and official documents relating to the history andcivilization of America, and expressed a desire that the Government ofthe United States should provide a suitable building for the shelterof such a library, to be solemnly dedicated upon the four hundredthanniversary of the discovery of America. 

The importance of these suggestions is fully set forth in the letterof the Secretary of State and the accompanying documents, herewithtransmitted, to which I invite your attention. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _June 6, 1890_. 

_To the Senate of the United States_:

In response to the resolution of the Senate of the 26th of May, requesting me to "communicate to the Senate such information as maybe in possession of the executive department relating to the allegedlanding of an armed force from the United States revenue cutter _McLane_at Cedar Keys, Fla. , and the alleged entry of houses of citizens byforce, and their alleged pursuit of citizens of the United States inthe surrounding country, and the authority under which the commandingofficer of the cutter acted in any such matter, " I submit for theinformation of the Senate the accompanying correspondence, whichcontains all the information possessed by the executive departmentrelating to the matters inquired about. 

It will be observed that the United States collector of customs atCedar Keys had been driven from his office and from the town and theadministration of the customs laws of the United States at that portsuspended by the violent demonstrations and threats of one Cottrell, themayor of the place, assisted by his town marshal, Mitchell. If it hadbeen necessary, as I do not think it can be in any case, for a UnitedStates officer to appeal to the local authorities for immunity fromviolence in the exercise of his duties, the situation at Cedar Keys didnot suggest or encourage such an appeal, for those to whom the appealwould have been addressed were themselves the lawless instruments ofthe threatened violence. It will always be agreeable to me if the localauthorities, acting upon their own sense of duty, maintain the publicorder in such a way that the officers of the United States shall haveno occasion to appeal for the intervention of the General Government;but when this is not done I shall deem it my duty to use the adequatepowers vested in the Executive to make it safe and feasible to hold andexercise the offices established by the Federal Constitution and laws. 

The means used in this case were, in my opinion, lawful and necessary, and the officers do not seem to have intruded upon any private right inexecuting the warrants placed in their hands. The letter dated August 4last, which appears in the correspondence submitted, appealing to meto intervene for the protection of the citizens of Cedar Keys from thebrutal violence of Cottrell, it will be noticed, was written before theappointment of the new collector. That the officers of the law shouldnot have the full sympathy of every good citizen in their efforts tobring these men to merited punishment is matter of surprise and regret. It is a very grim commentary upon the condition of social order at CedarKeys that only a woman, who had, as she says in her letter, no son orhusband who could be made the victim of his malice, had the courage tofile charges against this man, who was then holding a subordinate placein the customs service. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _June 6, 1890_. 

_To the Senate of the United States_:

In compliance with a resolution of the Senate of the 5th instant, the House of Representatives concurring, I return herewith the bill(S. 1293) entitled "An act for the relief of Charles F. Bowers. "

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _June 16, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith, for the information of Congress with a view tosecuring such legislation as may be appropriate, a communication fromthe Secretary of the Interior, relating to the destruction by fires, carelessly kindled or left, of the timber upon the public lands. 

If proper penalties were imposed by law and a few convictions thereundersecured, I do not doubt that much waste of our forests would beprevented. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _June 18, 1890_. 

_To the Senate of the United States_:

In response to the resolution of the Senate of the 16th instant, relating to the negotiations by the Cherokee Commission for the purchaseof certain lands in the Indian Territory, I respectfully state that onthe 20th day of May and the 12th day of June, respectively, agreementswere Signed by the Iowa and the Sac and Fox tribes ceding to the UnitedStates certain of their lands. The contracts and accompanying paperswere received at the Interior Department on the 2d and 17th days ofJune, respectively, and are now under examination by the proper officersof that Department. When these examinations are concluded, the paperswill, if found to be complete and conformable to law, be submitted toCongress. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _June 19, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith, for your information, a letter from the Secretaryof State, inclosing a report of the International American Conference, which recommends that reciprocal commercial treaties be entered intobetween the United States and the several other Republics of thishemisphere. 

It has been so often and so persistently stated that our tariff lawsoffered an insurmountable barrier to a large exchange of productswith the Latin-American nations that I deem it proper to call especialattention to the fact that more than 87 per cent of the products ofthose nations sent to our ports are now admitted free. If sugar isplaced upon the free list, practically every important article exportedfrom those States will be given untaxed access to our markets, exceptwool. The real difficulty in the way of negotiating profitablereciprocity treaties is that we have given freely so much that wouldhave had value in the mutual concessions which such treaties imply. I can not doubt, however, that the present advantages which the productsof these near and friendly States enjoy in our markets, though they arenot by law exclusive, will, with other considerations, favorably disposethem to adopt such measures, by treaty or otherwise, as will tend toequalize and greatly enlarge our mutual exchanges. 

It will certainly be time enough for us to consider whether we mustcheapen the cost of production by cheapening labor in order to gainaccess to the South American markets when we have fairly tried theeffect of established and reliable steam communication and of convenientmethods of money exchanges. There can be no doubt, I think, that withthese facilities well established and with a rebate of duties uponimported raw materials used in the manufacture of goods for export ourmerchants will be able to compete in the ports of the Latin-Americannations with those of any other country. 

If after the Congress shall have acted upon pending tariff legislationit shall appear that under the general treaty-making power, or under anyspecial powers given by law, our trade with the States represented inthe conference can be enlarged upon a basis of mutual advantage, it willbe promptly done. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _June 24, 1890_. 

_To the House of Representatives_:

In compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives ofthe 23d instant, the Senate concurring, I return herewith the bill(H. R. 5702) "granting a pension to Ann Bryan. "

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _June 25, 1890_. 

_To the Senate of the United States_:

In compliance with a resolution of the Senate of the 23d instant, theHouse of Representatives concurring, I return herewith the bill (S. 145)"for the relief of the legal representatives of Henry S. French. "

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _July 1, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

In my annual message I called attention to the urgent need oflegislation for the adjustment of the claims under Mexican grants tolands in Arizona and New Mexico. 

I now submit a correspondence which has passed between the Departmentof State and the Mexican Government concerning the rights of certainMexican citizens to have their claims to lands ceded to the UnitedStates by the treaty adjusted and confirmed. I also submit a letter fromthe Secretary of the Interior, with accompanying papers, showing thenumber and extent of these claims and their present condition. 

The United States owes a duty to Mexico to confirm to her citizens thosevalid grants that were saved by the treaty, and the long delay which hasattended the discharge of this duty has given just cause of complaint. 

The entire community where these large claims exist, and, indeed, all of our people, are interested in an early and final settlement ofthem. No greater incubus can rest upon the energies of a people in thedevelopment of a new country than that resulting from unsettled landtitles. 

The necessity for legislation is so evident and so urgent that I ventureto express the hope that relief will be given at the present session ofCongress. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _July 2, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

In compliance with the provisions of section 14 of the act of March 2, 1889, I transmit herewith, for the consideration of Congress, anagreement concluded between the commissioners appointed under thatsection on behalf of the United States, commonly known as the CherokeeCommission, and the Sac and Fox Nation of Indians in the IndianTerritory on the 12th day of June last. 

The Sac and Fox Nation have a national council, and the negotiation wasconducted with that body, which undoubtedly had competent authority tocontract on behalf of the tribe for the sale of these lands. The letterof the Secretary of the Interior and the accompanying papers, which aresubmitted herewith, furnish all the information necessary to theconsideration of the questions to be determined by Congress. 

The only serious question presented is as to that article of theagreement which limits the distribution of the funds to be paid by theUnited States under it to the Sac and Fox Indians now in the IndianTerritory. I very gravely doubt whether the remnant or band of thistribe now living in Iowa has any interest in these lands in the IndianTerritory. The reservation there was apparently given in considerationof improvements upon the lands of the tribe in Kansas. The band nowresident in Iowa upon lands purchased by their own means, as I amadvised, left the Kansas reservation many years before the date of thistreaty, and it would seem could have had no equitable interest in theimprovements on the Kansas lands, which must have been the result of thelabors of that portion of the tribe living upon them. The right of theIowa band to a participation in the proceeds of the sale of the Kansasreservation was explicitly reserved in the treaty; but it seems to meupon a somewhat hasty examination of the treaty that the reservationin the Indian Territory was intended only for the benefit of those whoshould go there to reside. The Secretary of the Interior has expressed asomewhat different view of the effect of this treaty; but if the factsare, as I understand, that the Iowa band did not contribute to theimprovements which were the consideration for the reservation and didnot accept the invitation to settle upon the reservation lands in theIndian Territory, I do not well see how they have either an equitable orlegal claim to participate in the proceeds of the sale of those lands. 

The whole matter is submitted for the consideration of Congress. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, July 2, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a letter from the Secretary of State, inclosingthe recommendations of the International American Conference for theestablishment of improved facilities for postal and cable communicationbetween the United States and the several countries of Central and SouthAmerica. 

I can not too strongly urge upon Congress the necessity of giving thissubject immediate and favorable consideration and of making adequateappropriations to carry the recommendations into effect; and in thisconnection I beg leave to call attention to what was said on the subjectin my annual message. [9] The delegates of the seventeen neighboringRepublics, which have so recently been assembled in Washington at theinvitation of this Government, have expressed their wish and purpose tocooperate with the United States in the adoption of measures to improvethe means of communication between the several Republics of America. They recognize the necessity of frequent, regular, and rapid steamshipservice, both for the purpose of maintaining friendly intercourseand for the convenience of commerce, and realize that without suchfacilities it is useless to attempt to extend the trade between theirports and ours. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

[Footnote 9: See pp. 56-57. ]

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, July 2, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith, for your information, a letter from the Secretaryof State, inclosing a copy of a resolution passed by the InternationalAmerican Conference with reference to the celebration of the fourthcentennial of the discovery of America. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _July 2, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith, as required by section 14 of the act of March 2, 1889, an agreement concluded on the 20th day of May last between thecommissioners on behalf of the United States, commonly known as theCherokee Commission, and the Iowa Indians residing in the IndianTerritory. 

A letter of the Secretary of the Interior, which is accompanied bycommunications from the Commissioner of Indian Affairs and the AssistantAttorney-General, is also submitted. 

These papers present a full and clear statement of the matters of factand questions of law which Congress will need to consider in passingupon the question of the ratification of the agreement, which issubmitted for its consideration and such action as may be deemed proper. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, July 11, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a communication from the Secretary of State, including a report of the action of the International AmericanConference, lately in session in this city, concerning the protection ofpatents, trademarks, and copyrights in commerce between the AmericanRepublics, to which I invite your attention. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, July 11, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I invite your attention to the accompanying letter of the Secretary ofState, submitting the recommendations of the International AmericanConference for the better protection of the public health against thespread of contagious diseases. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _July 12, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a letter from the Secretary of State, inclosing acopy of a report upon weights and measures adopted by the InternationalAmerican Conference, recently in session at this capital. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _July 12, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a letter from the Secretary of State, inclosing acopy of a report of the International American Conference, recentlyin session at this capital, recommending the establishment of aninternational American monetary union, and suggesting that the Presidentbe authorized to invite the several American nations to send delegatesto its first meeting in Washington on the first Wednesday of Januarynext; that authority also be granted for the appointment of threedelegates on the part of the United States, and that an appropriationbe made to meet the necessary expenses. 

I commend these suggestions and hope they will receive the promptconsideration of Congress. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, July 14, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a letter from the Secretary of State, inclosing therecommendation of the International American Conference with referenceto the adoption by the American Republics of a uniform code ofinternational law, to which your attention is respectfully directed. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, July 14, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a letter from the Secretary of State, inclosing therecommendations of the International American Conference, recently insession at this capital, concerning a uniform system of port dues andconsular fees to be adopted by the several American Republics, to whichI invite your attention. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _July 15, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a letter from the Secretary of State, inclosinga resolution adopted by the International American Conference forthe erection of a memorial tablet in the diplomatic chamber of theDepartment of State to commemorate the meeting of that body. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _July 15, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith, for your information, certain reports on thesubject of extradition adopted by the International American Conferenceat its recent sessions in this city. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _July 15, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit two agreements concluded by the commission appointed undersection 14 of the act of March 2, 1889, commonly known as the CherokeeCommission, with the Citizen band of Pottawatomie Indians and the bandof Absentee Shawnees, respectively, for the cession of certain lands tothe United States. 

Letters from the Secretary of the Interior, the Commissioner of IndianAffairs, and the Assistant Attorney-General for the Department of theInterior relating to the same matter are also submitted. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _July 17, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

The act making appropriations to provide for the expenses of thegovernment of the District of Columbia for the fiscal year ending June30, 1890, provides, among other things, that the President shall appointthree competent sanitary engineers to examine and report upon the systemof sewerage existing in the District of Columbia, together with suchsuggestions and recommendations as may to them seem necessary anddesirable for the modification and extension of the same, which reportwas to be transmitted to Congress by the President at its next session. 

In pursuance of the authority thus conferred, on the 17th of August, 1889, I appointed Rudolph Hering, of New York, Samuel M. Gray, of RhodeIsland, and Frederick P. Stearns, of Massachusetts, to make thisexamination and report. 

The gentlemen named were believed to have such ability and experience assanitary engineers as to guarantee an intelligent and exhaustive studyof the problem submitted to them. 

I transmit herewith their report, which has just been submitted to me, for the consideration of Congress. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _July 23, 1890_. 

_To the House of Representatives_:

In response to the resolution of the House of Representatives requestingme, if in my judgment not incompatible with the public interest, tofurnish to the House the correspondence since March 4, 1889, between theGovernment of the United States and the Government of Great Britaintouching the subjects in dispute in the Bering Sea, I transmit a letterfrom the Secretary of State, which is accompanied by the correspondencereferred to in the resolution. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _July 29, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

The recent attempt to secure a charter from the State of North Dakotafor a lottery company, the pending effort to obtain from the State ofLouisiana a renewal of the charter of the Louisiana State Lottery, andthe establishment of one or more lottery companies at Mexican towns nearour border have served the good purpose of calling public attention toan evil of vast proportions. If the baneful effects of the lotterieswere confined to the States that give the companies corporate powersand a license to conduct the business, the citizens of other States, being powerless to apply legal remedies, might clear themselves ofresponsibility by the use of such moral agencies as were within theirreach. But the case is not so. The people of all the States aredebauched and defrauded. The vast sums of money offered to the Statesfor charters are drawn from the people of the United States, and theGeneral Government through its mail system is made the effective andprofitable medium of intercourse between the lottery company and itsvictims. The use of the mails is quite as essential to the companiesas the State license. It would be practically impossible for thesecompanies to exist if the public mails were once effectively closedagainst their advertisements and remittances. The use of the mails bythese companies is a prostitution of an agency only intended to servethe purposes of a legitimate trade and a decent social intercourse. 

It is not necessary, I am sure, for me to attempt to portray the robberyof the poor and the widespread corruption of public and private moralswhich are the necessary incidents of these lottery schemes. 

The national capital has become a subheadquarters of the LouisianaLottery Company, and its numerous agents and attorneys are conductinghere a business involving probably a larger use of the mails than thatof any legitimate business enterprise in the District of Columbia. Thereseems to be good reason to believe that the corrupting touch of theseagents has been felt by the clerks in the postal service and by some ofthe police officers of the District. 

Severe and effective legislation should be promptly enacted to enablethe Post-Office Department to purge the mails of all letters, newspapers, and circulars relating to the business. 

The letter of the Postmaster-General which I transmit herewith pointsout the inadequacy of the existing statutes and suggests legislationthat would be effective. 

It may also be necessary to so regulate the carrying of letters by theexpress companies as to prevent the use of those agencies to maintaincommunication between the lottery companies and their agents orcustomers in other States. 

It does not seem possible that there can be any division of sentimentas to the propriety of closing the mails against these companies, andI therefore venture to express the hope that such proper powers asare necessary to that end will be at once given to the Post-OfficeDepartment. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, July 30, 1890_. 

_To the Senate of the United States_:

I transmit herewith a report from the Acting Secretary of State, inresponse to a resolution of the Senate of the 23d instant, calling forinformation touching the alleged arrest and imprisonment of A. J. Diazby the Cuban authorities and the action which has been taken in respectthereto. 

It will be seen that Mr. Diaz has been released. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _August 8, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I have received, under date of July 29 ultimo, a communication from Hon. George W. Steele, governor of the Territory of Oklahoma, in which, amongother things, he says:

 A delegation from township 16, range 1, in this county, has just left me, who came to represent that there are at this time twenty-eight families in that township who are in actual need of the necessaries of life, and they give it as their opinion that their township is not an exception, and that in the very near future a large proportion of the settlers of this Territory will have to have assistance. 

 This I have looked for, but have hoped to bridge over until after the legislature meets, when I thought some arrangement might be made for taking care of these needy people; but with little taxable property in the Territory, and very many necessary demands to be made and met, I doubt if the legislature will be able to make such provision until a crop is raised next year as will be adequate to the demands. * * *

 Now I know whereof I speak, and I say there are a great many people in this Territory who have not the necessary means of providing meals for a day to come and are being helped by their very poor neighbors. No one regrets more than I do the necessity of making the foregoing statement, and I have hoped to bridge the matter over, as I have said before, until the legislature would meet and see if some provision could be made. 

 I now see the utter hopelessness of such a course, and I beg of you to call the attention of Congress to the condition of our people, with the earnest hope that provision may be made whereby great suffering may be relieved; and I assure you that so far as I am able to prevent it not one ounce of provisions or a cent of money contributed to the above need shall be improperly used. 

Information received by me from other sources leads me to believe thatGovernor Steele is altogether right in his impression that there willbe, unless relief is afforded either by public appropriation or byorganized individual effort, widespread suffering among the settlersin Oklahoma. Many of these people expended in travel and in providingshelter for their families all of their accumulated means. The cropprospects for this year are by reason of drought quite unfavorable, andthe ability of the Territory itself to provide relief must be inadequateduring this year. 

I am advised that there is an unexpended balance of about $45, 000 ofthe fund appropriated for the relief of the sufferers by flood upon theMississippi River and its tributaries, and I recommend that authority begiven to use this fund to meet the most urgent necessities of the poorerpeople in Oklahoma. Steps have been taken to ascertain more particularlythe condition of the people throughout the Territory, and if a largerrelief should seem to be necessary the facts will be submitted toCongress. If the fund to which I have referred should be made availablefor relief in Oklahoma, care will be taken that so much of it as isnecessary to be expended shall be judiciously applied to the most worthyand necessitous cases. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, August 15, 1890_. 

_To the Senate_:

In compliance with the resolution of the Senate of the 26th of July, 1890, calling for all correspondence not already submitted to Congressand now on file in the Department of State touching the efforts madeby this Government to secure the modification or repeal by the FrenchGovernment of its decree of 1881, prohibiting the importation intoFrance of American pork and kindred American products, I transmitherewith a report from the Acting Secretary on the subject, with theaccompanying correspondence. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _September 3, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a letter from the Secretary of State, which isaccompanied by three reports adopted by the conference of Americannations recently in session at Washington, relating to the subject ofinternational arbitration. The ratification of the treaties contemplatedby these reports will constitute one of the happiest and most hopefulincidents in the history of the Western Hemisphere. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _October 1, 1890_. 

_To the House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith, in answer to the resolution of the House ofRepresentatives of August 20, 1890, concerning the enforcement ofproscriptive edicts against the Jews in Russia, a report from theSecretary of State upon the subject. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, October 1, 1890_. 

_To the Senate_:

In response to the resolution of the Senate of September 17, 1890, I inclose a report from the Secretary of State, transmitting all thecorrespondence found among the files of his Department relating to theclaim of Thomas T. Collins against the Government of Spain. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

VETO MESSAGES. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _April 26, 1890_. 

_To the House of Representatives_:

I return herewith without my approval the bill (H. R. 7170) "to authorizethe city of Ogden, Utah, to assume an increased indebtedness, "

The purpose and effect of this bill is to relieve the city of Ogden fromthe limitation imposed by the act of July 30, 1886, upon all municipalcorporations in the Territories as to the indebtedness which they maylawfully contract. The general law fixes the limit of 4 per cent uponthe last assessment for taxation; this bill extends the limit as to thecity of Ogden to 8 per cent. The purposes for which this legislation isasked are not peculiar or exceptional. They relate to schools, streetimprovements, and to sewerage, and are common to every prosperous andgrowing town and city. If the argument by which this measure issupported is adopted, the conclusion should be a repeal or modificationof the general law; but in my opinion the limitation imposed by the actof 1886 is wise and wholesome and should not be relaxed. 

The report of the governor of Utah for 1889 states the population ofOgden to be 15, 000, the valuation for taxation $7, 000, 000, and theexisting indebtedness $100, 000. It will be noticed that under theexisting limit the city has power to increase its indebtedness$180, 000, which would seem to be enough to make a good beginning in theconstruction of sewers, while the cost of street improvements is usuallymet in large part by direct assessment upon the property benefited. 

It is assumed in the report of the House committee that any city inthe States similarly situated "would have the making of the neededimprovements within its own power, " while the fact is that almost all ofour States have either by their constitutions or statutes limited thepower of municipal corporations to incur indebtedness, and the limit isgenerally lower than that fixed by the act regulating this matter in theTerritories. A large city debt retards growth and in the end defeatsthe purpose of those who think by mortgaging the future to attractpopulation and property. I do not doubt that the citizens of Ogden willultimately realize that the creation of a municipal debt of over half amillion dollars by a city of 15, 000 population--being $37 per capita--isunwise. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _April 29, 1890_. 

_To the House of Representatives_:

I return without my approval the bill (H. R. 848) "to authorize theconstruction of an addition to the public building in Dallas, Tex. "

The bill authorizes the construction of a wing or addition to thepresent public building at a cost of $200, 000. I find that the billas originally introduced by the member representing the Congressionaldistrict in which Dallas is situated fixed $100, 000 as the limit ofthe proposed expenditure, and it was so reported from the Committeeon Public Buildings and Grounds after conferring with the SupervisingArchitect of the Treasury. A bill of the same tenor was introduced inthe Senate by one of the Senators from that State, fixing the samelimit of expenditure. 

The public building at Dallas, for which a first appropriation of$75, 000 was made in 1882, subsequently increased to $125, 000, was onlycompleted in 1889. It is probably inadequate now to the convenienttransaction of business, chiefly in that part assigned to thePost-Office Department. The material and architectural style of anyaddition are fixed by the present building and its ground area bythe available unoccupied space, as no provision is made for buyingadditional ground. The present building is 85 by 56 feet, and Mr. JohnS. Witwer, the postmaster and the custodian of the building, writingto the Supervising Architect, advises that to meet the present andprospective needs of the Government an addition at least two-thirds aslarge as the present building should be provided. It will be seen fromthe following extract from a letter of the Supervising Architect to thechairman of the Senate Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, datedFebruary 17, 1890, that a building larger than that suggested can beerected within the limit of $100, 000. He says:

 From computations made in this office based upon data received it is found that an extension or wing about 40 by 85 feet in dimensions, three stories high, with basement, giving 3, 400 square feet, in addition to the 4, 760 square feet of the first-floor area of the building, of fireproof construction, can be erected on the present site within the limit of cost proposed by said bill, namely, $100, 000. 

It may be possible that an expenditure of $325, 000 for a public buildingat Dallas, if the questions of site, material, and architecture were allundetermined, could be defended, but under existing conditions I do notsee how an appropriation of $200, 000 can be justified when one-half thatsum is plainly adequate to such relief as the present site allows. 

The legislation for the erection of public buildings has not proceeded, so far as I can trace it, upon any general rules. Neither population northe extent of the public business transacted has always indicated thepoints where public buildings should first be built or the cost of thestructures. It can not be expected that, in the absence of some generallaw, the committees of Congress having charge of such matters willproceed in their recommendations upon strict or equal lines. The billsare individual, and if comparisons are attempted the necessary elementof probable future growth is made to cover all apparent inequalities. Itwill be admitted, I am sure, that only a public need should suggest theexpenditure of the public money, and that if all such needs can not beat once supplied the most general and urgent should have the preference. 

I am not unfriendly to a liberal annual expenditure for the erection ofpublic buildings where the safe and convenient transaction of the publicbusiness demands it and the state of the revenues will permit. It wouldbe wiser, in my opinion, to build more and less costly houses and to fixby general law the amount of the annual expenditure for this purpose andsome order of preference between the cities asking for public buildings. 

But in view of the pending legislation looking to a very large reductionof our revenues and of the urgency and necessity of a large increasein our expenditures in certain directions, I am of the opinion thatappropriations for the erection of public buildings and all kindredexpenditures should be kept at the minimum until the effect of otherprobable legislation can be accurately measured. 

The erection of a public building is largely a matter of local interestand convenience, while expenditures for enlarged relief and recognitionto the soldiers and sailors of the war for the preservation of theUnion, for necessary coast defenses, and for the extension of ourcommerce with other American States are of universal interest andinvolve considerations, not of convenience, but of justice, honor, safety, and general prosperity. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _June 4, 1890_. 

_To the Senate of the United States_:

I return without my approval the bill (S. 1306) "for the erection ofa public building at Hudson, N. Y. " Hudson, from the best informationattainable, is a city of only a little more than 10, 000 population. Ifthe postal receipts are a fair indication of the growth of the city, ithas not been rapid, as they only increased about $4, 000 in ten years. The gross postal receipts for the year 1888 were but $14, 809, and theoffice force consists of three clerks and five carriers. There are noother Government officers at Hudson entitled under the law to offices orto an allowance for rent, unless it be a deputy collector of internalrevenue. 

It appears from the bill and the correspondence with the SupervisingArchitect that it is proposed to erect a two-story building, withfireproof vaults, heating and ventilating apparatus, and elevators, 40by 80 feet in dimensions. The ground-floor area of 3, 200 feet, to bedevoted to the post-office, would give 400 square feet to each of thepresent employees. The second story and the basement, each having thesame area, will be absolutely tenantless, unless authority is given bylaw to the custodian to rent the rooms to unofficial tenants. It seemsto me to be very clear that the public needs do not suggest or justifysuch an expenditure as is contemplated by this bill. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _June 12, 1890_. 

_To the House of Representatives_:

I return without my approval the bill (H. R. 7175) to provide for thepurchase of a site and the erection of a public building thereon atTuscaloosa, in the State of Alabama. 

Judged by its postal revenues and by the force employed in theoffice, the post-office at Tuscaloosa is not an important one. It hasone clerk, at a salary of $450, and no carriers. The report of thePostmaster-General shows that the gross receipts for the year 1888 were$6, 379 and the net revenue less than $4, 000. The annual receipts haveonly increased about $3, 000 in ten years. The rent now paid for abuilding affording 2, 200 square feet of floor space is $275. 

A general proposition to erect public buildings at this scale of expensein cities of the size of Tuscaloosa would not, I am sure, receive thesanction of Congress. It would involve the expenditure for buildings often times the present net revenues of such offices, and in the caseunder consideration would involve an increased cost for fuel, lights, and care greater than the rent now paid for the use of a room of amplesize. I would not insist that it must always be shown that a proposedpublic building would yield an interest upon the investment, but inthe present uncertain state of the public revenues and expenditures, resulting from pending and probable legislation, there is, in myopinion, an absolute necessity that expenditures for public buildingsshould be limited to cases where the public needs are very evident andvery imperative. It is clear that this is not such a case. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _June 17, 1890_. 

_To the Senate of the United States_:

I return without my approval the bill (S. 1762) "to change theboundaries of the Uncompahgre Reservation. "

This bill proposes to separate from the Ute Indian Reservation inUtah and restore to the public domain two ranges of townships along theeast side of the reservation and bordering the Colorado State line. It is said that these lands are wholly worthless to the Indians forcultivation or for grazing purposes, and it must follow, I think, thatthey are equally worthless for such purposes to white men. 

The object, then, of this legislation is to be sought not in anypublic demand for these lands for the use of settlers--for if theyare susceptible of that use the Indians have a clear equity to takeallotments upon them--but in that part of the bill which confirms themineral entries, or entries for mineral uses, which have been unlawfullymade "or attempted to be made on said lands. " It is evidently a privateand not a public end that is to be promoted. It does not follow, ofcourse, that this private end may not be wholly meritorious and therelief sought on behalf of these persons altogether just and proper. The facts, as I am advised, are that upon these lands there are veinsor beds of asphaltum or gilsonite supposed to be of very great value. 

Entries have been made in that vicinity, but upon public lands, whichlands have been resold for very large amounts. It is not important, perhaps, that the United States should in parting with these landsrealize their value, but it is essential, I think, that favoritismshould have no part in connection with the sales. The bill confirms allattempted entries of these mineral lands at the price of $20 per acre(a price that is suggestive of something unusual) without requiringevidence of the expenditure of any money upon the claim, or even proofthat the claimant was the discoverer of the deposits. 

The bill requires "good faith, " but it will be next to impossible forthe officers of the Interior Department to show actual knowledge on thepart of the claimant of the lines of the reservation. The case willpractically be as to this matter in the hands of the claimant. But whyshould good faith at the moment of attempting the entry, without anyrequirement of expenditure, and followed, it may be, within twenty-fourhours by actual notice that he was upon a reservation, give an advantagein the sale of these lands that may represent a very large sum of money?

In the second place, I do not think it wise, without notice even to theIndians, to segregate these lands from their reservation. It is true, Ithink, that they hold these lands by an Executive order, with a contractright to take allotments upon them, and that the lands in question arenot likely to be sought as an allotment by any Indian. But the Indianshave been placed on this reservation and its boundaries explained tothem, and to take these lands in this manner is calculated to excitetheir distrust and fears, and possibly to create serious trouble. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _June 20, 1890_. 

_To the House of Representatives_:

I return without my approval the bill (H. R. 3934) "to authorize theboard of supervisors of Maricopa County, Ariz. , to issue certain bondsin aid of the construction of a certain railroad. "

This bill proposes to confer authority upon the supervisors of thecounty of Maricopa to issue county bonds at the rate of $4, 000 per milein aid of a railroad to be constructed from Phoenix northwardly to thecounty line, a distance estimated at 50 miles, but probably somewhatlonger. The bill seems to have passed the House of Representatives underan entire misapprehension of its true scope and effect. In the briefreport submitted by the Committee on Territories it is said that "by theterms of the bill the county receives _bonds_ in payment of the moneyproposed to be advanced, " and in the course of the debate the Delegatefrom Arizona mistakenly stated in response to a request for informationthat the bill proposed a loan by the county, in exchange for which itwas to receive the bonds of the railroad company. In fact, the bill doesnot provide for a loan to be secured by bonds, but for a subscription ofstock. How far this mistake may have affected the passage of the billcan not of course be known. 

The bill does not submit the question of granting this aid to a voteof the people of the county, but confers direct authority upon thesupervisors to issue the bonds. It is said, however, that in April, 1889, an election was held to obtain the views of the people upon thequestion. It does not appear from any papers submitted to me who werethe managers of this so-called election; what notice, if any, was given;what qualifications on the part of voters were insisted upon, if any, orin what form the question was presented. There was no law providing forsuch an election. Being wholly voluntary, the election was, of course, under the management of those who favored the subsidy, and was conductedwithout any legal restraints as to the voting or certification. I haveasked for a statement of the vote by precincts, and have been given whatpurports to be the vote at twelve points. The total affirmative votegiven was 1, 975 and the negative 134. But of the affirmative vote 1, 543were given at Phoenix and 188 at Tempe, a town very near to Phoenix. Ifthere were no other objections to this bill, I should deem this alonesufficient, that no provision is made for submitting to a vote of thepeople at an election, after due notice and under the sanction of law, the question whether this subscription shall be made. 

But again, the bill proposes to suspend for this case two provisionsof the act of Congress of July 30, 1886--first, that provision whichforbids municipal corporations from subscribing to the stock of othercorporations or loaning their credit to such corporations, and, second, that provision which forbids any municipal corporation from creating adebt in excess of 4 per cent of its taxable property as fixed by thelast assessment. The condition of things then existing in Arizona hadnot a little to do with the enactment by Congress of this law, intendedto give to the people of the Territories that protection againstoppressive municipal debts which was secured to the people of most ofthe States by constitutional limitations. The wisdom of this legislationis not contested by the friends of this bill, but they claim that thecircumstances here are so peculiar as to justify this exception. I donot think so. In the States the limitation upon municipal indebtednessis usually placed in the constitution, in order that it may beinflexible. If a showing of need, gain, or advantage is to overcome thebarrier, then it is scarcely worth while to declare a limitation. Onlya belief that the limit is inflexible will promote care and economy inadministration. If this bill becomes a law, how can Congress refuse toany county in any of the Territories the right to subscribe to the stockof a railroad company, especially where the subscription would notexceed the debt limit, upon a showing of the advantages of better andcheaper communications?

Maricopa County is one of great extent. Its northern boundary is 95miles long, its southern boundary 66, its eastern 45, and its western102. This great area is to be taxed to construct a road which can, inthe nature of things, be of advantage to but a fraction of it. There isno unity of interest or equality of advantage. It may very well be thata section of these lands along the line of the road, and especiallytown lots in Phoenix, would have an added value much greater than theincreased burden imposed, but it is equally clear that much propertyin the county will receive no appreciable benefit. 

The existing bonded indebtedness of Maricopa County is $272, 000; the taxassessment of the county is about $5, 000, 000, and the population isestimated, by multiplying the vote cast in 1888 by 6, at about 12, 000. It will be seen that the bonded debt, to say nothing of a floating debt, which is said to be small, is already largely in excess of the legallimit, and it is proposed to increase it by a subscription that willcertainly involve $200, 000, and possibly $250, 000. If the bill becomes alaw, the bonded indebtedness will very closely approximate 10 per centof the assessed valuation of the property of the county. 

The condition of things in the county of Yavapai, lying immediatelynorth of Maricopa, and through which this road is also to run, thoughnot directly affected by this legislation, is very instructive in thisconnection. 

By an act of the legislature of Arizona passed the year before the actof Congress to which I have referred Yavapai County was authorized tosubscribe $4, 000 per mile to this line of road. The total length of theroad in the county was 147 miles, and 74 miles, to Prescott, have beenconstructed. The secretary of the Territory, in response to an inquiry, states the debt of Yavapai County at $563, 000 and the assessment fortaxation at "between six and seven millions. " There are 73 miles of roadyet to be built from the present terminus, Prescott, to the south lineof the county, for which Yavapai County must make a further issue ofbonds of $292, 000, making a total county debt of $855, 000, or above 13per cent upon the taxable assessment (taking that at $6, 500, 000), anda per capita county debt of nearly $85, taking the population at about10, 600, as stated in the report of the Senate committee. Surely no onewill insist that the true and permanent prosperity of these communitieswill be promoted by loading their energies and their industries withthese great debts. I feel the force of the suggestion that the freightcharges now imposed upon the farm and orchard products of MaricopaCounty by the railroads now in operation are oppressive. But this billdoes not afford much relief even in that direction. There would be butone competing point, viz, Phoenix. At all other points on the proposedroad the people would be subject to the exaction of just such rates asare demanded by the other lines. If this bill contained some effectiveprovision to secure reasonable freight rates to the people who are to betaxed to build the road, it would go far to secure my favorableconsideration for it. 

I have carefully examined the reports of the committees and everyargument that has been submitted to me by the friends of the bill, butI can not bring myself to believe that the permanent welfare of thecommunities affected by it will be promoted by its passage. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _July 9, 1890_. 

_To the House of Representatives_:

I return herewith without my approval the bill (H. R. 5974) entitled "Anact extending the time of payment to purchasers of land of the Omahatribe of Indians in Nebraska, and for other purposes. "

The United States holds the legal title of these lands, which have beensold for the benefit of the Omaha Indians to secure the unpaid purchasemoney, the time of payment of which it is proposed by this act toextend. There is no objection that I know of, either on the part ofthe United States or of the Indians, to the extension of the unpaidinstallments due from purchasers. This relief is probably due to thepurchasers. The bill, however, contains the following provision:

 That all the lands the payment for which is hereby extended shall be subject to taxation in all respects by and in the State of Nebraska as if fully paid for and patents issued. 

Now, while it is entirely proper that the interest of the purchasers inthese lands should share the burdens of the communities in which thelands are located, the title of the United States and the beneficialinterest of the Indians in the lands should not be subjected to sale forthe delinquency of the purchasers in paying tax assessments levied uponthe lands. The effect of the provision which has been quoted would, inmy opinion, give to the purchaser at a tax sale a title superior tothe lien of the Government for purchase money. The bill should havecontained a proviso that only the interest of the purchasers from theGovernment could be sold for taxes, and that the tax sale should besubject to the lien of the United States for unpaid purchase money. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _September 30, 1890_. 

_To the House of Representatives_:

I return herewith without my approval the joint resolution (H. Res. No. 39) declaring the retirement of Captain Charles B. Stivers, of theUnited States Army, legal and valid, and that he is entitled as suchofficer to his pay. 

Captain Stivers was dismissed the service summarily by order of thePresident on July 15, 1863. A subsequent examination into the causesleading to this action seems to have satisfied the President that aninjustice had been done to the officer, and on the 11th day of August, 1863, an order was issued revoking the order of dismissal and restoringCaptain Stivers to duty as an officer of the Army. On December 30, 1864, by a proper order from the War Department, after examination, CaptainStivers was placed upon the retired list of the Army. 

The Supreme Court has decided in the case of The United States _vs_. Corson (114 U. S. Reports, 619):

First. That at the time of the issuance of the order of dismissal thePresident had authority under the law to summarily dismiss an officer, and that the effect of such an order was absolutely to separate theofficer from the service. 

Second. That having been thus separated from the service he could not berestored except by nomination to the Senate and its advice and consentto the appointment. 

Mr. Garland, as Attorney-General, gave an opinion to the Secretary ofWar in the case of Captain Stivers, based upon the decision of theSupreme Court to which I have referred, holding that Captain Stiverswas not an officer on the retired list of the Army. The presentAttorney-General, with whom I have conferred, takes the same viewof the law. Indeed, the decision of the Supreme Court to which I havereferred is so exactly in point that there can be no doubt as to the lawof the case. It is undoubtedly competent for Congress by act or jointresolution to authorize the President, by and with the advice of theSenate, to appoint Captain Stivers to be a captain in the Army of theUnited States and to place him upon the retired list. It is alsoperfectly competent by suitable legislation for Congress to give to thisofficer the pay of his grade during the interval of time when he wasimproperly carried upon the army lists. But the joint resolution whichI herewith return does not attempt to deal with the case in that way. It undertakes to declare that the retirement of Captain Stivers waslegal and valid and that he always has been and is entitled to his payas such officer. I do not think this is a competent method of giving therelief intended. The retirement under the law as it then existed was notlegal and valid, as the highest judicial tribunal under the Constitutionhas declared, for the reason that Captain Stivers was not then anofficer on the active list. That being so, it follows, of course, thathe was not entitled to draw the pay of an office he did not hold. 

The relief should have taken the form usual in such cases, which is toauthorize the appointment of the officer to a place made for him on theretired list. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _October 1, 1890_. 

_To the Senate_:

I return to the Senate without my approval the bill (S. 473) "for therelief of the Portland Company, of Portland, Me. "

This bill confers upon the Court of Claims jurisdiction to inquire intoand determine how much certain steam machinery built for the UnitedStates under contract, and to be used in the vessels _Agawam_ and_Pontoosuc_, cost the contractors over and above the contract price andany allowances for extra work which have been made, and requires thecourt to enter judgment in favor of the claimant for the excess of costabove such contract price and allowances. 

The bill differs from others which have been presented to me, and one ofwhich I have approved, in that it does not make the further allowance tothe contractors contingent upon the fact that the additional expense wasthe result of the acts of the Government through its officers' causingdelays and increased cost in the construction of the work. 

The bill in effect directs the court to ignore the contract entirely, except as payments under it are to be treated as credits, and to allowthe contractors the cost of the work, and that without reference totheir own negligence or want of skill in executing the work. There wouldseem to be no object in the Government's making a contract for work ifthe contract is only to be binding upon the parties in the event thatthe contractor realizes a profit. 

I can not give my approval to the proposition applied here, which ifallowed here should be given general application, that every contractorwith the Government who during the early days of the war failed torealize, by reason of increase in the cost of labor and materials, aprofit upon the contract shall now have access to the Court of Claimsto recover upon the _quantum meruit_ the cost of the work. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _October 1, 1890_. 

_To the Senate_:

I return without my approval Senate bill No. 1857, "for the relief ofCharles P. Chouteau, survivor of Chouteau, Harrison & Valle. "

This claim has been once presented to the Court of Claims and fullyheard. This bill authorizes a rehearing. I find upon examination thatevery fact connected with the case necessary to the determination of thequestion whether the claim should be appropriated for has already beenfound and stated by the Court of Claims in a published opinion. Judgmentwas given against the claimant upon the ground that a settlement hadbeen made and a receipt given in full. If in the opinion of Congressthis receipt, given under the circumstances which accompanied it, shouldnot be held a bar to such further appropriation as is equitable, all thefacts have been found that can be necessary to determine the questionwhat further payment should be made to the contractors. There can be noreason, as it seems to me, for a retrial of the case in the Court ofClaims in the absence of any showing of newly discovered evidence. Theresult would only differ from the result already obtained in that underthe bill which I return the court would enter a judgment instead of afinding, and the judgment could only be paid after Congressional action. 

The finding which has already been made, as I have said, is a completebasis for any such action as Congress may think should be taken in thepremises. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _October 7, 1890_. 

_To the Senate_:

I return without my approval the bill (S. 3830) "to prohibit bookmakingof any kind and pool selling in the District of Columbia for the purposeof gaming. "

My objection to the bill is that it does not prohibit bookmaking andpool selling, but, on the contrary, expressly saves from the operationof its prohibitions and penalties the Washington Jockey Club "and anyother regular organizations owning race tracks no less than 1 mile inlength, " etc. 

If this form of gambling is to be prohibited, as I think it should be, the penalties should include all persons and all places. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

PROCLAMATIONS. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas it is provided in the act of Congress approved March 2, 1889, entitled "An act to divide a portion of the reservation of the SiouxNation of Indians in Dakota into separate reservations and to securethe relinquishment of the Indian title to the remainder, and for otherpurposes"--

 That this act shall take effect only upon the acceptance thereof and consent thereto by the different bands of the Sioux Nation of Indians, in manner and form prescribed by the twelfth article of the treaty between the United States and said Sioux Indians concluded April 29, 1868, which said acceptance and consent shall be made known by proclamation by the President of the United States, upon satisfactory proof presented to him that the same has been obtained in the manner and form required by said twelfth article of said treaty, which proof shall be presented to him within one year from the passage of this act; and upon failure of such proof and proclamation this act becomes of no effect and null and void. 

And whereas satisfactory proof has been presented to me that theacceptance of and consent to the provisions of the said act by thedifferent bands of the Sioux Nation of Indians have been obtained inmanner and form as therein required:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, byvirtue of the power in me vested, do hereby make known and proclaim theacceptance of said act by the different bands of the Sioux Nation ofIndians and the consent thereto by them as required by the act, and saidact is hereby declared to be in full force and effect, subject to allthe provisions, conditions, limitations, and restrictions thereincontained. 

All persons will take notice of the provisions of said act and of theconditions, limitations, and restrictions therein contained, and begoverned accordingly. 

I furthermore notify all persons to particularly observe that by saidact certain tracts or portions of the Great Reservation of the SiouxNation in the Territory of Dakota, as described by metes and bounds, are set apart as separate and permanent reservations for the Indiansreceiving rations and annuities at the respective agencies thereinnamed. 

That any Indian receiving and entitled to rations and annuities ateither of the agencies mentioned in this act at the time the same shalltake effect, but residing upon any portion of said Great Reservation notincluded in either of the separate reservations herein established, mayat his option, within one year from the time when this act shall takeeffect, and within one year after he has been notified of his said rightof option, in such manner as the Secretary of the Interior shall direct, by recording his election with the proper agent at the agency to whichhe belongs, have the allotment to which he would be otherwise entitledon one of said separate reservations upon the land where such Indian maythen reside. 

That each member or the Ponca tribe of Indians now occupying a part ofthe old Ponca Reservation, within the limits of the said Great SiouxReservation, shall be entitled to allotments upon said old PoncaReservation in quantities as therein set forth, and that when allotmentsto the Ponca tribe of Indians and to such other Indians as allotmentsare provided for by this act shall have been made upon that portion ofsaid reservation which is described in the act entitled "An act toextend the northern boundary of the State of Nebraska, " approved March28, 1882, the President shall, in pursuance of said act, declare thatthe Indian title is extinguished to all lands described in said act notso allotted hereunder, and thereupon all of said land not so allottedand included in said act of March 28, 1882, shall be open to settlementas provided in this act. 

That protection is guaranteed to such Indians as may have takenallotments either within or without the said separate reservations underthe provisions of the treaty with the Great Sioux Nation concluded April29, 1868; and that provision is made in said act for the release of alltitle on the part of said Indians receiving rations and annuities oneach separate reservation to the lands described in each of the otherseparate reservations, and to confirm in the Indians entitled to receiverations at each of said separate reservations, respectively, to theirseparate and exclusive use and benefit, all the title and interest ofevery name and nature secured to the different bands of the Sioux Nationby said treaty of April 29, 1868; and that said release shall not affectthe title of any individual Indian to his separate allotment of landnot included in any of said separate reservations, nor any agreementheretofore made with the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul RailroadCompany or the Dakota Central Railroad Company respecting certain landsfor right of way, station grounds, etc. , regarding which certain priorrights and privileges are reserved to and for the use of said railroadcompanies, respectively, upon the terms and conditions set forth in saidact. 

That it is therein provided that if any land in said Great SiouxReservation is occupied and used by any religious society at the dateof said act for the purpose of missionary or educational work among theIndians, whether situate outside of or within the limits of any of theseparate reservations, the same, not exceeding 160 acres in any onetract, shall be granted to said society for the purposes and upon theterms and conditions therein named; and

Subject to all the conditions and limitations in said act contained, itis therein provided that all the lands in the Great Sioux Reservationoutside of the separate reservations described in said act, exceptAmerican Island, Farm Island, and Niobrara Island, regarding whichislands special provisions are therein made, and sections 16 and 36 ineach township thereof (which are reserved for school purposes), shallbe disposed of by the United States, upon the terms, at the price, andin the manner therein set forth, to actual settlers only, under theprovisions of the homestead law (except section 2301 thereof) and underthe law relating to town sites. 

That section 23 of said act provides--

 That all persons who, between the 27th day of February, 1885, and the 17th day of April, 1885, in good faith entered upon or made settlements with intent to enter the same under the homestead or preemption laws of the United States upon any part of the Great Sioux Reservation lying east of the Missouri River, and known as the Crow Creek and Winnebago Reservation, which by the President's proclamation of date February 27, 1885, was declared to be open to settlement, and not included in the new reservation established by section 6 of this act, and who, being otherwise legally entitled to make such entries, located or attempted to locate thereon homestead, preemption, or town-site claims by actual settlement and improvement of any portion of such lands, shall for a period of ninety days after the proclamation of the President required to be made by this act have a right to reenter upon said claims and procure title thereto under the homestead or preemption laws of the United States and complete the same as required therein, and their said claims shall for such time have a preference over later entries; and when they shall have in other respects shown themselves entitled and shall have complied with the law regulating such entries, and, as to homesteads, with the special provisions of this act, they shall be entitled to have said lands, and patents therefor shall be issued as in like cases: _Provided_, That preemption claimants shall reside on their lands the same length of time before procuring title as homestead claimants under this act. The price to be paid for town-site entries shall be such as is required by law in other cases, and shall be paid into the general fund provided for by this act. 

It is furthermore hereby made known that there has been and is herebyreserved from entry or settlement that tract of land now occupied by theagency and school buildings at the Lower Brulé Agency, to wit:

The west half of the southwest quarter of section 24, the east half ofthe southeast quarter of section 23, the west half of the northwestquarter of section 25, the east half of the northeast quarter of section26, and the northwest fractional quarter of the southeast quarter ofsection 26, all in township 104 north of range 72 west of the fifthprincipal meridian. 

That there is also reserved as aforesaid the following-described tractwithin which the Cheyenne River Agency, school, and certain otherbuildings are located, to wit: Commencing at a point in the center ofthe main channel of the Missouri River opposite Deep Creek, about 3miles south of Cheyenne River; thence due west 5-1/2 miles; thence duenorth to the Cheyenne River; thence down said river to the center of themain channel thereof to a point in the center of the Missouri River dueeast or opposite the mouth of said Cheyenne River; thence down thecenter of the main channel of the Missouri River to the place ofbeginning. 

That in pursuance of the provisions contained in section 1 of said actthe tract of land situate in the State of Nebraska and described insaid act as follows, to wit: "Beginning at a point on the boundaryline between the State of Nebraska and the Territory of Dakota wherethe range line between ranges 44 and 45 west of the sixth principalmeridian, in the Territory of Dakota, intersects said boundary line;thence east along said boundary line 5 miles; thence due south 5 miles;thence due west 10 miles; thence due north to said boundary line; thencedue east along said boundary line to the place of beginning, " same iscontinued in a state of reservation so long as it may be needed for theuse and protection of the Indians receiving rations and annuities at thePine Ridge Agency. 

Warning is hereby also expressly given to all persons not to enter ormake settlement upon any of the tracts of land specially reserved by theterms of said act or by this proclamation, or any portion of any tractsof land to which any individual member of either of the bands of theGreat Sioux Nation or the Ponca tribe of Indians shall have a preferenceright under the provisions of said act; and further, to in no wiseinterfere with the occupancy of any of said tracts by any of saidIndians, or in any manner to disturb, molest, or prevent the peacefulpossession of said tracts by them. 

The surveys required to be made of the lands to be restored to thepublic domain under the provisions of the said act and as in thisproclamation set forth will be commenced and executed as early aspossible. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 10th day of February, A. D. 1890, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred andfourteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas that portion of the Indian Territory commonly known as theCherokee Strip or Outlet has been for some years in the occupancy of anassociation or associations of white persons under certain contractssaid to have been made with the Cherokee Nation, in the nature of alease or leases for grazing purposes; and

Whereas an opinion has been given to me by the Attorney-General, concurring with the opinion given to my predecessor by the lateAttorney-General, that whatever the right or title of said CherokeeNation or of the United States to or in said lands may be, no rightexists in said Cherokee Nation under the statutes of the United Statesto make such leases or grazing contracts, and that such contracts arewholly illegal and void; and

Whereas the continued use of said lands thereunder for grazing purposesis prejudicial to the public interests:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, dohereby proclaim and give notice--

First. That no cattle or live stock shall hereafter be brought upon saidlands for herding or grazing thereon. 

Second. That all cattle and other live stock now on said outlet must beremoved therefrom not later than October 1, 1890, and so much sooner assaid lands or any of them may be or become lawfully open to settlementby citizens of the United States; and that all persons connected withsaid cattle companies or associations must, not later than the timeabove indicated, depart from said lands. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 17th day of February, A. D. 1890, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundredand fourteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

The following provisions of the laws of the United States are herebypublished for the information of all concerned:

Section 1956, Revised Statutes, chapter 3, Title XXIII, enacts that--

 No person shall kill any otter, mink, marten, sable, or fur seal, or other fur-bearing animal within the limits of Alaska Territory or in the waters thereof; and every person guilty thereof shall for each offense be fined not less than $200 nor more than $1, 000, or imprisoned not more than six months, or both; and all vessels, their tackle, apparel, furniture, and cargo, found engaged in violation of this section shall be forfeited; but the Secretary of the Treasury shall have power to authorize the killing of any such mink, marten, sable, or other fur-bearing animal, except fur seals, under such regulations as he may prescribe; and it shall be the duty of the Secretary to prevent the killing of any fur seal and to provide for the execution of the provisions of this section until it is otherwise provided by law, nor shall he grant any special privileges under this section. 

 * * * * *

Section 3 of the act entitled "An act to provide for the protection ofthe salmon fisheries of Alaska, " approved March 2, 1889, provides that--

 SEC. 3. That section 1956 of the Revised Statutes of the United States is hereby declared to include and apply to all the dominion of the United States in the waters of Bering Sea, and it shall be the duty of the President at a timely season in each year to issue his proclamation, and cause the same to be published for one month in at least one newspaper (if any such there be) published at each United States port of entry on the Pacific coast, warning all persons against entering such waters for the purpose of violating the provisions of said section, and he shall also cause one or more vessels of the United States to diligently cruise said waters and arrest all persons and seize all vessels found to be or to have been engaged in any violation of the laws of the United States therein. 

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, pursuant to the above-recited statutes, hereby warn all persons againstentering the waters of Bering Sea within the dominion of the UnitedStates for the purpose of violating the provisions of said section 1956, Revised Statutes; and I hereby proclaim that all persons found to be orhave been engaged in any violation of the laws of the United States insaid waters will be arrested and punished as above provided, and thatall vessels so employed, their tackle, apparel, furniture, and cargoes, will be seized and forfeited. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 15th day of March, 1890, and of theIndependence of the United States the one hundred and fourteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

PROCLAMATION. 

SEPTEMBER 19, 1890. 

_To whom it may concern_:

Whereas it has been represented to me that by reason of the droughtwhich has prevailed in the Indian Territory and in the adjoining Statesthe execution of my proclamation of February 17, 1890, requiring theremoval of all live stock from the Cherokee Outlet on or before October1 would work great hardship and loss, not only to the owners of stockherded upon the strip, but to the owners of cattle in the adjoiningStates; and

Whereas the owners of all cattle now herded upon the outlet havesubmitted to me a proposition in writing whereby they agree to removeone-half of their stock from the outlet on or before November 1 andthe residue thereof and all their property and employees on or beforeDecember 1 next, and to abandon all claims in said outlet:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, dogive notice and proclaim that the time heretofore fixed for the removalof the live stock herded upon said outlet is extended to November 1 asto one-half thereof and to December 1 next as to the residue thereof andas to all property and employees. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas it is provided in the act of Congress entitled "An act to extendthe northern boundary of the State of Nebraska, " approved March 28, 1882--

 That the northern boundary of the State of Nebraska shall be, and hereby is, subject to the provisions hereinafter contained, extended so as to include all that portion of the Territory of Dakota lying south of the forty-third parallel of north latitude and east of the Keya Paha River and west of the main channel of the Missouri River; and when the Indian title to the lands thus described shall be extinguished the jurisdiction over said lands shall be, and hereby is, ceded to the State of Nebraska, and subject to all the conditions and limitations provided in the act of Congress admitting Nebraska into the Union, and the northern boundary of the State shall be extended to said forty-third parallel as fully and effectually as if said lands had been included in the boundaries of said State at the time of its admission to the Union; reserving to the United States the original right of soil in said lands and of disposing of the same: _Provided_, That this act, so far as jurisdiction is concerned, shall not take effect until the President shall by proclamation declare that the Indian title to said lands has been extinguished, nor shall it take effect until the State of Nebraska shall have assented to the provisions of this act; and if the State of Nebraska shall not by an act of its legislature consent to the provisions of this act within two years next after the passage hereof this act shall cease and be of no effect. 

And whereas by section 13 of the act entitled "An act to divide aportion of the reservation of the Sioux Nation of Indians in Dakota intoseparate reservations and to secure the relinquishment of the Indiantitle to the remainder, and for other purposes, " approved March 2, 1889, it is provided--

 That when the allotments to the Ponca tribe of Indians and to such other Indians as allotments are provided for by this act shall have been made upon that portion of said reservation which is described in the act entitled "An act to extend the northern boundary of the State of Nebraska, " approved March 28, 1882, the President shall, in pursuance of said act, declare that the Indian title is extinguished to all lands described in said act not so allotted hereunder, and thereupon all of said land not so allotted and included in said act of March 28, 1882, shall be open to settlement as provided in this act: _Provided_, That the allotments to Ponca and other Indians authorized by this act to be made upon the land described in the said act entitled "An act to extend the northern boundary of the State of Nebraska" shall be made within six months from the time this act shall take effect. 

And whereas the State of Nebraska, by an act of its legislature approvedMay 23, 1882, entitled "An act declaring the assent of the State ofNebraska to an act of Congress of the United States entitled 'An act toextend the northern boundary of the State of Nebraska, ' approved March28, 1882, " assented to and accepted the provisions of said act ofCongress approved March 28, 1882; and

Whereas allotments have been made to the Ponca tribe of Indians underand in accordance with the provisions of said section 13 of the actof March 2, 1889, and no other Indians having selected or applied forallotments upon that portion of the reservation of the Sioux Nation ofIndians described in the act of March 28, 1882, aforesaid, and the sixmonths' limit of time within which said allotments were authorized tobe made having expired on the 10th day of August, 1890:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested by the act (section 13) of March 2, 1889, aforesaid, and in pursuance of the act of March 28, 1882, aforesaid, do hereby declare that the Indian title is extinguished toall lands described in said act of March 28, 1882, not allotted tothe Ponca tribe of Indians as aforesaid and shown upon a schedule, in duplicate, of allotments made and certified jointly by George P. Litchfield, United States special agent, and James E. Helms, UnitedStates Indian agent, July 31, 1890, and approved by the ActingCommissioner of Indian Affairs October 14, 1890, and by the ActingSecretary of the Interior October 22, 1890, one copy of which scheduleof allotments is now on file in the office of the Commissioner of IndianAffairs and the other in the office of the Commissioner of the GeneralLand Office, Department of the Interior. 

Be it known, however, that there is hereby reserved from entry orsettlement that tract of land now occupied by the agency and schoolbuildings of the old Ponca Agency, to wit: The south half of thesoutheast quarter of section 26 and the south half of the southwestquarter of section 25, all in township 32 north, range 7 west of thesixth principal meridian. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 23d day of October, A. D. 1890, andof the Independence of the United States the one hundred and fifteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: ALVEY A. ADEE, _Acting Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

By the grace and favor of Almighty God the people of this nation havebeen led to the closing days of the passing year, which has been fullof the blessings of peace and the comforts of plenty. Bountifulcompensation has come to us for the work of our minds and of our handsin every department of human industry. 

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States ofAmerica, do hereby appoint Thursday, the 27th day of the present monthof November, to be observed as a day of prayer and thanksgiving; andI do invite the people upon that day to cease from their labors, tomeet in their accustomed houses of worship, and to join in renderinggratitude and praise to our beneficent Creator for the rich blessingsHe has granted to us as a nation and in invoking the continuance of Hisprotection and grace for the future. I commend to my fellow-citizens theprivilege of remembering the poor, the homeless, and the sorrowful. Letus endeavor to merit the promised recompense of charity and the graciousacceptance of our praise. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 8th day of November, A. D. 1890, andof the Independence of the United States the one hundred and fifteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas an act of Congress in regard to collision at sea was approvedSeptember 4, 1890, the said act being in the following words:

 _Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled_, That in every case of collision between two vessels it shall be the duty of the master or person in charge of each vessel, if and so far as he can do so without serious danger to his own vessel, crew, and passengers (if any), to stay by the other vessel until he has ascertained that she has no need of further assistance, and to render to the other vessel, her master, crew, and passengers (if any), such assistance as may be practicable and as may be necessary in order to save them from any danger caused by the collision, and also to give to the master or person in charge of the other vessel the name of his own vessel and her port of registry, or the port or place to which she belongs, and also the name of the ports and places from which and to which she is bound. If he fails so to do, and no reasonable cause for such failure is shown, the collision shall, in the absence of proof to the contrary, be deemed to have been caused by his wrongful act, neglect, or default. 

 SEC. 2. That every master or person in charge of a United States vessel who fails, without reasonable cause, to render such assistance or give such information as aforesaid shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be liable to a penalty of $1, 000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years; and for the above sum the vessel shall be liable and may be seized and proceeded against by process in any district court of the United States by any person; one half such sum to be payable to the informer and the other half to the United States. 

 SEC. 3. That this act shall take effect at a time to be fixed by the President by proclamation issued for that purpose. 

And whereas it is provided by section 3 of the said act that it shalltake effect at a time to be fixed by the President by proclamationissued for that purpose:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States ofAmerica, do hereby, in virtue of the authority vested in me by section 3of the said act, proclaim the 15th day of December, 1890, as the day onwhich the said act shall take effect. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States of America to be affixed. 

Done at the city of Washington, this 18th day of November, A. D. 1890, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred andfifteenth. 

[SEAL. ]

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

EXECUTIVE ORDERS. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

Special Departmental Rule No. 1 is hereby amended so as to include amongthe exceptions from examination in the Department of Agriculture thefollowing:

 Scientific or professional experts to be employed in investigations specially authorized by Congress, but not to include any persons regularly employed in that Department nor any persons whose duties are not scientific or professional, and who are not experts in the particular line of scientific or professional inquiry in which they are to be employed. 

Approved, January 29, 1890. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENTS OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

Section 1 of Postal Rule II is hereby amended by adding to the subjectsof the clerk examination the following: "Reading addresses and physicaltests;" and to the subjects of carrier examination the following:"Reading addresses. "

Approved, January 29, 1890. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

Special Customs Rule No. 1 is hereby amended by adding thereto thefollowing:

 In the customs district of New York: Detectives employed exclusively as such. 

Approved, March 10, 1890. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

That part of Special Departmental Rule No. 1 relating to the Coast andGeodetic Survey, as printed on page 66 of the Fifth Annual Report of theCommission, is hereby amended by striking out in line 3, after the word"to, " the words "general office assistant, " and inserting in lieuthereof the words "assistant in charge of office and topography;" sothat as amended the clause will read: "confidential clerk to assistantin charge of office and topography. "

Approved, March 10, 1890. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENTS OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

MARCH 28, 1890. 

Departmental Rule VII is hereby amended by adding thereto the followingsection, to be numbered 7:

 7. In case of temporary absence, from sickness or other unavoidable cause, of clerks, copyists, or employees of other grades for which examinations are held, there may be certified in the manner provided for in this rule, and employed under such regulations as the heads of the several Departments shall prescribe, substitutes for such clerks, copyists, or other employees so absent; and such substitutes so employed in any Department shall be appointed in the order of their employment as substitutes to the regular grades of that Department without further certification as vacancies to which they are eligible may occur therein while so employed as substitutes, every such appointment to be at once reported to the Commission: _Provided_, That no person while employed as a substitute in one Department shall be certified as a substitute to any other Department, and that no person employed as a substitute shall by reason of such employment be deprived of any right of certification for a regular place to which he maybe entitled under the rules: _And provided further_, That service rendered as a substitute shall not be ground for reinstatement under Departmental Rule X. The time during which any substitute who shall be appointed to a regular place is actually employed as such shall be counted as a part of his period of probation. No substitute shall be employed in any Department otherwise than as herein provided. 

Special Departmental Rule No. 2 is hereby revoked. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

[From McPherson's Hand Book of Politics for 1890. ]

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _April 24, 1890_. 

_To the Attorney-General_:

I have had frequent occasion during the last six months to conferwith you in reference to the obstructions offered in the counties ofLeon, Gadsden, Madison, and Jefferson, in the State of Florida, tothe execution of the process of the courts of the United States. It isnot necessary to say more of the situation than that the officers ofthe United States are not suffered freely to exercise their lawfulfunctions. This condition of things can not be longer tolerated. Youwill therefore instruct United States Marshal Weeks as soon as he hasqualified to proceed at once to execute such writs of arrest as may beplaced in his hands. If he apprehends resistance, he will employ suchcivil posse as may seem adequate to discourage resistance or to overcomeit. He should proceed with calmness and moderation, which should alwaysattend a public officer in the execution of his duty, and at the sametime with a firmness and courage that will impress the lawless witha wholesome sense of the dangers and futility of resistance. You willassure the officers of the law and those who have foolishly and wickedlythought to set the law at defiance that every resource lodged with theExecutive by the Constitution and the laws will as the necessity arisesbe employed to make it safe and feasible to hold a Federal commissionand to execute the duties it imposes. 

Very respectfully, BENJ. HARRISON. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. 

EXECUTIVE ORDER. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _May 27, 1890_. 

_It is hereby ordered_, That the several Executive Departments and theGovernment Printing Office be closed on Friday, the 30th instant, toenable the employees to participate in the decoration of the graves ofthe soldiers and sailors who fell in defense of the Union during theWar of the Rebellion. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

UNITED STATES CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION, _Washington, D. C. , May 31, 1890_. 

The PRESIDENT. 

SIR: This Commission has the honor to recommend that SpecialDepartmental Rule No. 1 be amended by adding to the exceptions fromexamination therein declared the following:

"In the Department of the Treasury, in the life-saving service:Topographer and hydrographer. "

We have the honor to be, your obedient servants, CHAS. LYMAN, THEODORE ROOSEVELT, HUGH S. THOMPSON, _United States Civil Service Commissioners_. 

Approved, June 3, 1890. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, July 14, 1890_. [10]

The death of John C. Frémont, a major-general on the retired list ofthe Army of the United States, is an event calling for some appropriateexpression of the national sorrow and of a grateful appreciation of hispublic services. His career was full of adventurous and useful discoveryand of devoted and conspicuous service both in civil and militaryaffairs. He opened the passes of the Rocky Mountains and gave value tohis discoveries by aiding to create an American State on the PacificCoast. 

_It is therefore ordered_, That the national flag be displayed athalf-mast upon all the buildings of the Executive Departments in thiscity until after the funeral shall have taken place. 

By direction of the President:

E. W. HALFORD, _Private Secretary_. 

[Footnote 10: Addressed to the heads of the Executive Departments, etc. ]

AMENDMENTS OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

Departmental Rule VIII, section 1, clause (_b_), is hereby amendedby inserting after the word "transacted" the following: "and fromthe office of the Solicitor of the Treasury;" and after the word"Department" where it last occurs the following: "or to said office;"so that as amended the clause will read:

 (_b_) From a bureau of the Treasury Department in which business relating to the customs is transacted and from the office of the Solicitor of the Treasury to a classified customs district, and from such a district to such a bureau of the Treasury Department or to said office, upon requisition by the Secretary of the Treasury. 

Approved, July 23, 1890. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

JULY 30, 1890. 

Special Departmental Rule No. 1 is hereby amended by adding to theplaces excepted from examination in the Department of Agriculture thefollowing:

 Wood engravers. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

SEPTEMBER 2, 1890. 

Special Departmental Rule No. 1 is hereby amended by adding to theplaces excepted from examination therein the following:

 In the Post-Office Department, office of the Postmaster-General: Stenographer as confidential clerk to the chief post-office inspector. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

OCTOBER 31, 1890. 

Section 7 of Railway Mail Rule IV is hereby amended by inserting in line7, after the word "days, " the following: "or until the emergency ceases. "

BENJ. HARRISON. 

SECOND ANNUAL MESSAGE. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _December 7, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

The reports of the several Executive Departments, which will be laidbefore Congress in the usual course, will exhibit in detail theoperations of the Government for the last fiscal year. Only the moreimportant incidents and results, and chiefly such as may be thefoundation of the recommendations I shall submit, will be referred toin this annual message. 

The vast and increasing business of the Government has been transactedby the several Departments during the year with faithfulness, energy, and success. 

The revenues, amounting to above $450, 000, 000, have been collected anddisbursed without revealing, so far as I can ascertain, a single caseof defalcation or embezzlement. An earnest effort has been made tostimulate a sense of responsibility and public duty in all officers andemployees of every grade, and the work done by them has almost whollyescaped unfavorable criticism. I speak of these matters with freedombecause the credit of this good work is not mine, but is shared bythe heads of the several Departments with the great body of faithfulofficers and employees who serve under them. The closest scrutiny ofCongress is invited to all the methods of administration and to everyitem of expenditure. 

The friendly relations of our country with the nations of Europe and ofthe East have been undisturbed, while the ties of good will and commoninterest that bind us to the States of the Western Hemisphere have beennotably strengthened by the conference held in this capital to considermeasures for the general welfare. Pursuant to the invitation authorizedby Congress, the representatives of every independent State of theAmerican continent and of Hayti met in conference in this capital inOctober, 1889, and continued in session until the 19th of last April. This important convocation marks a most interesting and influentialepoch in the history of the Western Hemisphere. It is noteworthy thatBrazil, invited while under an imperial form of government, sharedas a republic in the deliberations and results of the conference. Therecommendations of this conference were all transmitted to Congressat the last session. 

The International Marine Conference, which sat at Washington lastwinter, reached a very gratifying result. The regulations suggested havebeen brought to the attention of all the Governments represented, andtheir general adoption is confidently expected. The legislation ofCongress at the last session is in conformity with the propositions ofthe conference, and the proclamation therein provided for will be issuedwhen the other powers have given notice of their adhesion. 

The Conference of Brussels, to devise means for suppressing the slavetrade in Africa, afforded an opportunity for a new expression of theinterest the American people feel in that great work. It soon becameevident that the measure proposed would tax the resources of the KongoBasin beyond the revenues available under the general act of Berlin of1884. The United States, not being a party to that act, could not sharein its revision, but by a separate act the Independent State of theKongo was freed from the restrictions upon a customs revenue. Thedemoralizing and destructive traffic in ardent spirits among the tribesalso claimed the earnest attention of the conference, and the delegatesof the United States were foremost in advocating measures for itsrepression. An accord was reached the influence of which will be veryhelpful and extend over a wide region. As soon as these measures shallreceive the sanction of the Netherlands, for a time withheld, thegeneral acts will be submitted for ratification by the Senate. Meanwhilenegotiations have been opened for a new and completed treaty offriendship, commerce, and navigation between the United States and theIndependent State of the Kongo. 

Toward the end of the past year the only independent monarchicalgovernment on the Western Continent, that of Brazil, ceased to exist, and was succeeded by a republic. Diplomatic relations were at onceestablished with the new Government, but it was not completelyrecognized until an opportunity had been afforded to ascertain that ithad popular approval and support. When the course of events had yieldedassurance of this fact, no time was lost in extending to the newGovernment a full and cordial welcome into the family of AmericanCommonwealths. It is confidently believed that the good relations of thetwo countries will be preserved and that the future will witness anincreased intimacy of intercourse and an expansion of their mutualcommerce. 

The peace of Central America has again been disturbed through arevolutionary change in Salvador, which was not recognized by otherStates, and hostilities broke out between Salvador and Guatemala, threatening to involve all Central America in conflict and to undothe progress which had been made toward a union of their interests. The efforts of this Government were promptly and zealously exertedto compose their differences and through the active efforts of therepresentative of the United States a provisional treaty of peace wassigned August 26, whereby the right of the Republic of Salvador tochoose its own rulers was recognized. General Ezeta, the chief of theProvisional Government, has since been confirmed in the Presidency bythe Assembly, and diplomatic recognition duly followed. 

The killing of General Barrundia on board the Pacific mail steamer_Acapulco_, while anchored in transit in the port of San Jose deGuatemala, demanded careful inquiry. Having failed in a revolutionaryattempt to invade Guatemala from Mexican territory, General Barrundiatook passage at Acapulco for Panama. The consent of the representativesof the United States was sought to effect his seizure, first atChamperico, where the steamer touched, and afterwards at San Jose. The captain of the steamer refused to give up his passenger without awritten order from the United States minister. The latter furnished thedesired letter, stipulating as the condition of his action that GeneralBarrundia's life should be spared and that he should be tried only foroffenses growing out of his insurrectionary movements. This letter wasproduced to the captain of the _Acapulco_ by the military commander atSan Jose as his warrant to take the passenger from the steamer. GeneralBarrundia resisted capture and was killed. It being evident that theminister, Mr. Mizner, had exceeded the bounds of his authority inintervening, in compliance with the demands of the Guatemalanauthorities, to authorize and effect, in violation of precedent, theseizure on a vessel of the United States of a passenger in transitcharged with political offenses, in order that he might be tried forsuch offenses under what was described as martial law. I was constrainedto disavow Mr. Mizner's act and recall him from his post. 

The Nicaragua Canal project, under the control of our citizens, ismaking most encouraging progress, all the preliminary conditions andinitial operations having been accomplished within the prescribed time. 

During the past year negotiations have been renewed for the settlementof the claims of American citizens against the Government of Chile, principally growing out of the late war with Peru. The reports from ourminister at Santiago warrant the expectation of an early andsatisfactory adjustment. 

Our relations with China, which have for several years occupied soimportant a place in our diplomatic history, have called for carefulconsideration and have been the subject of much correspondence. 

The communications of the Chinese minister have brought into view thewhole subject of our conventional relations with his country, and at thesame time this Government, through its legation at Peking, has soughtto arrange various matters and complaints touching the interests andprotection of our citizens in China. 

In pursuance of the concurrent resolution of October 1, 1890, I haveproposed to the Governments of Mexico and Great Britain to consider aconventional regulation of the passage of Chinese laborers across oursouthern and northern frontiers. 

On the 22d day of August last Sir Edmund Monson, the arbitrator selectedunder the treaty of December 6, 1888, rendered an award to the effectthat no compensation was due from the Danish Government to the UnitedStates on account of what is commonly known as the Carlos Butterfieldclaim. 

Our relations with the French Republic continue to be cordial. Ourrepresentative at that court has very diligently urged the removal ofthe restrictions imposed upon our meat products, and it is believed thatsubstantial progress has been made toward a just settlement. 

The Samoan treaty, signed last year at Berlin by the representatives ofthe United States, Germany, and Great Britain, after due ratificationand exchange, has begun to produce salutary effects. The formation ofthe government agreed upon will soon replace the disorder of the past bya stable administration alike just to the natives and equitable to thethree powers most concerned in trade and intercourse with the SamoanIslands. The chief justice has been chosen by the King of Sweden andNorway on the invitation of the three powers, and will soon beinstalled. The land commission and the municipal council are in processof organization. A rational and evenly distributed scheme of taxation, both municipal and upon imports, is in operation. Malietoa is respectedas King. 

The new treaty of extradition with Great Britain, after dueratification, was proclaimed on the 25th of last March. Its beneficialworking is already apparent. 

The difference between the two Governments touching the fur-sealquestion in the Bering Sea is not yet adjusted, as will be seen by thecorrespondence which will soon be laid before the Congress. The offerto submit the question to arbitration, as proposed by Her Majesty'sGovernment, has not been accepted, for the reason that the form ofsubmission proposed is not thought to be calculated to assure aconclusion satisfactory to either party. It is sincerely hoped thatbefore the opening of another sealing season some arrangement may beeffected which will assure to the United States a property right derivedfrom Russia, which was not disregarded by any nation for more thaneighty years preceding the outbreak of the existing trouble. 

In the tariff act a wrong was done to the Kingdom of Hawaii which I ambound to presume was wholly unintentional. Duties were levied on certaincommodities which are included in the reciprocity treaty now existingbetween the United States and the Kingdom of Hawaii, without indicatingthe necessary exception in favor of that Kingdom. I hope Congress willrepair what might otherwise seem to be a breach of faith on the part ofthis Government. 

An award in favor of the United States in the matter of the claim ofMr. Van Bokkelen against Hayti was rendered on the 4th of December, 1888, but owing to disorders then and afterwards prevailing in Haytithe terms of payment were not observed. A new agreement as to the timeof payment has been approved and is now in force. Other just claims ofcitizens of the United States for redress of wrongs suffered during thelate political conflict in Hayti will, it is hoped, speedily yield tofriendly treatment. 

Propositions for the amendment of the treaty of extradition between theUnited States and Italy are now under consideration. 

You will be asked to provide the means of accepting the invitation ofthe Italian Government to take part in an approaching conference toconsider the adoption of a universal prime meridian from which to reckonlongitude and time. As this proposal follows in the track of the reformsought to be initiated by the Meridian Conference of Washington, held onthe invitation of this Government, the United States should manifest afriendly interest in the Italian proposal. 

In this connection I may refer with approval to the suggestion of mypredecessors that standing provision be made for accepting, wheneverdeemed advisable, the frequent invitations of foreign governments toshare in conferences looking to the advancement of international reformsin regard to science, sanitation, commercial laws and procedure, andother matters affecting the intercourse and progress of moderncommunities. 

In the summer of 1889 an incident occurred which for some timethreatened to interrupt the cordiality of our relations with theGovernment of Portugal. That Government seized the Delagoa Bay Railway, which was constructed under a concession granted to an American citizen, and at the same time annulled the charter. The concessionary, who hadembarked his fortune in the enterprise, having exhausted other means ofredress, was compelled to invoke the protection of his Government. Ourrepresentations, made coincidently with those of the British Government, whose subjects were also largely interested, happily resulted in therecognition by Portugal of the propriety of submitting the claim forindemnity growing out of its action to arbitration. This plan ofsettlement having been agreed upon, the interested powers readilyconcurred in the proposal to submit the case to the judgment of threeeminent jurists, to be designated by the President of the SwissRepublic, who, upon the joint invitation of the Governments of theUnited States, Great Britain, and Portugal, has selected persons wellqualified for the task before them. 

The revision of our treaty relations with the Empire of Japan hascontinued to be the subject of consideration and of correspondence. The questions involved are both grave and delicate; and while it will bemy duty to see that the interests of the United States are not by anychanges exposed to undue discrimination, I sincerely hope that suchrevision as Will satisfy the legitimate expectations of the JapaneseGovernment and maintain the present and long-existing friendly relationsbetween Japan and the United States will be effected. 

The friendship between our country and Mexico, born of closeneighborhood and strengthened by many considerations of intimateintercourse and reciprocal interest, has never been more conspicuousthan now nor more hopeful of increased benefit to both nations. Theintercourse of the two countries by rail, already great, is makingconstant growth. The established lines and those recently projected addto the intimacy of traffic and open new channels of access to freshareas of demand and supply. The importance of the Mexican railway systemwill be further enhanced to a degree almost impossible to forecast ifit should become a link in the projected intercontinental railway. I recommend that our mission in the City of Mexico be raised to thefirst class. 

The cordial character of our relations with Spain warrants the hopethat by the continuance of methods of friendly negotiation much may beaccomplished in the direction of an adjustment of pending questions andof the increase of our trade. The extent and development of our tradewith the island of Cuba invest the commercial relations of the UnitedStates and Spain with a peculiar importance. It is not doubted that aspecial arrangement in regard to commerce, based upon the reciprocityprovision of the recent tariff act, would operate most beneficially forboth Governments. This subject is now receiving attention. 

The restoration of the remains of John Ericsson to Sweden afforded agratifying occasion to honor the memory of the great inventor, to whosegenius our country owes so much, and to bear witness to the unbrokenfriendship which has existed between the land which bore him and ourown, which claimed him as a citizen. 

On the 2d of September last the commission appointed to revise theproceedings of the commission under the claims convention between theUnited States and Venezuela of 1866 brought its labors to a closewithin the period fixed for that purpose. The proceedings of the latecommission were characterized by a spirit of impartiality and a highsense of justice, and an incident which was for many years the subjectof discussion between the two Governments has been disposed of ina manner alike honorable and satisfactory to both parties. For thesettlement of the claim of the Venezuela Steam Transportation Company, which was the subject of a joint resolution adopted at the last sessionof Congress, negotiations are still in progress, and their earlyconclusion is anticipated. 

The legislation of the past few years has evinced on the part ofCongress a growing realization of the importance of the consular servicein fostering our commercial relations abroad and in protecting thedomestic revenues. As the scope of operations expands increasedprovision must be made to keep up the essential standard of efficiency. The necessity of some adequate measure of supervision and inspectionhas been so often presented that I need only commend the subject toyour attention. 

The revenues of the Government from all sources for the fiscal yearending June 30, 1890, were $463, 963, 080. 55 and the total expendituresfor the same period were $358, 618, 584. 52. The postal receipts have notheretofore been included in the statement of these aggregates, and forthe purpose of comparison the sum of $60, 882, 097. 92 should be deductedfrom both sides of the account. The surplus for the year, including theamount applied to the sinking fund, was $105, 344, 496. 03. The receiptsfor 1890 were $16, 030, 923. 79 and the expenditures $15, 739, 871 in excessof those of 1889. The customs receipts increased $5, 835, 842. 88 and thereceipts from internal revenue $11, 725, 191. 89, while on the side ofexpenditures that for pensions was $19, 312, 075. 96 in excess of thepreceding year. 

The Treasury statement for the current fiscal year, partly actualand partly estimated, is as follows: Receipts from all sources, $406, 000, 000; total expenditures, $354, 000, 000, leaving a surplus of$52, 000, 000, not taking the postal receipts into the account on eitherside. The loss of revenue from customs for the last quarter is estimatedat $25, 000, 000, but from this is deducted a gain of about $16, 000, 000realized during the first four months of the year. 

For the year 1892 the total estimated receipts are $373, 000, 000 and theestimated expenditures $357, 852, 209. 42, leaving an estimated surplusof $15, 147, 790. 58, which, with a cash balance of $52, 000, 000 at thebeginning of the year, will give $67, 147, 790. 58 as the sum availablefor the redemption of outstanding bonds or other uses. The estimates ofreceipts and expenditures for the Post-Office Department, being equal, are not included in this statement on either side. 

The act "directing the purchase of silver bullion and the issue ofTreasury notes thereon, " approved July 14, 1890, has been administeredby the Secretary of the Treasury with an earnest purpose to get intocirculation at the earliest possible dates the full monthly amounts ofTreasury notes contemplated by its provisions and at the same time togive to the market for the silver bullion such support as the lawcontemplates. The recent depreciation in the price of silver has beenobserved with regret. The rapid rise in price which anticipated andfollowed the passage of the act was influenced in some degree byspeculation, and the recent reaction is in part the result of the samecause and in part of the recent monetary disturbances. Some months offurther trial will be necessary to determine the permanent effect of therecent legislation upon silver values, but it is gratifying to know thatthe increased circulation secured by the act has exerted, and willcontinue to exert, a most beneficial influence upon business and upongeneral values. 

While it has not been thought best to renew formally the suggestion ofan international conference looking to an agreement touching the fulluse of silver for coinage at a uniform ratio, care has been taken toobserve closely any change in the situation abroad, and no favorableopportunity will be lost to promote a result which it is confidentlybelieved would confer very large benefits upon the commerce of theworld. 

The recent monetary disturbances in England are not unlikely to suggesta reexamination of opinions upon this subject. Our very large supply ofgold will, if not lost by impulsive legislation in the supposed interestof silver, give us a position of advantage in promoting a permanent andsafe international agreement for the free use of silver as a coin metal. 

The efforts of the Secretary to increase the volume of money incirculation by keeping down the Treasury surplus to the lowestpracticable limit have been unremitting and in a very high degreesuccessful. The tables presented by him showing the increase of moneyin circulation during the last two decades, and especially the tableshowing the increase during the nineteen months he has administered theaffairs of the Department, are interesting and instructive. The increaseof money in circulation during the nineteen months has been in theaggregate $93, 866, 813, or about $1. 50 per capita, and of this increaseonly $7, 100, 000 was due to the recent silver legislation. That thissubstantial and needed aid given to commerce resulted in an enormousreduction of the public debt and of the annual interest charge is matterof increased satisfaction. There have been purchased and redeemed sinceMarch 4, 1889, 4 and 4-1/2 per cent bonds to the amount of $211, 832, 450, at a cost of $246, 620, 741, resulting in the reduction of the annualinterest charge of $8, 967, 609 and a total saving of interest of$51, 576, 706. 

I notice with great pleasure the statement of the Secretary that thereceipts from internal revenue have increased during the last fiscalyear nearly $12, 000, 000, and that the cost of collecting this largerrevenue was less by $90, 617 than for the same purpose in the precedingyear. The percentage of cost of collecting the customs revenue was lessfor the last fiscal year than ever before. 

The Customs Administration Board, provided for by the act of June 10, 1890, was selected with great care, and is composed in part of men whoseprevious experience in the administration of the old customs regulationshad made them familiar with the evils to be remedied, and in part of menwhose legal and judicial acquirements and experience seemed to fit themfor the work of interpreting and applying the new statute. The chief aimof the law is to secure honest valuations of all dutiable merchandiseand to make these valuations uniform at all our ports of entry. It hadbeen made manifest by a Congressional investigation that a system ofundervaluation had been long in use by certain classes of importers, resulting not only in a great loss of revenue, but in a most intolerablediscrimination against honesty. It is not seen how this legislation, when it is understood, can be regarded by the citizens of any countryhaving commercial dealings with us as unfriendly. If any duty issupposed to be excessive, let the complaint be lodged there. It willsurely not be claimed by any well-disposed people that a remedy may besought and allowed in a system of quasi smuggling. 

The report of the Secretary of War exhibits several gratifying resultsattained during the year by wise and unostentatious methods. Thepercentage of desertions from the Army (an evil for which both Congressand the Department have long been seeking a remedy) has been reducedduring the past year 24 per cent, and for the months of August andSeptember, during which time the favorable effects of the act of June 16were felt, 33 per cent, as compared with the same months of 1889. 

The results attained by a reorganization and consolidation of thedivisions having charge of the hospital and service records of thevolunteer soldiers are very remarkable. This change was effected inJuly, 1889, and at that time there were 40, 654 cases awaiting attention, more than half of these being calls from the Pension Office forinformation necessary to the adjudication of pension claims. On the 30thday of June last, though over 300, 000 new calls had come in, there wasnot a single case that had not been examined and answered. 

I concur in the recommendations of the Secretary that adequate andregular appropriations be continued for coast-defense works andordnance. Plans have been practically agreed upon, and there can be nogood reason for delaying the execution of them, while the defenselessstate of our great seaports furnishes an urgent reason for wiseexpedition. 

The encouragement that has been extended to the militia of the States, generally and most appropriately designated the "National Guard, " shouldbe continued and enlarged. These military organizations constitute in alarge sense the Army of the United States, while about five-sixths ofthe annual cost of their maintenance is defrayed by the States. 

The report of the Attorney-General is under the law submitted directlyto Congress, but as the Department of Justice is one of the ExecutiveDepartments some reference to the work done is appropriate here. 

A vigorous and in the main an effective effort has been made to bring totrial and punishment all violators of the law, but at the same time carehas been taken that frivolous and technical offenses should not be usedto swell the fees of officers or to harass well-disposed citizens. Especial attention is called to the facts connected with the prosecutionof violations of the election laws and of offenses against United Statesofficers. The number of convictions secured, very many of them uponpleas of guilty, will, it is hoped, have a salutary restraininginfluence. There have been several cases where postmasters appointed byme have been subjected to violent interference in the discharge of theirofficial duties and to persecutions and personal violence of the mostextreme character. Some of these cases have been dealt with through theDepartment of Justice, and in some cases the post-offices have beenabolished or suspended. I have directed the Postmaster-General to pursuethis course in all cases where other efforts failed to secure for anypostmaster not himself in fault an opportunity peacefully to exercisethe duties of his office. But such action will not supplant the effortsof the Department of Justice to bring the particular offenders topunishment. 

The vacation by judicial decrees of fraudulent certificates ofnaturalization, upon bills in equity filed by the Attorney-Generalin the circuit court of the United States, is a new application of afamiliar equity jurisdiction. Nearly one hundred such decrees have beentaken during the year, the evidence disclosing that a very large numberof fraudulent certificates of naturalization have been issued. And inthis connection I beg to renew my recommendation that the laws be soamended as to require a more full and searching inquiry into all thefacts necessary to naturalization before any certificates are granted. It certainly is not too much to require that an application for Americancitizenship shall be heard with as much care and recorded with as muchformality as are given to cases involving the pettiest property right. 

At the last session I returned without my approval a bill entitled"An act to prohibit bookmaking and pool selling in the District ofColumbia, " and stated my objection to be that it did not prohibit but infact licensed what it purported to prohibit. [11] An effort will be madeunder existing laws to suppress this evil, though it is not certain thatthey will be found adequate. 

The report of the Postmaster-General shows the most gratifying progressin the important work committed to his direction, The business methodshave been greatly improved. A large economy in expenditures and anincrease of four and three-quarters millions in receipts have beenrealized. The deficiency this year is $5, 786, 300, as against $6, 350, 183last year, notwithstanding the great enlargement of the service. Mail routes have been extended and quickened and greater accuracy anddispatch in distribution and delivery have been attained. The reportwill be found to be full of interest and suggestion, not only toCongress, but to those thoughtful citizens who may be interestedto know what business methods can do for that department of publicadministration which most nearly touches all our people. 

The passage of the act to amend certain sections of the Revised Statutesrelating to lotteries, approved September 19, 1890, has been receivedwith great and deserved popular favor. The Post-Office Department andthe Department of Justice at once entered upon the enforcement of thelaw with sympathetic vigor, and already the public mails have beenlargely freed from the fraudulent and demoralizing appeals andliterature emanating from the lottery companies. 

The construction and equipment of the new ships for the Navy have madevery satisfactory progress. Since March 4, 1889, nine new vessels havebeen put in commission, and during this winter four more, including onemonitor, will be added. The construction of the other vessels authorizedis being pushed both in the Government and private yards with energy andwatched with the most scrupulous care. 

The experiments conducted during the year to test the relativeresisting power of armor plates have been so valuable as to attractgreat attention in Europe. The only part of the work upon the new shipsthat is threatened by unusual delay is the armor plating, and everyeffort is being made to reduce that to the minimum. It is a source ofcongratulation that the anticipated influence of these modern vesselsupon the _esprit de corps_ of the officers and seamen has been fullyrealized. Confidence and pride in the ship among the crew are equivalentto a secondary battery. Your favorable consideration is invited to therecommendations of the Secretary. 

The report of the Secretary of the Interior exhibits with great fullnessand clearness the vast work of that Department and the satisfactoryresults attained. The suggestions made by him are earnestly commended, to the consideration of Congress, though they can not all be givenparticular mention here. 

The several acts of Congress looking to the reduction of the largerIndian reservations, to the more rapid settlement of the Indians uponindividual allotments, and the restoration to the public domain of landsin excess of their needs have been largely carried into effect so far asthe work was confided to the Executive. Agreements have been concludedsince March 4, 1889, involving the cession to the United States of about14, 726, 000 acres of land. These contracts have, as required by law, been submitted to Congress for ratification and for the appropriationsnecessary to carry them into effect. Those with the Sisseton andWahpeton, Sac and Fox, Iowa, Pottawatomies and Absentee Shawnees, andCoeur d'Alene tribes have not yet received the sanction of Congress. Attention is also called to the fact that the appropriations made in thecase of the Sioux Indians have not covered all the stipulated payments. This should be promptly corrected. If an agreement is confirmed, all ofits terms should be complied with without delay and full appropriationsshould be made. 

The policy outlined in my last annual message in relation to thepatenting of lands to settlers upon the public domain[12] has beencarried out in the administration of the Land Office. No generalsuspicion or imputation of fraud has been allowed to delay the hearingand adjudication of individual cases upon their merits. The purpose hasbeen to perfect the title of honest settlers with such promptness thatthe value of the entry might not be swallowed up by the expense andextortions to which delay subjected the claimant. The average monthlyissue of agricultural patents has been increased about 6, 000. 

The disability-pension act, which was approved on the 27th of June last, has been put into operation as rapidly as was practicable. The increasedclerical force provided was selected and assigned to work, and aconsiderable part of the force engaged in examinations in the field wasrecalled and added to the working force of the office. The examinationand adjudication of claims have by reason of improved methods been morerapid than ever before. There is no economy to the Government in delay, while there is much hardship and injustice to the soldier. Theanticipated expenditure, while very large, will not, it is believed, bein excess of the estimates made before the enactment of the law. Thisliberal enlargement of the general law should suggest a more carefulscrutiny of bills for special relief, both as to the cases where reliefis granted and as to the amount allowed. 

The increasing numbers and influence of the non-Mormon population ofUtah are observed with satisfaction. The recent letter of WilfordWoodruff, president of the Mormon Church, in which he advised his people"to refrain from contracting any marriage forbidden by the laws of theland, " has attracted wide attention, and it is hoped that its influencewill be highly beneficial in restraining infractions of the laws of theUnited States. But the fact should not be overlooked that the doctrineor belief of the church that polygamous marriages are rightful andsupported by divine revelation remains unchanged. President Woodruffdoes not renounce the doctrine, but refrains from teaching it, andadvises against the practice of it because the law is against it. Now, it is quite true that the law should not attempt to deal with the faithor belief of anyone; but it is quite another thing, and the only safething, so to deal with the Territory of Utah as that those who believepolygamy to be rightful shall not have the power to make it lawful. 

The admission of the States of Wyoming and Idaho to the Union are eventsfull of interest and congratulation, not only to the people of thoseStates now happily endowed with a full participation in our privilegesand responsibilities, but to all our people. Another belt of Statesstretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific. 

The work of the Patent Office has won from all sources very highcommendation. The amount accomplished has been very largely increased, and all the results have been such as to secure confidence andconsideration for the suggestions of the Commissioner. 

The enumeration of the people of the United States under the provisionsof the act of March 1, 1889, has been completed, and the result willbe at once officially communicated to Congress. The completion of thisdecennial enumeration devolves upon Congress the duty of making a newapportionment of Representatives "among the several States according totheir respective numbers. "

At the last session I had occasion to return with my objections severalbills making provisions for the erection of public buildings for thereason that the expenditures contemplated were, in my opinion, greatlyin excess of any public need. No class of legislation is more liableto abuse or to degenerate into an unseemly scramble about the publicTreasury than this. There should be exercised in this matter a wiseeconomy, based upon some responsible and impartial examination andreport as to each case, under a general law. 

The report of the Secretary of Agriculture deserves especial attentionin view of the fact that the year has been marked in a very unusualdegree by agitation and organization among the farmers looking to anincrease in the profits of their business. It will be found that theefforts of the Department have been intelligently and zealously devotedto the promotion of the interests intrusted to its care. 

A very substantial improvement in the market prices of the leading farmproducts during the year is noticed. The price of wheat advanced from81 cents in October, 1889, to $1. 00-3/4 in October, 1890; corn from 31cents to 50-1/4 cents; oats from 19-1/4 cents to 43 cents, and barleyfrom 63 cents to 78 cents. Meats showed a substantial but not so largean increase. The export trade in live animals and fowls shows a verylarge increase. The total value of such exports for the year ending June30, 1890, was $33, 000, 000, and the increase over the preceding year wasover $15, 000, 000. Nearly 200, 000 more cattle and over 45, 000 more hogswere exported than in the preceding year. The export trade in beef andpork products and in dairy products was very largely increased, theincrease in the article of butter alone being from 15, 504, 978 pounds to29, 748, 042 pounds, and the total increase in the value of meat and dairyproducts exported being $34, 000, 000. This trade, so directly helpfulto the farmer, it is believed, will be yet further and very largelyincreased when the system of inspection and sanitary supervision nowprovided by law is brought fully into operation. 

The efforts of the Secretary to establish the healthfulness of our meatsagainst the disparaging imputations that have been put upon them abroadhave resulted in substantial progress. Veterinary surgeons sent out bythe Department are now allowed to participate in the inspection of thelive cattle from this country landed at the English docks, and duringthe several months they have been on duty no case of contagiouspleuro-pneumonia has been reported. This inspection abroad and thedomestic inspection of live animals and pork products provided for bythe act of August 30, 1890, will afford as perfect a guaranty for thewholesomeness of our meats offered for foreign consumption as isanywhere given to any food product, and its nonacceptance will quiteclearly reveal the real motive of any continued restriction of theiruse, and that having been made clear the duty of the Executive will bevery plain. 

The information given by the Secretary of the progress and prospects ofthe beet-sugar industry is full of interest. It has already passed theexperimental stage and is a commercial success. The area over which thesugar beet can be successfully cultivated is very large, and anotherfield crop of great value is offered to the choice of the farmer. 

The Secretary of the Treasury concurs in the recommendation of theSecretary of Agriculture that the official supervision provided by thetariff law for sugar of domestic production shall be transferred to theDepartment of Agriculture. 

The law relating to the civil service has, so far as I can learn, beenexecuted by those having the power of appointment in the classifiedservice with fidelity and impartiality, and the service has beenincreasingly satisfactory. The report of the Commission shows a largeamount of good work done during the year with very limitedappropriations. 

I congratulate the Congress and the country upon the passage at thefirst session of the Fifty-first Congress of an unusual number of lawsof very high importance. That the results of this legislation will bethe quickening and enlargement of our manufacturing industries, largerand better markets for our breadstuffs and provisions both at home andabroad, more constant employment and better wages for our workingpeople, and an increased supply of a safe currency for the transactionof business, I do not doubt. Some of these measures were enacted at solate a period that the beneficial effects upon commerce which were inthe contemplation of Congress have as yet but partially manifestedthemselves. 

The general trade and industrial conditions throughout the countryduring the year have shown a marked improvement. For many years prior to1888 the merchandise balances of foreign trade had been largely in ourfavor, but during that year and the year following they turned againstus. It is very gratifying to know that the last fiscal year again showsa balance in our favor of over $68, 000, 000. The bank clearings, whichfurnish a good test of the volume of business transacted, for the firstten months of the year 1890 show as compared with the same months of1889 an increase for the whole country of about 8. 4 per cent, while theincrease outside of the city of New York was over 13 per cent. Duringthe month of October the clearings of the whole country showed anincrease of 3. 1 per cent over October, 1889, while outside of New Yorkthe increase was 11. 5 per cent. These figures show that the increase inthe volume of business was very general throughout the country. Thatthis larger business was being conducted upon a safe and profitablebasis is shown by the fact that there were 300 less failures reportedin October, 1890, than in the same month of the preceding year, withliabilities diminished by about $5, 000, 000. 

The value of our exports of domestic merchandise during the last yearwas over $115, 000, 000 greater than the preceding year, and was onlyexceeded once in our history. About $100, 000, 000 of this excess was inagricultural products. The production of pig iron, always a good gaugeof general prosperity, is shown by a recent census bulletin to have been153 per cent greater in 1890 than in 1880, and the production of steel290 per cent greater. Mining in coal has had no limitation except thatresulting from deficient transportation. The general testimony is thatlabor is everywhere fully employed, and the reports for the last yearshow a smaller number of employees affected by strikes and lockouts thanin any year since 1884. The depression in the prices of agriculturalproducts had been greatly relieved and a buoyant and hopeful tone wasbeginning to be felt by all our people. 

These promising influences have been in some degree checked by thesurprising and very unfavorable monetary events which have recentlytaken place in England. It is gratifying to know that these did not growin any degree out of the financial relations of London with our peopleor out of any discredit attached to our securities held in that market. The return of our bonds and stocks was caused by a money stringencyin England, not by any loss of value or credit in the securitiesthemselves. We could not, however, wholly escape the ill effects of aforeign monetary agitation accompanied by such extraordinary incidentsas characterized this. It is not believed, however, that these evilincidents, which have for the time unfavorably affected values in thiscountry, can long withstand the strong, safe, and wholesome influenceswhich are operating to give to our people profitable returns in allbranches of legitimate trade and industry. The apprehension that ourtariff may again and at once be subjected to important general changeswould undoubtedly add a depressing influence of the most seriouscharacter. 

The general tariff act has only partially gone into operation, some ofits important provisions being limited to take effect at dates yet inthe future. The general provisions of the law have been in force lessthan sixty days. Its permanent effects upon trade and prices stilllargely stand in conjecture. It is curious to note that the advance inthe prices of articles wholly unaffected by the tariff act was by manyhastily ascribed to that act. Notice was not taken of the fact that thegeneral tendency of the markets was upward, from influences wholly apartfrom the recent tariff legislation. The enlargement of our currency bythe silver bill undoubtedly gave an upward tendency to trade and hada marked effect on prices; but this natural and desired effect of thesilver legislation was by many erroneously attributed to the tariff act. 

There is neither wisdom nor justice in the suggestion that the subjectof tariff revision shall be again opened before this law has had afair trial. It is quite true that every tariff schedule is subject toobjections. No bill was ever framed, I suppose, that in all of its ratesand classifications had the full approval even of a party caucus. Suchlegislation is always and necessarily the product of compromise as todetails, and the present law is no exception. But in its general scopeand effect I think it will justify the support of those who believe thatAmerican legislation should conserve and defend American trade and thewages of American workmen. 

The misinformation as to the terms of the act which has been so widelydisseminated at home and abroad will be corrected by experience, and theevil auguries as to its results confounded by the market reports, thesavings banks, international trade balances, and the general prosperityof our people. Already we begin to hear from abroad and from ourcustom-houses that the prohibitory effect upon importations imputed tothe act is not justified. The imports at the port of New York for thefirst three weeks of November were nearly 8 per cent greater than forthe same period in 1889 and 29 per cent greater than in the same periodof 1888. And so far from being an act to limit exports, I confidentlybelieve that under it we shall secure a larger and more profitableparticipation in foreign trade than we have ever enjoyed, and that weshall recover a proportionate participation in the ocean carrying tradeof the world. 

The criticisms of the bill that have come to us from foreign sourcesmay well be rejected for repugnancy. If these critics really believethat the adoption by us of a free-trade policy, or of tariff rateshaving reference solely to revenue, would diminish the participationof their own countries in the commerce of the world, their advocacyand promotion, by speech and other forms of organized effort, of thismovement among our people is a rare exhibition of unselfishness intrade. And, on the other hand, if they sincerely believe that theadoption of a protective-tariff policy by this country inures to theirprofit and our hurt, it is noticeably strange that they should lead theoutcry against the authors of a policy so helpful to their countrymenand crown with their favor those who would snatch from them asubstantial share of a trade with other lands already inadequate totheir necessities. 

There is no disposition among any of our people to promote prohibitoryor retaliatory legislation. Our policies are adopted not to the hurt ofothers, but to secure for ourselves those advantages that fairly growout of our favored position as a nation. Our form of government, withits incident of universal suffrage, makes it imperative that we shallsave our working people from the agitations and distresses which scantwork and wages that have no margin for comfort always beget. But afterall this is done it will be found that our markets are open to friendlycommercial exchanges of enormous value to the other great powers. 

From the time of my induction into office the duty of using everypower and influence given by law to the executive department for thedevelopment of larger markets for our products, especially our farmproducts, has been kept constantly in mind, and no effort has been orwill be spared to promote that end. We are under no disadvantage in anyforeign market, except that we pay our workmen and workwomen betterwages than are paid elsewhere--better abstractly, better relatively tothe cost of the necessaries of life. I do not doubt that a very largelyincreased foreign trade is accessible to us without bartering for iteither our home market for such products of the farm and shop as our ownpeople can supply or the wages of our working people. 

In many of the products of wood and iron and in meats and bread-stuffswe have advantages that only need better facilities of intercourse andtransportation to secure for them large foreign markets. The reciprocityclause of the tariff act wisely and effectively opens the way to securea large reciprocal trade in exchange for the free admission to our portsof certain products. The right of independent nations to make specialreciprocal trade concessions is well established, and does notimpair either the comity due to other powers or what is known as the"favored-nation clause, " so generally found in commercial treaties. Whatis given to one for an adequate agreed consideration can not be claimedby another freely. The state of the revenues was such that we coulddispense with any import duties upon coffee, tea, hides, and the lowergrades of sugar and molasses. That the large advantage resulting to thecountries producing and exporting these articles by placing them on thefree list entitled us to expect a fair return in the way of customsconcessions upon articles exported by us to them was so obvious that tohave gratuitously abandoned this opportunity to enlarge our trade wouldhave been an unpardonable error. 

There were but two methods of maintaining control of this question opento Congress--to place all of these articles upon the dutiable list, subject to such treaty agreements as could be secured, or to place themall presently upon the free list, but subject to the reimposition ofspecified duties if the countries from which we received them shouldrefuse to give to us suitable reciprocal benefits. This latter method, I think, possesses great advantages. It expresses in advance the consentof Congress to reciprocity arrangements affecting these products, whichmust otherwise have been delayed and unascertained until each treatywas ratified by the Senate and the necessary legislation enacted byCongress. Experience has shown that some treaties looking to reciprocaltrade have failed to secure a two-thirds vote in the Senate forratification, and others having passed that stage have for years awaitedthe concurrence of the House and Senate in such modifications of ourrevenue laws as were necessary to give effect to their provisions. Wenow have the concurrence of both Houses in advance in a distinct anddefinite offer of free entry to our ports of specific articles. TheExecutive is not required to deal in conjecture as to what Congress willaccept. Indeed, this reciprocity provision is more than an offer. Ourpart of the bargain is complete; delivery has been made; and when thecountries from which we receive sugar, coffee, tea, and hides haveplaced on their free lists such of our products as shall be agreedupon as an equivalent for our concession, a proclamation of that factcompletes the transaction; and in the meantime our own people havefree sugar, tea, coffee, and hides. 

The indications thus far given are very hopeful of early andfavorable action by the countries from which we receive our largeimports of coffee and sugar, and it is confidently believed that ifsteam communication with these countries can be promptly improved andenlarged the next year will show a most gratifying increase in ourexports of breadstuffs provisions, as well as of some important linesof manufactured goods. 

In addition to the important bills that became laws before theadjournment of the last session, some other bills of the highestimportance were well advanced toward a final vote and now stand upon thecalendars of the two Houses in favored positions. The present sessionhas a fixed limit, and if these measures are not now brought to a finalvote all the work that has been done upon them by this Congress is lost. The proper consideration of these, of an apportionment bill, and of theannual appropriation bills will require not only that no working day ofthe session shall be lost, but that measures of minor and local interestshall not be allowed to interrupt or retard the progress of those thatare of universal interest. In view of these conditions, I refrain frombringing before you at this time some suggestions that would otherwisebe made, and most earnestly invoke your attention to the duty ofperfecting the important legislation now well advanced. To some of thesemeasures, which seem to me most important, I now briefly call yourattention. 

I desire to repeat with added urgency the recommendations containedin my last annual message in relation to the development of Americansteamship lines. [13] The reciprocity clause of the tariff bill will belargely limited and its benefits retarded and diminished if provision isnot contemporaneously made to encourage the establishment of first-classsteam communication between our ports and the ports of such nations asmay meet our overtures for enlarged commercial exchanges. The steamship, carrying the mails statedly and frequently and offering to passengers acomfortable, safe, and speedy transit, is the first condition of foreigntrade. It carries the order or the buyer, but not all that is ordered orbought. It gives to the sailing vessels such cargoes as are not urgentor perishable, and, indirectly at least, promotes that important adjunctof commerce. There is now both in this country and in the nations ofCentral and South America a state of expectation and confidence as toincreased trade that will give a double value to your prompt action uponthis question. 

The present situation of our mail communication with Australiaillustrates the importance of early action by Congress. The OceanicSteamship Company maintains a line of steamers between San Francisco, Sydney, and Auckland consisting of three vessels, two of which are ofUnited States registry and one of foreign registry. For the service doneby this line in carrying the mails we pay annually the sum of $46, 000, being, as estimated, the full sea and United States inland postage, which is the limit fixed by law. The colonies of New South Wales and NewZealand have been paying annually to these lines £37, 000 for carryingthe mails from Sydney and Auckland to San Francisco. The contract underwhich this payment has been made is now about to expire, and thosecolonies have refused to renew the contract unless the United Statesshall pay a more equitable proportion of the whole sum necessary tomaintain, the service. 

I am advised by the Postmaster-General that the United States receivesfor carrying the Australian mails, brought to San Francisco in thesesteamers, by rail to Vancouver, an estimated annual income of $75, 000. While, as I have stated, we are paying out for the support of thesteamship line that brings this mail to us only $46, 000, leaving anannual surplus resulting from this service of $29, 000. The trade of theUnited States with Australia, which is in a considerable part carried bythese steamers, and the whole of which is practically dependent upon themail communication which they maintain, is largely in our favor. Ourtotal exports of merchandise to Australasian ports during the fiscalyear ending June 30, 1890, were $11, 266, 484, while the total imports ofmerchandise from these ports were only $4, 277, 676. If we are not willingto see this important steamship line withdrawn, or continued withVancouver substituted for San Francisco as the American terminal, Congress should put it in the power of the Postmaster-General to make aliberal increase in the amount now paid for the transportation of thisimportant mail. 

The South Atlantic and Gulf ports occupy a very favored position towardthe new and important commerce which the reciprocity clause of thetariff act and the postal shipping bill are designed to promote. Steamship lines from these ports to some northern port of South Americawill almost certainly effect a connection between the railroad systemsof the continents long before any continuous line of railroads can beput into operation. The very large appropriation made at the lastsession for the harbor of Galveston was justified, as it seemed to me, by these considerations. The great Northwest will feel the advantage oftrunk lines to the South as well as to the East and of the new marketsopened for their surplus food products and for many of theirmanufactured products. 

I had occasion in May last to transmit to Congress a report adoptedby the International American Conference upon the subject of theincorporation of an international American bank, with a view tofacilitating money exchanges between the States represented in thatconference. [14] Such an institution would greatly promote the trade weare seeking to develop. I renew the recommendation that a careful andwell-guarded charter be granted. I do not think the powers grantedshould include those ordinarily exercised by trust, guaranty, andsafe-deposit companies, or that more branches in the United Statesshould be authorized than are strictly necessary to accomplish theobject primarily in view, namely, convenient foreign exchanges. It isquite important that prompt action should be taken in this matter, in order that any appropriations for better communication with thesecountries and any agreements that may be made for reciprocal trademay not be hindered by the inconvenience of making exchanges throughEuropean money centers or burdened by the tribute which is an incidentof that method of business. 

The bill for the relief of the Supreme Court has after many years ofdiscussion reached a position where final action is easily attainable, and it is hoped that any differences of opinion may be so harmonized asto save the essential features of this very important measure. In thisconnection I earnestly renew my recommendation that the salaries of thejudges of the United States district courts be so readjusted that noneof them shall receive less than $5, 000 per annum. 

The subject of the unadjusted Spanish and Mexican land grants and theurgent necessity for providing some commission or tribunal for the trialof questions of title growing out of them were twice brought by me tothe attention of Congress at the last session. Bills have been reportedfrom the proper committees in both Houses upon the subject, and I veryearnestly hope that this Congress will put an end to the delay whichhas attended the settlement of the disputes as to the title between thesettlers and the claimants under these grants. These disputes retard theprosperity and disturb the peace of large and important communities. The governor of New Mexico in his last report to the Secretary of theInterior suggests some modifications of the provisions of the pendingbills relating to the small holdings of farm lands. I commend to yourattention the suggestions of the Secretary of the Interior upon thissubject. 

The enactment of a national bankrupt law I still regard as verydesirable. The Constitution having given to Congress jurisdiction ofthis subject, it should be exercised and uniform rules provided for theadministration of the affairs of insolvent debtors. The inconveniencesresulting from the occasional and temporary exercise of this power byCongress and from the conflicting State codes of insolvency which comeinto force intermediately should be removed by the enactment of asimple, inexpensive, and permanent national bankrupt law. 

I also renew my recommendation in favor of legislation affording justcopyright protection to foreign authors on a footing of reciprocaladvantage for our authors abroad. 

It may still be possible for this Congress to inaugurate by suitablelegislation a movement looking to uniformity and increased safety in theuse of couplers and brakes upon freight trains engaged in interstatecommerce. The chief difficulty in the way is to secure agreementas to the best appliances, simplicity, effectiveness, and cost beingconsidered. This difficulty will only yield to legislation, which shouldbe based upon full inquiry and impartial tests. The purpose should be tosecure the cooperation of all well-disposed managers and owners; but thefearful fact that every year's delay involves the sacrifice of 2, 000lives and the maiming of 20, 000 young men should plead both withCongress and the managers against any needless delay. 

The subject of the conservation and equal distribution of the watersupply of the arid regions has had much attention from Congress, but hasnot as yet been put upon a permanent and satisfactory basis. The urgencyof the subject does not grow out of any large present demand for the useof these lands for agriculture, but out of the danger that the watersupply and the sites for the necessary catch basins may fall into thehands of individuals or private corporations and be used to rendersubservient the large areas dependent upon such supply. The owner ofthe water is the owner of the lands, however the titles may run. Allunappropriated natural water sources and all necessary reservoir sitesshould be held by the Government for the equal use at fair rates of thehomestead settlers who will eventually take up these lands. The UnitedStates should not, in my opinion, undertake the construction of dams orcanals, but should limit its work to such surveys and observations aswill determine the water supply, both surface and subterranean, theareas capable of irrigation, and the location and storage capacityof reservoirs. This done, the use of the water and of the reservoirsites might be granted to the respective States or Territories or toindividuals or associations upon the condition that the necessaryworks should be constructed and the water furnished at fair rateswithout discrimination, the rates to be subject to supervision by thelegislatures or by boards of water commissioners duly constituted. Theessential thing to be secured is the common and equal use at fair ratesof the accumulated water supply. It were almost better that these landsshould remain arid than that those who occupy them should become theslaves of unrestrained monopolies controlling the one essential elementof land values and crop results. 

The use of the telegraph by the Post-Office Department as a means forthe rapid transmission of written communications is, I believe, uponproper terms, quite desirable. The Government does not own or operatethe railroads, and it should not, I think, own or operate the telegraphlines. It does, however, seem to be quite practicable for the Governmentto contract with the telegraph companies, as it does with railroadcompanies, to carry at specified rates such communications as thesenders may designate for this method of transmission. I recommend thatsuch legislation be enacted as will enable the Post-Office Departmentfairly to test by experiment the advantages of such a use of thetelegraph. 

If any intelligent, and loyal company of American citizens were requiredto catalogue the essential human conditions of national life, I do notdoubt that with absolute unanimity they would begin with "free andhonest elections. " And it is gratifying to know that generally there isa growing and nonpartisan demand for better election laws; but againstthis sign of hope and progress must be set the depressing and undeniablefact that election laws and methods are sometimes cunningly contrived tosecure minority control, while violence completes the shortcomings offraud. 

In my last annual message I suggested that the development of theexisting law providing a Federal supervision of Congressional electionsoffered an effective method of reforming these abuses. [15] The needof such a law has manifested itself in many parts of the country, andits wholesome restraints and penalties will be useful in all. Theconstitutionality of such legislation has been affirmed by the SupremeCourt. Its probable effectiveness is evidenced by the character of theopposition that is made to it. It has been denounced as if it were anew exercise of Federal power and an invasion of the rights of States. Nothing could be further from the truth. Congress has already fixed thetime for the election of members of Congress. It has declared that votesfor members of Congress must be by written or printed ballot; it hasprovided for the appointment by the circuit courts in certain cases, and upon the petition of a certain number of citizens, of electionsupervisors, and made it their duty to supervise the registration ofvoters conducted by the State officers; to challenge persons offering toregister; to personally inspect and scrutinize the registry lists, andto affix their names to the lists for the purpose of identification andthe prevention of frauds; to attend at elections and remain with theboxes till they are all cast and counted; to attach to the registrylists and election returns any statement touching the accuracy andfairness of the registry and election, and to take and transmit tothe Clerk of the House of Representatives any evidence of fraudulentpractices which may be presented to them. The same law provides for theappointment of deputy United States marshals to attend at the polls, support the supervisors in the discharge of their duties, and to arrestpersons violating the election laws. The provisions of this familiartitle of the Revised Statutes have been put into exercise by both thegreat political parties, and in the North as well as in the South, by the filing with the court of the petitions required by the law. 

It is not, therefore, a question whether we shall have a Federalelection law, for we now have one and have had for nearly twenty years, but whether we shall have an effective law. The present law stops justshort of effectiveness, for it surrenders to the local authorities allcontrol over the certification which establishes the _prima facie_ rightto a seat in the House of Representatives. This defect should be cured. Equality of representation and the parity of the electors must bemaintained or everything that is valuable in our system of government islost. The qualifications of an elector must be sought in the law, notin the opinions, prejudices, or fears of any class, however powerful. The path of the elector to the ballot box must be free from the ambushof fear and the enticements of fraud; the count so true and open thatnone shall gainsay it. Such a law should be absolutely nonpartisan andimpartial. It should give the advantage to honesty and the control tomajorities. Surely there is nothing sectional about this creed, and ifit shall happen that the penalties of laws intended to enforce theserights fall here and not there it is not because the law is sectional, but because, happily, crime is local and not universal. Nor should it beforgotten that every law, whether relating to elections or to any othersubject, whether enacted by the State or by the nation, has force behindit; the courts, the marshal or constable, the _posse comitatus_, theprison, are all and always behind the law. 

One can not be justly charged with unfriendliness to any section orclass who seeks only to restrain violations of law and of personalright. No community will find lawlessness profitable. No community canafford to have it known that the officers who are charged with thepreservation of the public peace and the restraint of the criminalclasses are themselves the product of fraud or violence. The magistrateis then without respect and the law without sanction. The floods oflawlessness can not be leveed and made to run in one channel. Thekilling of a United States marshal carrying a writ of arrest for anelection offense is full of prompting and suggestion to men who arepursued by a city marshal for a crime against life or property. 

But it is said that this legislation will revive race animosities, andsome have even suggested that when the peaceful methods of fraud aremade impossible they may be supplanted by intimidation and violence. If the proposed law gives to any qualified elector by a hair's weightmore than his equal influence or detracts by so much from any otherqualified elector, it is fatally impeached. But if the law is equal andthe animosities it is to evoke grow out of the fact that some electorshave been accustomed to exercise the franchise for others as wellas for themselves, then these animosities ought not to be confessedwithout shame, and can not be given any weight in the discussion withoutdishonor. No choice is left to me but to enforce with vigor all lawsintended to secure to the citizen his constitutional rights and torecommend that the inadequacies of such laws be promptly remedied. If topromote with zeal and ready interest every project for the developmentof its material interests, its rivers, harbors, mines, and factories, and the intelligence, peace, and security under the law of itscommunities and its homes is not accepted as sufficient evidence offriendliness to any State or section, I can not add connivance atelection practices that not only disturb local results, but rob theelectors of other States and sections of their most priceless politicalrights. 

The preparation of the general appropriation bills should be conductedwith the greatest care and the closest scrutiny of expenditures. Appropriations should be adequate to the needs of the public service, but they should be absolutely free from prodigality. 

I venture again to remind you that the brief time remaining for theconsideration of the important legislation now awaiting your attentionoffers no margin for waste. If the present duty is discharged withdiligence, fidelity, and courage, the work of the Fifty-first Congressmay be confidently submitted to the considerate judgment of the people. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

[Footnote 11: See pp. 93-94. ]

[Footnote 12: See p. 49]. 

[Footnote 13: See pp. 56-58. ]

[Footnote 14: See pp. 70-71. ]

[Footnote 15: See p. 56. ]

SPECIAL MESSAGES. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _December 4, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a communication of the 3d instant from the Secretaryof the Interior, accompanied by an agreement concluded by the CherokeeCommission with the Cheyenne and Arapahoe tribes of Indians for thecession of certain lands and for other purposes. 

The agreement is submitted for the consideration of Congress, asrequired by law. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _December 5, 1890_. 

_To the House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith, in response to the resolution of the House ofRepresentatives of the 24th of September last, a report of the Secretaryof State and accompanying correspondence, in relation to the killing ofGeneral J. Martine Barrundia by Guatemalan officers on board the Pacificmail steamer _Acapulco_ in the port of San Jose, Guatemala, on the 28thof August last. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _December 17, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I herewith transmit a communication from the Secretary of State, inrelation to a report upon the subject of cholera made by Dr. E. O. Shakespeare pursuant to the act of Congress approved March 3, 1885. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _December 17, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a letter from the Secretary of the Navy, accompaniedby a letter from the secretary of the American Society of MechanicalEngineers, who transmits a memorial, addressed to the Government of theUnited States, in relation to the late Captain John Ericsson. 

The matter is presented for such action as the Congress may deem proper. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _December 17, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a letter from the Secretary of War, accompanied bya copy of a preliminary report of the board on gun factories and steelforgings for high-power guns, appointed by me under the provisions of anact entitled "An act making appropriations for fortifications, " etc. , approved August 18, 1890. 

The report and accompanying papers are submitted for the information andearly attention of Congress. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _December 22, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a letter of the 18th instant from the Secretaryof the Interior, in relation to the disposition of timber on certainChippewa reservations in Wisconsin, together with copies of papersrelating thereto. The matter is presented for the action of Congress. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _December 23, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

The Territorial legislature of Oklahoma, now in session, will adjourn bylimitation of law on to-morrow, the 24th instant. The act organizing theTerritory provided (section II) that certain chapters of the revisedstatutes of Nebraska should be in force until after the adjournment ofthe first session of the Territorial legislature. 

The question of the location of the Territorial capital has so occupiedthe time of the legislature and so distracted and divided its membersthat no criminal code has been provided. It is urgently necessary thatCongress should at once, by joint resolution or otherwise, continuethe laws of Nebraska in force, and save pending criminal arrests andprosecutions at least. The reconvening of the legislature does notunder the existing circumstances promise any relief. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _December 23, 1890_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a letter of the Secretary of the Navy, accompaniedby the report of the commission appointed by me by virtue of a provisionin the naval appropriation bill approved June 30, 1890, for the purposeof selecting a suitable site "for a dry dock at some point on the shoresof the Pacific Ocean, or the waters connected therewith, north of theparallel of latitude marking the northern boundary of California, including the waters of Puget Sound and also Lakes Union and Washington, in the State of Washington. "

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 5, 1891_. 

_To the House of Representatives_:

In further response to the resolution of the House of Representativesrequesting me, if in my judgment not incompatible with the publicinterest, to furnish to the House the correspondence since March 4, 1889, between the Government of the United States and the Governmentof Great Britain touching the subjects in dispute in the Bering Sea, I transmit herewith a letter from the Secretary of State, which isaccompanied by the correspondence which has taken place since mymessage of July 23, 1890. [16]

BENJ. HARRISON. 

[Footnote 16: See p. 80. ]

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 10, 1891_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a memorial of the legislative assembly of theTerritory of Oklahoma, asking an appropriation for the relief of thedestitute people of that Territory. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 16, 1891_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith the report of the World's Columbian Commission, withthe accompanying papers. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 19, 1891_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a communication of the 17th instant from theSecretary of the Interior, submitting the agreement entered into betweenthe Crow Indians and the commission appointed to negotiate with themfor the sale to the United States of the western portion of theirreservation in Montana under the provisions of the act of September 25, 1890. 

It is thought important by the Department that this matter receive theconsideration of Congress during the present session. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 26, 1891_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a letter of the Secretary of War, accompanied bythe final report of the board on gun factories and steel forgings forhigh-power guns, and appendixes thereto. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 26, 1891_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a letter of the Secretary of the Interior, accompanied by a letter from the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, whotransmits a draft of a bill for compensating the Indians of the CrowCreek Reservation for the loss sustained by them by reason of theirreceiving less land per capita in their diminished reservations than isto be received by Indians occupying other diminished reservations. 

The matter is presented for the early consideration of the Congress. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 31, 1891_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

The sudden death of the Hon. William Windom, Secretary of the Treasury, in New York, on the evening of the 29th instant, has directed myattention to the present state of the law as to the filling of a vacancyoccasioned by the death of the head of a Department. 

I transmit herewith an opinion of the Attorney-General, from whichit will be seen that under the statutes in force no officer in theTreasury Department or other person designated by me can exercise theduties of Secretary of the Treasury for a longer period than ten days. This limitation is, I am sure, unwise, and necessarily involves insuch a case as that now presented undue haste and even indelicacy. The President should not be required to take up the question of theselection of a successor before the last offices of affection andrespect have been paid to the dead. If the proprieties of an occasion assad as that which now overshadows us are observed, possibly one-half ofthe brief time allowed is gone before, with due regard to the decenciesof life, the President and those with whom he should advise can take upthe consideration of the grave duty of selecting a head for one of thegreatest Departments of the Government. 

Hasty action by the Senate is also necessarily involved, andgeographical limitations are practically imposed by the necessity ofselecting some one who can reach the capital and take the necessary oathof office before the expiration of the ten days. 

It may be a very proper restriction of the power of the President inthis connection that he shall not designate for any great length of timea person to discharge these important duties who has not been confirmedby the Senate, but there would seem to be no reason why one of theassistant secretaries of the Department wherein the vacancy exists mightnot discharge the duties of Secretary until a successor is selected, confirmed, and qualified. The inconvenience of this limitation was madeapparent at the time of the death of Secretary Folger. President Arthurin that case allowed one of the assistant secretaries, who had beendesignated to act in the absence of the Secretary, to continue in thedischarge of such duties for ten days, then designated the same personto discharge the duties for a further term of ten days, and then made atemporary appointment as Secretary, in order to secure the considerationthat he needed in filling this important place. 

I recommend such a modification of the existing law as will permit thefirst or sole assistant, or, in the case of the Treasury Department, where the assistants are not graded, that one who may be designated bythe President, to discharge the duties of the head of the Departmentuntil a successor is appointed and qualified. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 10, 1891_. 

_To the Senate_:

I transmit herewith the correspondence called for by the resolution ofthe Senate of the 6th instant, relating to the conduct of CommanderReiter in connection with the arrest and killing of General Barrundia. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 13, 1891_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

The Admiral of the Navy, David Dixon Porter, died at his residencein the city of Washington this morning at 8. 15 o'clock, in theseventy-eighth year of his age. He entered the naval service as amidshipman February 2, 1829, and had been since continuously in service, having been made Admiral August 15, 1870. He was the son of CommodoreDavid Porter, one of the greatest of our naval commanders. His serviceduring the Civil War was conspicuously brilliant and successful, andhis death ends a very high and honorable career. His countrymen willsincerely mourn his loss while they cherish with grateful pride thememory of his deeds. To officers of the Navy his life will continueto yield inspiration and encouragement. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, D. C. , February 14, 1891_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith the sixth annual report of the Commissioner ofLabor. This report relates to the cost of producing iron and steel andthe materials of which iron is made in the United States and in Europe, and the earnings, the efficiency, and the cost of living of the menemployed in such production. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 14, 1891_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

The death of William Tecumseh Sherman, which took place to-day at hisresidence in the city of New York, at 1 o'clock and 50 minutes p. M. , isan event that will bring sorrow to the heart of every patriotic citizen. No living American was so loved and venerated as he. To look upon hisface, to hear his name, was to have one's love of country intensified. He served his country, not for fame, not out of a sense of professionalduty, but for love of the flag and of the beneficent civil institutionsof which it was the emblem. He was an ideal soldier, and shared to thefullest the _esprit de corps_ of the Army; but he cherished the civilinstitutions organized under the Constitution, and was a soldier onlythat these might be perpetuated in undiminished usefulness and honor. He was in nothing an imitator. 

A profound student of military science and precedent, he drew from themprinciples and suggestions, and so adapted them to novel conditions thathis campaigns will continue to be the profitable study of the militaryprofession throughout the world. His genial nature made him comrade toevery soldier of the great Union Army. No presence was so welcome andinspiring at the camp fire or commandery as his. His career wascomplete; his honors were full. He had received from the Government thehighest rank known to our military establishment and from the peopleunstinted gratitude and love. No word of mine can add to his fame. Hisdeath has followed in startling quickness that of the Admiral of theNavy; and it is a sad and notable incident that when the Departmentunder which he served shall have put on the usual emblems of mourningfour of the eight Executive Departments will be simultaneously drapedin black, and one other has but today removed the crape from its walls. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 26, 1891_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a report of the Secretary of State and accompanyingdocuments, in relation to the execution of letters rogatory in foreigncountries. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 26, 1891_. 

_To the Senate of the United States_:

I transmit herewith, in reply to the resolution of the Senate of the 9thinstant, a report from the Secretary of State, accompanied by the papersrelating to the commercial arrangement recently entered into withBrazil. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _March 3, 1891_. 

_To the Senate_:

In accordance with the resolution of the Senate of this date, I returnherewith Senate bill 1453, to provide for the purchase of a site and theerection of a public building thereon at Saginaw, in the State ofMichigan. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

VETO MESSAGES. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _December 24, 1890_. 

_To the Senate_:

I return to the Senate, in which it originated, with my objections, thebill (No. 544) "to provide for the purchase of a site and the erectionof a public building thereon at Bar Harbor, in the State of Maine. " Thestatement of a few facts will show, I think, that the public needs donot justify the contemplated expenditure of $75, 000 for the erectionof a public building at Bar Harbor. Only one public office, thepost-office, is to be accommodated. It appears from a report of thePostmaster-General that the rent paid by the United States for a roomcontaining 875 square feet of floor space was in 1888 $300 and theexpenditure for fuel and lights $60. One clerk was employed in theoffice and no carriers. The gross postal receipts for that year were$7, 000. Bar Harbor is almost wholly a summer resort. The population ofthe town of Eden, of which Bar Harbor forms a part, as taken by thecensus enumerators, was less than 2, 000. During one quarter of the yearthis population is largely increased by summer residents and visitors, but for the other three quarters is not much above the censusenumeration. The postal receipts for 1890 by quarters show that for morethan half the year the gross receipts of the post-office are about $8per day. The salary of a janitor for the new building would be more thantwice the present cost to the Government of rent, fuel, and lights. I can not believe that upon reconsideration the Congress will approvethe contemplated expenditure. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 26, 1891_. 

_To the House of Representatives_:

I return herewith without my approval the bill (H. R. 12365) entitled"An act to authorize Oklahoma City, in Oklahoma Territory, to issuebonds to provide a right of way for the Choctaw Coal and Railway Companythrough said city. " This bill authorizes the corporation of OklahomaCity to issue corporate bonds to the amount of $40, 000 for the purposeof providing the right of way for a railroad company through the city, if the proposition shall receive the assent of a majority of the legalvoters at an election to be called for that purpose. 

It is attempted to distinguish this case from the ordinary case ofa municipal grant to a railway company by the fact that this railwaycompany had located its line through the lands afterwards settled uponunder the town-site law before such settlement, and that the route thuslocated cuts the plat of the city diagonally and in a way to be veryinjurious to property interests. 

Upon an examination of the facts it appears to me to be clear that nolegal location was made by the railway company prior to the acquisitionof the lands by the occupying settlers. Some preliminary surveys hadbeen made, but no map of location had been filed with the Secretary ofthe Interior. If the rights of this company at this point of its roadas to right of way are derived from the general statute of the UnitedStates upon that subject (U. S. Revised Statutes, Supplement, p. 87), then section 4 distinctly saves the right of any settler who had locatedprior to the filing of a profile of the road and the approval by theSecretary of the Interior thereof. And if, on the other hand, the rightsof the company at the point indicated are derived from the act ofCongress of February 18, 1888, "to authorize the Choctaw Coal andRailway Company to construct and operate a railway through the IndianTerritory, and for other purposes, " section 6 of that act also plainlyprotects the right of any occupying claimant. The latter statute, itseems to me, was intended to grant a right of way only through Indianlands, and if these lands were not such the general statute to whichI have referred would apply; but in either event the conclusion is thesame. 

It appears from the report of the committee that its favorable action, and, I must assume, the favorable action of Congress, proceeded upon thetheory that there was a real controversy, doubtful as to its issue, asto the right of the railroad company to hold the line of its surveythrough the city. 

Stripped, then, of this claim the proposition is nakedly one toauthorize Oklahoma City to donate $40, 000 to the Choctaw Coal andRailway Company. The general statute of the United States prohibitssuch grants, and this must stand until repealed as a continuingexpression of legislative opinion. If a departure from this rule is tobe allowed at all, certainly it should only be where the circumstancesare exceptional. Such circumstances, in my opinion, do not exist inthis case. Already I have received from other cities in the Territoryprotests against special legislation of this sort, accompanied by thesuggestion that if this policy is admitted other cities shall also beallowed to encourage the building of roads by donation. 

Oklahoma City, according to the report of the Census Office, has apopulation of about 4, 100, and this donation would be equivalent tonearly $10 per capita. Very little real estate, whether town-site orcountry property, in this Territory is yet subject to assessment fortaxation. The people have not yet had time to accumulate, and Congresshas received appeals for aid to relieve a prevailing distress which theTerritorial authorities have found themselves unable to deal with. Itdoes not seem to me, in view of all these facts, that the wholesome ruleprescribed by the general statute should be departed from. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 26, 1891_. 

_To the Senate_:

I return to the Senate without my approval the bill (S. 4620) "toestablish the Record and Pension Office of the War Department, and forother purposes. "

This bill proposes to change the designation of one of the divisions ofthe War Department. It is now the "Record and Pension Division, " and itis proposed that it shall hereafter be the "Record and Pension Office"of the War Department. The scope of the work assigned to this divisionor office is not changed, but the organization now existing undera classification made by the Secretary of War is by the bill madepermanent and put beyond the control of the Secretary. The change ofdesignation seems to have been intended to add dignity to the position, and the effect of the bill is probably to require that the chief of thisoffice shall hereafter be appointed only by and with the advice andconsent of the Senate, though it is not clear that any provision is madefor a chief after the particular person designated in the bill has beenseparated from the place or in case he is not appointed. 

The real object of the bill is disclosed in the following clause:

 The President is hereby authorized to nominate and, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to appoint the officer now in charge of said Record and Pension Division to be a colonel in the Army and chief of said office. 

It is fairly to be implied from the bill that in the opinion of Congressthe public interests would be promoted by making the contemplated changein the grade of this office and by giving the rank and pay of a colonelin the Army to the chief. A new and rather anomalous office is thereforecreated--that of "colonel in the Army and chief of the Record andPension Office of the War Department"--but upon the condition that thePresident shall nominate a particular person to fill it. I do not thinkit is competent for Congress to designate the person who shall fill anoffice created by law, and practically nothing remains of the bill underconsideration if this person is not to be appointed. The office is animportant one, connected with the active civil administration of the WarDepartment. I can not agree that the selection of the officer shall betaken out of the discretion of the Executive, where the responsibilityfor good administration necessarily rests. It is probably true that theofficer intended to be benefited is peculiarly deserving and has hadremarkable success in the discharge of the duties of the office; butthese are considerations for the appointing power, and might safely havebeen left there. 

If this particular appointment was backed by reasons so obvious asto secure the support of both Houses of Congress, it should have beenassumed that these reasons could have been made obvious to the Executiveby the ordinary methods. In connection with the Army and Navy retiredlists, legislation akin to this has become quite frequent, too frequentin my opinion; but these laws have been regarded as grants of pensionsrather than of offices. 

If it is to be allowed that active places connected with the ExecutiveDepartments can be created upon condition that particular persons are orare not to be designated to fill them, the power of appointment might bewholly diverted from the Executive to the Congress. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _March 2, 1891_. 

_To the Senate_:

I return herewith without my approval the bill (S. 3270) "for the reliefof the administratrix of the estate of George W. Lawrence. "

If I rightly construe this bill, it authorizes the Court of Claims togive judgment in favor of the contractor with the United States forthe construction of the vessels named (_Agawam_ and _Pontoosuc_) forthe difference between the contract price and the actual cost to thecontractor of building the vessels, subject only to the condition thatnothing shall be allowed for any advance in the price of labor ormaterial unless such advance occurred during the prolonged term forcompleting the work rendered necessary by delay resulting from theaction of the Government. The bill is somewhat obscure, but I have, I think, correctly stated the legal effect of it. 

Undoubtedly in contracts made for army and navy supplies andconstruction during the early days of the war there was not infrequentlyloss to the contractor by reason of the advance in the cost of laborresulting from the withdrawal of so large a body of men for service inthe field and the indirect result of this upon the cost of material; butI can not believe that it is the purpose of Congress to reopen suchcontracts at this late day and to pay to the contractors the cost of thework or material which they stipulated to do or deliver at fixed prices. In the matter of another vessel constructed by this same claimant andin the case of one other similar claim I approved bills at the lastsession, but they carefully limited any finding by the Court of Claimsto such losses as necessarily resulted from the interference by theGovernment with the progress of the work, thus creating delays andenhanced cost. 

In those cases the Government only undertook to make good lossesresulting directly and unavoidably from its own acts. If the principlewhich seems to me to be embodied in the bill under consideration isadopted, I do not see how the Congress can refuse in all cases of allsorts of contracts to make good the losses resulting from appreciationin the cost of labor and material. The expenditure that such a policywould entail is incalculable, and the policy itself is, in my judgment, indefensible. The bill at the last session for the relief of thisclaimant in the case of another vessel constructed by him was, as I havesaid, carefully put upon the lines I have indicated, and if this claimcould have been maintained upon, those lines I assume that the billwould have been similar in its provisions. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

PROCLAMATIONS. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas satisfactory proof has been presented to me that provision hasbeen made for adequate grounds and buildings for the uses of the World'sColumbian Exposition, and that a sum not less than $10, 000, 000, to beused and expended for the purposes of said exposition, has been providedin accordance with the conditions and requirements of section 10 ofan act entitled "An act to provide for celebrating the four hundredthanniversary of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus byholding an international exhibition of arts, industries, manufactures, and the products of the soil, mine, and sea, in the city of Chicago, in the State of Illinois, " approved April 25, 1890:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, byvirtue of the authority vested in me by said act, do hereby declare andproclaim that such international exhibition will be opened on the 1stday of May, in the year 1893, in the city of Chicago, in the State ofIllinois, and will not be closed before the last Thursday in October ofthe same year. And in the name of the Government and of the people ofthe United States I do hereby invite all the nations of the earth totake part in the commemoration of an event that is preeminent in humanhistory and of lasting interest to mankind by appointing representativesthereto and sending such exhibits to the World's Columbian Exposition aswill most fitly and fully illustrate their resources, their industries, and their progress in civilization. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 24th day of December, 1890, and ofthe Independence of the United States the one hundred and fifteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas, pursuant to section 3 of the act of Congress approved October1, 1890, entitled "An act to reduce the revenue and equalize duties onimports, and for other purposes, " the Secretary of State of the UnitedStates of America communicated to the Government of the United States ofBrazil the action of the Congress of the United States of America, witha view to secure reciprocal trade, in declaring the articles enumeratedin said section 3, to wit, sugars, molasses, coffee, and hides, to beexempt from duty upon their importation into the United States ofAmerica; and

Whereas the envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of Brazilat Washington has communicated to the Secretary of State the fact that, in due reciprocity for and in consideration of the admission into theUnited States of America free of all duty of the articles enumerated insection 3 of said act, the Government of Brazil has by legal enactmentauthorized the admission, from and after April 1, 1891, into all theestablished ports of entry of Brazil, free of all duty, whethernational, state, or municipal, of the articles or merchandise named inthe following schedule, provided that the same be the product andmanufacture of the United States of America:

 1. --SCHEDULE OF ARTICLES TO BE ADMITTED FREE INTO BRAZIL. 

 Wheat. Wheat flour. Corn or maize and the manufactures thereof, including corn meal and starch. Rye, rye flour, buckwheat, buckwheat flour, and barley. Potatoes, beans, and pease. Hay and oats. Pork, salted, including pickled pork and bacon, except hams. Fish, salted, dried, or pickled. Cotton-seed oil. Coal, anthracite and bituminous. Rosin, tar, pitch, and turpentine. Agricultural tools, implements, and machinery. Mining and mechanical tools, implements, and machinery, including stationary and portable engines and all machinery for manufacturing and industrial purposes, except sewing machines. Instruments and books for the arts and sciences. Railway construction material and equipment. 

And that the Government of Brazil has by legal enactment furtherauthorized the admission into all the established ports of entry ofBrazil, with a reduction of 25 per cent of the duty designated on therespective article in the tariff now in force or which may hereafterbe adopted in the United States of Brazil, whether national, state, or municipal, of the articles or merchandise named in the followingschedule, provided that the same be the product or manufacture of theUnited States of America:

 2. --SCHEDULE OF ARTICLES TO BE ADMITTED INTO BRAZIL, WITH A REDUCTION OF DUTY OF 25 PER CENT. 

 Lard and substitutes therefor. Bacon hams. Butter and cheese. Canned and preserved meats, fish, fruits, and vegetables. Manufactures of cotton, including cotton clothing. Manufactures of iron and steel, single or mixed, not included in the foregoing free schedule. Leather and the manufactures thereof, except boots and shoes. Lumber, timber, and the manufactures of wood, including cooperage, furniture of all kinds, wagons, carts, and carriages. Manufactures of rubber. 

And that the Government of Brazil has further provided that the lawsand regulations adopted to protect its revenue and prevent fraud in thedeclarations and proof that the articles named in the foregoing schedulesare the product or manufacture of the United States of America shallplace no undue restrictions on the importer nor impose any additionalcharges or fees therefor on the articles imported;

And whereas the Secretary of State has, by my direction, given assuranceto the envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of Brazil atWashington that this action of the Government of Brazil in grantingexemption of duties to the products and manufactures of the UnitedStates of America is accepted as a due reciprocity for the action ofCongress as set forth in section 3 of said act:

Now, therefore, be it known that I, Benjamin Harrison, President of theUnited States of America, have caused the above-stated modifications ofthe tariff law of Brazil to be made public for the information of thecitizens of the United States of America. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 5th day of February, 1891, and ofthe Independence of the United States of America the one hundred andfifteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas it is provided by section 24 of an act approved March 3, 1891, entitled "An act to repeal timber-culture laws, and for otherpurposes"--

 That the President of the United States may from time to time set apart and reserve in any State or Territory having public land bearing forests, in any part of the public lands wholly or in part covered with timber or undergrowth, whether of commercial value or not, as public reservations; and the President shall by public proclamation declare the establishment of such reservations and limits thereof. 

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, byvirtue of the power in me vested, do hereby make known and proclaim thatthere has been and is hereby reserved from entry or settlement and setapart for a public forest reservation all that tract of land situate inthe State of Wyoming contained within the following-describedboundaries:

Beginning at a point on the parallel of 44° 50' where said parallel isintersected by the meridian of 110° west longitude; thence due eastalong said parallel to the meridian of 109° 30' west longitude; thencedue south along said meridian to the forty-fourth parallel of northlatitude; thence due west along said parallel to its point ofintersection with the west boundary of the State of Wyoming; thence duenorth along said boundary line to its intersection with the southboundary of the Yellowstone National Park. 

Warning is hereby expressly given to all persons not to enter or makesettlement upon the tract of land reserved by this proclamation. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 30th day of March, A. D. 1891, and ofthe Independence of the United States the one hundred and fifteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

The following provisions of the laws of the United States are herebypublished for the information of all concerned:

Section 1956, Revised Statutes, chapter 3, Title XXIII, enacts that--

 No person shall kill any otter, mink, marten, sable, or fur seal, or other fur-bearing animal within the limits of Alaska Territory or in the waters thereof; and every person guilty thereof shall for each offense be fined not less than $200 nor more than $1, 000, or imprisoned not more than six months, or both; and all vessels, their tackle, apparel, furniture, and cargo, found engaged in violation of this section shall be forfeited; but the Secretary of the Treasury shall have power to authorize the killing of any such mink, marten, sable, or other fur-bearing animal, except fur seals, under such regulations as he may prescribe; and it shall be the duty of the Secretary to prevent the killing of any fur seal and to provide for the execution of the provisions of this section until it is otherwise provided by law, nor shall he grant any special privileges under this section. 

 * * * * *

Section 3 of the act entitled "An act to provide for the protection ofthe salmon fisheries of Alaska, " approved March 2, 1889, provides that--

 SEC. 3. That section 1956 of the Revised Statutes of the United States is hereby declared to include and apply to all the dominion of the United States in the waters of Bering Sea, and it shall be the duty of the President at a timely season in each year to issue his proclamation, and cause the same to be published for one month in at least one newspaper (if any such there be) published at each United States port of entry on the Pacific coast, warning all persons against entering such waters for the purpose of violating the provisions of said section, and he shall also cause one or more vessels of the United States to diligently cruise said waters and arrest all persons and seize all vessels found to be or to have been engaged in any violation of the laws of the United States therein. 

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, pursuant to the above-recited statutes, hereby warn all persons againstentering the waters of Bering Sea within the dominion of the UnitedStates for the purpose of violating the provisions of said section 1956, Revised Statutes; and I hereby proclaim that all persons found to be orto have been engaged in any violation of the laws of the United Statesin said waters will be arrested and punished as above provided, and thatall vessels so employed, their tackle, apparel, furniture, and cargoes, will be seized and forfeited. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 4th day of April, 1891, and of theIndependence of the United States the one hundred and fifteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas, pursuant to an act of Congress approved May 15, 1886, entitled"An act making appropriations for the current and contingent expensesof the Indian Department and for fulfilling treaty stipulations withvarious tribes for the year ending June 30, 1887, and for otherpurposes, " an agreement was entered into on the 14th day of December, 1886, by John V. Wright, Jared W. Daniels, and Charles F. Larrabee, commissioners on the part of the United States, and the Arickaree, GrosVentre, and Mandan tribes of Indians, residing on the Fort BertholdReservation, in the then Territory of Dakota, now State of North Dakota, embracing a majority of all the male adult members of said tribes; and

Whereas by an act of Congress approved March 3, 1891, entitled "An actmaking appropriations for the current and contingent expenses of theIndian Department and for fulfilling treaty stipulations with variousIndian tribes for the year ending June 30, 1892, and for otherpurposes, " the aforesaid agreement of December 14, 1886, was accepted, ratified, and confirmed, except as to article 6 thereof, which wasmodified and changed on the part of the United States so as to readas follows:

 That the residue of lands within said diminished reservation, after all allotments have been made as provided in article 3 of this agreement, shall be held by the said tribes of Indians as a reservation. 

And whereas it is provided in said last above-mentioned act--

 That this act shall take effect only upon the acceptance of the modification and changes made by the United States as to article 6 of the said agreement by the said tribes of Indians in manner and form as said agreement was assented to, which said acceptance and consent shall be made known by proclamation by the President of the United States, upon satisfactory proof presented to him that the said acceptance and consent have been obtained in such manner and form. 

And whereas satisfactory proof has been presented to me that theacceptance of and consent to the provisions of the act last named bythe different bands of Indians residing on said reservation have beenobtained in manner and form as said agreement of December 14, 1886, was assented to:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, byvirtue of the power in me vested, do hereby make known and proclaim theacceptance of and consent to the modification and changes made by theUnited States as to article 6 of said agreement by said tribe of Indiansas required by the act, and said act is hereby declared to be in fullforce and effect, subject to all provisions, conditions, limitations, and restrictions therein contained. 

All persons will take notice of the provisions of said act and of theconditions and restrictions therein contained, and be governedaccordingly. 

I furthermore notify all persons to particularly observe thata certain portion of the said Fort Berthold Reservation not ceded andrelinquished by said agreement is reserved for allotment to, and alsoas a reservation for, the said tribes of Indians; and all persons aretherefore hereby warned not to go upon any of the lands so reserved forany purpose or with any intent whatsoever, as no settlement or otherrights can be secured upon said lands, and all persons found unlawfullythereon will be dealt with as trespassers and intruders; and I herebydeclare all the lands sold, ceded, and relinquished to the United Statesunder said agreement, namely, "all that portion of the Fort BertholdReservation, as laid down upon the official map of the" (then)"Territory of Dakota published by the General Land Office in the year1885, lying north of the forty-eighth parallel of north latitude, andalso all that portion lying west of a north and south line 6 miles westof the most westerly point of the big bend of the Missouri River, southof the forty-eighth parallel of north latitude, " open to settlement andsubject to disposal as provided in section 25 of the act of March 3, 1891, aforesaid (26 U. S. Statutes at Large, p. 1035). 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 20th day of May, A. D. 1891, and ofthe Independence of the United States the one hundred and fifteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: WILLIAM F. WHARTON, _Acting Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas an agreement for a _modus vivendi_ between the Government of theUnited States and the Government of Her Britannic Majesty in relation tothe fur-seal fisheries in Bering Sea was concluded on the 15th day ofJune, A. D. 1891, word for word as follows:

 AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE GOVERNMENT OF HER BRITANNIC MAJESTY FOR A MODUS VIVENDI IN RELATION TO THE FUR-SEAL FISHERIES IN BERING SEA. 

 For the purpose of avoiding irritating differences and with a view to promote the friendly settlement of the questions pending between the two Governments touching their respective rights in Bering Sea, and for the preservation of the seal species, the following agreement is made without prejudice to the rights or claims of either party:

 (1) Her Majesty's Government will prohibit until May next seal killing in that part of Bering Sea lying eastward of the line of demarcation described in article No. 1 of the treaty of 1867 between the United States and Russia, and will promptly use its best efforts to insure the observance of this prohibition by British subjects and vessels. 

 (2) The United States Government will prohibit seal killing for the same period in the same part of Bering Sea and on the shores and islands thereof the property of the United States (in excess of 7, 500 to be taken on the islands for the subsistence and care of the natives), and will promptly use its best efforts to insure the observance of this prohibition by United States citizens and vessels. 

 (3) Every vessel or person offending against this prohibition in the said waters of Bering Sea outside of the ordinary territorial limits of the United States may be seized and detained by the naval or other duly commissioned officers of either of the high contracting parties, but they shall be handed over as soon as practicable to the authorities of the nation to which they respectively belong, who shall alone have jurisdiction to try the offense and impose the penalties for the same. The witnesses and proofs necessary to establish the offense shall also be sent with them. 

 (4) In order to facilitate such proper inquiries as Her Majesty's Government may desire to make with a view to the presentation of the case of that Government before arbitrators, and in expectation that an agreement for arbitration may be arrived at, it is agreed that suitable persons designated by Great Britain will be permitted at any time, upon application, to visit or to remain upon the seal islands during the present sealing season for that purpose. 

 Signed and sealed in duplicate at Washington, this 15th day of June, 1891, on behalf of their respective Governments, by William F. Wharton, Acting Secretary of State of the United States, and Sir Julian Pauncefote, G. C. M. G. , K. C. B. , H. B. M. Envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary. 

 WILLIAM F. WHARTON. [SEAL. ]

 JULIAN PAUNCEFOTE. [SEAL. ]

Now, therefore, be it known that I, Benjamin Harrison, President of theUnited States of America, have caused the said agreement to be madepublic, to the end that the same and every part thereof may be observedand fulfilled with good faith by the United States of America and thecitizens thereof. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 15th day of June, A. D. 1891, and ofthe Independence of the United States the one hundred and fifteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: WILLIAM F. WHARTON, _Acting Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas it is provided by section 13 of the act of Congress of March 3, 1891, entitled "An act to amend Title LX, chapter 3, of the RevisedStatutes of the United States, relating to copyrights, " that said act"shall only apply to a citizen or a subject of a foreign state or nationwhen such foreign state or nation permits to citizens of the UnitedStates of America the benefit of copyright on substantially the samebasis as its own citizens, or when such foreign state or nation is aparty to an international agreement which provides for reciprocity inthe granting of copyright, by the terms of which agreement the UnitedStates of America may at its pleasure become a party to such agreement;"and

Whereas it is also provided by said section that "the existence ofeither of the conditions aforesaid shall be determined by the Presidentof the United States by proclamation made from time to time as thepurposes of this act may require;" and

Whereas satisfactory official assurances have been given that inBelgium, France, Great Britain and the British possessions, andSwitzerland the law permits to citizens of the United States the benefitof copyright on substantially the same basis as to the citizens of thosecountries:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United Statesof America, do declare and proclaim that the first of the conditionsspecified in section 13 of the act of March 3, 1891, is now fulfilled inrespect to the citizens or subjects of Belgium, France, Great Britain, and Switzerland. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 1st day of July, 1891, and of theIndependence of the United States the one hundred and fifteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: WILLIAM F. WHARTON, _Acting Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas, pursuant to section 3 of the act of Congress approved October1, 1890, entitled "An act to reduce the revenue and equalize duties onimports, and for other purposes, " the Secretary of State of the UnitedStates of America communicated to the Government of Spain the actionof the Congress of the United States of America, with a view to securereciprocal trade, in declaring the articles enumerated in said section3, to wit, sugars, molasses, coffee, and hides, to be exempt from dutyupon their importation into the United States of America; and

Whereas the envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of Spain atWashington has communicated to the Secretary of State the fact that, inreciprocity and compensation for the admission into the United States ofAmerica free of all duty of the articles enumerated in section 3 of saidact, the Government of Spain will by due legal enactment and as aprovisional measure admit, from and after September 1, 1891, into allthe established ports of entry of the Spanish islands of Cuba and PuertoRico the articles or merchandise named in the following transitoryschedule, on the terms stated therein, provided that the same be theproduct or manufacture of the United States and proceed directly fromthe ports of said States:

 TRANSITORY SCHEDULE. 

 Products or manufactures of the United States to be admitted into Cuba and Puerto Rico free of duties:

 1. Meats, in brine, salted or smoked, bacon, hams, and meats preserved in cans, in lard or by extraction of air, jerked beef excepted. 

 2. Lard. 

 3. Tallow and other animal greases, melted or crude, unmanufactured. 

 4. Fish and shellfish, live, fresh, dried, in brine, smoked, pickled, oysters and salmon in cans. 

 5. Oats, barley, rye, and buckwheat, and flour of these cereals. 

 6. Starch, maizena, and other alimentary products of corn, except corn meal. 

 7. Cotton seed, oil and meal cake of said seed for cattle. 

 8. Hay, straw for forage, and bran. 

 9. Fruits, fresh, dried, and preserved, except raisins. 

 10. Vegetables and garden products, fresh and dried. 

 11. Resin of pine, tar, pitch, and turpentine. 

 12. Woods of all kinds, in trunks or logs, joists, rafters, planks, beams, boards, round or cylindric masts, although cut, planed, and tongued and grooved, including flooring. 

 13. Woods for cooperage, including staves, headings, and wooden hoops. 

 14. Wooden boxes, mounted or unmounted, except of cedar. 

 15. Woods, ordinary, manufactured into doors, frames, windows, and shutters, without paint or varnish, and wooden houses, unmounted, without paint or varnish. 

 16. Wagons and carts for ordinary roads and agriculture. 

 17. Sewing machines. 

 18. Petroleum, raw or unrefined, according to the classification fixed in the existing orders for the importation of this article in said islands. 

 19. Coal, mineral. 

 20. Ice. 

 Products or manufactures of the United States to be admitted into Cuba and Puerto Rico on payment of the duties stated:

 21. Corn or maize, 25 cents per 100 kilograms. 

 22. Corn meal, 25 cents per 100 kilograms. 

 23. Wheat, from January 1, 1892, 30 cents per 100 kilograms. 

 24. Wheat flour, from January 1, 1892, $1 per 100 kilograms. 

 Products or manufactures of the United States to be admitted into Cuba and Puerto Rico at a reduction of duty of 25 per cent:

 25. Butter and cheese. 

 26. Petroleum, refined. 

 27. Boots and shoes in whole or in part of leather or skins. 

And whereas the envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary ofSpain in Washington has further communicated to the Secretary of Statethat the Government of Spain will in like manner and as a definitivearrangement admit, from and after July 1, 1892, into all the establishedports of, entry of the Spanish islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico thearticles or merchandise named in the following schedules A, B, C, and D, on the terms stated therein, provided that the same be the product ormanufacture of the United States and proceed directly from the ports ofsaid States:

 SCHEDULE A. 

 Products or manufactures of the United States to be admitted into Cuba and Puerto Rico free of duties:

 1. Marble, jasper, and alabaster, natural or artificial, in rough or in pieces, dressed, squared, and prepared for taking shape. 

 2. Other stones and earthy matters, including cement, employed in building, the arts and industries. 

 3. Waters, mineral or medicinal. 

 4. Ice. 

 5. Coal, mineral. 

 6. Resin, tar, pitch, turpentine, asphalt, schist, and bitumen. 

 7. Petroleum, raw or crude, in accordance with the classification fixed in the tariff of said islands. 

 8. Clay, ordinary, in paving tiles, large and small, bricks, and roof tiles unglazed, for the construction of buildings, ovens, and other similar purposes. 

 9. Gold and silver coin. 

 10. Iron, cast, in pigs, and old iron and steel. 

 11. Iron, cast, in pipes, beams, rafters, and similar articles for the construction of buildings and in ordinary manufactures. (See repertory. )

 12. Iron, wrought, and steel, in bars, rails and bars of all kinds, plates, beams, rafters, and other similar articles for construction of buildings. 

 13. Iron, wrought, and steel, in wire, nails, screws, nuts, and pipes. 

 14. Iron, wrought, and steel, in ordinary manufactures, and wire cloth unmanufactured. (See repertory. )

 15. Cotton, raw, with or without seed. 

 16. Cotton seed, oil and meal cake of same for cattle. 

 17. Tallow and all other animal greases, melted or crude, unmanufactured. 

 18. Books and pamphlets, printed, bound and unbound. 

 19. Woods of all kinds, in trunks or logs, joists, rafters, planks, beams, boards, and round or cylindric masts, although cut, planed, tongued and grooved, including flooring. 

 20. Wooden cooperage, including staves, headings, and wooden hoops. 

 21. Wooden boxes, mounted or unmounted, except of cedar. 

 22. Woods, ordinary, manufactured into doors, frames, windows, and shutters, without paint or varnish, and wooden houses, unmounted, without paint or varnish. 

 23. Woods, ordinary, manufactured into all kinds of articles, turned or unturned, painted or varnished, except furniture. (See repertory. )

 24. Manures, natural or artificial. 

 25. Implements, utensils, and tools for agriculture, the arts, and mechanical trades. 

 26. Machines and apparatus, agricultural, motive, industrial, and scientific, of all classes and materials, and loose pieces for the same, including wagons, carts, and handcarts for ordinary roads and agriculture. 

 27. Material and articles for public works, such as railroads, tramways, roads, canals for irrigation and navigation, use of waters, ports, light-houses, and civil construction of general utility, when introduced by authorization of the Government or if free admission is obtained in accordance with local laws. 

 28. Materials of all classes for the construction, repair in whole or in part of vessels, subject to specific regulations to avoid abuse in the importation. 

 29. Meats, in brine, salted and smoked, including bacon, hams, and meats preserved in cans, in lard or by extraction of air, jerked beef excepted. 

 30. Lard and butter. 

 31. Cheese. 

 32. Fish and shellfish, live, fresh, dried, in brine, salted, smoked, and pickled, oysters and salmon in cans. 

 33. Oats, barley, rye, and buckwheat, and flour of these cereals. 

 34. Starch, maizena, and other alimentary products of corn, except corn meal. 

 35. Fruits, fresh, dried, and preserved, except raisins. 

 36. Vegetables and garden products, fresh and dried. 

 37. Hay, straw for forage, and bran. 

 38. Trees, plants, shrubs, and garden seeds. 

 39. Tan bark. 

 SCHEDULE B. 

 Products or manufactures of the United States to be admitted into Cuba and Puerto Rico on payment of the duties stated:

 40. Corn or maize, 25 cents per 100 kilograms. 

 41. Corn meal, 25 cents per 100 kilograms. 

 42. Wheat, 30 cents per 100 kilograms. 

 43. Wheat flour, $1 per 100 kilograms. 

 44. Carriages, cars and other vehicles for railroads or tramways, where authorization of the Government for free admission has not been obtained, 1 per cent _ad valorem_. 

 SCHEDULE C. 

 Products or manufactures of the United States to be admitted into Cuba and Puerto Rico at a reduction of duty of 50 per cent:

 45. Marble, jasper, and alabaster of all kinds, cut into flags, slabs, or steps, and the same worked or carved in all kinds of articles, polished or not. 

 46. Glass and crystal ware, plate and window glass, and the same silvered, quicksilvered, and platinized. 

 47. Clay in tiles, large and small, and mosaic for pavement, colored tiles, roof tiles glazed, and pipes. 

 48. Stoneware and fine earthenware, and porcelain. 

 49. Iron, cast, in fine manufactures or those polished, with coating of porcelain or part of other metals. (See repertory. )

 50. Iron, wrought, and steel, in axles, tires, springs, and wheels for carriages, rivets and their washers. 

 51. Iron, wrought, and steel, in fine manufactures or those polished, with coating of porcelain or part of other metals, not expressly comprised in other numbers of these schedules, and platform scales for weighing. (See repertory. )

 52. Needles, pens, knives (table and carving), razors, penknives, scissors, pieces for watches, and other similar articles of iron and steel. 

 53. Tin plate in sheets or manufactured. 

 54. Copper, bronze, brass, and nickel, and alloys of same with common metals, in lump or bars, and all manufactures of the same. 

 55. All other common metals and alloys of the same, in lump or bars, and all manufactures of the same, plain, varnished, gilt, silvered, or nickeled. 

 56. Furniture of all kinds, of wood or metal, including school furniture, blackboards, and other materials for schools, and all kinds of articles of fine woods not expressly comprised in other numbers of these schedules. (See repertory. )

 57. Rushes, esparto, vegetable hair, broom corn, willow, straw, palm, and other similar materials, manufactured into articles of all kinds. 

 58. Pastes for soups, rice flour, bread and crackers, and alimentary farinas not comprised in other numbers of these schedules. 

 59. Preserved alimentary substances and canned goods not comprised in other numbers of these schedules, including sausages, stuffed meats, mustards, sauces, pickles, jams, and jellies. 

 60. Rubber and gutta-percha and manufactures thereof, alone or mixed with other substances (except silk), and oilcloths and tarpaulin. 

 61. Rice, hulled or unhulled. 

 SCHEDULE D. 

 Products or manufactures of the United States to be admitted into Cuba and Puerto Rico at a reduction of duty of 25 per cent:

 62. Petroleum, refined, and benzine. 

 63. Cotton, manufactured, spun or twisted, and in goods of all kinds, woven or knit, and the same mixed with other vegetable or animal fibers in which cotton is an equal or greater component part, and clothing exclusively of cotton. 

 64. Rope, cordage, and twine of all kinds. 

 65. Colors, crude and prepared, with or without oil, inks of all kinds, shoe blacking, and varnishes. 

 66. Soap, toilet, and perfumery. 

 67. Medicines, proprietary or patent and all others, and drugs. 

 68. Stearine and tallow manufactured in candles. 

 69. Paper for printing, for decorating rooms, of wood or straw, for wrapping and packing, and bags and boxes of same, sandpaper and pasteboard. 

 70. Leather and skins, tanned, dressed, varnished, or japanned, of all kinds, including sole leather or belting. 

 71. Boots and shoes in whole or in part of leather or skins. 

 72. Trunks, valises, traveling bags, portfolios, and other similar articles in whole or in part of leather. 

 73. Harness and saddlery of all kinds. 

 74. Watches and clocks of gold, silver, or other metals, with cases of stone, wood, or other material, plain or ornamented. 

 75. Carriages of two or four wheels and pieces of the same. 

It is understood that flour which on its exportation from the UnitedStates has been favored with drawbacks shall not share in the foregoingreduction of duty. 

The provisional arrangement as set forth in the transitory scheduleshall come to an end on July 1, 1892, and on that date be substituted bythe definitive arrangement as set forth in schedules A, B, C, and D. 

And that the Government of Spain has further provided that the lawsand regulations adopted to protect its revenue and prevent fraud inthe declarations and proof that the articles named in the foregoingschedules are the product or manufacture of the United States of Americashall place no undue restrictions on the importer nor impose anyadditional charges or fees therefor on the articles imported; and

Whereas the Secretary of State has, by my direction, given assuranceto the envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of Spain atWashington that this action of the Government of Spain in grantingexemption of duties to the products and manufactures of the UnitedStates of America on their importation into Cuba and Puerto Rico isaccepted for those islands as a due reciprocity for the action ofCongress as set forth in section 3 of said act:

Now, therefore, be it known that I, Benjamin Harrison, President of theUnited States of America, have caused the above-stated modifications ofthe tariff laws of Cuba and Puerto Rico to be made public for theinformation of the citizens of the United States of America. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the sealof the United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 31st day of July, 1891, and of theIndependence of the United States of America the one hundred andsixteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: WILLIAM F. WHARTON, _Acting Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas, pursuant to section 3 of the act of Congress approved October1, 1890, entitled "An act to reduce the revenue and equalize duties onimports, and for other purposes, " the Secretary of State of the UnitedStates of America communicated to the Government of the DominicanRepublic the action of the Congress of the United States of America, with a view to secure reciprocal trade, in declaring the articlesenumerated in said section 3, to wit, sugars, molasses, coffee, andhides, to be exempt from duty upon their importation into the UnitedStates of America; and

Whereas the envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of theDominican Republic at Washington has communicated to the specialplenipotentiary of the United States the fact that, in reciprocity andcompensation for the admission into the United States of America freeof all duty of the articles enumerated in section 3 of said act, theGovernment of the Dominican Republic will by due legal enactment admit, from and after September 1, 1891, into all the established ports ofentry of the Dominican Republic the articles or merchandise named in thefollowing schedules, on the terms stated therein, provided that the samebe the product or manufacture of the United States and proceed directlyfrom the ports of said States:

 SCHEDULE A. 

 Articles to be admitted free of duty into the Dominican Republic:

 1. Animals, live. 

 2. Meats of all kinds, salted or in brine, but not smoked. 

 3. Corn or maize, corn meal, and starch. 

 4. Oats, barley, rye, and buckwheat, and flour of these cereals. 

 5. Hay, bran, and straw for forage. 

 6. Trees, plants, vines, and seeds, and grains of all kinds for propagation. 

 7. Cotton-seed oil and meal cake of same. 

 8. Tallow, in cake or melted, and oil for machinery, subject to examination and proof respecting the use of said oil. 

 9. Resin, tar, pitch, and turpentine. 

 10. Manures, natural and artificial. 

 11. Coal, mineral. 

 12. Mineral waters, natural and artificial. 

 13. Ice. 

 14. Machines, including steam engines and those of all other kinds, and parts of the same, implements and tools for agricultural, mining, manufacturing, industrial, and scientific purposes, including carts, wagons, handcarts, and wheelbarrows, and parts of the same. 

 15. Material for the construction and equipment of railways. 

 16. Iron, cast and wrought, and steel, in pigs, bars, rods, plates, beams, rafters, and other similar articles for the construction of buildings, and in wire, nails, screws, and pipes. 

 17. Zinc, galvanized and corrugated iron, tin and lead in sheets, asbestus, tar paper, tiles, slate, and other material for roofing. 

 18. Copper in bars, plates, nails, and screws. 

 19. Copper and lead pipe. 

 20. Bricks, fire bricks, cement, lime, artificial stone, paving tiles, marble and other stones in rough, dressed or polished, and other earthy materials used in building. 

 21. Windmills. 

 22. Wire, plain or barbed, for fences, with hooks, staples, nails, and similar articles used in the construction of fences. 

 23. Telegraph wire and telegraphic, telephonic, and electrical apparatus of all kinds for communication and illumination. 

 24. Wood and lumber of all kinds for building, in logs or pieces, beams, rafters, planks, boards, shingles, flooring, joists, wooden houses, mounted or unmounted, and accessory parts of buildings. 

 25. Cooperage of all kinds, including staves, headings, and hoops, barrels and boxes, mounted or unmounted. 

 26. Materials for shipbuilding. 

 27. Boats and lighters. 

 28. School furniture, blackboards, and other articles exclusively for the use of schools. 

 29. Books, bound or unbound, pamphlets, newspapers and printed matter, and paper for printing newspapers. 

 30. Printers' inks of all colors, type, leads, and all accessories for printing. 

 31. Sacks, empty, for packing sugar. 

 32. Gold and silver coin and bullion. 

 SCHEDULE B. 

 Articles to be admitted into the Dominican Republic at a reduction of duty of 25 per cent:

 33. Meats not included in Schedule A and meat products of all kinds except lard. 

 34. Butter, cheese, and condensed or canned milk. 

 35. Fish and shellfish, salted, dried, smoked, pickled, or preserved in cans. 

 36. Fruits and vegetables, fresh, canned, dried, pickled, or preserved. 

 37. Manufactures of iron and steel, single or mixed, not included in Schedule A. 

 38. Cotton, manufactured, spun or twisted, and in fabrics of all kinds, woven or knit, and the same fabrics mixed with other vegetable or animal fibers in which cotton is the equal or greater component part. 

 39. Boots and shoes in whole or in part of leather or skins. 

 40. Paper for writing, in envelopes, ruled or blank books, wall paper, paper for wrapping and packing, for cigarettes, in cardboard, boxes, and bags, sandpaper and pasteboard. 

 41. Tin plate and tinware for arts, industries, and domestic uses. 

 42. Cordage, rope, and twine of all kinds. 

 43. Manufactures of wood of all kinds not embraced in Schedule A, including wooden ware, implements for household use, and furniture in whole or in part of wood. 

And that the Government of the Dominican Republic has further providedthat the laws and regulations adopted to protect its revenue and preventfraud in the declarations and proof that the articles named in theforegoing schedules are the product or manufacture of the United Statesof America shall place no undue restrictions on the importer nor imposeany additional charges or fees therefor on the articles imported; and

Whereas the special plenipotentiary of the United States has, by mydirection, given assurance to the envoy extraordinary and ministerplenipotentiary of the Dominican Republic at Washington that this actionof the Government of the Dominican Republic in granting exemption ofduties to the products and manufactures of the United States of Americaon their importation into the Dominican Republic is accepted as a duereciprocity for the action of Congress as set forth in section 3 of saidact:

Now, therefore, be it known that I, Benjamin Harrison, President of theUnited States of America, have caused the above-stated modifications ofthe tariff laws of the Dominican Republic to be made public for theinformation of the citizens of the United States of America. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 1st day of August, 1891, and of theIndependence of the United States of America the one hundred andsixteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: WILLIAM F. WHARTON, _Acting Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas it is provided by section 24 of an act approved March 3, 1891, entitled "An act to repeal timber-culture laws, and for otherpurposes"--

 That the President of the United States may from time to time set apart and reserve in any State or Territory having public land bearing forests, in any part of the public lands wholly or in part covered with timber or undergrowth, whether of commercial value or not, as public reservations; and the President shall by public proclamation declare the establishment of such reservations and limits thereof. 

And whereas the lands hereinafter described are public and forestbearing, and on the 30th of March last I issued a proclamation[17]intended to reserve the same as authorized in said act, but as somequestion has arisen as to the boundaries proclaimed being sufficientlydefinite to cover the forests intended to be reserved:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, for the purpose of removing any doubt and making the boundaries of saidreservation more definite, by virtue of the power in me vested by saidact, do hereby issue this my second proclamation and hereby set apart, reserve, and establish as a public reservation all that tract of landsituate in the State of Wyoming embraced within the following boundary:

 Beginning at a point on the parallel of 44° 50' north latitude where said parallel is intersected by the east boundary of the Yellowstone National Park; thence due east along said parallel 24-1/2 miles; thence due south to the parallel of 44° north latitude; thence due west along said parallel to its point of intersection with the west boundary of the State of Wyoming; thence due north along said boundary to its intersection with the south boundary of the Yellowstone National Park; thence due east along the south boundary of said park to the southeast corner thereof; thence due north along the east boundary of said park to the place of beginning. 

And warning is hereby expressly given to all persons not to enter ormake settlement upon the tract of land reserved by this proclamation. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 10th day of September, A. D. 1891, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred andfifteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: WILLIAM F. WHARTON, _Acting Secretary of State_. 

[Footnote 17: See pp. 142-143. ]

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas by a written agreement made on the 12th day of June, 1890, theSac and Fox Nation of Indians, in the Territory of Oklahoma, ceded andconveyed to the United States of America all title or interest of saidIndians in and to the lands particularly described in Article I of theagreement, except the quarter section of land on which the Sac and FoxAgency is located, and provided that the section of land now designatedand set apart near the Sac and Fox Agency for a school and farm shallnot be subject either to allotment or to homestead entry; that everycitizen of said nation shall have an allotment of land in quantity astherein stated, to be selected within the tract of country so ceded, except in sections 16 and 36 in each Congressional township, and exceptthe agency quarter section and section set apart for school and farm, as above mentioned, or other lands selected in lieu thereof; that whenthe allotments to the citizens of the Sac and Fox Nation are made theSecretary of the Interior shall cause trust patents to issue therefor inthe name of the allottees, and that as soon as such allotments are somade and approved by the Department of the Interior, and the patentsprovided for are issued, then the residue of said tract of countryshall, as far as said Sac and Fox Nation is concerned, become publiclands of the United States, and, under such restrictions as may beimposed by law, be subject to white settlement; and

Whereas by a certain other agreement with the Iowa tribe of Indiansresiding on the Iowa Reservation, in said Territory, made on the 20thday of May, 1890, said tribe surrendered and relinquished to the UnitedStates all their title and interest in and to the lands of said Indiansin said Territory, and particularly described in Article I of saidagreement, and provided that each and every member of said tribe shallhave an allotment of 80 acres of land upon said reservation, and uponthe approval of such allotments by the Secretary of the Interior thattrust patents shall be issued therefor, and that there shall be exceptedfrom the operation of said agreement a tract of land not exceeding10 acres, in a square form, including the church and schoolhouse andgraveyard at or near the Iowa village, which shall belong to said Iowatribe of Indians in common, subject to the conditions and limitationsin said agreement expressed; that the chief of the Iowas may select anadditional 10 acres, in a square form, for the use of said tribe in saidreservation, conforming in boundaries to the legal subdivisions of landtherein, which shall be held by said tribe in common, subject to theconditions and limitations as expressed in relation thereto; and

Whereas it is provided-in the act of Congress approved February 13, 1891 (26 U. S. Statutes at Large, pp. 758, 759), section 7, accepting, ratifying, and confirming said agreements with the Sac and Fox Nationof Indians and the Iowa tribe of Indians--

 That whenever any of the lands acquired by the agreements in this act ratified and confirmed shall by operation of law or proclamation of the President of the United States be open to settlement they shall be disposed of to actual settlers only, under the provisions of the homestead laws, except section 2301, which shall not apply: _Provided, however_, That each settler under and in accordance with the provisions of said homestead laws shall before receiving a patent for his homestead pay to the United States for the land so taken by him, in addition to the fees provided by law, the sum of $1. 25 for each acre thereof; and such person, having complied with all the laws relating to such homestead settlement, may at his option receive a patent therefor at the expiration of twelve months from date of settlement upon said homestead; and any person otherwise qualified who has attempted to but for any cause failed to secure a title in fee to a homestead under existing law, or who made entry under what is known as the commuted provision of the homestead law, shall be qualified to make a homestead entry upon any of said lands. 

And whereas by a certain other agreement with the Citizen band ofPottawatomie Indians, in said Territory, made on the 25th day of June, 1890, the said band of Indians ceded and absolutely surrendered to theUnited States all their title and interest in and to the lands in saidTerritory, and particularly described in Article I of said agreement, and provided that all allotments of land theretofore made, or then beingmade, or to be made, to members of said Citizen band of PottawatomieIndians under the provisions of the general allotment act approvedFebruary 8, 1887, shall be confirmed; that in all allotments to bethereafter made no person shall have the right to select his or herallotment in sections 16 and 36 in any Congressional township, nor uponany land heretofore set apart in said tract of country for any use bythe United States, or for schools, school-farm, or religious purposes;nor shall said sections 16 and 36 be subject to homestead entry, butshall be kept and used for school purposes; nor shall any lands setapart for any use of the United States, or for school, school-farm, orreligious purposes, be subject to homestead entry, but shall be held bythe United States for such purposes so long as the United States shallsee fit to use them; and further, that the south half of section 7and the north half of section 18, in township 6 north, range 5 east, theretofore set apart by a written agreement between said band ofIndians and certain Catholic fathers for religious, school, and farmpurposes, shall not be subject to allotment or homestead entry, butshall be held by the United States for the Sacred Heart Mission, thename under which said association of fathers are conducting the church, school, and farm on said lands; and

Whereas by a certain agreement with the Absentee Shawnee Indians, insaid Territory, made on the 26th day of June, 1890, said last-namedIndians ceded, relinquished, and surrendered to the United States alltheir title and interest in and to the lands in said Territory, andparticularly described in Article I of said agreement, provided that allallotments of lands theretofore made, or then being made, or to be made, to said Absentee Shawnees under the provisions of the general allotmentact approved February 8, 1887, shall be confirmed; that in allallotments to be thereafter made no person shall have the right toselect his or her allotment in sections 16 and 36 in any Congressionaltownship, nor in any land heretofore set apart in said tract of countryfor any use by the United States, or for school, school-farm, orreligious purposes; nor shall said sections 16 and 36 be subject tohomestead entry, but shall be held by the United States for suchpurposes so long as the United States shall see fit to use them; and

Whereas it is provided in the act of Congress accepting, ratifying, andconfirming said agreements with the Citizen band of Pottawatomie Indiansand the Absentee Shawnee Indians, approved March 3, 1891 (26 U. S. Statutes at Large, pp. 989-1044), section 16--

 That whenever any of the lands acquired by either of the * * * foregoing agreements respecting lands in the Indian or Oklahoma Territory shall by operation of law or proclamation of the President of the United States be open to settlement they shall be disposed of to actual settlers only, under the provisions of the homestead and town-site laws, except section 2301 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, which-shall not apply: _Provided, however_, That each settler on said lands shall before making a final proof and receiving a certificate of entry pay to the United States for the land so taken by him, in addition to the fees provided by law, and within five years from the date of the first original entry, the sum of $1. 50 per acre, one-half of which shall be paid within two years; but the rights of honorably discharged Union soldiers and sailors as defined and described in sections 2304 and 2305 of the Revised Statutes of the United States shall not be abridged except as to the sum to be paid as aforesaid; and all the lands in Oklahoma are hereby declared to be agricultural lands, and proof of their nonmineral character shall not be required as a condition precedent to final entry. 

And whereas allotments of land in severalty to said Sac and Fox Nation, said Iowa tribe, said Citizen band of Pottawatomies, and said AbsenteeShawnee Indians have been made and approved, and provisional patentsissued therefor, in accordance with law and the provisions of thebefore-mentioned agreements with them respectively, and an additional10 acres of land has been selected for the use of said Iowa tribe, tobe held by said tribe in common, in accordance with the provisions ofsupplemental Article XII of the agreement with them; and

Whereas the lands acquired by the four several agreements hereinbeforementioned have been divided into counties by the Secretary of theInterior, as required by said last-mentioned act of Congress before thesame shall be open to settlement, and lands have been reserved forcounty-seat purposes, as therein required; and

Whereas it is provided by act of Congress for temporary government ofOklahoma, approved May 2, 1890, that there shall be reserved publichighways 4 rods wide between each section of land in said Territory, thesection lines being the centers of said highways, but no deduction shallbe made from cash payments from each quarter section by reason thereof;and

Whereas all the terms, conditions, and considerations required by saidseveral agreements made respectively with said tribes of Indianshereinbefore mentioned, and of the laws relating thereto, precedentto opening said several tracts of land to settlement, have been, asI hereby declare, provided for, paid, and complied with:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, byvirtue of the power in me vested by the statutes hereinbefore mentioned, also an act of Congress entitled "An act making appropriations for thecurrent and contingent expenses of the Indian Department and fulfillingtreaty stipulations with various Indian tribes for the year ending June30, 1890, and for other purposes, " approved March 2, 1889, and by otherthe laws of the United States, and by said several agreements, do herebydeclare and make known that all of the lands acquired from the Sac andFox Nation of Indians, the Iowa tribe of Indians, the Citizen band ofPottawatomie Indians, and the Absentee Shawnee Indians by the fourseveral agreements aforesaid, saving and excepting the lands allottedto the Indians as in said agreements provided, or otherwise reservedin pursuance of the provisions of said agreements and the said acts ofCongress ratifying the same and other the laws relating thereto, will, at and after the hour of 12 o'clock noon (central standard time), Tuesday, the 22d day of this the present month of September, and notbefore, be opened to settlement, under the terms of and subject to allthe conditions, limitations, reservations, and restrictions containedin said agreements, the statutes above specified, and the laws of theUnited States applicable thereto. 

The lands to be so opened to settlement are for greater convenienceparticularly described in the accompanying schedule, entitled "Scheduleof lands within the Sac and Fox, Iowa, Pottawatomie (and AbsenteeShawnee) reservations, in Oklahoma Territory, opened to settlement byproclamation of the President dated September 18, 1891, " and whichschedule is made a part hereof. 

Each entry shall be in square form as nearly as practicable; and noother lands in the Territory of Oklahoma are opened to settlement underthis proclamation or the agreements ratifying the same. 

Notice, moreover, is hereby given that it is by law enacted that untilsaid lands are opened to settlement by proclamation no person shall bepermitted to enter upon and occupy the same, and no person violatingthis provision shall be permitted to enter any of said lands or acquireany right thereto. The officers of the United States will be required toenforce this provision. 

And further notice is hereby given that it has been duly ordered thatthe lands in the Territory of Oklahoma mentioned and included in thisproclamation be, and the same are, attached to the Eastern and Oklahomaland districts in said Territory, severally, as follows:

 1. All that portion of the Territory of Oklahoma commencing at the southwest corner of township 14 north, range 1 east; thence east on town line between townships 13 and 14 to the west boundary of the Creek country; thence north on said boundary line to the middle of main channel of the Cimarron River; thence up the Cimarron River, following the main channel thereof, to the Indian meridian; thence south on said meridian line to the place of beginning, is attached to the Eastern land district in Oklahoma Territory, the office of which is now located at Guthrie. 

 2. All that portion of said Territory commencing at the northwest corner of township 13 north, range 1 east; thence south on Indian meridian to the North Fork of the Canadian River; thence west up said river to the west boundary of the Pottawatomie Indian Reservation, according to Merrill's survey; thence south, following the line as run by O. T. Morrill under his contract of September 3, 1872, to the middle of the main channel of the Canadian River; thence east down the main channel of said river to the west boundary of the Seminole Indian Reservation; thence north with said west boundary to the North Fork of the Canadian River; thence east down said North Fork to the west boundary of the Creek Nation; thence north with said west boundary to its intersection with the line between townships 13 and 14 north of the Indian base; thence west on town line between townships 13 and 14 north to the place of beginning, is attached to the Oklahoma land district in said Territory, the office of which is now located at Oklahoma City. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 18th day of September, A. D. 1891, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred andsixteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: WILLIAM F. WHARTON, _Acting Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas it is provided by section 24 of the act of Congress approvedMarch 3, 1891, entitled "An act to repeal the timber-culture laws, andfor other purposes"--

 That the President of the United States may from time to time set apart and reserve in any State or Territory having public lands bearing forests, in any part of the public lands wholly or in part covered with timber or undergrowth, whether of commercial value or not, as public reservations; and the President shall by public proclamation declare the establishment of such reservation and the limits thereof. 

And whereas the public lands in the State of Colorado within the limitshereinafter described are in part covered with timber, and it appearsthat the public good would be promoted by setting apart and reservingsaid lands as a public reservation:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested by section 24 of the aforesaid actof Congress, do hereby make known and proclaim that there is herebyreserved from entry or settlement and set apart as a public reservationall those certain tracts, pieces, or parcels of land lying and beingsituate in the State of Colorado and particularly described as follows, to wit:

Beginning at a point between sections three (3) and four (4) on thenorth boundary of township five (5) south, range eighty-seven (87) westof the sixth principal meridian in Colorado; thence north 12 miles;thence east to the southeast corner of township two (2) south, rangeeighty-six (86) west; thence north between ranges numbered eighty-five(85) and eighty-six (86) west to the base line; thence west along thebase line to the southwest corner of township one (1) north, rangeeighty-five (85) west; thence north between ranges numbered eighty-five(85) and eighty-six (86) west to a point between sections thirteen (13)and twenty-four (24) on the east boundary of township five (5) north, range eighty-six (86) west; thence west through the middle of townshipfive (5) north to the center of township five (5) north, rangeninety-one (91) west; thence south to a point between sections three(3) and four (4) on the north boundary of township two (2) north, rangeninety-one (91) west; thence west six (6) miles to a point betweensections three (3) and four (4) on the north boundary of township two(2) north, range ninety-two (92) west; thence south to a point on thebase line between sections thirty-three (33) and thirty-four (34) oftownship one (1) north, range ninety-two (92) west; thence west alongthe base line to a point between sections three (3) and four (4) on thenorth boundary of township one (1) south, range ninety-two (92) west;thence south to a point between sections three (3) and four (4) on thenorth boundary of township two (2) south, range ninety-two (92) west;thence west to the northwest corner of township two (2) south, rangeninety-three (93) west; thence south to the southwest corner of townshipthree (3) south, range ninety-three (93) west; thence east to thenortheast corner of township four (4) south, range ninety-two (92) west;thence south to the southeast corner of township four (4) south, rangeninety-two (92) west; thence east to the place of beginning. 

Excepting from the force and effect of this proclamation all land whichmay have been prior to the date hereof embraced in any valid entry orcovered by a lawful filing duly made in the proper United States landoffice, and all mining claims duly located and held according to thelaws of the United States and local rules and regulations not inconflict therewith. 

_Provided_, That this exception shall not continue to apply to anyparticular tract of land unless the entryman or claimant continues tocomply with the law under which the entry, filing, or location was made. 

Warning is hereby expressly given to all persons not to enter or makesettlement upon the tract of land reserved by this proclamation. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 16th day of October, A. D. 1891, andof the Independence of the United States the one hundred and sixteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: WILLIAM F. WHARTON, _Acting Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

It is a very glad incident of the marvelous prosperity which has crownedthe year now drawing to a close that its helpful and reassuring touchhas been felt by all our people. It has been as wide as our country, andso special that every home has felt its comforting influence. It is toogreat to be the work of man's power and too particular to be the deviceof his mind. To God, the beneficent and the all-wise, who makes thelabors of men to be fruitful, redeems their losses by His grace, and themeasure of whose giving is as much beyond the thoughts of man as it isbeyond his deserts, the praise and gratitude of the people of thisfavored nation are justly due. 

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States ofAmerica, do hereby appoint Thursday, the 26th day of November present, to be a day of joyful thanksgiving to God for the bounties of Hisprovidence, for the peace in which we are permitted to enjoy them, andfor the preservation of those institutions of civil and religiousliberty which He gave our fathers the wisdom to devise and establish andus the courage to preserve. Among the appropriate observances of the dayare rest from toil, worship in the public congregation, the renewal offamily ties about our American firesides, and thoughtful helpfulnesstoward those who suffer lack of the body or of the spirit. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 13th day of November, A. D. 1891, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred andsixteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas satisfactory proof has been given to me that no tonnage orlight-house dues, or other equivalent tax or taxes, are imposed uponvessels of the United States in the ports of the island of Tobago, oneof the British West India Islands:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States ofAmerica, by virtue of the authority vested in me by section 11 of theact of Congress entitled "An act to abolish certain fees for officialservices to American vessels, and to amend the laws relating to shippingcommissioners, seamen, and owners of vessels, and for other purposes, "approved June 19, 1886, do hereby declare and proclaim that from andafter the date of this my proclamation shall be suspended the collectionof the whole of the tonnage duty which is imposed by said section ofsaid act upon vessels entered in the ports of the United States from anyof the ports of the island of Tobago. 

_Provided_, That there shall be excluded from the benefits of thesuspension hereby declared and proclaimed the vessels of any foreigncountry in whose ports the fees or dues of any kind or nature imposed onvessels of the United States, or the import or export duties on theircargoes, are in excess of the fees, dues, or duties imposed on thevessels of such country or on the cargoes of such vessels; but thisproviso shall not be held to be inconsistent with the special regulationby foreign countries of duties and other charges on their own vessels, and the cargoes thereof, engaged in their coasting trade, or with theexistence between such countries and other states of reciprocalstipulations founded on special conditions and equivalents, and thus notwithin the treatment of American vessels under the most-favored-nationclause in treaties between the United States and such countries. 

And the suspension hereby declared and proclaimed shall continue so longas the reciprocal exemption of vessels belonging to citizens of theUnited States and their cargoes shall be continued in the said ports ofthe island of Tobago and no longer. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 2d day of December, A. D. 1891, andof the Independence of the United States the one hundred and sixteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

EXECUTIVE ORDERS. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, D. C. , January 19, 1891_. 

The death of George Bancroft, which occurred in the city of Washingtonon Saturday, January 17, at 3. 40 o'clock p. M. , removes from among theliving one of the most distinguished Americans. As an expression of thepublic loss and sorrow the flags of all the Executive Departments atWashington and the public buildings in the cities through which thefuneral party is to pass will be placed at half-mast on to-morrow anduntil the body of this eminent statesman, scholar, and historian shallrest in the State that gave him to his country and to the world. 

By direction of the President:

ELIJAH W. HALFORD, _Private Secretary_. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

JANUARY 26, 1891. 

Special Departmental Rule No. 1 is hereby amended by adding to theexceptions from examination therein declared the following:

 In the Department of Agriculture, in the office of the Secretary, division of illustration and engraving: One artist. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, _Washington, January 30, 1891_. 

SIR:[18] The Hon. William Windom, Secretary of the Treasury of theUnited States, died suddenly last night, in the city of New York, at thehour of eleven minutes past 10 o'clock, in the sixty-fourth year of hisage. Thus has passed away a man of pure life, an official of stainlessintegrity, distinguished by long and eminent service in both branches ofCongress and by being twice called to administer the national finances. His death has caused deep regret throughout the country, while to thePresident and those associated with him in the administration of theGovernment it comes as a personal sorrow. 

The President directs that all the Departments of the executive brand ofthe Government and the officers subordinate thereto shall manifest duerespect to the memory of this eminent citizen in a manner consonant withthe dignity of the office which he has honored by his devotion to publicduty. 

The President further directs that the Treasury Department in all itsbranches in this capital be draped in mourning for the period of thirtydays, that on the day of the funeral the several Executive Departmentsshall be closed, and that on all public buildings throughout the UnitedStates the national flag shall be displayed at half-mast. 

Very respectfully, JAMES G. BLAINE. 

[Footnote 18: Addressed to the heads of the Executive Departments, etc. ]

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 13, 1891_. 

_To the Heads of the Executive Departments_:

In token of respect to the memory of Admiral David D. Porter, who diedthis morning, the President directs that the national flag be displayedat half-mast upon all public buildings throughout the United Statesuntil after his funeral shall have taken place, and that on the day ofthe funeral public business in the Departments at Washington besuspended. 

E. W. HALFORD, _Private Secretary_. 

GENERAL ORDERS NO. 16. 

HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, _Washington, February 14, 1891_. 

I. The following order of the War Department is published to the Army:

 WAR DEPARTMENT, _Washington, February 14, 1891_. 

 The death of General Sherman is hereby announced in the fitting words of the President in his message to Congress:

 [For message see p. 135. ]

The following Executive order will be published to the Army:

 EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, D. C. , February 14, 1891_. 

 It is my painful duty to announce to the country that General William Tecumseh Sherman died this day at 1 o'clock and 50 minutes p. M. , at his residence in the city of New York. The Secretary of War will cause the highest military honors to be paid to the memory of this distinguished officer. The national flag will be floated at half-mast over all public buildings until after the burial, and the public business will be suspended in the Executive Departments at the city of Washington and in the city where the interment takes place on the day of the funeral and in all places where public expression is given to the national sorrow during such hours as will enable every officer and employee to participate therein with their fellow-citizens. 

 BENJ. HARRISON. 

The Major-General Commanding will issue the necessary orders to theArmy. 

_It is ordered_, That the War Department be draped in mourning for theperiod of thirty days, and that all business be suspended therein on theday of the funeral. 

L. A. GRANT, _Acting Secretary of War_. 

II. On the day of the funeral the troops at every military post will beparaded and this order read to them, after which all labors for the daywill cease. The national flag will be displayed at half-staff from thetime of the receipt of this order until the close of the funeral. On theday of the funeral a salute of seventeen guns will be fired at half-hourintervals, commencing at 8 o'clock a. M. The officers of the Army willwear the usual badges of mourning, and the colors of the severalregiments and battalions will be draped in mourning for a period of sixmonths. 

The day and hour of the funeral will be communicated to departmentcommanders by telegraph, and by them to their subordinate commanders. Other necessary orders will be issued hereafter relative to theappropriate funeral ceremonies. 

By command of Major-General Schofield:

J. C. KELTON, _Adjutant-General_. 

GENERAL ORDER. 

NAVY DEPARTMENT, _February 16, 1891_. 

The following Executive order, announcing the death of General WilliamTecumseh Sherman, is published for the information of the Navy and theMarine Corps:

[For Executive order see preceding page. ]

In accordance with the order of the President, the Navy Department willbe closed and all business suspended therein on the day of the funeral, and the flag at all yards and stations will be displayed at half-mastuntil after the burial of General Sherman, and in all places wherepublic expression is given to the national sorrow business will besuspended at navy-yards or stations during such hours as will enableofficers and employees of the Navy to participate therein with theirfellow-citizens. 

B. F. TRACY, _Secretary of the Navy_. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

FEBRUARY 18, 1891. 

Special Departmental Rule No. 1 is hereby amended so as to include amongthe places excepted from examination therein the following:

 In the Department of Agriculture, in the office of the Secretary: Private secretary to the chief of the division of statistics. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

FEBRUARY 21, 1891. 

Special Departmental Rule No. 1 is hereby amended so as to include amongthe places excepted from examination therein the following:

 In the Department of the Treasury, in the Coast and Geodetic Survey: Clerk to act as confidential clerk and cashier to the disbursing officer. 

 In the Post-Office Department, office of Assistant Attorney-General: Confidential clerk to the Assistant Attorney-General. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, D. C. , February 26, 1891_. 

In accordance with an act of Congress approved September 27, 1890, thefollowing limits to the punishment of enlisted men, together with theaccompanying regulations, are established for the government in time ofpeace of all courts-martial, and will take effect thirty days after thedate of this order:

I. Subject to the modifications authorized in subdivision 3 of thissection, the punishment for desertion shall not exceed the following:

1. In the case of a soldier who surrenders--

(_a_) When such surrender is made within thirty days after desertion, confinement at hard labor, with forfeiture of pay and allowances, forthree months. 

(_b_) When such surrender is made after an absence of more than thirtydays and not more than ninety days, confinement at hard labor, withforfeiture of pay and allowances, for six months. 

(_c_) When such surrender is made after an absence of more than ninetydays, dishonorable discharge, with forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and confinement at hard labor for eighteen months: _Provided_, That inthe case of a deserter who had not been more than three months in theservice the confinement shall not exceed ten months. 

2. In the case of a soldier who does not surrender--

(_a_) When at the time of desertion he shall have been less than threemonths in the service, dishonorable discharge, with forfeiture of allpay and allowances, and confinement at hard labor for one year. 

(_b_) When at the time of desertion he shall have been three months ormore, but less than six months, in the service, dishonorable discharge, with forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and confinement at hard laborfor eighteen months. 

(_c_) When at the time of desertion he shall have been six months ormore in the service, dishonorable discharge, with forfeiture of all payand allowances, and confinement at hard labor for two years and sixmonths. 

3. The foregoing limitations will be subject to modification under thefollowing conditions:

(_a_) The punishment of a deserter may be increased by one year ofconfinement at hard labor in consideration of each previous convictionof desertion, and also by dishonorable discharge and forfeiture of allpay and allowances when not already authorized. 

(_b_) The punishment for desertion when joined in by two or moresoldiers in the execution of a conspiracy, or for desertion in thepresence of an outbreak of Indians or of any unlawful assemblage whichthe troops may be opposing, shall not exceed dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and confinement at hard laborfor five years. 

II. Except as herein otherwise indicated, punishments shall not exceedthe limits prescribed in the following table:

 Offenses. Limit of punishment. 

 _Under seventeenth article of war_. 

 Selling horse or arms, Three years' confinement at hard either or both labor; for noncommissioned officer, reduction in addition thereto. [19]

 Selling accouterments Four months confinement at hard labor; for noncommissioned officer, reduction in addition thereto. [19]

 Selling clothing Two months' confinement at hard labor; for noncommissioned officer, reduction in addition thereto. [19]

 Losing or spoiling horse Four months' confinement at hard or arms through neglect labor; for noncommissioned officer, reduction in addition thereto. [19]

 Losing or spoiling One month's confinement at hard accouterments or clothing labor; for noncommissioned officer, through neglect reduction in addition thereto. [19]

 _Under twentieth article of war_. 

 Behaving himself with Six months' confinement at hard labor disrespect toward his and forfeiture of $10 per month for commanding officer the same period; for noncommissioned officer, reduction in addition thereto. 

 _Under twenty-fourth article of war_. 

 Refusal to obey or using Dishonorable discharge, with violence to officer or forfeiture of all pay and allowances, noncommissioned officer and imprisonment for 2 years. While quelling quarrels or disorders

 _Under thirty-first article of war_. 

 Lying out of quarters Forfeiture of $2; corporal, $3; sergeant, $4. 

 _Under thirty-second article of war_. 

 Absence without leave--

 Less than 1 hour (not Forfeiture of 50 cents; corporal, $1; including absence from sergeant, $2. A roll call)

 Less than 1 hour Forfeiture of $1; corporal, $2; (including absence from sergeant, $3; first sergeant or a roll call) noncommissioned officer of higher grade, $4. 

 From 1 to 6 hours Forfeiture of $2; corporal, $3; sergeant, $4; first sergeant or noncommissioned officer of higher grade, $5. 

 From 6 to 12 hours Forfeiture of $3; corporal, $4; sergeant, $6; first sergeant or noncommissioned officer of higher grade, $7. 

 From 12 to 24 hours Forfeiture of $5; corporal, $6; sergeant, $7; first sergeant or noncommissioned officer of higher grade, $10. 

 From 24 to 48 hours Forfeiture of $6 and 5 days' confinement at hard labor. For corporal, forfeiture of $8; sergeant, $10; first sergeant or noncommissioned officer of higher grade, $12; or for all noncommissioned officers, reduction. 

 From 2 to 9 days Forfeiture of $10 and 10 days' confinement at hard labor; for noncommissioned officer, reduction in addition thereto. 

 From 10 to 29 days Forfeiture of $20 and 1 month's confinement at hard labor; for noncommissioned officer, reduction in addition thereto. 

 From 30 to 90 days Three months' confinement at hard labor and forfeiture of $10 per month for same period; for noncommissioned officer, reduction in addition thereto. 

 For more than 90 days Dishonorable discharge and forfeiture of all pay and allowances and 3 months' confinement at hard labor. 

 _Under thirty-third article of war_. 

 Failure to repair at the time fixed, etc. , to the place of parade for--

 Reveille or retreat roll call Forfeiture of 50 cents; corporal, $1; sergeant, $2; first sergeant, $3. 

 Guard detail Forfeiture of $5; corporal, $8; sergeant, $10. 

 Fatigue detail } Dress parade } The weekly inspection } Target practice } Forfeiture of $2; corporal, $3; Drill } sergeant, $5. Guard mounting (by musician) } Stable duty }

 _Under thirty-eighth article of war_. 

 Drunkenness on--

 Guard Six months' confinement at hard labor and forfeiture of $10 per month for the same period; for noncommissioned officer, reduction in addition thereto. 

 Duty as company cook Forfeiture of $10. 

 Extra or special duty } At drill } At target practice } At parade } Forfeiture of $6; for At inspection } noncommissioned officer, reduction At inspection of company guard } and forfeiture of $10. Detail } At stable duty }

 _Under fortieth article of war_. 

 Quitting guard Six months' confinement at hard labor and forfeiture of $10 per month for the same period; for noncommissioned officer, reduction in addition thereto. 

 _Under fifty-first article of war_. 

 Persuading soldiers to desert Six months' confinement at hard labor and forfeiture of $10 per month for the same period; for noncommissioned officer, reduction in addition thereto. 

 _Under sixtieth article of war_ Dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and 4 years' imprisonment. 

 _Under sixty-second article of war_. 

 Manslaughter Dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and 10 years' imprisonment. 

 Assault with intent to kill Dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and 10 years' imprisonment. 

 Burglary Dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and 5 years' imprisonment. 

 Forgery Dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and 4 years' imprisonment. 

 Perjury Dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and 4 years' imprisonment. 

 False swearing Dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and 2 years' imprisonment. 

 Robbery Dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and 6 years' imprisonment. 

 Larceny or embezzlement of property of the value of--[20]

 More than $100 Dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and 4 years' imprisonment. 

 $100 or less and more than $50 Dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and 3 years' imprisonment. 

 $50 or less and more than $20 Dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and 2 years' imprisonment. 

 $20 or less Dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and 1 year's imprisonment. 

 Disobedience of orders, Six months' confinement at hard involving willful defiance labor and forfeiture of $10 per of the authority of a month for the same period; for noncommissioned officer in noncommissioned officer, reduction charge of a guard or party in addition thereto. 

 Using threatening or insulting One month's confinement at hard language or behaving in an labor and forfeiture of $10; for insubordinate manner to a noncommissioned officer, reduction noncommissioned officer while in addition thereto. In the execution of his office

 Absence from fatigue duty Forfeiture of $4; corporal, $5; sergeant, $6. 

 Absence from extra or special Forfeiture of $4; corporal, $5; duty sergeant, $6. 

 Absence from duty as company Forfeiture of $10. Or hospital cook

 Introducing liquor into post or Forfeiture of $3; for noncommissioned camp in violation of standing officer, reduction and forfeiture orders of $5. 

 Drunkenness at post or Forfeiture of $3; for noncommissioned in quarters officer, reduction and forfeiture of $5. 

 Drunkenness and disorderly Forfeiture of $10 and 7 days' conduct, causing the offender's confinement at hard labor; for arrest and conviction by civil noncommissioned officer, reduction authorities at a place within and forfeiture of $12. 10 miles of his station

 Noisy or disorderly conduct in Forfeiture of $4; corporal, $7; quarters sergeant, $10. 

 Abuse by noncommissioned Reduction, 3 months' confinement at officer of his authority over hard labor, and forfeiture of $10 per an inferior month for the same period. 

 Noncommissioned officer Reduction and forfeiture of $5. Encouraging gambling

 Noncommissioned officer making Reduction, forfeiture of $8, and 10 false report days' confinement at hard labor. 

 Sentinel allowing a prisoner Six months' confinement at hard labor under his charge to escape and forfeiture of $10 per month for through neglect the same period. 

 Sentinel willfully suffering Dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of prisoner under his charge to all pay and allowances, and 1 year's escape imprisonment. 

 Sentinel allowing a prisoner Two months' confinement at hard labor under his charge to obtain and forfeiture of $10 per month for liquor the same period. 

 Sentinel or member of guard Two months' confinement at hard labor drinking liquor with prisoners and forfeiture of $10 per month for the same period. 

 Disrespect or affront to Two month's confinement at hard labor a sentinel and forfeiture of $10 per month for the same period; for noncommissioned officer, reduction in addition thereto. 

 Resisting or disobeying sentinel Six months' confinement at hard labor in lawful execution of his duty and forfeiture of $10 per month for the same period; for noncommissioned officer, reduction in addition thereto. 

 Lewd or indecent exposure of Three month's confinement at hard person labor and forfeiture of $10 per month for the same period; for noncommissioned officer, reduction in addition thereto. 

[Footnote 19: In addition to the stoppages "sufficient for repairing theloss or damage, " which the law requires the court-martial to adjudge. The court's action under this requirement in the case of sale or lossthrough neglect of clothing shall be limited to a confirmation of thecharge made against the offender on his clothing account. ]

[Footnote 20: In specifications to charges of larceny or embezzlementthe value of the property shall be stated. ]

III. (1) When a soldier shall be found guilty of an offense cognizablewhen committed for the first time by an inferior court-martial, hispunishment therefor may exceed the prescribed limit by one-half if itshall appear that during his current enlistment and within two yearspreceding his trial he has been once convicted of one offense or more;it may be doubled if he has been twice so convicted, and it may beincreased by one-half of the prescribed limit for every such previousconviction: _Provided_, That upon proof of five or more previousconvictions the punishment may be that authorized for a fifthconviction, or dishonorable discharge with forfeiture of all pay andallowances. When found guilty of an offense cognizable only by a generalcourt-martial, and on proof of five or more previous convictions withinthe two years, dishonorable discharge with forfeiture of all pay andallowances may be added to any confinement at hard labor. And whena noncommissioned officer shall be found guilty of an offense notpunishable by reduction, reduction may be added to the punishment if itshall appear that he has been convicted of a military offense within oneyear and during his current enlistment. 

(2) After arriving at the findings a court-martial may be opened toreceive evidence of previous convictions. These convictions must beproved by the records of previous trials or by duly authenticated orderspromulgating the same, showing the actual offenses of which the soldierwas convicted, except in the cases of convictions by summary court, whena duly authenticated copy of the record of said court shall be deemedsufficient proof. Charges forwarded to the authority ordering a generalcourt-martial or submitted to a summary garrison or regimental courtmust be accompanied by the proper evidence of such previous convictionsas may have to be considered in determining upon a sentence. Paragraphs1017 and 1018 of the Regulations are superseded by this order. 

IV. This order prescribes the _maximum_ limit of punishment for theoffenses named, and this limit is intended for those cases where theseverest punishment should be awarded. In other cases the punishmentmust be graded down according to the extenuating circumstances. Offensesnot herein provided for remain punishable as authorized by the Articlesof War and the custom of the service. 

V. Summary courts are subject to the restrictions named in theeighty-third article of war. Soldiers against whom charges may bepreferred for trial by summary court shall not be confined in theguardhouse, but shall be placed in arrest in quarters before and duringtrial and while awaiting sentence, unless in particular cases restraintmay be deemed necessary. 

VI. The following substitutions for punishments named in Section II ofthis order are authorized, at the discretion of the court:

Detention of pay to the extent of four times the amount of theforfeiture; two days' confinement at hard labor for $1 of forfeited pay;one day's solitary confinement on bread and water diet for two days'confinement at hard labor or for $1 of forfeited pay: _Provided_, That anoncommissioned officer not sentenced to reduction shall not be subjectto confinement: _And provided_, That solitary confinement shall notexceed fourteen days at one time nor be repeated until fourteen dayshave elapsed, and shall not exceed eighty-four days in one year. Wherever the limit herein prescribed for an offense or offenses maybe brought within the punishing power of inferior courts-martial, as defined by the eighty-third article of war, by substitution ofpunishment under the provisions of this section, the aforesaid courtsshall be deemed to have jurisdiction of such offense or offenses. 

VII. Sergeants shall not if they object thereto be brought to trialbefore regimental, garrison, or summary courts-martial without theauthority of the officer competent to order their trial by generalcourt-martial; nor shall sergeants of the post noncommissioned staffbe reduced, but they may be dishonorably discharged whenever reductionis included in the limit of punishment. Paragraphs 105 and 254 of theRegulations, the latter as amended by General Orders, No. 67, seriesof 1890, Adjutant-General's Office, are modified accordingly. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: REDFIELD PROCTOR, _Secretary of War_. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

MARCH 4, 1891. 

Special Departmental Rule No. 1 is hereby amended so as to includeamong the places excepted from examination therein the following:

 In the Department of Agriculture, in the office of the Secretary: Clerk to act as appointment clerk. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

MARCH 16, 1891. 

Special Departmental Rule No. 1 is hereby amended so as to include amongthe places excepted from examination therein the following:

 In the Post-Office Department, office of the First Assistant Postmaster-General: Assistant superintendent of free delivery. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

APRIL 3, 1891. 

Special Departmental Rule No. 1 is hereby amended so as to include amongthe places excepted from examination therein the following:

 In the Treasury Department, office of the Secretary: One clerk in the office of the disbursing clerk. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

CIVIL SERVICE--CLASSIFICATION OF INDIAN SERVICE. 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, _Washington, April 13, 1891_. 

By direction of the President of the United States and in accordancewith the third clause of section 6 of an act entitled "An act toregulate and improve the civil service of the United States, " approvedJanuary 16, 1883--

_It is ordered_, That all physicians, school superintendents andassistant superintendents, school-teachers, and matrons in the Indianservice be, and they are hereby, arranged in the following classes, without regard to salary or compensation:

Class 1. Physicians. 

Class 2. School superintendents and assistant superintendents. 

Class 3. School-teachers. 

Class 4. Matrons. 

_Provided_, That no person who may be required by law to be appointedto an office by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, andthat no person who may be employed merely as a laborer or workman or inconnection with any contract schools, shall be considered as within thisclassification, and no person so employed shall be assigned to theduties of a classified place. 

_It is further ordered_, That no person shall be admitted to any placenot excepted from examination by the civil-service rules in any ofthe classes above designated until he or she shall have passed anappropriate examination under the United States Civil Service Commissionand his or her eligibility has been certified to by said Commission orthe appropriate board of examiners. 

JOHN W. NOBLE, _Secretary_. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _April 13, 1891_. 

The Secretary of the Interior:

I approve of the within classification, and if you see no reason tosuggest any further modification you will please put it in force. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENTS OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

APRIL 13, 1891. 

Clause (_c_) of section 2 of General Rule III is hereby revoked, andclauses (_d_), (_e_), (_f_), (_g_) and (_h_) are lettered, respectively, (_c_), (_d_), (_e_), (_f_), and (_g_). 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. 

EXECUTIVE ORDER. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _May 25, 1891_. 

_It is hereby ordered_, That the several Executive Departments and theGovernment Printing Office be closed on Saturday, the 30th instant, toenable the employees to participate in the decoration of the graves ofthe soldiers and sailors who fell in defense of the Union during the Warof the Rebellion. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, D. C. , July 6, 1891_. 

_To the People of the United States_:

The President, with a profound feeling of sorrow, announces the death ofHannibal Hamlin, at one time Vice-President of the United States, whodied at Bangor, Me. , on the evening of Saturday, July 4. 

Few men in this country have filled more important and moredistinguished public positions than Mr. Hamlin, and in recognition ofhis many eminent and varied services and as an expression of the greatrespect and reverence which are felt for his memory it is ordered thatthe national flag be displayed at half-mast upon the public buildings ofthe United States on the day of his funeral. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: WILLIAM F. WHARTON, _Acting Secretary of State_. 

AMENDMENTS OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _August 6, 1891_. 

The civil-service rules are hereby amended as follows:

GENERAL RULE II. 

In line 1 strike out the word "four" and insert in lieu thereof the word"five. " Add at the end of the rule the following:

 5. The classified Indian service. 

GENERAL RULE III. 

Strike out paragraphs 1 and 2 of section 6 of General Rule III andinsert in lieu thereof the following:

 So far as practicable and useful, competitive examinations shall be established in the classified civil service to test fitness for promotion, under such regulations as the Commission may make. Until such regulations have been applied to any part of the classified service promotions therein shall be made in the manner prescribed by the rule applicable thereto. 

DEPARTMENTAL RULE VI. 

Strike out the first sentence of section 6 and transfer the remainingsentence to section 5. Change the numbers of sections 7, 8, 9, and 10to 6, 7, 8, and 9, respectively. 

CUSTOMS RULE III. 

Strike out the first sentence of section 5 and transfer the remainingsentence to section 4. Change the numbers of sections 6, 7, 8, and 9to 5, 6, 7, and 8, respectively. 

POSTAL RULE III. 

Strike out the first sentence of section 5 and transfer the remainingsentence to section 4. Change the numbers of sections 6, 7, 8, and 9to 5, 6, 7, and 8, respectively. 

RAILWAY MAIL RULE III. 

Strike out the first sentence of section 7 and transfer the remainingsentence to section 4. Change the numbers of sections 8, 9, 10, 11, and12 to 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, respectively. 

RAILWAY MAIL RULE II. 

Insert an additional clause to section 5, as follows:

 (_f_) Transfer clerks at junction points or stations where not more than two such clerks are employed. 

RAILWAY MAIL RULE IV. 

Insert an additional proviso at the end of clause (_b_) of section 2, asfollows:

 _Provided further_, That on a line on which the service does not require the full time of a clerk, and one can be employed jointly with the railroad company, the appointment may be made without examination and certification, with the consent of the Commission, upon a statement of the facts by the General Superintendent; but no clerk so appointed shall be eligible for transfer or appointment to any other place in the service. 

In section 6, line 3, strike out the word "twenty" and insert in lieuthereof the word "ten. "

In section 7, line 6, strike out the word "thirty" and insert in lieuthereof the word "sixty;" in the same line strike out the word "to" andinsert in lieu thereof the words "in periods of;" in line 7 strike outthe words "who have been in the railway mail service. "

BENJ. HARRISON. 

CIVIL SERVICE--INDIAN RULES. 

INDIAN RULE I. 

The classified Indian service shall include all the physicians, schoolsuperintendents, assistant superintendents, school-teachers, and matronsin that service, classified under the provisions of section 6 of the actto regulate and improve the civil service of the United States, approvedJanuary 16, 1883. 

INDIAN RULE II. 

1. To test fitness for admission to the classified Indian serviceexaminations of a practical character shall be provided on such subjectsas the Commission may direct for physician, superintendent, assistantsuperintendent, teachers, and matrons. 

2. The following age limitations shall apply to applicants forexamination for the classified Indian service: For physician, not under25 years of age nor over 45; for superintendent, not under 25 nor over50; for assistant superintendent and for teacher, not under 20 nor over50; for matron, not under 25 nor over 55: _Provided_, That theselimitations shall not apply to the wives of superintendents of Indianschools who apply for the position of matron, nor shall the maximumlimitations apply to persons allowed preference under section 1754, Revised Statutes, by the Commission. 

3. Blank forms of application shall be furnished by the Commission, andthe date of reception and also of approval by the Commission of eachapplication shall be noted on the application paper. 

INDIAN RULE III. 

1. The papers of every examination shall be marked under regulationsmade by the Commission. Bach competitor shall be graded on a scale of100, according to the general average determined by the markings. 

2. Immediately after the general average shall have been ascertainedeach competitor shall be notified that he has passed or has failed topass. 

3. A competitor who has failed to pass an examination may, with theconsent of the Commission, be allowed reexamination at any time withinsix months from the date of failure without filing a new application;but if he be not allowed reexamination within six months he shall berequired to file a new application before being again examined. 

4. No eligible shall be allowed reexamination during the period of hiseligibility unless he shall furnish satisfactory evidence to theCommission that at the time of his examination, because of illness orother good cause, he was incapable of doing himself justice; and hisrating on such reexamination shall cancel and be a substitute for hisrating on his former examination. 

5. All competitors whose claim to preference under section 1754 of theRevised Statutes have been allowed by the Commission who attain ageneral average of 65 per cent or over, and all other competitors whoattain a general average of 70 per cent or over, shall be eligible forappointment to the place for which they were examined. The names of allthe competitors thus rendered eligible shall be entered in the order ofgrade on the proper register of eligibles. 

6. When two or more eligibles are of the same grade, preference incertification shall be determined by the order in which the applicationpapers are filed. 

7. For the Indian service there shall be four districts and a separateregister of eligibles for each grade of examination for each district, the names of males and females being listed separately on each register. The districts shall be comprised as follows: No. 1, of the States ofMichigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, SouthDakota, Montana, and Wyoming; No. 2, of the States of Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and that part of California lying north of thethirty-seventh parallel of latitude, and the Territory of Utah; No. 3, of that part of California lying south of the thirty-seventh parallel oflatitude, the Territories of Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, the IndianTerritory, and the States of Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas; No. 4, of all the States of the United States notembraced in any of the foregoing districts, together with the Districtof Columbia. Upon the written request of any eligible his name shall beentered upon the register of any one or more of the districts other thanthat in which he resides: _Provided_, That he shall state in writing hiswillingness to accept service wherever assigned in any such district. 

8. The period of eligibility to appointment shall be one year from thedate on which the name of the eligible is entered on the register unlessotherwise determined by regulation of the Commission. 

INDIAN RULE IV. 

1. All vacancies, unless filled by promotion, transfer, orreappointment, shall be filled in the following manner:

(_a_) The Commissioner of Indian Affairs, through the Secretary of theInterior, shall, in form and manner to be prescribed by the Commission, request the certification to him of male or female eligibles from thedistrict in which the vacancy exists. 

(_b_) If fitness for the vacant place is tested by competitiveexamination, the Commission shall certify from the proper register ofthe district in which the vacancy exists the names of the threeeligibles thereon of the sex called for having the highest averages:_Provided_, That the eligibles upon any register who have been allowedpreference under section 1754 of the Revised Statutes shall be certifiedaccording to their grade before all other eligibles thereon: _Andprovided further_, That if the vacancy is in the grade of matron orteacher, and the wife of the superintendent of the school in which thevacancy exists is an eligible, she may be given preference incertification if the appointing officer so requests. 

2. Of the three names certified to him the appointing officer shallselect one, and if at the time of making this selection there are morevacancies than one he may select more than one: _Provided_, That if theappointing officer to whom certification has been made shall object inwriting to any eligible named in the certificate, stating that becauseof physical incapacity or for other good cause particularly specifiedsuch eligible is not capable of properly performing the duties of thevacant place, the Commission may, upon investigation and ascertainmentof the fact that the objection made is good and well founded, direct thecertification of another eligible in place of the one objected to. 

3. Each person thus designated for appointment shall be notified, and upon indicating acceptance shall be appointed for a probationaryperiod--if a physician, for six months, and if a school employee, toexpire at the end of the then current school year--at the end of whichperiod, if his conduct and capacity be satisfactory to the appointingofficer, he shall receive absolute appointment; but if his conduct andcapacity be not satisfactory to said officer he shall be so notified, and this notification shall be his discharge from the service:_Provided_, That any probationer may be discharged during probation formisconduct or evident unfitness or incapacity. 

4. The Commissioner of Indian Affairs shall require the officerunder whom a probationer may be serving to carefully observe andreport in writing upon the services rendered by and the character andqualifications of such probationer as to punctuality, industry, habits, ability, and adaptability. These reports shall be preserved on file, andthe Commission may prescribe the form and manner in which they shall bemade. 

5. In case of the sudden occurrence of a vacancy in any school during aschool term which the public interest requires to be immediately filled, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs is authorized, in his discretion, to provide for the temporary filling of the same until a regularappointment can be made under the provisions of sections 1, 2, and 3of this rule, and when such regular appointment is made the temporaryappointment shall terminate. All temporary appointments made under thisauthority and their termination shall at once be reported to theCommission. 

INDIAN RULE V. 

Until promotion regulations shall have been applied to the classifiedIndian service promotions therein may be made upon any test of fitnessdetermined upon by the promoting officer if not disapproved by theCommission: _Provided_, That preference in promotion in any school shallbe given to those longest in the service unless there are good reasonsto the contrary; and when such reasons prevail they shall, through theproper channels, be reported to the Commission: _And provided further_, That no one shall be promoted to any grade he could not enter byoriginal appointment under the minimum age limitation applied theretoby Indian Rule II, section 2, and that no one shall be promoted to thegrade of physician from any other grade. 

INDIAN RULE VI. 

Subject to the conditions stated in Rule IV, transfers may be made afterabsolute appointment from one school to another and from one district toanother under such regulations as the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, with the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, may prescribe. 

INDIAN RULE VII. 

Upon the requisition of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, throughthe Secretary of the Interior, the Commission shall certify forreinstatement in a grade or class no higher than that in which he wasformerly employed any person who within one year next preceding thedate of the requisition has through no delinquency or misconductbeen separated from the classified Indian service: _Provided_, Thatcertification may be made, subject to the other conditions of this rule, for the reinstatement of any person who served in the military or navalservice of the United States in the late War of the Rebellion and washonorably discharged therefrom, without regard to the length of timehe has been separated from the service. 

INDIAN RULE VIII. 

The Commissioner of Indian Affairs shall report to the Commission--

(_a_) Every probational and every absolute appointment in the classifiedIndian service. 

(_b_) Every refusal to make an absolute appointment and the reasontherefor, and every refusal to accept an appointment. 

(_c_) Every separation from the classified Indian service and the causeof such separation, whether death, resignation, or dismissal. 

(_d_) Every restoration to the classified Indian service. 

These rules shall take effect October 1, 1891. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL SERVICE RULES. 

OCTOBER 9, 1891. 

General Rule III, clause 6, is hereby amended by striking out the words"under such regulations as the Commission may make" and substitutingtherefor the following: "under regulations to be approved by thePresident;" so that as amended the clause will read as follows:

 So far as practicable and useful competitive examinations shall be established in the classified civil service to test fitness for promotion under regulations to be approved by the President. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

Whereas civil-service rules for the Indian service were approved to takeeffect October 1, 1891; and

Whereas it is represented to me by the Civil Service Commission in acommunication of this date that no persons have as yet been examined forappointment to that service, and that it seems probable that completearrangements for putting said rules into full effect will not be madesooner than March 1, 1892:

_It is therefore ordered_, That said Indian rules shall take effectMarch 1, 1892, instead of October 1, 1891: _Provided_, That said rulesshall become operative and take effect in any district of the Indianservice as soon as an eligible register for such district shall beprovided, if it shall be prior to the date above fixed. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _October 13, 1891_. 

Upon the recommendation of the Commission the foregoing order isapproved. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

NOVEMBER 24, 1891. 

Special Departmental Rule No. 1 is hereby amended so as to include amongthe places excepted from examination the following:

 In the Department of the Treasury, in the Bureau of Statistics: One confidential clerk to the Chief of the Bureau. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, December 4, 1891_. 

SIR:[21] In my message to the first session of the Fifty-first CongressI said:

 I have suggested to the heads of the Executive Departments that they consider whether a record might not be kept in each bureau of all those elements that are covered by the terms "faithfulness" and "efficiency, " and a rating made showing the relative merits of the clerks of each class, this rating to be regarded as a test of merit in making promotions. 

In some of the Departments this suggestion has been acted upon in partat least, and I now direct that in your Department a plan be at oncedevised and put in operation for keeping an efficiency record of allpersons within the classified service, with a view to placing promotionswholly upon the basis of merit. 

It is intended to make provision for carrying into effect thestipulations of the civil-service law in relation to promotions inthe classified service. To that end the rule requiring compulsoryexamination has been rescinded. In my opinion the examination forpromotion of those who present themselves should be chiefly, if notwholly, upon their knowledge of the work of the bureau or Department towhich they belong and the record of efficiency made by them during theirprevious service. I think the records of efficiency kept from day to dayshould be open to the inspection of the clerks. 

Very respectfully, yours, BENJ. HARRISON. 

[Footnote 21: Addressed to the heads of the Executive Departments. ]

THIRD ANNUAL MESSAGE. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _December 9, 1891_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

The reports of the heads of the several Executive Departments, requiredby law to be submitted to me, which are herewith transmitted, and thereports of the Secretary of the Treasury and the Attorney-General, madedirectly to Congress, furnish a comprehensive view of the administrativework of the last fiscal year relating to internal affairs. It would beof great advantage if these reports could have an attentive perusal byevery member of Congress and by all who take an interest in publicaffairs. Such a perusal could not fail to excite a higher appreciationof the vast labor and conscientious effort which are given to theconduct of our civil administration. 

The reports will, I believe, show that every question has beenapproached, considered, and decided from the standpoint of public dutyand upon considerations affecting the public interests alone. Again Iinvite to every branch of the service the attention and scrutiny ofCongress. 

The work of the State Department during the last year has beencharacterized by an unusual number of important negotiations and bydiplomatic results of a notable and highly beneficial character. Amongthese are the reciprocal trade arrangements which have been concluded, in the exercise of the powers conferred by section 3 of the tariff law, with the Republic of Brazil, with Spain for its West India possessions, and with Santo Domingo. Like negotiations with other countries have beenmuch advanced, and it is hoped that before the close of the year furtherdefinitive trade arrangements of great value will be concluded. 

In view of the reports which had been received as to the diminution ofthe seal herds in the Bering Sea, I deemed it wise to propose to HerMajesty's Government in February last that an agreement for a closedseason should be made pending the negotiations for arbitration, whichthen seemed to be approaching a favorable conclusion. After muchcorrespondence and delays, for which this Government was notresponsible, an agreement was reached and signed on the 15th of June, bywhich Great Britain undertook from that date and until May 1, 1892, toprohibit the killing by her subjects of seals in the Bering Sea, and theGovernment of the United States during the same period to enforce itsexisting prohibition against pelagic sealing and to limit the catch bythe fur-seal company upon the islands to 7, 500 skins. If this agreementcould have been reached earlier in response to the strenuous endeavorsof this Government, it would have been more effective; but coming evenas late as it did it unquestionably resulted in greatly diminishing thedestruction of the seals by the Canadian sealers. 

In my last annual message I stated that the basis of arbitrationproposed by Her Majesty's Government for the adjustment of thelong-pending controversy as to the seal fisheries was not acceptable. I am glad now to be able to announce that terms satisfactory to thisGovernment have been agreed upon and that an agreement as to thearbitrators is all that is necessary to the completion of theconvention. In view of the advanced position which this Government hastaken upon the subject of international arbitration, this renewedexpression of our adherence to this method for the settlement ofdisputes such as have arisen in the Bering Sea will, I doubt not, meetwith the concurrence of Congress. 

Provision should be made for a joint demarcation of the frontier linebetween Canada and the United States wherever required by the increasingborder settlements, and especially for the exact location of the waterboundary in the straits and rivers. 

I should have been glad to announce some favorable disposition of theboundary dispute between Great Britain and Venezuela touching thewestern frontier of British Guiana, but the friendly efforts of theUnited States in that direction have thus far been unavailing. ThisGovernment will continue to express its concern at any appearance offoreign encroachment on territories long under the administrativecontrol of American States. The determination of a disputed boundaryis easily attainable by amicable arbitration where the rights of therespective parties rest, as here, on historic facts readilyascertainable. 

The law of the last Congress providing a system of inspection for ourmeats intended for export, and clothing the President with power toexclude foreign products from our market in case the country sendingthem should perpetuate unjust discriminations against any product of theUnited States, placed this Government in a position to effectively urgethe removal of such discriminations against our meats. It is gratifyingto be able to state that Germany, Denmark, Italy, Austria, and France, in the order named, have opened their ports to inspected American porkproducts. The removal of these restrictions in every instance was askedfor and given solely upon the ground that we have now provided a meatinspection that should be accepted as adequate to the complete removalof the dangers, real or fancied, which had been previously urged. TheState Department, our ministers abroad, and the Secretary of Agriculturehave cooperated with unflagging and intelligent zeal for theaccomplishment of this great result. The outlines of an agreement havebeen reached with Germany looking to equitable trade concessions inconsideration of the continued free importation of her sugars, but thetime has not yet arrived when this correspondence can be submitted toCongress. 

The recent political disturbances in the Republic of Brazil haveexcited regret and solicitude. The information we possessed was toomeager to enable us to form a satisfactory judgment of the causesleading to the temporary assumption of supreme power by PresidentFonseca; but this Government did not fail to express to him its anxioussolicitude for the peace of Brazil and for the maintenance of the freepolitical institutions which had recently been established there, nor tooffer our advice that great moderation should be observed in the clashof parties and the contest for leadership. These counsels were receivedin the most friendly spirit, and the latest information is thatconstitutional government has been reestablished without bloodshed. 

The lynching at New Orleans in March last of eleven men of Italiannativity by a mob of citizens was a most deplorable and discreditableincident. It did not, however, have its origin in any general animosityto the Italian people, nor in any disrespect to the Government of Italy, with which our relations were of the most friendly character. The furyof the mob was directed against these men as the supposed participantsor accessories in the murder of a city officer. I do not allude to thisas mitigating in any degree this offense against law and humanity, butonly as affecting the international questions which grew out of it. Itwas at once represented by the Italian minister that several of thosewhose lives had been taken by the mob were Italian subjects, and ademand was made for the punishment of the participants and for anindemnity to the families of those who were killed. It is to beregretted that the manner in which these claims were presented was notsuch as to promote a calm discussion of the questions involved; but thismay well be attributed to the excitement and indignation which the crimenaturally evoked. The views of this Government as to its obligations toforeigners domiciled here were fully stated in the correspondence, aswell as its purpose to make an investigation of the affair with a viewto determine whether there were present any circumstances that couldunder such rules of duty as we had indicated create an obligation uponthe United States. The temporary absence of a minister plenipotentiaryof Italy at this capital has retarded the further correspondence, butit is not doubted that a friendly conclusion is attainable. 

Some suggestions growing out of this unhappy incident are worthy theattention of Congress. It would, I believe, be entirely competent forCongress to make offenses against the treaty rights of foreignersdomiciled in the United States cognizable in the Federal courts. Thishas not, however, been done, and the Federal officers and courts have nopower in such cases to intervene, either for the protection of a foreigncitizen or for the punishment of his slayers. It seems to me to follow, in this state of the law, that the officers of the State charged withpolice and judicial powers in such cases must in the consideration ofinternational questions growing out of such incidents be regarded insuch sense as Federal agents as to make this Government answerable fortheir acts in cases where it would be answerable if the United Stateshad used its constitutional power to define and punish crime againsttreaty rights. 

The civil war in Chile, which began in January last, was continued, butfortunately with infrequent and not important armed collisions, untilAugust 28, when the Congressional forces landed near Valparaiso andafter a bloody engagement captured that city. President Balmaceda atonce recognized that his cause was lost, and a Provisional Governmentwas speedily established by the victorious party. Our minister waspromptly directed to recognize and put himself in communication withthis Government so soon as it should have established its _de facto_character, which was done. During the pendency of this civil contestfrequent indirect appeals were made to this Government to extendbelligerent rights to the insurgents and to give audience to theirrepresentatives. This was declined, and that policy was pursuedthroughout which this Government when wrenched by civil war sostrenuously insisted upon on the part of European nations. The _Itata_, an armed vessel commanded by a naval officer of the insurgent fleet, manned by its sailors and with soldiers on board, was seized underprocess of the United States court at San Diego, Cal. , for a violationof our neutrality laws. While in the custody of an officer of the courtthe vessel was forcibly wrested from his control and put to sea. Itwould have been inconsistent with the dignity and self-respect of thisGovernment not to have insisted that the _Itata_ should be returned toSan Diego to abide the judgment of the court. This was so clear to thejunta of the Congressional party, established at Iquique, that beforethe arrival of the _Itata_ at that port the secretary of foreignrelations of the Provisional Government addressed to Rear-Admiral Brown, commanding the United States naval forces, a communication, from whichthe following is an extract:

 The Provisional Government has learned by the cablegrams of the Associated Press that the transport _Itata_, detained in San Diego by order of the United States for taking on board munitions of war, and in possession of the marshal, left the port, carrying on board this official, who was landed at a point near the coast, and then continued her voyage. * * * If this news be correct this Government would deplore the conduct of the _Itata_, and as an evidence that it is not disposed to support or agree to the infraction of the laws of the United States the undersigned takes advantage of the personal relations you have been good enough to maintain with him since your arrival in this port to declare to you that as soon as she is within reach of our orders his Government will put the _Itata_, with the arms and munitions she took on board in San Diego, at the disposition of the United States. 

A trial in the district court of the United States for the southerndistrict of California has recently resulted in a decision holding, among other things, that inasmuch as the Congressional party had notbeen recognized as a belligerent the acts done in its interest could notbe a violation of our neutrality laws. From this judgment the UnitedStates has appealed, not that the condemnation of the vessel is a matterof importance, but that we may know what the present state of our lawis; for if this construction of the statute is correct there is obviousnecessity for revision and amendment. 

During the progress of the war in Chile this Government tendered itsgood offices to bring about a peaceful adjustment, and it was at onetime hoped that a good result might be reached; but in this we weredisappointed. 

The instructions to our naval officers and to our minister at Santiagofrom the first to the last of this struggle enjoined upon them the mostimpartial treatment and absolute noninterference. I am satisfied thatthese instructions were observed and that our representatives werealways watchful to use their influence impartially in the interest ofhumanity, and on more than one occasion did so effectively. We could notforget, however, that this Government was in diplomatic relations withthe then established Government of Chile, as it is now in such relationswith the successor of that Government. I am quite sure that PresidentMontt, who has, under circumstances of promise for the peace of Chile, been installed as President of that Republic, will not desire that inthe unfortunate event of any revolt against his authority the policyof this Government should be other than that which we have recentlyobserved. No official complaint of the conduct of our minister orof our naval officers during the struggle has been presented to thisGovernment, and it is a matter of regret that so many of our ownpeople should have given ear to unofficial charges and complaints thatmanifestly had their origin in rival interests and in a wish to pervertthe relations of the United States with Chile. 

The collapse of the Government of Balmaceda brought about a conditionwhich is unfortunately too familiar in the history of the Central andSouth American States. With the overthrow of the Balmaceda Governmenthe and many of his councilors and officers became at once fugitives fortheir lives, and appealed to the commanding officers of the foreignnaval vessels in the harbor of Valparaiso and to the resident foreignministers at Santiago for asylum. This asylum was freely given, according to my information, by the naval vessels of several foreignpowers and by several of the legations at Santiago. The Americanminister as well as his colleagues, acting upon the impulse of humanity, extended asylum to political refugees whose lives were in peril. I havenot been willing to direct the surrender of such of these persons as arestill in the American legation without suitable conditions. 

It is believed that the Government of Chile is not in a position, inview of the precedents with which it has been connected, to broadly denythe right of asylum, and the correspondence has not thus far presentedany such denial. The treatment of our minister for a time was such as tocall for a decided protest, and it was very gratifying to observe thatunfriendly measures, which were undoubtedly the result of the prevailingexcitement, were at once rescinded or suitably relaxed. 

On the 16th of October an event occurred in Valparaiso so serious andtragic in its circumstances and results as to very justly excite theindignation of our people and to call for prompt and decided action onthe part of this Government. A considerable number of the sailors of theUnited States steamship _Baltimore_, then in the harbor at Valparaiso, being upon shore leave and unarmed, were assaulted by armed men nearlysimultaneously in different localities in the city. One petty officerwas killed outright and seven or eight seamen were seriously wounded, one of whom has since died. So savage and brutal was the assault thatseveral of our sailors received more than two and one as many aseighteen stab wounds. An investigation of the affair was promptly madeby a board of officers of the _Baltimore_, and their report shows thatthese assaults were unprovoked, that our men were conducting themselvesin a peaceable and orderly manner, and that some of the police of thecity took part in the assault and used their weapons with fatal effect, while a few others, with some well-disposed citizens, endeavored toprotect our men. Thirty-six of our sailors were arrested, and some ofthem while being taken to prison were cruelly beaten and maltreated. The fact that they were all discharged, no criminal charge being lodgedagainst any one of them, shows very clearly that they were innocent ofany breach of the peace. 

So far as I have yet been able to learn no other explanation of thisbloody work has been suggested than that it had its origin in hostilityto those men as sailors of the United States, wearing the uniform oftheir Government, and not in any individual act or personal animosity. The attention of the Chilean Government was at once called to thisaffair, and a statement of the facts obtained by the investigation wehad conducted was submitted, accompanied by a request to be advised ofany other or qualifying facts in the possession of the ChileanGovernment that might tend to relieve this affair of the appearance ofan insult to this Government. The Chilean Government was also advisedthat if such qualifying facts did not exist this Government wouldconfidently expect full and prompt reparation. 

It is to be regretted that the reply of the secretary for foreignaffairs of the Provisional Government was couched in an offensive tone. To this no response has been made. This Government is now awaiting theresult of an investigation which has been conducted by the criminalcourt at Valparaiso. It is reported unofficially that the investigationis about completed, and it is expected that the result will soon becommunicated to this Government, together with some adequate andsatisfactory response to the note by which the attention of Chilewas called to this incident. If these just expectations should bedisappointed or further needless delay intervene, I will by a specialmessage bring this matter again to the attention of Congress forsuch action as may be necessary. The entire correspondence with theGovernment of Chile will at an early day be submitted to Congress. 

I renew the recommendation of my special message dated January 16, 1890, [22] for the adoption of the necessary legislation to enable thisGovernment to apply in the case of Sweden and Norway the same rule inrespect to the levying of tonnage dues as was claimed and secured to theshipping of the United States in 1828 under Article VIII of the treatyof 1827. 

The adjournment of the Senate without action on the pending acts forthe suppression of the slave traffic in Africa and for the reform ofthe revenue tariff of the Independent State of the Kongo left thisGovernment unable to exchange those acts on the date fixed, July 2, 1891. A _modus vivendi_ has been concluded by which the power of theKongo State to levy duties on imports is left unimpaired, and byagreement of all the signatories to the general slave trade act the timefor the exchange of ratifications on the part of the United States hasbeen extended to February 2, 1892. 

The late outbreak against foreigners in various parts of theChinese Empire has been a cause of deep concern in view of the numerousestablishments of our citizens in the interior of that country. ThisGovernment can do no less than insist upon a continuance of theprotective and punitory measures which the Chinese Government hasheretofore applied. No effort will be omitted to protect our citizenspeaceably sojourning in China, but recent unofficial informationindicates that what was at first regarded as an outbreak of mob violenceagainst foreigners has assumed the larger form of an insurrectionagainst public order. 

The Chinese Government has declined to receive Mr. Blair as the ministerof the United States on the ground that as a participant while a Senatorin the enactment of the existing legislation against the introduction ofChinese laborers he has become unfriendly and objectionable to China. I have felt constrained to point out to the Chinese Government theuntenableness of this position, which seems to rest as much on theunacceptability of our legislation as on that of the person chosen, and which if admitted would practically debar the selection of anyrepresentative so long as the existing laws remain in force. 

You will be called upon to consider the expediency of making specialprovision by law for the temporary admission of some Chinese artisansand laborers in connection with the exhibit of Chinese industries at theapproaching Columbian Exposition. I regard it as desirable that theChinese exhibit be facilitated in every proper way. 

A question has arisen with the Government of Spain touching the rightsof American citizens in the Caroline Islands. Our citizens there longprior to the confirmation of Spain's claim to the islands had securedby settlement and purchase certain rights to the recognition andmaintenance of which the faith of Spain was pledged. I have had reasonwithin the past year very strongly to protest against the failure tocarry out this pledge on the part of His Majesty's ministers, which hasresulted in great injustice and injury to the American residents. 

The Government and people of Spain propose to celebrate the fourhundredth anniversary of the discovery of America by holding anexposition at Madrid, which will open on the 12th of September andcontinue until the 31st of December, 1892. A cordial invitation hasbeen extended to the United States to take part in this commemoration, and as Spain was one of the first nations to express the intention toparticipate in the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago, it wouldbe very appropriate for this Government to give this invitation itsfriendly promotion. 

Surveys for the connecting links of the projected intercontinentalrailway are in progress, not only in Mexico, but at various points alongthe course mapped out. Three surveying parties are now in the fieldunder the direction of the commission. Nearly 1, 000 miles of theproposed road have been surveyed, including the most difficult part, that through Ecuador and the southern part of Colombia. The reports ofthe engineers are very satisfactory, and show that no insurmountableobstacles have been met with. 

On November 12, 1884, a treaty was concluded with Mexico reaffirmingthe boundary between the two countries as described in the treaties ofFebruary 2, 1848, and December 30, 1853. March 1, 1889, a further treatywas negotiated to facilitate the carrying out of the principles of thetreaty of 1884 and to avoid the difficulties occasioned by reason of thechanges and alterations that take place from natural causes in the RioGrande and Colorado rivers in the portions thereof constituting theboundary line between the two Republics. The International BoundaryCommission provided for by the treaty of 1889 to have exclusivejurisdiction of any question that may arise has been named by theMexican Government. An appropriation is necessary to enable the UnitedStates to fulfill its treaty obligations in this respect. 

The death of King Kalakaua in the United States afforded occasion totestify our friendship for Hawaii by conveying the King's body to hisown land in a naval vessel with all due honors. The Government of hissuccessor, Queen Liliuokolani, is seeking to promote closer commercialrelations with the United States. Surveys for the much-needed submarinecable from our Pacific coast to Honolulu are in progress, and thisenterprise should have the suitable promotion of the two Governments. I strongly recommend that provision be made for improving the harborof Pearl River and equipping it as a naval station. 

The arbitration treaty formulated by the International AmericanConference lapsed by reason of the failure to exchange ratificationsfully within the limit of time provided; but several of the Governmentsconcerned have expressed a desire to save this important result ofthe conference by an extension of the period. It is, in my judgment, incumbent upon the United States to conserve the influential initiativeit has taken in this measure by ratifying the instrument and byadvocating the proposed extension of the time for exchange. These viewshave been made known to the other signatories. 

This Government has found occasion to express in a friendly spirit, butwith much earnestness, to the Government of the Czar its serious concernbecause of the harsh measures now being enforced against the Hebrews inRussia. By the revival of antisemitic laws, long in abeyance, greatnumbers of those unfortunate people have been constrained to abandontheir homes and leave the Empire by reason of the impossibility offinding subsistence within the pale to which it is sought to confinethem. The immigration of these people to the United States--many othercountries being closed to them--is largely increasing and is likelyto assume proportions which may make it difficult to find homes andemployment for them here and to seriously affect the labor market. It isestimated that over 1, 000, 000 will be forced from Russia within a fewyears. The Hebrew is never a beggar; he has always kept the law--life bytoil--often under severe and oppressive civil restrictions. It is alsotrue that no race, sect, or class has more fully cared for its own thanthe Hebrew race. But the sudden transfer of such a multitude underconditions that tend to strip them of their small accumulations and todepress their energies and courage is neither good for them nor for us. 

The banishment, whether by direct decree or by not less certain indirectmethods, of so large a number of men and women is not a local question. A decree to leave one country is in the nature of things an order toenter another--some other. This consideration, as well as the suggestionof humanity, furnishes ample ground for the remonstrances which we havepresented to Russia, while our historic friendship for that Governmentcan not fail to give the assurance that our representations are those ofa sincere wellwisher. 

The annual report of the Maritime Canal Company of Nicaragua shows thatmuch costly and necessary preparatory work has been done during the yearin the construction of shops, railroad tracks, and harbor piers andbreakwaters, and that the work of canal construction has made someprogress. 

I deem it to be a matter of the highest concern to the United Statesthat this canal, connecting the waters of the Atlantic and Pacificoceans and giving to us a short water communication between our portsupon those two great seas, should be speedily constructed and at thesmallest practicable limit of cost. The gain in freights to the peopleand the direct saving to the Government of the United States in the useof its naval vessels would pay the entire cost of this work within ashort series of years. The report of the Secretary of the Navy shows thesaving in our naval expenditures which would result. 

The Senator from Alabama (Mr. Morgan) in his argument upon this subjectbefore the Senate at the last session did not overestimate theimportance of this work when he said that "the canal is the mostimportant subject now connected with the commercial growth and progressof the United States. "

If this work is to be promoted by the usual financial methodsand without the aid of this Government, the expenditures in itsinterest-bearing securities and stock will probably be twice the actualcost. This will necessitate higher tolls and constitute a heavy andaltogether needless burden upon our commerce and that of the world. Every dollar of the bonds and stock of the company should represent adollar expended in the legitimate and economical prosecution of thework. This is only possible by giving to the bonds the guaranty of theUnited States Government. Such a guaranty would secure the ready sale atpar of a 3 per cent bond from time to time as the money was needed. I donot doubt that built upon these business methods the canal would whenfully inaugurated earn its fixed charges and operating expenses. But ifits bonds are to be marketed at heavy discounts and every bond sold isto be accompanied by a gift of stock, as has come to be expected byinvestors in such enterprises, the traffic will be seriously burdened topay interest and dividends. I am quite willing to recommend Governmentpromotion in the prosecution of a work which, if no other means offeredfor securing its completion, is of such transcendent interest that theGovernment should, in my opinion, secure it by direct appropriationsfrom its Treasury. 

A guaranty of the bonds of the canal company to an amount necessaryto the completion of the canal could, I think, be so given as not toinvolve any serious risk of ultimate loss. The things to be carefullyguarded are the completion of the work within the limits of theguaranty, the subrogation of the United States to the rights of thefirst-mortgage bondholders for any amounts it may have to pay, and inthe meantime a control of the stock of the company as a security againstmismanagement and loss. I most sincerely hope that neither party norsectional lines will be drawn upon this great American project, so fullof interest to the people of all our States and so influential in itseffects upon the prestige and prosperity of our common country. 

The island of Navassa, in the West Indian group, has, under theprovisions of Title VII of the Revised Statutes, been recognized bythe President as appertaining to the United States. It contains guanodeposits, is owned by the Navassa Phosphate Company, and is occupiedsolely by its employees. In September, 1889, a revolt took place amongthese laborers, resulting in the killing of some of the agents of thecompany, caused, as the laborers claimed, by cruel treatment. These menwere arrested and tried in the United States court at Baltimore, undersection 5576 of the statute referred to, as if the offenses had beencommitted on board a merchant vessel of the United States on the highseas. There appeared on the trial and otherwise came to me suchevidences of the bad treatment of the men that in consideration of thisand of the fact that the men had no access to any public officer ortribunal for protection or the redress of their wrongs I commuted thedeath sentences that had been passed by the court upon three of them. In April last my attention was again called to this island and to theunregulated condition of things there by a letter from a coloredlaborer, who complained that he was wrongfully detained upon the islandby the phosphate company after the expiration of his contract ofservice. A naval vessel was sent to examine into the case of this manand generally into the condition of things on the island. It was foundthat the laborer referred to had been detained beyond the contract limitand that a condition of revolt again existed among the laborers. A boardof naval officers reported, among other things, as follows:

 We would desire to state further that the discipline maintained on the island seems to be that of a convict establishment without its comforts and cleanliness, and that until more attention is paid to the shipping of laborers by placing it under Government supervision to prevent misunderstanding and misrepresentation, and until some amelioration is shown in the treatment of the laborers, these disorders will be of constant occurrence. 

I recommend legislation that shall place labor contracts upon this andother islands having the relation that Navassa has to the United Statesunder the supervision of a court commissioner, and that shall provideat the expense of the owners an officer to reside upon the island, withpower to judge and adjust disputes and to enforce a just and humanetreatment of the employees. It is inexcusable that American laborersshould be left within our own jurisdiction without access to anyGovernment officer or tribunal for their protection and the redress oftheir wrongs. 

International copyright has been secured, in accordance with theconditions of the act of March 3, 1891, with Belgium, France, GreatBritain and the British possessions, and Switzerland, the laws of thosecountries permitting to our citizens the benefit of copyright onsubstantially the same basis as to their own citizens or subjects. 

With Germany a special convention has been negotiated upon this subjectwhich will bring that country within the reciprocal benefits of ourlegislation. 

The general interest in the operations of the Treasury Department hasbeen much augmented during the last year by reason of the conflictingpredictions, which accompanied and followed the tariff and otherlegislation of the last Congress affecting the revenues, as to theresults of this legislation upon the Treasury and upon the country. Onthe one hand it was contended that imports would so fall off as to leavethe Treasury bankrupt and that the prices of articles entering into theliving of the people would be so enhanced as to disastrously affecttheir comfort and happiness, while on the other it was argued that theloss to the revenue, largely the result of placing sugar on the freelist, would be a direct gain to the people; that the prices of thenecessaries of life, including those most highly protected, would not beenhanced; that labor would have a larger market and the products of thefarm advanced prices, while the Treasury surplus and receipts would beadequate to meet the appropriations, including the large exceptionalexpenditures for the refunding to the States of the direct tax and theredemption of the 4-1/2 per cent bonds. 

It is not my purpose to enter at any length into a discussion ofthe effects of the legislation to which I have referred; but a briefexamination of the statistics of the Treasury and a general glance atthe state of business throughout the country will, I think, satisfyany impartial inquirer that its results have disappointed the evilprophecies of its opponents and in a large measure realized the hopefulpredictions of its friends. Rarely, if ever before, in the history ofthe country has there been a time when the proceeds of one day's laboror the product of one farmed acre would purchase so large an amount ofthose things that enter into the living of the masses of the people. I believe that a full test will develop the fact that the tariff act ofthe Fifty-first Congress is very favorable in its average effect uponthe prices of articles entering into common use. 

During the twelve months from October 1, 1890, to September 30, 1891, the total value of our foreign commerce (imports and exports combined)was $1, 747, 806, 406, which was the largest of any year in the history ofthe United States. The largest in any previous year was in 1890, whenour commerce amounted to $1, 647, 139, 093, and the last year exceeds thisenormous aggregate by over one hundred millions. It is interesting, and to some will be surprising, to know that during the year endingSeptember 30, 1891, our imports of merchandise amounted to $824, 715, 270. Which was an increase of more than $11, 000, 000 over the value of theimports of the corresponding months of the preceding year, when theimports of merchandise were unusually large in anticipation of thetariff legislation then pending. The average annual value of the importsof merchandise for the ten years from 1881 to 1890 was $692, 186, 522, andduring the year ending September 30, 1891, this annual average wasexceeded by $132, 528, 469. 

The value of free imports during the twelve months ending September 30, 1891, was $118, 092, 387 more than the value of free imports during thecorresponding twelve months of the preceding year, and there was duringthe same period a decrease of $106, 846, 508 in the value of imports ofdutiable merchandise. The percentage of merchandise admitted free ofduty during the year to which I have referred, the first under the newtariff, was 48. 18, while during the preceding twelve months, under theold tariff, the percentage was 34. 27, an increase of 13. 91 per cent. If we take the six months ending September 30 last, which covers thetime during which sugars have been admitted free of duty, the per centof value of merchandise imported free of duty is found to be 55. 37, which is a larger percentage of free imports than during any priorfiscal year in the history of the Government. 

If we turn to exports of merchandise, the statistics are full ofgratification. The value of such exports of merchandise for the twelvemonths ending September 30, 1891, was $923, 091, 136, while for thecorresponding previous twelve months it was $860, 177, 115, an increaseof $62, 914, 021, which is nearly three times the average annual increaseof exports of merchandise for the preceding twenty years. This exceedsin amount and value the exports of merchandise during any year in thehistory of the Government. The increase in the value of exports ofagricultural products during the year referred to over the correspondingtwelve months of the prior year was $45, 846, 197, while the increase inthe value of exports of manufactured products was $16, 838, 240. 

There is certainly nothing in the condition of trade, foreign ordomestic, there is certainly nothing in the condition of our people ofany class, to suggest that the existing tariff and revenue legislationbears oppressively upon the people or retards the commercial developmentof the nation. It may be argued that our condition would be better iftariff legislation were upon a free-trade basis; but it can not bedenied that all the conditions of prosperity and of general contentmentare present in a larger degree than ever before in our history, andthat, too, just when it was prophesied they would be in the worst state. Agitation for radical changes in tariff and financial legislation cannot help but may seriously impede business, to the prosperity of whichsome degree of stability in legislation is essential. 

I think there are conclusive evidences that the new tariff has createdseveral great industries, which will within a few years give employmentto several hundred thousand American working men and women. In view ofthe somewhat overcrowded condition of the labor market of the UnitedStates, every patriotic citizen should rejoice at such a result. 

The report of the Secretary of the Treasury shows that the totalreceipts of the Government from all sources for the fiscal year endingJune 30, 1891, were $458, 544, 233. 03, while the expenditures for the sameperiod were $421, 304, 470. 46, leaving a surplus of $37, 239, 762. 57. 

The receipts of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, actual andestimated, are $433, 000, 000 and the expenditures $409, 000, 000. For thefiscal year ending June 30, 1893, the estimated receipts are$455, 336, 350 and the expenditures $441, 300, 093. 

Under the law of July 14, 1890, the Secretary of the Treasury haspurchased (since August 13) during the fiscal year 48, 393, 113 ounces ofsilver bullion at an average cost of $1. 045 per ounce. The highest pricepaid during the year was $1. 2025 and the lowest $O. 9636. In exchange forthis silver bullion there have been issued $50, 577, 498 of the Treasurynotes authorized by the act. The lowest price of silver reached duringthe fiscal year was $O. 9636 on April 22, 1891; but on November 1 themarket price was only $O. 96, which would give to the silver dollar abullion value of 74-1/4 cents. 

Before the influence of the prospective silver legislation was feltin the market silver was worth in New York about $O. 955 per ounce. The ablest advocates of free coinage in the last Congress were mostconfident in their predictions that the purchases by the Governmentrequired by the law would at once bring the price of silver to $1. 2929per ounce, which would make the bullion value of a dollar 100 cents andhold it there. The prophecies of the antisilver men of disasters toresult from the coinage of $2, 000, 000 per month were not wider of themark. The friends of free silver are not agreed, I think, as to thecauses that brought their hopeful predictions to naught. Some facts areknown. The exports of silver from London to India during the first ninemonths of this calendar year fell off over 50 per cent, or $17, 202, 730, compared with the same months of the preceding year. The exports ofdomestic silver bullion from this country, which had averaged for thelast ten years over $17, 000, 000, fell in the last fiscal year to$13, 797, 391, while for the first time in recent years the imports ofsilver into this country exceeded the exports by the sum of $2, 745, 365. In the previous year the net exports of silver from the United Statesamounted to $8, 545, 455. The production of the United States increasedfrom 50, 000, 000 ounces in 1889 to 54, 500, 000 in 1890. The Government isnow buying and putting aside annually 54, 000, 000 ounces, which, allowingfor 7, 140, 000 ounces of new bullion used in the arts, is 6, 640, 000 morethan our domestic products available for coinage. 

I hope the depression in the price of silver is temporary and that afurther trial of this legislation will more favorably affect it. Thatthe increased volume of currency thus supplied for the use of the peoplewas needed and that beneficial results upon trade and prices havefollowed this legislation I think must be very clear to everyone. Norshould it be forgotten that for every dollar of these notes issued afull dollar's worth of silver bullion is at the time deposited in theTreasury as a security for its redemption. Upon this subject, as uponthe tariff, my recommendation is that the existing laws be given a fulltrial and that our business interests be spared the distressinginfluence which threats of radical changes always impart. Under existinglegislation it is in the power of the Treasury Department to maintainthat essential condition of national finance as well as of commercialprosperity--the parity in use of the coined dollars and their paperrepresentatives. The assurance that these powers would be freely andunhesitatingly used has done much to produce and sustain the presentfavorable business conditions. 

I am still of the opinion that the free coinage of silver under existingconditions would disastrously affect our business interests at home andabroad. We could not hope to maintain an equality in the purchasingpower of the gold and silver dollar in our own markets, and in foreigntrade the stamp gives no added value to the bullion contained in coins. The producers of the country, its farmers and laborers, have the highestinterest that every dollar, paper or coin, issued by the Governmentshall be as good as any other. If there is one less valuable thananother, its sure and constant errand will be to pay them for theirtoil and for their crops. The money lender will protect himself bystipulating for payment in gold, but the laborer has never been able todo that. To place business upon a silver basis would mean a sudden andsevere contraction of the currency by the withdrawal of gold and goldnotes and such an unsettling of all values as would produce a commercialpanic. I can not believe that a people so strong and prosperous as ourswill promote such a policy. 

The producers of silver are entitled to just consideration, but theyshould not forget that the Government is now buying and putting out ofthe market what is the equivalent of the entire product of our silvermines. This is more than they themselves thought of asking two yearsago. I believe it is the earnest desire of a great majority of thepeople, as it is mine, that a full coin use shall be made of silverjust as soon as the cooperation of other nations can be secured and aratio fixed that will give circulation equally to gold and silver. Thebusiness of the world requires the use of both metals; but I do not seeany prospect of gain, but much of loss, by giving up the present system, in which a full use is made of gold and a large use of silver, for onein which silver alone will circulate. Such an event would be at oncefatal to the further progress of the silver movement. Bimetallism isthe desired end, and the true friends of silver will be careful not tooverrun the goal and bring in silver monometallism with its necessaryattendants--the loss of our gold to Europe and the relief of thepressure there for a larger currency. I have endeavored by the use ofofficial and unofficial agencies to keep a close observation of thestate of public sentiment in Europe upon this question and have notfound it to be such as to justify me in proposing an internationalconference. There is, however, I am sure, a growing sentiment in Europein favor of a larger use of silver, and I know of no more effectual wayof promoting this sentiment than by accumulating gold here. A scarcityof gold in the European reserves will be the most persuasive argumentfor the use of silver. 

The exports of gold to Europe, which began in February last andcontinued until the close of July, aggregated over $70, 000, 000. The netloss of gold during the fiscal year was nearly $68, 000, 000. That noserious monetary disturbance resulted was most gratifying and gave toEurope fresh evidence of the strength and stability of our financialinstitutions. With the movement of crops the outflow of gold wasspeedily stopped and a return set in. Up to December 1 we had recoveredof our gold lost at the port of New York $27, 854, 000, and it isconfidently believed that during the winter and spring this aggregatewill be steadily and largely increased. 

The presence of a large cash surplus in the Treasury has for many yearsbeen the subject of much unfavorable criticism, and has furnished anargument to those who have desired to place the tariff upon a purelyrevenue basis. It was agreed by all that the withdrawal from circulationof so large an amount of money was an embarrassment to the business ofthe country and made necessary the intervention of the Department atfrequent intervals to relieve threatened monetary panics. The surplus onMarch 1, 1889, was $183, 827, 190. 29. The policy of applying this surplusto the redemption of the interest-bearing securities of the UnitedStates was thought to be preferable to that of depositing it withoutinterest in selected national banks. There have been redeemed sincethe date last mentioned of interest-bearing securities $259, 079, 350, resulting in a reduction of the annual interest charge of $11, 684, 675. The money which had been deposited in banks without interest has beengradually withdrawn and used in the redemption of bonds. 

The result of this policy, of the silver legislation, and of therefunding of the 4-1/2 per cent bonds has been a large increase ofthe money in circulation. At the date last named the circulation was$1, 404, 205, 896, or $23. 03 per capita, while on the 1st day of December, 1891, it had increased to $1, 577, 262, 070, or $24. 38 per capita. Theoffer of the Secretary of the Treasury to the holders of the 4-1/2 percent bonds to extend the time of redemption, at the option of theGovernment, at an interest of 2 per cent, was accepted by the holders ofabout one-half the amount, and the unextended bonds are being redeemedon presentation. 

The report of the Secretary of War exhibits the results of anintelligent, progressive, and businesslike administration of aDepartment which has been too much regarded as one of mere routine. Theseparation of Secretary Proctor from the Department by reason of hisappointment as a Senator from the State of Vermont is a source of greatregret to me and to his colleagues in the Cabinet, as I am sure it willbe to all those who have had business with the Department while underhis charge. 

In the administration of army affairs some especially good work hasbeen accomplished. The efforts of the Secretary to reduce the percentageof desertions by removing the causes that promoted it have been sosuccessful as to enable him to report for the last year a lowerpercentage of desertion than has been before reached in the historyof the Army. The resulting money saving is considerable, but theimprovement in the morale of the enlisted men is the most valuableincident of the reforms which have brought about this result. 

The work of securing sites for shore batteries for harbor defense andthe manufacture of mortars and guns of high power to equip them havemade good progress during the year. The preliminary work of tests andplans which so long delayed a start is now out of the way. Some gunshave been completed, and with an enlarged shop and a more completeequipment at Watervliet the Army will soon be abreast of the Navy in gunconstruction. Whatever unavoidable causes of delay may arise, thereshould be none from delayed or insufficient appropriations. We shall begreatly embarrassed in the proper distribution and use of naval vesselsuntil adequate shore defenses are provided for our harbors. 

I concur in the recommendation of the Secretary that the three-battalionorganization be adopted for the infantry. The adoption of a smokelesspowder and of a modern rifle equal in range, precision, and rapidity offire to the best now in use will, I hope, not be longer delayed. 

The project of enlisting Indians and organizing them into separatecompanies upon the same basis as other soldiers was made the subjectof very careful study by the Secretary and received my approval. Sevencompanies have been completely organized and seven more are in processof organization. The results of six months' training have more thanrealized the highest anticipations. The men are readily brought underdiscipline, acquire the drill with facility, and show great pride in theright discharge of their duty and perfect loyalty to their officers, who declare that they would take them into action with confidence. Thediscipline, order, and cleanliness of the military posts will have awholesome and elevating influence upon the men enlisted, and throughthem upon their tribes, while a friendly feeling for the whites anda greater respect for the Government will certainly be promoted. 

The great work done in the Record and Pension Division of the WarDepartment by Major Ainsworth, of the Medical Corps, and the clerksunder him is entitled to honorable mention. Taking up the work withnearly 41, 000 cases behind, he closed the last fiscal year without asingle case left over, though the new cases had increased 52 per centin number over the previous year by reason of the pension legislationof the last Congress. 

I concur in the recommendation of the Attorney-General that the right infelony cases to a review by the Supreme Court be limited. It would seemthat personal liberty would have a safe guaranty if the right of reviewin cases involving only fine and imprisonment were limited to thecircuit court of appeals, unless a constitutional question should insome way be involved. 

The judges of the Court of Private Land Claims, provided for by the actof March 3, 1891, have been appointed and the court organized. It is nowpossible to give early relief to communities long repressed in theirdevelopment by unsettled land titles and to establish the possession andright of settlers whose lands have been rendered valueless by adverseand unfounded claims. 

The act of July 9, 1888, provided for the incorporation and managementof a reform school for girls in the District of Columbia; but it hasremained inoperative for the reason that no appropriation has been madefor construction or maintenance. The need of such an institution is veryurgent. Many girls could be saved from depraved lives by the wholesomeinfluences and restraints of such a school. I recommend that thenecessary appropriation be made for a site and for construction. 

The enforcement by the Treasury Department of the law prohibiting thecoming of Chinese to the United States has been effective as to such asseek to land from vessels entering our ports. The result has been todivert the travel to vessels entering the ports of British Columbia, whence passage into the United States at obscure points along theDominion boundary is easy. A very considerable number of Chineselaborers have during the past year entered the United States fromCanada and Mexico. 

The officers of the Treasury Department and of the Department of Justicehave used every means at their command to intercept this immigration;but the impossibility of perfectly guarding our extended frontier isapparent. The Dominion government collects a head tax of $50 from everyChinaman entering Canada, and thus derives a considerable revenue fromthose who only use its ports to reach a position of advantage to evadeour exclusion laws. There seems to be satisfactory evidence that thebusiness of passing Chinamen through Canada to the United States isorganized and quite active. The Department of Justice has construed thelaws to require the return of any Chinaman found to be unlawfully inthis country to China as the country from which he came, notwithstandingthe fact that he came by way of Canada; but several of the districtcourts have in cases brought before them overruled this view of thelaw and decided that such persons must be returned to Canada. Thisconstruction robs the law of all effectiveness, even if the decreescould be executed, for the men returned can the next day recross ourborder. But the only appropriation made is for sending them back toChina, and the Canadian officials refuse to allow them to reenterCanada without the payment of the fifty-dollar head tax. I recommendsuch legislation as will remedy these defects in the law. 

In previous messages I have called the attention of Congress to thenecessity of so extending the jurisdiction of the United States courtsas to make triable therein any felony committed while in the act ofviolating a law of the United States. These courts can not have thatindependence and effectiveness which the Constitution contemplates solong as the felonious killing of court officers, jurors, and witnessesin the discharge of their duties or by reason of their acts assuch is only cognizable in the State courts. The work done by theAttorney-General and the officers of his Department, even under thepresent inadequate legislation, has produced some notable results inthe interest of law and order. 

The Attorney-General and also the Commissioners of the District ofColumbia call attention to the defectiveness and inadequacy of thelaws relating to crimes against chastity in the District of Columbia. A stringent code upon this subject has been provided by Congress forUtah, and it is a matter of surprise that the needs of this Districtshould have been so long overlooked. 

In the report of the Postmaster-General some very gratifying results areexhibited and many betterments of the service suggested. A perusal ofthe report gives abundant evidence that the supervision and directionof the postal system have been characterized by an intelligent andconscientious desire to improve the service. The revenues of theDepartment show an increase of over $5, 000, 000, with a deficiency forthe year 1892 of less than $4, 000, 000, while the estimate for the year1893 shows a surplus of receipts over expenditures. 

Ocean mail post offices have been established upon the steamers of theNorth German Lloyd and Hamburg lines, saving by the distribution onshipboard from two to fourteen hours' time in the delivery of mail atthe port of entry and often much more than this in the delivery atinterior places. So thoroughly has this system, initiated by Germany andthe United States, evidenced its usefulness that it can not be longbefore it is installed upon all the great ocean mail-carryingsteamships. 

Eight thousand miles of new postal service has been established uponrailroads, the car distribution to substations in the great cities hasbeen increased about 12 per cent, while the percentage of errors indistribution has during the past year been reduced over one-half. Anappropriation was given by the last Congress for the purpose of makingsome experiments in free delivery in the smaller cities and towns. The results of these experiments have been so satisfactory that thePostmaster-General recommends, and I concur in the recommendation, that the free-delivery system be at once extended to towns of 5, 000population. His discussion of the inadequate facilities extended underour present system to rural communities and his suggestions with a viewto give these communities a fuller participation in the benefits of thepostal service are worthy of your careful consideration. It is not justthat the farmer, who receives his mail at a neighboring town, shouldnot only be compelled to send to the post-office for it, but to pay aconsiderable rent for a box in which to place it or to wait his turn ata general-delivery window, while the city resident has his mail broughtto his door. It is stated that over 54, 000 neighborhoods are under thepresent system receiving mail at post-offices where money orders andpostal notes are not issued. The extension of this system to thesecommunities is especially desirable, as the patrons of such officesare not possessed of the other facilities offered in more populouscommunities for the transmission of small sums of money. 

I have in a message to the preceding Congress expressed my viewsas to a modified use of the telegraph in connection with the postalservice. [23] In pursuance of the ocean mail law of March 3, 1891, andafter a most careful study of the whole subject and frequent conferenceswith shipowners, boards of trade, and others, advertisements were issuedby the Postmaster-General for 53 lines of ocean mail service--10 toGreat Britain and the Continent, 27 to South America, 3 to China andJapan, 4 to Australia and the Pacific islands, 7 to the West Indies, and 2 to Mexico. It was not, of course, expected that bids for allthese lines would be received or that service upon them all would becontracted for. It was intended, in furtherance of the act, to secure asmany new lines as possible, while including in the list most or all ofthe foreign lines now occupied by American ships. It was hoped that aline to England and perhaps one to the Continent would be secured; butthe outlay required to equip such lines wholly with new ships of thefirst class and the difficulty of establishing new lines in competitionwith those already established deterred bidders whose interest had beenenlisted. It is hoped that a way may yet be found of overcoming thesedifficulties. 

The Brazil Steamship Company, by reason of a miscalculation as tothe speed of its vessels, was not able to bid under the terms of theadvertisement. The policy of the Department was to secure from theestablished lines an improved service as a condition of giving to themthe benefits of the law. This in all instances has been attained. ThePostmaster-General estimates that an expenditure in American shipyardsof about $10, 000, 000 will be necessary to enable the bidders toconstruct the ships called for by the service which they have accepted. I do not think there is any reason for discouragement or for any turningback from the policy of this legislation. Indeed, a good beginning hasbeen made, and as the subject is further considered and understood bycapitalists and shipping people new lines will be ready to meet futureproposals, and we may date from the passage of this law the revival ofAmerican shipping interests and the recovery of a fair share of thecarrying trade of the world. We were receiving for foreign postagenearly $2, 000, 000 under the old system, and the outlay for ocean mailservice did not exceed $600, 000 per annum. It is estimated by thePostmaster-General that if all the contracts proposed are completed itwill require $247, 354 for this year in addition to the appropriation forsea and inland postage already in the estimates, and that for the nextfiscal year, ending June 30, 1893, there would probably be needed about$560, 000. 

The report of the Secretary of the Navy shows a gratifying increase ofnew naval vessels in commission. The _Newark, Concord, Bennington_, and_Miantonomoh_ have been added during the year, with an aggregate ofsomething more than 11, 000 tons. Twenty-four warships of all classes arenow under construction in the navy-yards and private shops; but whilethe work upon them is going forward satisfactorily, the completion ofthe more important vessels will yet require about a year's time. Someof the vessels now under construction, it is believed, will be triumphsof naval engineering. When it is recollected that the work of buildinga modern navy was only initiated in the year 1883, that our navalconstructors and shipbuilders were practically without experience in theconstruction of large iron or steel ships, that our engine shops wereunfamiliar with great marine engines, and that the manufacture of steelforgings for guns and plates was almost wholly a foreign industry, the progress that has been made is not only highly satisfactory, butfurnishes the assurance that the United States will before long attainin the construction of such vessels, with their engines and armaments, the same preeminence which it attained when the best instrument of oceancommerce was the clipper ship and the most impressive exhibit of navalpower the old wooden three-decker man-of-war. The officers of the Navyand the proprietors and engineers of our great private shops haveresponded with wonderful intelligence and professional zeal to theconfidence expressed by Congress in its liberal legislation. We have nowat Washington a gun shop, organized and conducted by naval officers, that in its system, economy, and product is unexcelled. Experiments witharmor plate have been conducted during the year with most importantresults. It is now believed that a plate of higher resisting power thanany in use has been found and that the tests have demonstrated thatcheaper methods of manufacture than those heretofore thought necessarycan be used. 

I commend to your favorable consideration the recommendations of theSecretary, who has, I am sure, given to them the most conscientiousstudy. There should be no hesitation in promptly completing a navy ofthe best modern type large enough to enable this country to display itsflag in all seas for the protection of its citizens and of its extendingcommerce. The world needs no assurance of the peaceful purposes of theUnited States, but we shall probably be in the future more largely acompetitor in the commerce of the world, and it is essential to thedignity of this nation and to that peaceful influence which it shouldexercise on this hemisphere that its Navy should be adequate both uponthe shores of the Atlantic and of the Pacific. 

The report of the Secretary of the Interior shows that a very gratifyingprogress has been made in all of the bureaus which make up that complexand difficult Department. 

The work in the Bureau of Indian Affairs was perhaps never so large asnow, by reason of the numerous negotiations which have been proceedingwith the tribes for a reduction of the reservations, with the incidentlabor of making allotments, and was never more carefully conducted. The provision of adequate school facilities for Indian children and thelocating of adult Indians upon farms involve the solution of the "Indianquestion. " Everything else--rations, annuities, and tribal negotiations, with the agents, inspectors, and commissioners who distribute andconduct them--must pass away when the Indian has become a citizen, secure in the individual ownership of a farm from which he derives hissubsistence by his own labor, protected by and subordinate to the lawswhich govern the white man, and provided by the General Government orby the local communities in which he lives with the means of educatinghis children. When an Indian becomes a citizen in an organized Stateor Territory, his relation to the General Government ceases in greatmeasure to be that of a ward; but the General Government ought not atonce to put upon the State or Territory the burden of the education ofhis children. 

It has been my thought that the Government schools and school buildingsupon the reservations would be absorbed by the school systems of theStates and Territories; but as it has been found necessary to protectthe Indian against the compulsory alienation of his land by exemptinghim from taxation for a period of twenty-five years, it would seem tobe right that the General Government, certainly where there are tribalfunds in its possession, should pay to the school fund of the State whatwould be equivalent to the local school tax upon the property of theIndian. It will be noticed from the report of the Commissioner of IndianAffairs that already some contracts have been made with district schoolsfor the education of Indian children. There is great advantage, I think, in bringing the Indian children into mixed schools. This process willbe gradual, and in the meantime the present educational provisions andarrangements, the result of the best experience of those who have beencharged with this work, should be continued. This will enable thosereligious bodies that have undertaken the work of Indian education withso much zeal and with results so restraining and beneficent to placetheir institutions in new and useful relations to the Indian and to hiswhite neighbors. 

The outbreak among the Sioux which occurred in December last is as toits causes and incidents fully reported upon by the War Departmentand the Department of the Interior. That these Indians had somejust complaints, especially in the matter of the reduction of theappropriation for rations and in the delays attending the enactment oflaws to enable the Department to perform the engagements entered intowith them, is probably true; but the Sioux tribes are naturally warlikeand turbulent, and their warriors were excited by their medicine menand chiefs, who preached the coming of an Indian messiah who was togive them power to destroy their enemies. In view of the alarm thatprevailed among the white settlers near the reservation and of the fatalconsequences that would have resulted from an Indian incursion, I placedat the disposal of General Miles, commanding the Division of theMissouri, all such forces as were thought by him to be required. Heis entitled to the credit of having given thorough protection to thesettlers and of bringing the hostiles into subjection with the leastpossible loss of life. 

The appropriation of $2, 991, 450 for the Choctaws and Chickasawscontained in the general Indian appropriation bill of March 3, 1891, hasnot been expended, for the reason that I have not yet approved a release(to the Government) of the Indian claim to the lands mentioned. Thismatter will be made the subject of a special message, placing beforeCongress all the facts which have come to my knowledge. 

The relation of the Five Civilized Tribes now occupying the IndianTerritory to the United States is not, I believe, that best calculatedto promote the highest advancement of these Indians. That there shouldbe within our borders five independent states having no relations, except those growing out of treaties, with the Government of the UnitedStates, no representation in the National Legislature, its people notcitizens, is a startling anomaly. 

It seems to me to be inevitable that there shall be before long someorganic changes in the relation of these people to the United States. What form these changes should take I do not think it desirable now tosuggest, even if they were well defined in my own mind. They shouldcertainly involve the acceptance of citizenship by the Indians and arepresentation in Congress. These Indians should have opportunity topresent their claims and grievances upon the floor rather than, as now, in the lobby. If a commission could be appointed to visit these tribesto confer with them in a friendly spirit upon this whole subject, evenif no agreement were presently reached the feeling of the tribes uponthis question would be developed, and discussion would prepare the wayfor changes which must come sooner or later. 

The good work of reducing the larger Indian reservations by allotmentsin severalty to the Indians and the cession of the remaining lands tothe United States for disposition under the homestead law has beenprosecuted during the year with energy and success. In September last Iwas enabled to open to settlement in the Territory of Oklahoma 900, 000acres of land, all of which was taken up by settlers in a single day. The rush for these lands was accompanied by a great deal of excitement, but was happily free from incidents of violence. 

It was a source of great regret that I was not able to open at thesame time the surplus lands of the Cheyenne and Arapahoe Reservation, amounting to about 3, 000, 000 acres, by reason of the insufficiency ofthe appropriation for making the allotments. Deserving and impatientsettlers are waiting to occupy these lands, and I urgently recommendthat a special deficiency appropriation be promptly made of the smallamount needed, so that the allotments may be completed and the surpluslands opened in time to permit the settlers to get upon their homesteadsin the early spring. 

During the past summer the Cherokee Commission have completedarrangements with the Wichita, Kickapoo, and Tonkawa tribes whereby, ifthe agreements are ratified by Congress, over 800, 000 additional acreswill be opened to settlement in Oklahoma. 

The negotiations for the release by the Cherokees of their claim tothe Cherokee Strip have made no substantial progress so far as theDepartment is officially advised, but it is still hoped that the cessionof this large and valuable tract may be secured. The price which thecommission was authorized to offer--$1. 25 per acre--is, in my judgment, when all the circumstances as to title and the character of the landsare considered, a fair and adequate one, and should have been acceptedby the Indians. 

Since March 4, 1889, about 23, 000, 000 acres have been separated fromIndian reservations and added to the public domain for the use of thosewho desired to secure free homes under our beneficent laws. It isdifficult to estimate the increase of wealth which will result from theconversion of these waste lands into farms, but it is more difficultto estimate the betterment which will result to the families that havefound renewed hope and courage in the ownership of a home and theassurance of a comfortable subsistence under free and healthfulconditions. It is also gratifying to be able to feel, as we may, thatthis work has proceeded upon lines of justice toward the Indian, andthat he may now, if he will, secure to himself the good influences ofa settled habitation, the fruits of industry, and the security ofcitizenship. 

Early in this Administration a special effort was begun to bring up thework of the General Land Office. By faithful work the arrearages havebeen rapidly reduced. At the end of the last fiscal year only 84, 172final agricultural entries remained undisposed of, and the Commissionerreports that with the present force the work can be fully brought up bythe end of the next fiscal year. 

Your attention is called to the difficulty presented by the Secretaryof the Interior as to the administration of the law of March 3, 1891, establishing a Court of Private Land Claims. The small holdings intendedto be protected by the law are estimated to be more than 15, 000 innumber. The claimants are a most deserving class and their titles aresupported by the strongest equities. The difficulty grows out of thefact that the lands have largely been surveyed according to our methods, while the holdings, many of which have been in the same family forgenerations, are laid out in narrow strips a few rods wide upon a streamand running back to the hills for pasturage and timber. Provision shouldbe made for numbering these tracts as lots and for patenting them bysuch numbers and without reference to section lines. 

The administration of the Pension Bureau has been characterized duringthe year by great diligence. The total number of pensioners upon theroll on the 30th day of June, 1891, was 676, 160. There were allowedduring the fiscal year ending at that time 250, 565 cases. Of this number102, 387 were allowed under the law of June 27, 1890. The issuing ofcertificates has been proceeding at the rate of about 30, 000 per month, about 75 per cent of these being cases under the new law. TheCommissioner expresses the opinion that he will be able to carefullyadjudicate and allow 350, 000 claims during the present fiscal year. Theappropriation for the payment of pensions for the fiscal year 1890-91was $127, 685, 793. 89 and the amount expended $118, 530, 649. 25, leaving anunexpended surplus of $9, 155, 144. 64. 

The Commissioner is quite confident that there will be no call this yearfor a deficiency appropriation, notwithstanding the rapidity with whichthe work is being pushed. The mistake which has been made by many intheir exaggerated estimates of the cost of pensions is in not takingaccount of the diminished value of first payments under the recentlegislation. These payments under the general law have been for manyyears very large, as the pensions when allowed dated from the time offiling the claim, and most of these claims had been pending for years. The first payments under the law of June, 1890, are relatively small, and as the per cent of these cases increases and that of the old casesdiminishes the annual aggregate of first payments is largely reduced. The Commissioner, under date of November 13, furnishes me with thestatement that during the last four months 113, 175 certificates wereissued, 27, 893 under the general law and 85, 282 under the act of June27, 1890. The average first payment during these four months was$131. 85, while the average first payment upon cases allowed during theyear ending June 30, 1891, was $239. 33, being a reduction in the averagefirst payments during these four months of $107. 48. 

The estimate for pension expenditures for the fiscal year ending June30, 1893, is $144, 956, 000, which, after a careful examination of thesubject, the Commissioner is of the opinion will be sufficient. Whilethese disbursements to the disabled soldiers of the great Civil War arelarge, they do not realize the exaggerated estimates of those who opposethis beneficent legislation. The Secretary of the Interior shows withgreat fullness the care that is taken to exclude fraudulent claims, andalso the gratifying fact that the persons to whom these pensions aregoing are men who rendered not slight but substantial war service. 

The report of the Commissioner of Railroads shows that the total debt ofthe subsidized railroads to the United States was on December 31, 1890, $112, 512, 613. 06. A large part of this debt is now fast approachingmaturity, with no adequate provision for its payment. Some policy fordealing with this debt with a view to its ultimate collection should beat once adopted. It is very difficult, well-nigh impossible, for solarge a body as the Congress to conduct the necessary negotiations andinvestigations. I therefore recommend that provision be made for theappointment of a commission to agree upon and report a plan for dealingwith this debt. 

The work of the Census Bureau is now far in advance and the great bulkof the enormous labor involved completed. It will be more strictly astatistical exhibit and less encumbered by essays than its immediatepredecessors. The methods pursued have been fair, careful, andintelligent, and have secured the approval of the statisticians whohave followed them with a scientific and nonpartisan interest. Theappropriations necessary to the early completion and publication of theauthorized volumes should be given in time to secure against delays, which increase the cost and at the same time diminish the value ofthe work. 

The report of the Secretary exhibits with interesting fullness thecondition of the Territories. They have shared with the States the greatincrease in farm products, and are bringing yearly large areas intocultivation by extending their irrigating canals. This work is beingdone by individuals or local corporations and without that system whicha full preliminary survey of the water supply and of the irrigable landswould enable them to adopt. The future of the Territories of New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah in their material growth and in the increase, independence, and happiness of their people is very largely dependentupon wise and timely legislation, either by Congress or their ownlegislatures, regulating the distribution of the water supply furnishedby their streams. If this matter is much longer neglected, privatecorporations will have unrestricted control of one of the elements oflife and the patentees of the arid lands will be tenants at will of thewater companies. 

The United States should part with its ownership of the water sourcesand the sites for reservoirs, whether to the States and Territories orto individuals or corporations, only upon conditions that will insure tothe settlers their proper water supply upon equal and reasonable terms. In the Territories this whole subject is under the full control ofCongress, and in the States it is practically so as long as theGovernment holds the title to the reservoir sites and water sourcesand can grant them upon such conditions as it chooses to impose. Theimprovident granting of franchises of enormous value without recompenseto the State or municipality from which they proceed and without properprotection of the public interests is the most noticeable and flagrantevil of modern legislation. This fault should not be committed indealing with a subject that will before many years affect so vitallythousands of our people. 

The legislation of Congress for the repression of polygamy has, afteryears of resistance on the part of the Mormons, at last brought them tothe conclusion that resistance is unprofitable and unavailing. The powerof Congress over this subject should not be surrendered until we havesatisfactory evidence that the people of the State to be created wouldexercise the exclusive power of the State over this subject in the sameway. The question is not whether these people now obey the laws ofCongress against polygamy, but rather would they make, enforce, andmaintain such laws themselves if absolutely free to regulate thesubject? We can not afford to experiment with this subject, forwhen a State is once constituted the act is final and any mistakeirretrievable. No compact in the enabling act could, in my opinion, be binding or effective. 

I recommend that provision be made for the organization of a simple formof town government in Alaska, with power to regulate such matters asare usually in the States under municipal control. These local civilorganizations will give better protection in some matters than thepresent skeleton Territorial organization. Proper restrictions as tothe power to levy taxes and to create debt should be imposed. 

If the establishment of the Department of Agriculture was regarded byanyone as a mere concession to the unenlightened demand of a worthyclass of people, that impression has been most effectually removed bythe great results already attained. Its home influence has been verygreat in disseminating agricultural and horticultural information, in stimulating and directing a further diversification of crops, indetecting and eradicating diseases of domestic animals, and, more thanall, in the close and informal contact which it has established andmaintains with the farmers and stock raisers of the whole country. Everyrequest for information has had prompt attention and every suggestionmerited consideration. The scientific corps of the Department is of ahigh order and is pushing its investigations with method and enthusiasm. 

The inspection by this Department of cattle and pork products intendedfor shipment abroad has been the basis of the success which has attendedour efforts to secure the removal of the restrictions maintained by theEuropean Governments. 

For ten years protests and petitions upon this subject from the packersand stock raisers of the United States have been directed against theserestrictions, which so seriously limited our markets and curtailed theprofits of the farm. It is a source of general congratulation thatsuccess has at last been attained, for the effects of an enlargedforeign market for these meats will be felt not only by the farmer, butin our public finances and in every branch of trade. It is particularlyfortunate that the increased demand for food products resulting from theremoval of the restrictions upon our meats and from the reciprocal tradearrangements to which I have referred should have come at a time whenthe agricultural surplus is so large. Without the help thus derivedlower prices would have prevailed. The Secretary of Agricultureestimates that the restrictions upon the importation of our porkproducts into Europe lost us a market for $20, 000, 000 worth of theseproducts annually. 

The grain crop of this year was the largest in our history--50 per centgreater than that of last year--and yet the new markets that have beenopened and the larger demand resulting from short crops in Europe havesustained prices to such an extent that the enormous surplus of meatsand breadstuffs will be marketed at good prices, bringing relief andprosperity to an industry that was much depressed. The value of thegrain crop of the United States is estimated by the Secretary to bethis year $500, 000, 000 more than last; of meats $150, 000, 000 more, andof all products of the farm $700, 000, 000 more. It is not inappropriate, I think, here to suggest that our satisfaction in the contemplation ofthis marvelous addition to the national wealth is unclouded by anysuspicion of the currency by which it is measured and in which thefarmer is paid for the products of his fields. 

The report of the Civil Service Commission should receive the carefulattention of the opponents as well as the friends of this reform. TheCommission invites a personal inspection by Senators and Representativesof its records and methods, and every fair critic will feel that suchan examination should precede a judgment of condemnation either of thesystem or its administration. It is not claimed that either is perfect, but I believe that the law is being executed with impartiality and thatthe system is incomparably better and fairer than that of appointmentsupon favor. I have during the year extended the classified service toinclude superintendents, teachers, matrons, and physicians in the Indianservice. This branch of the service is largely related to educationaland philanthropic work and will obviously be the better for the change. 

The heads of the several Executive Departments have been directed toestablish at once an efficiency record as the basis of a comparativerating of the clerks within the classified service, with a view toplacing promotions therein upon the basis of merit. I am confidentthat such a record, fairly kept and open to the inspection of thoseinterested, will powerfully stimulate the work of the Departments andwill be accepted by all as placing the troublesome matter of promotionsupon a just basis. 

I recommend that the appropriation for the Civil Service Commission bemade adequate to the increased work of the next fiscal year. 

I have twice before urgently called the attention of Congress to thenecessity of legislation for the protection of the lives of railroademployees, but nothing has yet been done. During the year ending June30, 1890, 369 brakemen were killed and 7, 841 maimed while engaged incoupling cars. The total number of railroad employees killed duringthe year was 2, 451 and the number injured 22, 390. This is a cruel andlargely needless sacrifice. The Government is spending nearly $1, 000, 000annually to save the lives of shipwrecked seamen; every steam vesselis rigidly inspected and required to adopt the most approved safetyappliances. All this is good. But how shall we excuse the lack ofinterest and effort in behalf of this army of brave young men who in ourland commerce are being sacrificed every year by the continued use ofantiquated and dangerous appliances? A law requiring of every railroadengaged in interstate commerce the equipment each year of a given percent of its freight cars with automatic couplers and air brakes wouldcompel an agreement between the roads as to the kind of brakes andcouplers to be used, and would very soon and very greatly reduce thepresent fearful death rate among railroad employees. 

The method of appointment by the States of electors of President andVice-President has recently attracted renewed interest by reason of adeparture by the State of Michigan from the method which had becomeuniform in all the States. Prior to 1832 various methods had beenused by the different States, and even by the same State. In some thechoice was made by the legislature; in others electors were chosen bydistricts, but more generally by the voters of the whole State upon ageneral ticket. The movement toward the adoption of the last-namedmethod had an early beginning and went steadily forward among the Statesuntil in 1832 there remained but a single State (South Carolina) thathad not adopted it. That State until the Civil War continued to chooseits electors by a vote of the legislature, but after the war changed itsmethod and conformed to the practice of the other States. For nearlysixty years all the States save one have appointed their electors bya popular vote upon a general ticket, and for nearly thirty years thismethod was universal. 

After a full test of other methods, without important division ordissent in any State and without any purpose of party advantage, aswe must believe, but solely upon the considerations that uniformitywas desirable and that a general election in territorial divisions notsubject to change was most consistent with the popular character of ourinstitutions, best preserved the equality of the voters, and perfectlyremoved the choice of President from the baneful influence of the"gerrymander, " the practice of all the States was brought into harmony. That this concurrence should now be broken is, I think, an unfortunateand even a threatening episode, and one that may well suggest whetherthe States that still give their approval to the old and prevailingmethod ought not to secure by a constitutional amendment a practicewhich has had the approval of all. The recent Michigan legislationprovides for choosing what are popularly known as the Congressionalelectors for President by Congressional districts and the two Senatorialelectors by districts created for that purpose. This legislation was, ofcourse, accompanied by a new Congressional apportionment, and the twostatutes bring the electoral vote of the State under the influence ofthe "gerrymander. "

These gerrymanders for Congressional purposes are in most casesbuttressed by a gerrymander of the legislative districts, thus making itimpossible for a majority of the legal voters of the State to correctthe apportionment and equalize the Congressional districts. A minorityrule is established that only a political convulsion can overthrow. Ihave recently been advised that in one county of a certain State threedistricts for the election of members of the legislature are constitutedas follows: One has 65, 000 population, one 15, 000, and one 10, 000, whilein another county detached, noncontiguous sections have been united tomake a legislative district. These methods have already found effectiveapplication to the choice of Senators and Representatives in Congress, and now an evil start has been made in the direction of applying them tothe choice by the States of electors of President and Vice-President. Ifthis is accomplished, we shall then have the three great departments ofthe Government in the grasp of the "gerrymander, " the legislative andexecutive directly and the judiciary indirectly through the power ofappointment. 

An election implies a body of electors having prescribed qualifications, each one of whom has an equal value and influence in determining theresult. So when the Constitution provides that "each State shallappoint" (elect), "in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors, " etc. , an unrestricted power was not given to thelegislatures in the selection of the methods to be used. "A republicanform of government" is guaranteed by the Constitution to each State, andthe power given by the same instrument to the legislatures of the Statesto prescribe methods for the choice by the State of electors must beexercised under that limitation. The essential features of such agovernment are the right of the people to choose their own officers andthe nearest practicable equality of value in the suffrages given indetermining that choice. 

It will not be claimed that the power given to the legislature wouldsupport a law providing that the persons receiving the smallest voteshould be the electors or a law that all the electors should be chosenby the voters of a single Congressional district. The State is tochoose, and under the pretense of regulating methods the legislaturecan neither vest the right of choice elsewhere nor adopt methods notconformable to republican institutions. It is not my purpose here todiscuss the question whether a choice by the legislature or by thevoters of equal single districts is a choice by the State, but only torecommend such regulation of this matter by constitutional amendment aswill secure uniformity and prevent that disgraceful partisan juggleryto which such a liberty of choice, if it exists, offers a temptation. 

Nothing just now is more important than to provide every guaranty forthe absolutely fair and free choice by an equal suffrage within therespective States of all the officers of the National Government, whether that suffrage is applied directly, as in the choice of membersof the House of Representatives, or indirectly, as in the choice ofSenators and electors of President. Respect for public officers andobedience to law will not cease to be the characteristics of our peopleuntil our elections cease to declare the will of majorities fairlyascertained without fraud, suppression, or gerrymander. If I werecalled upon to declare wherein our chief national danger lies, I shouldsay without hesitation in the overthrow of majority control by thesuppression or perversion of the popular suffrage. That there is a realdanger here all must agree; but the energies of those who see it havebeen chiefly expended in trying to fix responsibility upon the oppositeparty rather than in efforts to make such practices impossible by eitherparty. 

Is it not possible now to adjourn that interminable and inconclusivedebate while we take by consent one step in the direction of reform byeliminating the gerrymander, which has been denounced by all parties asan influence in the selection of electors of President and members ofCongress? All the States have, acting freely and separately, determinedthat the choice of electors by a general ticket is the wisest andsafest method, and it would seem there could be no objection to aconstitutional amendment making that method permanent. If a legislaturechosen in one year upon purely local questions should, pending aPresidential contest, meet, rescind the law for a choice upon a generalticket, and provide for the choice of electors by the legislature, andthis trick should determine the result, it is not too much to say thatthe public peace might be seriously and widely endangered. 

I have alluded to the "gerrymander" as affecting the method of selectingelectors of President by Congressional districts, but the primary intentand effect of this form of political robbery have relation to theselection of members of the House of Representatives. The power ofCongress is ample to deal with this threatening and intolerable abuse. The unfailing test of sincerity in election reform will be found in awillingness to confer as to remedies and to put into force such measuresas will most effectually preserve the right of the people to free andequal representation. 

An attempt was made in the last Congress to bring to bear theconstitutional powers of the General Government for the correctionof fraud against the suffrage. It is important to know whether theopposition to such measures is really rested in particular featuressupposed to be objectionable or includes any proposition to give tothe election laws of the United States adequacy to the correctionof grave and acknowledged evils. I must yet entertain the hope thatit is possible to secure a calm, patriotic consideration of suchconstitutional or statutory changes as may be necessary to securethe choice of the officers of the Government to the people by fairapportionments and free elections. 

I believe it would be possible to constitute a commission, nonpartisanin its membership and composed of patriotic, wise, and impartial men, to whom a consideration of the question of the evils connected with ourelection system and methods might be committed with a good prospect ofsecuring unanimity in some plan for removing or mitigating those evils. The Constitution would permit the selection of the commission to bevested in the Supreme Court if that method would give the best guarantyof impartiality. This commission should be charged with the duty ofinquiring into the whole subject of the law of elections as relatedto the choice of officers of the National Government, with a view tosecuring to every elector a free and unmolested exercise of the suffrageand as near an approach to an equality of value in each ballot cast asis attainable. 

While the policies of the General Government upon the tariff, upon therestoration of our merchant marine, upon river and harbor improvements, and other such matters of grave and general concern are liable to beturned this way or that by the results of Congressional elections andadministrative policies, sometimes involving issues that tend to peaceor war, to be turned this way or that by the results of a Presidentialelection, there is a rightful interest in all the States and in everyCongressional district that will not be deceived or silenced by theaudacious pretense that the question of the right of any body of legalvoters in any State or in any Congressional district to give theirsuffrages freely upon these general questions is a matter only of localconcern or control. The demand that the limitations of suffrage shallbe found in the law, and only there, is a just demand, and no just manshould resent or resist it. My appeal is and must continue to be fora consultation that shall "proceed with candor, calmness, and patienceupon the lines of justice and humanity, not of prejudice and cruelty. "

To the consideration of these very grave questions I invite not only theattention of Congress, but that of all patriotic citizens. We must notentertain the delusion that our people have ceased to regard a freeballot and equal representation as the price of their allegiance tolaws and to civil magistrates. 

I have been greatly rejoiced to notice many evidences of the increasedunification of our people and of a revived national spirit. The vistathat now opens to us is wider and more glorious than ever before. Gratification and amazement struggle for supremacy as we contemplatethe population, wealth, and moral strength of our country. A trustmomentous in its influence upon our people and upon the world is fora brief time committed to us, and we must not be faithless to its firstcondition--the defense of the free and equal influence of the people inthe choice of public officers and in the control of public affairs. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

[Footnote 22: See pp. 59-60. ]

[Footnote 23: See p. 127. ]

SPECIAL MESSAGES. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _December 16, 1891_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith, for your information, a letter from the Secretaryof State, inclosing the first annual report and copies of the bulletinsof the Bureau of the American Republics. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _December 23, 1891_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith the report of the board appointed by me under aclause in the District of Columbia appropriation act approved August 6, 1890, "to consider the location, arrangement, and operation of electricwires in the District of Columbia, " etc. , to which the attention ofCongress is respectfully invited. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _December 23, 1891_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

My attention having been called to the necessity of bringing about auniform usage and spelling of geographic names in the publications ofthe Government, the following Executive order was issued on the 4th dayof September, 1890:

 As it is desirable that uniform usage in regard to geographic nomenclature and orthography obtain throughout the Executive Departments of the Government, and particularly upon the maps and charts issued by the various Departments and bureaus, I hereby constitute a Board on Geographic Names and designate the following persons, who have heretofore cooperated for a similar purpose under the authority of the several Departments, bureaus, and institutions with which they are connected, as members of said board:

 Professor Thomas C. Mendenhall, United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, chairman. 

 Andrew H. Allen, Department of State. 

 Captain Henry L. Howison, Light-House Board, Treasury Department. 

 Captain Thomas Turtle, Engineer Corps, War Department. 

 Lieutenant Richardson Clover, Hydrographic Office, Navy Department. 

 Pierson H. Bristow, Post-Office Department. 

 Otis T. Mason, Smithsonian Institution. 

 Herbert G. Ogden, United States Coast and Geodetic Survey. 

 Henry Gannett, United States Geological Survey. 

 Marcus Baker, United States Geological Survey. 

 To this board shall be referred all unsettled questions concerning geographic names which arise in the Departments, and the decisions of the board are to be accepted by these Departments as the standard authority in such matters. 

 Department officers are instructed to afford such assistance as may be proper to carry on the work of this board. 

 The members of this board shall serve without additional compensation and its organization shall entail no expense on the Government. 

The report of the board thus constituted has been submitted to me, andis herewith transmitted for the information of Congress and with a viewto its publication in suitable form if such action is deemed by Congressto be desirable. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 5, 1892_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

The famine prevailing in some of the Provinces of Russia is so severeand widespread as to have attracted the sympathetic interest of alarge number of our liberal and favored people. In some of the greatgrain-producing States of the West movements have already been organizedto collect flour and meal for the relief of these perishing Russianfamilies, and the response has been such as to justify the belief thata ship's cargo can very soon be delivered at the seaboard through thegenerous cooperation of the transportation lines. It is most appropriatethat a people whose storehouses have been so lavishly filled with allthe fruits of the earth by the gracious favor of God should manifesttheir gratitude by large gifts to His suffering children in other lands. 

The Secretary of the Navy has no steam vessel at his disposal thatcould be used for the transportation of these supplies, and I thereforerecommend that he be authorized to charter a suitable vessel to receivethem if a sufficient amount should be offered, and to send them underthe charge of a naval officer to such Russian port as may be mostconvenient for ready distribution to those most in need. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 6, 1892_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith, for the consideration of Congress, a communicationof the 4th instant from the Secretary of the Interior, accompanied byan agreement concluded by and between the Cherokee Commission and theWichita and affiliated bands of Indians in the Territory of Oklahoma, for the cession of certain lands and for other purposes. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 6, 1892_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith, for the consideration of Congress, a communicationof the 4th instant from the Secretary of the Interior, submitting theagreement entered into between the Indians of the Colville Reservation, in the State of Washington, and the commissioners appointed under theprovisions of the act of August 19, 1890, to negotiate with them forthe cession of such portion of said reservation as said Indians may bewilling to dispose of, that the same may be opened to white settlement. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 6, 1892_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith, for the consideration of Congress, a communicationof the 4th instant from the Secretary of the Interior, accompanied by anagreement concluded by the Cherokee Commission with the Tonkawa Indiansin Oklahoma Territory, for the cession of all their right, title, claim, and interest of every kind and character in and to the lands occupied bythem in said Territory, and for other purposes. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 11, 1892_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith, for the consideration of Congress, a communicationof the 8th instant from the Secretary of the Interior, submitting theagreements concluded by and between the Cherokee Commission and theKickapoo tribe of Indians in the Territory of Oklahoma, for the cessionof certain lands and for other purposes. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 11, 1892_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith, for the consideration of Congress, a communicationof the 4th instant from the Secretary of the Interior, submitting theagreement entered into between the Indians of the Pyramid LakeReservation and the commission appointed under the provisions of theIndian appropriation act of March 3, 1891, for the cession andrelinquishment of the southern portion of their reservation in the Stateof Nevada. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 11 1892_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith, for the consideration of Congress, a communicationof the 4th instant from the Secretary of the Interior, submitting theagreement entered into between the Shoshone and Arapahoe Indians of theShoshone or Wind River Reservation, in the State of Wyoming, and thecommission appointed under the provisions of the Indian appropriationact of March 3, 1891, for the cession and relinquishment of a portionof their said reservation. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, January 18, 1892_. 

_To the Senate of the United States_:

I transmit herewith to the Senate a report of the Secretary of State, in answer to the resolution of the Senate of the 12th instant, makinginquiries regarding payments of the awards of the claims commissionunder the convention of July 4, 1868, between the United States andMexico. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 19, 1892_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a letter of the Secretary of the Navy, accompaniedby the report of the commission appointed by me by virtue of a provisionin the naval appropriation act approved June 30, 1890, "to select asuitable site, having due regard to commercial and naval interests, fora dry dock at some point on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico or thewaters connected therewith. "

The Secretary of the Navy approves the recommendations of thecommission, and they are respectfully submitted for the considerationof the Congress. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 25, 1892_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

In my annual message delivered to Congress at the beginning of thepresent session, after a brief statement of the facts then in thepossession of this Government touching the assault in the streets ofValparaiso, Chile, upon the sailors of the United States steamship_Baltimore_ on the evening of the 16th of October last, I said:

 This Government is now awaiting the result of an investigation which has been conducted by the criminal court at Valparaiso. It is reported unofficially that the investigation is about completed, and it is expected that the result will soon be communicated to this Government, together with some adequate and satisfactory response to the note by which the attention of Chile was called to this incident. If these just expectations should be disappointed or further needless delay intervene, I will by a special message bring this matter again to the attention of Congress for such action as may be necessary. 

In my opinion the time has now come when I should lay before theCongress and the country the correspondence between this Governmentand the Government of Chile from the time of the breaking out of therevolution against Balmaceda, together with all other facts in thepossession of the executive department relating to this matter. Thediplomatic correspondence is herewith transmitted, together with somecorrespondence between the naval officers for the time in command inChilean waters and the Secretary of the Navy, and also the evidencetaken at the Mare Island Navy-Yard since the arrival of the _Baltimore_at San Francisco. I do not deem it necessary in this communication toattempt any full analysis of the correspondence or of the evidence. A brief restatement of the international questions involved and of thereasons why the responses of the Chilean Government are unsatisfactoryis all that I deem necessary. 

It may be well at the outset to say that whatever may have been saidin this country or in Chile in criticism of Mr. Egan, our minister atSantiago, the true history of this exciting period in Chilean affairsfrom the outbreak of the revolution until this time discloses no act onthe part of Mr. Egan unworthy of his position or that could justly bethe occasion of serious animadversion or criticism. He has, I think, on the whole borne himself in very trying circumstances with dignity, discretion, and courage, and has conducted the correspondence withability, courtesy, and fairness. 

It is worth while also at the beginning to say that the right ofMr. Egan to give shelter in the legation to certain adherents of theBalmaceda Government who applied to him for asylum has not been deniedby the Chilean authorities, nor has any demand been made for thesurrender of these refugees. That there was urgent need of asylum isshown by Mr. Egan's note of August 24, 1891, describing the disordersthat prevailed in Santiago, and by the evidence of Captain Schleyas to the pillage and violence that prevailed at Valparaiso. Thecorrespondence discloses, however, that the request of Mr. Egan for asafe conduct from the country in behalf of these refugees was denied. The precedents cited by him in the correspondence, particularly the caseof the revolution in Peru in 1865, did not leave the Chilean Governmentin a position to deny the right of asylum to political refugees, andseemed very clearly to support Mr. Egan's contention that a safe conductto neutral territory was a necessary and acknowledged incident of theasylum. These refugees have very recently, without formal safe conduct, but by the acquiescence of the Chilean authorities, been placed onboard the _Yorktown_, and are now being conveyed to Callao, Peru. This incident might be considered wholly closed but for the disrespectmanifested toward this Government by the close and offensive policesurveillance of the legation premises which was maintained during mostof the period of the stay of the refugees therein. After the date of myannual message, and up to the time of the transfer of the refugees tothe _Yorktown_, the legation premises seemed to have been surrounded bypolice in uniform and police agents or detectives in citizen's dress, who offensively scrutinized persons entering or leaving the legation, and on one or more occasions arrested members of the minister's family. Commander Evans, who by my direction recently visited Mr. Egan atSantiago, in his telegram to the Navy Department described the legationas "a veritable prison, " and states that the police agents or detectiveswere after his arrival withdrawn during his stay. It appears furtherfrom the note of Mr. Egan of November 20, 1891, that on one occasion atleast these police agents, whom he declares to be known to him, invadedthe legation premises, pounding upon its windows and using insulting andthreatening language toward persons therein. This breach of the rightof a minister to freedom from police espionage and restraint seems tohave been so flagrant that the Argentine minister, who was dean ofthe diplomatic corps, having observed it, felt called upon to protestagainst it to the Chilean minister of foreign affairs. The Chileanauthorities have, as will be observed from the correspondence, chargedthe refugees and the inmates of the legation with insulting the police;but it seems to me incredible that men whose lives were in jeopardy andwhose safety could only be secured by retirement and quietness shouldhave sought to provoke a collision, which could only end in theirdestruction, or to aggravate their condition by intensifying a popularfeeling that at one time so threatened the legation as to require Mr. Egan to appeal to the minister of foreign affairs. 

But the most serious incident disclosed by the correspondence is thatof the attack upon the sailors of the _Baltimore_ in the streets ofValparaiso on the 16th of October last. In my annual message, speakingupon the information then in my possession, I said:

 So far as I have yet been able to learn, no other explanation of this bloody work has been suggested than that it had its origin in hostility to those men as sailors of the United States, wearing the uniform of their Government, and not in any individual act or personal animosity. 

We have now received from the Chilean Government an abstract of theconclusions of the fiscal general upon the testimony taken by the judgeof crimes in an investigation which was made to extend over nearly threemonths. I very much regret to be compelled to say that this report doesnot enable me to modify the conclusion announced in my annual message. I am still of the opinion that our sailors were assaulted, beaten, stabbed, and killed not for anything they or any one of them had done, but for what the Government of the United States had done or was chargedwith having done by its civil officers and naval commanders. If that bethe true aspect of the case, the injury was to the Government of theUnited States, not to these poor sailors who were assaulted in a mannerso brutal and so cowardly. 

Before attempting to give an outline of the facts upon which thisconclusion rests I think it right to say a word or two upon the legalaspect of the case. The _Baltimore_ was in the harbor of Valparaiso byvirtue of that general invitation which nations are held to extend tothe war vessels of other powers with which they have friendly relations. This invitation, I think, must be held ordinarily to embrace theprivilege of such communication with the shore as is reasonable, necessary, and proper for the comfort and convenience of the officersand men of such vessels. Captain Schley testifies that when his vesselreturned to Valparaiso on September 14 the city officers, as iscustomary, extended the hospitalities of the city to his officers andcrew. It is not claimed that every personal collision or injury in whicha sailor or officer of such naval vessel visiting the shore may beinvolved raises an international question, but I am clearly of theopinion that where such sailors or officers are assaulted by a residentpopulace, animated by hostility to the government whose uniform thesesailors and officers wear and in resentment of acts done by theirgovernment, not by them, their nation must take notice of the eventas one involving an infraction of its rights and dignity, not in asecondary way, as where a citizen is injured and presents his claimthrough his own government, but in a primary way, precisely as if itsminister or consul or the flag itself had been the object of the samecharacter of assault. 

The officers and sailors of the _Baltimore_ were in the harbor ofValparaiso under the orders of their Government, not by their ownchoice. They were upon the shore by the implied invitation of theGovernment of Chile and with the approval of their commanding officer;and it does not distinguish their case from that of a consul that hisstay is more permanent or that he holds the express invitation of thelocal government to justify his longer residence. Nor does it affectthe question that the injury was the act of a mob. If there had beenno participation by the police or military in this cruel work and noneglect on their part to extend protection, the case would still be one, in my opinion, when its extent and character are considered, involvinginternational rights. The incidents of the affair are briefly asfollows:

On the 16th of October last Captain Schley, commanding the United Statessteamship _Baltimore_, gave shore leave to 117 petty officers andsailors of his ship. These men left the ship about 1. 30 p. M. No incidentof violence occurred, none of our men were arrested, no complaint waslodged against them, nor did any collision or outbreak occur until about6 o'clock p. M. Captain Schley states that he was himself on shore andabout the streets of the city until 5. 30 p. M. ; that he met very many ofhis men who were upon leave; that they were sober and were conductingthemselves with propriety, saluting Chilean and other officers as theymet them. Other officers of the ship and Captain Jenkins, of themerchant ship _Keweenaw_, corroborate Captain Schley as to the generalsobriety and good behavior of our men. The Sisters of Charity at thehospital to which our wounded men were taken when inquired of statedthat they were sober when received. If the situation had been otherwise, we must believe that the Chilean police authorities would have madearrests. About 6 p. M. The assault began, and it is remarkable that theinvestigation by the judge of crimes, though so protracted, does notenable him to give any more satisfactory account of its origin than isfound in the statement that it began between drunken sailors. Repeatedlyin the correspondence it is asserted that it was impossible to learnthe precise cause of the riot. The minister of foreign affairs, Matta, in his telegram to Mr. Montt under date December 31, states that thequarrel began between two sailors in a tavern and was continued in thestreet, persons who were passing joining in it. 

The testimony of Talbot, an apprentice, who was with Riggin, is thatthe outbreak in which they were involved began by a Chilean sailor'sspitting in the face of Talbot, which was resented by a knockdown. Itappears that Riggin and Talbot were at the time unaccompanied by othersof their shipmates. These two men were immediately beset by a crowd ofChilean citizens and sailors, through which they broke their way to astreet car, and entered it for safety. They were pursued, driven fromthe car, and Riggin was so seriously beaten that he fell in the streetapparently dead. There is nothing in the report of the Chileaninvestigation made to us that seriously impeaches this testimony. Itappears from Chilean sources that almost instantly, with a suddennessthat strongly implies meditation and preparation, a mob, stated by thepolice authorities at one time to number 2, 000 and at another 1, 000, was engaged in the assault upon our sailors, who are represented asresisting "with stones, clubs, and bright arms. " The report of the_intendente_ of October 30 states that the fight began at 6 p. M. Inthree streets, which are named; that information was received at the_intendencia_ at 6. 15, and that the police arrived on the scene at 6. 30, a full half hour after the assault began. At that time he says that amob of 2, 000 men had collected, and that for several squares there wasthe appearance of a "real battlefield. "

The scene at this point is very graphically set before us by the Chileantestimony. The American sailors, who after so long an examination havenot been found guilty of any breach of the peace so far as the Chileanauthorities are able to discover, unarmed and defenseless, are fleeingfor their lives, pursued by overwhelming numbers, and fighting only toaid their own escape from death or to succor some mate whose life is ingreater peril. Eighteen of them are brutally stabbed and beaten, whileone Chilean seems from the report to have suffered some injury, but howserious or with what character of weapon, or whether by a missile thrownby our men or by some of his fellow-rioters, is unascertained. 

The pretense that our men were fighting "with stones, clubs, and brightarms" is in view of these facts incredible. It is further refuted by thefact that our prisoners when searched were absolutely without arms, onlyseven penknives being found in the possession of the men arrested, whilethere were received by our men more than thirty stab wounds, every oneof which was inflicted in the back, and almost every contused wound wasin the back or back of the head; The evidence of the ship's officer ofthe day is that even the jackknives of the men were taken from thembefore leaving the ship. 

As to the brutal nature of the treatment received by our men, thefollowing extract from the account given of the affair by the La Patrianewspaper, of Valparaiso, of October 17, can not be regarded as toofriendly:

 The Yankees, as soon as their pursuers gave chase, went by way of the Calle del Arsenal toward the city car station. In the presence of an ordinary number of citizens, among whom were some sailors, the North Americans took seats in the street car to escape from the stones which the Chileans threw at them. It was believed for an instant that the North Americans had saved themselves from popular fury, but such was not the case. Scarcely had the car begun to move when a crowd gathered around and stopped its progress. Under these circumstances and without any cessation of the howling and throwing of stones at the North Americans, the conductor entered the car, and, seeing the risk of the situation to the vehicle, ordered them to get out. At the instant the sailors left the car, in the midst of a hail of stones, the said conductor received a stone blow on the head. One of the Yankee sailors managed to escape in the direction of the Plaza Wheelright, but the other was felled to the ground by a stone. Managing to raise himself from the ground where he lay, he staggered in an opposite direction from the station. In front of the house of Señor Mazzini he was again wounded, falling then senseless and breathless. 

No amount of evasion or subterfuge is able to cloud our clear visionof this brutal work. It should be noticed in this connection that theAmerican sailors arrested, after an examination, were during the fourdays following the arrest every one discharged, no charge of any breachof the peace or other criminal conduct having been sustained againsta single one of them. The judge of crimes, Foster, in a note to the_intendente_ under date of October 22, before the dispatch from thisGovernment of the following day, which aroused the authorities of Chileto a better sense of the gravity of the affair, says:

 Having presided temporarily over this court in regard to the seamen of the United States cruiser _Baltimore_, who have been tried on account of the deplorable conduct which took place, etc. 

The noticeable point here is that our sailors had been tried beforethe 22d of October, and that the trial resulted in their acquittal andreturn to their vessel. It is quite remarkable and quite characteristicof the management of this affair by the Chilean police authorities thatwe should now be advised that Seaman Davidson, of the _Baltimore_, hasbeen included in the indictment, his offense being, so far as I havebeen able to ascertain, that he attempted to defend a shipmate againstan assailant who was striking at him with a knife. The perfectvindication of our men is furnished by this report. One only is foundto have been guilty of criminal fault, and that for an act clearlyjustifiable. 

As to the part taken by the police in the affair, the case made by Chileis also far from satisfactory. The point where Riggin was killed is onlythree minutes' walk from the police station, and not more than twicethat distance from the _intendencia_; and yet according to theirofficial report a full half hour elapsed after the assault began beforethe police were upon the ground. It has been stated that all but two ofour men have said that the police did their duty. The evidence taken atMare Island shows that if such a statement was procured from our men itwas accomplished by requiring them to sign a writing in a language theydid not understand and by the representation that it was a meredeclaration that they had taken no part in the disturbance. LieutenantMcCrea, who acted as interpreter, says in his evidence that when oursailors were examined before the court the subject of the conduct of thepolice was so carefully avoided that he reported the fact to CaptainSchley on his return, to the vessel. 

The evidences of the existence of animosity toward our sailors inthe minds of the sailors of the Chilean navy and of the populace ofValparaiso are so abundant and various as to leave no doubt in the mindof anyone who will examine the papers submitted. It manifested itselfin threatening and insulting gestures toward our men as they passedthe Chilean men-of-war in their boats and in the derisive and abusiveepithets with which they greeted every appearance of an American sailoron the evening of the riot. Captain Schley reports that boats from theChilean war ships several times went out of their course to cross thebows of his boats, compelling them to back water. He complained of thediscourtesy, and it was corrected. That this feeling was shared by menof higher rank is shown by an incident related by Surgeon Stitt, ofthe _Baltimore_. After the battle of Placilla he, with other medicalofficers of the war vessels in the harbor, was giving voluntaryassistance to the wounded in the hospitals. The son of a Chilean armyofficer of high rank was under his care, and when the father discoveredit he flew into a passion and said he would rather have his son die thanhave Americans touch him, and at once had him removed from the ward. This feeling is not well concealed in the dispatches of the foreignoffice, and had quite open expression in the disrespectful treatment ofthe American legation. The Chilean boatmen in the bay refused, even forlarge offers of money, to return our sailors, who crowded the Mole, to their ship when they were endeavoring to escape from the city onthe night of the assault. The market boats of the _Baltimore_ werethreatened, and even quite recently the gig of Commander Evans, ofthe _Yorktown_, was stoned while waiting for him at the Mole. 

The evidence of our sailors clearly shows that the attack was expectedby the Chilean people, that threats had been made against our men, andthat in one case, somewhat early in the afternoon, the keeper of onehouse into which some of our men had gone closed his establishment inanticipation of the attack, which he advised them would be made uponthem as darkness came on. 

In a report of Captain Schley to the Navy Department he says:

 In the only interview that I had with Judge Foster, who is investigating the case relative to the disturbance, before he was aware of the entire gravity of the matter, he informed me that the assault upon my men was the outcome of hatred for our people among the lower classes because they thought we had sympathized with the Balmaceda Government on account of the _Itata_ matter, whether with reason or without he could of course not admit; but such he thought was the explanation of the assault at that time. 

Several of our men sought security from the mob by such complete orpartial changes in their dress as would conceal the fact of their beingseamen of the _Baltimore_, and found it then possible to walk thestreets without molestation. These incidents conclusively establish thatthe attack was upon the uniform--the nationality--and not upon the men. 

The origin of this feeling is probably found in the refusal of thisGovernment to give recognition to the Congressional party before ithad established itself, in the seizure of the _Itata_ for an allegedviolation of the neutrality law, in the cable incident, and in thecharge that Admiral Brown conveyed information to Valparaiso of thelanding at Quinteros. It is not my purpose to enter here any defense ofthe action of this Government in these matters. It is enough for thepresent purpose to say that if there was any breach of internationalcomity or duty on our part it should have been made the subject ofofficial complaint through diplomatic channels or for reprisals forwhich a full responsibility was assumed. We can not consent that theseincidents and these perversions of the truth shall be used to excitea murderous attack upon our unoffending sailors and the Governmentof Chile go aquit of responsibility. In fact, the conduct of thisGovernment during the war in Chile pursued those lines of internationalduty which we had so strongly insisted upon on the part of other nationswhen this country was in the throes of a civil conflict. We continuedthe established diplomatic relations with the government in power untilit was overthrown, and promptly and cordially recognized the newgovernment when it was established. The good offices of this Governmentwere offered to bring about a peaceful adjustment, and the interpositionof Mr. Egan to mitigate severities and to shelter adherents of theCongressional party was effective and frequent. The charge againstAdmiral Brown is too base to gain credence with anyone who knows hishigh personal and professional character. 

Recurring to the evidence of our sailors, I think it is shown that therewere several distinct assaults, and so nearly simultaneous as to showthat they did not spread from one point. A press summary of the reportof the fiscal shows that the evidence of the Chilean officials andothers was in conflict as to the place of origin, several places beingnamed by different witnesses as the locality where the first outbreakoccurred. This if correctly reported shows that there were severaldistinct outbreaks, and so nearly at the same time as to cause thisconfusion. The La Patria, in the same issue from which I have alreadyquoted, after describing the killing of Riggin and the fight which fromthat point extended to the Mole, says:

 At the same time in other streets of the port the Yankee sailors fought fiercely with the people of the town, who believed to see in them incarnate enemies of the Chilean navy. 

The testimony of Captain Jenkins, of the American merchant ship_Keweenaw_, which had gone to Valparaiso for repairs, and who was awitness of some part of the assault upon the crew of the _Baltimore_, isstrongly corroborative of the testimony of our own sailors when he saysthat he saw Chilean sentries drive back a seaman seeking shelter upona mob that was pursuing him. The officers and men of Captain Jenkins'sship furnish the most conclusive testimony as to the indignities whichwere practiced toward Americans in Valparaiso. When American sailors, even of merchant ships, can only secure their safety by denying theirnationality, it must be time to readjust our relations with a governmentthat permits such demonstrations. 

As to the participation of the police, the evidence of our sailors showsthat our men were struck and beaten by police officers before and afterarrest, and that one at least was dragged with a lasso about his neck bya mounted policeman. That the death of Riggin was the result of a rifleshot fired by a policeman or soldier on duty is shown directly by thetestimony of Johnson, in whose arms he was at the time, and by theevidence of Charles Langen, an American sailor, not then a member ofthe _Baltimore's_ crew, who stood close by and saw the transaction. TheChilean authorities do not pretend to fix the responsibility of thisshot upon any particular person, but avow their inability to ascertainwho fired it further than that it was fired from a crowd. The characterof the wound as described by one of the surgeons of the _Baltimore_clearly supports his opinion that it was made by a rifle ball, theorifice of exit being as much as an inch or an inch and a quarter inwidth. When shot the poor fellow was unconscious and in the arms of acomrade, who was endeavoring to carry him to a neighboring drug storefor treatment. The story of the police that in coming up the street theypassed these men and left them behind them is inconsistent with theirown statement as to the direction of their approach and with their dutyto protect them, and is clearly disproved. In fact Riggin was not behindbut in front of the advancing force, and was not standing in the crowd, but was unconscious and supported in the arms of Johnson when he wasshot. 

The communications of the Chilean Government in relation to thiscruel and disastrous attack upon our men, as will appear from thecorrespondence, have not in any degree taken the form of a manly andsatisfactory expression of regret, much less of apology. The event wasof so serious a character that if the injuries suffered by our men hadbeen wholly the result of an accident in a Chilean port the incident wasgrave enough to have called for some public expression of sympathy andregret from the local authorities. It is not enough to say that theaffair was lamentable, for humanity would require that expression evenif the beating and killing of our men had been justifiable. It is notenough to say that the incident is regretted, coupled with the statementthat the affair was not of an unusual character in ports where foreignsailors are accustomed to meet. It is not for a generous and sinceregovernment to seek for words of small or equivocal meaning in whichto convey to a friendly power an apology for an offense so atrociousas this. In the case of the assault by a mob in New Orleans upon theSpanish consulate in 1851, Mr. Webster wrote to the Spanish minister, Mr. Calderon, that the acts complained of were "a disgraceful andflagrant breach of duty and propriety, " and that his Government "regretsthem as deeply as Minister Calderon or his Government could possiblydo;" that "these acts have caused the President great pain, and hethinks a proper acknowledgment is due to Her Majesty's Government. "He invited the Spanish consul to return to his post, guaranteeingprotection, and offered to salute the Spanish flag if the consul shouldcome in a Spanish vessel. Such a treatment by the Government of Chile ofthis assault would have been more creditable to the Chilean authorities, and much less can hardly be satisfactory to a government that values itsdignity and honor. 

In our note of October 23 last, which appears in the correspondence, after receiving the report of the board of officers appointed by CaptainSchley to investigate the affair, the Chilean Government was advised ofthe aspect which it then assumed and called upon for any facts in itspossession that might tend to modify the unfavorable impressions whichour report had created. It is very clear from the correspondence thatbefore the receipt of this note the examination was regarded by thepolice authorities as practically closed. It was, however, reopened andprotracted through a period of nearly three months. We might justly havecomplained of this unreasonable delay; but in view of the fact that theGovernment of Chile was still provisional, and with a disposition to beforbearing and hopeful of a friendly termination, I have awaited thereport, which has but recently been made. 

On the 21st instant I caused to be communicated to the Government ofChile by the American minister at Santiago the conclusions of thisGovernment after a full consideration of all the evidence and of everysuggestion affecting this matter, and to these conclusions I adhere. They were stated as follows:

 First. That the assault is not relieved of the aspect which the early information of the event gave to it, viz, that of an attack upon the uniform of the United States Navy having its origin and motive in a feeling of hostility to this Government, and not in any act of the sailors or of any of them. 

 Second. That the public authorities of Valparaiso flagrantly failed in their duty to protect our men, and that some of the police and of the Chilean soldiers and sailors were themselves guilty of unprovoked assaults upon our sailors before and after arrest. He [the President] thinks the preponderance of the evidence and the inherent probabilities lead to the conclusion that Riggin was killed by the police or soldiers. 

 Third. That he [the President] is therefore compelled to bring the case back to the position taken by this Government in the note of Mr. Wharton of October 23 last * * * and to ask for a suitable apology and for some adequate reparation for the injury done to this Government. 

In the same note the attention of the Chilean Government was called tothe offensive character of a note addressed by Mr. Matta, its ministerof foreign affairs, to Mr. Montt, its minister at this capital, on the11th ultimo. This dispatch was not officially communicated to thisGovernment, but as Mr. Montt was directed to translate it and to giveit to the press of the country it seemed to me that it could not passwithout official notice. It was not only undiplomatic, but grosslyinsulting to our naval officers and to the executive department, as itdirectly imputed untruth and insincerity to the reports of the navalofficers and to the official communications made by the executivedepartment to Congress. It will be observed that I have notified theChilean Government that unless this note is at once withdrawn and anapology as public as the offense made I will terminate diplomaticrelations. 

The request for the recall of Mr. Egan upon the ground that he was not_persona grata_ was unaccompanied by any suggestion that could properlybe used in support of it, and I infer that the request is based uponofficial acts of Mr. Egan which have received the approval of thisGovernment. But however that may be, I could not consent to considersuch a question until it had first been settled whether ourcorrespondence with Chile could be conducted upon a basis of mutualrespect. 

In submitting these papers to Congress for that grave and patrioticconsideration which the questions involved demand I desire to say thatI am of the opinion that the demands made of Chile by this Governmentshould be adhered to and enforced. If the dignity as well as theprestige and influence of the United States are not to be whollysacrificed, we must protect those who in foreign ports display the flagor wear the colors of this Government against insult, brutality, anddeath inflicted in resentment of the acts of their Government and notfor any fault of their own. It has been my desire in every way tocultivate friendly and intimate relations with all the Governments ofthis hemisphere. We do not covet their territory. We desire their peaceand prosperity. We look for no advantage in our relations with themexcept the increased exchanges of commerce upon a basis of mutualbenefit. We regret every civil contest that disturbs their peace andparalyzes their development, and are always ready to give our goodoffices for the restoration of peace. It must, however, be understoodthat this Government, while exercising the utmost forbearance towardweaker powers, will extend its strong and adequate projection to itscitizens, to its officers, and to its humblest sailor when made thevictims of wantonness and cruelty in resentment not of their personalmisconduct, but of the official acts of their Government. 

Upon information received that Patrick Shields, an Irishman and probablya British subject, but at the time a fireman of the American steamer_Keweenaw_, in the harbor of Valparaiso for repairs, had been subjectedto personal injuries in that city, largely by the police, I directed theAttorney-General to cause the evidence of the officers and crew of thatvessel to be taken upon its arrival in San Francisco, and that testimonyis also herewith transmitted. The brutality and even savagery of thetreatment of this poor man by the Chilean police would be incredible ifthe evidence of Shields was not supported by other direct testimony andby the distressing condition of the man himself when he was finally ableto reach his vessel. The captain of the vessel says:

 He came back a wreck, black from his neck to his hips from beating, weak and stupid, and is still in a kind of paralyzed condition, and has never been able to do duty since. 

A claim for reparation has been made in behalf of this man, for while hewas not a citizen of the United States, the doctrine long held by us, asexpressed in the consular regulations, is:

 The principles which are maintained by this Government in regard to the protection, as distinguished from the relief, of seamen are well settled. It is held that the circumstance that the vessel is American is evidence that the seamen on board are such, and in every regularly documented merchant vessel the crew will find their protection in the flag that covers them. 

I have as yet received no reply to our note of the 21st instant, but inmy opinion I ought not to delay longer to bring these matters to theattention of Congress for such action as may be deemed appropriate. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 25, 1892_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith, for the consideration of Congress, a communicationof the 23d instant from the Secretary of the Interior, submitting anextract from the report of the commission appointed under the act ofJanuary 12, 1891, entitled "An act for the relief of the Mission Indiansin the State of California, " and other papers relating to the exchangeof lands with private individuals and the purchase of certain lands andimprovements for the use and benefit of the Mission Indians, with draftof a bill to carry into effect the recommendations of said MissionCommission. 

I have approved the report of the Mission Commission, except as much asrelates to the purchase of lands from and exchange of lands with privateindividuals, which is also approved subject to the condition thatCongress shall authorize the same. 

The matter is presented with the recommendation for the early andfavorable action of Congress. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, January 25, 1892_. 

_To the Senate of the United States_:

Referring to a communication of June 11, 1890, concerning the adoptionby the Committee on Foreign Relations of a resolution respecting theclaim of William Webster against the Government of Great Britain, Iherewith transmit a report of the Secretary of State, with accompanyingdocuments, showing the action taken under that resolution. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, January 25, 1892_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a report of the Secretary of State, withaccompaniments, in relation to the claim of the representatives of thelate Hon. James Crooks, a British subject, against the Government of theUnited States for the seizure of the steamer _Lord Nelson_ in 1812. 

The favorable action of the Fiftieth and Fifty-first Congresses upon thebills heretofore introduced for the relief of the claimants makes itproper that I should recommend it anew for the consideration and finaldisposition of the present Congress. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 28, 1892_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith additional correspondence between this Governmentand the Government of Chile, consisting of a note of M. Montt, theChilean minister at this capital, to Mr. Blaine, dated January 23; areply of Mr. Blaine thereto of date January 27, and a dispatch fromMr. Egan, our minister at Santiago, transmitting the response ofMr. Pereira, the Chilean minister of foreign affairs, to the note ofMr. Blaine of January 21, which was received by me on the 26th instant. The note of Mr. Montt to Mr. Blaine, though dated January 23, was notdelivered at the State Department until after 12 o'clock m. Of the 25th, and was not translated and its receipt notified to me until late in theafternoon of that day. 

The response of Mr. Pereira to our note of the 21st withdraws, withacceptable expressions of regret, the offensive note of Mr. Matta ofthe 11th ultimo, and also the request for the recall of Mr. Egan. The treatment of the incident of the assault upon the sailors of the_Baltimore_ is so conciliatory and friendly that I am of the opinionthat there is a good prospect that the differences growing out ofthat serious affair can now be adjusted upon terms satisfactory tothis Government by the usual methods and without special powers fromCongress. This turn in the affair is very gratifying to me, as I am sureit will be to the Congress and to our people. The general support of theefforts of the Executive to enforce the just rights of the nation inthis matter has given an instructive and useful illustration of theunity and patriotism of our people. 

Should it be necessary I will again communicate with Congress upon thesubject. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 2, 1892_. 

_To the Senate of the United States_:

In reply to a resolution of the Senate of the 27th ultimo, requestingthe President "to advise the Senate as to what action, if any, has beentaken . .. To cause careful soundings to be made between San Francisco, Cal. , and Honolulu . .. For the purpose of determining the practicabilityof laying a telegraphic cable between those two points, or between anypoint on the Pacific coast and the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands, "I inclose herewith a communication from the Secretary of the Navy, datedJanuary 30, 1892. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 9, 1892_. 

_To the House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith, in answer to the resolution of the House ofRepresentatives of the 13th of January last, a report from the Secretaryof State and accompanying papers. [24]

BENJ. HARRISON. 

[Footnote 24: Correspondence with Spain, Brazil, Salvador, and theDominican Republic relative to reciprocal trade relations; copies ofcommercial arrangements entered into with those countries; list ofimport and export duties imposed by Brazil, Salvador, and the DominicanRepublic, and by Spain with respect to Cuba and Puerto Rico. ]

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 10, 1892_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith, as required by law, a communication of the 6thinstant from the Secretary of the Interior, with the report of thePuyallup Indian Commission and accompanying papers. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 16, 1892_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

There was passed by the last Congress "An act for the protection of thelives of the miners in the Territories, " which was approved by me on the3d day of March, 1891. That no appropriation was made to enable me tocarry the act into effect resulted, I suppose, from the fact that it waspassed so late in the session. This law recognizes the necessity of aresponsible public inspection and supervision of the business of miningin the interest of the miners, and is in line with the legislation ofmost of the States. 

The work of the miner has its unavoidable incidents of discomfort anddanger, and these should not be increased by the neglect of the ownersto provide every practicable safety appliance. Economies which involvea sacrifice of human life are intolerable. 

I transmit herewith memorials from several hundred miners working in thecoal mines in the Indian Territory, asking for the appointment of aninspector under the act referred to. The recent frightful disaster atKrebs, in that Territory, in which sixty-seven miners met a horribledeath, gives urgency to their appeal, and I recommend that a specialappropriation be at once made for the salaries and the necessaryexpenses of the inspectors provided for in the law. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 17, 1892_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

The Indian appropriation bill which was approved March 3, 1891, containsthe following provision:

 And the sum of $2, 991, 450 be, and the same is hereby, appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to pay the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations of Indians for all the right, title, interest, and claim which said nations of Indians may have in and to certain lands now occupied by the Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians under Executive order, said lands lying south of the Canadian River, and now occupied by the said Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians; said lands have been ceded in trust by article 3 of the treaty between the United States and said Choctaw and Chickasaw nations of Indians which was concluded April 28, 1866, and proclaimed on the 10th day of August of the same year, and whereof there remains, after deducting allotments as provided by said agreement, a residue ascertained by survey to contain 2, 393, 160 acres; three-fourths of this appropriation to be paid to such person or persons as are or shall be duly authorized by the laws of said Choctaw Nation to receive the same, at such time and in such sums as directed and required by the legislative authority of said Choctaw Nation, and one-fourth of this appropriation to be paid to such person or persons as are or shall be duly authorized by the laws of said Chickasaw Nation to receive the same, at such times and in such sums as directed and required by the legislative authority of said Chickasaw Nation; this appropriation to be immediately available and to become operative upon the execution by the duly appointed delegates of said respective nations specially authorized thereto by law of releases and conveyances to the United States of all the right, title, interest, and claim of said respective nations of Indians in and to said land (not including Greer County, which is now in dispute), in manner and form satisfactory to the President of the United States; and said releases and conveyances, when fully executed and delivered, shall operate to extinguish all claim of every kind and character of said Choctaw and Chickasaw nations of Indians in and to the tract of country to which said releases and conveyances shall apply. 

If this section had been submitted to me as a separate measure, especially during the closing hours of the session, I should havedisapproved it; but as the Congress was then in its last hours adisapproval of the general Indian appropriation bill, of which it was apart, would have resulted in consequences so far-reaching and disastrousthat I felt it my duty to approve the bill. But as a duty was devolvedupon me by the section quoted, viz, the acceptance and approval of theconveyances provided for, I have felt bound to look into the wholematter, and in view of the facts which I shall presently mention topostpone any Executive action until these facts could be submitted toCongress. Very soon after the passage of the law it came to my knowledgethat the Choctaw Legislature had entered into an agreement with threecitizens of that tribe to pay to them as compensation for procuring thislegislation 25 per cent of any appropriation that might be made byCongress. The amount to be secured by these three agents under thisagreement out of the three-fourths interest in the appropriation of theChoctaw Nation is $560, 896. I have information that a contract was madeby the Chickasaws to pay about 10 per cent of their one-fourth interestto the agents and attorneys who represented them. 

Within a month after the passage of the law R. J. Ward, one of theagents, who was to divide with his associates the enormous sum to bepaid by the Choctaws, presented to me an affidavit dated April 4, 1891, which is herewith submitted. It appears from his statement that theaction of the Choctaw Council in this matter was corruptly influencedby the execution of certain notes signed by Ward for himself and hisassociates in sums varying from $2, 500 to $15, 000. His associates denyany knowledge of this, but the giving and existence of these notes isnot refuted. The statement of the two associates of Ward denying anyknowledge or participation in this fraud is also submitted, togetherwith other papers relating to the matter. Whatever may be the fact as tothe use or nonuse of corrupt methods to secure this legislation from theChoctaw Council, I do not think the Congress of the United States shouldso legislate upon this matter as to give effect to such a contract, which I am sure must have been unnoticed when the measure was pending. If the relations of these Indians to the United States are those of award, Congress should protect them from such extortionate exactions. We can not assume that the expenses and services of a committee of threepersons to represent this claim before Congress should justly assumesuch proportions. The making of such a contract seems to conveyimplications which I am sure are wholly unjust. 

After the passage of the appropriation bill legislation was had by theChoctaw Nation looking to the completion of the contract made with theirdelegates as to the payment of this money; but subsequently, when itwas supposed that this extraordinary arrangement might require me tobring the matter to the attention of Congress, an act was passed bythe Choctaw General Council, approved October 19, 1891, declaring allcontracts made by the Choctaw delegates with any attorneys in connectionwith this appropriation void and of no effect. A copy of this law willbe found with the papers submitted. There has also been submitted to mean unofficial copy of the opinion of the attorney-general of the ChoctawNation holding that this last legislation is unconstitutional and void. I am of the opinion that if this appropriation is to stand provisionshould be made for protecting these tribes against extortionate claimsfor compensation in procuring action by Congress. Copies of the severallaws passed by the Choctaw Nation with reference to this matter willbe found in the accompanying papers. It will be noticed that thedistribution proposed is limited to Choctaws by blood, excluding thefreedmen and the white men who have been given full citizenship from anyparticipation. A protest against this method of distribution has beenfiled by a white citizen of the tribe, and also a representation by Hon. Thomas C. Fletcher, their attorney, on behalf of the freedmen. In viewof the fact that the stipulations of the treaty of 1866 in behalf ofthe freedmen of these tribes have not, especially in the case of theChickasaws, been complied with, it would seem that the United Statesshould in a distribution of this money have made suitable provisionin their behalf. The Chickasaws have steadfastly refused to admit thefreedmen to citizenship, as they stipulated to do in the treaty referredto, and their condition in that tribe and in a lesser degree in theother strongly calls for the protective intervention of Congress. 

After a somewhat careful examination of the question I do not believethat the lands for which this money is to be paid were, to quote thelanguage of section 15 of the Indian appropriation bill, already setout, "ceded in trust by article 3 of the treaty between the UnitedStates and said Choctaw and Chickasaw nations of Indians which wasconcluded April 28, 1866, " etc. It is agreed that that treaty containedno express limitation upon the uses to which the United States might putthe territory known as the leased district. The lands were ceded byterms sufficiently comprehensive to have passed the full title of theIndians. The limitation upon the use to which the Government might putthem is sought to be found in a provision of the treaty by which theUnited States undertook to exclude white settlers and in the expressionsfound in the treaties made at the same time with the Creeks and othertribes of the purpose of the United States to use the lands ceded bythose tribes for the settlement of friendly Indians. 

The stipulation as to the exclusion of white settlers might well havereference solely to the national lands retained by the Choctaw andChickasaw tribes, and the reason for the nonincorporation in the treatywith them of a statement of the purpose of the Government in connectionwith the use of the lands is well accounted for by the fact that asto these lands the Government had already, under the treaty of 1855, secured the right to use them perpetually for the settlement of friendlyIndians. This was not true as to the lands of the other tribes referredto. The United States paid to the Choctaws and Chickasaws $300, 000, andthe failure to insert the words that are called words of limitationin this treaty points, I think, clearly to the conclusion that thecommissioners on the part of the Government and the Indians themselvesmust have understood that this Government was acquiring somethingmore than a mere right to settle friendly Indians, which it alreadypossessed, and something more than the mere release of the right whichthe Choctaws and Chickasaws had under the treaty of 1855 to selectlocations on these lands if they chose. 

Undoubtedly it was the policy of this Government for the time tohold these and the adjacent lands as Indian country, and many of theexpressions in the proclamations of my predecessors and in the reportsof the Indian Bureau and of the Secretary of the Interior mean this andnothing more. This is quite different from a conditional title, whichlimits the grant to a particular use and works a reinvestment of fulltitle in the Indian grantors when that use ceases. But those who holdmost strictly that a use for Indian purposes, where it is expressed, is a limitation of title seem to agree that the United States mightpass a fee absolute to other Indian tribes in the lands ceded for theiroccupancy. Certainly it was not intended that in settling friendlyIndians upon these lands the Government was to be restrained in itspolicy of allotment and individual ownership. If for an adequateconsideration, by treaty, the United States placed upon these landsother Indian tribes, it was competent to give them patents in fee fora certain and agreed reservation. This being so, when the policy ofallotment is put into force the compensation for the unused lands shouldcertainly go to the occupying tribe, which in the case supposed had paida full consideration for the whole reservation. 

It will hardly be contended that in such case this Government shouldpay twice for the lands. In the appropriation under discussion thisprinciple is in part recognized, for no claim is made by the Choctawsand Chickasaws for the lands allotted to the Cheyennes and Arapahoes. The claim is for unallotted or surplus lands. The case of the Cheyennesand Arapahoes is this: In consideration of other lands the Governmentgave them a treaty reservation in the Cherokee Outlet, but neverperfected it by paying the Cherokees the stipulated price and placingthese Indians upon it. The Cheyennes and Arapahoes declined to go uponthe strip and located themselves farther south, where they now are. TheGovernment subsequently recognized their right to remain there, and setapart the lands now being allotted to members of that tribe and thelands for which payment is now claimed by the Choctaws and Chickasaws asthe Cheyenne and Arapahoe Reservation. I think the United States must beheld to have assented to the substitution of these lands for the treatylands in the Cherokee Strip, and that being true, when the reservationis broken up, as now, by allotments, it would seem that the Cheyennesand Arapahoes were entitled to be compensated for these surplus lands. In fact, a commission which has been dealing with the tribes in theIndian Territory has concluded an arrangement with them by which theGovernment pays $1, 500, 000 for these surplus lands and for the releaseof any claim to the Cherokee Strip, so that in fact in this agreementwith the Cheyennes and Arapahoes the Government has paid for the landsfor which payment is now claimed by the Choctaws and Chickasaws. 

It should not be forgotten also that the allotment to the Cheyennes andArapahoes is still incomplete. The method of calculation which resultedin stating the claim of the Choctaws and Chickasaws at $2, 991, 450 isexplained by a letter of Mr. J. S. Standley, one of the Choctawdelegates, dated April 6, 1891. The agent for the Cheyennes andArapahoes wrote Mr. Standley that there were 600 Indians residing uponthe lands south of the Canadian River, and who it was supposed wouldtake allotments there, and upon this statement the legislation wasbased. Now it must be borne in mind that the Cheyennes and Arapahoeshave the right to locate anywhere within their reservation, and thatinstead of 600 double that number might have taken their allotmentssouth of the Canadian River upon these lands. This is not probable, buta later report indicates that the number will certainly be in excess of600. If the sum to be paid to the Choctaws and Chickasaws dependedupon a knowledge of the number of acres of unallotted land south ofthe Canadian River, it would seem to have been reasonable that theappropriation should have been delayed until the exact number of acrestaken for allotment had been officially ascertained. This has not yetbeen done. 

It is right also, I think, that Congress in dealing with this mattershould have the whole question before it, for the declaration of Indiantitle contained in this item of appropriation extends to a very largebody of land and will involve very large future appropriations. TheChoctaw and Chickasaw leased district, embracing the lands in the IndianTerritory between the ninety-eighth and one hundredth degrees of westlongitude and extending north and south from the main Canadian River tothe Red River, including Greer County, contains, according to the publicsurveys, 7, 713, 239 acres, or, excluding Greer County, 6, 201, 663 acres. This leased district is occupied as follows:

Greer County, by white citizens of Texas, 1, 511, 576 acres. The UnitedStates is now prosecuting a case in the courts to obtain a judicialdeclaration that this county is part of the Indian country. If adecision should be rendered in its favor, the claim of the Choctawsand Chickasaws to be paid for these lands at the rate named in thisappropriation would at once be presented. 

The Wichita Reservation is also upon the leased lands and is occupiedby the Wichitas, Caddoes, Delawares, and remnants of other tribes byDepartment orders, made to depend upon the treaty with the Delawares in1866 and some other unratified agreements with tribes or fragments oftribes in 1872. This reservation contains 743, 610 acres. 

The Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache Reservation is occupied by those Indiansunder a treaty proclaimed August 25, 1868, which provides that saiddistrict of country "shall be, and the same is hereby, set apart for theabsolute and undisturbed use and occupation of the tribes herein named, and for such friendly tribes or individual Indians as from time to timethey may be willing (with the consent of the United States) to admitamong them. " This reservation contains 2, 968, 893 acres. 

The Cheyennes and Arapahoes, whose surplus lands are to be paid for bythis appropriation, have occupied the country between the Washita andCanadian rivers, extending west to the one hundredth degree oflongitude. This reservation contains 2, 489, 160 acres. 

I have stated these facts in order that it may be seen what furtherappropriations are involved in a settlement for all these lands upon thebasis which Congress has adopted. It does not seem to me to be a wisepolicy to deal with this question piecemeal. It would have been better, if a remnant of title remains in the Choctaws and Chickasaws to thelands in the leased district, to have settled the whole matter at once. Under the treaty of 1855 the Choctaws and Chickasaws quitclaimed anysupposed interest of theirs in the lands west of the one hundredthdegree. The boundary between the Louisiana purchase and the Spanishpossessions by our treaty of 1819 with Spain was as to these lands fixedupon the one hundredth degree of west longitude. 

Our treaty with the Choctaws and Chickasaws made in 1820 extended theirgrant to the limit of our possessions. It followed, of course, thatthese lands were included within the boundaries of the State of Texaswhen that State was admitted to the Union, and the release of theChoctaws and Chickasaws, whatever it was worth, operated for the benefitof the State of Texas and not of the United States. The lands becamepublic lands of that State. For the release of this claim and for thelease of the lands west of the ninety-eighth degree the Government ofthe United States paid the sum of $800, 000. In the calculations whichhave been made to arrive at the basis of the appropriation underdiscussion no part of this sum is treated as having been paid for thelease. I do not think that is just to the United States. It seemsprobable that a very considerable part of this consideration must haverelated to the leased lands, because these were the lands in which theIndian title was recognized, and the treaty gave to the United States apermanent right of occupation by friendly Indians. The sum of $300, 000, paid under the treaty of 1866, is deducted, as I understand, in arrivingat the sum appropriated. It seems to me that a considerable proportionof the sum of $800, 000 previously paid should have been deducted in thesame manner. 

I have felt it to be my duty to bring these matters to the attention ofCongress for such action as may be thought advisable. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 24, 1892_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith, for the information of Congress, the annual reportof the World's Columbian Commission; a supplementary report of thesame commission, submitted February 16, 1892; the report of the boardappointed by me under section 16 of the act of April 25, 1890, to havecharge of the exhibit to be made by the Executive Departments, theSmithsonian Institution, the Fish Commission, and the National Museum;and the report of the board of lady managers, provided for by section6 of the act referred to. 

The information furnished by these reports as to the progress of thework is not only satisfactory, but highly gratifying. The plan and scopeadopted and the site and buildings selected and now being erected arefully commensurate with the national and international character of theenterprise contemplated by the legislation of Congress. The Illinoiscorporation has fully complied with the condition of the law that$10, 000, 000 should be provided, and the Government commission reportsthat "the grounds and buildings will be the most extensive, adequate, and ornate ever devoted to such purposes. " It seems, however, that fromfive to eight millions of dollars more will, in the opinion of thelocal board and the national commission, be necessary to prepare theexposition for a complete and successful inauguration. It will benoticed from the reports that it was first proposed by the localcommission to ask of Congress a loan of $5, 000, 000, to be repaid fromreceipts, and that the national commission approved this suggestion. Subsequently the Illinois exposition corporation reconsidered its actionand determined to ask a subscription of $5, 000, 000. 

The supplementary report of the national commission seems to approvethis amended proposition. I have not myself that detailed information asto the financial necessities of the enterprise which would enable me toform an independent judgment of the additional amount necessary, and amnot, therefore, prepared to make any specific recommendation to Congressupon the subject. The committees of Congress having this matter incharge will undoubtedly obtain full and accurate information beforefinal action. The exposition, notwithstanding the limitations whichthe act contains, is an enterprise to which the United States is sofar committed that Congress ought not, I think, to withhold just andreasonable further support if the local corporation consents to properconditions. 

Liberality on the part of the United States is due to the foreignnations that have responded in a friendly way to the invitation of thisGovernment to participate in the exposition, and will, I am sure, meetthe approval of our people. The exposition will be one of the mostillustrious incidents in our civic history. 

I transmit also certain resolutions adopted by representatives of theNational Guard of the various States appointed by the governors toattend a convention which was held in Chicago on the 27th of October, 1891, with a view to consider the subject of holding a militaryencampment at Chicago during the exposition. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 25, 1892_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith copy of a memorial of the Wichitas, Caddoes, andaffiliated tribes of Indians in Oklahoma Territory in the matter oftheir claim to the lands they occupy, for consideration in connectionwith the agreement concluded by and between the Cherokee Commission andsaid Indians, and also with my communication of the 17th instant, [25]relative to the act to pay the Choctaw and Chickasaw Indians for certainlands now occupied by the Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

[Footnote 25: See pp. 229-234. ]

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, March 8, 1892_. 

_To the Senate_:

I herewith transmit, with a view to its ratification, a conventionsigned at Washington the 29th of February, 1892, between the Governmentsof the United States and Her Britannic Majesty, submitting toarbitration the questions which have arisen between those Governmentsconcerning the jurisdictional rights of the United States in the watersof the Bering Sea, and concerning also the preservation of the fur sealin and habitually resorting to the said sea and the rights of thecitizens and subjects of either country as regards the taking of furseal in or habitually resorting to the said waters. 

The correspondence not heretofore submitted to Congress in relation tothe Bering Sea matter is in course of preparation and will betransmitted without delay. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _March 9, 1892_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith, for the consideration of Congress, a communicationof the 5th instant from the Secretary of the Interior, submitting theagreement concluded by and between the commissioners for the UnitedStates and the Cherokee Nation of Indians of the Indian Territory, forthe cession of certain lands and for other purposes. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, March 18, 1892_. 

_To the Senate_:

I herewith transmit, in answer to the resolution of the Senate of the 3dultimo, a report from the Acting Secretary of State of the 17th instant, transmitting information relative to and his opinion as to the purchaseof the unpublished correspondence and manuscripts of President JamesMonroe. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _March 24, 1892_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a communication from the Board of Commissioners ofthe District of Columbia, accompanied by a letter from the chairman ofthe executive committee organized by the citizens of Washington for thereception and entertainment of the Twenty-sixth Annual Encampment of theGrand Army of the Republic, which is to be held in Washington duringSeptember next. An appeal is made for an appropriation by Congress of$100, 000, one-half to be paid out of the District revenues, to aid indefraying the expenses attending this reception. 

The event is one of very high and, as I believe, of national interest, and the attendance of the surviving Union soldiers will, I do not doubt, be larger than at any annual encampment that has ever been held. The public authorities of the cities or States, or both, in whichthe encampments have been held have, I believe, usually appropriatedliberally to make the occasions worthy and the entertainment hospitable. The parade of the survivors of our great armies upon Pennsylvania avenuewill bring vividly back to us those joyful and momentous days when thegreat victorious armies of the East and of the West marched through thestreets of Washington in high parade and were received by our citizenswith joyful acclaim. It seems to me that it will be highly appropriatefor Congress suitably to aid in making this demonstration impressive andin extending to those soldiers whose lives a beneficent Providence hasprolonged an opportunity to see in the security and peace, developmentand prosperity, which now so happily pervade the national capital thefruits of their sacrifice and valor. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _April 1, 1892_. 

_To the Senate of the United States_:

In compliance with a resolution of the 30th ultimo, the House ofRepresentatives concurring, I return herewith the bill (S. 1057)entitled "An act to punish the unlawful appropriation of the use ofthe property of another in the District of Columbia. "

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, April 1, 1892_. 

_To the Senate_:

I herewith transmit, in answer to the resolutions of the Senate of the16th and 21st ultimo, a report from the Acting Secretary of State, withaccompanying statistics, showing the duties imposed by the Governmentsof Venezuela and Colombia upon products of the United States importedinto these countries. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, April 4, 1892_. 

_To the Senate_:

I transmit, in reply to the resolution of the Senate passed in executivesession on March 14, 1892, a report from the Secretary of State, withaccompanying documents, in relation to the correspondence relating tothe nonacceptance of Hon. Henry W. Blair as minister of the UnitedStates to the Government of China. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _April 12, 1892_. 

_To the Senate_:

I transmit, in reply to the resolution of the Senate under dateof December 15, 1891, a report from the Secretary of State, withaccompanying documents, in relation to the correspondence had withregard to the impressment into its service and punishment by theGovernment of Italy of Nicolino Mileo, a naturalized citizen of theUnited States. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _April 14, 1892_. 

_To the Senate_:

I herewith transmit, in response to the resolution passed in the Senateon the 10th of March, 1892, a report of the Secretary of State and theaccompanying correspondence, had in relation to the claim of theVenezuela Steam Transportation Company for the said company's relief. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _April 26, 1892_. 

_To the Senate_:

I have received the resolution of the Senate of April 23, requestingthat, if not incompatible with the public interest, I inform the Senatewhat steps have been taken toward the securing of an internationalconference to consider the question of the free coinage of silver atthe mints of the nations participating in such conference, or as to theenlarged use of silver in the currency system of said countries, andthat I transmit to the Senate any correspondence between the UnitedStates and other governments upon the subject, and in response theretobeg respectfully to inform the Senate that in my opinion it would notbe compatible with the public interest to lay before the Senate at thistime the information requested, but that at the earliest moment afterdefinite information can properly be given all the facts and anycorrespondence that may take place will be submitted to Congress. 

It may not be inappropriate, however, to say here that, believing thatthe full use of silver as a coined metal upon an agreed ratio by thegreat commercial nations of the world would very highly promote theprosperity of all their people, I have not and will not let anyfavorable opportunity pass for the promotion of that most desirableresult, or, if free international silver coinage is not presentlyattainable, then to secure the largest practicable use of that metal. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _May 11, 1892_. 

_To the House of Representatives_:

In compliance with the resolution of the House of Representatives, theSenate concurring, I return herewith the bill (H. R. 3927) entitled"An act to amend 'An act to provide for the performance of the dutiesof the office of President in case of the removal, death, resignation, or inability both of the President and Vice-President, ' approvedJanuary 19, 1886. "

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _May 11, 1892_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith the seventh annual report of the Commissioner ofLabor, which report relates to the cost of producing textiles and glassin the United States and in Europe. It also comprehends the wages andthe cost of living of persons employed in the textile and glassindustries. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _May 25, 1892_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a communication of the Secretary of War, dated May24, from which and from the accompanying papers it appears that the lateGeneral George W. Cullum, of the United States Army, has by will devised$250, 000 to the Government of the United States for the erection of amemorial hall upon the grounds of the Military Academy at West Point, tobe used as a "receptacle of statues, busts, mural tablets, and portraitsof distinguished deceased officers and graduates of the MilitaryAcademy, of paintings of battle scenes, trophies of war, and such otherobjects as may tend to give elevation to the military profession. "

This ample and patriotic gift is hampered by no conditions and involvesno appropriation beyond the sum so generously donated. 

The executors in order to facilitate action have prepared, and the sameis herewith submitted, the outline of a bill to carry into effect theprovisions of General Cullum's will. 

There can be no occasion to urge upon Congress the immediate enactmentof a suitable law to carry into effect the patriotic purpose expressedin the will. 

I suggest that in the bill itself, or by a separate joint resolution, suitable expression be given of the public appreciation of this crowningservice to the military profession and to his country rendered byGeneral Cullum. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _May 25, 1892_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

In accordance with the provisions of section 4119 of the RevisedStatutes of the United States, I lay before you for revision a copy ofthe regulations for the consular courts of the United States in Korea, as decreed by the minister of this Government at Seoul March 31, 1892. Ialso transmit an accompanying report by the Acting Secretary of State. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _June 20, 1892_. 

_To the Senate of the United States_:

The following resolution was passed by the Senate on the 24th day ofFebruary last:

 _Resolved_, That the President be requested, if in his opinion not incompatible with the public interests, to inform the Senate of the proceedings recently had with the representatives of the Dominion of Canada and of the British Government as to arrangements for reciprocal trade between Canada and the United States. 

In response thereto I now submit the following information:

On the 15th day of April last the Secretary of State submitted to me areport, which is herewith transmitted. Shortly after the report cameinto my possession I was advised by the Secretary that the Britishminister at this capital had informed him that the Canadian governmentdesired a further conference on the subject of the discriminating canaltolls of which this country had complained. This information wasaccompanied by the suggestion that a response to the resolution of theSenate might properly be delayed until this further conference was held. 

On the 3d instant the British minister, in connection with Hon. MacKenzie Bowell and Hon. George E. Foster, members of the Canadianministry, were received by the Secretary of State and a furtherconference took place. In both of the conferences referred to Hon. JohnW. Foster, at the request of the Secretary of State, appeared with himon behalf of this Government; and the report of the latter conferencewas submitted to me on the 6th instant by Mr. Foster, and is herewithtransmitted. The result of the conference as to the practicability ofarranging a reciprocity treaty with the Dominion of Canada is clearlystated in the letter of Mr. Blaine, and was anticipated, I think, by himand by every other thoughtful American who had considered the subject. A reciprocity treaty limited to the exchange of natural products wouldhave been such only in form. The benefits of such a treaty would haveinured almost wholly to Canada. Previous experiments on this line hadbeen unsatisfactory to this Government. A treaty that should bereciprocal in fact and of mutual advantages must necessarily haveembraced an important list of manufactured articles and have secured tothe United States a free or favored introduction of these articles intoCanada as against the world; but it was not believed that the Canadianministry was ready to propose or assent to such an arrangement. Theconclusion of the Canadian commissioners is stated in the report ofMr. Blaine as follows:

 In the second place, it seemed to be impossible for the Canadian government, in view of its present political relations and obligations, to extend to American goods a preferential treatment over those of other countries. As Canada was a part of the British Empire, they did not consider it competent for the Dominion government to enter into any commercial arrangement with the United States from the benefits of which Great Britain and its colonies should be excluded. 

It is not for this Government to argue against this announcement ofCanadian official opinion. It must be accepted, however, I think, asthe statement of a condition which places an insuperable barrier inthe way of the attainment of that large and beneficial intercourse andreciprocal trade which might otherwise be developed between the UnitedStates and the Dominion. 

It will be noticed that Mr. Blaine reports as one of the results of theconference "an informal engagement to repeal and abandon the drawbackof 18 cents a ton given to wheat (grain) that is carried through toMontreal and shipped therefrom to Europe. By the American railwaysrunning from Ogdensburg and Oswego and other American ports the shipperspaid the full 20 cents a ton, while in effect those by the way ofMontreal pay only 2 cents. It was understood that the Canadiancommissioners, who were all three members of the cabinet, would see tothe withdrawal of this discrimination. "

From the report of the recent conference by Mr. Foster it will beseen that the Canadian commissioners declare that this statement doesnot conform to their understanding, and that the only assurance theyhad intended to give was that the complaint of the Government of theUnited States should be taken into consideration by the Canadianministry on their return to Ottawa. Mr. Foster, who was present at thefirst conference, confirms the statements of Mr. Blaine. While thismisunderstanding is unfortunate, the more serious phase of the situationis that instead of rescinding the discriminating canal tolls of whichthis Government complains the Canadian ministry, after the return ofthe commissioners from their visit to Washington, on April 4, reissued, without any communication with this Government, the order continuingthe discrimination, by which a rebate of 18 cents a ton is allowed upongrain going to Montreal, but not to American ports, and refusing thisrebate even to grain going to Montreal if transshipped at an Americanport. 

The report of Mr. Partridge, the Solicitor of the Department of State, which accompanies the letter of the Secretary of State, states thesediscriminations very clearly. That these orders as to canal tolls andrebates are in direct violation of Article XXVII of the treaty of1871 seems to be clear. It is wholly evasive to say that there is nodiscrimination between Canadian and American vessels; that the rebateis allowed to both without favor upon grain carried through to Montrealor transshipped at a Canadian port to Montreal. The treaty runs:

 To secure to the citizens of the United States the use of the Welland, St. Lawrence, and other canals in the Dominion on terms of equality with the inhabitants of the Dominion. 

It was intended to give to consumers in the United States, to our peopleengaged in railroad transportation, and to those exporting from ourports equal terms in passing their merchandise through these canals. This absolute equality of treatment was the consideration forconcessions on the part of this Government made in the same article ofthe treaty, and which have been faithfully kept. 

It is a matter of regret that the Canadian government has not respondedpromptly to our request for the removal of these discriminating tolls. 

The papers submitted show how serious the loss inflicted is upon ourlake vessels and upon some of our lake ports. In view of the fact thatthe Canadian commissioners still contest with us the claim that thesetolls are discriminating and insist that they constitute no violationof the letter or spirit of Article XXVII of the treaty, it would seemappropriate that Congress, if the view held by the Executive isapproved, should with deliberation and yet with promptness take suchsteps as may be necessary to secure the just rights of our citizens. 

In view of the delays which have already taken place in transmittingthis correspondence to Congress, I have not felt justified in awaitingthe further communication from the government of Canada which wassuggested in the recent conference. 

Should any proposition relating to this matter be received it willbe immediately submitted for the consideration of the Senate, and ifforwarded within the time suggested will undoubtedly anticipate anyfinal action by Congress. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _June 20, 1802_. 

_To the Senate_:

In response to the resolution of the Senate dated March 14, 1892, requesting that certain specified correspondence in regard to the claimof Antonio Maximo Mora against the Government of Spain be communicatedto it; if not incompatible with the public interests, I transmitherewith the report of the Acting Secretary of State on the matter. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _June 27, 1892_. 

_To the Senate_:

In response to the resolution of the Senate dated April 6, 1892, directing the Secretary of State to send to the Senate, if notincompatible with the public interests, copies of all commercialagreements made with other countries, and also to report what steps havebeen taken to negotiate a reciprocal commercial treaty with Mexico, I submit herewith the reply of the Acting Secretary of State to thatresolution. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _July 1, 1892_. 

_To the Senate_:

For the information of the Senate and in further response to theresolution of the Senate of February 24 last, I transmit herewitha communication of the 24th ultimo from Mr. Herbert, the actingrepresentative of the British Government at this capital, addressed toMr. Wharton, Acting Secretary of State, upon the subject of Canadiancanal tolls; also a memorandum prepared and submitted to me by Mr. Adee, Second Assistant Secretary of State, reviewing the communication of Mr. Herbert, and a letter of the 28th ultimo from Mr. John W. Foster, who, as I have previously stated, with Mr. Blaine represented this Governmentin the conferences with the Canadian commissioners. 

The position taken by this Government, as expressed in my previouscommunication to the Senate, that the canal tolls and regulations ofwhich complaint has been made are in violation of our treaty with GreatBritain, is not shaken, but rather confirmed. 

There can be no doubt that a serious discrimination against ourcitizens and our commerce exists, and quite as little doubt that thisdiscrimination is not the incident but the purpose of the Canadianregulation. 

It has not seemed to me that this was a case in which we could yield tothe suggestion of further concessions on the part of the United Stateswith a view to securing treaty rights for which a consideration hasalready been given. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _July 21, 1892_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I herewith transmit, for the information of Congress, a communicationfrom the Secretary of State, forwarding certain bulletins of theAmerican Republics. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, July 23, 1892_. 

_To the Senate of the United States_:

I transmit, in reply to the resolution of the Senate passed inexecutive session on the 21st instant and addressed to the Secretary ofState, a report of that officer, with accompanying documents, in furtherrelation to the nonacceptance of the Hon. Henry W. Blair as minister ofthe United States to the Government of China, which question was theoccasion of my recent message to the Senate of the 4th of Aprillast. [26]

BENJ. HARRISON. 

[Footnote 26: See p. 238. ]

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _July 25, 1892_. 

_To the Senate_:

I herewith transmit, in reply to the resolution of the Senate of June 6, 1892, a report from the Secretary of State, with its accompanyingpapers, in relation to guano deposits on Areas Cays or Islands. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

WASHINGTON, D. C. , _July 27, 1892_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith, with its accompaniments, a report from theSecretary of the Navy of the Results of the survey made pursuant tothe act of March 2, 1891, "to enable the President to cause carefulsoundings to be made between San Francisco, Cal. , and Honolulu, in theKingdom of the Hawaiian Islands, for the purpose of determining thepracticability of the laying of a telegraphic cable between thosepoints. "

BENJ. HARRISON. 

VETO MESSAGES. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _July 19, 1892_. 

_To the Senate_:

I return herewith without my approval the bill (S. 2729) entitled"An act to amend an act entitled 'An act to establish circuit courts ofappeals, and to define and regulate in certain cases the jurisdictionof the courts of the United States, and for other purposes. '"

The original act to which this amendment is proposed, constituting anintermediate court of appeals, had for its object the relief of theSupreme Court by limiting the cases which might be brought up forhearing in that court. The first section of the bill under considerationallows appeals in criminal cases where the sentence imposes noimprisonment and the fine is as much as $1, 000. The effect of thisprovision will be to bring to the Supreme Court many cases that in myopinion should be finally determined in the intermediate appellatecourt, and so in part to defeat the general purpose of Congress inconstituting the intermediate court. But this objection would not alonehave sufficient weight in my mind to induce me to return the bill. Section 3 of the bill is as follows:

 That no appeal shall hereafter be allowed from judgments of the Court of Claims in cases under the act of March 3, 1891, entitled "An act to provide for the adjudication and payment of claims arising from Indian depredations, " except where the adjudication involves the construction or application of the Constitution or the validity or construction of a treaty or the constitutionality of a law of the United States: _Provided, however_, That upon such appeal it shall be competent for the Supreme Court to require, by certiorari or otherwise, the whole case to be certified for its review and determination upon the facts as well as the law. 

I am advised by the Attorney-General that under the Indian-depredationsact 8, 000 cases, involving an aggregate of damages claimed of about$30, 000, 000, have already been filed. A number of these cases involve asmuch as $100, 000 each, while a few involve as much as $500, 000 each andone something over $1, 000, 000. The damages which may be awarded in thesecases by the Court of Claims are to be paid out of the trust funds ofthe Indians held by the United States, or, if there are no such funds, out of the Treasury of the United States. The law referring these casesto the Court of Claims has had no judicial interpretation, and manynovel and difficult questions are likely to arise. It is quite astartling proposition, and a very novel one, I think, that there shallbe absolutely no opportunity for the review in an appellate court, in cases involving such large amounts, of questions involving theconstruction of the statute under which the court is proceeding, orthose various questions of law, many of them new, which necessarilyarise in such cases. 

Neither the claimants, the Indians, nor the Government of the UnitedStates should be absolutely denied opportunity to bring their exceptionsto review by some appellate tribunal. I would not suggest that an appealshould be allowed in all cases. Some limitation as to amount would bereasonable, and perhaps some discretion might be lodged in the SupremeCourt as to granting appeals. The limitations, however, imposed by thesection I have quoted are so severe and unreasonable, in my judgment, that I have felt compelled to return the bill to the Senate with a viewto its reconsideration. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _July 29, 1892_. 

_To the Senate_:

I return herewith without my approval the bill (S. 1958) entitled "Anact to submit to the Court of Private Land Claims, established by an actof Congress approved March 3, 1891, the title of William McGarrahan tothe Rancho Panoche Grande, in the State of California, and for otherpurposes. "

This bill came to me on the 20th instant, at a time when very many otherbills were submitted for my consideration, and it has not been possiblefor me to make such an examination of the history of Mr. McGarrahan'sclaim as would be necessary to form an intelligent judgment as to itsmerits and just extent. It is quite possible that he has been wrongedand that he has a claim for some reparation from the Government. I cannot, however, think that this bill proceeds upon a just basis. Itprovides that Mr. McGarrahan shall file his claim as the assignee ofGomez in the Court of Private Land Claims for the lands described in thetitle, and that if the court establishes the grant to Gomez it shall beconfirmed to McGarrahan. No evidence that he is the assignee of Gomezis, I think, required by the bill, which assumes that fact instead ofsubmitting it to the court. If the claim is established, it is providedin substance that all lands part of said grant which have been conveyedby the Government or are in the occupancy of actual settlers, or "uponwhich there are any smelting or reduction works, or the lands claimedin connection with such reduction or smelting works, " shall be exceptedfrom the patent which the Secretary of the Interior is directed to issueto McGarrahan. By this provision the title of the New Idria MiningCompany, which has long contested with McGarrahan the title to a largepart of this property, is established and that company is relieved fromany responsibility to account for the profits made in mining. On theother hand, the United States waives all benefit of judicial proceedingswhich have resulted in its favor and gives Mr. McGarrahan an opportunity_de novo_ to try all such questions; and the decision, if in his favor, is not only to restore to him all the lands yet undisposed of, but theUnited States assumes to pay him the value of the lands appropriated byothers and of their use for all these years and to account to him forall profits that have been made by the New Idria Mining Company oranyone else in quicksilver or other mining. 

This seems to me to be wholly inadmissible. The amount involved must beenormously large, though at present incapable of any accurate estimate. If the title of the New Idria Company has been established by finaldecrees of court placing that title beyond question and that companybeyond any call to respond for use and profits, why should theGovernment of the United States, waiving in its behalf these decrees, which would protect it also, assume a responsibility to account for thevalue of the lands and for their use and for the net value of mineralsextracted by that company or others? It will be noticed in the quotationI have made from the act that this company is allowed to take all theland it may claim, but at the expense of the United States, not ofMr. McGarrahan. 

The bill is so framed as to give full protection to the New Idria MiningCompany to the full extent of its largest claim, while throwing upon theUnited States a responsibility which that company should bear if thetitle of Mr. McGarrahan is established. 

The United States provided a proper tribunal for the trial of claimsfounded upon Mexican grants. This claim was there tried, and if fraudaffected the judgment it is not, I think, chargeable to the Government;the contest was chiefly between rival claimants. In this state of thecase it would seem that if the United States consents to open thelitigation and to wipe out all judicial findings and decrees a lessexacting measure of damages than that proposed in the bill should beagreed on. 

It is not my purpose, as I have intimated, to express the opinion thatMr. McGarrahan is entitled to no relief. It seems to me, however, clearthat he is not entitled to the relief given by this bill, and that itdoes not adequately protect the interests of the United States. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _August 3, 1892_. 

_To the Senate_:

I return herewith without my approval the bill (S. 1111) entitled "Anact to amend the act of Congress approved March 3, 1887, entitled 'Anact to provide for the bringing of suits against the Government of theUnited States. '"

If I may judge from the very limited discussion of this measure inCongress, the sweeping effects of it upon the administration of thepublic lands could hardly have been fully realized. From the beginningof the Government the administration of the public lands and the issuingof patents under the land laws have been an Executive function. 

The jurisdiction of the courts as to contesting claims for patents hasawaited the action of the General Land Office. Land offices have beenestablished and maintained in all the districts where public lands werefound, located with reference to the convenience of the settlers, andthe proceedings have been informal and inexpensive. It is true that attimes, by an administration of the Land Office unfriendly toward thesettlers, unnecessary delays involving much hardship have intervened inthe issuing of patents, but such is not the case now. The work of theLand Office within the last three years has been so efficient and sofriendly to the _bona fide_ settler that the large accumulation of casesthere has been swept away, and the office, as I am informed by theSecretary of the Interior, is now engaged upon current business. 

It seems to me that a transfer in whole or in part of this business tothe courts, some of whose dockets are already loaded with cases, can nottend to expedition, while it is very manifest that, by reason of thegreater formality in the taking and presentation of evidence which wouldbe required in court and of the long distances which settlers would haveto traverse in order to attend court, the costs in such cases would beenormously increased. 

It is proposed by this bill to give what is called concurrentjurisdiction to the district courts of the United States and to theCourt of Claims to hear and determine all claims for land patents underany law or grant of the United States. Whether concurrent with eachother or with each other and the Land Office is not clear. 

It is quite doubtful under the rulings of the Supreme Court whether thecourts now provided by law for the Territories are "district courts ofthe United States" within the meaning of this bill. The effect of thislegislation would, if they were held not to be such, be that as to allsuits relating to lands in the Territories of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Oklahoma no other forum is provided than the Court of Claims atWashington. In this state of the case a settler, or one who has takena mineral claim in any of these Territories, would be subject to bebrought to the city of Washington for the trial of his case. 

In view of the fact that all recent legislation of Congress has beenin the direction of subdividing judicial districts and of bringing theUnited States courts nearer to the litigants, I can only attribute tooversight the passage of this bill, which in my opinion would burden thehomesteader and preemptor whose claim is contested, whether by anotherindividual or by any corporation, by compelling him to appear atWashington and to conduct with the formality and expense incident tocourt proceedings the defense of his title. But even in the case ofland contests arising in the States where district courts exist theplaintiff, it will be observed, by this act is given the option to suein those courts or to bring his adversary to Washington to litigatethe claim. Why should he have this advantage, one that is not given sofar as I know in any other law fixing the forum of litigation betweenindividuals? Not only is this true, but the Court of Claims wasestablished for the trial of cases between individuals and corporationson the one side and the United States on the other, and so far as I nowrecall wholly for the trial of money claims. 

There are no adequate provisions of law, if any at all, for conductingsuits between individuals contesting private rights. The court has onebailiff and one messenger, no marshal, and is not provided, I think, either with the machinery or with the appropriation to send itsprocesses to the most distant parts of the country. Yet it is apparentthat under this bill the real issue would frequently be between rivalclaimants, and not between either and the United States. This court, too, is already burdened with business since the reference to it of theIndian depredation claims, the French spoliation claims, etc. , and itcertainly can not be thought that a more speedy settlement of landclaims could be there obtained than is now given. 

Again, the bill is so indefinite in its provisions that it can not betold, I think, what function, if any, remains to be discharged by theGeneral Land Office. It was said in answer to an interrogatory when thebill was under consideration that it did not affect claims pending inthe Land Office; and yet it seems to me that its effect is to allow anycontestant in the Land Office at any stage of the proceedings there totransfer the whole controversy to the courts. He may take his chances ofsuccess in the Land Office, and if at any time he becomes apprehensiveof an adverse decision he may begin _de novo_ in the courts. 

If it was intended to preserve the jurisdiction of the Land Office andto hold cases there until a judgment had been reached, the bill shouldhave so provided, for it is capable of, and indeed seems to me compels, the construction that either party may forsake the Land Office at anystage of a contest. I am quite inclined to believe that if provisionwere made, as in section 1063 of the Revised Statutes, relating toclaims in other departments, for the transfer to a proper court, underproper regulations, of certain contest cases involving questionsaffecting large classes of claims, it would be a relief to the LandOffice and would tend to a more speedy adjustment of land titles in suchcases, a result which would be in the interest of all our people. 

Nothing is more disadvantageous to a community, its progress and peace, than unsettled land titles. This bill, however, as I have said, is soradical and seems to me to be so indefinite in its provisions thatI can not give it my approval. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

PROCLAMATIONS. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas, pursuant to section 3 of the act of Congress approved October1, 1890, entitled "An act to reduce the revenue and equalize duties onimports, and for other purposes, " the Secretary of State of the UnitedStates of America communicated to the Government of Salvador the actionof the Congress of the United States of America, with a view to securereciprocal trade, in declaring the articles enumerated in said section 3to be exempt from duty upon their importation into the United States ofAmerica; and

Whereas the envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of Salvadorat Washington has communicated to the Secretary of State the fact that, in reciprocity for the admission into the United States of America freeof all duty of the articles enumerated in section 3 of said act, theGovernment of Salvador will by due legal enactment, as a provisionalmeasure and until a more complete arrangement may be negotiated and putin operation, admit free of all duty, from and after February 1, 1892, into all the established ports of entry of Salvador the articles ormerchandise named in the following schedule, provided that the same bethe product or manufacture of the United States:

 SCHEDULE OF PRODUCTS AND MANUFACTURES WHICH THE REPUBLIC OF SALVADOR WILL ADMIT FREE OF ALL CUSTOMS, MUNICIPAL, AND ANY OTHER KIND OF DUTY. 

 1. Animals for breeding purposes. 

 2. Corn, rice, barley, and rye. 

 3. Beans. 

 4. Hay and straw for forage. 

 5. Fruits, fresh. 

 6. Preparations of flour in biscuits, crackers not sweetened, macaroni, vermicelli, and tallarin. 

 7. Coal, mineral. 

 8. Roman cement. 

 9. Hydraulic lime. 

 10. Bricks, fire bricks, and crucibles for melting. 

 11. Marble, dressed, for furniture, statues, fountains, gravestones, and building purposes. 

 12. Tar, vegetable and mineral. 

 13. Guano and other fertilizers, natural or artificial. 

 14. Plows and all other agricultural tools and implements. 

 15. Machinery of all kinds, including sewing machines, and separate or extra parts for the same. 

 16. Materials of all kinds for the construction and equipment of railroads. 

 17. Materials of all kinds for the construction and operation of telegraphic and telephonic lines. 

 18. Materials of all kinds for lighting by electricity and gas. 

 19. Materials of all kinds for the construction of wharves. 

 20. Apparatus for distilling liquors. 

 21. Wood of all kinds for building, in trunks or pieces, beams, rafters, planks, boards, shingles, or flooring. 

 22. Wooden staves, heads, and hoops, and barrels and boxes for packing, mounted or in pieces. 

 23. Houses of wood or iron, complete or in parts. 

 24. Wagons, carts, and carriages of all kinds. 

 25. Barrels, casks, and tanks of iron for water. 

 26. Tubes of iron and all other accessories necessary for water supply. 

 27. Wire, barbed, and staples for fences. 

 28. Plates of iron for building purposes. 

 29. Mineral ores. 

 30. Kettles of iron for making salt. 

 31. Kettles of iron for making sugar. 

 32. Molds for making sugar. 

 33. Guys for mining purposes. 

 34. Furnaces and instruments for assaying metals. 

 35. Scientific instruments. 

 36. Models of machinery and buildings. 

 37. Boats, lighters, tackle, anchors, chains, girtlines, sails, and all other articles for vessels, to be used in the ports, lakes, and rivers of the Republic. 

 38. Printing materials, including presses, type, ink, and all other accessories. 

 39. Printed books, pamphlets, and newspapers, bound or unbound, maps, photographs, printed music, and paper for music. 

 40. Paper for printing newspapers. 

 41. Quicksilver. 

 42. Loadstones. 

 43. Hops. 

 44. Sulphate of quinine. 

 45. Gold and silver in bars, dust, or coin. 

 46. Samples of merchandise the duties on which do not exceed $1. 

 It is understood that the packages or coverings in which the articles named in the foregoing schedule are imported shall be free of duty if they are usual and proper for the purpose. 

And that the Government of Salvador has further stipulated that the lawsand regulations adopted to protect its revenue and prevent fraud in thedeclarations and proof that the articles named in the foregoing scheduleare the product or manufacture of the United States of America shallimpose no additional charges on the importer nor undue restrictions onthe articles imported; and

Whereas the Secretary of State has, by my direction, given assuranceto the envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of Salvador atWashington that this action of the Government of Salvador in grantingfreedom of duties to the products and manufactures of the United Statesof America on their importation into Salvador and in stipulating for amore complete reciprocity arrangement is accepted as a due reciprocityfor the action of Congress as set forth in section 3 of said act:

Now, therefore, be it known that I, Benjamin Harrison, President of theUnited States of America, have caused the above-stated modifications ofthe tariff laws of Salvador to be made public for the information of thecitizens of the United States of America. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 31st day of December, 1891, and ofthe Independence of the United States of America the one hundred andsixteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas it is provided by section 24 of the act of Congress approvedMarch 3, 1891, entitled "An act to repeal timber-culture laws, and forother purposes"--

 That the President of the United States may from time to time set apart and reserve in any State or Territory having public land bearing forests, in any part of the public lands wholly or in part covered with timber or, undergrowth, whether of commercial value or not, as public reservations; and the President shall by public proclamation declare the establishment of such reservation and the limits thereof. 

And whereas the public lands in the Territory of New Mexico within thelimits hereinafter described are in part covered with timber, and itappears that the public good would be promoted by setting apart andreserving said lands as a public reservation:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested by section 24 of the aforesaid actof Congress, do hereby make known and proclaim that there is herebyreserved from entry or settlement and set apart as a public reservationall those certain tracts, pieces, or parcels of land lying and beingsituate in the Territory of New Mexico and particularly described asfollows, to wit:

Commencing at the standard corner to township seventeen (17) north, ranges thirteen (13) and fourteen (14) east (New Mexico principal baseand meridian) on the fourth (4th) standard parallel north; thencenortherly along the range line between ranges thirteen (13) and fourteen(14) east to the closing corner between ranges thirteen (13) andfourteen (14) east on the fifth (5th) standard parallel north; thencealong said fifth (5th) standard parallel to the southeast corner oftownship twenty-one (21) north, range thirteen (13) east; thence northsix (6) miles; thence west twelve (12) miles; thence due south to thefifth (5th) standard parallel; thence westerly on said fifth (5th)standard parallel to a point due north of the northwest corner oftownship seventeen (17) north, range eleven (11) east; thence south tothe fourth (4th) standard parallel; thence westerly on said fourth (4th)standard parallel north seven and sixty-two one-hundredths (7. 62) chainsto the northwest corner of township sixteen (16) north, range eleven(11) east; thence southerly on the range line between townships sixteen(16) north, ranges ten (10) and eleven (11) east, three (3) miles andthree and forty-three hundredths (3. 43) chains to the corner to sectionsthirteen (13), eighteen (18), nineteen (19), and twenty-four (24) onsaid range line; thence easterly along the section lines to the rangeline between ranges eleven (11) and twelve (12) east; thence northerlythree (3) miles and three (3) chains to the fourth (4th) standardparallel north; thence easterly on said fourth (4th) standard paralleleight (8) and fifty-hundredths (8. 50) chains to the standard corner totownship seventeen (17) north, ranges eleven (11) and twelve (12) east;thence northerly on the range line to the southwest corner of townshipeighteen (18) north, range twelve (12) east; thence easterly on thetownship line six (6) miles one and six-hundredths (1. 06) chains to thesoutheast corner of township eighteen (18) north, range twelve (12)east; thence south six (6) miles to the fourth (4th) standard parallelnorth; thence east along said fourth (4th) standard parallel to theplace of beginning. 

Excepting from the force and effect of this proclamation all land whichmay have been prior to the date hereof embraced in any valid Spanish orMexican grant or in any legal entry or covered by any lawful filing dulymade in the proper United States land office, and all mining claims dulylocated and held according to the laws of the United States and rulesand regulations not in conflict therewith. 

_Provided_, That this exception shall not continue to apply to anyparticular tract of land unless the entry man or claimant continues tocomply with the law under which the entry, filing, or location was made. 

Warning is hereby expressly given to all persons not to enter or makesettlement upon the tract of land reserved by this proclamation. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 11th day of January, A. D. 1892, andof the Independence of the United States the one hundred and sixteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas, pursuant to section 3 of the act of Congress approved October1, 1890, entitled "An act to reduce the revenue and equalize duties onimports, and for other purposes, " the attention of the Government ofGreat Britain was called to the action of the Congress of the UnitedStates of America, with a view to secure reciprocal trade, in declaringthe articles enumerated in said section 3 to be exempt from duty upontheir importation into the United States of America; and

Whereas the envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of GreatBritain at Washington has communicated to the Secretary of State thefact that, in view of the act of Congress above cited, the Governmentof Great Britain has by due legal enactment authorized the admission, from and after February 1, 1892, of the articles in merchandise namedin the following schedules, on the terms stated therein, into theBritish colonies of Trinidad (which includes Tobago), Barbados, theLeeward Islands (consisting of the islands of Antigua, Montserrat, St. Christopher, Nevis, Dominica, with their respective dependencies, andthe Virgin Islands), the Windward Islands (consisting of St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and their dependencies, but exclusive of Grenada and itsdependencies), and into the colony of British Guiana on and afterApril 1, 1892:

 Table No. 1. --Applicable to British Guiana, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, the Leeward Islands, and the Windward Islands Excepting the Island of Grenada. 

 SCHEDULE A. 

 Articles to be admitted free of all customs duty and any other national, colonial, or municipal charges:

 1. Animals, alive, to include only asses, sheep, goats, hogs, and poultry, and horses for breeding. 

 2. Beef, including tongues, smoked and dried. 

 3. Beef and pork preserved in cans. 

 4. Belting for machinery, of leather, canvas, or india rubber. 

 5. Boats and lighters. 

 6. Books, [27] bound or unbound, pamphlets, newspapers, and printed matter in all languages. 

 7. Bones and horns. 

 8. Bottles of glass or stone ware. 

 9. Bran, middlings, and shorts. 

 10. Bridges of iron or wood, or of both combined, 11. Brooms, brushes, and whisks of broom straw. 

 12. Candles, tallow. 

 13. Carts, wagons, cars, and barrows, with or without springs, for ordinary roads and agricultural use, not including vehicles of pleasure. 

 14. Clocks, mantel or wall. 

 15. Copper, bronze, zinc, and lead articles, plain and nickel plated, for industrial and domestic uses and for building. 

 16. Cotton seed and its products. 

 17. Crucibles and melting pots of all kinds. 

 18. Eggs. 

 19. Fertilizers of all kinds, natural and artificial. 

 20. Fish, fresh or on ice, and salmon and oysters in cans. 

 21. Fishing apparatus of all kinds. 

 22. Fruits and vegetables, fresh and dried, when not canned, tinned, or bottled. 

 23. Gas fixtures and pipes. 

 24. Gold and silver coin of the United States, and bullion. 

 25. Hay and straw for forage. 

 26. Houses of wood, complete. 

 27. Ice. 

 28. India-rubber and gutta-percha goods, including waterproof clothing made wholly or in part thereof. 

 29. Implements, utensils, and tools for agriculture, exclusive of cutlasses and forks. 

 30. Lamps and lanterns. 

 31. Lime of all kinds. 

 32. Locomotives, railway rolling stock, rails, railway ties, and all materials and appliances for railways and tramways. 

 33. Marble or alabaster, in the rough or squared, worked or carved, for building purposes or monuments. 

 34. Medicinal extracts and preparations of all kinds, including proprietary or patent medicines, but exclusive of quinine or preparations of quinine, opium, gange, and bhang. 

 35. Paper of all kinds for printing. 

 36. Paper of wood or straw for wrapping and packing, including surface coated or glazed. 

 37. Photographic apparatus and chemicals. 

 38. Printers' ink, all colors. 

 39. Printing presses, types, rules, spaces, and all accessories for printing. 

 40. Quicksilver. 

 41. Resin, tar, pitch, and turpentine. 

 42. Salt. 

 43. Sewing machines and all parts and accessories thereof. 

 44. Shipbuilding materials and accessories of all kinds, when used in the construction, equipment, or repair of vessels or boats of any kind, except rope and cordage of all kinds, including wire rope. 

 45. Starch of Indian corn or maize. 

 46. Steam and power engines, and machines, machinery, and apparatus, whether stationary or portable, worked by power or by hand, for agriculture, irrigation, mining, the arts and industries of all kinds, and all necessary parts and appliances for the erection or repair thereof or the communication of motive power thereto. 

 47. Steam boilers and steam pipes. 

 48. Sulphur. 

 49. Tan bark of all kinds, whole or ground. 

 50. Telegraph wire, telegraphic, telephonic, and electrical apparatus and appliances of all kinds for communication or illumination. 

 51. Trees, plants, vines, and seeds and grains of all kinds, for propagation or cultivation. 

 52. Varnish, not containing spirits. 

 53. Wall papers. 

 54. Watches when not cased in gold or silver, and watch movements uncased. 

 55. Water pipes of all classes, materials, and dimensions. 

 56. Wire for fences, the hooks, staples, nails, and the like appliances for fastening the same. 

 57. Yeast cake and baking powders. 

 58. Zinc, tin, and lead, in sheets, asbestus, and tar paper, for roofing. 

 It is understood that the packages or coverings in which the articles named in the foregoing schedule are imported shall be free of duty if they are usual and proper for the purpose. 

 SCHEDULE B. 

 Articles to be admitted at 50 per cent reduction of the duty designated in the respective customs tariff now in force in each of said colonies:

 1. Bacon and bacon hams. 

 2. Boots and shoes made wholly or in part of leather. 

 3. Bread and biscuit. 

 4. Cheese. 

 5. Lard and its compounds. 

 6. Mules. 

 7. Oleomargarine. 

 8. Shooks and staves. 

 SCHEDULE C. 

 Articles to be admitted at 25 per cent reduction of the duty designated in the respective customs tariff now in force in each of said colonies:

 1. Beef, salted or pickled. 

 2. Corn or maize. 

 3. Corn meal. 

 4. Flour of wheat. 

 5. Lumber of pitch pine, in rough or prepared for buildings. 

 6. Petroleum and its products, crude or refined. 

 7. Pork, salted or pickled. 

 8. Wheat. 

 It is understood that No. 4 of this schedule shall not apply to the colony of Trinidad, but it is stipulated that the duty on flour in said colony shall not exceed 75 cents per barrel. 

And that the Government of Great Britain has by due legal enactmentauthorized the admission, from and after February 1, 1892, of thearticles or merchandise named in the following schedules, on the termsstated therein, into the British colony of Jamaica and its dependencies:

 Table No. 2. --Applicable to the Colony of Jamaica and its Dependencies. 

 SCHEDULE A. 

 Articles to be admitted free of all customs duty and any other national, colonial, or municipal charges:

 1. Animals, alive, and poultry. 

 2. Beef, including tongues, smoked and dried. 

 3. Beef and pork preserved in cans. 

 4. Belting for machinery, of leather, canvas, or india rubber. 

 5. Boats and lighters. 

 6. Books, [28] bound or unbound, pamphlets, newspapers, and printed matter in all languages. 

 7. Bones and horns. 

 8. Bottles of glass or stone ware. 

 9. Bran, middlings, and shorts. 

 10. Bridges of iron or wood, or of both combined. 

 11. Brooms, brushes, and whisks or broom straw. 

 12. Candles, tallow. 

 13. Carts, wagons, cars, and barrows, with or without springs, for ordinary roads and agricultural use, not including vehicles of pleasure. 

 14. Coal and coke. 

 15. Clocks, mantel or wall. 

 16. Cotton seed and its products, to include meal, meal cake, oil, and cottolene. 

 17. Crucibles and melting pots of all kinds. 

 18. Drawings, paintings, engravings, lithographs, and photographs

 19. Eggs. 

 20. Fertilizers of all kinds, natural and artificial. 

 21. Fish, fresh or on ice, and oysters in cans. 

 22. Fishing apparatus of all kinds. 

 23. Fruits and vegetables, fresh and dried, when not canned, tinned, or bottled. 

 24. Gas fixtures and pipes. 

 25. Gold and silver coin of the United States, and bullion. 

 26. Hay and straw for forage. 

 27. Houses of wood, complete. 

 28. Ice. 

 29. India-rubber and gutta-percha goods, including waterproof clothing made wholly or in part thereof. 

 30. Implements, utensils, and tools for agriculture, exclusive of cutlasses and forks. 

 31. Iron, galvanized. 

 32. Iron for roofing. 

 33. Lamps and lanterns, not exceeding 10 shillings each in value. 

 34. Lime of all kinds. 

 35. Locomotives, railway rolling stock, rails, railway ties, and all materials and appliances for railways and tramways. 

 36. Marble or alabaster, in the rough or squared, worked or carved, for building purposes or monuments. 

 37. Paper of all kinds for printing. 

 38. Paper of wood or straw for wrapping and packing, including surface coated or glazed. 

 39. Photographic apparatus and chemicals. 

 40. Printers' ink, all colors. 

 41. Printing presses, types, rules, spaces, and all accessories for printing. 

 42. Proprietary or patent medicines, recommended by their proprietors as calculated to cure disease or alleviate pain in the human subject. 

 43. Quicksilver. 

 44. Resin, tar, pitch, and turpentine. 

 45. Sewing machines and all parts and accessories thereof. 

 46. Shipbuilding materials and accessories of all kinds, when used in the construction, equipment, or repair of vessels or boats of any kind, except rope and cordage of all kinds, including wire rope, and subject to specific regulations to avoid abuse in the importation. 

 47. Shocks and staves. 

 48. Starch of Indian corn or maize. 

 49. Steam and power engines, and machines, machinery, and apparatus, whether stationary or portable, worked by power or by hand, for agriculture, irrigation, mining, the arts and industries of all kinds, and all necessary parts and appliances for the erection or repair thereof or the communication of motive power thereto. 

 50. Steam boilers and steam pipes. 

 51. Sugar, refined. 

 52. Sulphur. 

 53. Tallow and animal greases. 

 54. Tan bark of all kinds, whole or ground. 

 55. Telegraph wire, telegraphic, telephonic, and electrical apparatus and appliances of all kinds for communication or illumination. 

 56. Trees, plants, vines, and seeds and grains of all kinds for propagation or cultivation. 

 57. Varnish, not containing spirits. 

 58. Wall papers. 

 59. Watches when not cased in gold or silver, and watch movements uncased. 

 60. Water pipes of all classes, materials, and dimensions. 

 61. Wire for fences, with the hooks, staples, nails, and the like appliances for fastening the same. 

 62. Yeast cake and baking powders. 

 63. Zinc, tin, and lead, in sheets, asbestus, and tar paper, for roofing. 

 It is understood that the packages or coverings in which the articles named in the foregoing schedule are imported shall be free of duty if they are usual and proper for the purpose. 

 SCHEDULE B. 

 Articles to be admitted at 50 per cent reduction of the duty designated in the customs tariff now in force:

 1. Bacon and bacon hams. 

 2. Bread and biscuit. 

 3. Butter. 

 4. Cheese. 

 5. Lard and its compounds. 

 Lumber of pitch pine, in rough or prepared for buildings, to be reduced to 9 shillings per 1, 000 feet. 

 SCHEDULE C. 

 Articles to be admitted at 25 per cent reduction of the duty designated in the customs tariff now in force:

 1. Beef, salted or pickled. 

 2. Corn and maize. 

 3. Corn meal. 

 4. Oats. 

 5. Petroleum and its products, crude or refined. 

 6. Pork, salted or pickled. 

 7. Wheat. 

And whereas the Secretary of State has, by my direction, given theassurance to the envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary ofGreat Britain at Washington that this action of the Government of GreatBritain in granting remissions and alterations of duties in the Britishcolonies above mentioned is accepted as a due reciprocity for the actionof Congress as set forth in section 3 of said act:

Now, therefore, be it known that I, Benjamin Harrison, President of theUnited States of America, have caused the above-stated modifications ofthe tariff laws of the aforesaid British colonies to be made public forthe information of the citizens of the United States of America. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 1st day of February, 1892, and ofthe Independence of the United States of America the one hundred andsixteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

[Footnote 27: The importation of books is subject to the provisions ofcopyright laws. ]

[Footnote 28: The importation of books is subject to the provisions ofcopyright laws. ]

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas, pursuant to section 3 of the act of Congress approved October1, 1890, entitled "An act to reduce the revenue and equalize duties onimports and for other purposes, " the attention of the Government of theGerman Empire was called to the action of the Congress of the UnitedStates of America, with a view to secure reciprocal trade, in declaringthe articles enumerated in said section 3 to be exempt from duty upontheir importation into the United States of America; and

Whereas the chargé d'affaires of the German Empire at Washington hascommunicated to the special plenipotentiary of the United States thefact that, in view of the act of Congress above cited, the GermanImperial Government has by due legal enactment authorized the admission, from and after February 1, 1892, into the German Empire of the articlesor merchandise the product of the United States of America named in thefollowing schedule, on the terms stated therein:

 _Schedules of articles to be admitted into Germany_. 

 Articles. Rate of duty per 100 kilograms. 

 _Marks_. 

 1. Bran; malted germs Free. 2. Flax, raw, dried, broken, or hatcheled; also refuse portions Free. 3. Wheat 3. 50 4. Rye 3. 50 5. Oats 2. 80 6. Buckwheat 2. 00 7. Pulse 1. 50 8. Other kinds of grain not specially mentioned 1. 00 9. Barley 2. 00 10. Rape seed, turnip seed, poppy, sesame, peanuts, and other oleaginous products not specially mentioned 2. 00 11. Maize (Indian corn) 1. 60 12. Malt (malted barley) 3. 60 13. Anise, coriander, fennel, and caraway seed 3. 00 14. Agricultural productions not otherwise designated Free. 15. Horsehair, raw, hatcheled, boiled, dyed, also laid in the form of tresses and spun; bristles; raw bed feathers Free. 16. Bed feathers, cleaned and prepared Free. 17. Hides and skins, raw (green, salted, limed, dried), and stripped of the hair for the manufacture of leather Free. 18. Charcoal Free. 19. Bark of wood and tan bark Free. 20. Lumber and timber:

 (a) Raw or merely roughhewn with ax or saw, with or without bark; oaken barrel staves 0. 20

 (b) Marked in the direction of the longitudinal axis, or prepared or cut otherwise than by roughhewing; barrel staves not included under (a); unpeeled osiers and hoops; hubs, fellies, and spokes 0. 30

 (c) Sawed in the direction of the longitudinal axis; unplaned boards; sawed cantle woods and other articles sawn or hewn 0. 80

 21. Wood in cut veneering; unglued, unstained parts of floors 5. 00 22. Hops; also hop meal[29] 14. 00 23. Butter; also artificial butter 17. 00 24. Meat, slaughtered, fresh, with the exception of pork 15. 00 25. Pork, slaughtered, fresh, and dressed meat, with the exception of bacon, fresh or prepared 17. 00 26. Game of all kinds (not alive) 20. 00 27. Cheese, except Strecchino, Gorgonzola, and Parmesan 20. 00 28. Fruit, seeds, berries, leaves, flowers, mushrooms, vegetables, dried, baked, pulverized, only boiled down or salted--all these products so far as they are not included under other numbers of the tariff; juices of fruits, berries, and turnips, preserved without sugar, to be eaten; dry nuts 4. 00 39. Mill products of grain and pulse, to wit, ground or shelled grains, peeled barley, groats, grits, flour, common cakes (bakers' products) 7. 30 30. Residue, solid, from the manufacture of fat oils, also ground Free. 31. Goose grease and other greasy fats, such as oleomargarine, sperfett (a mixture of stearic fats with oil), beef marrow 10. 00 32. Live animals and animal products not mentioned elsewhere; also beehives with live bees Free. 

 33. Horses (remarks) each 20. 00 (a) Horses up to 2 years old do 10. 00 (b) Colts following their dams Free. 34. Bulls and cows 9. 00 35. Oxen 25. 50 36. Calves less than 6 weeks old 3. 00 37. Hogs 5. 00 38. Pigs weighing less than 10 kilograms 1. 00 39. Sheep 1. 00 40. Lambs 0. 50 41. Wool, including animal hair not mentioned elsewhere, as well as stuffs made thereof: (a) Wool, raw, dyed, ground; also hair, raw, hatcheled, boiled, dyed; also curled Free. 

[Footnote 29: Gross. ]

And whereas the special plenipotentiary of the United States has, by mydirection, given assurance to the chargé d'affaires of the German Empireat Washington that this action of the Government of the German Empirein granting exemption of duties to the products and manufactures of theUnited States of America on their importation into Germany is acceptedas a due reciprocity for the action of Congress as set forth in section3 of said act:

Now, therefore, be it known that I, Benjamin Harrison, President of theUnited States of America, have caused the above-stated modificationsof the tariff laws of the German Empire to be made public for theinformation of the citizens of the United States of America. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 1st day of February, 1892, and ofthe Independence of the United States of America the one hundred andsixteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas it is provided by section 24 of the act of Congress approvedMarch 3, 1891, entitled "An act to repeal timber-culture laws, and forother purposes"--

 That the President of the United States may from time to time set apart and reserve in any State or Territory having public land bearing forests, in any part of the public lands wholly or in part covered with timber or undergrowth, whether of commercial value or not, as public reservations; and the President shall by public proclamation declare the establishment of such reservations and the limits thereof. 

And whereas the public lands in the State of Colorado within the limitshereafter described are in part covered with timber, and it appears thatthe public good would be promoted by setting apart and reserving saidlands as a public reservation:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested by section 24 of the aforesaid actof Congress, do hereby make known and proclaim that there is herebyreserved from entry or settlement and set apart as a public reservationall those certain tracts, pieces, or parcels of land lying and beingsituate in the State of Colorado and particularly described as follows, to wit:

Commencing at the northeast corner of section four (4), township eleven(11) north, range sixty-seven (67) west of the sixth (6th) principalmeridian; thence proceeding westerly along the township line betweentownships ten (10) and eleven (11) south to the northwest corner ofsection six (6), township eleven (11) south, range sixty-eight (68)west; thence southerly along the range line between ranges sixty-eight(68) and sixty-nine (69) west to the southwest corner of sectioneighteen (18), township thirteen (13) south, range sixty-eight (68)west; thence westerly along the section line to the northwest corner ofsection nineteen (19), township thirteen (13) south, range sixty-nine(69) west; thence southerly along the range line between rangessixty-nine (69) and seventy (70) west to the southwest corner of sectionthirty-one (31), township thirteen (13) south, range sixty-nine (69)west; thence east along the township line between townships thirteen(13) and fourteen (14) south to the half-section corner on said townshipline of section two (2), township fourteen (14) south, range sixty-nine(69) west; thence southerly through the middle of sections two (2), eleven (11), and fourteen (14) to a point in the middle of the northline of section twenty-three (23) of said township and range; thenceeasterly along said northern section line to the northeast corner ofsaid section; thence southerly between sections twenty-three (23) andtwenty-four (24) to the middle of the east line of section twenty-three(23); thence easterly through the middle of section twenty-four (24) tothe middle of the east line of said section twenty-four (24), townshipfourteen (14) south, range sixty-nine (69) west; thence southerly alongthe range line between ranges sixty-eight (68) and sixty-nine (69) westto the southwest corner of section thirty-one (31), township fifteen(15) south, range sixty-eight (68) west; thence east along the townshipline between townships fifteen (15) and sixteen (16) south to thesoutheast corner of section thirty-four (34), township fifteen (15)south, range sixty-seven (67) west; thence northerly along the sectionline to the northeast corner of the southeast quarter of sectiontwenty-two (22), township fifteen (15) south, range sixty-seven (67)west; thence westerly to the northwest corner of the southeast quarterof section twenty-one (21) of said last-named township and range; thencesoutherly to the southwest corner of the southeast quarter of sectiontwenty-eight (28) of said township and range; thence westerly alongthe section line to the corner common to sections twenty-five (25), thirty-one (31), and thirty-six (36) of said township and range; thencenortherly on the section line to the corner common to sections one (1), six (6), and twelve (12) of said township and range; thence easterlyalong the section line to the corner common to sections five (5), six(6), and eight (8); thence southerly along the section line to thesouthwest corner of section eight (8) of said township and range; thenceeasterly along the section line to the corner common to sections ten(10), eleven (11), and fourteen (14) of said township and range; thencenortherly along the section line to the northeast corner of sectionthree (3); thence westerly to the northwest corner of section three (3)of said township and range; thence northerly along the section line tothe corner common to sections sixteen (16), twenty-one (21), twenty-two(22), and fifteen (15), township fourteen (14) south, range sixty-seven(67) west; thence westerly along the section line to the northwestcorner of section nineteen (19) of said township and range; thencenortherly along the range line between ranges sixty-seven (67) andsixty-eight (68) to the northeast corner of section one (1), townshipfourteen (14) south, range sixty-eight (68) west; thence easterly alongthe township line between townships thirteen (13) and fourteen (14)south to the southeast corner of section thirty-three (33) of townshipthirteen (13) south, range sixty-seven (67) west; thence northerlyalong the section line to the place of beginning. 

Excepting from the force and effect of this proclamation all surveyedland which may have been prior to the date hereof embraced in any legalentry or covered by any lawful filing duly made in the proper UnitedStates land office, all unsurveyed lands on which valid settlement hasbeen made under any law of the United States, and all mining Claims dulylocated and held according to the laws of the United States and rulesand regulations not in conflict therewith. 

_Provided_, That this exception shall not continue to apply to anyparticular tract of land unless the entry man, settler, or claimantcontinues to comply with the law under which the entry, filing, settlement, or location was made. 

Warning is hereby expressly given to all persons not to enter or makesettlement upon the tract of land reserved by this proclamation. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 11th day of February, A. D. 1892, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred andsixteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

The following provisions of the laws of the United States are herebypublished for the information of all concerned:

Section 1956, Revised Statutes, chapter 3, Title XXIII, enacts that--

 No person shall kill any otter, mink, marten, sable, or fur seal, or other fur-bearing animal within the limits of Alaska Territory or in the waters thereof; and every person guilty thereof shall for each offense be fined not less than $200 nor more than $1, 000, or imprisoned not more than six months, or both; and all vessels, their tackle, apparel, furniture, and cargo, found engaged in violation of this section shall be forfeited; but the Secretary of the Treasury shall have power to authorize the killing of any such mink, marten, sable, or other fur-bearing animal, except fur seals, under such regulations as he may prescribe; and it shall be the duty of the Secretary to prevent the killing of any fur seal and to provide for the execution of the provisions of this section until it is otherwise provided by law, nor shall he grant any special privileges under this section. 

 SEC. 3. That section 1956 of the Revised Statutes of the United States is hereby declared to include and apply to all the dominion of the United States in the waters of Bering Sea; and it shall be the duty of the President at a timely season in each year to issue his proclamation, and cause the same to be published for one month at least in one newspaper (if any such there be) published at each United States port of entry on the Pacific coast, warning all persons against entering said waters for the purpose of violating the provisions of said section; and he shall also cause one or more vessels of the United States to diligently cruise said waters and arrest all persons and seize all vessels found to be or to have been engaged in any violation of the laws of the United States therein. 

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, pursuant to the above-recited statutes, hereby warn all persons againstentering the waters of Bering Sea within the dominion of the UnitedStates for the purpose of violating the provisions of said section 1956, Revised Statutes; and I hereby proclaim that all persons found to be orto have been engaged in any violation of the laws of the United Statesin said waters will be arrested and punished as above provided, and thatall vessels so employed, their tackle, apparel, furniture, and cargoes, will be seized and forfeited. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed, [SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 15th day of February, 1892, and ofthe Independence of the United States the one hundred and sixteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas, pursuant to section 3 of the act of Congress approved October1, 1890, entitled "An act to reduce the revenue and equalize duties onimports, and for other purposes, " the Secretary of State of the UnitedStates of America communicated to the Government of Nicaragua the actionof the Congress of the United States of America, with a view to securereciprocal trade, in declaring the articles enumerated in said section 3to be exempt from duty upon their importation into the United States ofAmerica; and

Whereas the envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary ofNicaragua at Washington has communicated to the Secretary of State thefact that, in reciprocity for the admission into the United States ofAmerica free of all duty of the articles enumerated in section 3 ofsaid act, the Government of Nicaragua will by due legal enactment admitfree of all duty, from and after April 15, 1892, into all the ports ofentry of Nicaragua the articles or merchandise named in the followingschedule, provided that the same be the product of the United States:

 SCHEDULE OF ARTICLES WHICH THE REPUBLIC OF NICARAGUA WILL ADMIT FREE OF ALL KIND OF DUTY. 

 1. Animals, live. 

 2. Barley, Indian corn, wheat, oats, rye, and rice. 

 3. Seeds of all kinds for agriculture and horticulture. 

 4. Live plants of all kinds. 

 5. Corn meal. 

 6. Starch. 

 7. Beans, potatoes, and all other vegetables, fresh or dried. 

 8. Fruits, fresh or dried. 

 9. Hay, bran, and straw for forage. 

 10. Cotton-seed oil and all other products of said seed. 

 11. Tar, resin, and turpentine. 

 12. Asphalt, crude or manufactured in blocks. 

 13. Quicksilver for mining purposes. 

 14. Coal, mineral or animal. 

 15. Fertilizers for land. 

 16. Lime and cement. 

 17. Wood and lumber, in the rough or prepared for building purposes. 

 18. Houses of wood or iron. 

 19. Marble, in the rough or dressed, for fountains, gravestones, and building purposes. 

 20. Tools and implements for agricultural and horticultural purposes. 

 21. Wagons, carts, and handcarts. 

 22. Iron and steel, in rails for railroads and other similar uses, and structural iron and steel for bridges and building purposes. 

 23. Wire, for fences, with or without barbs, clamps, posts, clips, and other accessories of wire, not less than 3 lines in diameter. 

 24. Machinery of all kinds for agricultural purposes, arts, and trades, and parts of such machinery. 

 25. Motors of steam or animal power. 

 26. Forgers, water pumps of metal, pump hose, sledge hammers, drills for mining purposes, iron piping with its keys and faucets, crucibles for melting metals, iron water tanks, and lightning rods. 

 27. Roofs of galvanized iron, gutters, ridging, clamps, and screws for the same. 

 28. Printing materials. 

 29. Books, pamphlets, and other printed matter, and ruled paper for printed music, printing paper in sheets not less than 29 by 20 inches. 

 30. Geographical maps or charts and celestial and terrestrial spheres or globes. 

 31. Surgical and mathematical instruments. 

 32. Stones and fire bricks for smelting furnaces. 

 33. Vessels and boats of all kinds, fitted together or in parts. 

 34. Gold and silver in bullion, bars, or coin. 

 It is understood that the packages or coverings in which the articles named in the foregoing schedule are imported shall be free of duty if they are usual and proper for the purpose. 

And that the Government of Nicaragua has further stipulated that thelaws and regulations adopted to protect its revenue and prevent fraudin the declarations and proof that the articles named in the foregoingschedule are the product of the United States of America shall imposeno undue restrictions on the importer nor additional charges on thearticles imported; and

Whereas the Secretary of State has, by my direction, given assurance tothe envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of Nicaragua atWashington that this action of the Government of Nicaragua in grantingfreedom of duties to the products of the United States of America ontheir importation into Nicaragua is accepted as a due reciprocity forthe action of Congress as set forth in section 3 of said act:

Now, therefore, be it known that I, Benjamin Harrison, President of theUnited States of America, have caused the above-stated modifications ofthe tariff laws of Nicaragua to be made public for the information ofthe citizens of the United States of America. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 12th day of March, 1892, and of theIndependence of the United States of America the one hundred andsixteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: WILLIAM F. WHARTON, _Acting Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas in section 3 of an act passed by the Congress of the UnitedStates entitled "An act to reduce the revenue and equalize duties onimports, and for other purposes, " approved October 1, 1890, it wasprovided as follows:

 That with a view to secure reciprocal trade with countries producing the following articles, and for this purpose, on and after the 1st day of January, 1892, whenever and so often as the President shall be satisfied that the government of any country producing and exporting sugars, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides, raw and uncured, or any of such articles, imposes duties or other exactions upon the agricultural or other products of the United States which, in view of the free introduction of such sugar, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides into the United States, he may deem to be reciprocally unequal and unreasonable, he shall have the power and it shall be his duty to suspend, by proclamation to that effect, the provisions of this act relating to the free introduction of such sugar, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides the production of such country for such time as he shall deem just; and in such case and during such suspension duties shall be levied, collected, and paid upon sugar, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides the product of or exported from such designated country--

the duties hereinafter set forth; and

Whereas it has been established to my satisfaction and I find the factto be that the Government of Colombia does impose duties or otherexactions upon the agricultural and other products of the United Stateswhich, in view of the free introduction of such sugars, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides into the United States, in accordance with theprovisions of said act, I deem to be reciprocally unequal andunreasonable:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States ofAmerica, by virtue of the authority vested in me by section 3 of saidact, by which it is made my duty to take action, do hereby declareand proclaim that the provisions of said act relating to the freeintroduction of sugars, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides the productionof Colombia shall be suspended from and after this 15th day of March, 1892, and until such time as said unequal and unreasonable duties andexactions are removed by Colombia and public notice of that fact givenby the President of the United States; and I do hereby proclaim that onand after this 15th day of March, 1892, there will be levied, collected, and paid upon sugars, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides the product of orexported from Colombia during such suspension duties as provided by saidact, as follows:

 All sugars not above No. 13 Dutch standard in color shall pay duty on their polariscopic tests as follows, namely:

 All sugars not above No. 13 Dutch standard in color, all tank bottoms, sirups of cane juice or of beet juice, melada, concentrated melada, concrete and concentrated molasses, testing by the polariscope not above 75°, seven-tenths of 1 cent per pound, and for every additional degree or fraction of a degree shown by the polariscopic test two-hundredths of 1 cent per pound additional. 

 All sugars above No. 13 Dutch standard in color shall be classified by the Dutch standard of color and pay duty as follows, namely:

 All sugars above No. 13 and not above No. 16 Dutch standard of color, 1-3/8 cents per pound. 

 All sugars above No. 16 and not above No. 20 Dutch standard of color, 1-5/8 cents per pound. 

 All sugars above No. 20 Dutch standard of color, 2 cents per pound. 

 Molasses testing above 56°, 4 cents per gallon. 

 Sugar drainings and sugar sweepings shall be subject to duty either as molasses or sugar, as the case may be, according to polariscopic test. 

 On coffee, 3 cents per pound. 

 On tea, 10 cents per pound. 

 Hides, raw or uncured, whether dry, salted, or pickled; Angora-goat skins, raw, without the wool, unmanufactured; asses' skins, raw or unmanufactured, and skins, except sheepskins, with the wool on, 1-1/2 cents per pound. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 15th day of March, 1892, and of theIndependence of the United States of America the one hundred andsixteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: WILLIAM F. WHARTON, _Acting Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas in section 3 of an act passed by the Congress of the UnitedStates entitled "An act to reduce the revenue and equalize duties onimports, and for other purposes, " approved October 1, 1890, it wasprovided as follows:

 That with a view to secure reciprocal trade with countries producing the following articles, and for this purpose, on and after the 1st day of January, 1892, whenever and so often as the President shall be satisfied that the government of any country producing and exporting sugars, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides, raw and uncured, or any of such articles, imposes duties or other exactions upon the agricultural or other products of the United States which, in view of the free introduction of such sugar, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides into the United States, he may deem to be reciprocally unequal and unreasonable, he shall have the power and it shall be his duty to suspend, by proclamation to that effect, the provisions of this act relating to the free introduction of such sugar, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides the production of such country for such time as he shall deem just; and in such case and during such suspension duties shall be levied, collected, and paid upon sugar, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides the product of or exported from such designated country--

the duties hereinafter set forth; and

Whereas it has been established to my satisfaction and I find the factto be that the Government of Hayti does impose duties or other exactionsupon the agricultural and other products of the United States which, inview of the free introduction of such sugars, molasses, coffee, tea, andhides into the United States, in accordance with the provisions of saidact, I deem to be reciprocally unequal and unreasonable:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United Statesof America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by section 3 ofsaid act, by which it is made my duty to take action, do hereby declareand proclaim that the provisions of said act relating to the freeintroduction of sugars, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides the productionof Hayti shall be suspended from and after this 15th day of March, 1892, and until such time as said unequal and unreasonable duties andexactions are removed by Hayti and public notice of that fact given bythe President of the United States; and I do hereby proclaim that on andafter this 15th day of March, 1892, there will be levied, collected, andpaid upon sugars, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides the product of orexported from Hayti during such suspension duties as provided by saidact, as follows:

 All sugars not above No. 13 Dutch standard in color shall pay duty on their polariscopic tests as follows, namely:

 All sugars not above No. 13 Dutch standard in color, all tank bottoms, sirups of cane juice or of beet juice, melada, concentrated melada, concrete and concentrated molasses, testing by the polariscope not above 75°, seven-tenths of 1 cent per pound and for every additional degree or fraction of a degree shown by the polariscopic test two-hundredths of 1 cent per pound additional. 

 All sugars above No. 13 Dutch standard in color shall be classified by the Dutch standard of color and pay duty as follows, namely:

 All sugar above No. 13 and not above No. 16 Dutch standard of color, 1-3/8 cents per pound. 

 All sugar above No. 16 and not above No. 20 Dutch standard of color, 1-5/8 cents per pound. 

 All sugars above No. 20 Dutch standard of color, 2 cents per pound. 

 Molasses testing above 56°, 4 cents per gallon. 

 Sugar drainings and sugar sweepings shall be subject to duty either as molasses or sugar, as the case may be, according to polariscopic test. 

 On coffee, 3 cents per pound. 

 On tea, 10 cents per pound. 

 Hides, raw or uncured, whether dry, salted, or pickled; Angora-goat skins, raw, without the wool, unmanufactured; asses' skins, raw or unmanufactured, and skins, except sheepskins, with the wool on, 1-1/2 cents per pound. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 15th day of March, 1892, and of theIndependence of the United States of America the one hundred andsixteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: WILLIAM F. WHARTON, _Acting Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas in section 3 of an act passed by the Congress of the UnitedStates entitled "An act to reduce the revenue and equalize duties onimports, and for other purposes, " approved October 1, 1890, it wasprovided as follows:

 That with a view to secure reciprocal trade with countries producing the following articles, and for this purpose, on and after the 1st day of January, 1892, whenever and so often as the President shall be satisfied that the government of any country producing and exporting sugars, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides, raw and uncured, or any of such articles, imposes duties or other exactions upon the agricultural or other products of the United States which, in view of the free introduction of such sugar, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides into the United States, he may deem to be reciprocally unequal and unreasonable, he shall have the power and it shall be his duty to suspend, by proclamation to that effect, the provisions of this act relating to the free introduction of such sugar, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides the production of such country for such time as he shall deem just; and in such case and during such suspension duties shall be levied, collected, and paid upon sugar, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides the product of or exported from such designated country--

the duties hereinafter set forth; and

Whereas it has been established to my satisfaction and I find the factto be that the Government of Venezuela does impose duties or otherexactions upon the agricultural and other products of the United Stateswhich, in view of the free introduction of such sugars, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides into the United States, in accordance with theprovisions of said act, I deem to be reciprocally unequal andunreasonable:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United Statesof America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by section 3 ofsaid act, by which it is made my duty to take action, do hereby declareand proclaim that the provisions of said act relating to the freeintroduction of sugars, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides the productionof Venezuela shall be suspended from and after this 15th day of March, 1892, and until such time as said unequal and unreasonable duties andexactions are removed by Venezuela and public notice of that fact givenby the President of the United States; and I do hereby proclaim that onand after this 15th day of March, 1892, there will be levied, collected, and paid upon sugars, molasses, coffee, tea, and hides the product of orexported from Venezuela during such suspension duties as provided bysaid act, as follows:

 All sugars not above No. 13 Dutch standard in color shall pay duty on their polariscopic tests as follows, namely:

 All sugars not above No. 13 Dutch standard in color, all tank bottoms, sirups of cane juice or of beet juice, melada, concentrated melada, concrete and concentrated molasses, testing by the polariscope not above 75°, seven-tenths of 1 cent per pound, and for every additional degree or fraction of a degree shown by the polariscopic test two-hundredths of 1 cent per pound additional. 

 All sugars above No. 13 Dutch standard in color shall be classified by the Dutch standard of color and pay duty as follows, namely:

 All sugar above No. 13 and not above No. 16 Dutch standard of color, 1-3/8 cents per pound. 

 All sugar above No. 16 and not above No. 20 Dutch standard of color, 1-5/8 cents per pound. 

 All sugars above No. 20 Dutch standard of color, 2 cents per pound. 

 Molasses testing above 56°, 4 cents per gallon. 

 Sugar drainings and sugar sweepings shall be subject to duty either as molasses or sugar, as the case may be, according to polariscopic test. 

 On coffee, 3 cents per pound. 

 On tea, 10 cents per pound. 

 Hides, raw or uncured, whether dry, salted, or pickled; Angora-goat skins, raw, without the wool, unmanufactured; asses' skins, raw or unmanufactured, and skins, except sheepskins, with the wool on, 1-1/2 cents per pound. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 15th day of March, 1892, and of theindependence of the United States of America the one hundred andsixteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: WILLIAM F. WHARTON, _Acting Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas it is provided by section 24 of an act approved March 3, 1891, entitled "An act to repeal timber-culture laws, and for otherpurposes"--

 That the President of the United States may from time to time set apart and reserve in any State or Territory having public land bearing forests, in any part of the public lands wholly or in part covered with timber or undergrowth, whether of commercial value or not, as public reservations; and the President shall by public proclamation declare the establishment of such reservations and the limits thereof. 

And whereas the lands hereinafter described are public andforest bearing, and on the 11th day of February last I issued aproclamation[30] intended to reserve the same as authorized in said act;but as some question has arisen as to the boundaries proclaimed beingsufficiently definite to cover the lands intended to be reserved:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, for the purpose of removing any doubt and making the boundaries of saidreservation more definite, by virtue of the power in me vested by saidact, do hereby issue this my second proclamation and hereby set apart, reserve, and establish as a public reservation all that tract of landsituate in the State of Colorado embraced within the following boundary:

Beginning at the northeast corner of section four (4), township eleven(11) south, range sixty-seven (67) west of the sixth (6th) principalmeridian; thence westerly along the second (2d) correction line southbetween townships ten (10) and eleven (11) south to the northwest cornerof section six (6), township eleven (11) south, range sixty-eight (68)west; thence southerly along the range line between ranges sixty-eight(68) and sixty-nine (69) west to the southwest corner of sectioneighteen (18), township thirteen (13) south, range sixty-eight (68)west; thence westerly along the section line between sections thirteen(13) and twenty-four (24), fourteen (14) and twenty-three (23), fifteen(15) and twenty-two (22), sixteen (16) and twenty-one (21), seventeen(17) and twenty (20), and eighteen (18) and nineteen (19) to thenorthwest corner of section nineteen (19), township thirteen (13) south, range sixty-nine (69) west; thence southerly along the range linebetween ranges sixty-nine (69) and seventy (70) west to the southwestcorner of section thirty-one (31) of said township; thence easterlyalong the township line between townships thirteen (13) and fourteen(14) south to the quarter-section corner on said township line betweensection thirty-five (35), township thirteen (13) south, range sixty-nine(69) west, and section two (2), township fourteen (14) south, rangesixty-nine (69) west; thence southerly through the middle of sectionstwo (2), eleven (11), and fourteen (14), township fourteen (14) south, range sixty-nine (69) west, to the quarter-section corner on the sectionline between sections fourteen (14) and twenty-three (23) of saidtownship and range; thence easterly along said section line to thenortheast corner of section twenty-three (23) of said township andrange; thence southerly along the section line to the quarter-sectioncorner on said line between sections twenty-three (23) and twenty-four(24) of said township and range; thence easterly through the middle ofsection twenty-four (24) to the quarter-section corner on the rangeline between section nineteen (19), township fourteen (14) south, rangesixty-eight (68) west, and section twenty-four (24), township fourteen(14) south, range sixty-nine (69) west; thence southerly along saidrange line to the southwest corner of section thirty-one (31), townshipfifteen (15) south, range sixty-eight (68) west; thence easterly alongthe third (3d) correction line south between townships fifteen (15) andsixteen (16) south to the southeast corner of section thirty-four (34), township fifteen (15) south, range sixty-seven (67) west; thencenortherly along the section line between sections thirty-four (34) andthirty-five (35), twenty-six (26) and twenty-seven (27), to the pointfor the quarter-section corner on the section line between sectionstwenty-two (22) and twenty-three (23), township fifteen (15) south, range sixty-seven (67) west; thence westerly to a point for the legalcenter of section twenty-one (21) of said township and range; thencesoutherly to the southwest corner of the southeast quarter of sectiontwenty-eight (28) of said township and range; thence westerly along thesection line between sections twenty-eight (28) and thirty-three (33), twenty-nine (29) and thirty-two (32), thirty (30) and thirty-one (31), to the northwest corner of section thirty-one (31) of said township andrange; thence northerly on the range line between ranges sixty-seven(67) and sixty-eight (68) west to the southwest corner of section six(6) of said township and range; thence easterly along the section lineto the southeast corner of section six (6) of said township and range;thence southerly along the section line to the southwest corner ofsection eight (8) of said township and range; thence easterly alongthe section line to the southeast corner of section ten (10) of saidtownship and range; thence northerly along the section line betweensections ten (10) and eleven (11), two (2) and three (3), townshipfifteen (15) south, range sixty-seven (67) west, to the northeast cornerof section three (3) of said township and range; thence westerly alongthe township line between townships fourteen (14) and fifteen (15) southto the northwest corner of section three (3), township fifteen (15)south, range sixty-seven (67) west; thence northerly along thesection line between sections thirty-three (33) and thirty-four (34), twenty-seven (27) and twenty-eight (28), twenty-one (21) and twenty-two(22), to the northeast corner of section twenty-one (21), townshipfourteen (14) south, range sixty-seven (67) west; thence westerly alongthe section line between sections sixteen (16) and twenty-one (21), seventeen (17) and twenty (20), eighteen (18) and nineteen (19), to thenorthwest corner of section nineteen (19) of said township and range;thence northerly along the range line between ranges sixty-seven (67)and sixty-eight (68) west to the northeast corner of section one (1), township fourteen (14) south, range sixty-eight (68) west; thenceeasterly along the township line between townships thirteen (13) andfourteen (14) south to the southeast corner of section thirty-three(33), township thirteen (13) south, range sixty-seven (67) west; thencenortherly along the section line between sections thirty-three (33) andthirty-four (34), twenty-seven (27) and twenty-eight (28), twenty-one(21) and twenty-two (22), fifteen (15) and sixteen (16), nine (9) andten (10), and three (3) and four (4) of townships thirteen (13), twelve(12), and eleven (11) south, range sixty-seven (67) west, to the placeof beginning. 

Excepting from the force and effect of this proclamation all lands whichmay have been prior to the date hereof embraced in any legal entry orcovered by any lawful filing duly of record in the proper United Statesland office, or upon which any valid settlement has been made pursuantto law and the statutory period within which to make entry or filing ofrecord has not expired, and all mining claims duly located and heldaccording to the laws of the United States and rules and regulations notin conflict therewith. 

_Provided_, That this exception shall not continue to apply to anyparticular tract of land unless the entryman, settler, or claimantcontinues to comply with the law under which the entry, filing, settlement, or location was made. 

Warning is hereby expressly given to all persons not to enter or makesettlement upon the tract of land reserved by this proclamation. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 18th day of March, A. D. 1892, andof the Independence Of the United States the one hundred and sixteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: WILLIAM F. WHARTON, _Acting Secretary of State_. 

[Footnote 30: See pp. 260-262. ]

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas by the third article of the treaty between the United States ofAmerica and the Sisseton and Wahpeton bands of Dakota or Sioux Indiansconcluded February 19, 1867, proclaimed May 2, 1867 (15 U. S. Statutesat Large, p, 505), the United States set apart and reserved for certainof said Indians certain lands, particularly described, being situatedpartly in North Dakota and partly in South Dakota and known as the LakeTraverse Reservation; and

Whereas by agreement made with said Indians residing on said reservationdated December 12, 1889, they conveyed, as set forth in article 1thereof, to the United States all their title and interest in and to allthe unallotted lands within the limits of the reservation set apart asaforesaid remaining after the allotments shall have been made, which areprovided for in article 4 of the agreement, as follows:

 That there shall be allotted to each individual member of the bands of Indians parties hereto a sufficient quantity, which, with the lands heretofore allotted, shall make in each case 160 acres, and in case no allotment has been made to any individual member of said bands, then an allotment of 160 acres shall be made to such individual. 

And whereas it is provided in article 2 of said agreement--

 That the cession, sale, relinquishment, and conveyance of the lands described in article 1 of this agreement shall not take effect and be in force until the sum of $342, 778. 37, together with the sum of $18, 400, shall have been paid to said bands of Indians, as set forth and stipulated in article 3 of this agreement. 

And whereas it is provided in the act of Congress approved March 3, 1891(26 U. S. Statutes at Large, pp. 1036-1038), section 30, accepting andratifying the agreement with said Indians--

 That the lands by said agreement ceded, sold, relinquished, and conveyed to the United States shall immediately, upon the payment to the parties entitled thereto of their share of the funds made immediately available by this act, and upon the completion of the allotments as provided for in said agreement, be subject only to entry and settlement under the homestead and town-site laws of the United States, excepting the sixteenth and thirty-sixth sections of said lands, which shall be reserved for common-school purposes and be subject to the laws of the State wherein located: _Provided_, That patents shall not issue until the settler or entryman shall have paid to the United States the sum of $2. 50 per acre for the land taken up by such homesteader, and the title to the lands so entered shall remain in the United States until said money is duly paid by such entryman or his legal representatives, or his widow, who shall have the right to pay the money and complete the entry of her deceased husband in her own name and shall receive a patent for the same. 

And whereas payment as required by said act has been made by the UnitedStates; and

Whereas allotments as provided for in said agreement, as now appearsby the records of the Department of the Interior, will have been made, approved, and completed and all other terms and considerations requiredwill have been complied with on the day and hour hereinafter fixed foropening said lands to settlement:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, do hereby declare and make known that all of the lands embraced in saidreservation, saving and excepting the lands reserved for and allotted tosaid Indians and the lands reserved for other purposes in pursuance ofthe provisions of said agreement and the said act of Congress ratifyingthe same and other the laws relating thereto, will, at and after thehour of 12 o'clock noon (central standard time) on the 15th day ofApril, A. D. 1892, and not before, be opened to settlement under theterms of and subject to all the terms and conditions, limitations, reservations, and restrictions contained in said agreements, thestatutes above specified, and the laws of the United States applicablethereto. 

The lands to be opened for settlement are for greater convenienceparticularly described in the accompanying schedule, entitled "Scheduleof lands within the Lake Traverse Reservation opened to settlement byproclamation of the President dated April 11, 1892, " and which scheduleis made a part hereof. 

Warning, moreover, is hereby given that until said lands are opened tosettlement as herein provided all persons save said Indians areforbidden to enter upon and occupy the same or any part thereof. 

And further notice is hereby given that it has been duly ordered thatthe lands mentioned and included in this proclamation shall be, and thesame are, attached to the Fargo and Watertown land districts, in saidStates, as follows:

1. All that portion of the Lake Traverse Reservation commencing atthe northwest corner of said reservation; thence south 12° 2' west, following the west boundary of the reservation, to the new seventhstandard parallel, or boundary line between the States of North andSouth Dakota; thence east, following the new seventh standard parallelto its intersection with the north boundary of said Indian reservation;thence northwesterly with said boundary to the place of beginning, isattached to the Fargo land district, the office of which is now locatedat Fargo, N. Dak. 

2. All that portion of the Lake Traverse Reservation commencing ata point where the new seventh standard parallel intersects the westboundary of said reservation; thence southerly along the west boundaryof said reservation to its extreme southern limit; thence northerlyalong the east boundary of said reservation to Lake Traverse; thencenorth with said lake to the northeast corner of the Lake Traverse IndianReservation; thence westerly with the north boundary of said reservationto its intersection with the new seventh standard parallel, or boundaryline between the States of North and South Dakota; thence with the newseventh standard parallel to the place of beginning, is attached to theWatertown land district, the office of which is now located atWatertown, S. Dak. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 11th day of April, A. D. 1892, andof the Independence of the United States the one hundred and sixteenth

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas by a written agreement made on the ---- day of October, 1890, the Cheyenne and Arapahoe tribes of Indians ceded, conveyed, transferred, relinquished, and surrendered all their claim, title, andinterest in and to the lands described in article 2 of said agreementas follows, to wit:

 Commencing at a point where the Washita River crosses the ninety-eighth degree of west longitude, as surveyed in the years 1858 and 1871; thence north on a line with said ninety-eighth degree to the point where it is crossed by the Red Fork of the Arkansas (sometimes called the Cimarron River); thence up said river, in the middle of the main channel thereof, to the north boundary of the country ceded to the United States by the treaty of June 14, 1866, with the Creek Nation of Indians; thence west on said north boundary and the north boundary of the country ceded to the United States by the treaty of March 21, 1866, with the Seminole Indians to the one hundredth degree of west longitude; thence south on the line of said one hundredth degree to the point where it strikes the North Fork of the Red River; thence down said North Fork of the Red River to a point where it strikes the north line of the Kiowa and Conianclie Reservation; thence east along said boundary to a point where it strikes the Washita River; thence down said Washita River, in the middle of the main channel thereof, to the place of beginning; and all other lands or tracts of country in the Indian Territory to which they have or may set up or allege any right, title, interest, or claim whatsoever. 

_Provided_, That every member of said tribes shall have an allotmentof 160 acres of land, as in said agreement provided, to be selectedwithin the tract of country so ceded, except land in any part ofsaid reservation now used or occupied for military, agency, school, school-farm, religious, or other public uses, or in sections 16 or 36in each Congressional township, except, in cases where any Cheyenne orArapahoe Indian has heretofore made improvements upon and now uses andoccupies a part of said sections 16 and 36, such Indian may make hisor her selection within the boundaries so prescribed so as to includehis or her improvements; and except in that part of the lands by saidagreement ceded, now occupied and claimed by the Wichita and affiliatedbands of Indians described as follows, to wit:

 Commencing at a point in the middle of the main channel of the Washita River where the ninety-eighth meridian of west longitude crosses the same; thence up the middle of the main channel of the said river to the line of 98° 40' west longitude; thence up said line of 98° 40' due north to the middle of the main channel of the main Canadian River; thence down the middle of the main Canadian River to where it crosses the ninety-eighth meridian; thence due south to the place of beginning. 

_And provided_, That said sections 16 and 36 in each Congressionaltownship in said reservation shall not become subject to homesteadentry, but shall be held by the United States and finally sold forpublic-school purposes; and that when the allotments of lands shall havebeen selected and taken by the members of the Cheyenne and Arapahoetribes as aforesaid and approved by the Secretary of the Interior thetitle thereto shall be held in trust for the allottees, respectively, for the period of twenty-five years in the manner and to the extentprovided for in the act of Congress approved February 8, 1887 (24 U. S. Statutes at Large, p. 388); and

Whereas it is provided in the act of Congress accepting, ratifying, andconfirming the said agreement with the Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians, approved March 3, 1891 (26 U. S. Statutes at Large, pp. 989-1044), section 16--

 That whenever any of the lands acquired by either of the * * * foregoing agreements respecting lands in the Indian or Oklahoma Territory shall by operation of law or proclamation of the President of the United States be opened to settlement they shall be disposed of to actual settlers only, under the provisions of the homestead and town-site laws, except section 2301 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, which shall not apply: _Provided, however_, That each settler on said lands shall before making a final proof and receiving a certificate of entry pay to the United States for the land so taken by him, in addition to the fees provided by law, and within five years from the date of the first original entry, the sum of $1. 50 per acre, one-half of which shall be paid within two years; but the rights of honorably discharged Union soldiers and sailors as defined and described in sections 2304 and 2305 of the Revised Statutes of the United States shall not be abridged except as to the sum to be paid as aforesaid; and all the lands in Oklahoma are hereby declared to be agricultural lands, and proof of their nonmineral character shall not be required as a condition precedent to final entry. 

And whereas allotments of land in severalty to said Cheyenne andArapahoe Indians have been made and approved in accordance with law andthe provisions of the before-mentioned agreement with them; and

Whereas the lands acquired by the said agreement hereinbefore mentionedhave been divided into counties by the Secretary of the Interior, asrequired by said last-mentioned act of Congress, before the same shallbe opened to settlement, and lands have been reserved for county-seatpurposes as therein required, as follows, to wit:

For County C, the south one-half of section 19, township 16 north, range11 west; for County D, the north one-half of section 13, township 18north, range 17 west; for County E, the south one-half of section 15, township 17 north, range 22 west; for County F, the south one-half ofsection 8, township 13 north, range 23 west; for County G, the northone-half of section 25, township 13 north, range 17 west; for County H, the south one-half of section 13, township 9 north, range 16 west; and

Whereas it is provided by act of Congress for temporary government ofOklahoma, approved May 2, 1890, section 23 (26 U. S. Statutes at Large, p. 92), that there shall be reserved public highways 4 rods wide betweeneach section of land in said Territory, the section lines being thecenter of said highways; but no deduction shall be made where cashpayments are provided for in the amount to be paid for each quartersection of land by reason of such reservation; and

Whereas all the terms, conditions, and considerations required by saidagreement made with said tribes of Indians and by the laws relatingthereto precedent to opening said lands to settlement have been, asI hereby declare, complied with:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested by the statutes hereinbeforementioned, also an act of Congress entitled "An act makingappropriations for the current and contingent expenses of the IndianDepartment and for fulfilling treaty stipulations with various Indiantribes for the year ending June 30, 1892, and for other purposes, "approved March 3, 1891, and by other of the laws of the United States, and by said agreement, do hereby declare and make known that all of saidlands hereinbefore described acquired from the Cheyenne and ArapahoeIndians by the agreement aforesaid, saving and excepting the landsallotted to the Indians as in said agreement provided, excepting alsothe lands hereinbefore described as occupied and claimed by the Wichitaand affiliated bands of Indians, or otherwise reserved in pursuance ofthe provisions of said agreement and the said act of Congress ratifyingthe same, and other the laws relating thereto, will at the hour of12 o'clock noon (central standard time), Tuesday, the 19th day ofthe present month of April, and not before, be opened to settlementunder the terms of and subject to all the conditions, limitations, reservations, and restrictions contained in said agreement, the statutesabove specified, and the laws of the United States applicable thereto. 

The lands to be so opened to settlement are for greater convenienceparticularly described in the accompanying schedule, entitled "Scheduleof lands within the Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indian Reservation, OklahomaTerritory, opened to settlement by proclamation of the President. "

Each entry shall be in square form as nearly as applicable; and no otherlands in the Territory of Oklahoma are opened to settlement under thisproclamation, the agreement with the said Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians, or the act ratifying the same. 

Notice, moreover, is hereby given that it is by law enacted that untilsaid lands are opened to settlement by proclamation no person shall bepermitted to enter upon and occupy the same, and no person violatingthis provision shall be permitted to enter any of said lands or acquireany right thereto, and that the officers of the United States will berequired to enforce this provision. 

And further notice is hereby given that it has been duly ordered thatthe lands mentioned and included in this proclamation shall be, and thesame are, attached to the Western land district, office at Kingfisher, and the Oklahoma land district, office at Oklahoma City, in saidTerritory of Oklahoma, as follows:

1. All of said lands lying north of the township line between townships13 and 14 north are attached to the Western land district, the office ofwhich is at Kingfisher, in said Territory. 

2. All of said lands lying south of the township line between townships13 and 14 north are attached to the Oklahoma land district, the officeof which is at Oklahoma City, in the said Territory. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 12th day of April, A. D. 1892, andof the Independence of the United States the one hundred and sixteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas it is provided by section 13 of the act of Congress of March 3, 1891, entitled "An act to amend Title LX, chapter 3, of the RevisedStatutes of the United States, relating to copyrights, " that said act"shall only apply to a citizen or subject of a foreign state or nationwhen such foreign state or nation permits to citizens of the UnitedStates of America the benefit of copyright on substantially the samebasis as its own citizens, or when such foreign state or nation is aparty to an international agreement which provides for reciprocity inthe granting of copyright, by the terms of which agreement the UnitedStates of America may at its pleasure become a party to such agreement;"and

Whereas it is also provided by said section that "the existence ofeither of the conditions aforesaid shall be determined by the Presidentof the United States by proclamation made from time to time as thepurposes of this act may require;" and

Whereas in virtue of said section 13 of the aforesaid act of Congressa copyright agreement was signed at Washington on January 15, 1892, inthe English and German languages, by the representatives of the UnitedStates of America and the German Empire, a true copy of the Englishversion of which agreement is, word for word, as follows:

 The President of the United States of America and His Majesty the German Emperor, King of Prussia, in the name of the German Empire, being actuated by the desire to extend to their subjects and citizens the full benefit of the legal provisions in force in both countries in regard to copyright, have to this end decided to conclude an agreement and have appointed as their plenipotentiaries:

 The President of the United States of America, James G. Blaine, Secretary of State of the United States;

 His Majesty the German Emperor, King of Prussia, Alfons Mumm von Schwarzenstein, his chargé d'affaires near the Government of the United States of America, who, being duly authorized, have concluded the following agreement, subject to due ratification:

 ARTICLE I. Citizens of the United States of America shall enjoy in the German Empire the protection of copyright as regards works of literature and art, as well as photographs, against illegal reproduction, on the same basis on which such protection is granted to subjects of the Empire. 

 ART. II. The United States Government engages in return that the President of the United States shall, in pursuance of section 13 of the act of Congress of March 3, 1891, issue the proclamation therein provided for in regard to the extension of the provisions of that act to German subjects as soon as the Secretary of State shall have been officially notified that the present agreement has received the necessary legislative sanction in the German Empire. 

 ART. III. This agreement shall be ratified and the ratifications shall be exchanged at Washington as soon as possible. 

 The agreement shall go into operation at the expiration of three weeks from the date of the exchange of its ratifications, and shall be applicable only to works not published at the time when it shall have gone into operation. It shall remain in force until the expiration of three months from the day on which notice of a desire for the cessation of its effects shall have been given by one of the contracting parties. 

 Done in duplicate in the English and German languages, at the city of Washington, this 15th day of January, 1892. 

 JAMES G. BLAINE. [SEAL. ] A. V. MUMM. [SEAL. ]

And whereas the official notification contemplated by Article II of thesaid agreement has been received by this Government:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United Statesof America, do declare and proclaim that the first of the conditionsspecified in section 13 of the act of March 3, 1891, is now fulfilledin respect to the subjects of the German Empire. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, the 15th day of April, 1892, and of theIndependence of the United States the one hundred and sixteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas, pursuant to section 3 of the act of Congress approved October1, 1890, entitled "An act to reduce the revenue and equalize duties onimports, and for other purposes, " the Secretary of State of the UnitedStates of America communicated to the Government of Honduras the actionof the Congress of the United States of America, with a view to securereciprocal trade, in declaring the articles enumerated in said section 3to be exempt from duty upon their importation into the United States ofAmerica; and

Whereas the consul-general of Honduras at New York has communicated tothe Secretary of State the fact that, in reciprocity for the admissioninto the United States of America free of all duty of the articlesenumerated in section 3 of said act, the Government of Honduras will bydue legal enactment, as a provisional measure and until a more completearrangement may be negotiated and put in operation, admit free of allduty, from and after May 25, 1892, into all the established ports ofentry of Honduras the articles or merchandise named in the followingschedule, provided that the same be the product or manufacture of theUnited States:

 SCHEDULE OF PRODUCTS AND MANUFACTURES FROM THE UNITED STATES WHICH THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS WILL ADMIT FREE OF ALL CUSTOMS, MUNICIPAL, AND ANY OTHER KIND OF DUTY. 

 1. Animals for breeding purposes. 

 2. Corn, rice, barley, and rye. 

 3. Beans. 

 4. Hay and straw for forage. 

 5. Fruits, fresh. 

 6. Preparations of flour in biscuits, crackers not sweetened, macaroni, vermicelli, and tallarin. 

 7. Coal, mineral. 

 8. Roman cement. 

 9. Hydraulic lime. 

 10. Bricks, fire bricks, and crucibles for melting. 

 11. Marble, dressed, for furniture, statues, fountains, gravestones, and building purposes. 

 12. Tar, vegetable and mineral. 

 13. Guano and other fertilizers, natural or artificial. 

 14. Plows and all other agricultural tools and implements. 

 15. Machinery of all kinds, including sewing machines, and separate or extra parts of the same. 

 16. Materials of all kinds for the construction and equipment of railroads. 

 17. Materials of all kinds for the construction and operation of telegraphic and telephonic lines. 

 18. Materials of all kinds for lighting by electricity and gas. 

 19. Materials of all kinds for the construction of wharves. 

 20. Apparatus for distilling liquors. 

 21. Wood of all kinds for building, in trunks or pieces, beams, rafters, planks, boards, shingles, or flooring. 

 22. Wooden staves, heads, and hoops, and barrels and boxes for packing, mounted or in pieces. 

 23. Houses of wood or iron, complete or in parts. 

 24. Wagons, carts, and carriages of all kinds. 

 25. Barrels, casks, and tanks of iron for water. 

 26. Tubes of iron and all other accessories necessary for water supply. 

 27. Wire, barbed, and staples for fences. 

 28. Plates of iron for building purposes. 

 29. Mineral ores. 

 30. Kettles of iron for making salt. 

 31. Sugar boilers. 

 32. Molds for sugar. 

 33. Guys for mining purposes. 

 34. Furnaces and instruments for assaying metals. 

 35. Scientific instruments. 

 36. Models of machinery and buildings. 

 37. Boats, lighters, tackle, anchors, chains, girtlines, sails, and all other articles for vessels, to be used in the ports, lakes, and rivers of the Republic. 

 38. Printing materials, including presses, type, ink, and all other accessories. 

 39. Printed books, pamphlets, and newspapers, bound or unbound, maps, photographs, printed music, and paper for music. 

 40. Paper for printing newspapers. 

 41. Quicksilver. 

 42. Loadstones. 

 43. Hops. 

 44. Sulphate of quinine. 

 45. Gold and silver in bars, dust, or coin. 

 46. Samples of merchandise the duties on which do not exceed $1. 

It is understood that the packages or coverings in which the articlesnamed in the foregoing schedule are imported shall be free of duty ifthey are usual and proper for the purpose. 

And that the Government of Honduras has further stipulated that the lawsand regulations adopted to protect its revenue and prevent fraud in thedeclarations and proof that the articles named in the foregoing scheduleare the product or manufacture of the United States of America shallimpose no additional charges on the importer nor undue restrictions onthe articles imported; and

Whereas the Secretary of State has, by my direction, given assuranceto the consul-general of Honduras at New York that this action of theGovernment of Honduras in granting freedom of duties to the products andmanufactures of the United States of America on their importation intoHonduras and in stipulating for a more complete reciprocity arrangementis accepted as a due reciprocity for the action of Congress as set forthin section 3 of said act:

Now, therefore, be it known that I, Benjamin Harrison, President of theUnited States of America, have caused the above-stated modifications ofthe tariff laws of Honduras to be made public for the information of thecitizens of the United States of America. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 30th day of April, 1892, and ofthe Independence of the United States of America the one hundred andsixteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas, pursuant to section 3 of the act of Congress approved October1, 1890, entitled "An act to reduce the revenue and equalize duties onimports, and for other purposes, " the Secretary of State of the UnitedStates of America communicated to the Government of Guatemala the actionof the Congress of the United States of America, with a view to securereciprocal trade, in declaring the articles enumerated in said section 3to be exempt from duty upon their importation into the United States ofAmerica; and

Whereas the envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary ofGuatemala at Washington has communicated to the Secretary of State thefact that, in reciprocity for the admission into the United States ofAmerica free of all duty of the articles enumerated in section 3 of saidact, the Government of Guatemala will by due legal enactment of theNational Congress of that Republic admit free of all duty, from andafter the 30th day after the passage of the said act by the Congress ofGuatemala, into all the established ports of entry of that Republic thearticles or merchandise named in the following schedule, provided thatthe same be the product or manufacture of the United States:

 SCHEDULE OF ARTICLES THE PRODUCT OR MANUFACTURE OF THE UNITED STATES TO BE ADMITTED INTO GUATEMALA FREE OF ALL CUSTOMS DUTIES AND OF ANY NATIONAL OR MUNICIPAL DUES AND NATIONAL PORT CHARGES. 

 1. Live animals. 

 2. Barley, corn or maize, and rye. 

 3. Corn meal. 

 4. Potatoes, pease, and beans. 

 5. Fresh vegetables. 

 6. Rice. 

 7. Hay and straw for forage. 

 8. Tar, pitch, resin, turpentine, and asphalt. 

 9. Cotton-seed oil and other products of said seed. 

 10. Quicksilver. 

 11. Mineral coal. 

 12. Guano and other fertilizers. 

 13. Lumber and timber, in the rough or prepared for building purposes. 

 14. Houses of wood or iron, complete or in parts. 

 15. Fire bricks, lime, cement, shingles, and tiles of clay or glass for roofing and construction of buildings. 

 16. Marble in slabs, columns, cornices, door and window frames, and fountains, and dressed or undressed marble for buildings. 

 17. Piping of clay, glazed or unglazed, for aqueducts and sewers. 

 18. Wire, plain or barbed, for fences, with hooks and staples for same. 

 19. Printed books, bound or unbound; printed music; maps, charts, and globes. 

 20. Materials for the construction and equipment of railways. 

 21. Materials for electrical illumination. 

 22. Materials expressly for the construction of wharves. 

 23. Anchors and hoisting tackle. 

 24. Railings of cast or wrought iron. 

 25. Balconies of cast or wrought iron. 

 26. Window blinds of wood or metal. 

 27. Iron fireplaces or stoves. 

 28. Machinery, including steam machinery for agriculture and mining, and separate parts of the same. 

 29. Gold and silver, in bullion, dust, or coin. 

It is understood that the packages or coverings in which the articlesnamed in the foregoing schedule are imported shall enter free of dutyif they are usual and proper for the purpose. 

And whereas the Government of Guatemala has further stipulated that thelaws and regulations adopted to protect its revenue and prevent fraudin the declarations and proof that the articles named in the foregoingschedule are the product or manufacture of the United States of Americashall impose no undue restrictions on the importer and no additionalcharges on the articles imported; and

Whereas the Secretary of State has, by my direction, given assurance tothe envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of Guatemala atWashington that this action of the Government of Guatemala in grantingfreedom of duties to the products and manufactures of the United Statesof America on their importation into Guatemala, is accepted as a duereciprocity for the action of Congress as set forth in section 3 of saidact; and

Whereas the diplomatic representative of the United States of America atthe city of Guatemala has been advised by the Government of Guatemalaof the passage on April 30, 1892, of an act by the National Congress ofthat Republic approving the commercial arrangement concluded between theGovernments of the two Republics and of the issue of a decree admitting, on and after the 30th day of May, 1892, the articles mentioned in theabove schedule being the product or manufacture of the United States ofAmerica into the ports of Guatemala free of all duties whatsoever:

Now, therefore, be it known that I, Benjamin Harrison, President of theUnited States of America, have caused the above-stated modifications ofthe tariff laws of Guatemala to be made public for the information ofthe citizens of the United States of America. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 18th day of May, 1892, and of theIndependence of the United States of America the one hundred andsixteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas, pursuant to section 3 of the act of Congress approved October1, 1890, entitled "An act to reduce the revenue and equalize duties onimports, and for other purposes, " the attention of the Government ofAustria-Hungary was called to the action of the Congress of the UnitedStates of America, with a view to secure reciprocal trade, in declaringthe articles enumerated in said section 3 to be exempt from duty upontheir importation into the United States of America; and

Whereas the minister plenipotentiary of Austria-Hungary at Washingtonhas communicated to the Secretary of State the fact that, in view of theact of Congress above cited, the Government of Austria-Hungary has bydue legal enactment authorized the admission, from and after May 25, 1892, into Austria-Hungary of all the articles of merchandise theproduct of the United States of America named in the commercial treatieswhich Austria-Hungary has celebrated with Germany and other nations onthe terms stated in said treaties; and

Whereas the Secretary of State has, by my direction, given assurance tothe minister plenipotentiary of Austria-Hungary at Washington that thisaction of the Government of Austria-Hungary in granting exemption ofduties to the products and manufactures of the United States of Americaon their importation into Austria-Hungary is accepted as a duereciprocity for the action of Congress as set forth in section 3 of saidact:

Now, therefore, be it known that I, Benjamin Harrison, President of theUnited States of America, have caused the above-stated modifications ofthe tariff laws of Austria-Hungary to be made public for the informationof the citizens of the United States of America. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 26th day of May, 1892, and of theIndependence of the United States of America the one hundred andsixteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: WILLIAM F. WHARTON, _Acting Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas it is provided by section 24 of the act of Congress approvedMarch 3, 1891, entitled "An act to repeal timber-culture laws, and forother purposes"--

 That the President of the United States may from time to time set apart and reserve in any State or Territory having public land bearing forests, in any part of the public lands wholly or in part covered with timber or undergrowth, whether of commercial value or not, as public reservations; and the President shall by public proclamation declare the establishment of such reservations and the limits thereof. 

And whereas the public lands in the State of Oregon within the limitshereinafter described are in part covered with timber, and it appearsthat the public good would be promoted by setting apart and reservingsaid lands as a public reservation:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested by section 24 of the aforesaid actof Congress, do hereby make known and proclaim that there is herebyreserved from entry or settlement and set apart as a public reservationall those certain tracts, pieces, or parcels of land lying and beingsituate in the State of Oregon and particularly described as follows, to wit:

Beginning at the northwest corner of section six (6), township one (1)south, range six (6) east, Willamette meridian; thence easterly on thebase line between townships one (1) north and one (1) south to thesouthwest corner of section thirty-two (32), township one (1) north, range six (6) east; thence northerly on the section line betweensections thirty-one (31) and thirty-two (32) to the northwest corner ofsection thirty-two (32); thence easterly on the section line betweensections twenty-nine (29) and thirty-two (32) to the northeast corner ofsection thirty-two (32); thence northerly on the section line betweensections twenty-eight (28) and twenty-nine (29) to the northwest cornerof section twenty-eight (28); thence easterly on the section linebetween sections twenty-one (21) and twenty-eight (28) to the northeastcorner of section twenty-eight (28); thence northerly on the sectionline between sections twenty-one (21) and twenty-two (22) to thenorthwest corner of section twenty-two (22); thence easterly on thesection line between sections fifteen (15) and twenty-two (22) andfourteen (14) and twenty-three (23) to the northeast corner of sectiontwenty-three (23); thence northerly along the section line betweensections thirteen (13) and fourteen (14) and eleven (11) and twelve (12)to the northwest corner of section twelve (12); thence easterly on thesection line between sections one (1) and twelve (12) to the northeastcorner of section twelve (12); thence northerly on the eastern boundaryof section one (1) to the northeast corner of section one (1), all ofsaid sections being in township one (1) north, range six (6) east;thence easterly to a point for the northeast corner of township one (1)north, range seven (7) east; thence southerly to a point for thesoutheast corner of section one (1), township one (1) north, rangeseven (7) east; thence easterly to a point for the northeast corner ofsection eight (8), township one (1) north, range eight (8) east; thencesoutherly to a point for the northeast corner of section thirty-two (32)of said township and range; thence easterly to a point for the northeastcorner of section thirty-three (33) of said township and range; thencesoutherly to the southeast corner of section thirty-three (33) of saidtownship and range; thence westerly along the base line to the northwestcorner of section four (4), township one (1) south, range eight (8)east; thence southerly on the section line between sections four (4) andfive (5) and eight (8) and nine (9) to the southeast corner of sectioneight (8); thence easterly along the section line between sections nine(9) and sixteen (16) to a point for the northeast corner of sectionsixteen (16); thence southerly along the section line between sectionsfifteen (15) and sixteen (16) to the southeast corner of section sixteen(16); thence easterly along the section line between sections fifteen(15) and twenty-two to the northeast corner of section twenty-two (22);thence southerly between sections twenty-two (22), twenty-three (23), twenty-six (26), twenty-seven (27), thirty-four (34), and thirty-five(35) to the southeast corner of section thirty-four (34); thenceeasterly along the southern boundary line of sections thirty-five (35)and thirty-six (36) to the southeast corner of section thirty-six (36), all of said sections being in township one (1) south, range eight (8)east; thence southerly to a point for the southeast corner of townshiptwo (2) south, range eight (8) east; thence westerly to the southeastcorner of township two (2) south, range seven (7) east; thence northerlyalong the eastern boundary line of sections thirty-six (36), twenty-five(25), twenty-four (24), and thirteen (13), township two (2) south, rangeseven (7) east, to the southeast corner of section twelve (12) of saidtownship and range; thence westerly along the section line betweensections twelve (12) and thirteen (13), eleven (11) and fourteen (14), ten (10) and fifteen (15), nine (9) and sixteen (16), eight (8) andseventeen (17), and seven (7) and eighteen (18), township two (2) south, range seven (7) east, and sections twelve (12) and thirteen (13), eleven(11) and fourteen (14), ten (10) and fifteen (15), nine (9) and sixteen(16), eight (8) and seventeen (17), and seven (7) and eighteen (18), township two (2) south, range six (6) east, to the southwest corner ofsection seven (7) of said township and range; thence northerly along thewestern boundary of section seven (7) to the northwest corner of saidsection, township two (2) south, range six (6) east; thence westerly onthe section line between sections one (1) and twelve (12), two (2) andeleven (11), three (3) and ten (10), and four (4) and nine (9) to thesouthwest corner of section four (4), township two (2) south, range five(5) east; thence northerly on the section line between sections four (4)and five (5) to the northwest corner of section four (4) in saidtownship and range; thence easterly on the township line betweentownships one (1) and two (2) south, range five (5) east, to thesouthwest corner of section thirty-five (35), township one (1) south, range five (5) east; thence northerly on the section line betweensections thirty-four (34), thirty-five (35), twenty-six (26), twenty-seven (27), twenty-two (22), and twenty-three (23) to thenorthwest corner of section twenty-three (23) of said township andrange; thence easterly on the section line between sections fourteen(14) and twenty-three (23), thirteen (13) and twenty-four (24), to thenortheast corner of section twenty-four (24) of said township and range;thence northerly along the range line between ranges five (5) and six(6) east to the place of beginning. 

Excepting from the force and effect of this proclamation all lands whichmay have been prior to the date hereof embraced in any legal entry orcovered by any lawful filing duly of record in the proper United Statesland office, or upon which any valid settlement has been made pursuantto law and the statutory period within which to make entry or filingof record has not expired, and all mining claims duly located and heldaccording to the laws of the United States and rules and regulationsnot in conflict therewith. 

_Provided_, That this exception shall not continue to apply to anyparticular tract of land unless the entryman, settler, or claimantcontinues to comply with the law under which the entry, filing, settlement, or location was made. 

Warning is hereby expressly given to all persons not to enter or makesettlement upon the tract of land reserved by this proclamation. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 17th day of June, A. D. 1892, and ofthe Independence of the United States the one hundred and sixteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: WILLIAM F. WHARTON, _Acting Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas it is provided by section 24 of the act of Congress approvedMarch 3, 1891, entitled "An act to repeal timber-culture laws, and forother purposes"--

 That the President of the United States may from time to time set apart and reserve in any State or Territory having public land bearing forests, in any part of the public lands wholly or in part covered with timber or undergrowth, whether of commercial value or not, as public reservations; and the President shall by public proclamation declare the establishment of such reservations and the limits thereof. 

And whereas the public lands in the State of Colorado within the limitshereinafter described are in part covered with timber, and it appearsthat the public good would be promoted by setting apart and reservingsaid lands as a public reservation:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, byvirtue of the power in me vested by section 24 of the aforesaid act ofCongress, do hereby make known and proclaim that there is herebyreserved from entry or settlement and set apart as a public reservationall those certain tracts, pieces, or parcels of land lying and beingsituate in the State of Colorado and particularly described as follows, to wit:

Township ten (10) south of ranges sixty-eight (68), sixty-nine (69), andseventy (70) west; township nine (9) south of ranges sixty-eight (68)and sixty-nine (69) west; township eight (8) south of range sixty-nine(69) west, and so much of township ten (10) south of range seventy-one(71) west, township nine (9) south of range seventy (70) west, townshipeight (8) south of range seventy (70) west, and township seven (7) southof range sixty-nine (69) west as lie to the eastward of the South PlatteRiver. 

Excepting from the force and effect of this proclamation all lands whichmay have been prior to the date hereof embraced in any legal entry orcovered by any lawful filing duly of record in the proper United Statesland office, or upon which any valid settlement has been made pursuantto law and the statutory period within which to make entry or filing ofrecord has not expired, and all mining claims duly located and heldaccording to the laws of the United States and rules and regulations notin conflict therewith. 

_Provided_, That this exception shall not continue to apply to anyparticular tract of land unless the entryman, settler, or claimantcontinues to comply with the law under which the entry, filing, settlement, or location was made. 

Warning is hereby expressly given to all persons not to enter or makesettlement upon the tract of land reserved by this proclamation. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 23d day of June, A. D. 1892, and ofthe Independence of the United States the one hundred and sixteenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: WILLIAM F. WHARTON, _Acting Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

_To whom it may concern_:

Whereas the governor of the State of Idaho has represented to me thatwithin said State there exist an insurrection and condition of domesticviolence and resistance to the laws to meet and overcome which theresources at his command are unequal; and

Whereas he has further represented that the legislature of said Stateis not now in session and can not be promptly convened; and

Whereas by reason of said conditions the said governor, as chiefexecutive of the State, has called upon me, as Chief Executive of theGovernment of the United States, for assistance in repressing saidviolence and restoring and maintaining the peace:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, by virtue of section 4, Article IV, of the Constitution of the UnitedStates and of the laws of Congress enacted in pursuance thereof, do hereby command all persons engaged in said insurrection and inresistance to the laws to immediately disperse and retire peaceablyto their respective abodes. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 15th day of July, A. D. 1892, and ofthe Independence of the United States the one hundred and seventeenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JOHN W. FOSTER, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas by a joint resolution approved June 29, 1892, it was resolved bythe Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of Americain Congress assembled--

 That the President of the United States be authorized and directed to issue a proclamation recommending to the people the observance in all their localities of the four hundredth anniversary of the discovery of America, on the 21st of October, 1892, by public demonstrations and by suitable exercises in their schools and other places of assembly. 

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United Statesof America, in pursuance of the aforesaid joint resolution, do herebyappoint Friday, October 21, 1892, the four hundredth anniversary of thediscovery of America by Columbus, as a general holiday for the people ofthe United States. On that day let the people, so far as possible, ceasefrom toil and devote themselves to such exercises as may best expresshonor to the discoverer and their appreciation of the great achievementsof the four completed centuries of American life. 

Columbus stood in his age as the pioneer of progress and enlightenment. The system of universal education is in our age the most prominent andsalutary feature of the spirit of enlightenment, and it is peculiarlyappropriate that the schools be made by the people the center of theday's demonstration. Let the national flag float over every schoolhousein the country and the exercises be such as shall impress upon our youththe patriotic duties of American citizenship. 

In the churches and in the other places of assembly of the people letthere be expressions of gratitude to Divine Providence for the devoutfaith of the discoverer and for the divine care and guidance which hasdirected our history and so abundantly blessed our people. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 21st day of July, A. D. 1892, and ofthe Independence of the United States the one hundred and seventeenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JOHN W. FOSTER, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas by reason of unlawful obstructions, combinations, andassemblages of persons it has become impracticable, in my judgment, toenforce by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings the laws of theUnited States within the State and district of Wyoming, the UnitedStates marshal, after repeated efforts, being unable by his ordinarydeputies or by any civil posse which he is able to obtain to execute theprocess of the United States courts:

Now, therefore, be it known that I, Benjamin Harrison, President of theUnited States, do hereby command all persons engaged in such resistanceto the laws and the process of the courts of the United States to ceasesuch opposition and resistance and to disperse and retire peaceably totheir respective abodes on or before Wednesday, the 3d day of Augustnext. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 30th day of July, A. D. 1892, and ofthe Independence of the United States the one hundred and seventeenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JOHN W. FOSTER, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas by an act of Congress approved July 26, 1892, entitled "An actto enforce reciprocal commercial relations between the United States andCanada, and for other purposes, " it is provided--

 That with a view of securing reciprocal advantages for the citizens, ports, and vessels of the United States, on and after the 1st day of August, 1892, whenever and so often as the President shall be satisfied that the passage through any canal or lock connected with the navigation of the St. Lawrence River, the Great Lakes, or the waterways connecting the same of any vessels of the United States, or of cargoes or passengers in transit to any port of the United States, is prohibited or is made difficult or burdensome by the imposition of tolls or otherwise which, in view of the free passage through the St. Marys Falls Canal now permitted to vessels of all nations, he shall deem to be reciprocally unjust and unreasonable, he shall have the power, and it shall be his duty, to suspend, by proclamation to that effect, for such time and to such extent (including absolute prohibition) as he shall deem just, the right of free passage through the St. Marys Falls Canal so far as it relates to vessels owned by the subjects of the government so discriminating against the citizens, ports, or vessels of the United States or to any cargoes, portions of cargoes, or passengers in transit to the ports of the government making such discrimination, whether carried in vessels of the United States or of other nations. 

 In such case and during such suspension tolls shall be levied, collected, and paid as follows, to wit: Upon freight of whatever kind or description not to exceed $2 per ton, upon passengers not to exceed $5 each, as shall be from time to time determined by the President: _Provided_, That no tolls shall be charged or collected upon freight or passengers carried to and landed at Ogdensburg, or any port west of Ogdensburg and south of a line drawn from the northern boundary of the State of New York through the St. Lawrence River, the Great Lakes, and their connecting channels to the northern boundary of the State of Minnesota. 

 SEC. 2. All tolls so charged shall be collected under such regulations as shall be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury, who may require the master of each vessel to furnish a sworn statement of the amount and kind of cargo and the number of passengers carried and the destination of the same, and such proof of the actual delivery of such cargo or passengers at some port or place within the limits above named as he shall deem satisfactory; and until such proof is furnished such freight and passengers may be considered to have been landed at some port or place outside of those limits, and the amount of tolls which would have accrued if they had been so delivered shall constitute a lien, which may be enforced against the vessel in default wherever and whenever found in the waters of the United States. 

And whereas the government of the Dominion of Canada imposes a tollamounting to about 20 cents per ton on all freight passing through theWelland Canal in transit to a port of the United States, and also afurther toll on all vessels of the United States and on all passengersin transit to a port of the United States, all of which tolls arewithout rebate; and

Whereas the government of the Dominion of Canada, in accordance withan order in council of April 4, 1892, refunds 18 cents per ton of the20-cent toll at the Welland Canal on wheat, Indian corn, pease, barley, rye, oats, flaxseed, and buckwheat upon condition that they areoriginally shipped for and carried to Montreal or some port east ofMontreal for export, and that if transshipped at an intermediate pointsuch transshipment is made within the Dominion of Canada, but allows nosuch nor any other rebate on said products when shipped to a port ofthe United States or when carried to Montreal for export if transshippedwithin the United States; and

Whereas the government of the Dominion of Canada by said system ofrebate and otherwise discriminates against the citizens of the UnitedStates in the use of said Welland Canal, in violation of the provisionsof Article XXVII of the treaty of Washington concluded May 8, 1871; and

Whereas said Welland Canal is connected with the navigation of the GreatLakes, and I am satisfied that the passage through it of cargoes intransit to ports of the United States is made difficult and burdensomeby said discriminating system of rebate and otherwise and isreciprocally unjust and unreasonable:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin, Harrison, President of the United States ofAmerica, by virtue of the power to that end conferred upon me by saidact of Congress approved July 26, 1892, do hereby direct that from andafter September 1, 1892, until further notice a toll of 20 cents perton be levied, collected, and paid on all freight of whatever kind ordescription passing through the St. Marys Falls Canal in transit to anyport of the Dominion of Canada, whether carried in vessels of the UnitedStates or of other nations; and to that extent I do hereby suspend fromand after said date the right of free passage through said St. MarysFalls Canal of any and all cargoes or portions of cargoes in transitto Canadian ports. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 18th day of August, A. D. 1892, andof the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred andseventeenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JOHN W. FOSTER, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas by a written agreement made on the 8th day of December, 1890, the Crow tribe of Indians, in the State of Montana, agreed to disposeof and sell to the United States, for certain considerations in saidagreement specified, all that portion of the Crow Indian Reservationin the State of Montana lying west and south of the following lines, to wit:

 Beginning in the mid-channel of the Yellowstone River at a point which is the northwest corner of section No. 36, township No. 2 north of range 27 east of the principal meridian of Montana; thence running in a southwesterly direction, following the top of the natural divide between the waters flowing into the Yellowstone and Clarks Fork rivers upon the west and those flowing into Pryor Creek and West Pryor Creek on the east, to the base of West Pryor Mountain; thence due south and up the north slope of said Pryor Mountain on a true meridian line to a point 15 miles due north from the established line between Montana and Wyoming; thence in a due easterly course on a parallel of latitude to a point where it intersects the mid-channel of the Big Horn River; thence following up the mid-channel of said river to a point where it crosses the Montana and Wyoming State line. 

And whereas it is stipulated in the eleventh clause or section of saidagreement that all lands upon that portion of the reservation by saidagreement ceded which prior to the date thereof had been allotted inseveralty to Indians of the Crow tribe shall be retained and enjoyed bythem; and

Whereas it is provided in the twelfth clause or section of saidagreement that, in accordance with the provisions of article 6 of thetreaty of May 7, A. D. 1868, said cession of lands shall not be construedto deprive without his or her consent any individual Indian of the Crowtribe of his or her right to any tract of land selected by him or her inconformity with said treaty or as provided by the agreement approved byCongress April 11, A. D. 1882; and

Whereas it is further provided in said twelfth clause or section that inratifying said agreement the Congress of the United States shall causeall such lands to be surveyed and certificates duly issued for the sameto said Indians, as provided in the treaty of May 7, 1868, before saidceded portion of the reservation shall be opened for settlement; and

Whereas by the thirteenth clause or section of said agreement ofDecember 8, 1890, it is made a condition of said agreement that itshall not be binding upon either party until ratified by the Congress ofthe United States, and when so ratified that said cession of lands soacquired by the United States shall not be opened for settlement untilthe boundary lines set forth and described in said agreement have beensurveyed and definitely marked by suitable permanent monuments, erectedevery half mile wherever practicable, along the entire length of saidboundary line; and

Whereas said agreement was duly ratified and confirmed by thethirty-first section of the act of Congress approved March 3, 1891; and

Whereas it is provided in section 34 of said act of March 3, 1891--

 That whenever any of the lands acquired by the agreement with said Crow Indians hereby ratified and confirmed shall by operation of law or the proclamation of the President of the United States be open to settlement, they shall, except mineral lands, be disposed of to actual settlers only under the provisions of the homestead laws, except section 2301 of the Revised Statutes, which shall not apply: _Provided, however_, That each settler under and in accordance with the provisions of said homestead laws shall before receiving a patent for his homestead pay to the United States for the land so taken by him, in addition to the fees provided by law, and within five years from the date of the first original entry, the sum of $1. 50 for each acre thereof, one-half of which shall be paid within two years; and any person otherwise qualified who has attempted to but for any cause failed to secure a title in fee to a homestead under existing law, or who made entry under what is known as the commuted provision of the homestead law, shall be qualified to make a homestead entry upon any of said lands in conformity with the provisions of this section; that any person who may be entitled to the privilege of selecting land in severalty under the provisions of article 6 of the treaty of May 7, 1868, with the Crow Indians, and which provisions were continued in force by the agreement with said Indians ratified and confirmed by the act of Congress approved April 11, 1882, or any other act or treaty, shall have the right for a period of sixty days to make such selections in any part of the territory by said agreement ceded, and such locations are hereby confirmed: _Provided further_, That all white persons who located upon said Crow Reservation by reason of an erroneous survey of the boundary and were afterwards allowed to file upon their location in the United States land office shall have thirty days in which to renew their filings, and their locations are hereby confirmed; and that in all cases where claims were located under the mining laws of the United States, and such location was made prior to December 1, 1890, by a locator qualified therefor who believed that he or she was so locating on lands outside the Crow Indian Reservation, such locator shall be allowed thirty days within which to relocate the said mining claims so theretofore located by them within the limits of the ceded portion of said Crow Indian Reservation, and upon such relocation such proceedings shall be had as are conformable to law and in accordance with the provisions of this act. 

And whereas the boundary lines of said ceded lands have been dulysurveyed and marked as stipulated in the thirteenth clause or section ofsaid agreement; and

Whereas a written agreement was concluded with said Crow Indians on the27th day of August, 1892, under and by virtue of the following clause inthe Indian appropriation act of Congress approved July 13, 1892, to wit:

 * * * To enable the Secretary of the Interior, in his discretion, to appoint a commission to negotiate with the Crow Indians of Montana for a modification of the agreement concluded with said Indians December 8, 1890, and ratified by Congress March 3, 1891, and to pay the necessary and actual expenses of said commissioners: _Provided_, That no such modification shall be valid unless assented to by a majority of the male adult members of the Crow tribe of Indians and be approved by the Secretary of the Interior. 

Which said agreement was assented to by a majority of the male adultmembers of the Crow tribe of Indians, as attested by their signaturesthereto, and has been duly approved by the Secretary of the Interior;and

Whereas it is stipulated and agreed in the first clause or section ofsaid agreement of August 27, 1892, that the persons named in a scheduleattached to and made a part of said agreement, marked "Schedule A, "include all the members of said Crow tribe who are entitled to thebenefits of the eleventh section of said agreement of December 8, 1890, and that each of said persons is entitled to the land therein describedas his selection in full satisfaction of his claim under said section;and that the persons named in a schedule attached to and made a part ofsaid agreement of August 27, 1892, marked "Schedule B, " include all themembers of said tribe who are entitled to the benefits of the twelfthsection of said agreement of December 8, 1890, and of the proviso of thethirty-fourth section of the act of Congress approved March 3, 1891, extending the privilege of making selections on the ceded lands for aperiod of sixty days, and that each of the said persons therein named isentitled to retain the tract of land theretofore selected by him withinthe limits of the tract of land therein described as containing hisselection of his claim under the said section (or the said proviso); and

Whereas it is stipulated and agreed by the second clause or sectionof said agreement of August 27, 1892, that all lands ceded by saidagreement may be opened to settlement, upon the approval of the saidagreement, by proclamation of the President:

 _Provided_, That all lands within the ceded tract selected or set apart for the use of individual Indians and described in the aforesaid Schedules "A" and "B" shall be exempt from cession and shall remain a part of the Crow Indian Reservation, and shall continue under the exclusive control of the Interior Department until they shall have been surveyed and certificates or patents issued therefor as provided in the agreement of December 8, 1890, or until relinquished or surrendered by the Indian or Indians claiming the same: _Provided further_, That such lands shall be described as set forth in Schedules "A" and "B, " and shall be exempted from settlement in the proclamation of the President opening the ceded lands, and that where lands so set apart are not described by legal subdivisions then the township or section or tract of land within whose limits such Indians' selections are located shall not be opened to settlement until the Indian allotments therein contained shall have been surveyed and proper evidence of title issued therefor. 

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested by the agreements and statuteshereinbefore mentioned and by other the laws of the United States, dohereby declare and make known that all of the lands within that portionof the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana ceded to the United Statesby the said agreement of December 8, 1890, and hereinbefore described, except those hereinafter mentioned and described, are open to settlementunder the terms of and subject to all the conditions, limitations, reservations, and restrictions contained in the thirty-fourth section ofthe act of Congress approved March 3, 1891, and hereinbefore quoted, andother laws applicable thereto. 

The lands exempted from the operation of this proclamation, being thoseembraced in Schedules "A" and "B" attached to the agreement of August27, 1892, are described as follows:

 1. --SURVEYED LANDS. 

 IN TOWNSHIP 1 NORTH, RANGE 26 EAST. 

 Fractional section 24; the north half, the east half of southeast quarter, and west half of southwest quarter of fractional section 25; fractional section 26; lot 5 of fractional section 34; the north half of northeast quarter and the northeast quarter of northwest quarter of section 35; and the northeast quarter of northeast quarter of section 36. 

 IN TOWNSHIP 1 NORTH, RANGE 27 EAST. 

 Fractional section 7; lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, the southwest quarter of northeast quarter, the southeast quarter, and the south half of the southwest quarter of fractional section 8; the south half of northwest quarter of section 9; the north half of the northwest quarter and the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 17; fractional section 18; the north half and the southwest quarter of section 19. 

 IN TOWNSHIP 3 SOUTH, RANGE 24 EAST. 

 The north half of the southwest quarter of section 3; the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter and lots 2, 3, and 4 of section 4; fractional section 5; the southeast quarter and the south half of the southwest quarter of section 6; section 7; west half of section 8; the east half of the northwest quarter and the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 17; lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter, the south half of the northeast quarter, and the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter and the south half of section 18; lots 1, 3, 4, and 5 and the east half of southwest quarter, section 19; and lots 1, 2, 3, and 4 in section 30. 

 IN TOWNSHIP 4 SOUTH, RANGE 23 EAST. 

 Lots 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 13, the south half of northwest quarter, the southeast quarter of southeast quarter, and the northeast quarter of the southwest quarter, section 1; section 2; the north half, the southeast quarter, and the north half of southwest quarter, section 3; section 4; the east half and the southwest quarter of section 8; the north half and the southwest quarter of section 9; the east half and the southwest quarter of section n; section 12; the north half, the south half of the southeast quarter, the east half of the southwest quarter, and lots 1, 2, and 3 of section 13; the north half, the southeast quarter, and the south half of the southwest quarter of section 14; the north half of section 17; the north half, the east half of the southeast quarter, and the north half of the southwest quarter of section 18; the northwest quarter of section 19; the east half and the northwest quarter of section 20; the south half of the northwest quarter of section 22; all of section 23 except the northwest quarter of northwest quarter; section 24; lots 2 and 3 in section 25; the north half of northeast quarter, the northwest quarter, the north half of the southwest quarter, and lots 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of section 26; the south half of the southeast quarter of section 27; the northwest quarter of section 33; the fractional east half and the southwest quarter of section 34; lots 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10 of section 35. 

 IN TOWNSHIP 5 SOUTH OF RANGE 23 EAST. 

 Lot 5 and southwest quarter of northwest quarter of section 2; lots 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, and 14 and southeast quarter of southeast quarter of section 3; the fractional east half, the south half of northwest quarter, and the southwest quarter of section 4; the south half of the northeast quarter and the north half of the southeast quarter of section 7; the south half of the north half and the south half of section 8; lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8 and the west half of section 9; lots 1, 2, 3, and 4, the west half of the northeast quarter, and the south half of section 10; the northwest quarter of section 15; section 16; the east half of the northeast quarter and the south half of section 17; the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter, the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter, the west half, and lots 1, 2, 4, and 5, section 20; the southwest quarter of section 21; the west half of southwest quarter, section 26; the south half of section 27; the west half of the northeast quarter, the northwest quarter, and the south half of section 28; lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7, the northwest quarter, the south half of the southeast quarter, and the west half of the southwest quarter of section 29; the northeast quarter of northeast quarter, the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter, and the south half of the southeast quarter of section 30; the northeast quarter, the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter, and the southeast quarter of section 31; lots 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, and 10, the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter, and the southwest quarter of section 32; lot 1, the north half of the northeast quarter, and the northwest quarter of section 33; and the west half of the northeast quarter and the northwest quarter of section 34. 

 2. --UNSURVEYED LANDS WHICH WHEN SURVEYED WILL BE DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:

 IN TOWNSHIP 1 NORTH OF RANGE 15 EAST. 

 The southwest quarter of the northwest quarter, the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter, and the south half of the southwest quarter of section 27; the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter and the east half of the southeast quarter of section 28; the east half of the northeast quarter of section 33; the north half, the north half of the southeast quarter, and the northeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 34; the south half of the north half and the south half of section 35; and the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter, the southeast quarter, the north half of the southwest quarter, and the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 36. 

 IN TOWNSHIP 1 NORTH, RANGE 16 EAST. 

 The southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 31. 

 IN TOWNSHIP 1 SOUTH OF RANGE 15 EAST. 

 The north half of the north half and the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 1. 

 IN TOWNSHIP 1 SOUTH OF RANGE 16. 

 The north half of the northeast quarter and the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 6, and the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 24. 

 IN TOWNSHIP 1 SOUTH OF RANGE 18 EAST. 

 The southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 27; the northwest quarter of the southeast quarter and the south half of the southeast quarter of section 28; the north half of the northeast quarter of section 33; and the northeast quarter and the east half of the northwest quarter of section 34. 

 IN TOWNSHIP 1 SOUTH OF RANGE 17 EAST. 

 The east half of the northeast quarter, the east half of the northwest quarter, the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter, the northwest quarter of the southeast quarter, and the northeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 19; the south half of the southeast quarter and the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 28; and the north half of the northeast quarter and the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of section 33. 

 IN TOWNSHIP 1 SOUTH OF RANGE 25 EAST. 

 The northeast quarter of the southeast quarter, the south half of the southeast quarter, and the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 25, and the northeast Quarter of the northwest quarter and the west half of section 36. 

 IN TOWNSHIP 1 SOUTH OF RANGE 26 EAST. 

 The south half of the southeast quarter of section 19; the southeast quarter, the northeast quarter of the southwest quarter, and the south half of the southwest quarter of section 20; the west half of the southwest quarter of section 21; the west half of the northwest quarter of section 28; the north half and the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 29; the north half of the northeast quarter, the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter, the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter, the north half of the southeast quarter, and the southwest quarter of section 30. 

 IN TOWNSHIP 2 SOUTH OF RANGE 13 EAST. 

 The southwest quarter of the northwest quarter and the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 27; the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter and the east half of the southeast quarter of section 28; and the east half, the east half of the northwest quarter, the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter, and the northeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 33. 

 IN TOWNSHIP 2 SOUTH OF RANGE 18 EAST. 

 The southeast quarter and the east half of the southwest quarter of section 1. 

 IN TOWNSHIP 2 SOUTH OF RANGE 20 EAST. 

 The east half, the east half of the northwest quarter, the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter, and the north half of the southwest quarter of section 28; the northeast quarter and the north half of the southeast quarter of section 29; the south half of the northeast quarter, the north half of the southeast quarter, and the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 34; the south half of the north half and the south half of section 35; and the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter, the northwest quarter of the southeast quarter, the south half of the southeast quarter, and the southwest quarter of section 36. 

 IN TOWNSHIP 2 SOUTH OF RANGE 21 EAST. 

 The west half of the northeast quarter, the northwest quarter of the southeast quarter, the east half of the west half, and the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 32. 

 IN TOWNSHIP 2 SOUTH OF RANGE 24 EAST. 

 The northeast quarter of the southeast quarter and the south half of the southeast quarter of section 21; the northeast quarter, the north half of the southeast quarter, and the southwest quarter of section 22; the west half of the northwest quarter of section 27; the northeast quarter of section 28; and the northeast quarter, the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter, the north half of the southeast quarter, and the southwest quarter of section 29. 

 IN TOWNSHIP 3 SOUTH OF RANGE 18 EAST. 

 The west half of section 14; the west half of the northeast quarter and the east half of the northwest quarter of section 23; the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter, the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter, the northwest quarter of the southeast quarter, and the northeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 31; the northeast quarter, the south half of the northwest quarter, and the north half of the southwest quarter of section 32; the south half of the northeast quarter and the southeast quarter of section 33; the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter and the south half of the northwest quarter, the west half of the southeast quarter, and the southwest quarter of section 34; the south half of section 35; and the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter and the southeast quarter of section 36. 

 IN TOWNSHIP 3 SOUTH OF RANGE 19 EAST. 

 The northeast quarter, the north half of the southeast quarter, the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter, and the east half of the southwest quarter of section 12; the northwest quarter of section 29; the east half of the northeast quarter, the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter, the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter, and the south half of section 30; and the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter and the west half of the southwest quarter of section 31. 

 IN TOWNSHIP 3 SOUTH OF RANGE 20 EAST. 

 The northeast quarter, the north half of the northwest quarter, the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter, and the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 1; the north half of the northeast quarter and the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of section 2; the north half of the northwest quarter, the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter, and the west half of the southwest quarter of section 5; the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter, the southeast quarter, and the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 6; and the west half of the northeast quarter and the northwest quarter of section 7. 

 IN TOWNSHIP 3 SOUTH OF RANGE 21 EAST. 

 The northwest quarter of the southwest quarter and the south half of the southwest quarter of section 5; the east half of the southeast quarter and the west half of section 6; the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 7; and the north half of the northwest quarter of section 8. 

 IN TOWNSHIP 3 SOUTH OF RANGE 23 EAST. 

 The southeast quarter of the northeast quarter and the east half of the southeast quarter of section 12; the east half of section 13; the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 23; the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter, the east half of the southeast quarter, and the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 24; the east half of the east half, the west half of the northwest quarter, and the southwest quarter of section 25; the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter and the south half of the southeast quarter of section 26; the south half of the south half of section 34; the northeast quarter, the north half of the southeast quarter, the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter, and the south half of the southwest quarter of section 35; and the northwest quarter of section 36. 

 IN TOWNSHIP 4 SOUTH OF RANGE 18 EAST. 

 The northwest quarter of the northeast quarter and the north half of the northwest quarter of section 3; the north half of the northeast quarter of section 4; the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 13; the west half of the northeast quarter, the east half of the northwest quarter, the southeast quarter, and the northeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 24; the northeast quarter, the north half of the southeast quarter, the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter, and the southwest quarter of section 25; the south half of the southeast quarter of section 29; the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter and the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of section 32; the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter, the northwest quarter, the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter, and the south half of the southeast quarter of section 35; and the west half of the northeast quarter, the northwest quarter, and the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 36. 

 IN TOWNSHIP 6 SOUTH OF RANGE 18 EAST. 

 The east half of the southeast quarter and the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 20, and the west half of the northeast quarter, the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter, and the south half of the northwest quarter of section 29. 

 IN TOWNSHIP 6 SOUTH OF RANGE 19 EAST. 

 The northeast quarter, the east half of the northwest quarter, the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter, the north half of the southeast quarter, and the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 15; the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter and the northeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 16; the south half of the northeast quarter and the north half of the southeast quarter of section 19; and the south half of the northwest quarter and the north half of the southwest quarter of section 20. 

 IN TOWNSHIP 6 SOUTH OF RANGE 23 EAST. 

 The north half of the northwest quarter and the north half of the southeast quarter of section 5; the south half of the southeast quarter of section 8; section 17; and the west half of the northwest quarter of section 16. 

 3. --TOWNSHIPS, SECTIONS, OR TRACTS OF LAND WITHIN WHICH INDIAN SELECTIONS ARE LOCATED. 

 TRACT 1. 

 Beginning at a point in the mid-channel of the Yellowstone River 1-1/2 miles below the mouth of the Clarks Fork River; thence running in a southwesterly direction along a line parallel to and 1-1/2 miles distant from the mid-channel of the Clarks Fork River to the south line of township 2 south of range 24 east; thence west along said township line to the mid-channel of the Clarks Fork River; thence northeast along the mid-channel of the Clarks Fork River to the mid-channel of the Yellowstone River; thence northeast along the mid-channel of said river to the point of beginning. 

 TRACT 2. 

 All that part of township 2 south of range 24 east lying south of the Yellowstone River and west of the Clarks Fork River. 

 TRACT 3. 

 Sections 29, 31, and 32, township 5 south of range 21 east; sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 17, and 18, township 6 south of range 21 east; and sections 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, and 14, township 6 south of range 20 east. 

 TRACT 4. 

 Beginning at a point in the mid-channel of the Yellowstone River opposite the mouth of Duck Creek; thence running in a southwesterly direction along the mid-channel of the Yellowstone River to a point 1-1/2 miles below the mouth of the Clarks Fork River; thence in a southwesterly direction along a line parallel to and 1-1/2 miles distant from the mid-channel of the said Clarks Fork River to a point 1-1/2 miles due south of the mid-channel of the said Yellowstone River; thence running in a northeasterly direction along a line parallel to and 1-1/2 miles distant from the mid-channel of the Yellowstone River to the mid-channel of Duck Creek; thence in a northerly direction along the mid-channel of Duck Creek to the point of beginning. 

 TRACT 5. 

 All that part of townships 2 and 3 south of range 23 lying south of the mid-channel of the Yellowstone River and north of a line running parallel thereto and 1-1/2 miles distant therefrom. 

 TRACT 6. 

 Beginning in the mid-channel of the main or West Fork of Red Lodge Creek at the point where it intersects the line known as the line of the Blake survey, and which was formerly supposed to be the south boundary of the Crow Indian Reserve; thence running due east along the lines of said Blake survey for a distance of 1 mile; thence running northeasterly along a line parallel to and 1 mile from the mid-channel of the said West Fork of said Red Lodge Creek for a distance of 10 miles; thence due west to the mid-channel of the said West Fork of said Red Lodge Creek; thence southwesterly along the mid-channel of the said West Fork of said creek to the place of beginning. 

 TRACT 7. 

 Townships 4 south of ranges 21 and 22 east. 

 TRACT 8. 

 All that part of the east half of township 1 south of range 26 east lying south of the Yellowstone River, and all that part of the west half of township 1 south of range 27 east lying south of the Yellowstone River. 

 TRACT 9. 

 Section 14, township 3 south of range 19 east. 

 TRACT 10. 

 Beginning in the mid-channel of the main or West Fork of Red Lodge Creek at the point where it intersects the line known as the line of the Blake survey, and which was formerly supposed to be the south boundary of the Crow Indian Reserve; thence running due east along the line of said Blake survey for a distance of 1 mile; thence running northeasterly along a line parallel to and 1 mile from the mid-channel of the said West Fork of said Red Lodge Creek for a distance of 10 miles; thence due west to the mid-channel of the said West Fork of said Red Lodge Creek; thence southwesterly along the mid-channel of the said West Fork of said Red Lodge Creek to the place of beginning. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 15th day of October, A. D. 1892, andof the Independence of the United States the one hundred andseventeenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JOHN W. FOSTER, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas it is provided by section 13 of the act of Congress of March 3, 1891, entitled "An act to amend Title LX, chapter 3, of the RevisedStatutes of the United States, relating to copyrights, " that said act"shall only apply to a citizen or subject of a foreign state or nationwhen such foreign state or nation permits to citizens of the UnitedStates of America the benefit of copyright on substantially the samebasis as its own citizens, or when such foreign state or nation is aparty to an international agreement which provides for reciprocity inthe granting of copyright, by the terms of which agreement the UnitedStates of America may at its pleasure become a party to such agreement;"and

Whereas it is also provided by said section that "the existence ofeither of the conditions aforesaid shall be determined by the Presidentof the United States by proclamation made from time to time as thepurposes of this act may require;" and

Whereas satisfactory official assurances have been given that in Italythe law permits to citizens of the United States the benefit ofcopyright on substantially the same basis as to the subjects of Italy:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United Statesof America, do declare and proclaim that the first of the conditionsspecified in section 13 of the act of March 3, 1891, now exists andis fulfilled in respect to the subjects of Italy. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 31st day of October, 1892, and ofthe Independence of the United States the one hundred and seventeenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JOHN W. FOSTER, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

The gifts of God to our people during the past year have been soabundant and so special that the spirit of devout thanksgiving awaitsnot a call, but only the appointment of a day when it may have a commonexpression. He has stayed the pestilence at our door; He has given usmore love for the free civil institutions in the creation of whichHis directing providence was so conspicuous; He has awakened a deeperreverence for law; He has widened our philanthropy by a call to succorthe distress in other lands; He has blessed our schools and is bringingforward a patriotic and God-fearing generation to execute His great andbenevolent designs for our country; He has given us great increase inmaterial wealth and a wide diffusion of contentment and comfort in thehomes of our people; He has given His grace to the sorrowing. 

Wherefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, do callupon all our people to observe, as we have been wont, Thursday, the 24thday of this month of November, as a day of thanksgiving to God for Hismercies and of supplication for His continued care and grace. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 4th day of November, 1892, and ofthe Independence of the United States the one hundred and seventeenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JOHN W. FOSTER, _Secretary of State_. 

EXECUTIVE ORDERS. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

JANUARY 20, 1892. 

Special Departmental Rule No. 1 is hereby amended by adding at the endof paragraph 10 the following: "and elevator conductors;" so that asamended the paragraph will read:

 In all the Departments: Bookbinders and elevator conductors. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

UNITED STATES CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION, _Washington, D. C. , January 12, 1892_. 

The PRESIDENT. 

SIR: We have the honor to recommend that Executive orders heretoforeissued designating the places to be filled by noncompetitive examinationunder clause (_d_) of section 2 of General Rule III be amended so asto include among those places, in all the Departments where authorizedby law and employed, "captains of the watch" and "lieutenants of thewatch. " The captains and lieutenants of the watch in the TreasuryDepartment and the captain of the watch in the Post-Office Departmentare now included in this category, and the object of this recommendationis to place all the Departments on the same footing with respect tothese places. 

The occasion for the recommendation at this time is the receipt bythis Commission of a request from the Secretary of the Interior for anoncompetitive examination of a person named by him for appointment ascaptain of the watch in the Interior Department. 

The place is now subject to competitive examination, but the Commissionsees no good reason why one rule should not apply to all theDepartments; hence this recommendation. 

If you approve the recommendation, your indorsement of approval on thisletter and its return to the Commission is requested. As it is not achange of rule, it does not require to go to the Department of State forrecord. We have the honor to be, your obedient servants, CHAS. LYMAN, HUGH S. THOMPSON, _Commissioners_. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 25, 1892_. 

The within recommendation is approved. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENTS OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

FEBRUARY 23, 1892. 

Indian Rule VI is hereby amended by inserting after the word"appointment" the following: "from one agency to another;" so that asamended the rule will read:

 Subject to the conditions stated in Rule IV, transfers may be made after absolute appointment from one agency to another, from one school to another, and from one district to another, under such regulations as the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, with the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, may prescribe. 

Indian Rule IV, section 1, clause (_b_), is hereby amended by insertingafter the word "averages" the following: "who have not been threetimes certified;" so that as amended the clause will read:

 If fitness for the vacant place is tested by competitive examination, the Commission shall certify from the proper register of the district in which the vacancy exists the names of the three eligibles thereon, of the sex called for, having the highest averages, who have not been three times certified: _Provided_, That the eligibles upon any register who have been allowed preference under section 1754 of the Revised Statutes shall be certified, according to their grade, before all other eligibles thereon: _And provided further_, That if the vacancy is in the grade of matron or teacher, and the wife of the superintendent of the school in which the vacancy exists is an eligible, she may be given preference in certification if the appointing officer so requests. 

Section 5 of the same rule is also hereby amended by inserting afterthe word "vacancy" the following: "in any agency or;" so that asamended the clause will read:

 In case of the sudden occurrence of a vacancy in any agency or in any school during a school term which the public interest requires to be immediately filled the Commissioner of Indian Affairs is authorized, in his discretion, to provide for the temporary filling of the same until a regular appointment can be made under the provisions of sections 1, 2, and 3 of this rule, and when such regular appointment is made the temporary appointment shall terminate. All temporary appointments made under this authority and their termination shall at once be reported to the Commission. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, D. C. , May 5, 1892_. 

In the exercise of the authority vested in the President by theseventeen hundred and fifty-third section of the Revised Statutes--

_It is ordered_, That the office of the United States Commission of Fishand Fisheries be, and the same is hereby, classified as a part of theclassified departmental service and for the purpose of applying thecivil-service rules thereto the officers, clerks, and other employees ofsaid Commission are hereby arranged in the following classes, viz:

_Class A_. --All persons receiving an annual salary of less than $720, or acompensation at the rate of less than $720 per annum. 

_Class B_. --All persons receiving an annual salary of $720 or more, or acompensation at the rate of $720 or more, but less than $840 per annum. 

_Class C_. --All persons receiving an annual salary of $840 or more, or acompensation at the rate of $840 or more, but less than $900 per annum. 

_Class D_. --All persons receiving an annual salary of $900 or more, ora compensation at the rate of $900 or more, but less than $1, 000 perannum. 

_Class E_. --All persons receiving an annual salary of $1, 000 or more, ora compensation at the rate of $1, 000 or more, but less than $1, 200 perannum. 

_Class 1_. --All persons receiving an annual salary of $1, 200 or more, ora compensation at the rate of $1, 200 or more, but less than $1, 400 perannum. 

_Class 2_. --All persons receiving an annual salary of $1, 400 or more, ora compensation at the rate of $1, 400 or more, but less than $1, 600 perannum. 

_Class 3_. --All persons receiving an annual salary of $1, 600 or more, ora compensation at the rate of $1, 600 or more, but less than $1, 800 perannum. 

_Class 4_. --All persons receiving an annual salary of $1, 800 or more, ora compensation at the rate of $1, 800 or more, but less than $2, 000 perannum. 

_Class 5_. --All persons receiving an annual salary of $2, 000 or more, or acompensation at the rate of $2, 000 per annum. 

_Provided_, That no person who may be appointed to an office by and withthe advice and consent of the Senate, and that no person who may beemployed merely as a messenger, laborer, workman, or watchman, shall beconsidered as within this classification, and no person so employedshall be assigned to the duties of a classified place. 

_Provided further_, That no person shall be admitted to any placenot excepted from examination by the civil-service rules in any ofthe classes above designated until he or she shall have passed anappropriate examination under the United States Civil Service Commissionand his or her eligibility has been certified to by said Commission. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

CIVIL SERVICE. --AMENDMENT OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS. 

MAY 7, 1892. 

Executive orders heretofore issued declaring the places subject tononcompetitive examination under clause (_d_) of section 2 of GeneralRule III are hereby amended so as to include among said places thefollowing:

 In the Commission of Fish and Fisheries: Fish culturists and machinists. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

MAY 7, 1892. 

Special Departmental Rule No. 1 is hereby amended so as to include amongthe places excepted from examination therein the following:

 In the Commission of Fish and Fisheries: Ichthyologist and editor, one scientific assistant, captains, officers, ships writers and crews on vessels of the Commission, and pilots. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

SEPTEMBER 16, 1892. 

In order that the members of the Grand Army of the Republic employed inthe public service in the city of Washington may have the opportunityof joining in the parade arranged for Tuesday, the 20th of Septemberinstant, and that all others may unite with the citizens of the Districtof Columbia in showing honor to the Union soldiers and sailors to begathered in the national capital on that occasion--

_It is hereby ordered_, That the several Executive Departments and thePublic Printing Office be closed on that day. 

By the President:

BENJ. HARRISON. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _September 23, 1892_. 

Departmental Rule X, Customs Rule VII, Postal Rule VII, and Indian RuleVII are hereby amended by inserting in the proviso of each of saidrules, after the word "therefrom, " the words "or the widow of any suchperson, " and after the word "he" the words "or she;" so that as amendedthe proviso of each of said rules will read:

 _Provided_, That certification may be made, subject to the other conditions of this rule, for the reinstatement of any person who served in the military or naval service in the late War of the Rebellion and was honorably discharged therefrom, or the widow of any such person, without regard to the length of time he or she has been separated from the service. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

FOURTH ANNUAL MESSAGE. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _December 6, 1892_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

In submitting my annual message to Congress I have great satisfaction inbeing able to say that the general conditions affecting the commercialand industrial interests of the United States are in the highest degreefavorable. A comparison of the existing conditions with those of themost favored period in the history of the country will, I believe, showthat so high a degree of prosperity and so general a diffusion of thecomforts of life were never before enjoyed by our people. 

The total wealth of the country in 1860 was $16, 159, 616, 068. In 1890 itamounted to $62, 610, 000, 000, an increase of 287 per cent. 

The total mileage of railways in the United States in 1860 was 30, 626. In 1890 it was 167, 741, an increase of 448 per cent; and it is estimatedthat there will be about 4, 000 miles of track added by the close of theyear 1892. 

The official returns of the Eleventh Census and those of the TenthCensus for seventy-five leading cities furnish the basis for thefollowing comparisons:

In 1880 the capital invested in manufacturing was $1, 232, 839, 670. 

In 1890 the capital invested in manufacturing was $2, 900, 735, 884. 

In 1880 the number of employees was 1, 301, 388. 

In 1890 the number of employees was 2, 251, 134. 

In 1880 the wages earned were $501, 965, 778. 

In 1890 the wages earned were $1, 221, 170, 454. 

In 1880 the value of the product was $2, 711, 579, 899. 

In 1890 the value of the product was $4, 860, 286, 837. 

I am informed by the Superintendent of the Census that the omission ofcertain industries in 1880 which were included in 1890 accounts in partfor the remarkable increase thus shown, but after making full allowancefor differences of method and deducting the returns for all industriesnot included in the census of 1880 there remain in the reports fromthese seventy-five cities an increase in the capital employed of$1, 522, 745, 604, in the value of the product of $2, 024, 236, 166, in wagesearned of $677, 943, 929, and in the number of wage earners employed of856, 029. The wage earnings not only show an increased aggregate, but anincrease per capita from $386 in 1880 to $547 in 1890, or 41. 71 percent. 

The new industrial plants established since October 6, 1890, and upto October 22, 1892, as partially reported in the American Economist, number 345, and the extension of existing plants 108; the new capitalinvested amounts to $40, 449, 050, and the number of additional employeesto 37, 285. 

The Textile World for July, 1892, states that during the first sixmonths of the present calendar year 135 new factories were built, ofwhich 40 are cotton mills, 48 knitting mills, 26 woolen mills, 15 silkmills, 4 plush mills, and 2 linen mills. Of the 40 cotton mills 21 havebeen built in the Southern States. Mr. A. B. Shepperson, of the New YorkCotton Exchange, estimates the number of working spindles in the UnitedStates on September 1, 1892, at 15, 200, 000, an increase of 660, 000 overthe year 1891. The consumption of cotton by American mills in 1891 was2, 396, 000 bales, and in 1892 2, 584, 000 bales, an increase of 188, 000bales. From the year 1869 to 1892, inclusive, there has been an increasein the consumption of cotton in Europe of 92 per cent, while during thesame period the increased consumption in the United States has beenabout 150 per cent. 

The report of Ira Ayer, special agent of the Treasury Department, shows that at the date of September 30, 1892, there were 32 companiesmanufacturing tin and terne plate in the United States and 14 companiesbuilding new works for such manufacture. The estimated investment inbuildings and plants at the close of the fiscal year June 30, 1893, if existing conditions were to be continued, was $5, 000, 000 and theestimated rate of production 200, 000, 000 pounds per annum. The Actualproduction for the quarter ending September 30, 1892, was 10, 952, 725pounds. 

The report of Labor Commissioner Peck, of New York, shows that duringthe year 1891, in about 6, 000 manufacturing establishments in that Stateembraced within the special inquiry made by him, and representing 67different industries, there was a net increase over the year 1890 of$31, 315, 130. 68 in the value of the product and of $6, 377, 925. 09 in theamount of wages paid. The report of the commissioner of labor for theState of Massachusetts shows that 3, 745 industries in that State paid$129, 416, 248 in wages during the year 1891, against $126, 030, 303 in1890, an increase of $3, 335, 945, and that there was an increase of$9, 932, 490 in the amount of capital and of 7, 346 in the number ofpersons employed in the same period. 

During the last six months of the year 1891 and the first six monthsof 1892 the total production of pig iron was 9, 710, 819 tons, as against9, 202, 703 tons in the year 1890, which was the largest annual productionever attained. For the same twelve months of 1891-92 the production ofBessemer ingots was 3, 878, 581 tons, an increase of 189, 710 gross tonsover the previously unprecedented yearly production of 3, 688, 871 grosstons in 1890. The production of Bessemer steel rails for the first sixmonths of 1892 was 772, 436 gross tons, as against 702, 080 gross tonsduring the last six months of the year 1891. 

The total value of our foreign trade (exports and imports ofmerchandise) during the last fiscal year was $1, 857, 680, 610, an increaseof $128, 283, 604 over the previous fiscal year. The average annual valueof our imports and exports of merchandise for the ten fiscal years priorto 1891 was $1, 457, 322, 019. It will be observed that our foreign tradefor 1892 exceeded this annual average value by $400, 358, 591, an increaseof 27. 47 Per cent. The significance and value of this increase are shownby the fact that the excess in the trade of 1892 over 1891 was wholly inthe value of exports, for there was a decrease in the value of importsof $17, 513, 754. 

The value of our exports during the fiscal year 1892 reached the highestfigure in the history of the Government, amounting to $1, 030, 278, 148, exceeding by $145, 797, 338 the exports of 1891 and exceeding the value ofthe imports by $202, 875, 686. A comparison of the value of our exportsfor 1892 with the annual average for the ten years prior to 1891 showsan excess of $265, 142, 651, or of 34. 65 per cent. The value of ourimports of merchandise for 1892, which was $829, 402, 462, also exceededthe annual average value of the ten years prior to 1891 by $135, 215, 940. During the fiscal year 1892 the value of imports free of duty amountedto $457, 999, 658, the largest aggregate in the history of our commerce. The value of the imports of merchandise entered free of duty in 1892 was55. 35 per cent of the total value of imports, as compared with 43. 35 percent in 1891 and 33. 66 per cent in 1890. 

In our coastwise trade a most encouraging development is in progress, there having been in the last four years an increase of 16 per cent. Ininternal commerce the statistics show that no such period of prosperityhas ever before existed. The freight carried in the coastwise trade ofthe Great Lakes in 1890 aggregated 28, 295, 959 tons. On the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio rivers and tributaries in the same year the trafficaggregated 29, 405, 046 tons, and the total vessel tonnage passing throughthe Detroit River during that year was 21, 684, 000 tons. The vesseltonnage entered and cleared in the foreign trade of London during 1890amounted to 13, 480, 767 tons, and of Liverpool 10, 941, 800 tons, a totalfor these two great shipping ports of 24, 422, 568 tons, only slightly inexcess of the vessel tonnage passing through the Detroit River. And itshould be said that the season for the Detroit River was but 228 days, while of course in London and Liverpool the season was for the entireyear. The vessel tonnage passing through the St. Marys Canal for thefiscal year 1892 amounted to 9, 828, 874 tons, and the freight tonnage ofthe Detroit River is estimated for that year at 25, 000, 000 tons, against23, 209, 619 tons in 1891. The aggregate traffic on our railroads forthe year 1891 amounted to 704, 398, 609 tons of freight, compared with691, 344, 437 tons in 1890, an increase of 13, 054, 172 tons. 

Another indication of the general prosperity of the country is found inthe fact that the number of depositors in savings banks increased from693, 870 in 1860 to 4, 258, 893 in 1890, an increase of 513 per cent, andthe amount of deposits from $149, 277, 504 in 1860 to $1, 524, 844, 506 in1890, an increase of 921 per cent. In 1891 the amount of deposits insavings banks was $1, 623, 079, 749. It is estimated that 90 per centof these deposits represent the savings of wage earners. The bankclearances for nine months ending September 30, 1891, amountedto $41, 049, 390, 808. For the same months in 1892 they amounted to$45, 189, 601, 947, an excess for the nine months of $4, 140, 211, 139. 

There never has been a time in our history when work was so abundant orwhen wages were as high, whether measured by the currency in which theyare paid or by their power to supply the necessaries and comforts oflife. It is true that the market prices of cotton and wheat have beenlow. It is one of the unfavorable incidents of agriculture that thefarmer can not produce upon orders. He must sow and reap in ignorance ofthe aggregate production of the year, and is peculiarly subject to thedepreciation which follows overproduction. But while the fact I havestated is true as to the crops mentioned, the general average of priceshas been such as to give to agriculture a fair participation in thegeneral prosperity. The value of our total farm products has increasedfrom $1, 363, 646, 866 in 1860 to $4, 500, 000, 000 in 1891, as estimated bystatisticians, an increase of 230 per cent. The number of hogs January1, 1891, was 50, 625, 106 and their value $210, 193, 925; on January 1, 1892, the number was 52, 398, 019 and the value $241, 031, 415. On January1, 1891, the number of cattle was 36, 875, 648 and the value $544, 127, 908;on January 1, 1892, the number was 37, 651, 239 and the value$570, 749, 155. 

If any are discontented with their state here, if any believe that wagesor prices, the returns for honest toil, are inadequate, they should notfail to remember that there is no other country in the world where theconditions that seem to them hard would not be accepted as highlyprosperous. The English agriculturist would be glad to exchange thereturns of his labor for those of the American farmer and the Manchesterworkmen their wages for those of their fellows at Fall River. 

I believe that the protective system, which has now for something morethan thirty years continuously prevailed in our legislation, has been amighty instrument for the development of our national wealth and a mostpowerful agency in protecting the homes of our workingmen from theinvasion of want. I have felt a most solicitous interest to preserve toour working people rates of wages that would not only give daily bread, but supply a comfortable margin for those home attractions and familycomforts and enjoyments without which life is neither hopeful nor sweet. They are American citizens--a part of the great people for whom ourConstitution and Government were framed and instituted--and it can notbe a perversion of that Constitution to so legislate as to preserve intheir homes the comfort, independence, loyalty, and sense of interestin the Government which are essential to good citizenship in peace, andwhich will bring this stalwart throng, as in 1861, to the defense ofthe flag when it is assailed. 

It is not my purpose to renew here the argument in favor of a protectivetariff. The result of the recent election must be accepted as havingintroduced a new policy. We must assume that the present tariff, constructed upon the lines of protection, is to be repealed and thatthere is to be substituted for it a tariff law constructed solely withreference to revenue; that no duty is to be higher because the increasewill keep open an American mill or keep up the wages of an Americanworkman, but that in every case such a rate of duty is to be imposed aswill bring to the Treasury of the United States the largest returns ofrevenue. The contention has not been between schedules, but betweenprinciples, and it would be offensive to suggest that the prevailingparty will not carry into legislation the principles advocated by it andthe pledges given to the people. The tariff bills passed by the House ofRepresentatives at the last session were, as I suppose, even in theopinion of their promoters, inadequate, and justified only by the factthat the Senate and House of Representatives were not in accord and thata general revision could not therefore be undertaken. 

I recommend that the whole subject of tariff revision be left to theincoming Congress. It is matter of regret that this work must be delayedfor at least three months, for the threat of great tariff changesintroduces so much uncertainty that an amount, not easily estimated, ofbusiness inaction and of diminished production will necessarily result. It is possible also that this uncertainty may result in decreasedrevenues from customs duties, for our merchants will make cautiousorders for foreign goods in view of the prospect of tariff reductionsand the uncertainty as to when they will take effect. Those who haveadvocated a protective tariff can well afford to have their disastrousforecasts of a change of policy disappointed. If a system of customsduties can be framed that will set the idle wheels and looms of Europein motion and crowd our warehouses with foreign-made goods and at thesame time keep our own mills busy; that will give us an increasedparticipation in the "markets of the world" of greater value than thehome market we surrender; that will give increased work to foreignworkmen upon products to be consumed by our people without diminishingthe amount of work to be done here; that will enable the Americanmanufacturer to pay to his workmen from 50 to 100 per cent more in wagesthan is paid in the foreign mill, and yet to compete in our market andin foreign markets with the foreign producer; that will further reducethe cost of articles of wear and food without reducing the wages ofthose who produce them; that can be celebrated, after its effects havebeen realized, as its expectation has been in European as well as inAmerican cities, the authors and promoters of it will be entitled to thehighest praise. We have had in our history several experiences of thecontrasted effects of a revenue and of a protective tariff, but thisgeneration has not felt them, and the experience of one generation isnot highly instructive to the next. The friends of the protective systemwith undiminished confidence in the principles they have advocated willawait the results of the new experiment. 

The strained and too often disturbed relations existing between theemployees and the employers in our great manufacturing establishmentshave not been favorable to a calm consideration by the wage earner ofthe effect upon wages of the protective system. The facts that hiswages were the highest paid in like callings in the world and that amaintenance of this rate of wages in the absence of protective dutiesupon the product of his labor was impossible were obscured by thepassion evoked by these contests. He may now be able to review thequestion in the light of his personal experience under the operation ofa tariff for revenue only. If that experience shall demonstrate thatpresent rates of wages are thereby maintained or increased, eitherabsolutely or in their purchasing power, and that the aggregate volumeof work to be done in this country is increased or even maintained, sothat there are more or as many days' work in a year, at as good orbetter wages, for the American workmen as has been the case under theprotective system, everyone will rejoice. A general process of wagereduction can not be contemplated by any patriotic citizen without thegravest apprehension. It may be, indeed I believe is, possible for theAmerican manufacturer to compete successfully with his foreign rival inmany branches of production without the defense of protective duties ifthe pay rolls are equalized; but the conflict that stands between theproducer and that result and the distress of our working people whenit is attained are not pleasant to contemplate. The Society of theUnemployed, now holding its frequent and threatening parades in thestreets of foreign cities, should not be allowed to acquire an Americandomicile. 

The reports of the heads of the several Executive Departments which areherewith submitted, have very naturally included a resume of the wholework of the Administration with the transactions of the last fiscalyear. The attention not only of Congress but of the country is againinvited to the methods of administration which have been pursued andto the results which have been attained. Public revenues amounting to$1, 414, 079, 292. 28 have been collected and disbursed without loss frommisappropriation, without a single defalcation of such importance asto attract the public attention, and at a diminished per cent of costfor collection. The public business has been transacted not only withfidelity, but progressively and with a view to giving to the people inthe fullest possible degree the benefits of a service established andmaintained for their protection and comfort. 

Our relations with other nations are now undisturbed by any seriouscontroversy. The complicated and threatening differences with Germanyand England relating to Samoan affairs, with England in relation to theseal fisheries in the Bering Sea, and with Chile growing out of the_Baltimore_ affair have been adjusted. 

There have been negotiated and concluded, under section 3 of the tarifflaw, commercial agreements relating to reciprocal trade with thefollowing countries: Brazil, Dominican Republic, Spain for Cuba andPuerto Rico, Guatemala, Salvador, the German Empire, Great Britain forcertain West Indian colonies and British Guiana, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Austria-Hungary. [31]

Of these, those with Guatemala, Salvador, the German Empire, GreatBritain, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Austria-Hungary have been concludedsince my last annual message. Under these trade arrangements a free orfavored admission has been secured in every case for an important listof American products. Especial care has been taken to secure markets forfarm products, in order to relieve that great underlying industry of thedepression which the lack of an adequate foreign market for our surplusoften brings. An opening has also been made for manufactured productsthat will undoubtedly, if this policy is maintained, greatly augmentour export trade. The full benefits of these arrangements can not berealized instantly. New lines of trade are to be opened. The commercialtraveler must survey the field. The manufacturer must adapt his goodsto the new markets and facilities for exchange must be established. This work has been well begun, our merchants and manufacturers havingentered the new fields with courage and enterprise. In the case of foodproducts, and especially with Cuba, the trade did not need to wait, andthe immediate results have been most gratifying. If this policy andthese trade arrangements can be continued in force and aided by theestablishment of American steamship lines, I do not doubt that we shallwithin a short period secure fully one-third of the total trade of thecountries of Central and South America, which now amounts to about$600, 000, 000 annually. In 1885 we had only 8 per cent of this trade. 

The following statistics show the increase in our trade with thecountries with which we have reciprocal trade agreements from the datewhen such agreements went into effect up to September 30, 1892, theincrease being in some almost wholly and in others in an importantdegree the result of these agreements:

The domestic exports to Germany and Austria-Hungary have increased invalue from $47, 673, 756 to $57, 993, 064, an increase of $10, 319, 308, or21. 63 per cent. With American countries the value of our exports hasincreased from $44, 160, 285 to $54, 613, 598, an increase of $10, 453, 313, or 23. 67 per cent. The total increase in the value of exports toall the countries with which we have reciprocity agreements has been$20, 772, 621. This increase is chiefly in wheat, flour, meat, and dairyproducts and in manufactures of iron and steel and lumber. There hasbeen a large increase in the value of imports from all these countriessince the commercial agreements went into effect, amounting to$74, 294, 525, but it has been entirely in imports from the Americancountries, consisting mostly of sugar, coffee, india rubber, and crudedrugs. The alarmed attention of our European competitors for the SouthAmerican market has been attracted to this new American policy and toour acquisition and their loss of South American trade. 

A treaty providing for the arbitration of the dispute between GreatBritain and the United States as to the killing of seals in theBering Sea was concluded on the 29th of February last. This treaty wasaccompanied by an agreement prohibiting pelagic sealing pending thearbitration, and a vigorous effort was made during this season to driveout all poaching sealers from the Bering Sea. Six naval vessels, threerevenue cutters, and one vessel from the Fish Commission, all underthe command of Commander Evans, of the Navy, were sent into the sea, which was systematically patrolled. Some seizures were made, and it isbelieved that the catch in the Bering Sea by poachers amounted to lessthan 500 seals. It is true, however, that in the North Pacific, whilethe seal herds were on their way to the passes between the AleutianIslands, a very large number, probably 35, 000, were taken. The existingstatutes of the United States do not restrain our citizens from takingseals in the Pacific Ocean, and perhaps should not unless theprohibition can be extended to the citizens of other nations. Irecommend that power be given to the President by proclamation toprohibit the taking of seals in the North Pacific by American vesselsin case, either as the result of the findings of the Tribunal ofArbitration or otherwise, the restraints can be applied to the vesselsof all countries. The case of the United States for the Tribunal ofArbitration has been prepared with great care and industry by the Hon. John W. Foster, and the counsel who represent this Government expressconfidence that a result substantially establishing our claims andpreserving this great industry for the benefit of all nations willbe attained. 

During the past year a suggestion was received through the Britishminister that the Canadian government would like to confer as to thepossibility of enlarging upon terms of mutual advantage the commercialexchanges of Canada and of the United States, and a conference washeld at Washington, with Mr. Blaine acting for this Government and theBritish minister at this capital and three members of the Dominioncabinet acting as commissioners on the part of Great Britain. Theconference developed the fact that the Canadian government was onlyprepared to offer to the United States in exchange for the concessionsasked the admission of natural products. The statement was frankly madethat favored rates could not be given to the United States as againstthe mother country. This admission, which was foreseen, necessarilyterminated the conference upon this question. The benefits of anexchange of natural products would be almost wholly with the peopleof Canada. Some other topics of interest were considered in theconference, and have resulted in the making of a convention forexamining the Alaskan boundary and the waters of Passamaquoddy Bayadjacent to Eastport, Me. , and in the initiation of an arrangement forthe protection of fish life in the coterminous and neighboring watersof our northern border. 

The controversy as to tolls upon the Welland Canal, which was presentedto Congress at the last session by special message, [32] having failed ofadjustment, I felt constrained to exercise the authority conferred bythe act of July 26, 1892, and to proclaim a suspension of the free useof St. Marys Falls Canal to cargoes in transit to ports in Canada. [33]The Secretary of the Treasury established such tolls as were thought tobe equivalent to the exactions unjustly levied upon our commerce in theCanadian canals. 

If, as we must suppose, the political relations of Canada and thedisposition of the Canadian government are to remain unchanged, asomewhat radical revision of our trade relations should, I think, bemade. Our relations must continue to be intimate, and they should befriendly. I regret to say, however, that in many of the controversies, notably those as to the fisheries on the Atlantic, the sealing interestson the Pacific, and the canal tolls, our negotiations with Great Britainhave continuously been thwarted or retarded by unreasonable andunfriendly objections and protests from Canada. In the matter of thecanal tolls our treaty rights were flagrantly disregarded. It is hardlytoo much to say that the Canadian Pacific and other railway lines whichparallel our northern boundary are sustained by commerce having eitherits origin or terminus, or both, in the United States. Canadianrailroads compete with those of the United States for our traffic, andwithout the restraints of our interstate-commerce act. Their cars passalmost without detention into and out of our territory. 

The Canadian Pacific Railway brought into the United States from Chinaand Japan via British Columbia during the year ended June 30, 1892, 23, 239, 689 pounds of freight, and it carried from the United States, tobe shipped to China and Japan via British Columbia, 24, 068, 346 pounds offreight. There were also shipped from the United States over this roadfrom Eastern ports of the United States to our Pacific ports during thesame year 13, 912, 073 pounds of freight, and there were received overthis road at the United States Eastern ports from ports on the PacificCoast 13, 293, 315 pounds of freight. Mr. Joseph Nimmo, jr. , former chiefof the Bureau of Statistics, when before the Senate Select Committee onRelations with Canada, April 26, 1890, said that "the value of goodsthus transported between different points in the United States acrossCanadian territory probably amounts to $100, 000, 000 a year. "

There is no disposition on the part of the people or Government of theUnited States to interfere in the smallest degree with the politicalrelations of Canada. That question is wholly with her own people. Itis time for us, however, to consider whether, if the present state ofthings and trend of things is to continue, our interchanges upon linesof land transportation should not be put upon a different basis and ourentire independence of Canadian canals and of the St. Lawrence as anoutlet to the sea secured by the construction of an American canalaround the Falls of Niagara and the opening of ship communicationbetween the Great Lakes and one of our own seaports. We should nothesitate to avail ourselves of our great natural trade advantages. We should withdraw the support which is given to the railroads andsteamship lines of Canada by a traffic that properly belongs to us andno longer furnish the earnings which lighten the otherwise crushingweight of the enormous public subsidies that have been given to them. The subject of the power of the Treasury to deal with this matterwithout further legislation has been under consideration, butcircumstances have postponed a conclusion. It is probable that aconsideration of the propriety of a modification or abrogation of thearticle of the treaty of Washington relating to the transit of goodsin bond is involved in any complete solution of the question. 

Congress at the last session was kept advised of the progress of theserious and for a time threatening difference between the United Statesand Chile. It gives me now great gratification to report that theChilean Government in a most friendly and honorable spirit has tenderedand paid as an indemnity to the families of the sailors of the_Baltimore_ who were killed and to those who were injured in theoutbreak in the city of Valparaiso the sum of $75, 000. This has beenaccepted not only as an indemnity for a wrong done, but as a mostgratifying evidence that the Government of Chile rightly appreciates thedisposition of this Government to act in a spirit of the most absolutefairness and friendliness in our intercourse with that brave people. A further and conclusive evidence of the mutual respect and confidencenow existing is furnished by the fact that a convention submitting toarbitration the mutual claims of the citizens of the respectiveGovernments has been agreed upon. Some of these claims have been pendingfor many years and have been the occasion of much unsatisfactorydiplomatic correspondence. 

I have endeavored in every way to assure our sister Republics of Centraland South America that the United States Government and its people haveonly the most friendly disposition toward them all. We do not covettheir territory. We have no disposition to be oppressive or exacting inour dealings with any of them, even the weakest. Our interests and ourhopes for them all lie in the direction of stable governments by theirpeople and of the largest development of their great commercialresources. The mutual benefits of enlarged commercial exchanges and of amore familiar and friendly intercourse between our peoples we do desire, and in this have sought their friendly cooperation. 

I have believed, however, while holding these sentiments in thegreatest sincerity, that we must insist upon a just responsibility forany injuries inflicted upon our official representatives or upon ourcitizens. This insistence, kindly and justly but firmly made, will, I believe, promote peace and mutual respect. 

Our relations with Hawaii have been such as to attract an increasedinterest, and must continue to do so. I deem it of great importance thatthe projected submarine cable, a survey for which has been made, shouldbe promoted. Both for naval and commercial uses we should have quickcommunication with Honolulu. We should before this have availedourselves of the concession made many years ago to this Governmentfor a harbor and naval station at Pearl River. Many evidences of thefriendliness of the Hawaiian Government have been given in the past, and it is gratifying to believe that the advantage and necessity ofa continuance of very close relations is appreciated. 

The friendly act of this Government in expressing to the Government ofItaly its reprobation and abhorrence of the lynching of Italian subjectsin New Orleans by the payment of 125, 000 francs, or $24, 330. 90, wasaccepted by the King of Italy with every manifestation of graciousappreciation, and the incident has been highly promotive of mutualrespect and good will. 

In consequence of the action of the French Government in proclaiming aprotectorate over certain tribal districts of the west coast of Africaeastward of the San Pedro River, which has long been regarded as thesoutheastern boundary of Liberia, I have felt constrained to makeprotest against this encroachment upon the territory of a Republic whichwas founded by citizens of the United States and toward which thiscountry has for many years held the intimate relation of a friendlycounselor. 

The recent disturbances of the public peace by lawless foreign marauderson the Mexican frontier have afforded this Government an opportunity totestify its good will for Mexico and its earnest purpose to fulfill theobligations of international friendship by pursuing and dispersing theevil doers. The work of relocating the boundary of the treaty ofGuadalupe Hidalgo westward from El Paso is progressing favorably. 

Our intercourse with Spain continues on a friendly footing. I regret, however, not to be able to report as yet the adjustment of the claims ofthe American missionaries arising from the disorders at Ponape, in theCaroline Islands, but I anticipate a satisfactory adjustment in view ofrenewed and urgent representations to the Government at Madrid. 

The treatment of the religious and educational establishments ofAmerican citizens in Turkey has of late called for a more than usualshare of attention. A tendency to curtail the toleration which has sobeneficially prevailed is discernible and has called forth the earnestremonstrance of this Government. Harassing regulations in regard toschools and churches have been attempted in certain localities, but notwithout due protest and the assertion of the inherent and conventionalrights of our countrymen. Violations of domicile and search of thepersons and effects of citizens of the United States by apparentlyirresponsible officials in the Asiatic _vilayets_ have from time to timebeen reported. An aggravated instance of injury to the property of anAmerican missionary at Bourdour, in the Province of Konia, called forthan urgent claim for reparation, which I am pleased to say was promptlyheeded by the Government of the Porte. Interference with the tradingventures of our citizens in Asia Minor is also reported, and the lack ofconsular representation in that region is a serious drawback to instantand effective protection. I can not believe that these incidentsrepresent a settled policy, and shall not cease to urge the adoption ofproper remedies. 

International copyright has been extended to Italy by proclamation[34]in conformity with the act of March 3, 1891, upon assurance being giventhat Italian law permits to citizens of the United States the benefit ofcopyright on substantially the same basis as to subjects of Italy. By aspecial convention proclaimed January 15, 1892, reciprocal provisionsof copyright have been applied between the United States and Germany. Negotiations are in progress with other countries to the same end. 

I repeat with great earnestness the recommendation which I have made inseveral previous messages that prompt and adequate support be given tothe American company engaged in the construction of the Nicaragua shipcanal. It is impossible to overstate the value from every standpoint ofthis great enterprise, and I hope that there may be time, even in thisCongress, to give to it an impetus that will insure the early completionof the canal and secure to the United States its proper relation to itwhen completed. 

The Congress has been already advised that the invitations of thisGovernment for the assembling of an international monetary conferenceto consider the question of an enlarged use of silver were accepted bythe nations to which they were addressed. The conference assembled atBrussels on the 22d of November, and has entered upon the considerationof this great question. I have not doubted, and have taken occasionto express that belief as well in the invitations issued for thisConference as in my public messages, that the free coinage of silverupon an agreed international ratio would greatly promote the interestsof our people and equally those of other nations. It is too early topredict what results may be accomplished by the conference. If anytemporary check or delay intervenes, I believe that very soon commercialconditions will compel the now reluctant governments to unite with us inthis movement to secure the enlargement of the volume of coined moneyneeded for the transaction of the business of the world. 

The report of the Secretary of the Treasury will attract especialinterest in view of the many misleading statements that have been madeas to the state of the public revenues. Three preliminary facts shouldnot only be stated but emphasized before looking into details: First, that the public debt has been reduced since March 4, 1889, $259, 074, 200and the annual interest charge $11, 684, 469; second, that there have beenpaid out for pensions during this Administration up to November 1, 1892, $432, 564, 178. 70, an excess of $114, 466, 386. 09 over the sum expendedduring the period from March 1, 1885, to March 1, 1889; and, third, thatunder the existing tariff up to December 1 about $93, 000, 000 of revenuewhich would have been collected upon imported sugars if the duty hadbeen maintained has gone into the pockets of the people, and not intothe public Treasury, as before. If there are any who still think thatthe surplus should have been kept out of circulation by hoarding it inthe Treasury, or deposited in favored banks without interest while theGovernment continued to pay to these very banks interest upon the bondsdeposited as security for the deposits, or who think that the extendedpension legislation was a public robbery, or that the duties upon sugarshould have been maintained, I am content to leave the argument where itnow rests while we wait to see whether these criticisms will take theform of legislation. 

The revenues for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, from all sourceswere $425, 868, 260. 22, and the expenditures for all purposes were$415, 953, 806. 56, leaving a balance of $9, 914, 453. 66. There were paidduring the year upon the public debt $40, 570, 467. 98. The surplus in theTreasury and the bank redemption fund passed by the act of July 14, 1890, to the general fund furnished in large part the cash available andused for the payments made upon the public debt. Compared with the year1891, our receipts from customs duties fell off $42, 069, 241. 08, whileour receipts from internal revenue increased $8, 284, 823. 13, leaving thenet loss of revenue from these principal sources $33, 784, 417. 95. The netloss of revenue from all sources was $32, 675, 972. 81. 

The revenues, estimated and actual, for the fiscal year endingJune 30, 1893, are placed by the Secretary at $463, 336, 350. 44, andthe expenditures at $461, 336, 350. 44, showing a surplus of receipts overexpenditures of $2, 000, 000. The cash balance in the Treasury at the endof the fiscal year it is estimated will be $20, 992, 377. 03. So far asthese figures are based upon estimates of receipts and expenditures forthe remaining months of the current fiscal year, there are not only theusual elements of uncertainty, but some added elements. New revenuelegislation, or even the expectation of it, may seriously reduce thepublic revenues during the period of uncertainty and during the processof business adjustment to the new conditions when they become known. But the Secretary has very wisely refrained from guessing as to theeffect of possible changes in our revenue laws, since the scope of thosechanges and the time of their taking effect can not in any degree beforecast or foretold by him. His estimates must be based upon existinglaws and upon a continuance of existing business conditions, except sofar as these conditions may be affected by causes other than newlegislation. 

The estimated receipts for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1894, are$490, 121, 365. 38, and the estimated appropriations $457, 261, 335. 33, leaving an estimated surplus of receipts over expenditures of$32, 860, 030. 05. This does not include any payment to the sinking fund. In the recommendation of the Secretary that the sinking-fund law berepealed I concur. The redemption of bonds since the passage of the lawto June 30, 1892, has already exceeded the requirements by the sum of$990, 510, 681. 49. The retirement of bonds in the future before maturityshould be a matter of convenience, not of compulsion. We should notcollect revenue for that purpose, but only use any casual surplus, Tothe balance of $32, 860, 030. 05 of receipts over expenditures for the year1894 should be added the estimated surplus at the beginning of the year, $20, 992, 377. 03, and from this aggregate there must be deducted, asstated by the Secretary, about $44, 000, 000 of estimated unexpendedappropriations. 

The public confidence in the purpose and ability of the Government tomaintain the parity of all of our money issues, whether coin or paper, must remain unshaken. The demand for gold in Europe and the consequentcalls upon us are in a considerable degree the result of the efforts ofsome of the European Governments to increase their gold reserves, andthese efforts should be met by appropriate legislation on our part. Theconditions that have created this drain of the Treasury gold are in animportant degree political, and not commercial. In view of the fact thata general revision of our revenue laws in the near future seems to beprobable, it would be better that any changes should be a part of thatrevision rather than of a temporary nature. 

During the last fiscal year the Secretary purchased under the actof July 14, 1890, 54, 355, 748 ounces of silver and issued in paymenttherefor $51, 106, 608 in notes. The total purchases since the passage ofthe act have been 120, 479, 981 ounces and the aggregate of notes issued$116, 783, 590. The average price paid for silver during the year was 94cents per ounce, the highest price being $1. 02-3/4 July 1, 1891, and thelowest 83 cents March 21, 1892. In view of the fact that the monetaryconference is now sitting and that no conclusion has yet been reached, I withhold any recommendation as to legislation upon this subject. 

The report of the Secretary of War brings again to the attention ofCongress some important suggestions as to the reorganization of theinfantry and artillery arms of the service, which his predecessors havebefore urgently presented. Our Army is small, but its organizationshould all the more be put upon the most approved modern basis. Theconditions upon what we have called the "frontier" have heretoforerequired the maintenance of many small posts, but now the policy ofconcentration is obviously the right one. The new posts should have theproper strategic relations to the only "frontiers" we now have--thoseof the seacoast and of our northern and part of our southern boundary. I do not think that any question of advantage to localities or to Statesshould determine the location of the new posts. The reorganization andenlargement of the Bureau of Military Information which the Secretaryhas effected is a work the usefulness of which will become every yearmore apparent. The work of building heavy guns and the construction ofcoast defenses has been well begun and should be carried on withoutcheck. 

The report of the Attorney-General is by law submitted directly toCongress, but I can not refrain from saying that he has conducted theincreasing work of the Department of Justice with great professionalskill. He has in several directions secured from the courts decisionsgiving increased protection to the officers of the United States andbringing some classes of crime that escaped local cognizance andpunishment into the tribunals of the United States, where they couldbe tried with impartiality. 

The numerous applications for Executive clemency presented in behalfof persons convicted in United States courts and given penitentiarysentences have called my attention to a fact referred to by theAttorney-General in his report, namely, that a time allowance for goodbehavior for such prisoners is prescribed by the Federal statutes onlywhere the State in which the penitentiary is located has made no suchprovision. Prisoners are given the benefit of the provisions of theState law regulating the penitentiary to which they may be sent. Theseare various, some perhaps too liberal and some perhaps too illiberal. The result is that a sentence for five years means one thing if theprisoner is sent to one State for confinement and quite a differentthing if he is sent to another. I recommend that a uniform credit forgood behavior be prescribed by Congress. 

I have before expressed my concurrence in the recommendation of theAttorney-General that degrees of murder should be recognized in theFederal statutes, as they are, I believe, in all the States. Thesegrades are founded on correct distinctions in crime. The recognition ofthem would enable the courts to exercise some discretion in apportioningpunishment and would greatly relieve the Executive of what is coming tobe a very heavy burden--the examination of these cases on applicationfor commutation. 

The aggregate of claims pending against the Government in the Court ofClaims is enormous. Claims to the amount of nearly $400, 000, 000 for thetaking of or injury to the property of persons claiming to be loyalduring the war are now before that court for examination. When to theseare added the Indian depredation claims and the French spoliationclaims, an aggregate is reached that is indeed startling. In the defenseof all these cases the Government is at great disadvantage. Theclaimants have preserved their evidence, whereas the agents of theGovernment are sent into the field to rummage for what they can find. This difficulty is peculiarly great where the fact to be established isthe disloyalty of the claimant during the war. If this great threatagainst our revenues is to have no other check, certainly Congressshould supply the Department of Justice with appropriations sufficientlyliberal to secure the best legal talent in the defense of these claimsand to pursue its vague search for evidence effectively. 

The report of the Postmaster-General shows a most gratifying increaseand a most efficient and progressive management of the great businessof that Department. The remarkable increase in revenues, in the numberof post-offices, and in the miles of mail carriage furnishes furtherevidence of the high state of prosperity which our people are enjoying. New offices mean new hamlets and towns, new routes mean the extension ofour border settlements, and increased revenues mean an active commerce. The Postmaster-General reviews the whole period of his administrationof the office and brings some of his statistics down to the month ofNovember last. The postal revenues have increased during the last yearnearly $5, 000, 000. The deficit for the year ending June 30, 1892, is$848, 341 less than the deficiency of the preceding year. The deficiencyof the present fiscal year it is estimated will be reduced to$1, 552, 423, which will not only be extinguished during the next fiscalyear, but a surplus of nearly $1, 000, 000 should then be shown. In thesecalculations the payments to be made under the contracts for ocean mailservice have not been included. There have been added 1, 590 new mailroutes during the year, with a mileage of 8, 563 miles, and the totalnumber of new miles of mail trips added during the year is nearly17, 000, 000. The number of miles of mail journeys added during the lastfour years is about 76, 000, 000, this addition being 21, 000, 000 milesmore than were in operation in the whole country in 1861. 

The number of post-offices has been increased by 2, 790 during the year, and during the past four years, and up to October 29 last, the totalincrease in the number of offices has been nearly 9, 000. The number offree-delivery offices has been nearly doubled in the last four years, and the number of money-order offices more than doubled within thattime. 

For the three years ending June 30, 1892, the postal revenue amounted to$197, 744, 359, which was an increase of $52, 263, 150 over the revenue forthe three years ending June 30, 1888, the increase during the last threeyears being more than three and a half times as great as the increaseduring the three years ending June 30, 1888. No such increase as thatshown for these three years has ever previously appeared in the revenuesof the Department. The Postmaster-General has extended to thepost-offices in the larger cities the merit system of promotionintroduced by my direction into the Departments here, and it hasresulted there, as in the Departments, in a larger volume of work andthat better done. 

Ever since our merchant marine was driven from the sea by the rebelcruisers during the War of the Rebellion the United States has beenpaying an enormous annual tribute to foreign countries in the shape offreight and passage moneys. Our grain and meats have been taken at ourown docks and our large imports there laid down by foreign shipmasters. An increasing torrent of American travel to Europe has contributed avast sum annually to the dividends of foreign shipowners. The balanceof trade shown by the books of our custom-houses has been very largelyreduced and in many years altogether extinguished by this constantdrain. In the year 1892 only 12. 3 per cent of our imports were broughtin American vessels. These great foreign steamships maintained by ourtraffic are many of them under contracts with their respectiveGovernments by which in time of war they will become a part of theirarmed naval establishments. Profiting by our commerce in peace, theywill become the most formidable destroyers of our commerce in time ofwar. I have felt, and have before expressed the feeling, that thiscondition of things was both intolerable and disgraceful. A wholesomechange of policy, and one having in it much promise, as it seems to me, was begun by the law of March 3, 1891. Under this law contracts havebeen made by the Postmaster-General for eleven mail routes. Theexpenditure involved by these contracts for the next fiscal yearapproximates $954, 123. 33 As one of the results already reached sixteenAmerican steamships, of an aggregate tonnage of 57, 400 tons, costing$7, 400, 000, have been built or contracted to be built in Americanshipyards. 

The estimated tonnage of all steamships required under existingcontracts is 165, 802, and when the full service required by thesecontracts is established there will be forty-one mail steamers underthe American flag, with the probability of further necessary additionsin the Brazilian and Argentine service. The contracts recently let fortransatlantic service will result in the construction of five ships of10, 000 tons each, costing $9, 000, 000 to $10, 000, 000, and will add, withthe _City of New York_ and _City of Paris_, to which the TreasuryDepartment was authorized by legislation at the last session to giveAmerican registry, seven of the swiftest vessels upon the sea to ournaval reserve. The contracts made with the lines sailing to Central andSouth American ports have increased the frequency and shortened the timeof the trips, added new ports of call, and sustained some lines thatotherwise would almost certainly have been withdrawn. The service toBuenos Ayres is the first to the Argentine Republic under the Americanflag. The service to Southampton, Boulogne, and Antwerp is also new, and is to be begun with the steamships _City of New York_ and _Cityof Paris_ in February next. 

I earnestly urge the continuance of the policy inaugurated bythis legislation, and that the appropriations required to meet theobligations of the Government under the contracts may be made promptly, so that the lines that have entered into these engagements may notbe embarrassed. We have had, by reason of connections with thetranscontinental railway lines constructed through our own territory, some advantages in the ocean trade of the Pacific that we did notpossess on the Atlantic. The construction of the Canadian PacificRailway and the establishment under large subventions from Canada andEngland of fast steamship service from Vancouver with Japan and Chinaseriously threaten our shipping interests in the Pacific. This lineof English steamers receives, as is stated by the Commissioner ofNavigation, a direct subsidy of $400, 000 annually, or $30, 767 per tripfor thirteen voyages, in addition to some further aid from the Admiraltyin connection with contracts under which the vessels may be used fornaval purposes. The competing American Pacific mail line under theact of March 3, 1891, receives only $6, 389 per round trip. 

Efforts have been making within the last year, as I am informed, to establish under similar conditions a line between Vancouver and someAustralian port, with a view of seizing there a trade in which we havehad a large interest. The Commissioner of Navigation states that avery large per cent of our imports from Asia are now brought to us byEnglish steamships and their connecting railways in Canada. With aview of promoting this trade, especially in tea, Canada has imposed adiscriminating duty of 10 per cent upon tea and coffee brought intothe Dominion from the United States. If this unequal contest betweenAmerican lines without subsidy, or with diminished subsidies, and theEnglish Canadian line to which I have referred is to continue, I thinkwe should at least see that the facilities for customs entry andtransportation across our territory are not such as to make the Canadianroute a favored one, and that the discrimination as to duties to whichI have referred is met by a like discrimination as to the importationof these articles from Canada. 

No subject, I think, more nearly touches the pride, the power, and theprosperity of our country than this of the development of our merchantmarine upon the sea. If we could enter into conference with othercompetitors and all would agree to withhold government aid, we couldperhaps take our chances with the rest; but our great competitors haveestablished and maintained their lines by government subsidies untilthey now have practically excluded us from participation. In my opinionno choice is left to us but to pursue, moderately at least, the samelines. 

The report of the Secretary of the Navy exhibits great progress in theconstruction of our new Navy. When the present Secretary entered uponhis duties, only 3 modern steel vessels were in commission. The vesselssince put in commission and to be put in commission during the winterwill make a total of 19 during his administration of the Department. During the current year 10 war vessels and 3 navy tugs have beenlaunched, and during the four years 25 vessels will have been launched. Two other large ships and a torpedo boat are under contract and the workupon them well advanced, and the 4 monitors are awaiting only thearrival of their armor, which has been unexpectedly delayed, or theywould have been before this in commission. 

Contracts have been let during this Administration, under theappropriations for the increase of the Navy, including new vessels andtheir appurtenances, to the amount of $35, 000, 000, and there has beenexpended during the same period for labor at navy-yards upon similarwork $8, 000, 000 without the smallest scandal or charge of fraud orpartiality. The enthusiasm and interest of our naval officers, bothof the staff and line, have been greatly kindled. They have respondedmagnificently to the confidence of Congress and have demonstrated tothe world an unexcelled capacity in construction, in ordnance, and ineverything involved in the building, equipping, and sailing of greatwar ships. 

At the beginning of Secretary Tracy's administration several difficultproblems remained to be grappled with and solved before the efficiencyin action of our ships could be secured. It is believed that as theresult of new processes in the construction of armor plate our laterships will be clothed with defensive plates of higher resisting powerthan are found on any war vessels afloat. We were without torpedoes. Tests have been made to ascertain the relative efficiency of differentconstructions, a torpedo has been adopted, and the work of constructionis now being carried on successfully. We were without armor-piercingshells and without a shop instructed and equipped for the constructionof them. We are now making what is believed to be a projectile superiorto any before in use. A smokeless powder has been developed and aslow-burning powder for guns of large caliber. A high explosive capableof use in shells fired from service guns has been found, and themanufacture of gun cotton has been developed so that the question ofsupply is no longer in doubt. 

The development of a naval militia, which has been organized in eightStates and brought into cordial and cooperative relations with the Navy, is another important achievement. There are now enlisted in theseorganizations 1, 800 men, and they are likely to be greatly extended. I recommend such legislation and appropriations as will encourage anddevelop this movement. The recommendations of the Secretary will, I donot doubt, receive the friendly consideration of Congress, for he hasenjoyed, as he has deserved, the confidence of all those interested inthe development of our Navy, without any division upon partisan lines. I earnestly express the hope that a work which has made such nobleprogress may not now be stayed. The wholesome influence for peace andthe increased sense of security which our citizens domiciled in otherlands feel when these magnificent ships under the American flag appearis already most gratefully apparent. The ships from our Navy which willappear in the great naval parade next April in the harbor of New Yorkwill be a convincing demonstration to the world that the United Statesis again a naval power. 

The work of the Interior Department, always very burdensome, has beenlarger than ever before during the administration of Secretary Noble. The disability-pension law, the taking of the Eleventh Census, theopening of vast areas of Indian lands to settlement, the organization ofOklahoma, and the negotiations for the cession of Indian lands furnishsome of the particulars of the increased work, and the results achievedtestify to the ability, fidelity, and industry of the head of theDepartment and his efficient assistants. 

Several important agreements for the cession of Indian lands negotiatedby the commission appointed under the act of March 2, 1889, are awaitingthe action of Congress. Perhaps the most important of these is that forthe cession of the Cherokee Strip. This region has been the source ofgreat vexation to the executive department and of great friction andunrest between the settlers who desire to occupy it and the Indians whoassert title. The agreement which has been made by the commission isperhaps the most satisfactory that could have been reached. It will benoticed that it is conditioned upon its ratification by Congress beforeMarch 4, 1893. The Secretary of the Interior, who has given the subjectvery careful thought, recommends the ratification of the agreement, andI am inclined to follow his recommendation. Certain it is that someaction by which this controversy shall be brought to an end and theselands opened to settlement is urgent. 

The form of government provided by Congress on May 17, 1884, for Alaskawas in its frame and purpose temporary. The increase of population andthe development of some important mining and commercial interests makeit imperative that the law should be revised and better provision madefor the arrest and punishment of criminals. 

The report of the Secretary shows a very gratifying state of factsas to the condition of the General Land Office. The work of issuingagricultural patents, which seemed to be hopelessly in arrear whenthe present Secretary undertook the duties of his office, has been soexpedited that the bureau is now upon current business. The relief thusafforded to honest and worthy settlers upon the public lands by givingto them an assured title to their entries has been of incalculablebenefit in developing the new States and the Territories. 

The Court of Private Land Claims, established by Congress for thepromotion of this policy of speedily settling contested land titles, is making satisfactory progress in its work, and when the work iscompleted a great impetus will be given to the development of thoseregions where unsettled claims under Mexican grants have so longexercised their repressive influence. When to these results are addedthe enormous cessions of Indian lands which have been opened tosettlement, aggregating during this Administration nearly 26, 000, 000acres, and the agreements negotiated and now pending in Congress forratification by which about 10, 000, 000 additional acres will be openedto settlement, it will be seen how much has been accomplished. 

The work in the Indian Bureau in the execution of the policy of recentlegislation has been largely directed to two chief purposes: First, the allotment of lands in severalty to the Indians and the cession tothe United States of the surplus lands, and, secondly, to the work ofeducating the Indian for his own protection in his closer contact withthe white man and for the intelligent exercise of his new citizenship. Allotments have been made and patents issued to 5, 900 Indians under thepresent Secretary and Commissioner, and 7, 600 additional allotmentshave been made for which patents are now in process of preparation. Theschool attendance of Indian children has been increased during that timeover 13 per cent, the enrollment for 1892 being nearly 20, 000. A uniformsystem of school text-books and of study has been adopted and the workin these national schools brought as near as may be to the basis of thefree common schools of the States. These schools can be transferred andmerged into the common-school systems of the States when the Indian hasfully assumed his new relation to the organized civil community in whichhe resides and the new States are able to assume the burden. I haveseveral times been called upon to remove Indian agents appointed by me, and have done so promptly upon every sustained complaint of unfitness ormisconduct. I believe, however, that the Indian service at the agencieshas been improved and is now administered on the whole with a gooddegree of efficiency. If any legislation is possible by which theselection of Indian agents can be wholly removed from all partisansuggestions or considerations, I am sure it would be a great relief tothe Executive and a great benefit to the service. The appropriation forthe subsistence of the Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians made at the lastsession of Congress was inadequate. This smaller appropriation wasestimated for by the Commissioner upon the theory that the large fundbelonging to the tribe in the public Treasury could be and ought to beused for their support. In view, however, of the pending depredationclaims against this fund and other considerations, the Secretary of theInterior on the 12th of April last submitted a supplemental estimate for$50, 000. This appropriation was not made, as it should have been, andthe oversight ought to be remedied at the earliest possible date. 

In a special message to this Congress at the last session[35] I statedthe reasons why I had not approved the deed for the release to theUnited States by the Choctaws and Chickasaws of the lands formerlyembraced in the Cheyenne and Arapahoe Reservation and remaining afterallotments to that tribe. A resolution of the Senate expressing theopinion of that body that notwithstanding the facts stated in my specialmessage the deed should be approved and the money, $2, 991, 450, paid overwas presented to me May 10, 1892. My special message was intended tocall the attention of Congress to the subject, and in view of the factthat it is conceded that the appropriation proceeded upon a false basisas to the amount of lands to be paid for and is by $50, 000 in excessof the amount they are entitled to (even if their claim to the land isgiven full recognition at the rate agreed upon), I have not felt willingto approve the deed, and shall not do so, at least until both Houses ofCongress have acted upon the subject. It has been informally proposed bythe claimants to release this sum of $50, 000, but I have no power todemand or accept such a release, and such an agreement would be withoutconsideration and void. 

I desire further to call the attention of Congress to the fact that therecent agreement concluded with the Kiowas and Comanches relates tolands which were a part of the "leased district, " and to which the claimof the Choctaws and Chickasaws is precisely that recognized by Congressin the legislation I have referred to. The surplus lands to which thisclaim would attach in the Kiowa and Comanche Reservation is 2, 500, 000acres, and at the same rate the Government will be called upon to pay tothe Choctaws and Chickasaws for these lands $3, 125, 000. This sum will befurther augmented, especially if the title of the Indians to the tractnow Greer County, Tex. , is established. The duty devolved upon me inthis connection was simply to pass upon the form of the deed; but as inmy opinion the facts mentioned in my special message were not adequatelybrought to the attention of Congress in connection with the legislation, I have felt that I would not be justified in acting without some newexpression of the legislative will. 

The report of the Commissioner of Pensions, to which extended notice isgiven by the Secretary of the Interior in his report, will attract greatattention. Judged by the aggregate amount of work done, the last yearhas been the greatest in the history of the office. I believe that theorganization of the office is efficient and that the work has been donewith fidelity. The passage of what is known as the disability bill has, as was foreseen, very largely increased the annual disbursements to thedisabled veterans of the Civil War. The estimate for this fiscal yearwas $144, 956, 000, and that amount was appropriated. A deficiencyamounting to $10, 508, 621 must be provided for at this session. The estimate for pensions for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1894, is$165, 000, 000. The Commissioner of Pensions believes that if the presentlegislation and methods are maintained and further additions to thepension laws are not made the maximum expenditure for pensions will bereached June 30, 1894, and will be at the highest point $188, 000, 000per annum. 

I adhere to the views expressed in previous messages that the careof the disabled soldiers of the War of the Rebellion is a matter ofnational concern and duty. Perhaps no emotion cools sooner than thatof gratitude, but I can not believe that this process has yet reacheda point with our people that would sustain the policy of remitting thecare of these disabled veterans to the inadequate agencies provided bylocal laws. The parade on the 20th of September last upon the streets ofthis capital of 60, 000 of the surviving Union veterans of the War of theRebellion was a most touching and thrilling episode, and the rich andgracious welcome extended to them by the District of Columbia and theapplause that greeted their progress from tens of thousands of peoplefrom all the States did much to revive the glorious recollections of theGrand Review when these men and many thousand others now in their graveswere welcomed with grateful joy as victors in a struggle in which thenational unity, honor, and wealth were all at issue. 

In my last annual message I called attention to the fact that somelegislative action was necessary in order to protect the interests ofthe Government in its relations with the Union Pacific Railway. TheCommissioner of Railroads has submitted a very full report, giving exactinformation as to the debt, the liens upon the company's property, andits resources. We must deal with the question as we find it and takethat course which will under existing conditions best secure theinterests of the United States. I recommended in my last annual messagethat a commission be appointed to deal with this question, and I renewthat recommendation and suggest that the commission be given full power. 

The report of the Secretary of Agriculture contains not only a mostinteresting statement of the progressive and valuable work done underthe administration of Secretary Rusk, but many suggestions for theenlarged usefulness of this important Department. In the successfulefforts to break down the restrictions to the free introduction of ourmeat products in the countries of Europe the Secretary has been untiringfrom the first, stimulating and aiding all other Government officers athome and abroad whose official duties enabled them to participate in thework. The total trade in hog products with Europe in May, 1892, amountedto 82, 000, 000 pounds, against 46, 900, 000 in the same month of 1891; inJune, 1892, the export aggregated 85, 700, 000 pounds, against 46, 500, 000pounds in the same month of the previous year; in July there wasan increase of 41 per cent and in August of 55 per cent over thecorresponding months of 1891. Over 40, 000, 000 pounds of inspectedpork have been exported since the law was put into operation, and acomparison of the four months of May, June, July, and August, 1892, withthe same months of 1891 shows an increase in the number of pounds ofour export of pork products of 62 per cent and an increase in value of66-1/2 per cent. The exports of dressed beef increased from 137, 900, 000pounds in 1889 to 220, 500, 000 pounds in 1892, or about 60 per cent. During the past year there have been exported 394, 607 head of livecattle, as against 205, 786 exported in 1889. This increased exportationhas been largely promoted by the inspection authorized by law and thefaithful efforts of the Secretary and his efficient subordinates tomake that inspection thorough and to carefully exclude from all cargoesdiseased or suspected cattle. The requirement of the English regulationsthat live cattle arriving from the United States must be slaughteredat the docks had its origin in the claim that pleuro-pneumonia existedamong American cattle and that the existence of the disease could onlycertainly be determined by _post mortem_ inspection. 

The Department of Agriculture has labored with great energy andfaithfulness to extirpate this disease, and on the 26th day of Septemberlast a public announcement was made by the Secretary that the diseaseno longer existed anywhere within the United States. He is entirelysatisfied after the most searching inquiry that this statement wasjustified, and that by a continuance of the inspection and quarantinenow required of cattle brought into this country the disease can beprevented from again getting any foothold. The value to the cattleindustry of the United States of this achievement can hardly beestimated. We can not, perhaps, at once insist that this evidence shallbe accepted as satisfactory by other countries; but if the presentexemption from the disease is maintained and the inspection of ourcattle arriving at foreign ports, in which our own veterinariansparticipate, confirms it, we may justly expect that the requirement thatour cattle shall be slaughtered at the docks will be revoked, as thesanitary restrictions upon our pork products have been. If our cattlecan be taken alive to the interior, the trade will be enormouslyincreased. 

Agricultural products constituted 78. 1 per cent of our unprecedentedexports for the fiscal year which closed June 30, 1892, the totalexports being $1, 030, 278, 030 and the value of the agricultural products$793, 717, 676, which exceeds by more than $150, 000, 000 the shipment ofagricultural products in any previous year. 

An interesting and a promising work for the benefit of the Americanfarmer has been begun through agents of the Agricultural Department inEurope, and consists in efforts to introduce the various products ofIndian corn as articles of human food. The high price of rye offered afavorable opportunity for the experiment in Germany of combining cornmeal with rye to produce a cheaper bread. A fair degree of success hasbeen attained, and some mills for grinding corn for food have beenintroduced. The Secretary is of the opinion that this new use of theproducts of corn has already stimulated exportations, and that ifdiligently prosecuted large and important markets can presently beopened for this great American product. 

The suggestions of the Secretary for an enlargement of the work ofthe Department are commended to your favorable consideration, It may, I think, be said without challenge that in no corresponding period hasso much been done as during the last four years for the benefit ofAmerican agriculture. 

The subject of quarantine regulations, inspection, and control wasbrought suddenly to my attention by the arrival at our ports in Augustlast of vessels infected with cholera. Quarantine regulations should beuniform at all our ports. Under the Constitution they are plainly withinthe exclusive Federal jurisdiction when and so far as Congress shalllegislate. In my opinion the whole subject should be taken into nationalcontrol and adequate power given to the Executive to protect our peopleagainst plague invasions. On the 1st of September last I approvedregulations establishing a twenty-day quarantine for all vesselsbringing immigrants from foreign ports. This order will be continuedin force. Some loss and suffering have resulted to passengers, but adue care for the homes of our people justifies in such cases the utmostprecaution. There is danger that with the coming of spring cholera willagain appear, and a liberal appropriation should be made at this sessionto enable our quarantine and port officers to exclude the deadly plague. 

But the most careful and stringent quarantine regulations may not besufficient absolutely to exclude the disease. The progress of medicaland sanitary science has been such, however, that if approvedprecautions are taken at once to put all of our cities and towns inthe best sanitary condition, and provision is made for isolating anysporadic cases and for a thorough disinfection, an epidemic can, I amsure, be avoided. This work appertains to the local authorities, and theresponsibility and the penalty will be appalling if it is neglected orunduly delayed. 

We are peculiarly subject in our great ports to the spread ofinfectious diseases by reason of the fact that unrestricted immigrationbrings to us out of European cities, in the overcrowded steerages ofgreat steamships, a large number of persons whose surroundings make themthe easy victims of the plague. This consideration, as well as thoseaffecting the political, moral, and industrial interests of our country, leads me to renew the suggestion that admission to our country and tothe high privileges of its citizenship should be more restricted andmore careful. We have, I think, a right and owe a duty to our ownpeople, and especially to our working people, not only to keep out thevicious, the ignorant, the civil disturber, the pauper, and the contractlaborer, but to check the too great flow of immigration now coming byfurther limitations. 

The report of the World's Columbian Exposition has not yet beensubmitted. That of the board of management of the Government exhibithas been received and is herewith transmitted. The work of constructionand of preparation for the opening of the exposition in May next hasprogressed most satisfactorily and upon a scale of liberality andmagnificence that will worthily sustain the honor of the United States. 

The District of Columbia is left by a decision of the supreme courtof the District without any law regulating the liquor traffic. An oldstatute of the legislature of the District relating to the licensingof various vocations has hitherto been treated by the Commissionersas giving them power to grant or refuse licenses to sell intoxicatingliquors and as subjecting those who sold without licenses to penalties;but in May last the supreme court of the District held against thisview of the powers of the Commissioners. It is of urgent importance, therefore, that Congress should supply, either by direct enactmentor by conferring discretionary powers upon the Commissioners, properlimitations and restraints upon the liquor traffic in the District. The District has suffered in its reputation by many crimes of violence, a large per cent of them resulting from drunkenness and the liquortraffic. The capital of the nation should be freed from this reproachby the enactment of stringent restrictions and limitations upon thetraffic. 

In renewing the recommendation which I have made in three precedingannual messages that Congress should legislate for the protectionof railroad employees against the dangers incident to the old andinadequate methods of braking and coupling which are still in use uponfreight trains, I do so with the hope that this Congress may take actionupon the subject. Statistics furnished by the Interstate CommerceCommission show that during the year ending June 30, 1891, there wereforty-seven different styles of car couplers reported to be in use, andthat during the same period there were 2, 660 employees killed and 26, 140injured. Nearly 16 per cent of the deaths occurred in the coupling anduncoupling of cars and over 36 per cent of the injuries had the sameorigin. 

The Civil Service Commission ask for an increased appropriation forneeded clerical assistance, which I think should be given. I extendedthe classified service March 1, 1892, to include physicians, superintendents, assistant superintendents, school-teachers, and matronsin the Indian service, and have had under consideration the subject ofsome further extensions, but have not as yet fully determined the linesupon which extensions can most properly and usefully be made. 

I have in each of the three annual messages which it has been my dutyto submit to Congress called attention to the evils and dangersconnected with our election methods and practices as they are relatedto the choice of officers of the National Government. In my last annualmessage I endeavored to invoke serious attention to the evils of unfairapportionments for Congress. I can not close this message without againcalling attention to these grave and threatening evils. I had hoped thatit was possible to secure a nonpartisan inquiry by means of a commissioninto evils the existence of which is known to all, and that out of thismight grow legislation from which all thought of partisan advantageshould be eliminated and only the higher thought appear of maintainingthe freedom and purity of the ballot and the equality of the elector, without the guaranty of which the Government could never have beenformed and without the continuance of which it can not continue toexist in peace and prosperity. 

It is time that mutual charges of unfairness and fraud between thegreat parties should cease and that the sincerity of those who professa desire for pure and honest elections should be brought to the test oftheir willingness to free our legislation and our election methods fromeverything that tends to impair the public confidence in the announcedresult. The necessity for an inquiry and for legislation by Congressupon this subject is emphasized by the fact that the tendency of thelegislation in some States in recent years has in some importantparticulars been away from and not toward free and fair elections andequal apportionments. Is it not time that we should come together uponthe high plane of patriotism while we devise methods that shall securethe right of every man qualified by law to cast a free ballot and giveto every such ballot an equal value in choosing our public officers andin directing the policy of the Government?

Lawlessness is not less such, but more, where it usurps the functions ofthe peace officer and of the courts. The frequent lynching of coloredpeople accused of crime is without the excuse, which has sometimes beenurged by mobs for a failure to pursue the appointed methods for thepunishment of crime, that the accused have an undue influence overcourts and juries. Such acts are a reproach to the community wherethey occur, and so far as they can be made the subject of Federaljurisdiction the strongest repressive legislation is demanded. A publicsentiment that will sustain the officers of the law in resisting mobsand in protecting accused persons in their custody should be promotedby every possible means. The officer who gives his life in the bravedischarge of this duty is worthy of special honor. No lesson needs tobe so urgently impressed upon our people as this, that no worthy endor cause can be promoted by lawlessness. 

This exhibit of the work of the Executive Departments is submitted toCongress and to the public in the hope that there will be found in ita due sense of responsibility and an earnest purpose to maintain thenational honor and to promote the happiness and prosperity of all ourpeople, and this brief exhibit of the growth and prosperity of thecountry will give us a level from which to note the increase ordecadence that new legislative policies may bring to us. There is noreason why the national influence, power, and prosperity should notobserve the same rates of increase that have characterized the pastthirty years. We carry the great impulse and increase of these yearsinto the future. There is no reason why in many lines of production weshould not surpass all other nations, as we have already done in some. There are no near frontiers to our possible development. Retrogressionwould be a crime. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

[Footnote 31: See pp. 141-142, 152-155, 148-152, 281-283, 249-251, 258-260, 253-258, 263-265, 279-281, 283-284. ]

[Footnote 32: See pp. 240-242. ]

[Footnote 33: See pp. 290-292. ]

[Footnote 34: See p. 301. ]

[Footnote 35: See pp. 229-234. ]

SPECIAL MESSAGES. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _December 7, 1892_. 

_To the Senate_:

In response to the resolution of the Senate of April 11, 1892, requesting information in regard to the agreement between the UnitedStates and Great Britain of 1817 concerning the naval forces to bemaintained by the two Governments on the Great Lakes, I transmitherewith a report of the Secretary of State and accompanying papers, giving all the information existing in that Department in regard tothe agreement in question. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 4, 1893_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith, for the consideration of Congress, a communicationof the 23d of December, 1892, from the Secretary of the Interior, accompanied by an agreement concluded by and between the CherokeeCommission and the Comanche, Kiowa, and Apache tribes of Indians in theTerritory of Oklahoma, for the cession of certain lands and for otherpurposes. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 4, 1893_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith, for the consideration of Congress, a communicationof the 23d of December, 1892, from the Secretary of the Interior, accompanied by an agreement concluded by and between the CherokeeCommission and the Pawnee tribe of Indians in the Territory of Oklahoma, for the cession of certain lands and for other purposes. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, January 7, 1893_. 

_To the Senate_:

In response to the resolution of the Senate of January 6, 1893, callingon the Secretary of State for information whether the provisions ofSenate bill No. 3513, absolutely suspending immigration for the periodof one year, are in conflict with any treaties now existing between theUnited States and any foreign countries, I transmit herewith a reportfrom the Secretary of State, giving the information called for. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, January 11, 1893_. 

_To the Senate_:

In response to the resolutions of the Senate dated December 20, 1892, and January 5, 1893, respectively, I transmit herewith a report from theSecretary of State of the 10th instant, accompanying the reports of Mr. Walter T. Griffin, United States commercial agent at Limoges, France, and Mr. W. H. Edwards, United States consul-general at Berlin, Germany, which were called for by the aforesaid resolutions. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 13, 1893_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith, for your information, a letter from the Secretaryof State, inclosing the annual report of the Bureau of AmericanRepublics for the year ending June 30, 1892. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, January 25, 1893_. 

_To the Senate of the United States_:

In response to the resolution of the Senate of the 21st instant, relating to the alleged killing of Frank B. Riley, a sailor of theUnited States steamship _Newark_, in Genoa, Italy, I transmit herewitha report on the subject from the Secretary of State. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 26, 1893_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith, for the information of Congress, the third regularreport of the World's Columbian Commission and the report of thepresident of the board of lady managers, with the accompanying papers. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 31, 1893_. 

_To the Senate of the United States_:

In compliance with a resolution of the Senate, the House ofRepresentatives concurring, I return herewith the bill (S. 2625)entitled "An act to provide for the punishment of offenses on thehigh seas. "

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 2, 1893_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

On the 23d of July last the following resolution of the House ofRepresentatives was communicated to me:

 _Resolved_, That the President be requested to inform the House, if not incompatible with the public interests, what regulations are now in force concerning the transportation of imported merchandise in bond or duty paid, and products or manufactures of the United States, from one port in the United States, over Canadian territory, to another port therein, under the provisions of section 3006 of the Revised Statutes; whether further legislation thereon is necessary or advisable, and especially whether a careful inspection of such merchandise should not be had at the frontiers of the United States upon the departure and arrival of such merchandise, and whether the interests of the United States do not require that each car containing such merchandise while in Canadian territory be in the custody and under the surveillance of an inspector of the customs department, the cost of such surveillance to be paid by the foreign carrier transporting such merchandise. 

The resolution is limited in its scope to the subject of the transitof merchandise from one port in the United States, through Canadianterritory, to another port in the United States, under the provisions ofsection 3006 of the Revised Statutes; but I have concluded that a reviewof our treaty obligations, if any, and of our legislation upon the wholesubject of the transit of goods from, to, or through Canada isdesirable, and therefore address this message to the Congress. 

It should be known before new legislation is proposed whether the UnitedStates is under any treaty obligations which affect this subject growingout of the provisions of Article XXIX of the treaty of Washington. Thatarticle is as follows:

 It is agreed that for the term of years mentioned in Article XXXIII of this treaty goods, wares, or merchandise arriving at the ports of New York, Boston, and Portland, and any other ports in the United States which have been or may from time to time be specially designated by the President of the United States, and destined for Her Britannic Majesty's possessions in North America, may be entered at the proper custom-house and conveyed in transit, without the payment of duties, through the territory of the United States, under such rules, regulations, and conditions for the protection of the revenue as the Government of the United States may from time to time prescribe; and under like rules, regulations, and conditions goods, wares, or merchandise may be conveyed in transit, without the payment of duties, from such possessions through the territory of the United States for export from the said ports of the United States. 

 It is further agreed that for the like period goods, wares, or merchandise arriving at any of the ports of Her Britannic Majesty's possessions in North America and destined for the United States may be entered at the proper custom-house and conveyed in transit, without the payment of duties, through the said possessions, under such rules and regulations and conditions for the protection of the revenue as the governments of the said possessions may from time to time prescribe; and under like rules, regulations, and conditions goods, wares, or merchandise may be conveyed in transit, without payment of duties, from the United States through the said possessions to other places in the United States, or for export from ports in the said possessions. 

It will be noticed that provision is here made--

 First. For the transit in bond, without the payment of duties, of goods arriving at specified ports of the United States, and at others to be designated by the President, destined for Canada. 

 Second. For the transit from Canada to ports of the United States, without the payment of duties, of merchandise for export. 

 Third. For the transit of merchandise arriving at Canadian ports, destined for the United States, through Canadian territory to the United States, without the payment of duties to the Dominion government. 

 Fourth. For the transit of merchandise from the United States to Canadian ports for export without the payment of duties. 

 Fifth. For the transit of merchandise, without the payment of duties, from the United States, through Canada, to other places in the United States. 

The first and second of these provisions were concessions by theUnited States and were made subject to "such rules, regulations, andconditions for the protection of the revenue as the Government of theUnited States may from time to time prescribe. " The third, fourth, andfifth provisions of the articles are concessions on the part of theDominion of Canada and are made subject to "such rules and regulationsand conditions for the protection of the revenue as the governments ofthe said possessions may from time to time prescribe. " The first andsecond and the third and fourth of these provisions are reciprocal intheir nature. The fifth, which provides for the transit of merchandisefrom one point in the United States, through Canada, to another point inthe United States, is not met by a reciprocal provision for the passageof Canadian goods from one point in Canada to another point in Canadathrough the United States. If this article of the treaty is in force, the obligations assumed by the United States should be fully andhonorably observed until such time as this Government shall freeitself from them by methods provided in the treaty or recognized byinternational law. It is, however, no part of the obligation restingupon the United States under the treaty that it will use the concessionsmade to it by Canada. This Government would undoubtedly meet its fullduty by yielding in an ample manner the concessions made by it toCanada. There could be no just cause of complaint by Great Britain orCanada if the compensating concession to the United States should notbe exercised. We have not stipulated in the treaty that we will permitmerchandise to be moved through Canadian territory from one point of theUnited States to another at the will of the shipper. The stipulation ison the part of Canada that it will permit such merchandise to enter itsterritory from the United States, to pass through it, and to return tothe United States without the exaction of duties and without otherburdens than such as may be necessary to protect its revenues. 

The questions whether we shall continue to allow merchandise to passfrom one point in the United States, through Canadian territory, toanother point in the United States, and, if so, to what exactions andexaminations it shall be subjected on reentering our territory, arewholly within the power of Congress without reference to the questionwhether Article XXIX is or is not in force. 

The treaty of Washington embraced a number of absolutely independentsubjects. Its purpose, as recited, was "to provide for an amicablesettlement of all causes of difference between the two countries. "It provided for four distinct arbitrations of unsettled questions, including the Alabama claims, for a temporary settlement of thequestions growing out of the fisheries, and for various arrangementsaffecting commerce and intercourse between the United States and theBritish North American possessions. Some of its provisions were madeterminable by methods pointed out in the treaty. Articles I to XVII, inclusive, provide for the settlement of the Alabama claims and of theclaims of British subjects against the United States, and have beenfully executed. Articles XVIII to XXV, inclusive, relate to the subjectof the fisheries, and provide for a joint commission to determine whatindemnity should be paid to Great Britain for the fishing privilegesconceded. These articles have been terminated by the notice providedfor in the treaty. 

Article XXVI provides for the free navigation of the St. Lawrence, Yukon, Porcupine, and Stikine rivers. Article XXVII provides for theequal use of certain frontier canals and waterways, and contains noprovision for termination upon notice. Article XXVIII opens LakeMichigan to the commerce of British subjects under proper regulations, and contains a provision for its abrogation, to which reference willpresently be made. Article XXX provides for certain privileges oftransshipment on the Lakes and northern waterways, and contains thesame provision as Article XXIX as to the method by which it may beterminated. Article XXXI provides for the nonimposition of a Canadianexport duty on lumber cut in certain districts in Maine and floatedto the sea by the St. Johns River, and contains no limitation as totime and no provision for its abrogation. Article XXXII extended toNewfoundland in the event of proper legislation by that Province thefishery provisions of Articles XVIII to XXV, and was of course abrogatedwith those articles. Article XXXIII, which provides a method for theabrogation of certain articles of the treaty, I will presently quoteat length. The remaining articles of the treaty, namely XXXV to XLII, provide for the arbitration of the dispute as to the Vancouver Islandand De Haro Channel boundary, and have been fully executed. ArticlesXVIII, XIX, XXI, XXVIII, XXIX, and XXX each contains a provisionlimiting their life to "the term of years mentioned in Article XXXIII ofthis treaty. " The articles between XVIII and XXX, inclusive, which donot contain this provision, are those that provide for an arbitration ofthe fishery question, which were of course terminable by the completionof the arbitration; Article XXVI, relating to the navigation of the St. Lawrence and other rivers, and Article XXVII, relating to the use of thecanals. The question whether Article XXIX is still in force depends, so far as the construction of the treaty goes, upon the meaning of thewords "the term of years mentioned in Article XXXIII. " That article isas follows:

 The foregoing Articles XVIII to XXV, inclusive, and Article XXX of this treaty shall take effect as soon as the laws required to carry them into operation shall have been passed by the Imperial Parliament of Great Britain, by the parliament of Canada, and by the legislature of Prince Edwards Island on the one hand and by the Congress of the United States on the other. Such assent having been given, the said articles shall remain in force for the period of ten years from the date at which they may come into operation, and, further, until the expiration of two years after either of the high contracting parties shall have given notice to the other of its wish to terminate the same; each of the high contracting parties being at liberty to give such notice to the other at the end of the said period of ten years or at any time afterwards. 

The question of construction here presented is whether the reference to"the term of years mentioned in Article XXXIII" is to be construed aslimiting the continuance of Article XXIX to the duration of ArticlesXVIII to XXV and XXX in such a way that the abrogation of those articlesnecessarily carried with it the other articles of the treaty whichcontained the reference to Article XXXIII already quoted, or whetherthe reference to this "term of years" in Articles XXVIII and XXIX wasintended to provide a method of abrogation after ten years from the timeof their taking effect, viz, a notice of two years of an intention toabrogate. The language of the treaty, considered alone, might supportthe conclusion that Article XXXIII was intended to provide a uniformmethod of abrogation for certain other articles. It will be noticed thatthe treaty does not expressly call for legislation to put Article XXIXinto operation. Senator Edmunds, in the discussion in the Senate ofthe joint resolution terminating the fisheries article, took the viewthat no legislation was necessary. It seems to me, however, that suchlegislation was necessary, and Congress acted upon this view in the lawof 1873, to which reference will presently be made. An examination ofthe discussion between the plenipotentiaries who framed the treatyfurnishes this entry, which President Cleveland thought to be conclusiveof the intention of the plenipotentiaries, viz:

 The transit question was discussed, and it was agreed that any settlement that might be made should include a reciprocal arrangement in that respect for the period for which the fishery articles should be in force. 

On March 1, 1873, Congress passed an act entitled "An act to carry intoeffect the provisions of the treaty between the United States and GreatBritain signed in the city of Washington the 8th day of May, 1871, relating to the fisheries. " The act consisted of five sections, thefirst and second of which provided for carrying into effect theprovisions of the treaty "relating to the fisheries. " The fourth sectionprovided for carrying into effect section 30 of the treaty. These threesections furnished the legislation contemplated by Article XXXIII ofthe treaty to carry into effect Articles XVIII to XXV and XXX. The act, however, went further, as will be seen by an examination of section 3, which is as follows:

 That from the date of the President's proclamation authorized by the first section of this act, and so long as the Articles XVIII to XXV, inclusive, and Article XXX of said treaty shall remain in force, according to the terms and conditions of Article XXXIII of said treaty, all goods, wares, or merchandise arriving at the ports of New York, Boston, and Portland, and any other ports in the United States which have been or may from time to time be specially designated by the President of the United States, and destined for Her Britannic Majesty's possessions in North America, may be entered at the proper custom-house and conveyed in transit, without the payment of duties, through the territory of the United States, under such rules, regulations, and conditions for the protection of the revenue as the Secretary of the Treasury may from time to time prescribe; and under like rules, regulations, and conditions goods, wares, or merchandise may be conveyed in transit, without the payment of duties, from such possessions through the territory of the United States, for export from the said ports of the United States. 

It will be noticed that provision is here made for carrying into effectthe two provisions of Article XXIX which I have already characterized asthe concessions on the part of the United States, namely, the passageduty free from certain designated ports of the United States to Canadaof imported goods, and the passage duty free to ports of the UnitedStates of Canadian goods for export. Section 3 of the law of 1873, whichI have quoted, however, contains a legislative construction of ArticleXXIX of the treaty in the limitation that the provisions thereincontained as to the transit of goods should continue in force only solong as Articles XVIII to XXV, inclusive, and XXX of the treaty shouldremain in force. 

On March 3, 1883, Congress passed a joint resolution entitled asfollows: "Joint resolution providing for the termination of articlesnumbered XVIII to XXV, inclusive, and article numbered XXX of the treatybetween the United States of America and Her Britannic Majesty concludedat Washington May 8, 1871. "

The resolution provided for the giving of notice of the abrogation ofthe articles of the treaty named in the title, and of no others. Section3 contained the following provision:

 And the act of Congress approved March 1, A. D. 1873, entitled * * * so far as it relates to the articles of said treaty so to be terminated, shall be and stand repealed and be of no force on and after the time of the expiration of said two years. 

An examination of the debates at the time of the passage of this jointresolution very clearly shows that Congress made an attempt to saveArticle XXIX of the treaty and section 3 of the act of 1873. In theSenate on the 21st of February, 1883, the resolution being underconsideration, several Senators, including Mr. Edmunds, the chairman ofthe Judiciary Committee, expressed the opinion that Article XXIX wouldnot be affected by the abrogation of Articles XVIII to XXV and XXX, andan amendment was made to the resolution with a view to leave section 3of the act of 1873 in force. The same view was taken in the debates inthe House. 

The subject again came before Congress in connection with theconsideration of a bill (S. 3173) to "authorize the President of theUnited States to protect and defend the rights of American fishingvessels, American fishermen, American trading and other vessels incertain cases, and for other purposes. "

In the course of the debate upon the bill in the Senate January 24, 1887, and in the House February 23 following, the prevailing opinionwas, though not without some dissent, that Article XXIX was still inforce. 

On the 6th of July, 1887, in response to an inquiry by the Secretary ofthe Treasury, Mr. Bayard wrote a letter, a copy of which accompaniesthis message, in which he expresses the opinion that Article XXIX ofthe treaty was unaffected by the abrogation of the fisheries articlesand was still in force. In August, 1888, however, Mr. Cleveland, ina message to Congress, expresses his opinion of the question in thefollowing language:

 In any event, and whether the law of 1873 construes the treaty or governs it, section 29 of such treaty, I have no doubt, terminated with the proceedings taken by our Government to terminate Articles XVIII to XXV, inclusive, and Article XXX of the treaty. * * *

 If by any language used in the joint resolution it was intended to relieve section 3 of the act of 1873, embodying Article XXIX of the treaty, from its own limitations, or to save the article itself, I am entirely satisfied that the intention miscarried. 

I have asked the opinion of the Attorney-General upon this question, andhis answer accompanies this message. He is of the opinion that ArticleXXIX has been abrogated. 

It should be added that the United States has continuously, through theTreasury Department, conducted our trade intercourse with Canada as ifArticle XXIX of the treaty and section 3 of the act of 1873 remainedin force, and that Canada has continued to yield in practice theconcessions made by her in that article. No change in our Treasurymethods was made following Mr. Cleveland's message from which I havequoted. I am inclined to think that, using the aids which the protocoland the nearly contemporaneous legislation by Congress in the act of1873 furnish in construing the treaty, the better opinion is thatArticle XXIX of the treaty is no longer operative. The enactment ofsection 3 of the act of 1873 was a clear declaration that legislationwas necessary to put Article XXIX of the treaty into operation, and thatunder the treaty our obligation to provide such legislation terminatedwhenever Articles XVIII to XXV and XXX should be abrogated. Thislegislation was accepted by Great Britain as a compliance with ourobligations under the treaty. No objection was made that our statutetreated Article XXIX as having force only so long as the other articlesnamed were in force. 

But the question whether Article XXIX is in force has less practicalimportance than has been supposed, for it does not, if in force, placeany restraints upon the United States as to the method of dealing withimported merchandise destined for the United States arriving at aCanadian port for transportation to the United States, or of merchandisepassing through Canadian territory from one place in the United Statesto another. It would be no infraction either of the letter or of thespirit of the treaty if we should stop, unload, and carefully inspectevery vehicle arriving at our border with such merchandise; nor, on theother hand, would Canada violate her obligations under the treaty by alike treatment of merchandise imported through the port of New York onits arrival in Canada. Neither Government has placed itself under anyrestraint as to merchandise intended for the use of its own peoplewhen such merchandise comes within its own territory. The question, therefore, as to how we shall deal with merchandise imported by our ownpeople through a Canadian port and with merchandise passing from oneplace in the United States to another through Canadian territory iswholly one of domestic policy and law. 

I turn now to consider the legislation of Congress upon this subject, upon which, as it seems to me, the duties of the Treasury and the rightsof our people as to those phases of the transportation question to whichI have just alluded wholly depend. Sections 3005 and 3006 of the RevisedStatutes, which are taken from the act of July 28, 1866, entitled"An act to protect the revenue, and for other purposes" (14 U. S. Statutes at Large, p. 328), are as follows:

 SEC. 3005. All merchandise arriving at the ports of New York, Boston, Portland in Maine, or any other port specially designated by the Secretary of the Treasury, and destined for places in the adjacent British Provinces, or arriving at the port of [_Point Isabel_] [Brownsville] in Texas, or any other port specially designated by the Secretary of the Treasury, and destined for places in the Republic of Mexico, may be entered at the custom-house and conveyed in transit through the territory of the United States without the payment of duties, under such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe. 

 SEC. 3006. Imported merchandise in bond, or duty paid, and products or manufactures of the United States, may, with the consent of the proper authorities of the British Provinces or Republic of Mexico, be transported from one port in the United States to another port therein, over the territory of such Provinces or Republic, by such routes and under such rules, regulations, and conditions as the Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe; and the merchandise so transported shall, upon arrival in the United States from such Provinces or Republic, be treated in regard to the liability to or exemption from duty or tax as if the transportation had taken place entirely within the limits of the United States. 

Section 3102 of the Revised Statutes is also related to this subject, and is as follows:

 To avoid the inspection at the first port of arrival, the owner, agent, master, or conductor of any such vessel, car, or other vehicle, or owner, agent, or other person having charge of any such merchandise, baggage, effects, or other articles, may apply to any officer of the United States duly authorized to act in the premises to seal or close the same, under and according to the regulations hereinafter authorized, previous to their importation into the United States, which officer shall seal or close the same accordingly; whereupon the same may proceed to their port of destination without further inspection. Every such vessel, car, or other vehicle shall proceed without unnecessary delay to the port of its destination, as named in the manifest of its cargo, freight, or contents, and be there inspected. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to exempt such vessel, car, or vehicle, or its contents, from such examination as may be necessary and proper to prevent frauds upon the revenue and violations of this title. 

It will be noticed that section 3005 does not provide for the transit ofmerchandise through our territory from Canada to ports of the UnitedStates for export, nor have I been able to find any other law now inforce that does provide for such transit. It would seem, therefore, thatas to this concession made by the United States in Article XXIX of thetreaty, legislation to put it into force was necessary, and that thereis no such legislation unless section 3 of the act of 1873 was saved bythe amendment to the joint resolution abrogating the fisheries articlesand Article XXX, limiting the repeal to so much of said act as "relatesto the articles of said treaty so to be terminated. " The jointresolution certainly did not repeal section 3, and if that section hasceased to be operative it is by virtue of the limitation contained inthe section itself. I think it did expire by its own express limitation. 

The question has presented itself whether section 3 of the act of 1873(U. S. Revised Statutes, sec. 2866) repealed by implication that sectionof the act of July, 1866, which is now section 3005 of the RevisedStatutes; but I am of the opinion that the last-named section was notrepealed. Section 3 of the act of 1873 was expressly intended to carryinto effect a treaty obligation and was limited as to time. It containedno express repeal of the act of 1866, and while its provisions werebroader than the last-named act, they were not inconsistent, save in theprovision that while the act of 1873 was in force the additional portsin the United States at which Canadian goods might be received wereto be designated by the President, whereas under the act of 1866 thedesignation was by the Secretary of the Treasury. The last-named actrelated also to intercourse with Mexico, and I think was unaffectedby the act of 1873. 

It will be seen that the law permits merchandise arriving at the portsof New York, Boston, Portland in Maine, and at other ports speciallydesignated by the Secretary of the Treasury, for places in the adjacentBritish Provinces, to be entered at the custom-house of the port whereit is landed and conveyed through the territory of the United Stateswithout the payment of duty, under regulations to be prescribed by theSecretary of the Treasury. As these goods come immediately and fullyunder the inspection of our customs officers at the principal ports, areentered there and remain until they cross our border into Canada fullyunder our supervision, there is little or no danger involved to ourrevenue. The regulations prescribed by the Treasury for conducting thistraffic seem to me to be adequate. 

As to merchandise imported into the United States from a contiguousforeign country, it is provided by section 3102 that the inspection atthe first port of arrival in the United States may be avoided if thevehicle in which the same arrives has been sealed or closed by someofficer of the United States duly authorized at some point in thecontiguous country. When the act of closing or sealing conformablyto the regulations of the Treasury has been effected, the car orother vehicle may proceed without unnecessary delay to the port ofits destination, as named in the manifest of its cargo, freight, orcontents, and be there inspected. This privilege, however, is subjectto such examination at the point of entry to the United States as maybe necessary to prevent fraud. It is important to be noticed that themerchandise to which this section refers is described in section 3100 asmerchandise, etc. , "imported into the United States from any contiguousforeign country. "

A practice has grown up, and a traffic of considerable dimensionsunder it, of allowing merchandise from China and Japan, purchased andimported from those countries by our own citizens and landed at portsin the Dominion of Canada, to be there loaded into cars, which, beingsealed by an officer of the United States or some one supposed torepresent him, are forwarded through the territory of Canada, acrossthe entire continent, and allowed to cross our frontier without otherinspection than an examination of the seals. The real fact is that theAmerican consul can not and does not either compare the manifest withthe contents of the cars or attach the seals. The agents of thetransportation companies are furnished by the consul with the seals andplace them upon the cars. The practice of sealing such merchandise, notwithstanding it has been allowed by the Treasury for some years, I think is unauthorized. Such merchandise is not imported from a"contiguous country, " but from China and Japan. 

It has never become subject to the Canadian revenue laws as animportation from Japan to Canada, but by force of the treaty or by thecourtesy of that government has been treated as subject to the revenuelaws of the United States from the time of landing at the Canadian port. Our Treasury seal has been placed upon it; Canada only gives it passage. It is no more an importation from Canada than is a train load of wheatthat starts from Detroit and is transported through Canada to anotherport of the United States. Section 3102 was enacted in 1864, two yearsbefore sections 3005 and 3006, and could not have had reference to thelater methods of importing merchandise through one country to the other. 

The practice to which I have referred not only equalizes the advantagesof Canadian seaports with our own in the importation of goods for ourdomestic consumption, but makes the Canadian ports favored ports ofentry. The detentions under this system at the Canadian ports are lessthan when the merchandise is landed at a port of the United States to beforwarded in bond to another port therein. Full effect should be givento section 3102 as to merchandise imported into the United States fromCanada, so far as the appropriations enable the Treasury to provide theofficers to do the work of closing and sealing. It will, however, berequired that all this kind of work be done, and carefully done, byan officer of the United States, and that the duty shall in no casebe delegated to the employees of the transportation companies. Theconsiderations that it is quite doubtful whether a fraud committed inCanada by one of our agents upon our revenue would be punishable in ourcourts, and that such a fraud committed by anyone else certainly wouldnot be, and that even if such acts are made penal by our statutesthe criminal would be secure against extradition, seem to me to beconclusive against the policy of attempting to maintain such revenueagents in Canadian territory. 

I come now to discuss another element of this international traffic, namely, the transportation of merchandise from one "port" in the UnitedStates to another "port" therein over the territory of Canada. Thistraffic is enormous in its dimensions, and very great interests havegrown up in the United States in connection with it. Section 3006authorizes this traffic, subject to "such rules, regulations, andconditions as the Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe;" but theimportant limitation is from "port" to "port. " Section 3007 of theRevised Statutes, which exempts sealed cars from certain fees, preservesthe terms of the preceding section--from "port" to "port. " It seems tome that sections 3006 and 3007 contemplate the delivery of the sealedcars at a "port" of the United States, there to be examined by a revenueofficer and their contents verified; but in practice the car, if theseal is found at the border to be intact, is passed to places not"ports" and is opened and unloaded by the consignee, no officer beingpresent. The bill or manifest accompanying the merchandise and theunbroken seal on the car may furnish _prima facie_ evidence that theamount and kind of merchandise named in the manifest and said to becontained in the car came from a port in the United States, butcertainly it was not intended that the merchandise should go to theowner without an official ascertainment of the correspondence betweenthe bill and the actual contents of the car. 

I pass at this point any discussion of the question whether as anational policy this traffic should be promoted. It is enough to saythat as the law stands it is authorized between "ports" of the UnitedStates, and that the rules, regulations, and conditions to be prescribedby the Secretary of the Treasury must not, in view of this declarationof the legislative will, be further restrictive of the traffic than mayreasonably be necessary to protect the revenues of the United States. In determining whether further regulations are reasonably necessary toprevent frauds against our revenue it is not conclusive, at least, tosay that frauds against the revenue under the existing system have notbeen discovered. The question is, Are the regulations such as to provideproper safeguards against fraud, or are they such as to make fraud easyto those who have the disposition to commit it? If all cars carryingthis merchandise are carefully and honestly inspected at the point oflading and are securely closed during the transit, the revenue would besecure, for the proper lading of these cars is not subject to duty. Frauds can only be perpetrated by introducing products not subject tofree entry. In practice the seals and locks provided by the TreasuryDepartment do not give security that these cars, in the long transit inwhich they are free from observation by officers of the revenue, may notbe opened and dutiable merchandise added. 

The duplication of the seals used, composed of wire and lead, is easy, and the opening of locks scarcely less so. If, however, the cars, whenthey arrive in the United States, either at the point where our boundaryis crossed or at some other port of the United States, were subject tothe inspection of a revenue officer before the delivery to the consigneeor owner, the manifest could be verified. The inspection, however, isnow limited to an examination of the lock or seal. The car is notweighed or opened to verify its contents. I do not think this is anadequate protection against the surreptitious introduction into thecars, while on foreign territory, of dutiable articles. It will be seenby the letter of the Secretary of the Treasury that grain the productof the United States is now largely transported in American vessels toCanadian lake ports, and after being there placed in elevators is senteast in cars sealed by agents of the Treasury. 

No observation is taken of this grain until its arrival in Canada, whereonly the amount and grade are noted by a Treasury agent, and a likeamount in grade and quantity (though it may be not the identical grain)is by such agent billed and sealed in cars for carriage to the UnitedStates. I do not find any statute authorizing this practice. Section3006, which authorizes this interstate trade through Canada, is limitedto merchandise passing from "port" to "port" of the United States, andplainly means that such merchandise shall be taken up by our revenueofficers at a "port" of the United States as a starting point. 

The following are the conclusions at which I have arrived:

First. That Article XXIX of the treaty of Washington has been abrogated. 

Second. That even if this article were in force there is no law in forceto execute it. 

Third. That when in force the treaty imposed no obligation upon theUnited States to use the concessions as to transit made by Canada, andno limitation upon the powers of the United States in dealing withmerchandise imported for the use of our citizens through Canadian portsor passing from one place in the United States to another throughCanada, upon the arrival of such merchandise at our border. 

Fourth. That therefore, treaty or no treaty, the question of sealingcars containing such merchandise and the treatment of such sealed carswhen they cross our border is and always has been one to be settled byour laws, according to our convenience and our interests as we may seethem. 

Fifth. That the law authorizing the sealing of cars in Canada containingforeign merchandise imported from a contiguous country does not apply tomerchandise imported by our own people from countries not contiguous andcarried through Canada for delivery to such owners. 

Sixth. That the law did not contemplate the passing of sealed cars toany place not a "port, " nor the delivery of such cars to the owner orconsignee, to be opened by him without the supervision of a revenueofficer. 

Seventh. That such a practice is inconsistent with the safety of therevenue. 

The statutes relating to the transportation of merchandise betweenthe United States and the British possessions should be the subjectof revision. The Treasury regulations have given to these laws aconstruction and a scope that I do not think was contemplated byCongress. A policy adapted to the new conditions, growing in part out ofthe construction of the Canadian Pacific Railroad, should be declared, and the business placed upon a basis more just to our people and to ourtransportation companies. 

If we continue the policy of supervising rates and requiring that theyshall be equal and reasonable upon the railroads of the United States, we can not in fairness at the same time give these unusual facilitiesfor competition to Canadian roads that are free to pursue the practicesas to cut rates and favored rates that we condemn and punish ifpracticed by our own railroads. 

I regret that circumstances prevented an earlier examination by me ofthese questions, but submit now these views in the hope that they maylead to a revision of the laws upon a safer and juster basis. 

I transmit herewith the correspondence between the Secretary of theTreasury and the Attorney-General upon some phases of this question. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 6, 1893_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith, for the consideration of Congress, a communicationfrom the Secretary of the Interior, dated 4th instant, accompanied by anagreement concluded by and between the Turtle Mountain Indians and thecommission appointed under the provisions of the Indian appropriationact of July 13, 1892, to negotiate with the Turtle Mountain band ofChippewa Indians in North Dakota for the cession and relinquishment tothe United States of whatever right or interest they have in and to anyand all lands in said State to which they claim title, and for theirremoval to and settlement upon lands to be hereafter selected anddetermined upon by the Secretary of the Interior upon the recommendationof the proposed commissioners, subject to the approval of Congress. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, February 6, 1893_. 

_To the Senate_:

I transmit herewith, as desired by the resolution of the Senate of the4th instant, a report from the Secretary of State of the 6th instant, with its accompanying correspondence, in relation to the draft of anuncompleted treaty with Hawaii made in 1854. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, D. C. , February 8, 1893_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith the eighth annual report of the Commissioner ofLabor. This report relates to industrial education in the United Statesand foreign countries. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, D. C. , February 14, 1893_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a special report of the Commissioner of Laborrelating to compulsory insurance of workingmen in Germany and othercountries. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 14, 1893_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a communication of the 13th instant from theSecretary of the Interior, transmitting copy of reports of LieutenantsBrown, Gurovits, and Suplee, United States Army, who were chargedwith the duty of inspecting the Navajo country, so that the InteriorDepartment could be advised as to the practicability of restraining theNavajoes within their present reservations and of furnishing irrigationand water for their flocks, together with report of the Commissioner ofIndian Affairs upon the matter with draft of an item of appropriationto carry the same into effect. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, February 15, 1893_. 

_To the Senate_:

I transmit herewith, with a view to its ratification, a treaty ofannexation concluded on the 14th day of February, 1893, between John W. Foster, Secretary of State, who was duly empowered to act in that behalfon the part of the United States, and Lorin A. Thurston, W. R. Castle, W. C. Wilder, C. L. Carter, and Joseph Marsden, the commissioners on thepart of the Government of the Hawaiian Islands. The provisional treaty, it will be observed, does not attempt to deal in detail with thequestions that grow out of the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands to theUnited States. The commissioners representing the Hawaiian Governmenthave consented to leave to the future and to the just and benevolentpurposes of the United States the adjustment of all such questions. 

I do not deem it necessary to discuss at any length the conditions whichhave resulted in this decisive action. It has been the policy of theAdministration not only to respect but to encourage the continuance ofan independent government in the Hawaiian Islands so long as it affordedsuitable guaranties for the protection of life and property andmaintained a stability and strength that gave adequate security againstthe domination of any other power. The moral support of this Governmenthas continually manifested itself in the most friendly diplomaticrelations and in many acts of courtesy to the Hawaiian rulers. 

The overthrow of the monarchy was not in any way promoted by thisGovernment, but had its origin in what seems to have been a reactionaryand revolutionary policy on the part of Queen Liliuokalani, which putin serious peril not only the large and preponderating interests of theUnited States in the islands, but all foreign interests, and, indeed, the decent administration of civil affairs and the peace of the islands. It is quite evident that the monarchy had become effete and the Queen'sGovernment so weak and inadequate as to be the prey of designing andunscrupulous persons. The restoration of Queen Liliuokalani to herthrone is undesirable, if not impossible, and unless actively supportedby the United States would be accompanied by serious disaster and thedisorganization of all business interests. The influence and interest ofthe United States in the islands must be increased and not diminished. 

Only two courses are now open--one the establishment of a protectorateby the United States, and the other annexation full and complete. Ithink the latter course, which has been adopted in the treaty, will behighly promotive of the best interests of the Hawaiian people, and isthe only one that will adequately secure the interests of the UnitedStates. These interests are not wholly selfish. It is essential thatnone of the other great powers shall secure these islands. Such apossession would not consist with our safety and with the peace of theworld. This view of the situation is so apparent and conclusive that noprotest has been heard from any government against proceedings lookingto annexation. Every foreign representative at Honolulu promptlyacknowledged the Provisional Government, and I think there is a generalconcurrence in the opinion that the deposed Queen ought not to berestored. 

Prompt action upon this treaty is very desirable. If it meets theapproval of the Senate, peace and good order will be secured in theislands under existing laws until such time as Congress can provideby legislation a permanent form of government for the islands. Thislegislation should be, and I do not doubt will be, not only just to thenatives and all other residents and citizens of the islands, but shouldbe characterized by great liberality and a high regard to the rights ofall people and of all foreigners domiciled there. The correspondencewhich accompanies the treaty will put the Senate in possession of allthe facts known to the Executive. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, February 16, 1893_. 

_To the Senate_:

I transmit herewith a letter from the Secretary of State of the 15thinstant, covering a report, with accompanying correspondence, respectingrelations between the United States and the Hawaiian Islands fromSeptember, 1820, to January, 1893. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, February 20, 1893_. 

_To the Senate of the United States_:

I transmit herewith a report submitted by the Acting Secretary of Statein response to the resolution of the Senate of February 2 last, relatingto the building of the Ozama River bridge at Santo Domingo City byAmerican citizens. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, February 21, 1893_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith a communication of the Secretary of State, transmitting the official report of the American delegates to theInternational Monetary Conference convened at Brussels on November 22, 1892, with its accompaniments. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 25, 1893_. 

_To the Senate of the United States_:

In compliance with a resolution of the Senate, the House ofRepresentatives concurring, I return herewith the bill (S. 3811)entitled "An act to amend an act entitled 'An act to grant to the Mobileand Dauphin Island Railroad and Harbor Company the right to trestleacross the shoal water between Cedar Point and Dauphin Island, ' approvedSeptember 26, 1890. "

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, February 27, 1893_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I herewith transmit, for the information of Congress, a communicationfrom the Acting Secretary of State, forwarding certain bulletins of theBureau of the American Republics. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, D. C. , March 1, 1893_. 

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith the fifth special report of the Commissioner ofLabor. The report relates to the so-called "Gothenburg system" ofregulating the liquor traffic, the system prevailing in Norway andSweden. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

VETO MESSAGE. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 27, 1893_. 

_To the House of Representatives_:

I return herewith without my approval an act (H. R. 9612) entitled "Anact to prescribe the number of district attorneys and marshals in thejudicial districts of the State of Alabama. "

Under the present law there is a district attorney for the southerndistrict of Alabama, a district attorney for the northern and middledistricts, a marshal for the northern district, and a marshal for thesouthern and middle districts. 

An examination of the records of the Attorney-General's office as to theamount of business in the courts in these districts leads me to believethat two districts would provide amply for the disposition of all publicand private cases. The law creates two new officers, whose aggregatecompensation may be $12, 000 per annum, without, it seems to me, ajustifying necessity. But the most serious objection to the legislationis that it creates at once upon the taking effect of the law the officesof district attorney and marshal for each of the three districts, andthe effect, it seems to me, must be to abolish the offices as they nowexist. 

No provision is made for a continued discharge of the duties of marshaland district attorney by the present incumbents. A serious questionwould be raised as to whether these officers were not at once legislatedout of office and vacancies created. As these vacancies could not befilled immediately, the business of the courts would seriously suffer. The law should at least have contained a provision for the continueddischarge of their duties by the incumbents until the new officers wereappointed and qualified. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

PROCLAMATIONS. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas it is provided by section 24 of the act of Congress approvedMarch 3, 1891, entitled "An act to repeal timber-culture laws, and forother purposes"--

 That the President of the United States may from time to time set apart and reserve in any State or Territory having public land bearing forests, in any part of the public lands wholly or in part covered with timber or undergrowth, whether of commercial value or not, as public reservations; and the President shall by public proclamation declare the establishment of such reservations and the limits thereof. 

And whereas it is made to appear, by petition and otherwise, that theinterests of the public and the welfare of the people of the State ofColorado will be materially benefited and subserved by the reservationof the public and forest lands hereinafter described:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested by said act, do hereby set apart, reserve, and establish as a public reservation all that tract of landin the State of Colorado embraced in the following boundary anddescription, to wit:

Beginning at the confluence of the North Fork of the South Platte Riverwith the South Platte River; thence up the middle of the channel of theNorth Fork of the South Platte River to the range line between townshipseven (7) south, ranges seventy-four (74) and seventy-five (75) west ofthe sixth (6th) principal meridian; thence northerly on said range lineto the northeast corner of township seven (7) south, range seventy-five(75) west; thence westerly on the township line between townships six(6) and seven (7) south to the northwest corner of township seven (7)south, range seventy-six (76) west; thence southerly on the range linebetween ranges seventy-six (76) and seventy-seven (77) west to thenortheast corner of section thirteen (13), township seven (7) south, range seventy-seven (77) west; thence westerly on the section linebetween sections twelve (12) and thirteen (13) to the northwest cornerof section thirteen (13) of said township and range; thence southerlyon the section line between sections thirteen (13) and fourteen (14), twenty-three (23) and twenty-four (24), and twenty-five (25) andtwenty-six (26) to the northeast corner of section thirty-five (35) ofsaid township and range; thence westerly on the section line betweensections twenty-six (26) and thirty-five (35) and twenty-seven (27) andthirty-four (34) to the northwest corner of section thirty-four (34) ofsaid township and range; thence southerly on the section line betweensections thirty-three (33) and thirty-four (34) of said township andrange and sections three (3) and four (4), nine (9) and ten (10), and fifteen (15) and sixteen (16), township eight (8) south, rangeseventy-seven (77) west, to the northeast corner of section twenty-one(21) of said last-named township and range; thence westerly on thesection line between sections sixteen (16) and twenty-one (21), seventeen (17) and twenty (20), and eighteen (18) and nineteen (19)to the northwest corner of section nineteen (19) of said township andrange; thence southerly on the range line between ranges seventy-seven(77) and seventy-eight (78) west to the northeast corner of sectionthirteen (13), township nine (9) south, range seventy-eight (78) west;thence westerly on the section line between sections twelve (12) andthirteen (13) and eleven (11) and fourteen (14) to the northwest cornerof section fourteen (14) of said township and range; thence southerly onthe section line between sections fourteen (14) and fifteen (15) to thesouthwest corner of said section fourteen (14); thence westerly on thesection, line between sections fifteen (15) and twenty-two (22) andsixteen (16) and twenty-one (21) to the northwest corner of sectiontwenty-one (21) of said township and range; thence southerly on thesection line between sections twenty (20) and twenty-one (21) andtwenty-eight (28) and twenty-nine (29) to the southwest corner ofsection twenty-eight (28) of said township and range; thence easterlyon the section line between sections twenty-eight (28) and thirty-three(33) to the southeast corner of said section twenty-eight (28); thencesoutherly on the section line between sections thirty-three (33) andthirty-four (34) of said township and range and sections three (3) andfour (4), nine (9) and ten (10), and fifteen (15) and sixteen (16), township ten (10) south, range seventy-eight (78) west, to the northeastcorner of section twenty-one (21) of said last-named township and range;thence westerly on the section line between sections sixteen (16) andtwenty-one (21), seventeen (17) and twenty (20), and eighteen (18) andnineteen (19) to the northwest corner of section nineteen (19) of saidtownship and range; thence southerly on the range line between rangesseventy-eight (78) and seventy-nine (79) west to the southwest corner oftownship ten (10) south, range seventy-eight (78) west; thence westerlyon the second (2d) correction line south to the northwest corner ofsection one (1), township eleven (11) south, range seventy-nine (79)west; thence southerly on the section line between sections one (1) andtwo (2), eleven (11) and twelve (12), thirteen (13) and fourteen (14), twenty-three (23) and twenty-four (24), twenty-five (25) and twenty-six(26), and thirty-five (35) and thirty-six (36) of said township andrange and sections one (1) and two (2), eleven (11) and twelve (12), and thirteen (13) and fourteen (14), township twelve (12) south, rangeseventy-nine (79) west, to the southwest corner of section thirteen (13)of said last-named township and range; thence easterly on the sectionline between sections thirteen (13) and twenty-four (24) of saidtownship and range and sections eighteen (18) and nineteen (19), seventeen (17) and twenty (20), sixteen (16) and twenty-one (21), andfifteen (15) and twenty-two (22), township twelve (12) south, rangeseventy-eight (78) west, to the quarter-section corner between saidsections fifteen (15) and twenty-two (22); thence southerly through themiddle of sections twenty-two (22), twenty-seven (27), and thirty-four(34) to the quarter-section corner on the south boundary of sectionthirty-four (34) of said township and range; thence easterly on thetownship line between townships twelve (12) and thirteen (13) south, range seventy-eight (78) west, to the northwest corner of townshipthirteen (13) south, range seventy-seven (77) west; thence southerly onthe range line between ranges seventy-seven (77) and seventy-eight (78)west to the southwest corner of section six (6), township thirteen (13)south, range seventy-seven (77) west; thence easterly on the sectionline between sections six (6) and seven (7), five (5) and eight (8), andfour (4) and nine (9) to the southeast corner of section four (4) ofsaid township and range; thence northerly on the section line betweensections three (3) and four (4) of said township and range and sectionsthirty-three (33) and thirty-four (34), township twelve (12) south, range seventy-seven (77) west, to the northeast corner of sectionthirty-three (33) of said last-named township and range; thence easterlyon the section line between sections twenty-seven (27) and thirty-four(34) to the southeast corner of section twenty-seven (27) of saidtownship and range; thence northerly on the section line betweensections twenty-six (26) and twenty-seven (27), twenty-two (22) andtwenty-three (23), fourteen (14) and fifteen (15), ten (10) and eleven(11), and two (2) and three (3) of said township and range and sectionsthirty-four (34) and thirty-five (35), township eleven (11) south, rangeseventy-seven (77) west, to the northeast corner of section thirty-four(34) of said township and range; thence westerly on the section linebetween sections twenty-seven (27) and thirty-four (34) to the northwestcorner of said section thirty-four (34); thence northerly on the sectionline between sections twenty-seven (27) and twenty-eight (28) to thenortheast corner of section twenty-eight (28) of said township andrange; thence westerly on the section line between sections twenty-one(21) and twenty-eight (28), twenty (20) and twenty-nine (29), andnineteen (19) and thirty (30) to the northwest corner of section thirty(30) of said township and range; thence northerly on the range linebetween ranges seventy-seven (77) and seventy-eight (78) west to thenortheast corner of township eleven (11) south, range seventy-eight (78)west; thence easterly on the second (2d) correction line south to thesoutheast corner of township ten (10) south, range seventy-eight (78)west; thence northerly on the range line between ranges seventy-seven(77) and seventy-eight (78) west to the southwest corner of sectioneighteen (18), township nine (9) south, range seventy-seven (77) west;thence easterly on the section line between sections eighteen (18)and nineteen (19), seventeen (17) and twenty (20), sixteen (16) andtwenty-one (21), and fifteen (15) and twenty-two (22) to the southeastcorner of section fifteen (15) of said township and range; thencenortherly on the section line between sections fourteen (14) and fifteen(15) and ten (10) and eleven (11) to the southwest corner of sectiontwo (2) of said township and range; thence easterly on the section linebetween sections two (2) and eleven (11) and one (1) and twelve (12)to the southeast corner of section one (1) of said township and range;thence northerly on the range line between ranges seventy-six (76) andseventy-seven (77) west to the southwest corner of township eight (8)south, range seventy-six (76) west; thence easterly on the township linebetween townships eight (8) and nine (9) south, range seventy-six (76)west, to the southeast corner of section thirty-one (31), township eight(8) south, range seventy-six (76) west; thence northerly on the sectionline between sections thirty-one (31) and thirty-two (32) to thesouthwest corner of section twenty-nine (29) of said township and range;thence easterly on the section line between sections twenty-nine (29)and thirty-two (32) to the southeast corner of said section twenty-nine(29); thence northerly on the section line between sections twenty-eight(28) and twenty-nine (29) and twenty (20) and twenty-one (21) to thesouthwest corner of section sixteen (16) of said township and range;thence easterly on the section line between sections sixteen (16) andtwenty-one (21) to the southeast corner of said section sixteen (16);thence northerly on the section line between sections fifteen (15) andsixteen (16), nine (9) and ten (10), and three (3) and four (4) of saidtownship and range, and sections thirty-three (33) and thirty-four (34), township seven (7) south, range seventy-six (76) west, to the southwestcorner of section twenty-seven (27) of said township and range; thenceeasterly on the section line between sections twenty-seven (27) andthirty-four (34), twenty-six (26) and thirty-five (35), and twenty-five(25) and thirty-six (36) of said township and range, and sectionsthirty (30) and thirty-one (31), twenty-nine (29) and thirty-two (32), twenty-eight (28) and thirty-three (33), and twenty-seven (27) andthirty-four (34), township seven (7) south, range seventy-five (75)west, to the northwest corner of section thirty-five (35) of saidtownship and range; thence southerly on the section line betweensections thirty-four (34) and thirty-five (35) of said township andrange and sections two (2) and three (3), ten (10) and eleven (11), fourteen (14) and fifteen (15), twenty-two (22) and twenty-three (23), twenty-six (26) and twenty-seven (27), and thirty-four (34) andthirty-five (35), township eight (8) south, range seventy-five (75)west, to the southwest corner of section thirty-five (35) of saidtownship and range; thence easterly on the township line betweentownships eight (8) and nine (9) south, range seventy-five (75) west, tothe northwest corner of township nine (9) south, range seventy-four (74)west; thence southerly on the range line between ranges seventy-four(74) and seventy-five (75) west to the southwest corner of township ten(10) south, range seventy-four (74) west; thence easterly on the second(2d) correction line south to the northwest corner of township eleven(11) south, range seventy-three (73) west; thence southerly on the rangeline between ranges seventy-three (73) and seventy-four (74) west to thenortheast corner of section thirteen (13), township twelve (12) south, range seventy-four (74) west; thence westerly on the section linebetween sections twelve (12) and thirteen (13) and eleven (11) andfourteen (14) of said township and range to the quarter-section cornerbetween said sections eleven (11) and fourteen (14); thence southerlythrough the middle of sections fourteen (14), twenty-three (23), andtwenty-six (26) to the center of section twenty-six (26) of saidtownship and range; thence easterly through the middle of sectionstwenty-six (26) and twenty-five (25) to the quarter-section corner onthe range line between section twenty-five (25), township twelve (12)south, range seventy-four (74) west, and section thirty (30), townshiptwelve (12) south, range seventy-three (73) west; thence southerly onsaid range line to the southwest corner of township twelve (12) south, range seventy-three (73) west; thence easterly on the township linebetween townships twelve (12) and thirteen (13) south to the southeastcorner of township twelve (12) south, range seventy-three (73) west;thence southerly on the range line between ranges seventy-two (72) andseventy-three (73) west to the northeast corner of section twenty-four(24), township thirteen (13) south, range seventy-three (73) west;thence westerly on the section line between sections thirteen (13) andtwenty-four (24), fourteen (14) and twenty-three (23), fifteen (15) andtwenty-two (22), sixteen (16) and twenty-one (21), seventeen (17) andtwenty (20), and eighteen (18) and nineteen (19) to the northwest cornerof section nineteen (19) of said township and range; thence southerly onthe range line between ranges seventy-three (73) and seventy-four (74)west to the quarter-section corner on the west boundary of sectioneighteen (18), township fourteen (14) south, range seventy-three (73)west; thence easterly through the middle of sections eighteen (18) andseventeen (17), sixteen (16), fifteen (15), fourteen (14), and thirteen(13), township fourteen (14) south, range seventy-three (73) west, andsections eighteen (18) and seventeen (17), township fourteen (14) south, range seventy-two (72) west, to the quarter-section corner betweensections seventeen (17) and sixteen (16) of said last-named township andrange; thence northerly on the section line between sections sixteen(16) and seventeen (17) and eight (8) and nine (9) to the northeastcorner of section eight (8) of said township and range; thence easterlyon the section line between sections four (4) and nine (9), three (3)and ten (10), two (2) and eleven (11), and one (1)and twelve (12) to thesoutheast corner of section one (1) of said township and range; thencenortherly on the range line between ranges seventy-one (71) andseventy-two (72) west to the southwest corner of township thirteen (13)south, range seventy-one (71) west; thence easterly on the township linebetween townships thirteen (13) and fourteen (14) south to the southeastcorner of section thirty-three (33), township thirteen (13) south, rangeseventy-one (71) west; thence northerly on the section line betweensections thirty-three (33) and thirty-four (34), twenty-seven (27) andtwenty-eight (28), twenty-one (21) and twenty-two (22), fifteen (15)and sixteen (16), nine (9) and ten (10), and three (3) and four (4) ofsaid township and range, and between sections thirty-three (33) andthirty-four (34), twenty-seven (27) and twenty-eight (28), twenty-one(21) and twenty-two (22), fifteen (15) and sixteen (16), nine (9) andten (10), and three (3) and four (4), township twelve (12) south, rangeseventy-one (71) west, and between sections thirty-three (33) andthirty-four (34), twenty-seven (27) and twenty-eight (28), twenty-one(21) and twenty-two (22), fifteen (15) and sixteen (16), nine (9) andten (10), and three (3) and four (4), township eleven (11) south, rangeseventy-one (71) west, to the northeast corner of section four (4) ofsaid last-named township and range; thence easterly on the second (2d)correction line south to the southeast corner of section thirty-three(33), township ten (10) south, range seventy-one (71) west; thencenortherly on the section line between sections thirty-three (33) andthirty-four (34) of said township and range to the middle of the channelof the South Platte River; thence down the middle of the channel of thesaid river to its confluence with the North Fork of the South PlatteRiver, the place of beginning, to be known as the South Platte ForestReserve. 

Excepting from the force and effect of this proclamation all lands whichmay have been prior to the date hereof embraced in any legal entry orcovered by any lawful filing duly of record in the proper United Statesland office, or upon which any valid settlement has been made pursuantto law and the statutory period within which to make entry or filingof record has not expired, and all mining claims duly located and heldaccording to the laws of the United States and rules and regulationsnot in conflict therewith. 

_Provided_, That this exception shall not continue to apply to anyparticular tract of land unless the entryman, settler, or claimantcontinues to comply with the law under which the entry, filing, settlement, or location was made. 

Warning is hereby expressly given to all persons not to enter or makesettlement upon the tract of land reserved by this proclamation. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 9th day of December, A. D. 1892, andof the Independence of the United States the one hundred andseventeenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JOHN W. FOSTER, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas it is provided by section 24 of the act of Congress approvedMarch 3, 1891, entitled "An act to repeal timber-culture laws, and forother purposes"--

 That the President of the United States may from time to time set apart and reserve in any State or Territory having public land bearing forests, in any part of the public lands wholly or in part covered with timber or undergrowth, whether of commercial value or not, as public reservations; and the President shall by public proclamation declare the establishment of such reservations and the limits thereof. 

And whereas the public lands in the State of California within thelimits hereinafter described are in part covered with timber, and itappears that the public good would be promoted by setting apart andreserving said lands as a public reservation:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested by section 24 of the aforesaid actof Congress, do hereby make known and proclaim that there is herebyreserved from entry or settlement and set apart as a public reservationall those certain tracts, pieces, or parcels of land lying and beingsituate in the State of California and particularly described asfollows, to wit:

Beginning at the northeast corner of township three (3) north, range six(6) west of the San Bernardino meridian; thence westerly on the surveyedand unsurveyed township line between townships three (3) and four (4)north, ranges six (6) and seven (7) west, to the northeast corner oftownship three (3) north, range eight (8) west; thence northerly on theunsurveyed and surveyed range line between ranges seven (7) and eight(8) west to the northeast corner of section twenty-four (24), townshipfour (4) north, range eight (8) west; thence westerly on the surveyedand unsurveyed section line between sections thirteen (13) andtwenty-four (24), fourteen (14) and twenty-three (23), fifteen (15) andtwenty-two (22), sixteen (16) and twenty-one (21), seventeen (17) andtwenty (20), and eighteen (18) and nineteen (19) of said township andrange to the point for the northwest corner of section nineteen (19) ofsaid township and range; thence northerly on the unsurveyed and surveyedrange line between ranges eight (8) and nine (9) west to the northeastcorner of township four (4) north, range nine (9) west; thence westerlyon the township line between townships four (4) and five (5) north, range nine (9) west, to the southeast corner of township five (5) north, range ten (10) west; thence northerly on the range line between rangesnine (9) and ten (10) west to the northeast corner of section thirty-six(36) of said township and range; thence westerly on the section linebetween sections twenty-five (25) and thirty-six (36), twenty-six (26)and thirty-five (35), and twenty-seven (27) and thirty-four (34) tothe southeast corner of section twenty-eight (28) of said townshipand range; thence northerly on the section line between sectionstwenty-seven (27) and twenty-eight (28) to the northeast corner of saidsection twenty-eight (28); thence westerly on the section line betweensections twenty-one (21) and twenty-eight (28), twenty (20) andtwenty-nine (29), and nineteen (19) and thirty (30) of said last-namedtownship and range, and on the unsurveyed section line between sectionstwenty-four (24) and twenty-five (25), twenty-three (23) and twenty-six(26), twenty-two (22) and twenty-seven (27), twenty-one (21) andtwenty-eight (28), twenty (20) and twenty-nine (29), and nineteen (19)and thirty (30), township five (5) north, range eleven (11) west, to thepoint for the northwest corner of section thirty (30) of said last-namedtownship and range; thence southerly on the range line between rangeseleven (11) and twelve (12) west to the southeast corner of townshipfive (5) north, range twelve (12) west; thence westerly on the townshipline between townships four (4) and five (5) north to the southwestcorner of township five (5) north, range twelve (12) west; thencesoutherly on the range line between ranges twelve (12) and thirteen (13)west to the northeast corner of section twenty-four (24), township four(4) north, range thirteen (13) west; thence westerly on the section linebetween sections thirteen (13) and twenty-four (24), fourteen (14) andtwenty-three (23), fifteen (15) and twenty-two (22), sixteen (16) andtwenty-one (21), seventeen (17) and twenty (20), and eighteen (18) andnineteen (19) of said township and range, and sections thirteen (13) andtwenty-four (24), fourteen (14) and twenty-three (23), fifteen (15) andtwenty-two (22), sixteen (16) and twenty-one (21), seventeen (17) andtwenty (20), and eighteen (18) and nineteen (19), township four (4)north, range fourteen (14) west, to the northwest corner of sectionnineteen (19) of said last-named township and range; thence southerlyon the surveyed and unsurveyed range line between ranges fourteen (14)and fifteen (15) west to the point for the southwest corner of townshipthree (3) north, range fourteen (14) west; thence easterly on theunsurveyed township line between townships two (2) and three (3) north, range fourteen (14) west, to a point for the northwest corner of sectionfour (4), township two (2) north, range fourteen (14) west; thencesoutherly on the unsurveyed section line between sections four (4) andfive (5) to the point for the southwest corner of said section four (4);thence easterly on the unsurveyed section line between sections four (4)and nine (9), three (3) and ten (10), two (2) and eleven (11), and one(1) and twelve (12) to a point for the southeast corner of section one(1) of said township and range; thence southerly on the range linebetween ranges thirteen (13) and fourteen (14) west to the southwestcorner of section seven (7), township two (2) north, range thirteen(13) west; thence easterly on the surveyed and unsurveyed section linebetween sections seven (7) and eighteen (18), eight (8) and seventeen(17), nine (9) and sixteen (16), ten (10) and fifteen (15), eleven (11)and fourteen (14), and twelve (12) and (13) to a point for the northeastcorner of section thirteen (13) of said township and range; thencesoutherly on the range line between ranges twelve (12) and thirteen (13)west to the southwest corner of township two (2) north, range twelve(12) west; thence easterly on the surveyed and unsurveyed township linebetween townships one (1) and two (2) north, range twelve (12) west, to the point for the northwest corner of section one (1), township one(1) north, range twelve (12) west; thence southerly on the unsurveyedsection line between sections one (1) and two (2) to the point forthe southwest corner of said section one (1); thence easterly on theunsurveyed section line between sections one (1) and twelve (12) to thepoint for the southeast corner of said section one (1); thence southerlyon the range line between ranges eleven (11) and twelve (12) west to thesouthwest corner of section seven (7), township one (1) north, rangeeleven (11) west; thence easterly on the section line between sectionsseven (7) and eighteen (18), eight (8) and seventeen (17), nine (9) andsixteen (16), ten (10) and fifteen (15), eleven (11) and fourteen (14), and twelve (12) and thirteen (13) of said township and range, andsections seven (7) and eighteen (18), eight (8) and seventeen (17), nine (9) and sixteen (16), ten (10) and fifteen (15), eleven (11) andfourteen (14), and twelve (12) and thirteen (13), township one (1)north, range ten (10) west, to the southeast corner of section twelve(12) of said last-named township and range; thence southerly on therange line between ranges nine (9) and ten (10) west to the southwestcorner of section eighteen (18), township one (1) north, range nine (9)west; thence easterly on the section line between sections eighteen (18)and nineteen (19), seventeen (17) and twenty (20), sixteen (16) andtwenty-one (21), fifteen (15) and twenty-two (22), fourteen (14) andtwenty-three (23), and thirteen (13) and twenty-four (24) of saidtownship and range, and sections eighteen (18) and nineteen (19), seventeen (17) and twenty (20), sixteen (16) and twenty-one (21), fifteen (15) and twenty-two (22), fourteen (14) and twenty-three (23), and thirteen (13) and twenty-four (24), township one (1) north, rangeeight (8) west, to the southeast corner of section thirteen (13) ofsaid last-named township and range; thence northerly on the range linebetween ranges seven (7) and eight (8) west to the southwest corner ofsection seven (7), township one (1) north, range seven (7) west; thenceeasterly on the section line between sections seven (7) and eighteen(18), eight (8) and seventeen (17), nine (9) and sixteen (16), ten (10)and fifteen (15), eleven (11) and fourteen (14), and twelve (12) andthirteen (13) of said township and range, and on the surveyed andunsurveyed section line between sections seven (7) and eighteen (18), eight (8) and seventeen (17), nine (9) and sixteen (16), ten (10)and fifteen (15), eleven (11) and fourteen (14), and twelve (12) andthirteen (13), township one (1) north, range six (6) west, to the pointfor the southeast corner of section twelve (12) of said last-namedtownship and range; thence northerly on the unsurveyed and surveyedrange line between ranges five (5) and six (6) west to the northeastcorner of township three (3) north, range six (6) west, the place ofbeginning. 

Excepting from the force and effect of this proclamation all lands whichmay have been prior to the date hereof embraced in any legal entry orcovered by any lawful filing duly of record in the proper United Statesland office, or upon which any valid settlement has been made pursuantto law and the statutory period within which to make entry or filingof record has not expired, and all mining claims duly located and heldaccording to the laws of the United States and rules and regulationsnot in conflict therewith. 

_Provided_, That this exception shall not continue to apply to anyparticular tract of land unless the entryman, settler, or claimantcontinues to comply with the law under which the entry, filing, settlement, or location was made. 

Warning is hereby expressly given to all persons not to enter or makesettlement upon the tract of land reserved by this proclamation. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 20th day of December, A. D. 1892, and of the independence of the United States the one hundred andseventeenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JOHN W. FOSTER, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas it is provided by section 24 of the act of Congress approvedMarch 3, 1891, entitled "An act to repeal timber-culture laws, and forother purposes"--

 That the President of the United States may from time to time set apart and reserve in any State or Territory having public land bearing forests, in any part of the public lands wholly or in part covered with timber or undergrowth, whether of commercial value or not, as public reservations; and the President shall by public proclamation declare the establishment of such reservations and the limits thereof. 

And whereas it is provided by section 14 of said above-mentioned actthat the public lands in the Territory of Alaska reserved for publicpurposes shall not be subject to occupation and sale; and

Whereas the public lands in the Territory of Alaska known as AfognakIsland are in part covered with timber and are required for publicpurposes in order that salmon fisheries in the waters of the island, andsalmon and other fish and sea animals, and other animals and birds, andthe timber, undergrowth, grass, moss, and other growth in, on, and aboutsaid island may be protected and preserved unimpaired, and it appearsthat the public good would be promoted by setting apart and reservingsaid lands as a public reservation; and

Whereas the United States Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries hasselected Afognak Bay, River, and Lake, with their tributary streams andthe sources thereof, and the lands including the same on said AfognakIsland and within 1 mile from the shores thereof, as a reserve for thepurpose of establishing fish-culture stations and the use of the UnitedStates Commission of Fish and Fisheries, the boundary lines of whichinclude the headsprings of the tributaries above mentioned and the landsthe drainage of which is into the same:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, byvirtue of the power in me vested by sections 24 and 14 of the aforesaidact of Congress and by other laws of the United States, do reserve anddo hereby make known and proclaim that there is hereby reserved fromoccupation and sale and set apart as a public reservation, including usefor fish-culture stations, said Afognak Island, Alaska, and its adjacentbays and rocks and territorial waters, including among others the SeaLion Rocks and Sea Otter Island: _Provided_, That this proclamationshall not be so construed as to deprive any _bona fide_ inhabitant ofsaid island of any valid right he may possess under the treaty for thecession of the Russian possessions in North America to the UnitedStates, concluded at Washington on the 30th day of March, 1867. 

Warning is hereby expressly given to all persons not to enter upon or tooccupy the tract or tracts of land or waters reserved by thisproclamation, or to fish in or use any of the waters herein described ormentioned, and that all persons or corporations now occupying saidisland or any of said premises except under said treaty shall departtherefrom. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 24th day of December, A. D. 1892, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred andseventeenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JOHN W. FOSTER, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas it is provided by section 24 of the act of Congress approvedMarch 3, 1891, entitled "An act to repeal timber-culture laws, and forother purposes"--

 That the President of the United States may from time to time set apart and reserve in any State or Territory having public land bearing forests, in any part of the public lands wholly or in part covered with timber or undergrowth, whether of commercial value or not, as public reservations; and the President shall by public proclamation declare the establishment of such reservations and the limits thereof. 

And whereas the public lands in the State of Colorado within the limitshereinafter described are in part covered with timber, and it appearsthat the public good would be promoted by setting apart and reservingsaid lands as a public reservation:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested by section 24 of the aforesaid actof Congress, do hereby make known and proclaim that there is herebyreserved from entry or settlement and set apart as a public reservationall those certain tracts, pieces, or parcels of land lying and beingsituate in the State of Colorado and particularly described as follows, to wit:

Beginning at the northeast corner of township seven (7) south, rangeninety-three (93) west of the sixth (6th) principal meridian; thencewesterly along the township line between townships six (6) and seven(7) south to the northwest corner of township seven (7) south, rangeninety-three (93) west; thence southerly along the range line betweenranges ninety-three (93) and ninety-four (94) west to the northwestcorner of section nineteen (19), township seven (7) south, rangeninety-three (93) west; thence westerly along the unsurveyed sectionline between sections thirteen (13) and twenty-four (24), fourteen (14)and twenty-three (23), fifteen (15) and twenty-two (22), sixteen (16)and twenty-one (21), seventeen (17) and twenty (20), and eighteen (18)and nineteen (19), township seven (7) south, range ninety-four (94)west, to the northwest corner of section nineteen (19) of said townshipand range; thence southerly along the range line between rangesninety-four (94) and ninety-five (95) west to the northwest corner oftownship eight (8) south, range ninety-four (94) west; thence westerlyalong the township line between townships seven (7) and eight (8) southto the northwest corner of section three (3), township eight (8) south, range ninety-five (95) west; thence southerly along the section linebetween sections three (3) and four (4), nine (9) and ten (10), andfifteen (15) and sixteen (16) to the northwest corner of sectiontwenty-two (22) of said township and range; thence westerly alongthe section line between sections sixteen (16) and twenty-one (21), seventeen (17) and twenty (20), and eighteen (18) and nineteen (19) ofsaid township and range, and sections thirteen (13) and twenty-four(24), fourteen (14) and twenty-three (23), and fifteen (15) andtwenty-two (22), township eight (8) south, range ninety-six (96) west, to the northwest corner of section twenty-two (22) of said township andrange; thence southerly along the section line between sectionstwenty-one (21) and twenty-two (22), twenty-seven (27) and twenty-eight(28), and thirty-three (33) and thirty-four (34) of said township andrange to the northwest corner of section three (3), township nine (9)south, range ninety-six (96) west; thence westerly along the townshipline between townships eight (8) and nine (9) south to the northwestcorner of section three (3), township nine (9) south, range ninety-seven(97) west; thence southerly along the section line between sectionsthree (3) and four (4), nine (9) and ten (10), fifteen (15) and sixteen(16), twenty-one (21) and twenty-two (22), twenty-seven (27) andtwenty-eight (28), and thirty-three (33) and thirty-four (34) to thesouthwest corner of section thirty-four (34) of said township and range;thence easterly along the township line between townships nine (9) andten (10) south to the southeast corner of township nine (9) south, rangeninety-six (96) west; thence northerly along the range line betweenranges ninety-five (95) and ninety-six (96) west to the southeast cornerof section thirteen (13), township nine (9) south, range ninety-six (96)west; thence easterly along the section line between sections eighteen(18) and nineteen (19), seventeen (17) and twenty (20), sixteen (16) andtwenty-one (21), fifteen (15) and twenty-two (22), fourteen (14) andtwenty-three (23), and thirteen (13) and twenty-four (24), townshipnine (9) south, range ninety-five (95) west, to the southeast corner ofsection thirteen (13) of said township and range; thence northerly alongthe range line between ranges ninety-four (94) and ninety-five (95) westto the southeast corner of township eight (8) south, range ninety-five(95) west; thence easterly along the township line between townshipseight (8) and nine (9) south to the southwest corner of township eight(8) south, range ninety-two (92) west; thence southerly along the rangeline between ranges ninety-two (92) and ninety-three (93) west to thesouthwest corner of township ten (10) south, range ninety-two (92) west;thence westerly along the second (2d) correction line south betweentownships ten (10) and eleven (11) south to the northwest corner oftownship eleven (11) south, range ninety-six (96) west; thence southerlyalong the range line between ranges ninety-six (96) and ninety-seven(97) west to the northwest corner of township twelve (12) south, rangeninety-six (96) west; thence westerly along the township line betweentownships eleven (11) and twelve (12) south to the northwest corner offractional section two (2), fractional township twelve (12) south, fractional range ninety-eight (98) west; thence southerly along therange line between fractional range ninety-eight (98) west of the sixth(6th) principal meridian and range two (2) east of the Ute principalmeridian to the southwest corner of fractional section thirty-five (35), fractional township thirteen (13) south, fractional range ninety-eight(98) west of the sixth (6th) principal meridian; thence easterly alongthe township line between township thirteen (13) and fractional townshipfourteen (14) south to the southwest corner of township thirteen (13)south, range ninety-six (96) west; thence southerly along the rangeline between ranges ninety-six (96) and ninety-seven (97) west to thesouthwest corner of township fourteen (14) south, range ninety-six(96) west; thence easterly along the township line between townshipsfourteen (14) and fifteen (15) south to the southeast corner ofsection thirty-three (33), township fourteen (14) south, rangeninety-five (95) west; thence northerly along the section line betweensections thirty-three (33) and thirty-four (34), twenty-seven (27) andtwenty-eight (28), twenty-one (21) and twenty-two (22), fifteen (15)and sixteen (16), nine (9) and ten (10), and three (3) and four (4), townships fourteen (14) and thirteen (13) south, range ninety-five (95)west, and sections thirty-three (33) and thirty-four (34), twenty-seven(27) and twenty-eight (28), and twenty-one (21) and twenty-two (22), township twelve (12) south, range ninety-five (95) west, to thesoutheast corner of section sixteen (16) of said township and range;thence easterly along the section line between sections fifteen (15) andtwenty-two (22), fourteen (14) and twenty-three (23), and thirteen (13)and twenty-four (24), township twelve (12) south, range ninety-five (95)west, and sections eighteen (18) and nineteen (19), seventeen (17)and twenty (20), sixteen (16) and twenty-one (21), fifteen (15) andtwenty-two (22), fourteen (14) and twenty-three (23), and thirteen (13)and twenty-four (24), township twelve (12) south, range (94) west, tothe south west corner of section eighteen (18), township twelve (12)south, range ninety-three (93) west; thence southerly along the rangeline between ranges ninety-three (93) and ninety-four (94) west to thesouthwest corner of township twelve (12) south, range ninety-three (93)west; thence easterly along the township line between townships twelve(12) and thirteen (13) south to the southeast corner of township twelve(12) south, range ninety-two (92) west; thence northerly along the rangeline between ranges ninety-one (91) and ninety-two (92) west to thesoutheast corner of township eleven (11) south, range ninety-two (92)west; thence easterly along the township line between townships eleven(11) and twelve (12) south to the southwest corner of township eleven(11) south, range ninety (90) west; thence southerly along the rangeline between ranges ninety (90) and ninety-one (91) west to thesouthwest corner of township twelve (12) south, range ninety (90) west;thence easterly along the township line between townships twelve (12)and thirteen (13) south to the southeast corner of township twelve (12)south, range eighty-nine (89) west; thence northerly along the surveyedand unsurveyed range line between ranges eighty-eight (88) andeighty-nine (89) west to the northeast corner of township eleven (11)south, range eighty-nine (89) west; thence easterly along the second(2d) correction line south to the southeast corner of township ten (10)south, range eighty-nine (89) west; thence northerly along the rangeline between ranges eighty-eight (88) and eighty-nine (89) west to thenortheast corner of township nine (9) south, range eighty-nine (89)west; thence westerly along the township line between townships eight(8) and nine (9) south to the northeast corner of township nine (9)south, range ninety (90) west; thence northerly along the range linebetween ranges eighty-nine (89) and ninety (90) west to the northeastcorner of township eight (8) south, range ninety (90) west; thencewesterly along the surveyed and unsurveyed township line betweentownships seven (7) and eight (8) south to the northeast corner oftownship eight (8) south, range ninety-three (93) west; thence northerlyalong the range line between ranges ninety-two (92) and ninety-three(93) west to the northeast corner of township seven (7) south, rangeninety-three (93) west, the place of beginning. 

Excepting from the force and effect of this proclamation all lands whichmay have been prior to the date hereof embraced in any legal entry orcovered by any lawful filing duly of record in the proper United Statesland office, or upon which any valid settlement has been made pursuantto law and the statutory period within which to make entry or filingof record has not expired, and all mining claims duly located and heldaccording to the laws of the United States and rules and regulationsnot in conflict therewith. 

_Provided_, That this exception shall not continue to apply to anyparticular tract of land unless the entryman, settler, or claimantcontinues to comply with the law under which the entry, filing, settlement, or location was made. 

Warning is hereby expressly given to all persons not to enter or makesettlement upon the tract of land reserved by this proclamation. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 24th day of December, A. D. 1892, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred andseventeenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JOHN W. FOSTER, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas, pursuant to section 3 of the act of Congress approved October1, 1890, entitled "An act to reduce the revenue and equalize duties onimports, and for other purposes, " the Secretary of State of the UnitedStates of America communicated to the Government of Salvador the actionof the Congress of the United States of America, with a view to securereciprocal trade, in declaring the articles enumerated in said section 3to be exempt from duty upon their importation into the United States ofAmerica; and

Whereas the minister for foreign affairs for the Republic of Salvadorhas communicated to the envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiaryof the United States to Salvador that the Congress of Salvador has bydue legal enactment authorized the executive power to conclude adefinitive commercial arrangement with the United States to supersedethe existing provisional arrangement; and

Whereas, in reciprocity for the admission into the United States ofAmerica free of all duty of the articles enumerated in section 3 of saidact, the Government of Salvador will admit free of all duty from andafter December 31, 1892, into all the established ports of entry ofSalvador the articles or merchandise named in the following schedule, provided that the same is the manufacture or product of the UnitedStates:

 PRODUCTS AND MANUFACTURES OF THE UNITED STATES TO BE ADMITTED INTO SALVADOR FREE OF CUSTOMS DUTIES AND OF ALL CHARGES, WHETHER NATIONAL OR PROVINCIAL. 

 1. Cotton-seed oil. 

 2. Live animals. 

 3. Tar, vegetable and mineral. 

 4. Wire, barbed, and staples for fences. 

 5. Apparatus for distilling liquors. 

 6. Plows, cultivators, hoes, axes, machetes, shovels, and rakes. 

 7. Quicksilver. 

 8. Barrels, casks, and tanks of iron for water. 

 9. Mineral ores. 

 10. Boats, lighters, tackle, anchors, chains, girtlines, sails, and all other articles for vessels, to be used in the ports, lakes, and rivers of the Republic. 

 11. Coal, mineral. 

 12. Roman cement and hydraulic lime. 

 13. Kettles for making salt. 

 14. Wooden staves, barrel heads and hoops. 

 15. Houses of wood and iron, complete and in parts. 

 16. Beans, potatoes, and onions. 

 17. Fruits, fresh. 

 18. Guano and other fertilizers, natural and artificial. 

 19. Guys for mining purposes. 

 20. Hay and straw for forage. 

 21. Furnaces and instruments for assaying metals. 

 22. Scientific instruments. 

 23. Loadstones. 

 24. Bricks, fire bricks, and crucibles for melting. 

 25. Hops. 

 26. Printed books, pamphlets and newspapers, bound or unbound, maps, photographs, printed music, and paper for music. 

 27. Corn, rice, barley, and rye. 

 28. Marble, dressed, for furniture, statues, fountains, gravestones, and building purposes. 

 29. Machinery of all kinds, including sewing machines, and separate or extra parts for the same. 

 30. Materials of all kinds for the construction and operation of railroads. 

 31. Materials of all kinds for the construction and operation of telegraphic and telephonic lines. 

 32. Materials of all kinds for lighting by electricity and gas. 

 33. Materials of all kinds for the construction of wharves in ports, lakes, or rivers. 

 34. Wood of all kinds for building, in trunks or pieces, beams, rafters, planks, boards, shingles, and flooring. 

 35. Molds for making sugar. 

 36. Models of machinery and buildings. 

 37. Printing materials, including presses, ink, and all other accessories. 

 38. Samples of merchandise the duties on which do not exceed $1. 

 39. Gold and silver in bars, dust, or coin. 

 40. Preparations of flour in biscuits, crackers, not sweetened, macaroni, vermicelli, and tallarin. 

 41. Plates of iron for building purposes. 

 42. Kettles for making sugar. 

 43. Sulphate of quinine. 

 44. Tubes of iron and all other accessories for water supply. 

 45. Wagons, carts, and carriages of all kinds, and separate parts for the same. 

 It is understood that the packages or coverings in which the articles named in the foregoing schedule are imported shall be free of duty if they are usual and proper for the purpose. 

And whereas the Government of Salvador has further stipulated that thelaws and regulations adopted to protect its revenue and prevent fraudin the declarations and proof that the articles named in the foregoingschedule are the product or manufacture of the United States of Americashall impose no additional charges on the importer nor unduerestrictions on the articles imported; and

Whereas the envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of theUnited States to Salvador has informed the Government of Salvadorthat its action in granting freedom of duties to the products andmanufactures of the United States of America on their importation intoSalvador is accepted as a due reciprocity for the action of Congressas set forth in section 3 of said act:

Now, therefore, be it known that I, Benjamin Harrison, President of theUnited States of America, have caused the above-stated modifications ofthe tariff laws of Salvador to be made public for the information of thecitizens of the United States of America. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 27th day of December, A. D. 1892, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred andseventeenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JOHN W. FOSTER, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas Congress by a statute approved March 22, 1882, and by statutesin furtherance and amendment thereof defined the crimes of bigamy, polygamy, and unlawful cohabitation in the Territories and other placeswithin the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States and prescribed apenalty for such crimes; and

Whereas on or about the 6th day of October, 1890, the Church of theLatter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon Church, through itspresident issued a manifesto proclaiming the purpose of said church nolonger to sanction the practice of polygamous marriages and calling uponall members and adherents of said church to obey the laws of the UnitedStates in reference to said subject-matter; and

Whereas it is represented that since the date of said declaration themembers and adherents of said church have generally obeyed said laws andhave abstained from plural marriages and polygamous cohabitation; and

Whereas by a petition dated December 19, 1891, the officials of saidchurch, pledging the membership thereof to a faithful obedience to thelaws against plural marriage and unlawful cohabitation, have applied tome to grant amnesty for past offenses against said laws, which request avery large number of influential non-Mormons residing in the Territorieshave also strongly urged; and

Whereas the Utah Commission in their report bearing date September15, 1892, recommend that said petition be granted and said amnestyproclaimed, under proper conditions as to the future observance of thelaw, with a view to the encouragement of those now disposed to becomelaw-abiding citizens; and

Whereas during the past two years such amnesty has been granted toindividual applicants in a very large number of cases, conditionedupon the faithful observance of the laws of the United States againstunlawful cohabitation, and there are now pending many more suchapplications:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, by virtue of the powers in me vested, do hereby declare and grant a fullamnesty and pardon to all persons liable to the penalties of said act byreason of unlawful cohabitation under the color of polygamous or pluralmarriage who have since November 1, 1890, abstained from such unlawfulcohabitation, but upon the express condition that they shall in thefuture faithfully obey the laws of the United States hereinbefore named, and not otherwise. Those who shall fail to avail themselves of theclemency hereby offered will be vigorously prosecuted. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 4th day of January, A. D. 1893, andof the Independence of the United States the one hundred andseventeenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JOHN W. FOSTER, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas it is provided by section 24 of the act of Congress approvedMarch 3, 1891, entitled "An act to repeal timber-culture laws, and forother purposes"--

 That the President of the United States may from time to time set apart and reserve in any State or Territory having public land bearing forests, in any part of the public lands wholly or in part covered with timber or undergrowth, whether of commercial value or not, as public reservations; and the President shall by public proclamation declare the establishment of such reservations and the limits thereof. 

And whereas the public lands in the State of California within thelimits hereinafter described are in part covered with timber, and itappears that the public good would be promoted by setting apart andreserving said lands as a public reservation:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested by section 24 of the aforesaid actof Congress, do hereby make known and proclaim that there is herebyreserved from entry or settlement and set apart as a public reservationall those certain tracts, pieces, or parcels of land lying and beingsituate in the State of California and within the boundariesparticularly described as follows, to wit:

Beginning at the northeast corner of township five (5) south, rangethirty (30) east, on the first (1st) standard parallel south, MountDiablo meridian, California; thence westerly along said first (1st)standard parallel to the northwest corner of township five (5) south, range twenty-one (21) east; thence southerly on the range line betweenranges twenty (20) and twenty-one (21) east to the southwest corner oftownship six (6) south, range twenty-one (21) east; thence easterly onthe township line between townships six (6) and seven (7) south to thesoutheast corner of township six (6) south, range twenty-one (21) east;thence southerly on the range line between ranges twenty-one (21) andtwenty-two (22) east to the southwest corner of township seven (7)south, range twenty-two (22) east; thence easterly along the townshipline between townships seven (7) and eight (8) south to the southeastcorner of township seven (7) south, range twenty-two (22) east; thencesoutherly along the range line between ranges twenty-two (22) andtwenty-three (23) east to the southwest corner of township eight (8)south, range twenty-three (23) east; thence easterly along the second(2d) standard parallel south to the northeast corner of township nine(9) south, range twenty-three (23) east; thence southerly along theunsurveyed and surveyed range line between ranges twenty-three (23) andtwenty-four (24) east to the southwest corner of township nine (9)south, range twenty-four (24) east; thence easterly along the townshipline between townships nine (9) and ten (10) south to the southeastcorner of township nine (9) south, range twenty-four (24) east; thencesoutherly along the range line between ranges twenty-four (24) andtwenty-five (25) east to the southwest corner of township ten (10)south, range twenty-five (25) east; thence easterly along the townshipline between townships ten (10) and eleven (11) south to the southeastcorner of township ten (10) south, range twenty-five (25) east; thencesoutherly along the unsurveyed and surveyed range line between rangestwenty-five (25) and twenty-six (26) east to the southwest corner oftownship twelve (12) south, range twenty-six (26) east; thence easterlyalong the third (3d) standard parallel south to the northwest cornerof township thirteen (13) south, range twenty-seven (27) east; thencesoutherly along the range line between ranges twenty-six (26) andtwenty-seven (27) east to the southwest corner of township thirteen (13)south, range twenty-seven (27) east; thence easterly along the townshipline between townships thirteen (13) and fourteen (14) south to thesoutheast corner of township thirteen (13) south, range twenty-seven(27) east; thence northerly along the boundary line of "General GrantNational Park" to the northwest corner, easterly the northeast corner, southerly to the southeast corner, and westerly to the southwest cornerof said park; thence southerly along the range line between rangestwenty-seven (27) and twenty-eight (28) east to the southwest cornerof township fourteen (14) south, range twenty-eight (28) east; thenceeasterly along the township line between townships fourteen (14) andfifteen (15) south to the southwest corner of township fourteen (14)south, range thirty-one (31) east; thence southerly along the range linebetween ranges thirty (30) and thirty-one (31) east to the fourth (4th)standard parallel south; thence westerly along said fourth (4th)standard parallel to the northwest corner of township seventeen (17)south, range thirty-one (31) east; thence southerly along the range linebetween ranges thirty (30) and thirty-one (31) east to the southwestcorner of township seventeen (17) south, range thirty-one (31) east;thence easterly along the township line between townships seventeen (17)and eighteen (18) south to the southeast corner of township seventeen(17) south, range thirty-one (31) east; thence southerly along the rangeline between ranges thirty-one (31) and thirty-two (32) east to thesouthwest corner of township eighteen (18) south, range thirty-two (32)east; thence westerly along the township line between townships eighteen(18) and nineteen (19) south to the northwest corner of townshipnineteen (19) south, range thirty (30) east; thence southerly along therange line between ranges twenty-nine (29) and thirty (30) east to thefifth (5th) standard parallel south; thence westerly along said fifth(5th) standard parallel to the northwest corner of township twenty-one(21) south, range thirty (30) east; thence southerly along the rangeline between ranges twenty-nine (29) and thirty (30) east to a point onsaid range line where it intersects the northern boundary line of the"Tule River Indian Reservation;" thence easterly and northeasterly alongthe northern boundary line of said reservation to the northeast cornerthereof, located in the southwest quarter of section twenty-one (21), township twenty-one (21) south, range thirty-one (31) east; thencesoutherly along the eastern boundary of said reservation to thesoutheast corner thereof, located in the northwest quarter of sectionthirty-three (33), township twenty-two (22) south, range thirty-one (31)east; thence westerly and southwesterly along the southern boundary ofsaid reservation to a point where it is intersected by the range linebetween ranges twenty-nine (29) and thirty (30) east; thence southerlyalong said range line to the southwest corner of township twenty-three(23) south, range thirty (30) east; thence easterly along the townshipline between townships twenty-three (23) and twenty-four (24) south tothe southeast corner of township twenty-three (23) south, range thirty(30) east; thence southerly along the range line between ranges thirty(30) and thirty-one (31) east to the sixth (6th) standard parallelsouth; thence westerly along said sixth (6th) standard parallel to thenorthwest corner of township twenty-five (25) south, range thirty-one(31) east; thence southerly along the range line between ranges thirty(30) and thirty-one (31) east to the southwest corner of townshiptwenty-six (26) south, range thirty-one (31) east; thence westerly alongthe township line between townships twenty-six (26) and twenty-seven(27) south to the northwest corner of township twenty-seven (27) south, range thirty (30) east; thence southerly along the range line betweenranges twenty-nine (29) and thirty (30) east to the seventh (7th)standard parallel south; thence easterly along said seventh (7th)standard parallel to the southeast corner of township twenty-eight (28)south, range thirty-seven (37) east; thence northerly along the rangeline between ranges thirty-seven (37) and thirty-eight (38) east to thesixth (6th) standard parallel south; thence easterly along said sixth(6th) standard parallel to the southeast corner of township twenty-four(24) south, range thirty-seven (37) east; thence northerly along therange line between ranges thirty-seven (37) and thirty-eight (38) eastto the northeast corner of township twenty-four (24) south, rangethirty-seven (37) east; thence easterly along the township line betweentownships twenty-three (23) and twenty-four (24) south to the southeastcorner of township twenty-three (23) south, range thirty-seven (37)east; thence northerly along the range line between ranges thirty-seven(37) and thirty-eight (38) east to the fifth (5th) standard parallelsouth; thence westerly along said fifth (5th) standard parallel south tothe southeast corner of section thirty-one (31), township twenty (20)south, range thirty-seven (37) east; thence northerly along the westernboundary line of sections thirty-two (32), twenty-nine (29), twenty(20), seventeen (17), eight (8), and five (5) to the northwest corner ofsection five (5) in said township and range; thence westerly along thetownship line between townships nineteen (19) and twenty (20) south tothe southeast corner of township nineteen (19) south, range thirty-six(36) east; thence northerly along the range line between rangesthirty-six (36) and thirty-seven (37) east to the quarter-section corneron the east line of section thirty-six (36), township nineteen (19)south, range thirty-six (36) east, westerly on a line through thecenters of sections thirty-six (36) and thirty-five (35) to the centerof section thirty-five (35), northerly on a line through the centersof sections thirty-five (35), twenty-six (26), twenty-three (23), andfourteen (14) to the center of section fourteen (14), easterly on a linethrough the center of section fourteen (14) to the quarter-sectioncorner between said section fourteen (14) and section thirteen (13), and northerly along the section lines on the west boundary of sectionsthirteen (13), twelve (12), and one (1) to the northwest corner ofsection one (1), all of said township and range; thence northerly alongthe section lines on the west boundary of sections thirty-six (36) andtwenty-five (25), township eighteen (18) south, range thirty-six (36)east, to the northwest corner of said section twenty-five (25), easterlyalong the section line between sections twenty-four (24) and twenty-five(25) to the quarter-section corner between said sections, northerlythrough the centers of sections twenty-four (24) and thirteen (13) tothe quarter-section corner between sections thirteen (13) and twelve(12), westerly along the section line to the southwest corner of sectiontwelve (12), and northerly along the section lines on the west boundaryof sections twelve (12) and one (1) to the northwest corner of sectionone (1) of said township and range; thence northerly along the sectionline on the west boundary of section thirty-six (36), township seventeen(17) south, range thirty-six (36) east, to the quarter-section cornerbetween sections thirty-five (35) and thirty-six (36), westerly to thecenter of section thirty-five (35), northerly on a line through thecenters of sections thirty-five (35), twenty-six (26), twenty-three(23), fourteen (14), and eleven (11) to the quarter-section cornerbetween sections eleven (11) and two (2), westerly along the sectionline to the southwest corner of section two (2), and northerly along thesection line to the northwest corner of section two (2), all of saidtownship and range; thence westerly along the surveyed and unsurveyedline of the fourth (4th) standard parallel south to the southwest cornerof township sixteen (16) south, range thirty-four (34) east; thencenortherly along the range line between ranges thirty-three (33) andthirty-four (34) east to the northwest corner of township fifteen (15)south, range thirty-four (34) east; thence easterly along the townshipline between townships fourteen (14) and fifteen (15) south to thesouthwest corner of township fourteen (14) south, range thirty-five (35)east; thence northerly on the range line between ranges thirty-four (34)and thirty-five (35) east to the northwest corner of township fourteen(14) south, range thirty-five (35) east; thence westerly along thetownship line between townships thirteen (13) and fourteen (14) south tothe southwest corner of section thirty-five (35), township thirteen (13)south, range thirty-four (34) east, northerly along the section lineto the quarter-section corner between sections thirty-four (34) andthirty-five (35), westerly to the center of section thirty-four (34), northerly on a line through the centers of sections thirty-four (34) andtwenty-seven (27) to the center of section twenty-seven (27), easterlythrough section twenty-seven (27) to the quarter-section corner betweensections twenty-seven (27) and twenty-six (26), northerly along thesection lines on the west boundary of sections twenty-six (26), twenty-three (23), fourteen (14), eleven (11), and two (2) to thenorthwest corner of west lot one (1) in section two (2), easterly tothe southwest corner of the east lot two (2) in section two (2), andnortherly to the northwest corner of the west half of east lot six (6), section two (2), all of said township and range; thence westerly alongthe third (3d) standard parallel south to the southwest corner ofsection thirty-four (34), township twelve (12) south, range thirty-four(34) east, northerly along the section line to the quarter-sectioncorner between sections thirty-four (34) and thirty-three (33), westerly to the center of section thirty-three (33), northerly tothe quarter-section corner between sections thirty-three (33) andtwenty-eight (28), westerly on the section line to the southwest cornerof section twenty-eight (28), northerly along the section lines on thewest boundary of sections twenty-eight (28), twenty-one (21), sixteen(16), nine (9), and four (4) to the quarter-section corner betweensections four (4) and five (5), westerly to the center of section five(5), and northerly to the quarter-section corner on the north boundaryof said section five (5), all of said township and range; thencewesterly along the township line between townships eleven (11) andtwelve (12) south to the southwest corner of section thirty-two (32), township eleven (11) south, range thirty-four (34) east, northerly alongthe section lines on the west boundary of sections thirty-two (32), twenty-nine (29), twenty (20), seventeen (17), and eight (8) to thequarter-section corner between sections seven (7) and eight (8), westerly on a line through the center of section seven (7), townshipeleven (11) south, range thirty-four (34) east, and sections twelve(12) and eleven (11), township eleven (11) south, range thirty-three(33) east, to the center of said section eleven (11), and northerlyon a central line through sections eleven (11) and two (2) to thequarter-section corner on the north line of section two (2), townshipeleven (11) south, range thirty-three (33) east; thence westerly on thetownship line between townships ten (10) and eleven (11) south to thesouthwest corner of section thirty-five (35), township ten (10) south, range thirty-three (33) east, northerly to the quarter-section cornerbetween sections thirty-five (35) and thirty-four (34), westerly to thecenter of section thirty-four (34), northerly on a line through thecenters of sections thirty-four (34), twenty-seven (27), and twenty-two(22) to the center of section twenty-two (22), easterly to the centerof section twenty-three (23), northerly through the centers of sectionstwenty-three (23), fourteen (14), and eleven (11) to the center ofsection eleven (11), easterly to the quarter-section corner betweensections eleven (11) and twelve (12), northerly along the section lineto the northwest corner of section twelve (12), easterly along thesection line to the quarter-section corner between sections twelve (12)and one (1), northerly to the center of section one (1), easterly tothe quarter-section corner on the east line of section one (1), andnortherly to the northeast corner of section one (1), all of saidtownship and range; thence westerly along the unsurveyed township linebetween townships ten (10) and nine (9) south to the southeast corner oftownship nine (9) south, range thirty-two (32) east; thence northerlyalong the range line between ranges thirty-two (32) and thirty-three(33) east to the northeast corner of township nine (9) south, rangethirty-two (32) east; thence westerly along the second (2d) standardparallel south to the southeast corner of township eight (8) south, range thirty-one (31) east; thence northerly along the surveyed andunsurveyed range line between ranges thirty-one (31) and thirty-two(32) east to the northeast corner of township eight (8) south, rangethirty-one (31) east; thence westerly along the township line betweentownships seven (7) and eight (8) south to the southeast corner oftownship seven (7) south, range thirty (30) east; thence northerly alongthe range line between ranges thirty (30) and thirty-one (31) east tothe northeast corner of township five (5) south, range thirty (30) east, the place of beginning. 

Excepting from the force and effect of this proclamation all lands whichmay have been prior to the date hereof embraced in any legal entry orcovered by any lawful filing duly of record in the proper United Statesland office, or upon which any valid settlement has been made pursuantto law and the statutory period within which to make entry or filingof record has not expired, and all mining claims duly located and heldaccording to the laws of the United States and the rules and regulationsnot in conflict therewith. 

_Provided_, That this exception shall not continue to apply to anyparticular tract of land unless the entryman, settler, or claimantcontinues to comply with the law under which the entry, filing, settlement, or location was made. 

Warning is hereby expressly given to all persons not to enter or makesettlement upon the tract of land reserved by this proclamation. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 14th day of February, A. D. 1893, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred andseventeenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JOHN W. FOSTER, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas it is provided by section 24 of the act of Congress approvedMarch 3, 1891, entitled "An act to repeal timber-culture laws, and forother purposes"--

 That the President of the United States may from time to time set apart and reserve in any State or Territory having public land bearing forests, in any part of the public lands wholly or in part covered with timber or undergrowth, whether of commercial value or not, as public reservations; and the President shall by public proclamation declare the establishment of such reservations and the limits thereof. 

And whereas the public lands in the State of Washington within thelimits hereinafter described are in part covered with timber, and itappears that the public good would be promoted by setting apart andreserving said lands as a public reservation:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested by section 24 of the aforesaid actof Congress, do hereby make known and proclaim that there is herebyreserved from entry or settlement and set apart as a public reservationall those certain tracts, pieces, or parcels of land lying and beingsituate in the State of Washington and within the boundariesparticularly described as follows, to wit:

Beginning at the southwest corner of township thirteen (13) north, rangefifteen (15) east of the Willamette base and meridian; thence northerlyalong the surveyed and unsurveyed range line between ranges fourteen(14) and fifteen (15) east, subject to the proper easterly or westerlyoffset on the fourth (4th) standard parallel north, to the point forthe northeast corner of township eighteen (18) north, range fourteen(14) east; thence westerly along the unsurveyed township line betweentownships eighteen (18) and nineteen (19) north to the southeast cornerof township nineteen (19) north, range seven (7) east; thence southerlyalong the unsurveyed range line between ranges seven (7) and eight (8)east, subject to the proper easterly or westerly offsets on the townshipline between townships seventeen (17) and eighteen (18) north, and thefourth (4th) standard parallel north to the point for the southwestcorner of township thirteen (13) north, range eight (8) east; thenceeasterly along the unsurveyed township line between townships twelve(12) and thirteen (13) north to the southwest corner of townshipthirteen (13) north, range fifteen (15) east, the place of beginning. 

Excepting from the force and effect of this proclamation all lands whichmay have been prior to the date hereof embraced in any legal entry orcovered by any lawful filing duly of record in the proper United Statesland office, or upon which any valid settlement has been made pursuantto law and the statutory period within which to make entry or filing ofrecord has not expired, and all mining claims duly located and heldaccording to the laws of the United States and rules and regulations notin conflict therewith. 

_Provided_, That this exception shall not continue to apply to anyparticular tract of land unless the entryman, settler, or claimantcontinues to comply with the law under which the entry, filing, settlement, or location was made. 

Warning is hereby expressly given to all persons not to enter or makesettlement upon the tract of land reserved by this proclamation. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 20th day of February, A. D. 1893 andof the independence of the United States the one hundred andseventeenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JOHN W. FOSTER, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas it is provided by section 24 of the act of Congress approvedMarch 3, 1891, entitled "An act to repeal timber-culture laws, and forother purposes"--

 That the President of the United States may from time to time set apart and reserve in any State or Territory having public land bearing forests, in any part of the public lands wholly or in part covered with timber or undergrowth, whether of commercial value or not, as public reservations; and the President shall by public proclamation declare the establishment of such reservations and the limits thereof. 

And whereas the public lands in the Territory of Arizona within thelimits hereinafter described are in part covered with timber, and itappears that the public good would be promoted by setting apart andreserving said lands as a public reservation:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested by section 24 of the aforesaid actof Congress, do hereby make known and proclaim that there is herebyreserved from entry or settlement and set apart as a public reservationall those certain tracts, pieces, or parcels of land lying and beingsituate in the Territory of Arizona and within the boundariesparticularly described as follows, to wit:

Beginning at the point of intersection of the parallel of thirty-six(36) degrees thirty (30) minutes north latitude with the meridian of onehundred and eleven (111) degrees forty-five (45) minutes of longitudewest from Greenwich; thence westerly along said parallel of latitudeto its intersection with the meridian of one hundred and twelve (112)degrees forty-five (45) minutes west longitude; thence southerly alongsaid meridian of longitude to its intersection with the parallel ofthirty-five (35) degrees forty-five (45) minutes north latitude; thenceeasterly along said parallel of latitude to its intersection with themeridian of one hundred and eleven (111) degrees forty-five (45) minuteswest longitude; thence northerly along said meridian of longitude to itsintersection with the parallel of thirty-six (36) degrees thirty (30)minutes north latitude, the place of beginning. 

Excepting from the force and effect of this proclamation all lands whichmay have been prior to the date hereof embraced in any legal entry orcovered by any lawful filing duly of record in the proper United Statesland office, or upon which any valid settlement has been made pursuantto law and the statutory period within which to make entry or filingof record has not expired, and all mining claims duly located and heldaccording to the laws of the United States and rules and regulationsnot in conflict therewith. 

_Provided_, That this exception shall not continue to apply to anyparticular tract of land unless the entryman, settler, or claimantcontinues to comply with the law under which the entry, filing, settlement, or location was made. 

Warning is hereby expressly given to all persons not to enter or makesettlement upon the tract of land reserved by this proclamation. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 20th day of February, A. D. 1893, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred andseventeenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JOHN W. FOSTER, _Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas by my proclamation of August 18, 1892, [36] and in pursuance ofthe authority conferred on me by an act of Congress approved July 26, 1892, entitled "An act to enforce the reciprocal commercial relationsbetween the United States and Canada, and for other purposes, "I directed "that from and after September 1, 1892, until further noticea toll of 20 cents per ton be levied, collected, and paid on all freightof whatever kind or description passing through the St. Marys FallsCanal in transit to any port of the Dominion of Canada, whether carriedin vessels of the United States or of other nations, " and to that extentthereby suspended "from and after said date the right of free passagethrough said St. Marys Falls Canal of any and all cargoes or portionsof cargoes in transit to Canadian ports;" and

Whereas the above order was issued in consequence of the impositionby the government of the Dominion of Canada of a discriminating tollwhereby unjust and unreasonable burdens were placed, in violationof Article XXVII of the treaty of Washington, upon the carrying ofpassengers and cargoes through the Welland Canal in transit to ports ofthe United States, as is fully set forth in the said proclamation; and

Whereas by an order in council dated February 13, 1893, theGovernor-General of the Dominion of Canada has directed that--

 For the season of 1893 the canal tolls for the passage of the following food products, wheat, Indian corn, pease, barley, rye, oats, flaxseed, and buckwheat, for passage eastward through the Welland Canal be 10 cents per ton, and for passage westward through the St. Lawrence canals only 10 cents per ton; payment of the said toll of 10 cents per ton for passage through the Welland Canal to entitle these products to free passage through the St. Lawrence canals. 

And whereas I have received satisfactory assurances that this orderrevokes during the season of 1893 the discriminating provisions abovereferred to and secures to citizens of the United States equality withBritish subjects as regards the use of said canals:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States ofAmerica, by virtue of the said act of Congress approved July 26, 1892, do hereby declare and proclaim that from and after the date hereof anduntil further notice the provisions of my said proclamation of August18, 1892, [37] are suspended in so far as they direct that a toll of 20cents per ton be levied, collected, and paid on all freight of whateverkind or description passing through the St. Marys Falls Canal in transitto any port of the Dominion of Canada, whether carried in vessels of theUnited States or of other nations. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 21st day of February, 1893, and ofthe independence of the United States of America the one hundred andseventeenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JOHN W. FOSTER, _Secretary of State_. 

[Footnote 36: See pp. 290-292. ]

[Footnote 37: See pp. 290-292. ]

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas it is provided by section 24 of the act of Congress approvedMarch 3, 1891, entitled "An act to repeal timber-culture laws, and forother purposes"--

 That the President of the United States may from time to time set apart and reserve in any State or Territory having public land bearing forests, in any part of the public lands wholly or in part covered with timber or undergrowth, whether of commercial value or not, as public reservations; and the President shall by public proclamation declare the establishment of such reservations and the limits thereof. 

And whereas the public lands in the State of California within thelimits hereinafter described are in part covered with timber, and itappears that the public good would be promoted by setting apart andreserving said lands as a public reservation:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested by section 24 of the aforesaid actof Congress, do hereby make known and proclaim that there is herebyreserved from entry or settlement and set apart as a public reservationall those certain tracts, pieces, or parcels of land lying and beingsituate in the State of California and within the boundariesparticularly described as follows, to wit:

Beginning at the northeast corner of section thirteen (13), townshipfive (5) south, range six (6) west, of the San Bernardino base andmeridian; thence westerly along the surveyed and unsurveyed section lineto the point for the southwest corner of section ten (10), said townshipand range; thence northerly along the surveyed and unsurveyed sectionline to the northwest corner of section three (3), said township andrange; thence westerly along the surveyed and unsurveyed township lineto the point for the northwest corner of section three (3), townshipfive (5) south, range seven (7) west; thence southerly along thesurveyed and unsurveyed section line to the southeast corner of sectionthirty-three (33), said township and range; thence easterly along thesurveyed and unsurveyed township line to the northeast corner oftownship six (6) south, range seven (7) west; thence southerly to thesouthwest corner of township five (5) south, range six (6) west; thenceeasterly to the point for the quarter-section corner on the north lineof section six (6), township six (6) south, range six (6) west; thencesoutherly on a central line to the center of section nineteen (19), saidtownship and range; thence easterly to the quarter-section corner on theeast boundary of said section nineteen (19); thence southerly on thesection line to the point of intersection with the north boundary of the"Rancho Mission Viejo or La Paz;" thence in a southeasterly directionalong said boundary line to the point of intersection with the townshipline between townships six (6) and seven (7) south; thence easterlyalong said township line to the southeast corner of township six (6)south, range six (6) west; thence northerly along the range line betweenranges five (5) and six (6) west to the northeast corner of sectionthirteen (13), township five (5) south, range six (6) west, the placeof beginning. 

Excepting from the force and effect of this proclamation all lands whichmay have been prior to the date hereof embraced in any legal entry orcovered by any lawful filing duly of record in the proper United Statesland office, or upon which any valid settlement has been made pursuantto law and the statutory period within which to make entry or filing ofrecord has not expired, and all mining claims duly located and heldaccording to the laws of the United States and rules and regulations notin conflict therewith. 

_Provided_, That this exception shall not continue to apply to anyparticular tract of land unless the entryman, settler, or claimantcontinues to comply with the law under which the entry, filing, settlement, or location was made. 

Warning is hereby expressly given to all persons not to enter or makesettlement upon the tract of land reserved by this proclamation. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 25th day of February, A. D. 1893, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred andseventeenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: WILLIAM F. WHARTON, _Acting Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas it is provided by section 24 of the act of Congress approvedMarch 3, 1891, entitled "An act to repeal timber-culture laws, and forother purposes"--

 That the President of the United States may from time to time set apart and reserve in any State or Territory having public land bearing forests, in any part of the public lands wholly or in part covered with timber or undergrowth, whether of commercial value or not, as public reservations; and the President shall by public proclamation declare the establishment of such reservations and the limits thereof. 

And whereas the public lands in the State of California within thelimits hereinafter described are in part covered with timber, and itappears that the public good would be promoted by setting apart andreserving said lands as a public reservation:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested by section 24 of the aforesaid actof Congress, do hereby make known and proclaim that there is herebyreserved from entry or settlement and set apart as a public reservationall those certain tracts, pieces, or parcels of land lying and beingsituate in the State of California and within the boundariesparticularly described as follows, to wit:

Beginning at the northwest corner of township three (3) north, rangefive (5) west, San Bernardino meridian, California; thence southerlyalong the surveyed and unsurveyed range line between ranges five (5) andsix (6) west to the northwest corner of section eighteen (18), townshipone (1) north, range five (5) west; thence easterly along the sectionline between sections seven (7) and eighteen (18) to the westernboundary of the "Rancho Muscupiabe;" thence easterly, following thewestern and northern boundary of said rancho, to the point where saidboundary intersects the section line between sections nineteen (19)and thirty (30), township one (1) north, range three (3) west; thenceeasterly along the section lines to the northeast corner of sectiontwenty-five (25), said township and range; thence southerly alongthe range line between ranges two (2) and three (3) west to the SanBernardino base line; thence easterly along said base line to thenortheast corner of section four (4), township one (1) south, range two(2) west, southerly along the unsurveyed and surveyed section lines tothe northeast corner of section (16), easterly along the section linesto the northeast corner of section thirteen (13), and southerly to thesoutheast corner of section thirteen (13), all of said township andrange; thence easterly to a point for the center of township one (1)south, range one (1) west; thence southerly to a point for the southwestcorner of section thirty-four (34) in said township and range; thenceeasterly along the surveyed and unsurveyed township line betweentownships one (1) and two (2) south to the San Bernardino meridian;thence southerly along said meridian to the northeast corner of townshipthree (3) south, range one (1) west; thence easterly through the MarongeIndian Reservation to the southeast corner of township two (2) south, range three (3) east; thence northerly along the surveyed and unsurveyedrange line to the northeast corner of said township; thence easterly toa point for the southeast corner of township one (1) south, range four(4) east; thence northerly along the surveyed and unsurveyed range linebetween ranges four (4) and five (5) east to the northeast corner ofsection twenty-four (24), township three (3) north, range four (4) east;thence westerly along the surveyed and unsurveyed section lines to thesouthwest corner of section eighteen (18), township three (3) north, range (3) east; thence northerly along the range line between ranges two(2) and three (3) east to the northeast corner of township three (3)north, range two (2) east; thence westerly along the township linebetween townships three (3) and four (4) north to the northwest cornerof township three (3) north, range (5) west, the place of beginning. 

Excepting from the force and effect of this proclamation all lands whichmay have been prior to the date hereof embraced in any legal entry orcovered by any lawful filing duly of record in the proper United Statesland office, or upon which any valid settlement has been made pursuantto law and the statutory period within which to make entry or filingof record has not expired, and all mining claims duly located and heldaccording to the laws of the United States and rules and regulationsnot in conflict therewith. 

_Provided_, That this exception shall not continue to apply to anyparticular tract of land unless the entryman, settler, or claimantcontinues to comply with the law under which the entry, filing, settlement, or location was made. 

Warning is hereby expressly given to all persons not to enter or makesettlement upon the tract of land reserved by this proclamation. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal ofthe United States to be affixed. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 25th day of February, A. D. 1893, and of the impendence Of the United States the one hundred andseventeenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: WILLIAM F. WHARTON, _Acting Secretary of State_. 

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

A PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas public interests require that the Senate should be convened at12 o'clock on the 4th day of March next to receive such communicationsas may be made by the Executive:

Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, dohereby proclaim and declare that an extraordinary occasion requires theSenate of the United States to convene at the Capitol, in the city ofWashington, on the 4th day of March next, at 12 o'clock noon, of whichall persons who shall at that time be entitled to act as members of thatbody are hereby required to take notice. 

Given under my hand and the seal of the United States, at Washington, this 25th day of February, A. D. 1893, and of the Independence of theUnited States of America the one hundred and seventeenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: WILLIAM F. WHARTON, _Acting Secretary of State_. 

EXECUTIVE ORDERS. 

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES. 

JANUARY 5, 1893. 

Section 2 of Postal Rule 1 is hereby amended so as to read as follows:

 The classification of the postal service made by the Postmaster-General under section 6 of the act of January 16, 1883, is hereby extended to all free-delivery post-offices; and hereafter whenever any post-office becomes a free-delivery office the said classification or any then existing classification made by the Postmaster-General under said section and act shall apply thereto; and the Civil Service Commission shall provide examinations to test the fitness of persons to fill vacancies in all free-delivery post-offices, and these rules shall be in force therein; but this shall not include any post-office made an experimental free-delivery office under the authority contained in the appropriation act of March 3, 1891. Every revision of the classification of any post-office under section 6 of the act of January 16, 1883, and every inclusion of a post-office within the classified postal service shall be reported to the President. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

GENERAL ORDERS, No. 4. 

HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, _Washington, January 19, 1893_. 

I. The following proclamation [order] has been received from thePresident:

 EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, D. C. , January 18, 1893_. 

 _To the People of the United States_:

 The death of Rutherford B. Hayes, who was President of the United States from March 4, 1877, to March 4, 1881, at his home in Fremont, Ohio, at 11 p. M. Yesterday, is an event the announcement of which will be received with very general and very sincere sorrow. His public service extended over many years and over a wide range of official duty. He was a patriotic citizen, a lover of the flag and of our free institutions, an industrious and conscientious civil officer, a soldier of dauntless courage, a loyal comrade and friend, a sympathetic and helpful neighbor, and the honored head of a happy Christian home. He has steadily grown in the public esteem, and the impartial historian will not fail to recognize the conscientiousness, the manliness, and the courage that so strongly characterized his whole public career. 

 As an expression of the public sorrow it is ordered that the Executive Mansion and the several Executive Departments at Washington be draped in mourning and the flags thereon placed at half-staff for a period of thirty days, and that on the day of the funeral all public business in the Departments be suspended, and that suitable military and naval honors, under the orders of the Secretaries of War and of the Navy, be rendered on that day. 

 [SEAL. ]

 Done at the city of Washington, this 18th day of January, A. D. 1893, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and seventeenth. 

 BENJ. HARRISON. 

 By the President: JOHN W. FOSTER, _Secretary of State_. 

II. In compliance with the instructions of the President, on the dayof the funeral, at each military post, the troops and cadets will beparaded and this order read to them, after which all labors of theday will cease. 

The national flag will be displayed at half-staff. 

At dawn of day thirteen guns will be fired, and afterwards at intervalsof thirty minutes between the rising and setting of the sun a singlegun, and at the close of the day a national salute of forty-four guns. 

The officers of the Army will wear crape on the left arm and on theirswords and the colors of the Battalion of Engineers, of the severalregiments, and of the United States Corps of Cadets will be put inmourning for a period of six months. 

The date of the funeral will be communicated to department commanders bytelegraph, and by them to their subordinate commanders. 

By command of Major-General Schofield:

R. WILLIAMS, _Adjutant-General_. 

GENERAL ORDER No. 406. 

NAVY DEPARTMENT, _Washington, D. C. , January 19, 1893_. 

The President of the United States announces the death of ex-PresidentRutherford B. Hayes in the following proclamation [order]:

[For order see preceding page. ]

It is hereby directed, in pursuance of the instructions of thePresident, that on the day of the funeral, where this order may bereceived in time, otherwise on the day after its receipt, the ensign ateach naval station and of each of the vessels of the United States Navyin commission be hoisted at half-mast from sunrise to sunset, and ateach naval station and on board of flagships and vessels acting singlya gun be fired at intervals of every half hour from sunrise to sunset. 

The officers of the Navy and Marine Corps will wear the usual badge ofmourning attached to the sword hilt and on the left arm for a period ofthirty days. 

JAMES R. SOLEY, _Acting Secretary of the Navy_. 

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, January 27, 1893_. 

_To the People of the United States_:

It is my painful duty to announce to the people of the United States thedeath of James Gillespie Blaine, which occurred in this city to-day at11 o'clock. 

For a full generation this eminent citizen has occupied a conspicuousand influential position in the nation. His first public service was inthe legislature of his State. Afterwards for fourteen years he was amember of the national House of Representatives, and was three timeschosen its Speaker. In 1876 he was elected to the Senate. He resignedhis seat in that body in 1881 to accept the position of Secretary ofState in the Cabinet of President Garfield. After the tragic deathof his chief he resigned from the Cabinet, and, devoting himself toliterary work, gave to the public in his Twenty Years of Congress amost valuable and enduring contribution to our political literature. In March, 1889, he again became Secretary of State, and continued toexercise this office until June, 1892. His devotion to the publicinterests, his marked ability, and his exalted patriotism have won forhim the gratitude and affection of his countrymen and the admirationof the world. In the varied pursuits of legislation, diplomacy, andliterature his genius has added new luster to American citizenship. 

As a suitable expression of the national appreciation of his greatpublic services and of the general sorrow caused by his death, I directthat on the day of his funeral all the Departments of the executivebranch of the Government at Washington be closed, and that on all publicbuildings throughout the United States the national flag shall bedisplayed at half-staff, and that for a period of thirty days theDepartment of State be draped in mourning. 

[SEAL. ]

Done at the city of Washington, this 27th day of January, A. D. 1893, andof the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred andseventeenth. 

BENJ. HARRISON. 

By the President: JOHN W. FOSTER, _Secretary of State_.