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CONGRESS, UNITED STATES. (PBESIDENT'S MESSAGE.) 



In the nature of things it involves so many ques- 

 tions of detail that your deliberations would probably 

 be aided slightly, if at all, by any particular sugges- 

 tions which I might now submit. 



I avow my belief, however, that the Government 

 should be authorized by law to exercise some sort of 

 supervision over interstate telegraphic communica- 

 tion, and I express the hope that for attaining that 

 end some measure may be devised which will receive 

 your approbation. 



The Attorney-General criticises in his report the 

 provisions of existing laws fixing the fees of jurors 

 and witnesses in the Federal courts. These provisions 

 are chiefly contained in the act of February 26, 1853, 

 though some of them were introduced into that act 

 from statutes which had been passed many years pre- 

 vious. It is manifest that such compensation as might 

 when these laws were enacted have been just and rea- 

 sonable would, in many instances, be justly regarded 

 at the present day as inadequate. I concur with the 

 Attorney-General in the belief that the statutes should 

 be revised by which these fees are regulated. 



So, too, should the laws which regulate the com- 

 pensation of district attorneys and marshals. They 

 should be paid wholly by salaries instead of hi part 

 by fees, as is now the case. 



The change would prove to be a measure of econo- 

 my, and would discourage the institution of needless 

 and oppressive legal proceedings, which, it' is to be 

 feared, nave in some instances been conducted for the 

 mere sake of personal gain. 



Much interesting and varied information is con- 

 tained in the report of the Secretary of the Interior. 



I particularly call your attention to his presentation 

 of certain phases of the Indian question, to his rec- 

 ommendations for the repeal of the pre-emption and 

 timber-culture acts, and for more stringent legislation 

 to prevent frauds under the pension laws. The stat- 

 utes which prescribe the definitions and punishments 

 of crimes relating to pensions could, doubtless, be 

 made more effective by certain amendments and ad- 

 ditions which are pointed out in the Secretary's re- 

 port. 



I have previously referred to the alarming state of 

 illiteracy in certain portions of the country, and again 

 submit for the consideration of Congress whether some 

 Federal aid should not be extended to public primary 

 education wherever adequate provision therefor has 

 not already been made. 



The Utan Commission has submitted to the Secre- 

 tary of the Interior its second annual report. As a 

 result of its labors in supervising the recent election 

 in that Territory, pursuant to the act of March 22, 1882, 

 it appears that persons by that act disqualified to the 

 number of about 12,000 were excluded from the polls. 

 This fact, however, affords little cause for congratu- 

 lation, and I fear that it is far from indicating any 

 real and substantial progress toward the extirpation 

 of polygamy. All the members-elect of the Legisla- 

 ture are Mormons. There is grave reason to believe 

 that they are in sympathy with the practices that this 

 Government is seeking to suppress, and that its efforts 

 in that regard will be more likely to encounter their 

 opposition than to receive their encouragement and 

 support. Even if this view should happily be erro- 

 neous, the law under which the commissioners have 

 been acting should bo made more effective by the in- 

 corporation of some such stringent amendments as 

 they recommend, and as were included in bill No. 

 2,238 on the calendar of the Senate at its last session. 



I am convinced, however, that polygamy has be- 

 come so strongly intrenched in the Territory of Utah 

 that it is profitless to attack it with any but the stoutest 

 weapons which constitutional legislation can fashion. 

 I favor, therefore, the repeal of the act upon which 

 the existing government depends, the assumption by 

 the national Legislature of the entire political control 

 of the Territory, and the establishment of a commis- 

 sion with such powers and duties as shall be delegated 

 to it by law. 



The Department of Agriculture- is accomplishing 

 much in the direction of the agricultural development 

 of the country, and the report of the Commissioner, 

 giving the results of his investigations and experi- 

 ments, will be found interesting and valuable. 



At his instance, a convention of those interested in 

 the cattle industry of the country was lately held at 

 Chicago. The prevalence of pleuro-pneumonia and 

 other contagious diseases of animals was one of the 

 chief topics of discussion. A committee of the con- 

 vention will invite your co-operation in investigating 

 the causes of these diseases, and providing methods 

 for their prevention and cure. 



I trust that Congress will not fail at its present ses- 

 sion to put Alaska under the protection of law. Its 

 people have /repeatedly remonstrated against our neg- 

 lect to afford them the maintenance and protection 

 expressly guaranteed by the terms of the treaty 

 whereby that Territory was ceded to the United 

 States. For sixteen vears they have pleaded in vain 

 for that which they should have received without the 

 asking. 



They have no law for the collection of debts, the 

 support of education, the conveyance of property, the 

 administration of estates, or the enforcement of con- 

 tracts ; none indeed for the punishment of criminals, 

 except such as offend against certain customs, com- 

 merce, and navigation acts. 



The resources of Alaska, especially in fur, mines, 

 and lumber, are considerable in extent, and capable 

 of large development, while its geographical situation 

 is one of political and commercial importance. 



The promptings of interest, therefore, as well as 

 considerations of honor and good faith, demand the 

 immediate establishment of civil government in that 

 Territory^ 



Complaints have lately been numerous and urgent 

 that certain corporations, controlling in whole or in 

 part the facilities for the interstate carriage of persons 

 and merchandise over the great railroads of the coun- 

 try, have resorted in their dealings with the public to 

 divers measures unjust and oppressive in their char- 

 acter. 



In some instances the State governments have at- 

 tacked and suppressed these evils, but in others they 

 have been unable to afford adequate relief because of 

 the jurisdictional limitations which are imposed upon 

 them by the Federal Constitution. 



The question how far the national Government 

 may lawfully interfere in the premises, and what, if 

 any, supervision or control it ought to exercise, is one 

 which merits your careful consideration. 



While we can not fail to recognize the importance 

 of the vast railway systems of the country, and their 

 great and beneficent influences upon the development 

 of our material wealth, we should, on the other nand, 

 remember that no individual, and no corporation, 

 ought to be invested with absolute power over the 

 interests of any other citizen, or class of citizens. The 

 right of these railway corporations to a fair and profit- 

 able return upon their investments, and to reasonable 

 freedom in their regulations, must be recognized ; but 

 it seems only just that, so far as its constitutional au- 

 thority will permit, Congress should protect the peo- 

 ple at large in their interstate traffic against acts of in- 

 justice which the State governments are powerless to 

 prevent. 



In my last annual message, I called attention to the 

 necessity^ of protecting, by suitable legislation, the 

 forests situated upon the public domain. In many 

 portions of the "West the pursuit of' general agricult- 

 ure is only made practicable by resort to irrigation, 

 while successful irrigation would itself be impossible 

 without the aid afforded by forests, in contributing to 

 the regularity and constancy of the supply of water. 



During the past year severe suffering and great loss 

 of property have been occasioned by profuse floods, 

 followed by periods of unusually low water, in many 

 of the great rivers of the country. 



These irregularities were in great measure caused 



