202 



CONGRESS. (PBESIDENT'S MESSAGE.) 



Schley. to whom was also assigned the superintend- 

 ence or the entire expedition. 



Immediately upon its arrival at Upernavik, the fleet 

 began the dangerous navigation of Melville Bay, and 

 in spite of every obstacle reached Littleton Island 

 on June 22, a fortnight earlier than any vessel had 

 before attained that point. On the same day it 

 crossed over to Cape Sabine, where Lieutenant Greely 

 and the other survivors of his party were discovered. 

 After taking on board the living and the bodies of the 

 dead the relief-ships sailed for St. John's, where they 

 arrived on July 17. They were appropriately received 

 at Portsmouth, N. H.. on August 1, and at New York 

 on August 8. One of the bodies was landed at the 

 former place. The others were put on shore at Gov- 

 ernor's Island, and, with the exception of one which 

 was interred in the national cemetery, were forwarded 

 thence to the destinations indicated' by friends. The 

 organization and conduct of this relief expedition 

 reflect great credit upon all who contributed to its 

 success. 



In this the last of the stated messages that I shall 

 have the honor to transmit to the Congress of the 

 United States, I can not too strongly urge upon its at- 

 tention the duty of restoring our navy as rapidly as 

 possible to the high state of efficiency which formerly 

 characterized it. As the long peace that has lulled 

 us into a sense of fancied security may at any time 

 be disturbed, it is plain that the policy of strength- 

 ening this arm of the service is dictated by considera- 

 tions of wise economy, of just regard for our i'uture 

 tranquillity, and of true appreciation of the dignity 

 and honor of the republic. 



The report of the Postmaster-General acquaints 

 you with the present condition and needs of the postal 

 service. 



It discloses the gratifying fact that the loss of reve- 

 nue from the reduction hi the rate of letter-postage 

 recommended in my message of December 4, 1882, 

 and effected by the act of March 3, 1883, has been 

 much less than was generally anticipated. My recom- 

 mendation of this reduction was based upon the be- 

 lief that the actual falling off in receipts from letter- 

 postages for the vear immediately succeeding the 

 change of rate would be $3,000,000. It has proved to 

 be only $2,275,000. 



This is a trustworthy indication that the revenue 

 will soon be restored to its former volume, by the 

 natural increase of sealed correspondence. 



I confidently repeat, therefore, the recommendation 

 of my last annual message, that the single-rate post- 

 age upon drop letters be reduced to one cent wherever 

 the payment of two cents is now required by law. 

 The double rate is only exacted at offices where the 

 carrier system is in operation, and it appears that at 

 those ofhces the increase in the tax upon local letters 

 defrays the cost not only of its own collection and 

 delivery, but of the collection and delivery of all 

 other mail matter. This is an inequality that ought 

 no longer to exist. 



I approve the recommendation of the Postmaster- 

 General that the unit of weight in the rating of first- 

 class matter should be one ounce instead of one half 

 ounce as it now is. In view of the statistics furnished 

 by the department it may well be doubted whether 

 the change would result in any loss of revenue; that 

 it would greatly promote the convenience of the pub- 

 lic is beyond dispute. 



The free-delivery system has been lately applied to 

 five cities, and the total number of offices in which 

 it is now in operation is one hundred and fifty -nine. 

 Experience ^ shows that its adoption, under proper 

 conditions, is equally an accommodation to the public 

 and an advantage to the postal service. It is more 

 than self-sustaining, and for the reasons urged by the 

 Postmaster- General may properly be extended. 



In the opinion of that officer it is important to pro- 

 vide means whereby exceptional dispatch in dealing 

 with letters in free-delivery offices may be secured 

 by payment of extraordinary postage. This scheme 



might be made effective by employment of a special 

 stamp, whose cost should be commensurate with the 

 expense of the extra service. 



In some of the large cities private express compa- 

 nies have undertaken to outstrip the Government 

 mail-carriers, by affording for the prompt transmis- 

 sion of letters better facilities than have hitherto been 

 at the command of the Post-Office. 



It has always been the policy of the Government to 

 discourage such enterprises, and hi no better mode 

 can that policy be maintained than in supplying the 

 public with the most efficient mail service that, with 

 due regard to its own best interests, can be furnished 

 for its accommodation. 



The Attorney-General renews the recommendation 

 contained in his report of last year touching the fees 

 of witnesses and jurors. 



He favors radical changes in the fee bill, the adop- 

 tion of a system by whicn attorneys and marshals of 

 the United States shall be compensated solely by sala- 

 ries, and the erection by the Government of a peni- 

 tentiary for the confinement of offenders against its 

 laws. 



Of the varied governmental concerns in charge of 

 the Interior Department the report of its Secretary 

 presents an interesting summary. Among the topics 

 deserving particular attention I refer you to his ob- 

 servations respecting our Indian affairs, the pre-emp- 

 tion and timber- culture acts, the failure ot railroad 

 companies to take title to lands granted by the Gov- 

 ernment, and the operations or the Pension-Office, 

 the Patent-Office, the Census Bureau, and the Bu- 

 reau of Education. 



Allusion has been made already to the circumstance 

 that, both as between the different Indian tribes and 

 as between the Indiana and the whites, the past year 

 has been one of unbroken peace. 



In this circumstance the President is glad to find 

 justification for the policy of the Government in its 

 dealing with the Indian question, and confirmation of 

 the views which were fully expressed in his first com- 

 munication to the Forty-seventh Congress. 



The Secretary urges anew the enactment of a statute 

 for the punishment of crimes committed on the Indian 

 reservations, and recommends the passage of the bill 

 now pending in the House of Representatives for the 

 purchase of a tract of 18,000 square miles from the 

 Sioux reservation. Both these measures are worthy 

 of approval. 



I concur with him also in advising the repeal of the 

 pre-emption law, the enactment of statutes resolving 

 the present legal complications touching lapsed grants 

 to railroad companies, and the funding of the debt of 

 the several Pacific railroads under such guarantee as 

 shall effectually secure its ultimate payment. 



The report of the Utah commission will be read 

 with interest. 



It discloses the results of recent legislation looking 

 to the prevention and punishment of polygamy in 

 that Territory. I still believe that if that abominable 

 practice can be suppressed by law it can only be by 

 the most radical legislation consistent with the re- 

 straints of the Constitution. 



I again recommend, therefore, that Congress assume 

 absolute political control of the Territory of Utah, 

 and provide for the appointment of ^ commissioners, 

 with such governmental powers as in its judgment 

 may justly and wisely be put into their hands. 



In the course of this communication reference has 

 more than once been made to the policy of this Gov- 

 ernment as regards the extension of our foreign trade. 

 It seems proper to declare the general principles that 

 should, in my opinion, underlie our national efforts in 

 this direction. 



The main conditions of the problem may be thus 

 stated: 



We are a people apt in mechanical pursuits and K 

 tile in invention ; we cover a vast extent of territory 

 rich in agricultural products and hi nearly all the raw 

 materials necessary for successful manufacture ; we 



