CONGRESS. (Tnu PRESIDENT'S MESSAOK) 



accuracy mi. I dispatch in distribution mi'l .! 

 (we'll attained. The report will be found 



'' full il' inter.-! nll.l surest ion, not niily t(. ('.in - 

 Imt I" th. '-.. thoughtful citi/eiis w ho may be 



I In kiloW What business liiftlliHls .-Illl ll l'i>r 



rtment nf public administration which most 

 ueln ,s all i.ur people. 



'.I' till- ll.-t to amend certain sections Ot 



^tatutcs relatiiii,' t.. lotteries, appi-otcd 

 . has been received with great iin.l de 

 popular tiiM.r. Tin- 1'ost otli. -i- l>i-].:irtinciit. 

 Uncut ..!' Justice ut once entered ii|M.n 

 nt ut' the law with sympathetic vigor. 

 he public mails have been larncU freed 

 tin- fraudulent ami demoralizing appeals and 

 rature emanating IV. .in the lot ten companies. 

 The construction ami equipment of the new ships 

 the navy have ma.le very satisfactory i>n>iriv. 

 ee Mnreh I, lss;i, nine new vessels have been put 

 f.iiiiiui>si.iii, mill during this winter tour more, 

 iiieludiii:.' on.- inoiiitor, w ill l.e milled. The const ruc- 

 .111 of the other \cssels ant liorixed is being pushed, 



in the Government and private yards, with en- 



, and watched with the most scrupulous t-aie. 

 he c\i -rimcllts eondlleted during tile year to test 

 relative resist in>: power of armor plates have been 

 valuable us t uttruet great atti'iition in Europe. 

 \ part of the work upon the new ships that is 

 threatened by unusual delay is the unnor plating, 

 id every cllort is being made to rediiee that t<> tlie 

 nimum. It is a source of congratulation that the 

 ieipated intluenee of tliesu modern Vessels upon 

 / 'A c'//y/> of the officers and seamen has been 

 'ly n-alixed. Confidence, and pride in the ship 

 tlie crew are equivalent to a secondary battery. 

 ur favorable eonsi.leratioii is invited to the recotii- 



ations of the Secretary. 

 The n-p. irt of the Secretary of the Interior exhibits 

 'th great fullness and clearness the vast work of 

 it department and the satisfactory results attained, 

 e sUirircstioiis made by him are earnest 1\ com- 

 nde.l to tlie consideration of Congltias. though they 

 i not all be given particular mention here. 



The se\eral acts of Congress looking tO the rcduC- 



ii >f the larger Indian reservations, to the more 

 iid settlement of the Indians upon individual allot- 

 nts. and the restoration to the public domain of 

 ids in txo6M of their needs, have been largely car- 

 d into etleet, so far as the work was confided to 

 e Executive. Agreements have been concluded 

 nee March 4, 1889, involving the cession to the 

 l/nited States of about 14,7lifi,00(f acres of land. These 

 contracts have, as required by law, been submitted to 

 " .ngress for ratification and for the appropriations 

 sessary to curry them into effect. Those with the 

 ton and Wahpcton, Sac and Fox, Iowa. Potta- 

 unies and Absentee Shawnccs. and Cceur u'Algno 

 bes have not yet received the sanction of Congress, 

 ttintion is also called to the fact that the appropri- 

 is made in the case of the Sioux Indians have 

 covered all the stipulated payments. This should 

 promptly corrected. If an agreement is confirmed, 

 of its terms should l.e complied with without de- 

 .', and full appropriations should be made. 

 The policv outlined in my last annual message in 

 atioli to the patelltillLr of land* to settlers upon the 

 iblic domain has been carried out in the adminis- 

 .tinn <,f the Land Olliee. No irencral suspicion or 

 putation of fraud has been allowed to delay the 

 arinir and adjudication of individual eases upon 

 eir merits. The purjw.sc has been t perfect the 

 e of honest settlers with such promptness that the 



lie of the entry might Hot be swallowed by the e.\- 

 alld extortions to which delay subjected the 



mant. The average monthly is-uc of agricultural 

 , .. -nts has been increased about O.OOO. 

 The disability pension act. which was approved on 

 the L'Tth of .luiie last, has been put in operation as 

 rapidly as was practicable. The increased clerical 

 "rce provided was selected and asML'iied t<> work, and 

 ..rable part of the force ciiini-red in examina- 



tions ill the t'li-ld was ret ailed and added to the work- 

 in. lorn- of the <.:' . \iiininutioii and adjudi- 

 cation of claims have, by reason of improved meth- 

 ods, been more rapid than ever before. There in 

 no economy to the ( iovcrtiment in delay, while there 

 its much hardship and injustice to the roldier. The 

 anticipated expenditure, while \cr\ lar.'c, will not, it 



is believed, l.e in excess of the estimate* made before 



the enactment of the law. This liberal enlargement 

 of the general law should suggest a more careful 

 scrutiny of bills for special relief, 1,-oth a- to th< 

 where relief is granted and as to the amount allowed. 



The increasing numbers and influence o| tin- non 

 Mormon population in I'tah are observed with sati.-- 

 faction. The recent letter of Wilford W.M>drul! 

 idem of the Mormon Church, in which he ad\'iM'd 

 his people '-to retrain from eontnu-tin/ any marriage 

 forbidden by the laws of the land," has attracted 

 wide attention, and it is hojx-d that its ini'uenee will 

 be h'lL'hlv beiietieial in rest raiifmjr infractions of tin- 

 laws of tlie I'nited States. Hut the fact should not be 

 overlooked that the doctrine or belief' of tlie church 

 that polygamous marriages are rightful and supported 

 by divine revelation remains unchanLred. {'resident 

 Woodruff does not renounce the doctrine, but refrains 

 (tart teaching it, and ad\i.-es against the practi.-e of 

 it because the law is against it. Now, it is quite true 

 that the law should not attempt to deal with the faith 

 or belief of any one; but it is quite another thing, 

 and the only safe thing, so to deal with the Territory 

 of I'tah as that those who believe polygamy 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 events full of interest and congratu- 

 lation, not only to the people of those States now hap- 

 pily endowed with a full participation in our privi- 

 leges and responsibilities, out to all our people. An- 

 other belt of States stretches from the Atlantic to tlie 

 Pacific. 



The work of the Patent Office has won from all 

 sources very high commendation. The amount ac- 

 complished has been verv largely increased, and all 

 the results have been such as to secure confidence and 

 consideration for the suggestions of tlie commis- 

 sioner. 



The enumeration of the people of the United States 

 under the provisions of the act of March 1, 1889, has 

 been completed, and the result will be at once offi- 

 cially communicated to Congress. The completion of 

 this decennial enumeration devolves ujwn Congress 

 the duty of making a new apportionment of Represent - 

 atives "amoiiLT the several States according to their 

 respective numbers." 



At the last session I had occasion to return with 

 my objections several bills making provisions for the 

 erection of public buildings, for the reason that the 

 expenditures contemplated were in my opinion greatly 

 in excess ot'any public need. No class of legislation 

 is more liable to abuse, or to degenerate into an un- 

 seemly scramble about the public Treasury, than 

 this. There should IK- exercised in this matter a wUe 

 economy based ii|M>n some responsible and impartial 

 examination and report as to each co.se, under a gen- 

 eral law. 



The report of the Secretary of Agriculture deserves 

 especial attention in view of the fact that the year 

 has been marked in 11 very unusual decree b\ agita- 

 tion and orirani/.ation among the fanners looking t.> 

 an increase in the profits of their business. It will IK- 

 found that the etlorfs of the department have been 

 intelliircntly and xcalously devoted to the promotion 

 of the interests intrusted to its can-. 



A \-r\ substantial improvement in the market 

 prices..!' the leading farm products during the year 

 is noticed. The price of wheat advanced from -1 

 cents in October, 1889, to $1.001 in October. lv-- : 

 corn, from :il cents to T.oJ cents; oats, from 1;>J eciiL- 

 to t ". cents; and barley, from ti:t cents (> 7> cent--. 

 Meat-- >howed a substantial but not so lanrc an in- 

 The e.\|n>rt trade in live animals and fowls 

 shows a very lurire inen ase ; the total value of such ex- 



