And State Papers 66 1 



the utmost importance and urgency, the extension 

 of the purposes of this appropriation, so that it may 

 be available, under the direction of the Attorney- 

 General, and until used, for the due enforcement of 

 the laws of the United States in general and espe- 

 cially of the civil and criminal laws relating to pub- 

 lic lands and the laws relating to postal crimes and 

 offences and the subject of naturalization. Recent 

 investigations have shown a deplorable state of af- 

 fairs in these three matters of vital concern. By 

 various frauds and by forgeries and perjuries, thou- 

 sands of acres of the public domain, embracing 

 lands of different character and extending through 

 various sections of the country, have been dishon- 

 estly acquired. It is hardly necessary to urge the 

 importance of recovering these dishonest acquisi- 

 tions, stolen from the people, and of promptly and 

 duly punishing the offenders. I speak in another 

 part of this Message of the widespread crimes by 

 which the sacred right of citizenship is falsely as- 

 serted and that "inestimable heritage" perverted to 

 base ends. By similar means that is, through 

 frauds, forgeries, and perjuries, and by shameless 

 briberies the laws relating to the proper conduct 

 of the public service in general and to the due ad- 

 ministration of the Post-Office Department have 

 been notoriously violated, and many indictments 

 have been found, and the consequent prosecutions 

 are in course of hearing or on the eve thereof. For 

 the reasons thus indicated, and so that the govern- 

 ment may be prepared to enforce promptly and with 



