[60 



CONGRES.V 



will be especially useful in the devising of plans for 

 the utilize i*e of necessity, uf all the naval 



mounts uf the United States. 



.i.s persistently adhered t,, the 

 plan he found in operation for securing labor at 

 nary yards through boards of late tnployment, 

 and* has done much to make it more complete and 

 Ooitat 



The naval officers who are familiar with this svs* 

 tern and its operation express tin- decided opinion 

 that its rvoulU have U-. l| ImproTt the 



char.. work done at our yards and greatly 



reduce its cost. 



><> among the officers an<l mm of the 

 navy has been maintained to a high standard, and 

 the percentage of American M listed has 



been Terr much increased. 



i . - .-..-. .-.,. ring, :tn.l will formulate 

 during tin- coming winter, a plan for laying up 

 ships in reserve, tli. r. I. v largely reducing the cost 

 of maintaining our vessels afloat. 



This plan contemplates that battle shifts, tor- 

 pedo boats, and such of tin- misers as an 

 needed for active *: :i shall be kept in n- 



serre with skeleton crews on board to keep t IK-MI in 

 condition, cruising only enough to insure the elli- 

 ciency of the ships and'thrir crews in time of a<-ti\- 

 ronomy to result from this system is too 

 obvious to need comment. 



The naval militia, which was authorized a few 

 Tears ago, as an experiment, has now developed 

 into a bod- ;rising young men. active- and 



energetic "in the discharge of their duties and 

 promising great usefulnc--. Tin- establishment 

 has nearly the same relation to our navy as th- 

 tional Guard in the different localities bears to our 

 army, and constitutes a source of supply for our 

 naval forces the importance of which is immediate- 

 ly apparent. 



The report of the Secretary of the Interior pre- 

 sents a comprehensive and interesting exhibit of 

 the numerous and important affair?* committed to 

 Ids supervision. It is impossible in tin- communi- 

 cation to do more than briefly refer to a few of the 

 subjects concerning which the Secretary gives full 

 and instructive information. 



The money appropriated on account of this de- 

 partment and for its disbursement for the fiscal 

 Tear ended June 30, 1896, amounted to more than 

 $157,000,000, or a greater sum than was appropri- 

 ated for the entire maintenance of the <;<>v* m- 

 ment for the two fiscal years ended June 30. 1861. 



Our public lands, originally amounting to 1,840.- 

 000.000 acres, have been so reduced that only about 

 600.000,000 acres still remain in Government con- 

 trol, excluding Alaska. The balance, being by far 

 tin most valuable portion, has been given away to 

 settlers, to new States, and to railroads, or sold at 

 a comparatively nominal sum. 



patenting of land iti execution of railroad 

 grants nas progressed rapidly during the year, and 

 since the 4th day of Mar i*>ut 25,000.000 



acres have thus been conveyed to these corpora- 



I agree with -> that the remainder of 



our public landt should *> more can-fully dealt 

 with and their alienation guarded by better econ- 

 omv and greater pru-i 



The opmraisftion ai.jM.inted from the membership 

 of the National Academy of Sciences, provided for 

 by an act of Congress to formulate plans for a na- 

 I forestry system, will, it is hoped, soon l*j 

 prep: .f thorough and in- 



telligent examination of this important -ubj.-et. 



total Indian population of the I niter] States 

 7.235, according to a census made i 

 elusive of those within the State of New York and 



those comprising the five civil; >fthi- 



numb, r there are approximate. 



1 age. huring the year iM.i'i'.ct of these 

 enrolled in school. Th. \\hich h.-i 



\tend Indian school : 

 and the anticipation of continued liber;. 

 01 to thai end can not fail to alToi 

 utmost satisfaction to those who believe th.v 

 education of Indian children i- a prime fat: 

 the accomplishment of Indian ci\ ili/at ion. 

 It may be said in general terms that in- 

 dnr the impr ' the In.lians u 



Government care has been most marked at 



Indian Affairs, and the age'nts havii 

 hans to whom allotmeiii 



.:> the passage of a law pro)nl>itii 

 o'f liquor to allottees who have taken then 

 severally. 1 earnestly join in this recommend, 

 and venture to lie Impe that the |i. 



may be speedily protected aguin-t tin- : 



all "ob his well-being aii<l ad\. 



The condition of affairs among the ti\ 

 tribes, who occupy laru'e tracts of land in the 

 Indian Territory, a'nd who have government 

 their own, has assumed such an nspe, as 1,1 i 

 it almost indispensable that there should be :u 

 tire change in the relations of the-r Indi 

 General Government. Th 

 in furtherance of tlieir own interests, .s well ,, 

 the protection of non-Indian residents in their ter- 

 ritory. A commission organi/cd and empov. 

 underseveral recent laws j- now negotiating with 

 Indians for the relinquishmenl of their 

 courts and the division of their ( omin<>n 



rally, and aiding in the settlement <: 

 troublesome question of tribal membership. 



ion of tlieir first proffers of negotiation was 

 not encouraging; but through patience and 

 conduct on their part a-s demonstrated that their 

 intentions were friendly and in the int.: 



tribes the prospect of" success has bec.inic 



Sroinising. The effort should lie t. 

 ians from the consequences of their own mi- 1 

 and improvidence, and to secure to the real h 

 .rhts as against intruders and professed ft 

 who profit by his retrogression. A change is alo 

 1 to protect life and property through the op- 

 eration of courts conducted according to >trie- 

 tice and strong enough to enforce their man-: 

 As a sincere friend of the Indian I am exceed 

 anxious that these reforms should be a<-.-..m|,. 

 with the consent and aid of the tribes, and that no 

 necessity may be presented for radical or di. 

 legislation. I hope, therefore, that the comnn 

 now conducting negotiations will soon b 

 report that progress has been made toward a 

 friendly adjustment of existing difficult 



It appears that a very valuable deposit 

 itc or asphalt um has been found on the re 

 tion in Ctah (H'cupied by the I'te Indians. Kvery 

 f care for the public interest ana 

 sensible business reason dictates such inaii- 

 nt or dis|.osal of this important sour 

 public revenue as will except it f mm t i 

 rule- and incidents attending the ordinary d: 

 tiin of public lands, und a-ure to the (Jovi-n. 

 a fair share at least of its advantages in place of its 

 tran-fer for a nominal sum to interested indi- 

 viduals. 



I indorse the recommendation made liv the t 



.try <.f the Interior, as well as hi- | 

 cessor, that a permanent commi--ion. coi 

 three members, one of whom shall be an army offi- 



fo perform the dntii- now <\< 

 ing upon the Commissioner and As-jstai, 1 ' 



; of Indian Affairs. The manage men t of the 



