CONGRESS. (CUBA.) 



153 



the Government to bid at the sales will require a 

 deposit of $900,000, as follows : In the Government 

 cause $500.000 and in each of the first-mortgage 

 causes $200,000, and in the latter the deposit inust 

 be in cash. Payments at the sale are as follow : 

 Upon the acceptance of the bid a sum which, with 

 the amount already deposited, shall equal 15 per 

 cent, of the bid ; the balance in installments of 25 

 per cent, thirty, forty, and fifty days after the con- 

 firmation of the sale. The lien on the Kansas 

 Pacific prior to that of the Government on the 30th 

 July, 1897, principal and interest, amounted to 

 $7,281,048.11. The Government, therefore, should 

 it become the highest bidder, will have to pay the 

 amount of the first-mortgage lien. 



I believe that under the act of 1887 it has the 

 ,uthority to do this, and in absence of any action 

 Congress I shall direct the Secretary of the 

 reasury to make the necessary deposit as required 

 iy the court's decree to qualify as a bidder and to 

 id at the sale a sum which will at least equal the 

 rincipal of the debt due to the Government ; but 

 ggest in order to remove all controversy that an 

 .raendment of the law be immediately passed 

 plicitly giving such powers and appropriating in 

 neral terms whatever sum is sufficient therefor. 

 In so important a matter as the Government 

 coming the possible owner of railroad property 

 hich it perforce must conduct and operate, I feel 

 nstrained to lay before Congress these facts for 

 consideration and action before the consumma- 

 ion of the sale. It is clear to my mind that the 

 Government should not permit the property to be 

 sold at a price which will yield less than one half 

 of the principal of its debt and less than one fifth of 

 its entire debt, principal and interest. But whether 

 the Government, rather than accept less than its 

 claim, should become a bidder, and thereby the 

 wncr of the property, I submit to the Congress for 

 tion. 



The library building provided for by the act of 

 'ongress approved April 15, 1886, has been com- 

 leted and opened to the public. It should be a 

 atter of congratulation that through the foresight 

 d munificence of Congress the nation possesses 

 this noble treasure-house of knowledge. It is ear- 

 nestly to be hoped that, having done so much 

 toward the cause of education, Congress will con- 

 tinue to develop the library in every phase of 

 research, to the end that it may be not only one of 

 the most magnificent, but among the richest and 

 most useful libraries in the world. 



The important branch of our Government known 

 as the civil service, the practical improvement of 

 which has long been a subject of earnest discussion, 

 lias of late years received increased legislative and 



ixecutive approval. During the past few months 

 e service has been placed upon a still firmer basis 

 business methods and personal merit. While the 

 jht of our veteran soldiers to reinstatement in 

 serving cases has been asserted, dismissals for 

 merely political reasons have been carefully guarded 

 against, the examinations for admittance to the 

 service enlarged and at the same time rendered less 

 technical and more practical, and a distinct ad-' 

 vance has been made by giving a hearing before 

 dismissal upon all cases where incompetency is 

 charged or demand made for the removal of officials 

 in any of the departments. This order has been 

 made to give to the accused his right to be heard, 

 but without in any way impairing the power of 

 emoval, which should always be exercised in cases 

 f inefficiency and incompetency, and which is one 

 f the vital safeguards of the civil-service-reform 

 ystem, preventing stagnation and deadwood, and 

 ;eeping every employee keenly alive to the fact 

 that the security of his tenure depends not on 



favor, but on his own tested and carefully watched 

 record of service. 



Much of course still remains to be accomplished 

 before the system can be made reasonably perfect 

 for our needs. There are places now in the classi- 

 fied service which ought to be exempted, and 

 others not classified may properly be included. I 

 shall not hesitate to exempt cases which I think 

 have been improperly included in the classified 

 service, or include those which in my judgment 

 will best promote the public service. The system 

 has the approval of the people, and it will be my 

 endeavor to uphold and extend it. 



I am forced by the length of this message to 

 omit many important references to affairs of the 

 Government with which Congress will have to deal 

 at the present session. They are fully discused in 

 the departmental reports, to all of which I invite 

 your earnest attention. 



The estimates of the expenses of the Govern- 

 ment by the several departments will, I am sure, 

 have your careful scrutiny. While the Congress 

 may not find it an easy task to reduce the expenses 

 of the Government, it should not encourage their 

 increase. These expenses will, in my judgment, 

 admit of a decrease in many branches of the Gov- 

 ernment without injury to the public service. It 

 is a commanding duty to keep the appropriations 

 within the receipts of the Government, and thus 

 avoid a deficit. WILLIAM McKiNLEV. 



EXECUTIVE MANSION, Dec. 6, 1897. 



Cuba. The condition of affairs in Cuba was the 

 main topic of interest in Congress from the very 

 beginning of the session, and various resolutions 

 were proposed and considered looking toward 

 American intervention, but the feeling through- 

 out the country in favor of interference became 

 irresistible after the destruction of the battle ship 

 " Maine," in Havana harbor, on the night of Feb. 

 15, 1898, and the impatient eagerness of Congress 

 kept pace with popular sentiment. Prompt action 

 was taken in every appropriate way to recover the 

 dead, relieve the suffering, and investigate the 

 causes of the disaster. A court of inquiry made 

 an investigation of the destruction of the ship, and 

 reported on March 21. The President transmitted 

 the report to Congress, March 28, with the follow- 

 ing message : 

 To the Congress of Hi e United States: 



For some time prior to the visit of the "Maine" 

 to Havana harbor our consular representatives 

 pointed out the advantages to flow from the visit 

 of national ships to the Cuban waters, in accustom- 

 ing the people to the presence of our flag as the 

 symbol of good will, and of our ships in the fulfill- 

 ment of the mission of protection to American in- 

 terests, even though no immediate need therefor 

 might exist. 



Accordingly on the 24th of January last, after 

 conference with the Spanish minister, in which the 

 renewal of visits of our war vessels to Spanish 

 waters was discussed and accepted, the peninsular 

 authorities at Madrid and Havana were advised of 

 the purpose of this Government to resume friendly 

 naval visits at Cuban ports, and that in that view 

 the "Maine" would forthwith call at the port of 

 Havana. 



This announcement was received by the Spanish 

 Government with appreciation of the friendly char- 

 acter of the visit of the "Maine," and with notifica- 

 tion of intention to return the courtesy by sending 

 Spanish ships to the principal ports of the United 

 States. Meanwhile the " Maine " entered the port 

 of Havana on the 25th of January, her arrival being 

 marked with no special incident besides the ex- 

 change of customary salutes and ceremonial visits. 



