194 



CONGRESS. (ACQUISITION OF TERRITORY.) 



cation of the 30,000 white children resident in the 

 Indian Territory. 



The Department of Agriculture has been active 

 in the past year. Explorers have been sent to 

 many of the 'countries of the Eastern and West- 

 ern Hemispheres for seeds and plants that may 

 be useful to the United States, and with the fur- 

 ther view of opening up markets for our surplus 

 products. The forestry division of the depart- 

 ment is giving special' attention to the treeless 

 regions of our country, and is introducing spe- 

 cies specially adapted 'to semiarid regions. For- 

 est fires, which seriously interfere with produc- 

 tion, especially in irrigated regions, are being 

 studied that losses from this cause may be 

 avoided. The department is inquiring into the 

 use and abuse of water in many States of the 

 West, and collating information regarding the 

 laws of the States, the decisions of the courts, 

 and the customs of the people in this regard, so 

 that uniformity may be secured. Experiment 

 stations are becoming more effective every year. 

 The annual appropriation of $720,000 by Con- 

 gress is supplemented by $400,000 from the States. 

 Nation-wide experiments have been conducted to 

 ascertain the suitableness as to soil and climate 

 and States for growing sugar beets. The number 

 of sugar factories has been doubled in the past 

 two years, and the ability of the United States 

 to produce its own sugar from this source has 

 been clearly demonstrated. 



The Weather Bureau forecast and observation 

 stations have been extended around the Carib- 

 bean Sea, to give early warning of the approach 

 of hurricanes from the south seas to our fleets 

 and merchant marine. 



In the year 1900 will occur the centennial anni- 

 versary of the founding of the city of Washing- 

 ton for the permanent capital of the Government 

 of the United States by authority of an act of 

 Congress approved July 16, 1790. In May, 1800, 

 the archives and general offices of the Federal 

 Government were removed to this place. On the 

 17th of November, 1800, the National Congress 

 met here for the first time, and assumed exclu- 

 sive control of the federal district and city. This 

 interesting event assumes all the more signifi- 

 cance when we recall the circumstances attending 

 the choosing of the site, the naming of the capital 

 in honor of the Father of his Country, and the 

 interest taken by him in the adoption of plans 

 for its future development on a magnificent scale. 



These original plans have been wrought out 

 with a constant progress and a signal success 

 even beyond anything their framers could have 

 foreseen. The people of the country are justly 

 proud of the distinctive beauty and government 

 of the capital, and of the rare instruments of sci- 

 ence and education which here find their natural 

 home. 



A movement lately inaugurated by the citizens 

 to have the anniversary celebrated with fitting 

 ceremonies, including perhaps the establishment 

 of a handsome permanent memorial to mark so 

 historical an occasion, and to give it more than 

 local recognition, has met with general favor on 

 the part of the public. 



I recommend to the Congress the granting of 

 an appropriation for this purpose and the ap- 

 pointment of a committee from its respective 

 bodies. It might also be advisable to authorize 

 the President to appoint a committee from the 

 country at large, which, acting with the congres- 

 sional and District of Columbia committees, can 

 complete the plans for an appropriate national 

 celebration. 



The alien-contract law is shown by experience 



to need some amendment; a measure providing 

 better protection for seamen is proposed; the 

 rightful application of the eight-hour law for the 

 benefit of labor and of the principle of arbitra- 

 tion are suggested for consideration; and I com- 

 mend these subjects to the careful attention of 

 the Congress. 



The several departmental reports will be laid 

 before you. They give in great detail the con- 

 duct of the affairs of the Government during the 

 past year, and discuss many questions upon 

 which the Congress may feel called upon to act. 



WILLIAM MCKINLEY. 

 EXECUTIVE MANSION, Dec. 5, 1898. 



Acquisition of Territory. The most impor- 

 tant question brought up for action before Con- 

 gress was the ratification of the treaty of peace 

 with Spain, and the Senate approved of it by the 

 requisite majority Feb. 6, 1899. The text of the 

 treaty was given in the Annual for 1898. 



Though the Senate discussion of the treaty is 

 not given, various measures and resolutions touch- 

 ing on the policy that it embodies were intro- 

 duced and debated. The bill appropriating $20,- 

 000,000 to carry out the provisions of the treaty 

 of Paris was introduced in the House of Repre- 

 sentatives Feb. 17, reported back Feb. 20, and 

 passed the same day. Mr. Dockery, of Missouri, 

 proposed the following amendment to the act, 

 which was a mere measure of appropriation: 



" SEC. 2. That by the ratification of the treaty 

 of peace with Spain it is not intended to incor- 

 porate the inhabitants of the Philippine Islands 

 into citizenship of the United States, and the 

 United States hereby disclaims any disposition 

 or intention to exercise permanent sovereignty, 

 jurisdiction, or control over said islands, and 

 asserts its determination, when a stable and in- 

 dependent government shall have been erected in 

 said islands, entitled, in the judgment of the 

 Government of the United States, to recognition 

 as such, to transfer to said government, upon 

 terms which shall be reasonable and just, all 

 rights secured under the cession by Spain, and 

 thereupon to leave the government and control 

 of said islands to the people thereof." 



But Mr. Cannon, of Illinois, objected, and the 

 amendment was not considered. The discussion 

 of the measure was brief, and it was mainly on 

 the part of those who opposed the policy of the 

 treaty, but recognized the necessity of voting the 

 money to carry it out. Mr. Clayton, of Alabama, 

 fairly represented the opinion of the opposition. 

 He said: 



" I did not intend to inflict upon the House any 

 views on the Philippine question. I do not think 

 that question now before the House, but I find 

 that I differ from some of my associates on thia 

 side of the Chamber. In the judgment of many 

 wise men there has been but one thing to do 

 since the signing of the treaty of Paris that con- 

 cluded hostilities between the United States and 

 Spain, and that was the ratification of that 

 treaty. I do not think it was either necessary 

 or wise for the Peace Commission, at the Presi- 

 dent's suggestion or without it, to put into the 

 treaty the obligation of the United States to pay 

 this $20,000,000. 



" I do not think it was wise in the President 

 and the commissioners to insist upon the cession 

 of the Philippine Islands. It is to be regretted 

 that we have the Philippine problem to deal with 

 at all. Perhaps it would have been better for the 

 people of the United States had Dewey sailed 

 away from Manila after the destruction of the 

 Spanish fleet. I have wished that he had done 



