Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-12-24

erriitable Inconsistency With her conduct
with respect t. the navigation Of the Mis-
sis.ipri on the ground that she possessed
a small domain ia which the Mississippi
took its rl.e, she insisted on this right to
navigate the entire volume Of its waters !;
on the ground that shc possesses both
banks of the II Lawrence. where it dis
eniboyucs itself into the sea she denies to
the 'ni;ed States the right of navigation.
though about one half Of the waters Of
Lakes Ontario, Erie. Huron and Superior
and the whole Of Lake Michigan, through
which the river flows, are the property Of
the United States.
The whole nation is interested in secur.
ing cheap trans Bortation from the States
of the West to the Atlantic. To the
citizens of those States it secures a greater
return for labor; to the inhabitants Of the
seaboard it offers cheaper food to the ma
ton an increase in the annual surplus of
wealth.
1t is hoped the Government of Great
Britain will sec the justice of abandoning
the narrow and inconsistent claim to which
her Canadian provinces have urged her
adherence.
THE UNITED STATES MINT AND COINAGE.
Excluding redeposits, the amount of
gold and silver deposited at the Mint and
its several branches, during the last fiscal
year, was S30,40S, 6SS 10; the coinage
for the year was s24, 636,O11, and the
value Of gold and silver bars stamped was
ss,74S,s52 81.
respectfully ask the attention of Congress
to bill prepared in this department and sub
mitted at the last session, and to the accom-
panying report relative to MINIS and the coin
age system of the country. The bill was pre-
pared with care, and has since been revised.
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
Always favoring practical reforms. would
respectfully call your attention to an abuse of
long standing, which / should like to see
remedied by this Congress. 1t is a reform in
the civil service of the country. would have
it 20 beyond the mere fixing OF the tenure of
Offices Of clerks and employees, who do not re-
quire the advice and consent of the Senate to
make them complete. ! would have it govern
not the tenure, but the manner of making APP
rointments. There is no duty which so much
embarrasses the Executive and heads of De-
partments as that of appointments. Nor is
there any snch arduous and thankless labor
imposed on Senators and Representatives as
that of finding places for their constituents.
The persent system does not secure the best,
and often not even fit men, for public place.
The elevation and publication of the civil
service Of the Government will be tonailed with
approval by the whole people Of the United
States.
THE NEW poLrcle TOWARD THE INDIANS.
Reform in the management of the Indian A.
fairs has received the special attention of the
Administration from its Inauguration to the
present day. The experiment of making it =
missionary work was tried, with few Agen-
cies given to the denomination of Friends, and
has been found to work most advantageously.
All the Agencies and Superintendencics not so
disposed of were given to officers of the army
The Act of Congress regulating the army or
drrs army officers Ineligible for civil posi-
lions Indian Agencies being civil offices, I
determined to give all the Agencies to such
religious denominations as had heretofore es-
tablished missionaries among the Indians. and
perhaps to some other denominations who
would undertake the work on the same plan
as missionary work. The societies selected
are allowed to name their own agents. subject
pected to instruct and aid them as mission aries
to Christianize and civilize the Indians, and
train them in the arts of peace.
The Government watches over the official
acts Of the agents, and requires Of them as
strict On accountability as if they were ap-
pointed in any other manner. The confident
hope that the policy now pursued will in a few
years, bring all the Indians upon the reserva-
tons, where they will live in houses, have
schools and churches, will be pursuing peaceful
and self-sus:ainirg avocations, and where they
may be visited by the law-abiding white man
,rith the same impunity that he now visits the
civilized white settlement. / call your atten-
ton to the report of the Commissioner of Indi-
an Affairs for full information on the subject.
TIE PUBLIC LANDS.
During the last fiscal year, 8,095, ALB acres
ofpublic lands were disposed Of; of this guam.
tity, 3,699,sl0 acres were taken under the
Homestead law, and 2,l59, SIS acres were sold
for cash. The remainder was entered with
military warrants, college or Indian scrip, or
applied in satisfaction Of grants to railroads, or
for other public uses. The entries under the
Homestead law, during the last year, covered
96l ,545 acres more than bose during the pre-.
ceding year. Surveys have been vigorously
prosecuted to the full extent of the means APP
plcable to the purpose. The quantity of land
in market will amply supply the present de-
man0.
The claim of the settlers under the home
stead or presumption law is not, however, lin.
tied to lands subject to sale at private entry !;
unappropriated surveyed public land may be
acquired under the former laws, if the party
entitled to enter under them will comply with
the requirements they prescribe ia regard to
the residence and cultivation. The actual set
tiers preference to right Of purchase is even
broader and extends to lands which were un-
surveyed at the time Of his settlement his
right was formerly confined within much mar
rover limits and at one period of our history
was conferred only by special statute. They
were enacted from time to time to legalize what
was then regarded as an authorized intrusion
upon the public domain. The opinion that
the public land should be regarded chiefly as 4
source of revenue is no longer maintained, for
rapid settlement and successful cultivation Of
them is now justly considered Of more import
ance to our we'll being than is the fund which
the sale of them would produce. The remark
ahle urOwth and procperit If an. ra,r C.....