The Portland daily press., 1873-12-03

law are practically abolished by these decisions,
and there have been few or no jury trials in
tne district courts of that territory since the
last session of Congress. Property is left with
out protection by courts and crimes go unpun-
lshed. 10 prevent anarchy there it is abso-
lutely necessary that Congress provide the
courts with some mode of obtaining Jurors, and
L recommend legislation to that end,
and also that the probate courts
OF theterrltory,now assuming the issue of writs
criminal cases, and n questions as to the land
titles, be denied all jurisdiction not possessed
ordinarily by courts of that description
THE BANKRUPT ACT.
| have become impressed with the belief that
| the act approved March I'd, 1867 entitled. can
act TO establish uniform system of bankrupt
| cy throughout the United Sta}es'' is produc-
| tive OF more evil than good at this time. Many
| considerations might be utged for its total re-
peal; but II this is not considered advisable, l
think it will not be seriously questioned that
| those portions of said act providing for what is
called involuntary bankruptcy operate to in
crease the financial embaIrassments of the
| country. Careful and prudent men very often
| become involved in debt in the transaction of
| their business; and though they may possess
ample property, if it could be made available
| for that purpose, to meet all their liabilities,
| yet on account of the extraordinary scarcity of
money, they may be unable to meet all their
obligations as they become due, in consequence
| VI WuiCu Itcy dTt lldUl6 W UG pTOStTdt6u III
their business by proceedings in bankruptcy,
| at the instance of unrelenting creditors.
People are now so easily alarmed as to none
tary matters that the mere filing of petition
In bankruptcy by AN unfriendly creditor, will
| necessarily embarrasS and ottentimes accom-
| plsb the financial ruin of responsible busi-
| ness man. Those who otherwise might make
| just and lawful arrangements to relieve them
| selves from difficulties produced by the present
| stringency in money, are prevented by their
| constant exposure to attack and disappoint-
| ment by proceedings against them in bankrupt
| cy; and besides the law is made use of in many
cases by obdurate creditors to frighten or force
| debtors into compliance with their wishes and
| into acts of injustice to other creditors and to
| themselves. | recommend that so much of
said act as provides for involuntary bankruptcy
| on account of suspension OF payment be re-
pealed
| FICTITIOUS CLAIMS.
| Your careful attention is invited to the sub
| ject of claims against the government and the
facilities offered by existing laws for their
prosecution. Each of the Departments of State,
Treasury and War have demands for many
| millions of dollars upon their files and they are
rapidly accumulating. To these may be added
those pending before Congress, the Court of
Claims and the Southern Claims Commission,
making in the aggregate an immense sum.
Most of these grew out of the rebellion and are
Intended to indemnify persons on both sides for
their losses during the war and not few of
them ere tabricatiOns and supported by false
testimony. Projects are on foot, it is believed,
to induce Congress to provide for new classes of
| GLAZING and to rcvine ones tarOu gh the repeal or
modification of the statute of Limitation by
which they are now barred.
presume these schemes, if proposed, will be
received with little favor by Congress and re-
commend that persons having claims against
the United States, cognzable by any tribunal
or department thereof be required to present
them at an early day and that legislation be
directed as far as practicable to the defeat of
unfounded and unjust demands upon the gov
ernment; and would suggest as a means of
preventing fraud that witnesses be called upon
to appear in person, to testify before those tri-
bunals having said claims before them for ad-
judication. Probably the largest saving to the
national treasury can be secured by timely leg
islation on these subjects of any of the econo-
mic measures that will be proposed
You will be advised of the operations of the
Department of Justice by the report of the
Attorney General, and invite your attention
to the amendments of existing laws suggested
by him with the view of reducing the expendi-
lures of that department.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIoR-THE INDIAN
Foley.
The policy inaugurated towards towards the
Indians at the beginning of the last admins
tration has been steadily pushed, and 1 believe
with beneficial results. 1t will be continued
with only such notifications as time and ex-
perience may demonstrate as necessary.
| WIN Tic GuCrOdCuuluub OI ClVllZdtlOu upon
the Indian reservations and hunting grounds,
disturbances have taken place between the In
dians and whites during the past year and prob
ably will continue to do So till each race appre-
ciates that the other has rights which must be
respected. The policy has been to collect the
Indians as rapidly as possible on reservations
and, as far as practicable, within what is
| known as the Indian Territory, and to teach
them the arts Of civilization and self support.
Where found off their reservations and endan-
gering the safety of the whites they have been
punished, and will continue to be, for like Of
fences.
The Indian Territory south of Kansas and
west OF Arkansas is sufficient in area and agri
cultural resources to support all the Indians
east Of the Rocky Mountains. In time, no
doubt all Of them, except a few who may Sc
lect to make their homes among white people
| will be collected there, As preparatory step
| for this conSummatiOn, am now satisfied that
| a territorial forG of government should be
| given them, which will secure the treaty rights
OF the original settlers and protect their home
steads from alienation for q period oftwenty
years.
PATENT OFFICE.
The operations of the Patent Office are grow
| ing to such magnitude aud the accumulation
of material is becoming so great that the me-
| cessity for more room is becoming more obvious
| day by day. L respectfully invite your atten-
tion to the reports of the Secretary of the In
terior and Commissioner Of Patents ON the sub
ject.
| LAND OFFICE.
:. The business of the general land Office exhib-
| its material increase in all its branches DUR
| ing the last fiscal year. During that time there
| were disposed of out of the public lands Ia
03O,6O6 acres, being an amount greater by ,1G5,-
| 63l acres than was disposed of the preceding
| year. OF the amount disposed of 1925 266
acres were sold for cash, 214,9 $40 acres were To-
Gated with military land warrants 3,79O, ,612
acres were taken for homesteads, go, ,446 acres
were located with agricultural college scrip, g.
OS3,536 acres were certified by railroads., 1876
acres were granted to wagon roads, 2SS, ,548
| acres were approved to States as swamp lands.
13S, 1861 acres were certified for agricultural col.
leges, common schools. universities and semin-
aries. l9o,77o acres were approved to States for
internal improvements, IA, ,222 acres were Iocat-
| ed with Indian Scrip The cash receipts durina
the same time were So, 408, $3.50 being Si90..
1850 in excess of the receipts Of the previous
| year.
| During the year, 3O,4S3132 acres of public
] lands we're surveyed an increase over the
| amount surveyed the previous year of 1,037, 1873
acres, and added to the area previously survey
| ed, aggregates GIG, 534,S95 acres which have
been surveyed leaving ,218, 443 5O5 acres of the
| public land still unsurveyed.
| The increased and steadily increasing facli-
| ties for reaching our unoccupied public domain
| and for the transportation of surplus products,
| enlarges the available field for desirable home
stead locations, thus stimulating settlement,
| anu cAVcuuluS, year ny year III u gradually
| creasing ratio, the area of occupation and cult-
| walton.
The expressed desire of the Representatives
Of large colony of citizens of Russia to emil
crate to this country, as it is understood, with
the consent of their government if certain con.
| cessions can be made to enable them to settle in
a compact colony. is of great interest, as going
to show the light in which our institutions are
regarded by an Industrious, intelligent and
wealthy people desrous of enjoying civil and
religious liberty; and the acquisition of so large
an immigration Of citizens Of a superior class
would, without doubt, be of subsi antial benefit
to the country. invite attention to the sug-
gestion of the Secretary of the Interior in this
| behalf.
| There was paid during the last fiscal year for
| pensions, including the expense of disburse-
ment, $29, 1856, ,289. .62. being an amount less by
| 1884, ,050.98 than was expended for the same
| purpose, the preceding year. Although the
| statement of expenditures would indicate ma
| terial reduction in the amount compared with
| the preceding year, it Is believed that the chan
| ges in the pension laws at the last session of
| Congress, will absorb that amount the current
| year.
| At the close of the fiscal year there were on
the pension rolls 80, ,8O4 invalid military pension
| ers and IL, ,0SS widows, orphans and depend