Mexico weekly ledger., 1876-12-14

found one of great interest, marking, as
it does, the great progress of the last GEN.
fury in the increase OF the products Of the
soil and in the knowledge and skill in the
labor Of producing, saving and manipulate
Ing the same to prepare them for the use OF
man; in the improvements in machinery
to aid the agricultu ralist in his labor, and
knowledge OF those scientific subjects
necessary to a thorough system OF economy
in agricultural production, namely, chem
istry, botany and entomology. This re-
port, by those interested in agriculture and
deriving their support from it, will be found
of value in pointing out those articles
which are raised in greater quantity than the
needs of the, world require, and must sell
tn erefore for less than the cost Of produce
ton, and those which command a profit
over cost of production, because there is
not an over-production. [ call special at
tention to the need of the Department for
a new gallery for the reception of the ex-
hibits returned from the Centennial EXhi-
bition, including the exhibits donated by
very many foreign nations, and to the rec
lamentations of the Commissioner Of Agri-
culture generally.
H CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION. o.
The International Exhibition held in
Philadelphia this year in commemoration
of the one hundredth anniversary Of Amer
lean Independence has proven o great
success and will no doubt be of endur-
ing advantage to the country. It-has shown
great progress in the arts, sciences and
mechanical skill made in a single century,
and demonstrated that we are but little be-
hind the older nations in any one branch,
while in some we scarcely have q rival. 1t
has served not only to bring the people and
products of skill and labor from all parts of
the world together, but in bringing togeth-
er people from all sections of our own coun-
try, which must prove OF great benefit,
from information impaired, and the pride
of the country engendered. 1t has been
| suggested by scientists interested in and
connected with the Smithsonian Institute,
in a communication, that the Gov
m exhibit be removed to the
Capital and a suitable building
be erected or purchased for its
1 earnestly recommend this, and, believing
| Congress would second this view, I direct
ed that all the Government exhibits
at the Centennial Exhibition should
remain where they are, excepting
such as might be injured by remaining in a
building not intended as a protection in in
clement weather, or such as may be wanted
by the department furnishing them,
until the question Of the permanent
exhibition is acted on. Although the
moneys appropriated by Congress to enable
the participation of the several Executive
Departments in the International Exhibit
ton of 1876 were not sufficient to carry out
the undertaking to the full extent at first
contemplated, it gives me pleasure to refer
to the very efficient and creditable manner
in which the Board appointed from these
several departments TO provide an exhibit
ten on the part of the Government have
discharged their duties with the funds
placed at their command, without a prece-
dent to guide them in the preparation of
such a display. The success of their labors
was amply attested by the sustained atten-
ton which the contents of the Government
Building attracted during the period Of the
exhibition from both foreign and native
people. L am strongly impressed with the
value Of the collection made by the
Government for purposes of exhibition, illus
trating, as it does, the general resources OF the
country, the statistical and practical evidences
camille arts, and the applications of applied sci
ence in the administration of the affairs of the
eoOteibpfea their n engSib aai to- the h nnite sps states ,tS
increase the interest in any permanent. exhibit.
ton Congress may provide for. For this act OF
generosity they should receive the thanks of the
people. and l respectfully suggest that a resolu-
ton of Congress to that effect be adopted.
SAFEGUARDS FOR ELECTIONS.
The attention of Congress can not be too earn
estly called to the necessity of throwing some
greater safeguard around the choosing and de-
claring the election Of a President. Under the
present system, there seems to be no provided
remedy for contesting the election in any one
State. The remedy is partially in doubt. En-
lightenment OF the electors, the compulsory sup
port of the free schools ana the 0lSfraDCnlsemenL
of all who can not read and write the English
language after a fixed probation, would meet
my hearty approval. L would not make TINS APP
ply, however, to those already voters; but l
would to ali becoming so after the expiration of
a probation fixed upon. Foreigners coming to
this county to become citizens, who are edu-
Gated in their own language, would acquire the
requisite knowledge of ours during the necessary
residence to obtain naturalization. Ii they did
auire suficient knowledge OF it to enable them to
study the institutions and laws OF the country
intelligently, Iwould not confer upon them the
right to make and enact laws not to suit those
who do.
APPENDIX.
append to this message for convenient refer
ence a synopsis of administrative events and of
all recommendations to Congress by me during
the last seven years. Time may show some Of
those recommendations not to have been wisely
conceived, but | believe the larger part to be no
recommendations met with the united Opposi-
ton of one political party in the Senate, and with
a strong opposition from the osner-nameiy. tne
the United States, to which l shall specially re-
fer, maintaining. as lido, that if my views had
been concurred in, the country would be in a
more prosperous condition to-day, both pohtl-
cally and financially.
sANTO DOMINGO
is fertile, and upon its soil may be grown just
those tropical products of which the United
States use so much. and which are produced or
prepared for the market now by slave labor al
most exclusively, namely, sugar, coffee, dye
1 WOVuS, llftlOkdhy . tAoPlStsi ~ OAeop oASS WV
About rs per cent. of the exports of Cuba are
consumed in the United States; a large percent
age of the exports Of Brazil also find the same
market here, and are paid for almost exclusively
in coin, legislation. particularly in Cuba, being
unfavorable to a mutual exchange of the pro-
ducts of each country. Flour shipped from
the Mississippi River to Havana can pass
by the very entrance to the city on
its way to a portion OF Spain, then
pay a duty fixed upon articles to be re- exported.
transferred to a Spanish vessel and broughtback
almost to the point OF starting, paying a second
received by direct shipment. All that is pro
duced in Cuba could be produced in Santo Do
mingo. Being a part of the United States, the
commerce between the island and the main land
would be free there would be no export duties
on her shipments or import duties on those
coming here. There would be no import
duties upon the supplies, machinery, etc. going
from the States. The effect that would have been
produced upon Cuban commerce, with these ad-
vantages to America, is observable at a glance.
The Cuban question would have been settled long
ago in favor OF free Cuba. Hundreds of Ameri-
can vessels would now be advantageously used