The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-12-07
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country. The delicate and oompll'assed
questions continually occurring with refer,
ence to naturalization, expatriation and
the status of such persons as | have above
referred to- induce me to earnestly direct
your attention again to these subjects.
CLAIMS OF ALIENS.
In like manner, repeat my recommen-
dation that some means be provided for
the hearing and determination of the
future and existing claims of aliens upon
the Government of the United States
within reasonable limitation, and OF
such as may hereafter arise, while by ex-
listing provision of law the Court of Claims
may be, in certain cases. resorted to by
an alien claimant. The absence of any
general provisions governing all such
cases, and the want of tribunal skilled
in the disposition of such cases upon re-
cognized, fixed and settled principles,
either provides no remedy in many de-
serving cases or compels consideration
of such claims by Congress or the Exc
cutive Department of the Government
1t is believed that other Governments
are in advance of the United States upon
this question, and that the practice now
adopted is entirely unsatisfactory.
THE ADMISSION OF COLORADO.
Congress by an act approved the third
day of March, 1875, authorized the in
habitans of the territory of Colorado to
form State government, with the name
of the State ofColorado, and therein pro-
vided for the admission of said State,
when formed, into the Union upon an
equal footing with the original States. A
constitution having been adopted and
ratified by the people of that State and
the Acting Governor having certified to
me the facts as provided by said act,
together with copy of such constitution
and ordinances as provided for in the
said act of Congress having been duly
complied with, l issued a proclamation
upon the first Of August, 1876, copy OF
which is hereto annexed.
THF ARMY.
The report of the Secretary of War
shows that the army has been actively
engaged during the year in subduing, at
the request of the Indian Bureau, certain
wild bands of the Sioux Indian nation
and in preserving the peace at the South
during the election. The Commission
constituted under the Act of July "a, 1876
to consider and report on the whole sub
jeCt of reform and reorganization of the
army met in August last, and has collec-
ted large mass of statistics and opinions
bearing on the subject before it. These
are now under consideration, and their
report is progressing. | am advised,
though, by the President of the Commits
sion, that it will be impracticable to com.
ply with the clause of he act requiring
the report to he presented through me to
Congress on the first day of this Session,
as there has not yet been time for that
mature deliberation which the impor-
lance of the subject demand. Therefore,
| ask that the time of making the report
be extended to the ooh day of January,
1877. In ccordance with the resolution
of August 15, 1875, the army regulations
prepared under the Act of March |, 1875,
have not been promulgated, but are held
until after the report Of the above men
toned Commission shall have been re-
ceived an1 acted on
By the Act of August 10, 1879, the
cavalry force of the army was increased
by $500 men with the provise that they
should be discharged on the expiration
of hostilities Under this authority, the
cavalry regiments have been strength
ened and portion of them are now in
the field pursuing the remnats of the In
dans with whom they have been engaged
during the summer,
WAR ESTIMATES.
The estimates of the War Department
are made up on the basis ofthe number
of men authorized by law and their re-
quirements as shown by years of expert
ence and also with that purpose on the
part Of the bureau officers to provide for
all contingencies that may arise during
the time for which the estimates are
made, exclusive Of engineer estimates
presented in accordance with acts of Con-
gress calling for surveys and estimates
for Improvements at various localities.
The estimates now presented are about
six millions in excess of the appropri-
ations for the years 1874.-75 and l875--76.
This increase is asked in order to provide
for the increased cavalry force, should
their services be necessary; to prosecute
economically the work upon important
public buildings; to provide for the ar
mament of fortifcations and the manu-
facture of small arms and 10 replenish
the working stock in the supply depart
ments. The appropriations for these
last named have for the past few years
been 80 limited that the accumulation in
store will be entirely exhausted during
the present year and it will be necessary
to at once begin to replenish them.
RECOMMENDATION OF SECRETARY CAMERON.
invite your special attention to the
following recommendation of the Secre'
tary of War.
First-That the claims under the act of
July 4th, 1854, for supplies taken by the
army during the war be removed from
the offices ofthe quartermaster and Com
General and transferred to the
Southern Claims Commission. These
claims are of precisely similar nature to
those now before the Southern claims
COMMISSION anu Ju6 war O6pdTbmeuI
bureaus have not the clerical force for
their examination, nor proper machinery
for investigating the loyalty of the clai-
mants
Second-That Congress sanction the
scheme Of an ann unity fund for the
benefit of the families of deceased officers
and that it also provide for the perma-
nent organization of the signal service,
both of which were recommended in my
last annual message.
Third-Ehat the manufacturing opera
tions ofthe ordnance department be con.
cenLrated at three arsenals be sold and
an armory, and that the remaining arse
nails be sold and the proceeds applied to
this object by the ordnance department.
RIVER AND HARBoR IMPROVEMENTS.
The appropriations for river and har-
Dor Improvements for the current year
were $5,0l5O00. With my approval, the
Secretary of War directed that Of this
amount 100000 should be expended,
and no new work should be begun and