Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-10-19
be postponed until the regular ses-

be postponed until the regular ses-
sion.
take this opportunity. also, to in
vlte your attention to the propriety
of adopting at your present session
the necessary legislation to enable
the people of the United States IN
participate in the advantages of the
international Exhibition Of agricuI-
ture, industry, aud the fine arts,
which Is to be held at Paris in 1873,
and in which this Government has
been invited bv the Government of
France to take part. This invitation
was communicated to this Govern
ment in Nav, 1876, by the Minister
of France at this capital, and a copy
thereof was submitted to the proper
committees of Congress at its last
session, but no action was taken up
on the subject. The Department of
State has received many letters from
various parts of the country, express
ing desire to participate in the En-
hibition, and numerous applications
of similar nature have also been
made at the United States Legation
at Prris. The Department of State
has also received official advice of
the strong desire on the part of the
French Government that the United
States should participate in this en-
terprise, and space has hitherto been,
and still is, reserved in the Exhibi-
tion buildings, for the use of exhibi-
tors from the United States, to the
exclusion of other parties who have
been applicants therefor.
In order that our industries may
be properly represented at the Ex
hibition, an appropriation will be
needed for the payment of salaries
and expenses of Commissioners, for
the transportation of goods, and for
other purposes in connection with
the object in view; and, as May next
is the time fixed for the opening of
the Exhibition, if our citizens are to
share the advantages of this interna-
tional competition for the trade of
other nations, the necessity of imme-
diate action is apparent. To enable
the United States to cooperate in
the international Exhibition, which
was held at Vienna in 1878, Congress
then passed joint resolution making
an appropriation of 100000, and
authorizing the President to appoint
certain number of practical artisans
and scientific men, who should at
tend the Exhibition and report their
proceedings and observations to him.
Provision was also made for the APP
pointment of number of honorary
Commissioners. l have felt that
prompt action by Congress in accept
ing the invitation of the Government
of France is of so much interest to
the people of this country, and so
suitable to the cordial relations be-
twern the Governments of the two
countries, that the subject might pro-
perly be presented for attention at
your present session.
The Government of Sweden and
Norway has addressed an official
to this Government to
take part in the International Pris-
on Congress to be held at Stock
holm next year. The problem
which the congress proposes TO
to diminish crime-is
one in which all civilized nations
have an interest in common. And |
the Congress of Stockholm seems
likely to prove the most important
ever held for the study
of this grave question. Under au-
thority of a joint resolution of Con-
gress, approved Feb. 16, 1875,
Commissioner was appointed by my
to represent the United |
States upon that occasion, and the
Prison Congress having been, at
the earnest desire of the Swedish
Government, postponed to 1878, his
was renewed by me.
An appropriation of $4,000 was made
in the Sunday Civil Appropriations
act of 1875 to meet the expenses of
The Commissioners. l recommend
The reappropriation of that sum for
The same purpose, the former appro-
Driation having been covered into
5he Treasury, and being no longer
available for the purpose without
further action by Congress. The
subject is brought to your attention
1T this time in view of circum-
stances which render it highly de-
;irable that the Commissioner
ihould proceed to the discharge of
lis important duties Immediately.
As the several acts of Congress
for detailed reports from
he different departments of the
require their submis-
ion at the beginning of the regular
lunual session, l defer until that
ime any further reference to sub
ects of public interest.
r. B. HAYES.
WASHINGTON Oct Is 1877