Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-12-05

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Last spring information was received of
organization of an extensive movement in
the Western States the object Of which
was the occupation By unauthorized per
sons of certain land in the Indian Terri
tory ceded by the Cherokees to the Govern
ment for the purpose of settlement by
other Indian tribes.
On the 29th of April I issued procla-
nation warning all persons against par
/ ticipating in such an attempt, and by the
| cooperation of a military force, the inva-
/ sion was promptly checked. 1t is my
| purpose to protect the rights of the Indian
| inhabitants of that Territory 10 the full
! extent of the Executive power. But it
would be unwise TO ignore the fact that a
| Territory so large and so fertile, with a
/ population so sparse and so great wealth
/ of unused resources, VIII be found more
exposed to the repetition of such attempts
as happened this year, when the surround
| ing States are more densely settled, and
| the westward movements Of our pOpula-
| ton looks still more eagerly for fresh
| lands to occupy. Under such circUm
stances the difficulty of maintaining the
| Indian Territory in its present state will
| greatly increase, and the Indian tribes in
habitfng it would do well to prepare for
such a contingency. I therefore fully ap-
| prove of the advice given TO them by the
Secretary of the Interior on a recent Occa-
sion, to divide among themselves in sever
atty as large a quantity of lands as they
can cultivate, tOacquire individual title in
| fee instead of their tribal ownership in
common, and to consider in what manner
the balance of their lands may be dispOs-
| ed of by the GOYeFement for their benefit.
/ !, IL.
certainly secure for themselves the value
of their possessions, and at the same time
promote their progress in civilization,
than by endeavOring to perpetuate the
present state of things in the Territory.
CHANGING THE CONTROL.
The Question whether a change in the
| control of the Indian service should be
made was in the Forty-fifth Congress re-
ferred to a joint committee of both
Houses for inquiry and report In my
last annual message l expressed the hope
that the decision of that question, then in
prospect, "Would arrest further agitation
| of this subject, such agitation being apt
to produce a disturbing effect upon the
service as well as the Indians themselves"
Since then the committee have reported,
| the question has been decided in the neg
|
| tatives.
For the reason here stated, and in view
| of the fact that further uncertainty on
/ this point will be calculated to obstruct
other much needed legislation, TO weaken
! the decipline of the service and to unset
tie salutary measures now in progress for
the government and improvement of the
Indians. / respectfully recommend that
| the decision arrived at by Congress at IFS
last session be permitted to stand.
TIMBER LAND DEPREDATIoNs.
The efforts made by the Department of
the Interior to arrest the depredations on
the timber lands of the United States have
| been continued, and have met with con-
siderable success. A large number of
cases of trespass have been prosecuted in
the Courts of the United States; others
have been settled, the trespassers offering
| to make payment to the Government for
the value Of the timber taken by them.
| The proceeds of the prosecutions and set
| Elements turned into the Treasury far ex-
ceed in amount the sums appropriated by
| Congress for this purpose. A more i'm
! portant result, however, consists in the
| fact that the destruction of our public for
ests by depreciation, although such cases
still occur, has been greatly reduced in
extent, and it is probable that if the pres
ent policy is vigorously pursued and suf-
ficient provision to that end is made by
| Congress, such trespass, at least those on
| a large scale, can be entirely suppressed,
| except in the Territories where timber
for the daily requirements of the pOpula-
ton cannot, under the present state Of the
| laws, be otherwise obtained. l therefore
| earnestly invite the attention of Congress
to the recommendation made by the Sec
retary of the Interior, that law be en-
acted enabling the Government to sell
timber from the public lands without con-
veying the fee, where such lands are prin-
cipally valuable for the timber thereon,
such sales to be so regulated as to con-
form to domestic wants and business re-
quirements, while at the same time guard
ing against sweeping destruction OF the
forests. The enactment of such law ap-
pears to become a more pressing necessity
every day.
AGRICULTURE.
My recommendations in former mes
sages are renewed In favor of enlarging
the facilities of the Department of Agri-
culture. Agriculture is the leading in
terest and the permanent industry of our
| people. 1t is to the abundance of agri-
cultural production, as compared with our
home consumption, and the largely in
creased and highly profitable market
abroad which we have enjoyed in recent
! years, that we are mainly indebted for our
| present prosperity as people. We must
look for its continued maintenance to the
same substantial resource. There is no
branch of industery in which labor, di-
rected by scientific knowledge. Yields
such increased production in comparison
with unskilled labor, and no branch of
| the public service to which the encour-
agement of liberal appropriations can be
more appropriately extended. The omis-
sion to render such aid is not a wise econ
Omy; but, on the contrary, undoubtedly
results in losses of immense sums annual
| ly that might be saved through well di-
rected efforts of the Government to
promote this vital interest.
The results already accomplished with
the very limited means heretofore placed
at the command of the Department of Ag-
| riculture is an earnest Ofwhat may be eX-
pected with increased appropriations for
the several purposes indicated in the re-
port of the Commissioner, with q view to
placing the Department upon a footing
which will enable it to prosecute more
effectively the objects for which it is es-
tablished.
Appropriations are needed for a more
complete laboratory, for the establishment
of veterinary division, and a division of
forestry, and for an increase of force.
The requirements for these and other
| purposes, indicated in the report of the
| Commissioner under the head of the i'm
mediate necessities of the Department,
will not involve any expenditure of money
that the country cannot with propriety
now undertake in the interests of agricui-
| ture
EDUCATION
1t is gratifying to learn from the Bu-
reau of Education the extent to which ed
ucational privileges throughout the
| United States have been advanced during
the year. No more fundamental respon-
sibility rests upon Congress than that of
devising appropriate measures Financial
aid to education, supplemental to local ac-
| tion in the States and Territories, and in
! the District of Columbia. The wise fore
thought of the founders of our Govern
ment has not only furnished the basis for
| the support of our common school systems
of the newer States, but laid the founda-
| tions for the maintenance of their univer-
/ stiles and agriculture and the mechanic
arts Measures in accordance with this
traditional policy for the further benefit
of all these interests, and. the extension of
the same advantages to every portion of