River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-12-16

4
ment of some form of civil government for the
| people of Alaska, is approved. At the present
! there is no protection of persons or property in
that territory, except such as is afforded by the
! officers of the United States ship jamestown,
! This vessel was dispatched to Sitka because of
! the fear that, without the immediate presence of
| the national authority. there was impending dan
| ger of anarchy. The steps taken TO restore order
| have been accepted in good faith by both white
and Indian inhabitants and the necessity for this
method of restraint does not, in my opinion, now
| exist. If however, the jamestown should be
withdrawn, leaving the people at present, with
| out the ordinary, judicial, and administrative
authority of organized local government serious
| consequences might ensue.
The laws provide only for the collection of rev
enue, the protection of public property and the
transmissions Of the mails. The problem is to
] supply local rule for population scattered
4 and so peculiar in its origin and condition The
natives are reported to be teaehahe and self-sup-
/ porting, and il properly instructed doubtless
1 would advance rapidly in civilization, and new
factor of prosperity would be added TO the nation
| al life. |, therefore, recommend the requisite
/ legislation upon this subject.
/ The secretary of the navy has taken steps to-
wards the establishment naval coaling- stations
1 at the isthmus of Panama, to meet the require
ments OF our commercial relations with central
1 and south America, which are rapidly growing N
1 Importance. Locations eminently suitable, both
rs regards our naval purposes and the uses of com
merce, have been selected one on the east side of
/ the sthmus at Chiriqui Lagoon. in he Carib-
bean sea, and the other the Pacific coast at
the bay of GolfitO. The only safe harbors, sufh-
GENTLY commOdous, on the istbmus, are at these
points and the distance between them is less than
one hundred miles. The report OF the secretary
of the navy concludes with valuable suggestions
with respect to the building up of our merchant
marine service, which deserve the favorable con-
! sideration Of congress.
THE POSTAL SERVICE
| The report of the postmaster general exhibits
the continual growth and the high state of eff
| cheney of the postal service. The operations of
| no department of the government, perhaps, rep
resent with greater exactness the increase in the
! population and the business Of the country. In
| 1860 the postal receipts were SS,5lS ,Q67.40; in
| 1880 the receipts were S33, 3l5, 1884. All the
inhabitants of the country are directly and per-
sonaly interested in having proper mail facilities,
and naturally watch the post office very closely.
| This careful oversight on the part Of the people
| has proved constant stimulus to improvement.
During the past year there was an increase Of 2 :
| 1874 post Offices and the mail routes extended
| q l17 miles, making additional annual trans
| portatiuu of 10 ,S04 1911 miles. The revenues Of
| the postal service for the ensuing year are esti-
mated al SSS S45 l74.l0, and the expenditures at
| S42 AZ ,932, leaving deficiency to be apprOpri-
ated out of the treasury of So $50, 1890.
The universal postal union has received the ac-
cession of almost all the countries and colonies of
| the world maintaining organized postal services,
| and it is confidently expected that all the other
| countries and colonies now outside the union will
soon unite Herewith thus realizing the grand idea
! and aim of the founders of the union, of forming,
I for purposes of international mail communica-
ton, a single postal territory embracing the world
| with complete uniformity Of postal charges and
conditions of international exchange, for all de-
| scrptions OF correspondence. To enable the
| United States to do its full share of this great
work, additional legislation is asked by the post
master general, to whose recommendations espe-
cial attention is called
The suggestion OF the postmaster general that
it would be wise to encourage, by appropriate leg
| isation the establishment of American lines OF
| steamers by citizens, to carry the mails
between own ports and those of Mexico, Cen
trail America, South America, and of trans Pacific
countries, is commended to the serious cOnsidera-
| ton OF congress.
The attention Of congress is also invited to the
suggestions Of the postmaster general in regard to
postal savings.
| SUPREME COURT
The necessity for additional provision, to aid in
| the transaction of the business of the federal
courts, becomes each year more apparent. The
dockets of the supreme court, and of the circuit
courts in the greater number of the circuits are
encumbered with the constant accession of cases
In the former court, aud in many instances in the
circuit courts, years intervene before it s practi
cable to bring eases to hearing
The attorney general recommends the establish
| ment of an intermediate court of errors and APP
peals. 1t is recommended that the number OF
judges of the circuit court in each circuit with the
exception of the second circuit should be increased
by tn" addition of another judge; in the second
vlrcmt that two should be added; aud TINT an in
| termedlate appellate court should be formed III
each circuit to consist OF the circuit judges and
the circuit justice and that in the event of the
absence of either of these Judges the place Of the
absent judge should be supplied by the judge OF
one of the district courts in the circuit. Such an
appellate court could be safely invested with large
jurisdiction, and its decisions would satisfy sutors
| in many cases where appeals would still be al
| low ed to the supreme court. The expense in
| Cured for this intermediate court, viii require a
| very moderate increase of the appropriations fol
| the expenses of the department of justice. Thi:
| recommendation is commended to the careful
cor Iteration of congress.
is evident that delay of justice, in many in
st. oppres,iYo and disastrous to suitons. now
necessarily occurs in the federal courts, which
win in this way will be remedied
EXTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
The report of the secretary of the interior, pre-
| sents an elaborate account of the operations of
! that department during the past year. 1t gives
me great pleasure to say that our Indian affairs
| appear to be in a more hopeful condition now
| than ever before. The Indians have made graft
| flying progress in agriculture, herding, and me-
! chanical pursuits. Many who were few years
/ ago in hostile conflict with the government are
| quietly settling down on farms where they hope
| to make their permanent homes building houses
| and engaging in the occupations of civilized
life. The introduction of the freighting business
| among them has been remarkably fruitful of good
| results, in giving many of them congena en-
| ployment and in stimulating their ambition to
| earn their own support. Their honesty, fidelity
and efficiency as carriers are highly praised The
| organization of police force of indians, has
| been equally successful in maintaining law and
order upon the reservations, and in exercising
wholesome moral influence among the Indians
themselves wit bp of 40
| interior in the recommendation that the pay of
this force be increased, as an inducement to the
best class of young men to enter it.
Much care and attention has been devoted TO
the enlargement of educational facilities for the
Indians. The means available for this important
object have been very inadequate. A few addi-
tional boarding schools at Indian agencies have
been established, and the erection of building has
been begun for several more, but an increase OF
the appropriations for this interesting under
taking is greatly needed to accommodate the large
number of Indian children of Sabotage. The
number offered by their parents from all parts of
the country for education in the government
schools is much larger than can be accommodated
with the means at present available Tor that pur
pose The number Of Indian pupils at the Nor
nal school ut Hampton, Va, under the direction
Of Gen. Armstrong, has been CO .sideraolv in
creased, and their progress is highly encouraging.
The Indian school established by the interior de-
partment in 1879, at Carlisle, Pa. under the di-
cessful. 1t has nearly two hundred pupils Of
both sexes, representing great variety Of the
tribes east Of the Rocky Mountains The pupils
in both these institutions receive not only an ele
mentary English education; but are also instructed
in homework. agriculture and useful mechanical
pursuits. similar school was established this
year at Forest Grove Ore. for the education of
Indian youth on the Pacific coast In addition to
this, thirty-siX Indian boys and girls were
selected from the eastern Cherokees and
placed in boarding schools in North Carolina,
where they are to receive an elementary English
education and training in industrial pursuits. The
so-called wild tribes, In the education Of their
children, Is very gratifying and gives promise
that the results accomplished by the efforts now
making will be OF lasting benefit.
The expenses Of Indian education have so far
been drawn from the permanent ciylhzatlOn-tund
at the disposal Of the department Of the interior;
but the fund is now so much reduced that the CON
tinuanee Of this beneficial work ssill in future de-
pend specific appropriations by congress for
the purpose, and | venture TO express the hope
that congress win not permit institutions fruit
for their support. On the contrary, increase
of the number Of such schools appears to me
highly advisable.
The past year has been unusually free from dis |
turbances among the Indian tribes. An agree |
ment has been made with the Utes by which they |
surrender their large reservation in Colorado III |
consideration Of an annuity to be paid to them |
and agree to settle in seyeraty certain lands |
designated for that purpose, farmers, holding |
individual title to their land in fee-simpe, inaen-
able for n certain period. In this way a costly |
Indian war has been ay0i'jed which, at one time, |
seemed imminent and for the first time in the his
IT.tsa haaf rty