Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-12-08
The COURTS.

/
the constant accession of cases. In the formel
court AMI In many instances in the circuit courts
years interyen" before it is practicable to brin.
| cases 10 nearing. The Attorney general recon-
mends the establishment Of an intermediate cour
OF errors and appeals. II is recommended that tn,
OF luses OF the circuit court in each circuit
win me exception of the second circuit, should b,
increased by the addition of another judge IN tn,
second circuit, that two should be added; and TIM
an intermediate appellate court should he formed
IN each circuit, TO consist of the circuit judges ant
the circuit Justice, and that in the event of IN,
absence OF either OF these judges the place Of tn,
absent judge should be supplied by the judge Of on,
OF Lne district courts in the circuit. Such an APP
pellate court could be safely invested with larg,
jurisdiction, and its decisions would satisfy suitori
IN many cases where appeals would still be aloweC
20 the supreme court The expense incurred fol-
TINS intermediate court will require very mOderat,
increase OF the appropriations for the expenses o
the department of Justice. This recommendation /,
commented to the careful consideration ofcongress
IL Is evident that delay of justice, in many instan
ces oppressive and disastrous to sutOrs now neces
sar occurs IN the federal courts, which will in this
way be rcmedied
THE INDIAN QUESTION.
Inc report OF the secretary Of the interior presents
IN e'aDOrate ace 'unt 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 more hopeful condition now than ever before
me Indians have made gratifying progress in
agriculture, herilng and mechanical pursuits
Many who were a few years ago an hostile conflict
win the government are quietly settling down on
farms where they hope to make their permanent
hVtHes DullllIlp houses ami engaging IN the
patrons OF civilized life The introduction of the
trelghtlng business among them has been remarka.
bly, fruitful of good results in giving many of them
congenial and remuneralive employment, and in
stimulating their ambition to earn their own
support. Their honesty, fidelity and efficiency AS
carriers are highly praised The organization of a
ponce 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 concur with tue
secretary of the interior in the recommendation
innraaapI ,,,
lnducement to the best class of Young men to enter
~ 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 additional
boarding schools at Indian agencies have been
established, and the erection of buildings has been
begun for several more, but an increase of the
appropriations for this interesting undertaking is
greatly needed to accommodate the large number
of ln'tian children of school age. The number
offered by their parents from all parts of the country
Tor education in the government schools is much
larger than can he accommodated with the means
at present available for that purpose The number
of Indian pupils at the normal SCHOOL at Hampton.
Virginia, under the direction of General Armstrong
has been considerably increased and their progress
IL highly encouraging. The Indian school estab.
lished by the interior department in 1878, at
Carlisle, Pennsylvania, under the direction of
Captain Pratt. has been equally successful, 1t has
now neatly two hundred pupils of both sexes
representing a great variety of the tribes east OF
the Rocky Mountains. The pupils in both these
institutions receive not only an elementary English
X,
agriculture and useful mechanical pursuits. A
similar school was established this year at Forest
Grove, Oregon, 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 were to receive elementary
English education and training in industrial
pursuits. The interest shown ny Indian parents,
even among the socaed 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 laStinp bpnpnt hp
expenses of Indian education have so far been
drawn from the permanent civilization fund at the
disposal of the department of the interior; but the
fund is now 50 much reduced, that the continuance
OF this beneficial work will in the future depend on
specific appropriations by congress for the purpose
and venture to express the hope that congress
will not permit institutions so fruitful of good
results to perish for want of means for their support
On the contrary, an increase of the number of such
schools appears to me highly advisable The past
yen has been unusually free from disturbances
among the Indian tribes. An agreement has been
made with the Utes, by which they surrender their
large reservation in Colorado in cons Iteration of
an annuity, to be paid to them and agree to settle
in severalty on certain lands designated for that
purpose, AS farmers holding individual title to their
land in e.simple inalienable for a certain period
In this way costly Indian war has been avoided
which, at one time, seemed imminent, and, for the
first time IL the history of the country, an Indian
nation has given up its tribal existence to be settled
in severalty, and to live as individuals under the
common protection of the laws of the country The
conduct of the Indians throughout the country
uurln[ Ine past year, WIN Dut lew noteworthy
exceptions, has been orderly and peaceful. The
guerilla warfare carried on for two years by
Victoria and his band of Southern Apaches has
virtually come to an end by the death of that chief
and most of his followers, on Mexican soil. The
disturbances caused on our northern frontier by
Sitting Bull and his men, who had taken refuge in
The British domlnlons, are also likely to cease.
large majority of his followers have surrendered tC
our military forces, and the remainder are appar
emily in progress of disintegration. 1 concur with
the secretary of the interior in expressing the
hone wi a fob.
favorable action of the bill providing for the
allotment of lands on the different reservations in
severalty to the lndi ms, with patents comforting
tee-simple title malt nabe for certain PERIOD and
the eventual disposition of the residue of the
reservations, for general settlement, with the
consent and for the benefit o. the Indians placing
the latter under the equal protection of the laws
the country This measure, together with
vigorous prosecution of educational efforts
viii work the most important ami effective advance
toward the solution of the Indian problem, il
preparing for the gradual merging of our lndiar
population in the great body OF American citizen
ship.
THE PUBLIC LANDS.
A large increase is reported in the disposal o
public lands Tor settlement during the past year
which marks the prosperous growth of our agricul
| tural industry, and vigorous movement of popu
latlon toward our unoccuped lands. AS Thu
movement proceeds, the co lihCation of our lane
laws, as well as proper legislation to regulate tn,
disposition public lands, become gilmore pressing
necessity, and therefore invite the consideration
of congress to the report and the accompanying
DRAFT ofa bill made by the public land commission
which were communicated by me to congress at tn,
last session. EARLY action upon this importan
subject is highly desirable.
| The attention of congress is again asked to thu
wastelul expectations committed on public
timber lands, and the rapid AMI indisCrminat
| destruction of our forests. The urgent necessit,
for legislation to This end is now generally recng
| nized. In view of the lawless character OF tn
depredations committed, and the disastrous conse
quences which will inevitably follow their Continu
ance, legislation has again and again been recon
mended to arrest the evil, and to preserve for tn
people of our western states and territories tn
timber needed for domestic and other essential uses
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.
The report of the director OF the geological surve
| is a document of unusual interest. The consOda
| ton of the various geological and geographical
| surveys and exploring enterprises, each of whic
| has heretofore Oper ted npOn an independent plan
without concert, cannot fail TO be of great benei
TO all those industries OF the country which depen
| upon the development of our mineral resources
The labors of the scientific men, of recognize
| merit, who compose the corps of the geological
survey, during the first season of their field opera
| lions and inquiries, appear to have been YER
| comprehensive, and will soon be communicated 3
congress in number of volumes. The director 0
the survey recommends that the investigation
| carried on by his bureau which 80 far have bee
confined to the so-called public land states an
| territories, be extended over the entire country
| and that the necessary appropriation be ma ie TO
this purpose. This would be particua ly beneficial
to the iron coal and other mining interests Of tn
Mississippi valley, and Of the eastern and southern
| states. The subject is commended to the careiu
consideration of congress.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS AGAIN.
The secretary of the interior asks attention to tn
want of room in the pubic buildings of the capita
now existing and in progress of construction, 70
the accommodation of the clerical force employed
and of the public records. Necessity has compelle
| the renting of private buildings in different part
of the city for the location of public Offices 70
| which large amount of rent is annually paiC
| while the separation of Offices belonging to tn
| same epartmentimpedes the transaction of curren
| business. The secretary suggests that the block
| surrounding Lafayette Square on the east, mort
and west, be purchased as the sites for new edihce
| for the accommodation of the government officei
lea wing the square itself intact; and that if sue
| buildings were constructed upon a harmonou
plan of architecture, they would add much to tn
beauty of the national capital and would, togethe
with the treasury, and the new state, navy and wa
department building, form one of the most imposin
groups of public ediGces in the world
| AGRICULTURAL.
| The commissioner of agriculture expresses tn
confident belief that his efforts in behalf of tn
| production of our sugar and tea have bee
| encouragingly rewarded The importance of tn
results attained have attracted market atten ion
home and have received the special consideration
| of foreign nations. The successful cultivation q
our own tea, and the manufacture of our own sugar
| would make difference Of many millions of dollar
| annually in the wealth of the nation The report
the commissioners ask attention particularly to tn
continued preva lence of an infectious and contagou
cattle disease, known and dreaded in Europe an
| Asia as cattle plague or peurO-pneumonia mil
| If