New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-05


THE STAR ROUTE TRIALS.
In my message Of December last / referred to
pending erin proceedings growing out OF al
Legged frauds in what is known as the Star Route
Service OF the Post Office Department, and advised
you that had enioined upon the Acknowledgment
and associate counsel to whom the interests OF the
Government were intrusted the duty OF
prosecuting with the utmost yigor OF
the law, all persons who might, be found
chargea Die with those offences A ttial OF one OF
these cases has since occurred. IL occupied for
many weeks the attention of the supreme Court OF
TINS DISTRICT aud was conducted with great zeal and
ability II resulted in disagreement of the jury,
1ut Inc AUS mas again D-en placed upon the cae
Oar ana VIII shortly be retired. If any guilty per-
sons shGl hnaly escape punishment for their often
ces 1t Will not be for lack of dlig'nt and earnest
efforts on the part of the prosecution.
| trust that some agreement NAV be reached
which will sDeedlly enable Congress with the con.
cnrrencc OF the Executive to afford tho commercial
community the benefit of a national bankrupt Jaw.
THE INFERIOR DEPARTMENT
The report of the Secretary OF the Interior, with
its accompanying documents, presents a full state
ment of the varied operations OF that Department.
In respect to Indian affairs nothing has occurred
which has changed or seriously modified the views
10 which devoted much space in former COM
munlcatl0n to Congress. | renew the recOmmenda-
irons therein contained to extending TO the In
dian the protection OF the law allotng 9nd IN sew
crafty to such as desire it, amt making suitable pro-
vision for The education of youth such prOyl-
sion, as the Secretary tOrcIbly maintains,
VIII prove unaValtng unless III Is DlOin
enough to include all those who are able and will
ing make OF 1t and shO lid not solely re ate 10
intellectual training but also 10 instruction IN such
manual labor and simple industrial arts as can be
made practically available.
Among other important subjects which are IN
cluded wltuln he Secretary report and which VIII
doubt css furnish occasion for Congressional lOn
may DE mentioned the neglect OF me railroad com
panies TO which large GRAMS of land were made b.
hc acts of 1SG2 ami 1861 10 take title thereto aud
their consequent and inequitable exemption from
local tax ton.
No survey of our material condition can fail to
suggest nq llrics to the moral and Intellectual
progress o. the people Tho census returns disclose
an alaImmg state of illlteracy IN certain p0r ions
OF the country, where the provision Tor schools IL
grossly inadequate. IT rs momentous question for
the decision of COnVre whether INN dla g and
substantial aid should not be extended by Il Gen
eTal Government for supp ementlng the efforts OF
priyafe, benehcrnce and OF State ana territorial
iegisla ion i'll behalf of educa ion.
The regulation of in er-Statr commerce has
aIeady been the subject of your d'lberatlnns.
One of the incidents of the marvellous extension
of he railway system of the country has been the
adoption OF such measures by thr c0nora ions when
own control the roads has tended to impair he
advantages of healthful competition AMI to make
urtful Determinations in the adjustment of freight
age. These inequalities have been corrected IN sew
crll OF the States by appropriate legislation; inc
effect of which l. necessarily restricted to the limits
Of their own territory. SO far as such mlschlets
affect commerce between the states, or between any
one OF the States and foreign country they are
subjects of national concern and Congress alone can
afford relicf.
The results which have thus far attended the en-
forcement of tine recent statute for the suppression
Of pol ygamy in the territories are reported by the
Secretary of the Interior. 1t Is not probable that
any additional legislation III this regard will be
deemed desirable unit the effect OF EXISTING laws
shall he more closely observed and studied. con-
graduate YOU that the Commissioners under whose
supervision those laws have been put in operation
arc encouraged believe that the evil at which they
are aimed may be suppressed without resort 10 sucn
radical measures as in some quarters have been
thought Indispensable for success.
The close relation of the General Government to
the Territories preparing to he great states NAV
welt engage your special attention. II Is there that
the Indian disturbances mainly occur and mat
polygamy has found room for ITS growth. cannot
doubt that careful survey OF Territorial legislation
would be of the high st utility. Life and property
would become more secGre, the Liability OF out
breaks between Indians and whites would pc
lcssencd the public domain would be more securely
guGrded and better progress DO made in the instruc
ton of the young
Alaska IL still without any form Of Civil Govern
ment. Ii means provided for the education oil
its people and for the protection of their lives and
property, the immense sources OF the region would
| invite permanent settlements and open new helds
| for industry and enterprise.
TIE AGRICULTURAL BUREAU.
The report Of the CommSs OF Agriculture pre-
sents an account of the labors Of that Department
during the past year, and includes information OF
much interest to the general public. The condition OF
the forests of the country and the wasteful manner
| in which their dcstr elton Is taking place give
cause for serious apprehension. Their action IN
protecting the carths surface, IN moulli ing the
extremes of climate, and III regulating and sustain
lug the ilow of springs and streams Is now well I'M
dorstoOd, and their importance in relation to the
growth and prosperity OF the country cannot be
safely dsregarded. They are fast disappearing be-
fore destructive fires and the legitimate REQUIRE
meuts OF orr increasing population aud their total
| extinction cannot be long delayed unless better
methods than prevail shall bdNdoptcd for their
grcss is invited to the necessity OF additional legls-
| lation to secure the preservation OF the
valuable forests still remaining in the
| pubic domain, especially IN the extreme NesteIn
States and Territories, where the necessity Tor theI
Preservation is greater than m less mountainous
| regions. and where the prevailing dryhess Of the
climate renders their restoration II they are once
| destroyed, wcll-niGh impossible
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
The communication which made to Congress at
its first session in December last contained some
what full statement of my sentiments in relation to
the principles and rules which ought to govern APP
continents to public service. Referring to fine yari
GUS plans which had tlcretoforc been the
subject Of discussion IN the Natlonal
legislature, plans which in, the, main
were modelled upon the system which obtains III
Great Britain but which lacked certain OI me PROM
incnt features whereby that sys Is DISTINGUISHED,
felt bound 10 inimatr my doubts whether they, or
any of thnm. would afford adequate remedy Tor the
evils which they auned 10 corr CT ldec rrg, never
theess that If the proposed measures should prove
| acceptable to Congress they would receive the uh-
hesiating support Of the Executive. since these
| suggestions were submitted Tor your consideration
| There has been no legislation upon the subject TO
which they relate; but there has meanwhile Deeh
| an increase the pubic interest IA that Shbjcct,
md the people of the country, apparently without
abstraction of party have in various ways ana upon
fr,ouent Occasions gwen expression 10 thcir earnest
,ris1 for plompt and definite action. Ia my iudg-
| meut such act on should no longer be postponed.
| may add that Iny sense of ITS pressing lln-
| nortauce has been quIckencd by observation OF a
rrroct;col nhaSe of the matter to which attention
| las more than once been called by my prede-
| cCssOrS. ,oo ooo -
| Ihc Civil List now comprises about lOO,OOO per
sons far the larger part o. whom must, under the
frrns of the CONSTITUTIONS be selected by the Pre- l.
dent either directly OF through his own appOiniees
! I'm the early years of the administration OF the
Govprnment the personal direction of appointment
| -. i,iIN .illt. mt h. u