The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-10-20
gent and earnest efforts on the part of the

prosecution.
NATIONAL BANKRUPT LAW.
trust that some agreement may be reached
which will speedily enable Congress, with
the concurrence of the Executive. to afford
the commercial community the benefits of O
national bankrupt law.
INTERNAL ATFAIRs
The report Of the secretary of the interior,
with its accompanying documents, presents
a full statement Of the varied operations of
that department. In respect to Indian af-
fairs nothing has occurred which has
changed or seriously modified the views
to which devoted much space in former
communication to Congress. / renew the
recommendations therein contained as to ex-
tending to the Indian the protection of
The law, alloting land in severalty to such as
desire 1t, and making suitable provision for
the education of youth. Such provision, as
the secretary forcibly maintains. will prove
unayailng unless it is broad enough to in
clude ell those who are able and willing to
make use of il, and should not solely relate
10 intellectual training, but also to instruc-
tion in such manual labor and simple indus
trial arts as can be made practically avail
able.
Among other important subjects which are
included within the secretary's report, and
which will doubtless furnish occasion for
congressional action, may be mentioned the
neglect of the railroad companies to which
large grant9 of land were made by the acts
of 1862 and 1864 to take title thereto, and
their consequent inequitable exemption from
local taxation.
1LLITERAoY.
No survey of our material condition can
fail TO suggest inquiries us to the moral and
intellectual progress of the people. The
census returns disclose an alarming state of
illiteracy in certain portions of the country
where the provision for schools is grossly in
adequate. Ii is momentous question for
the decision of Congress whether immediate
and substantial aid should not be extended
by the general government for supplement-
ing the efforts of private beneicence and of
state and territorial legislation in behalf of
education.
INTERSTATE COMMERCE.
The question of Interstate commerce has
already been the subject of your deliber-
ations. One of the incidents of the marvel
Gus extension of the railway system of the
country has b9en the adoption of such meas
ures by the corporations which own or con-
troll the roads as has tended TO impair
the advantages of healthful competi-
tion, and to make hurtful Determinations in
the adjustment of freightage. These
inequalities have been corrected in several
of the States by appropriate legislation the
effect of which is necessarily restricted to
the limits of their own territory. So far as
such mischiefs affect commerce between the
States, or between any one of the States and
a foreign country, they are subjects of ma
tional concern, and Congress alone can af-
ford relief
PoLYGAMY.
The results which have thus far attended
The enforcement of the present statute
for the suppression of polygamy in the
Territories are reported by the secretary
of the Interior 1t is not probable that
any additional legislation in this regard will
be deemed desirable until the effect of
existing laws shall be more closely observed
and studied. | congratulate you that the
commissioners under whose supervision those
laws have been put iii operation are eucour-
aged to believe that the evil at which they
are aimed may be suppressed without resort
to such radical measures as IN some quarters
tave been thought indispensable for success.
THE TERRITORIES.
The close relation of the general govern
ment to the Territories preparing to be
great states may well engage your special
attention. 1t is there that the Indian dis
turbances mainly occur and that polygamy
has found room for its growth. | cannot
doubt that a careful survey of territorial leg
isiltion would be of the highest utility. Life
and property would become more secure
the liability of outbreaks between Indians
and whites would be lessened the public
domain would be more securely guarded, and
better progress be made in the instruction of
the young.
Alaska is still without any form of civil
government. If means were provided for
the education of its people and for the pro-
lection of their lives and property, the
permanent settlements and open new fields
for industry and enterprise.
AGRICULTURAL.
The report of the commissioner of agricul-
ture presents 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 waste
full manner in which their destruc-
ton is taking place, give cause for
nnnrphRnGInn nnt innt in
tecting the earth's serface, in modifying the
extremes of climate, and in regulating and
sustaining she flow of springs and streams,
Is now well understood, and their i'm
portance i'll relation to the growth and pros
perity of the country cannot be safely
disregarded. They are fast disappearing
before destructive fires and the legitimate re-
quirements of our increasing population, and
their total extinction cannot be long delayed
unless better method than now prevail shall be
adopted for their protection and cultivation
The attention of Congress is invited to the
necessity of additional legislation TO secure
the preservation of the valuable forests still
remaining on the public domains, specially
iii the extreme Western States and Ter.
ritories, where the necessity for theil
preservation is greater than in less noun
famous regions, and where the prevailing
dryness OF the climate renders
their restoration, if they are once de-
stroyed, well nigh impossible.
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
The communication which | made to Con.
gress at its first session in December last con
tanned somewhat full statement of my sen
Einents in relation to the PRINCIPLES anC
rules which ought to govern appointments tC
public service. Referring to the variou,
plans which had heretofore been the sub
ject of discussion in the national legiss
ture, plans which in the main were
modelled upon the system which obtains in
Great Britain, but which lacked certain OF
the prominent features whereby that system
is distinguished, felt bound to intimate my
doubts whether they or any of them, woulc
afford adequate remedy for the evils whicl
they aimed to correct. declared, neyerthe
less, that If the proposed measures should
prove acceptable to Congress- they woult
receive. the unhesitating support Of thu
Executive. Since these suggestions were
submitted for your consideration there ha,
been no legislation upon the subject to which
they relate; but there has meanwhile beer
an increase in the public interest in tha