Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-05

resulted in disagreement OF the jury, bu
the cause has again been placed upon the
calendar and will shortly be retired. L
any guilty persons shall finally escape
punishment for their offenses, it will not
be for lack of diligent and urgent works
of the prosecution.
BANKRUPT Law.
I trust that some agreement viii bs
reached which viii speedily aid congress
with the concurrence of the executive te
afford the commercial community the ben
eft Of & national bankrupt law.
INDIAN AFFAIRS.
The report Of the secretary Of the int
rior, with its accompanying documents
presents full statement OF the varied Cd
erations OF that department. In respec,
to Indian affairs nothing he's occurred
which has changed or seriously modified
the views 10 which devoted much space
IL 4 former communication to congress. ]
renew the recommendations therein con
tanned as to extending the Indian the pro
lection OF the law aliotting land in sever
atty to such as deserve it, and making suit
able provision for the education of youth.
Snch q provision as the score
tary forcibly maintains will prove
unavailing unless 1t is broad
enough to include al. those who are able
and willing to make use of it, and should
not solely relate to intellectual training.
but also instruction in such manual labor
and simple industrial arts as can be made
practically available.
RAILROAD LAND GRANTS.
Among other important subjects which
are included in the secretary's report. and
which will doubtless furnish occasion for
congressional action, may be mentioned
the neglect of railroad companies to which
large grants Of land were made by acts of
1862 and 1864, TO take the title thereto, and
their consequent inequitable exemption
from local taxation.
JLLITERACY.
No survey Of our material condition can
fail to suggest inquiries as to the moral
and intellectual progress of the people.
The census return discloses an alarming
state Of illiteracy in certain portions of
the country, where the provision for
schools is grossly inadequate. It is mo-
mentuous question for the decision of con-
gress whether immediate substantial aid
should be extended by the general govern
ment for experimenting the efforts of
ritorial legislation in behalf of education
DETERMINATIONS IN TARIFFS.
The regulation of the interest of COM
merce has already been the sub
ject of your deliberations. One of
. ...c Incidents incidents of the extension
of the railway system of the country, has
been the adoption of such measures by the
corporations which own or control the
roads as has tended to impair the advan.
tages of healthful competition, and 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 mis-
chiefs affect commerce between the states
or between any of the states and a FOREIGN |
country, they are subjects of national con |
Germ, and congress can afford relief.
PoLYGAMY.
The results which have this far attended
The enforcement Of the recent statute for
the suppression of pslygamy in the terri !
tories are reported by the secretary of the
interior. 1t is not probable that any adj
ditional legislation in this regard will be
deemed desirable until the effect of exist |
ing laws shall be more closely observed |
and studied. I congratulate you that the |
commissioners, under whose supervision |
those laws have been put in operation, are |
encouraged to believe that the evil at |
which they are aimed may be suppressed
without resort to such radical measures as
in some quarters have been thought indis-
pensable for success.
THE TERRITORIES.
The close relation of the general govern
ment to the territories preparing to be |
great states, may we'll engage your special |
attention. 1t is there that Indian disturb |
ances mainly occur, and that polygamy |
has found room for its growth. Icannot |
doubt that a carefll survey of territorial |
legislation would be of the highest utility. |
Life and property would become more Sc
cure, the liability of outbreaks between |
Indians and whites would be lessened, the |
public domain would be more securely |
guarded and better progress be made i'll
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
protection of their lives and property, the
immense resources of the region would in
field for industry and enterprise.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
The report of the commissioner of agri
culture 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 wasteful
manner in which their destruction is tax
ing place, gives cause for serious appre-
hension. Their action in protecting the
earth's surface, in modifying the extremes
of climate, and in tho regulation and
sustaining the flow of springs and streams
is not we'll understood, and their impor-
lance in relation to the growth and pros
perity Of the country cannot be safely dis
regarded. They are fast disappearing be-
fore destructive fires, and the legitimate
requirements of our increasing population,
and their total extinction cannot be long
delayed, unless better methods than now
prevail shall be adopted for their protec-
ton and cultivation. The attention of
congress is invited to the necessity of ad-
ditional legislation to secure the preserva
ton of valuable forests still remaining on
the public domain. especially the extreme
Western states and territories, where the