Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-12-05

Restions of his predecessors, that in the
interest Of justice, better provision than the
existing laws afford should be made in GER
tain judicial districts for fixing the fees Of
witnesses and jurors
In my message of December last referred
to pending criminal proceedings growing
out of alleged frauds in what Is known as
the Star Route service of the Post-office
Department, and advised you that I had
enjoined upon the Attorney General and
associate counsel, to whom the interests of
the government were intrusted, the duty of
prosecuting, with the utmost vigor of the
law, all persons who might be found
chargeable with those offenses. A trial of
one of those cases has since occurred 1t
occupied, for many weeks, the attention of
the Supreme Court of this District, and
was conducted with great zeal and ability.
1t resulted in disagreement of the jury,
but the cause has been again placed upon
the calendar and will shortly be retired. If
any guilty persons shall finally escape pun
ishment for their offenses, it will not be for
lack of diligent and earnest efforts on the
part of the prosecution trust that some
agreement may be reached which will
speedily enable Congress, with the concur
renee of the Executive, to afford the COM
mercial community the benefits of nation
al bankrupt law.
THE REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF TIE
INTERIOR,
with its accompanying document, presents
full statement of the varied operations
of that department.
In respect to Indian affairs, Moth
ing has occurred which has changed
or seriously modified the views to which
is devoted much space in q former
communication to Congress. renew the
recommendation therein contained as to ex-
tending to the Indian the protection of the
law allotting land individually to such as
desire it and making suitable provision for
the education of youth Such provision as
the Secretary forcibly maintains will prove
unavailing unless it is broad enough to in
clude all those who are able and willing to
make use of it, and should not solely relate
to intellectual training, but also to instruc-
ton in such manual labor and simple in
dustrial arts as can be made practically
available
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 grants of land were made by
the act of 1862 and 1864 to take
title thereto and their consent
in equitable exemption from
local taxation. No survey of of our mate
| rial condition can fail to suggest inquiries
as to the moral and intellectual progress of
the people.
AN ALARMING STATE OF MLITERAoY
in certain portions of the country, where
| the provision for schools is inadequate. It
is momentous question for the decision of
Congress whether immediate and substar-
tial aid should not be extended by the gen.
eral government for supplementing the
efforts of private bene6cence, and of State
| and territorial legislation in behalf of edu-
| cation.
The regulation of Interstate commerce
has already been the subject of your DELHI
| erations.
One of the incidents of the marvellous
| 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 i'm
pair the advantages of healthful competition
and to make hurtful determinations in the
adjustment of freightage. These inequali-
| ties 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
off foreign country, they are subjects OF
national concern, and Congress alone can
afford relief. The results which have thus
far attended the enforcement of the recent
statute for
THE SUPPRESSION OF PoLYGAMY
In the Territories, are reported by the Secre
tary of the Interior. It is not prabable thai
any additional legislation in this regard viii
be deemed desirable until the effect of exist.
ing laws shall be more closely observed anG
s.udied / congratulate you that the com
missioners, under whose supervision those
laws have been put in operation, are en-
| couraged 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 indispensable
for success.
The close relation of the general govern
ment to the Territories, preparing to be
come great States, may well engage you
special attention. 1t is there that the
disturbances mainly occur, and that polyga
my has found room for its growth. 1 can
not doubt that careful survey of Territoria
legislation would be of the highest utility
and that life and proper
ty would become more secure
The liability of outbreaks between the In
dams and whites would be lessened, tn.
public domain would be more securely
guarded, and better progress be made in tn
instruction of the young. Alaska is still
without any forms of civil government.
means were provided for the education O
its people and for the protection of thei
lives and property, the immense resources
of the region would invite permanent set
Elements and open new fields for industr,
and enterprise. The report of
THE COMMISSIONERS OF AGRICULTURE
presents an account of the labors of tina
department during the past year and in
cludes information of much interest to tn
general public. The condition of the for
ests of the country and the wasteful name
in which the destruction is taking place
give cause for serious apprehension. Thei
action in protecting the esrih's surface, il
modif, ing the extremes of climate, in regu
lating and sustaining the flow of spring.
and streams is now well understood, ans
their importance in relation to the growth
AMI prosperity of the country cannot b,
safely disregarded. They are fast disap
| pearlnS before destructive nTeS ana the 10
ultimate requirements of our incressin e
population, their total extinction canno
be long delayed unless better meth od
than now prevail shall b
adopted for their protection ane
cultivation. the attention of Congress ii
invited to the necessity of additional legis
lation to secure the preserva ion of the val
liable forests still remaing on the public
domain especially in the extreme western
States and territories, where the necessity
for their preservation is greater than in less
mountainous regions, and where the pre-
vailing dryness of the climate renders theil
restoration, if they are once destroyed, wei
nigh impossible.
The Communication which wrote Con
gress at its first session in December last
contained somewhat full statement of my
sentiments in relation to the principles ano