Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-12-07

| of the products of our industry. The circum-
| stances of the countries at the far south OF our
| continent are such as to invite our enterprise,
| and afford the promise OF sufficient advantages
| to Justify an unusual effort to bring about the
closer relations which greater freedom OF com
munication would establish. l suggest that, as
distinguished from grant or subsidy, for the
mere benefit of any line of trade or travel, what
ever outlay may be required TO secure additional
/ postal service necessary and proper and not
otherwise obtainable. should be regarded as
within the limit of legitimate compensation for
such service. The extension OF the free delivery
service, MS suggested by the Postmaster General,
| has heretofore received my sanction and it is
! TO be hoped suitable enactment may soon be
agreed upon. The request for an appropriation
| sufficient to enable the general inspection OF
| fourth class offices has my appreciation. re-
new my approval of the recommendation OF the
/ PostmaSter-General that another Assistant be
provided for the Postotliee Department, and
invite your attention to the several other recon-
mendations in his report
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
The conduct of the Department of Justice for
the last fiscal year. is fully detailed in the re-
| port of the Attorney General, and invite the
! earnest attention of Congress 10 the same, and
| due consideration OF the recommendations
! therein contained. In the report submitted by
this officer to the last session of the Congresshe
| strongly recommended the erection of peni-
! Tertiary for the confinement of prisoners con-
yicted ana sentenced in the United States
| Courts, aud he repeats the recommendation in
! this report for The last year. This IS u matter
| OF very great Importance. and should at once
! receive Congressional action. United States
prisoners are now confined in more than thirty
different State prisons and penitentiaries. Stu
ated in every part of the country. They are
! subjected TO nearly as many different modes Of
| treatment and discipline, and are far too much
| removed from the control and regulation of the
! Government So far as they are entitled to hui
name treatment and opportunity for improve
ment and reformation, the Government is re-
! sponsible to them and society that these things
! are forthcoming; but this duty can scarcely be
! discharged without more absolute control and
! discretion than is possible under the present
4 system. Many of our good citizens have inter-
| ested themselves with the best beneficial re-
suits on the question of prison reform. The
General Government should be in g situation,
since there must be United States prisoners, to
furnish important aid in this movement and
should be able to illustrate what may be prac-
tically done i'll the direction of this reform, and
TO present an example in the treatment and i'm
provements of It's prisoners worthy OF imitation.
With prisons under its own control, the Govern
ment could deal with the somewhat veXed ques-
ton of convict labor. so far as It's conVlets were
concerned according TO plan OF It's own adop-
ton and with due regards of the rights and in
terests of our laborng citizens instead OF some
times aiding in the operation OF system Whlcn
causes among them irritation and discomfort
On the consideration of this subject 1t might be
thought wise TO erect more than one OF these
institutions located in such places as would
best subserve the purpose OF convenience and
economy in transportation. The considerable
cost of maintaining these convlctS as at present
in State institutions would be saved by the
adoption of the plan proposed, and by employ
! ing them in the manufacturing OF such articles
as were needed for use by the Governmental quite
large pecuuiary benefit would be realized in
partial return for the outlay.
| again urge a change in the Federal judicial
system to meet the wants of the people and OBJ
viate the delays necessarily attending the pres
ent condition of affairs in our Courts. All are
agreed that something should be done. ana
much favor is shown by those well able to
advise to the plan suggested by the Attorney
General at the last session OF Congress, and
recommended inmy last annual message. This
| recommendation is here renewed, together with
/ another made at the same time touching
! change in the manner OF compromising District
Attorneys and MarshGlS, and the latter subject
I is commended to Congress for It's action IN the
Interest of economy to the Government and hui
manty, fairness and justice TO our people,
THE REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR
The report of the Secretary of the Interior pre-
sents comprehensive summary of the work of
the various branches of the public service con-
nected with his department, and the sugges-
tons and recommendations which 1t contains
for the improvement of the service should
receive your careful consideration. The exhibit
made of tSe condition of our Indian popula-
| ton and the progress of the work for their
| enlightenment, Notwithstanding the embar-
easements which hinder the better admins
| tratiOn of this Important branch of the
| service, is a gratifying and hopeful one. The
funds appropriated for the Indian service for
the fiscal year just passed. with the available in
come from Indian land and trust moneys,
amounting in all to 81 250, 7T5 r. were ample for
the service under the conditions and restrictions
| of laws regulating their expenditures. There
remained balance on hand on June 80, 1886, of
81 S60023 30, of which 81, S37, 163 21 are perma-
nPnt funds for fulillment of treaties and other
like purposes, and the remainder, 1922 255 90, is
subject TO be carried to the surplus fund, as re-
auired by law The estimates presented for ap-
preparations for the ensuing fiscal year amounts
to SIS S7S o. or S4i2 $50 20 less than those laid
before Congress last year. The present system
of agencies. while absolutely necessary and
well adapted for the management of our Indian
| affairs and for the ends in Tiew when it was
adopted, is in the present stage of Indian man.
| agement. inadequate, standing alone, for the ac-
| complishment of an object which has become
| pressing in its importance, the more rapid tran
sition from tribal organizations to citizenship of
such portions of the Indians as are incapable of
| civilized life. When the existing system was
adopted, the Indian race were outside the linn
its of organized States and Territories, and
beyond the immediate reach and opera
/ ton of civilization, and all efforts were
mainly directed to the maintenance of
friendly relations, and the preservation of
peace and quiet of the ontier All this
is now changed. There is no such thing as the
Indian frontier. Civilization, with the busy
hum of industry and the influence of Christian
ity, surrounds these people at every point
None of the tribes are outside OF the bounds of
organized government and society, except that
the Territorial system has not been extended
over that portion of the country known as In
dian Territory. AS a race the Indians are no
missive to the control of the Government. as
few of them are troublesome. Except the frag
ment of several bands, all are now gathered
upon reservations. 1t is no longer possible for
them to subsist by the chase and the sponta
neouS productions of nature. With an abund-
ance of land il furnished with the means and
! implements for profitable husbandry, their life
! of entire dependence upon Government TatiOns
| from day to day is no longer defensbe Their
| inclnations long fostered by defer tive system
of control, is to cling to the habits and customs
of their ancestors, and struggle with persistence
| against the change of life which their altered
| circumstances press upon them: but barbarism
| and civilization cannot live together. II is i'm
| possible that such homogeneous conditions
co-exist on the same soil They are portion Of
our people, are under the authority of our
Government, and have peculiar claim
upon, and entitled to, the fostering
care and prptec ion Of the nation. The
Government cannot relieve itself of this
responsibility until they are so far trained
and civilized as 10 he able wholly tOmanage and
care for themselves. The path i'll which they
should walk must be clearly marked out for
them, and they must be led or guided until they
are familiar with the way End competent to
assume the du.ieS and responsibilities of citi-
zenship. The progress Of this great work will
continue only at the present slow pace and at
great expense unless the system and methods
of management are improved 10 meet the
changed conditions and urgent demands of the
service. The agents having general charge and
supervision, in many cases, of more than FIVE
thousand Indians scattered over large reserva-
items and burdened with the details OF account
ability for funds and supplies, have time to look
after the industrial training and improvement
of few Indians only; the many are neglected
and remain idle and in dependent conditions
not favorable for progress in civilization The
compensation allowed these agents and the con-
ditiOns of the serv ce are not calculated 10 secure
the workmen who are fitted by ability and skill
to properly plan and intelligently direct the
methods best adopted TO produce the most
speedy results ana permanent benefits. Hence
the necessity for a supplemental agency or syS-
TEN, directed to the end Of promoting the gen.
eral and more rapid transition of tribes from
| habits and customs of barharity to the ways of
| civilization. With an anxious desire to devise
some plan of operation by which TO secure the
welfare of the Indians and TO relieve the Treas
ury, 50 far as possible, from the support of an
idle and dependent population, / recon-
mended in my previous annusl message the
passage OF a law authorizing the appointment of
a Commission as an instrumentaity auxiliary
to those already established for the care OF the
Indians. II was designed thst this Commission
should be composed of six intelligent and capa-
BILE persons three to be detailed from the army
having practical ideas upon the subject of the
treatment of Indians and interested in their
welfare, and that il should be charged under
the direction of the Secretary of the Interior
with the management OF such matters Of details
as cannot, with the present organization. be
| properly and successfully conducted, and which
present different phases as the Indians them
selves differ in their progress, disposition and
| capacity for improvement or immediate self
: support. BY the aid OF such Commission much
unwise and use ,ess expenditure OF money, waste