, 1890-12-02

laws and OF offenses against United States
officers. The number of convictions Sc
cured, very MANY OF them upon pleas OF
guilty, will, 1t is hoped. have q ~salutary
restraining influence.
Postal Affairs
The report of the postmaster general
shows the most gratifying progress in the
work committed t his direction. The
business methods have been improved, a
large conomy in expenditures and an in
crease of a, $50, 900 in receipts have been
realized. The deficiency this year is
IS. 1888, 300 as against SO, $50, 1873 last year,
Notwithstanding the great enlargement Of
the service. Mail routes have been ex-
tended and auickened and greater &C
curacY and dispatch IN distribution and
delivery have been attained.
The passage of the act to amend a GER
tain section of the Revised Statutes re-
lating to lotteries, approved September
10. 1890. has been received with great
and deserved popular favor The post.
Office department and the department Of
justice at once entered upon the enforce
ment of the law with sympathetic vigor
and already the public mails have been
largely freed from the fraudulent and de.
moralizing appeals and literature emauat-
ing from the lottery companies.
The Navy.
The construction and equipment of new
ships for the navy has made very salts
factory progress since March 4, 1889.
Nine new vessels have been put in COM
mission and during the winter four mgeS
including one monitor, will be added,
The construction of the other vessels au
thorIzed is being pushed, both in the gov
eminent and private yards, with energy
and watched with the most s%crupulous
care. The experiments conducted during
the year to test the relative resisting
power of armor plates nave been so vain
able as TO attract great attention in Eu-
rope. The only part OF the work upon
new ships that is threatened by usual de
lay is the armor plating. and every effort
IS being made to reduce that to the mini
mum. 1t is a source of conRratulatiOn
that the anticipated influence of these
modern vessels upon the esprit de corps
of the officers and IN has been fully
realized. Confidence and pride in the
ship amcng the crew are equivalent to a
beCOnudil bdlNCiNs 4Oul AdNOENult Cuu-
sideration is invited to the recommends
tons OF the secretary.
Interior Department.
The report of the secretary Of the inter
Tor exhibits with great f~ullness and clear
ness the vast work OF that great depart
ment and the satisfactory results attained.
The suggestions made by him are ear
nesrly commended to the consideration
Of congress, though they cannot all be
given particular mention here. The sew
eral acts of congress looking to the reduc-
ton Of the larger Indian reservations. to
the more rapid settlement of the Indians
upon individual allotments and the res
t~oration TO the public domain of lands in
excess OF their needs, have been largely
carried into effect SO far as the work was
con6ded to the executive. Agreements
have been consented to since March 4,
1889, involving the cession to the United
States of about IA, 1850 0 acres OF land.
These contracts have. as required by law,
been submitted to congress for ratification
and for the appropriation necessary to
carry them into effect.
The policy outlined in my last annual
message In relation to the ~patentisg of
lands to settlers upon the public domain,
has been carried out in the administration
of the land office. No general suspension
or chance OF fraud has been allowed to de-
lay the hearing and adjudication of indi-
vidual cases upon their merits. Their
purpose mas been to perfect the title OF
honest settlers with such promptness that
the value of the entry might not be swal-
lowed up by the expense and extortions to
which delay subjected the claimant. The
average monthly issue OF agricultural
patents has been increased about 5000.
The disability pension act which was
approved on the 9th OF June last has
been put into operation as rapidly as was
practicable. Claims have, by reason of
the improved methods. been more rapid
" considered than ever before. The an
ticipated expenditure. while very large,
will not. 1t is believed, be in excess of the
estimates made before the enactment OF
the law. This liberal enlargement OF the
general law should suggest a more careful
scrutiny Of bills for special relief,
The increasing numbers and influence
of the non-Mormon population in Utah
are observed with satisfaction. The re-
cent letter OF MILFORD Woodruff, president
of the Mormon church, in which he ad-
vised his people to refrain from contract
ing any marriage forbidden BY the laws of
the land, has attracted wide attention and
it is hoped its influence will be highly
beneficial in restraining attractions of the
laws of the United States.
The admission of the states of Wyo-
ming and Idaho to the union are events
full of interest and congratulation not
only to the people Of those states, now
happily endowed with a full participation
in our privileges and responsibilities, but
to all our people.
CONTINUED on Fourth Page.