The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-10

as senator from Vermont
! Is source OF great regret 20 his colleagues
In the cabinet. es / am sure IL win be 70 all
, those who have business with the deuart-
tnant while urder his charge. In the adj
, ministration OF army affairs some especially
: good work has been accomplished. The
EFFORTS OF the secretary TO reduce the per.
centage OF assertions by removing the
causes that promoted them have been so
successful as % enable him to report for the
, last year 3 lower percentage Of desertion
than has been before reached in the history
Of the army. The resulting money SAVING
Is considerable, but the improvement 10 the
moral Of the enlisted men is the most valua.
BILE incident Of the reforms which have
brought about this result
The work OF securing sites for shore bat
teries for harbor defense and the manufact-
ure Of mortars and guns of high power to
equip them have made good progress dur
ing the year. The preliminary work OF
tests and plans, which so long DELAYED a
start, is now out OF the way. Some guns
have been completed, and with an enlarged
shop and a more complete equipment at
Waterliet, the army will soon be abreast Of
the navy in gun construction. WhateveH
unavoidable causes OF delay may arise
there should be none from
delayed or insufficient appropriations. We
shall be greatly embarrassed IN the proper
distribution and use OF naval vessels until
adequate shore defenses are provided fof
our harbors concur in the recommended
ton of the secretary that the three bat
TALON organization be adopted for infantry.
The adoption Of smokeless powder and of a
modern rifle equal in range, penetration and
rapidity OF fire equal TO the best IN use viii
be no longer delayed.
The project of enlisting Indians and or
ganiEing them into separate companies on
the Same basis as other soldiers was
made the subject of careful study
by the secretary and received
my approval. Seven companies have been
completely organized and seven more ara
IN progress of organization. The results of
six months training have more than real
lied the highest anticipations. The men
are readily brought under discipline, ac-
quire the drill with facility and show great
pride in the right discharge of their duties
and perfect loyalty to their officers, who de-
Glare that they would take them into action
with perfect confidence. The discipline.
, order aud cleanliness of the military posts
will have q wholesome aud elevating infiu-
enoe upon the men enlisted and through
| them upon their tribes, while a more
friendly feeling for the whites, and
greater respect for the government will GER
talnly be promoted.
The great work done In the record and
! pension division Of the war department by
Maj. Aiusworth OF the medical corps and
the clerks under him, is entitled to honora-
bic mention. Taking up the work, nearly
Al 900 cases behind, he closed the last fiscal
year without single case left over, though
the new cases had Increased 80 per cent. In
number over The previous year. by reason
OF the pension legislation of the last con-
gress.
The Judiciary Department.
l concur ia the recommendation of the
Attorney General that the right ia
felony cases 20 review by
tho supreme court be limited.
1t would seem that personal liberty would
have a safe guaranty IL the right Of review
iG case7 involving only flno aud imprison.
ment we're limited TO the circuit court of
appeals. unless a constitutional question
should in some way be involved.
The judges or the court OF private land
claims, provided for by the not of March 3.
1891. have been appointed and the court
organized. IL Is now possible to give carly
relief 10 communities long depressed in their
development by unsettled land titles, and
to establish the possession and right of set-
tiers whose lands have been rendered value.
less by adverse and unfounded claims.
The act Of July 8, 1888, provided for the
| incorporation and management of a reform
school for girls in the District of Columbia,
but 1t has remained imperative for the rea-
J son that no appropriation has been made for
| CONSTRUCTION or maintenance. The need OF
such an institution Is very urgent. Many
| girls could be saved from depraved lives
by the wholesome influences and restraints
OF such a school. l recommend that the
necessary appropriation be made for site
and for construction.
EXCLUSION OF THE CHINESE.
The enforcement by the treasury depart.
ment of the law prohibiting the coming OF
Chinese to the United States has beer
effective as TO such as seek to land from
vessels entering our ports. The result has
been to divert the travel to vessels entering
the ports Of British Columbia, whence
passage into the United States at obscure
points along the dominion boundary is easy.
A very considerable number of Chinese
laborers have. during the past year, entered
the United States from Canada and Mexico
The officers Of the treasury department and
OF the department OF Justice have used every
means at their command 20 intercept thil
immigration; but the impossibility Of pers
feotly guarding our extended Frontier Is ap.
parent. The dominion government COLLECTS
head tan OF $50 from every Chinamar
entering Canada, and thus derives Q
considerable revenue from those
who only use Its ports TO
reach a position Of advantage to evade om
exclusion laws. There seems TO be satis-
factory evidence that the business of pass
ing Cinnamon through Canada Ia organized
and quite active. The department. OF justics
has construed the laws 20 require the return
of any Chiharnau found to be unlawfully il
this country 10 China as the country from
that he came to the United States by way
of Canada, but the district courts have il
cases brought before them overruled thii
view Of the law and decided thai
such persons must be returned to Canada.
This construction robs the law Of all
effectiveness even il the DEGREES could b
executed, for the men returned can, the
next day, reoross our border. But the only
appropriation made Is for sending them
back TO China, and the Canadian offlciali
refuse to allow them to re-enter Canada
without the payment Of a $50 head tax. ]
recommend such legislation as viii remedy
these defects in the law.
In previous message have called the
attention OF congress to the necessity of Sc
extending the jurisdiction of the United
States courts as to make triable therein any
felony committed while In the act Of violat.
ing law OF the United States. These
courts cannot have that independence
and effectiveness which the constitution
contemplates so long as the felonious killing
of court officers jurors and witnesses In the
! discharge of their duties or by reason oe
their acts as such Is only equitable in tha
state courts. The work done by the Attor.
ney General and the officers of his depart.
, ment, even under the present inadequate
! legislation, has produced some notable re-
suits in the interest of law and order. The
Ganaral nd ole afccir