The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-12-09

tween our ports upon these two great
seas, should be speedily constructed and
at the most practicable limit of cash.
The gain of freights to the people, and by
this direct saving to the government of
the United States in the use of naval
vessels, would pay the cost of this work
within short series of years. The SEN
ator from Alabama (Mr. Morgan) in
his argument on this subject before the
senate at the last session did not under
estimate the importance of this work
when he said 1.-The canal, is the most
important subject now connected with
the commercial growth and progress of
the United states.'' To recommend the
government promotion in the prosecu-
tlon of a work, if other means offered for
securing its completion, is of such trans
cendent interest, that the government
should in my opinion secure by direct
appropriation from it's treasury,
guaranty of the bonds of the canal COM
pany to an amount necessary to the
completion of the canal, which could, /
think, be so given as not to involve any
serious risk of ultimate loss
/ am still of the opinion that the free
coinage of silver under existing c)ndi-
tions would disastrously affect our busi-
ness interests at home and abroad. We
could not hope to maintain an equality
| In the purchasing power of the gold and
silver dollar in our own markets and in
| foreign trade the stamp gives no added
| value to the bullion containsd in coins
Producers of silver are entitled to just
consideration, but they should not for
get that the government is now buying
and putting out of its market what is
the equivalent of the entire product of
our silver mines, This is more than
they themselves thought of asking few
years ago. / believe it is the earnest de-
sire of great majority of the people, as
| it is mine, that full coin use shall DE
made of silver just as soon as the Coop
Grafton of other nations can be secured
and a ratio fixed that will give circula-
ton equally to gold and silver.
| TIE business of the world divides the
use of both metals but L do not see any
prospect of gain, but much of loss, by
giving UP the present system in which
full use is made of gold, and large use
of silver, for one i'll which silver alone
will circulate. Such an event would be
at once fatal to the further progress of
the silver agreement; bi-metalism is the
desired end and the true friend of silver
will be careful not to overrun the gold,
and bring in silver monometalism with
| its necessary attendants. I have en-
deavored by the use eff official and unof-
fetal agencies to keep a close observ-
ance of the state of public sentiment in
/ Europe upon this question and have not
! found it to be such as to justify me in
| proposing an international conference.
The presence of a large cash surplus in
| the treasury has for many years been
] the subject of much unfayorable criti-
lcisn1, and the policy of applying this
surplus to the redemption of the interest
bearing securities of the United States
was thought to be preferable to that of
deposlting it without interest in selected
| national banks. There have been re-
deemed since March, 1889, of interest
bearing securities, $259, ,079, $50, result
| ing in reduction of the annual interest
charge of $11 ,6S3, ,075. The money
which had been deposited in banks
drawn and used in the redemption of
| bonds, which on the first day of Decem-
| ber, 1891, amounted to 81 ,577 1852, ,070: or
24.3S per capita.
The president regrets the separation
! of secretary of war Proctor from the
department and commends his admin
| istratioE of army affairs. He recon-
mends that ample appropriation be
made for carrying on the work of build
! ing coast defenses and new navy pow
der, and of a modern rifle.
The enforcement by the treasury de-
partment of the law providing against
| the coming of Chinese to the United
States has been effective as to the land
| ing from vessels arriving in ports. The
provision has been made to di-
vert travel to vessels entering the
ports of British Columb bia, whence
passage into the United States
at obscure points along the dominion
boundaries is easy. A very considerable
number of Chinese laborers have, dur
ing 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 to inter-
cept this immigration, but the impossi-
bility of perfectly guarding our extended
frontier is apparent.
\ There seems to be satisfactory evil
dence that the business of passing Chi
namen through the United States is or
ganized and quietly done. Justice has
construed the laws to require the return
of any Chinaman found to be unlawfully
in this country to China, as the country
from which they came, notwithstand-
ing the tact he came by way of Canada ;
but the district court have in cases
brought before them overruled this view
of the law, and decided that such per-
sons must be returned to Canada. This
construction robs the laws of all effect
iveness. 1 recommend such legislation
as will remedy those defects in the laws.
In q previous message / have called
the attention OF congress to the necessity
of so extending the jurisdiction of the
United States courts as to make trlable
therein any felony committed while in
The act of violating law of the United
States. These courts cannot have the
independence and effectiveness which
the constitution contemplates SO long as
the felonious killing of high court Off
GERS, Jurors, and witnesses, in the dis
charge of their duties or by reason of
their acts is only recognizable in the
state courts. The attorney general and
also the commissioner of the District of
j Colurn hia call attention to the defectiYe