The Portland daily press., 1896-12-07
SIGNED s.CLEVELAND. -
President Has Completed His Last
Message.
THE DOCUMENT THE LONGEST
THAT HE HAS EVER WRITTEN.

Contains 10000 Words and VIII Make
Nearly as Many CoIumns-Mr. Hanna at
the Capital Saturday and Meets Presi-
dent for the First Time.
Washington, December 6.-Col. ". II.
Cook, disbursing CLERK of the White
House, will leave ithis city tomorrow
afternoon charged with the duty of dis
tributing the message to the press SO 1t
can be published in the great newspapers
of the country contempoIaneously with
its delivery to Congress. President
Cleveland completed the preparation OF
his message to Congress today. He had
a consultation with Secretary Olney In
the morning in relation to the treatment
of foreign relations. This portion of the
message is always left open till the last,
iuasm uch as the Secretary OF State is the
only cabinet officer who has not the right
of making report directly to Congress.
and at tine final moment there is always
liable to be change in the attitude of
our relations with other governments
which may necessitate change in the
text of the message The government
printer will complete the printed copy
intended for the press and individual
mem bers of Congress by tomorrow morn
ing. The present message is understood
to make nearly $4,000 words.
RESTRICTION OF IMMIGRATION.
Messrs. Prescott F. Hall, secretary, and
John f. Moors, member of the execu-
tive committee of the immigration Re-
strinction League Of Boston, are in the
city to urge the passage through the
Senate Of the Lodge-Corliss bill to re-
strict immigration by an educational
test The committee S last report, which
shows the effect of immigration upon
the United States and the reasons fol
further restriction, has been printed and
a COPY will be furnished to each Senator
and Representative. Mr.. Hall today
said: "The Lodge-Corli bill provides
that all immigrants more than IA years
of age must be able'to read and write
some Language, but 1t also provides that
aged parents and grand parents of ad-
Missile immigrants may accompany or
be sent for by such immigrants. Immi-
grafton, which fell of during the depres-
sion of 1894, Is rapidly increasing, the
number for the fiscal year 1895 being
34a. 267, or one-third larger than last year.
The total percentage of illiteracy for
the year among the immigrants was 20,
against 20 per cent for 1896 The edu-
cational test bill has been selected after
several years of discussion as the most
rational and effective method of restric-
ton. 1t has the support of nearly all the
chambers of com merce, labor organiza-
tions and associations for promoting
immigration inte the Western states, and
of the immigration Restriction league,
which has made special study OF the
opposition comes from steamship lines,
who are pecuniarily interested in bring
ing all the immigrants possible, no mat
ter how degraded they may be. There
is good prospect that the Senate will
pass the Lodge bill in some form at once
and as the House has already endorsed
the ed ucational test by vote of 1856 to S6
the measure seems likely to become law
in tae near future.
A TALK WITH Mr.. THURSTON.
Senator Thurston Of Nebraska, who
came direct from Canton where he had
an interview with the President-elect. is
strongly of the opinion that an extra $685.
sion of Congress will he called about the
middle of March. he said: 1.-The Ding
ley bill, in it's present condition, is not the
bill now demanded and any effort to
amend 1T along Republican limos during
the short session would be impossible. -
He also said there would be no financial
legislation until the Republicans had
framed, passed and tested o new tariff
law. Senator Thurston expects to see
Congress take such action as will result
practically in granting the Cuban
patriots rights Of billigerency. -
HANNA AT THE CAPITAL.
Hon. M. A. Hanna. chairman of the
Republican National Com-nittee, accom- :
panied by H on. a. @. Payne of Wis
consin, arrived in Washington today,
and went to the, Arlington hotel. Mr..
Hanna declared that the purpose of his
visit was confined almost exclusively to
the making of preparations for the in
aueural ceremonies next March, and to
deciding some points in connection with
the proposition to remove the headquar-
ters of his committee to Washington,
with the view of continuing the work OF
the committee In preparation Ior the
campaign of 1900.
His first act was to make an 1nspec-
ton of the new Congressional Library
building with a view to its reception or
rejection as the place for the inaugural
ball. The eligibility of the building has
been strongly urged by those who think
the selection of this building would 40
N UGH to disarm the criticism OF those
who on principle oppose balls as An in
augural festival. Mr.. Hanna was accom-
REMEMBER