Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1897-12-11
"ie'lated, and the volume OF our com.
merelal exchanges enlarged. Y
shipping, Navy, Arbitration.

/
shipping, Navy, Arbitration.
Ihe President earnestly urges the i'm
proVement of our merchant marine. the
hierlorlty of which. he says, is humii
a'ing TO the national pride.
heterehce Is made to the recent con.
ierenees at Washington on the subject
OF the protection of seal life. the result
OF which places beyond controversy. II
Is said, the duty of the governments con.
cerhed to adopt measures without DELAY
ior the preservation of the herds. Ne.
EQUATIONS to this end are now in
progress.
international arbitration Is declared by
the President to represent the best sen.
'iinent OF the civilized world, and treaties
emDodylng these humane principles ON
broad lines, without in any way imperi.
ing our interests or honor will have its
constant encouragement.
liberal appropriation is bespoken in
order That the United States may make
u credltable exhibit at the approaching
iarls Exposition, in which ths- peonle
nave SHOWN an unprecedented interest.
uhder the head Of the navy the Presi.
| uent points to the necessity for speedy
legislation to procure the armor for the
'Alee Dattleshlps now building, which
would be otherwise useless. He speaks
III terms OF praise of the quality of our
SHIPS ana thinks that the time has now
arrived when the increase to which the
country Is committed should for time
'ake the form of increased facilities COM
'hensurate with the increase of our
naval vessels.
lie refers to the lack of docks. and
urges that three or four of the largest
docks be provided on the Atlantic, at
least one on the Pacific coast and a
ioatins dock in the gulf. There should
pe ample provision for munitions Of war
ana an increase Of officers and enlisted
men. Additions are also necessary to
navy yards. and as there are now on the
stocks five large battleshps, it is rec
commended that an appropriation be made
Tor but one more battlesbip on the Pa
enc coast. Several torpedo boats are
also necessary
Alaska and Its Needs.
Attention Is called TO the need for
prompt legislation as to Alaska and the
extension of civil authority within the
Territory. There is need for surveys and
Tor the establishment of another land
Once Mt some point in the Yukon valley,
Ior which an appropriation is asked.
Military force is also necessary and the
establishment of some sort of flexible
goyernment.
IT the startling reports as to the prob.
able shortage of food for the miners be
fully verified, every effort should be made
at any cost to carry them relief.
Indian Territory.
The message deals Mt some length with
the unsatisfactory condition of affairs in
the Indian Territory. The large white
element is said TO be without protection
and without schools or other rights of cit
lzens; leading Indians have absorved
great tracts Of lands and created an aris-
tocracy, and the friends Of the Indians
believe that the best interests of the five
civilized tribes would be found in Amer
lean citizenship. Reference is made TO
sion to secure the consent of the tribes to
an cXtinguishment of the tribal titles and
a division of the lands. 1t is said that
should the tribes still fail to ratify the
agreement then sOulc lcgislat ton should IN,
had by Congress.
Prevention of yellow Fever.
The President has this to say Of matter
Of special interest TO the Southern States:
''The recent prevalence of yellow fever
in number of cities and towns through
out the South has resulted in much dis
turbance of commerce and demonstrated
the necessity of such amendments to our
quarantine laws as will make the regua
tions of the national quarantine authori-
ties paramount. The Secretary of the
Treasury, in the portion of his report re-
lating to the operation of tbS Marine Hos
pital Service, calls attention to the defects
in the present quarantine laws and recon-
mends amendments thereto which will
give the Treasury Department the requi-
site authority TO prevent the invasion or
endemic diseases from foreign countries
and in time of emergency like that of the
mast summer will add to the efficiency of
the sanitary measures for the protection
of the people, and at the same time pre-
vent unnecessary restriction Of commerce.
| concur in his recommendations.
in further effort to prevent the inva-
sion of the United States by yellow fever
the importance of the discovery Of the
exact cause of the disease, which up to
the present time has been undetermined,
il obvious. and TO this end a systematic
ARCHAEOLOGICAL investigation should he
made. ] therefore recommend that Con-
gress authorize the appointment of a COM
mission by the President, to consist OF
four EXPERT bactero!ogists, one to be Sc
lected from the medical officers of the
Marine Hospital Service, one to be ap-
pointed from civil life, one to be detailed
from the medical officers of the army ana
ono from the medical officers of the
navy"
Pacific Railroads.
Speaking of the pending sale OF the
Kansas Pacific railroad, 1t is said that II
no better bid is received than the upset
nrice fixed by the court, the government
would receive only S2,50O,000 on its claim
| of nearly Nlo,VV,VOV. iIc uNhe'NS ''"s
the government has the authority to bid
on the road, and has directed the Secre-
tary of the Treasury to make the deposit
of 5000, 900, required to qualify as a bid
der and to bid at the sale sum at least
equal to the principal of the debt to the
government.
He suggests. however, that in matter
so important as the government becoming
possible owner of the railroad, Con-
rress should enact some legislation to de-
fine its views. 1t is clear to him, how
ever, that the government should not per-
nit the property to be sold at price less
than one-half the principal of its debt ana
less than one-fifth of its entire debt, prin'
cipal and interest.
The Civil Service.
The President devotes the last chapter
of his message to the civil service, the
practical improvement of which, he says
has long been Il subject of earnest discus.
| sion and which has of late years receiver i