toSMll "ZJX trial. ,n
tho lMt.c38.on of" Congr" TTh"
co'anW
touris, and crimes go unpunished
oonru Jul ? Congress provide the
rnihilome mod0 obtaining
r ra ?a 1 recommend legislation
frn. -UiC 'pJnnctlon and habeaa
corpus, and to try criminal cases and
Jurisdiction not possessed ordinarily bv
courts of that description. u,u"u' ftT
RHriSAL ok tub bankrupt law re.
COMMENDED.
iiDVlhV.et b,eoom? Impressed with the be
in.i.Vi i1.?6 act PPved March 2, 1887.
nvl liS1 acw' 10 establish a uniform
? bonkrnptcy throughout the
' i i b v iuio uiue, JHU1T COM
i feIfV0?B mlg.hJl be "'Sod 'or 1U repeal.
! b"Ttt,h.l8,,8.5onBiderol Inadvisable. '
'""', 'A, Ul noi; De eriously nuat.
tlonod that the portions of said act pro
yldlng for what is called involuntary
bankruptcy operator to Increase the
financial embarrassments of the ooun.
try. Carelul and prudent men very of
ten become Involved In debt In the
t ransaction of their business, and though
they may possess ample property, if a
could be made available for that pur
pose, to meet all their liabilities, yet on
account of the extraordinary scarcity of
money they may be unable to meet all
their obligations as they besomedoe, In
consequence of what they are liable In
their business by proceedings In bank
ruptcy. At the Instance of creditors people are
now so seriously alarmed as to monetary
matters that the mere filing of a peti
tion in bankruptcy by an unfriendly
creditor will necesearlly embarrass and
often accomplish the financial ruin of a
responsible business man. Those who
otherwise might make lawful and just
arrangements to relieve themselves
from dilllculties produced by the pres.
ent stringency in money are prevented,
by proceedings against them in bank
ruptcy; and besides, tho law Is made,
iu many cases, by obdurate creditors ,
to frlgUtou or force debtors Into com
pliance with their wishes and into acts
of injustice to theother creditors.
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
In three successive messages to Con
grees I hav called attention to
the subject of civil service reform.
Action lias been taken so far as
to authorize tho appointment of a
board to devise rules governing the
methods of tnftlrlnir nnnnlnlmiinii on.l
promotions, but there baa nver been
any action making these rules or any.
rulc3 binding, or even entitled to ob
servance. Vhen persons desire the ap
pointment of a friend or the removal of
an ollicer who may be disagreeable to
them, to havo any rules effective, they
must havo the acquiescence of Congress
as well as of the executive. I recom
mend, therefore, the subject to your at
tention, and suggest that a special com
mittee of Congress might confer with
the CiVil Service Board during the pres
ent 6ion, for the purpose of devising
tuch rules as can be maintained, and
which will secure tho services of honest
and capable ollicials, and which will also
protect them in a degree of independ
ence while in ofllce.
l'roper rules will protect Congress ae
well ta the executive from much need
lcsn persecution and will prove of great
valuo to the public at large.
ADMISSION OF COLORADO.
I would recommend for your favor
able consideration the passage of an en
I ttbliuf? act fortuondmiltanceof Colorado
ai a State in the Union. It possesses
all the elements of a prosperous State,
! agricultural and financial, and I believe
I has a population now to justify such
! admission. In connection with that I
would also recommend the encourage
ment of a canal for purposes of naviga
tion from the eastern slope of the Rocky
Mountains to tuo Missouri river.
rPttLIC LANDS.
An n iuio I am opposed to further
donation of public lands for internal
improvements, and controlled by pri
vate corporations, but in this instance
I would make an exception. Between
the Missouri river and the Rocky
Mountains there Is an arid belt of pub
lic land from one hundred to one hun
dred and five miles, perfectly valueless
for the occupation of man for want of
I sufficient rain to secure the growth of
any products. An irrigating canal
would make productive a belt as wida
as the supply of water could be made to
I spread over, across the entire country,
and would secure a cordon of settle
ments connecting the present popula
' tlou of the mountains and mining re
I gtons with that of older States. All the
! land claimed would be clear gain, If al
) ternate sections are retained by the
Government, and would suggest that
, retained regions be thrown open to en
ter under the homestead laws or sold to
actual settlers for a very low prloo.
1 AMNESTY.
I renew my previous recomme ndation
to Congress for general amnesty to the
' members engaged in the late rebellion,
yet laboring under disabilities very
small, but enough to keep up a constant
agitation. No possible danger can ac
' crue to the Qovernment by restoring
I them to eligibility to hold office.
J CIVIL BIGHTS.
I suggest for your consideration the
1 enactment of a law to better secure the
civil rights which freedom should se
cure, but has not effectually secured to
: those enfranchised,
i (Signed) U. H. Orant.
PROTOCOL
' Of conference held at Department of
Rtalo, at Washington, on the 29th of
November, 187:!, between Hamilton
Fish, (Secretary of Btate, and Rear
Admiral Don Jose Folo do Barnabe,
Knvoy Extraordinary and Minister
' of Spain,
The undersigned having met for the
purpose of entering Into a definite
agreement respecting the ca9 of the
fcteamer VIrglnius, which, while under
the Hag of the United State, was on the
thirty-lirst day of October last captured
on the high seas by the Spanish man -of
war Tornado, reached the following
conclusion :
Spain on her part stipulated to restore
forthwith the vessel and the survivors
of her passengers and crew, and on the
twenty-fifth day of December next to
salute the Hag of the United States.
If, however, before thatdateSpaln would
prove to the satisfaction of the govern,
ment of the United State that the Vlr-
Sfift StWtaM WcSSrJIS
. Sot being necessarily retired, but
the United BWiesiWiui..
case a disclaimer or inwumi ".7
its Hag la the act wniou
COLLISION AT SEA.
STEAMER VILLI DU HAVRE SUM.
39(5 LIVES LOST.
Only M of the Crew and PfWl
NEWYORK-Pf".!..
6rr8feU."offin, from
, this ?uir, to the ateamshlp
A"dfu fJt'hich left New York
i rnauu ytr -- r td Novemoer.
o'clock in the morning ov .
the Vino uu - from London,
Uril'P-WndSc shortly afur.
tor .New I 7,7i twentv-slx or tn
Two hundred and t, thelr
8eVrounUln rescued eight,-
lives. ami rrew auu