Indians to the White Earth and Red Lake reservations, but a proviso in section 3 of the act authorized any Indian to take his allotment upon the reservation where he now resides. The Commissioners report that quite a general desire was expressed by the Indians to avail themselves of this option. The result of this is that the ceded land can not be ascertained and brought to sale under the act until all of the allotments are made.

I recommend that the necessary appropriations to complete the surveys and allotments be made at once available, so that the work may be begun and completed at the earliest possible day.

A copy of the report made by the Commissioners, with copies of all the papers submitted therewith, except the census rolls, is herewith presented for the information of the Congress.

EXECUTIVE MANSION,

March 4, 1890.

BENJ. HARRISON,

AN INTERNATIONAL RAILWAY LINE.

To the Senate and House of Representatives:

I transmit herewith a report of the International American Conference, recently in session at this capital, recommending a survey of a route for an intercontinental line of railroad to connect the systems of North America with those of the Southern Continent, and to be conducted under the direction of a board of commissioners. representing the several American Republics.

Public attention has chiefly been attracted to the subject of improved water communication between the ports of the United States and those of Central and South America. The creation of new and improved steamship lines undoubtedly furnishes the readiest means of developing an increased trade with the Latin-American nations. But it should not be forgotten that it is possible to travel by land from Washington to the southernmost capital of South America, and that the opening of railroad communication with these friendly states will give to them and to us facilities for intercourse and the exchanges of trade that are of special value. The work contemplated is vast, but entirely practicable. It will be interesting to all and perhaps surprising to most of us to notice how much has already been done in the way of railroad construction in Mexico and South America that can be utilized as part of an intercontinental line. I do not hesitate to recommend that Congress

make the very moderate appropriation for surveys suggested by the conference, and authorize the appointment of commissioners and the detail of engineer officers to direct and conduct the necessary preliminary surveys.

EXECUTIVE MANSION,

May 19, 1890.

BENJ. HARRISON.

AN INTERNATIONAL AMERICAN BANK.

To the Senate and House of Representatives:

I transmit herewith a letter from the Secretary of State, inclosing a report adopted by the International American Conference, recently in session at this capital, recommending the establishment of an international American bank, with its principal offices in the city of New York and branches in the commercial centers of the several other American Republics.

The advantages of such an institution to the merchants of the United States engaged in trade with Central and South America. and the purposes intended to be accomplished are fully set forth in the letter of the Secretary of State and the accompanying report. It is not proposed to involve the United States in any financial responsibility, but only to give to the proposed bank a corporate franchise and to promote public confidence by requiring that its condition and transactions shall be submitted to a scrutiny similar to that which is now exercised over our domestic banking system. The subject is submitted for the consideration of Congress in the belief that it will be found possible to promote the end desired by legislation so guarded as to avoid all just criticism.

EXECUTIVE MANSION,

May 27, 1890.

BENJ. HARRISON.

THE INTERNATIONAL AMERICAN CONFERENCE.

To the Senate and House of Representatives:

The International American Conference, recently in session at this capital, recommended for adoption by the several American Republics:

(1) A uniform system of customs regulations for the classification. and valuation of imported merchandise;

(2) A uniform nomenclature for the description of articles of merchandise imported and exported; and

(3) The establishment at Washington of an international bureau of information.

The conference also, at its final session, decided to establish in the city of Washington, as a fitting memorial of its meeting, a Latin-American library, to be formed by contributions from the several nations of historical, geographical, and literary works, maps, manuscripts, and official documents relating to the history and civilization of America, and expressed a desire that the Government of the United States should provide a suitable building for the shelter of such a library, to be solemnly dedicated upon the fourhundredth anniversary of the discovery of America.

The importance of these suggestions is fully set forth in the letter of the Secretary of State, and the accompanying documents herewith transmitted, to which I invite your attention.

EXECUTIVE MANSION,

June 2, 1890.

BENJ. HARRISON.

RECIPROCAL COMMERCIAL TREATIES.

To the Senate and House of Representatives:

I transmit herewith, for your information, a letter from the Secretary of State, inclosing a report of the International American Conference, which recommends that reciprocal commercial treaties be entered into between the United States and the several other Republics of this hemisphere.

It has been so often and so persistently stated that our tariff laws offered an insurmountable barrier to a large exchange of products with the Latin-American nations, that I deem it proper to call especial attention to the fact that more than 87 per cent of the products of those nations sent to our ports are now admitted free. If sugar is placed upon the free list, practically every important article exported from those States will be given untaxed access to our markets, except wool. The real difficulty in the way of negotiating profitable reciprocity treaties is, that we have given freely so much that would have had value in the mutual concessions which such treaties imply. I can not doubt, however, that the present advantages which the products of these near and friendly States enjoy in our markets-though they are not by law exclusive-will, with other considerations, favorably dispose them to adopt such measures,

by treaty or otherwise, as will tend to equalize and greatly enlarge our mutual exchanges.

It will certainly be time enough for us to consider whether we must cheapen the cost of production by cheapening labor, in order to gain access to the South American markets, when we have fairly tried the effect of established and reliable steam communication, and of convenient methods of money exchanges. There can be no doubt, I think, that with these facilities well established, and with a rebate of duties upon imported raw materials used in the manufacture of goods for export, our merchants will be able to compete in the ports of the Latin-American nations with those of any other country.

If after the Congress shall have acted upon pending tariff legislation it shall appear that, under the general treaty-making power, or under any special powers given by law, our trade with the States represented in the Conference can be enlarged upon a basis of mutual advantage, it will be promptly done.

EXECUTIVE MANSION,

BENJ. HARRISON.

June 19, 1890.

THE LOUISIANA STATE LOTTERY.

To the Senate and House of Representatives:

The recent attempt to secure a charter from the State of North Dakota for a lottery company, the pending effort to obtain from the State of Louisiana a renewal of the charter of the Louisiana State Lottery, and the establishment of one or more lottery companies at Mexican towns near our border, have served the good purpose of calling public attention to an evil of vast proportions. If the baneful effects of the lotteries were confined to the States that give the companies corporate powers and a license to conduct the business, the citizens of other States, being powerless to apply legal remedies, might clear themselves of responsibility by the use of such moral agencies as were within their reach. But the case is not so. The people of all the States are debauched and defrauded. The vast sums of money offered to the States for charters are drawn from the people of the United States, and the General Government, through its mail system, is made the effective and profitable medium of intercourse between the lottery company and its victims. The use of the mails is quite as essential to the companies as

the State license. It would be practically impossible for these companies to exist if the public mails were once effectively closed against their advertisements and remittances. The use of the mails by these companies is a prostitution of an agency only intended to serve the purposes of a legitimate trade and a decent social intercourse.

It is not necessary, I am sure, for me to attempt to portray the robbery of the poor and the wide-spread corruption of public and private morals which are the necessary incidents of these lottery schemes.

The national capital has become a sub-headquarters of the Louisiana Lottery Company, and its numerous agents and attorneys are conducting here a business involving probably a larger use of the mails than that of any legitimate business enterprise in the District of Columbia. There seems to be good reason to believe that the corrupting touch of these agents has been felt by the clerks in the postal service and by some of the police officers of the District.

Severe and effective legislation should be promptly enacted to enable the Post-Office Department to purge the mails of all letters, newspapers, and circulars relating to the business.

The letter of the Postmaster-General, which I transmit herewith, points out the inadequacy of the existing statutes, and suggests legislation that would be effective.

It may also be necessary to so regulate the carrying of letters by the express companies as to prevent the use of those agencies to maintain communication between the lottery companies and their agents or customers in other States.

It does not seem possible that there can be any division of sentiment as to the propriety of closing the mails against these companies, and I therefore venture to express the hope that such proper powers as are necessary to that end will be at once given to the Post-Office Department.

EXECUTIVE MANSION,

July 29, 1890.

BENJ. HARRISON.