responding depreciation of all commodities, followed by general disaster and financial trouble. Hence I not only renew my former recommendation and request for the continued coinage of silver, but for its free coinage. CŒUR D'ALENE COUNTY. Considerable interest is felt among the people of Montana for the annexation of a small and narrow portion of the so-called Pan-Handle of Idaho. It is separated from Idaho by almost insurmountable natural barriers, and is united to us by nature and the strongest ties of community of tastes, customs, and interests. It is wholly a mining section, settled largely by former residents of Montana, and developed largely by Montana capital. The people living there almost unanimously desire connection with us. They feel that their interests will be more liberally fostered by our laws. While we have an area ample to satisfy our highest ambition for the future, we cannot shut our eyes or close our ears to a demand so clear and strong, beneficial, and agreeable to all parties rightfully concerned in interest. INDIAN RAIDS AND RESERVATIONS. Between the reservations north of the Missouri, and still more from the tribes in the British Possessions and the Crow Reservation in the southeastern part of our Territory, continual raids are being made back and forth through a settled portion of Montana, for the purpose of stealing, or under the pretext of reclaiming stolen horses. If unsuccessful in getting Indian horses they have little scruple in taking those of our settlers, and in eitber event all of such parties subsist by killing the cattle of our settlers, as there is no game. It is a heavy tax that our people ought not be compelled to bear, and will not always patiently submit to, no matter what the consequence. It must be evident from very little consideration that it will not be politic to create any permanent Indian reservation on or near the border line, that Indians can commit these depredations on either side and escape so readily from their pursuers. International difficulties will necessarily ensue, so tedious and unsatisfactory, as well as troublesome and expensive. I hope this fact will be impressed upon the members of the commission appointed to negotiate for the reduction of the reservations and the settlement of the Indians in severalty. If the Indians could be induced to go to the Indian Territory it would be the most satisfactory disposition to all concerned. If the Indians are to subsist by agriculture and become civilized and self-sustaining, a country further south, with more natural rainfall, would suit them better. PUBLIC-LAND SURVEYS. The Northern Pacific Railroad is completed so far as Montana is concerned. The original act creating this corporation, and subsidizing it with such an imperial dowry of land, contemplated that the survey of the land thus granted should progress as the road was completed. This obligation of the Government has been forgotten and neglected. The company has not cared to have its lands surveyed until there was a demand for them. Now that these lands, even in the Territories, are taxable as soon as designated by survey, it becomes the interest of the people in all of the counties in which these lands lie to have them surveyed, otherwise the law subjecting them to taxation is avoided. If the 6737 I-VOL 2- -53 railroad is compelled to pay taxes on its land for the general improvements, that enhance their value, the company will soon exert itself to find settlers and customers at reasonable prices, and thus the country will be earlier and more generally developed and the burdens be more evenly and equitably distributed. CHANGES OF LAND LAWS. Congress has shown a disposition to change all of the laws under which citizens can obtain titles to lands, save the homestead act. This attempt would never be made if the members were familiar with the situation. There is not one-quarter section in ten, on an average, over this Territory, on which a man, however industrious, could settle, rear a home, and obtain a subsistence. He must have irrigation to raise any crop. Land is of little or no value without water. The desert-land act, if only approximately carried out, is more favorable to the Govern ment, the country, and the settlers than either of the other land acts. The Government gets as much for its poorest land as it ever received for its richest in the Mississippi Valley, the country is made habitable, and the settler with his land secures the means to make it productive. Some pieces of land favorably situated can be irrigated at comparatively little cost, while other very large tracts can only be reclaimed by ditches of great length and cost, beyond the means of any single settler. To encourage the construction of such irrigating canals by the most available means is clearly and in every way to the interests of the General Government. As before stated, a repeal of the desert land act would greatly retard the settlement of this Territory and prevent the redemption of millions of acres of land. Whatever may be true elsewhere, I do not believe there is 5 per cent. of cases of fraudulent entry of lands under either of the laws in the whole Territory. The general suspension of entries to await special investigation is working untold hardship on our scattered frontiersmen, who have to make long journeys, at heavy cost, to look after their titles. It discourages improvements, and encourages litigation and blackmailing. It is not the spirit of our laws that ninety-nine innocent should suffer in order that one guilty one be brought to justice. It is generally felt among our people as a hardship and unjust dis'crimination that after all the best lands of the country are disposed of, severer restrictions should be laid upon those willing to venture so far from a market and to redeem the poorer waste land that remains. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. Peace and good order prevail, with rare exceptions. Our laws are well administered by a faithful and competent judiciary. The addition of a fourth judge to our bench was greatly needed by the extension of our settled area and the natural growth of our businsss. Our Territorial legislature will be in session January next, and the difficult task will devolve upou it to endeavor to frame laws in accord with the restriction of the act of the late session of Congress forbidding all special legislation, and limiting public indebtedness to such bounds that a large share of public improvements contemplated will have to be abandoned, such as public roads, bridges, school and other buildings, waterworks, &c. To enact a law forbidding a free people, who ought to be and are the best judges of their wants, requirements, and ability to pay, from encumbering their own property to secure the necessary improvements, if it increases or makes their total indebtedness over 4 per cent. of their taxable property, seems to me unjust and oppressive, and will only tend to prevent the development of this and all other Territories. Congress overlooked the important fact that an indebtedness in an amount equal to 20 per cent. of the taxable property of a new Territory like this, with only about 10 per cent. of its possible wealth in mineral, agricultural, and other resources developed, would be comparatively a less burden and easier paid than an indebtedness equal to only 2 per cent. of the taxable property of a full-grown State, with its possible resources almost fully developed, and that the necessities of such indebtedness are many times more in a new than in an old community. Hence I would urge the modification of this restrictive enactment. Despairing of legislation from Congress adapted to their special wants, and girt about with restrictions from doing anything for themselves so long as their Territorial condition continues, the feeling grows rapidly among our people that the time has come for the formation of a State government and admission as a sovereign State. We are fully able, and more than willing, to relieve the General Goyernment of the cost and trouble. Before an enabling act could become a law we would have the necessary population, the only thing we now lack to complete our claim. It is now likely that 500 miles of new railroad will be built in Montana during another year, and the addition to our population will be more than any two previous years. The fullness of time seems to have come that the aspirations of our people for the full rights of American citizens under a constitution of their own framing and rulers of their own choosing should be gratified. Familiar with all the history of this Territory from its organization, identified more or less with its interests, the wishes and aspirations of its people are my own, and I have stated them frankly and indorse them fully. I have the honor to be, your most obedient servant, The SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR. Governor. REPORT OF THE GOVERNOR OF IDAHO. EXECUTIVE OFFICE, IDAHO TERRITORY, Boisé City, October 1, 1886. SIR: I have the honor, in compliance with your instructions of August 5, to submit the following report of the condition of affairs and of the progress and development, as far as in my power so to do at the present time, of the Territory of Idaho for the year ending June 30, 1886. The greatest obstacle in the way of making an accurate and satisfactory report, such as your communication calls for, is the fact that we have no law providing for a bureau of statistics, nor for the collection of data through which we can make a proper and reliable showing to the world upon our merits. On the 27th of August I prepared and sent a printed circular to each assessor and auditor of the different counties in the Territory, urging them to furnish me the most accurate statistics, information and data on the various subjects embraced within their knowledge; but I am sorry to say that only seven counties have responded at this date. This sad defect we hope to remedy in the future by the enactment of laws which will compel the assessors and auditors to furnish us with data, means and facilities to present to the world and the people of our Territory its resources, facilities and developments in their true and proper light. GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION. Idaho was created by the act of March 3, 1863, from parts of Dakota, Nebraska and Washington Territories. As originally constituted it embraced 326,373 square miles, including all the present Territory of Montana and a large portion of Wyoming. In 1868 Idaho was reduced to its present dimensions, and from looking at the map one would naturally think that Idaho was entirely unrepresented in the division, unless it was thought politic by her more wily neighbors to so form her boundary that at some future time they might again rob her of the mother counties and divide them among the large and powerful Territories of Washington and Montana, as was attempted at the last session of Congress. Idaho extends from the British possessions on the north to Utah and Nevada on the south, from Montana and Wyoming on the east to Oregon and Washington on the west, being in length from north to south 410 miles, and in width from east to west varying from 60 to 300 miles, and containing 86,000 square miles, or about 55,000,000 acres. These lands are defined as agricultural, desert, mining and timber lands, but as yet, through the lack of Government surveys, settle |