to the State of Nebraska on her admission into the Union, in accordance with certain provisions of that act, for the purpose of erecting a suitable building for a penitentiary or State prison, in such manner as the legislature shall prescribe. The State was not admitted under that act. An act entitled "An act for the admission of the State of Nebraska," passed February 9, 1867, declares the State of Nebraska to be entitled to the rights, privileges, grauts, and immuuities, and subject to all the conditions and restrictions of said act of April 19, 164. The proclamation of the President contemplated in the third section of the act of 1867 was issued March 1, 1867. Nebraska, on her admission to the Union, was entitled to the grant of lands for the specific purpose of erecting a State prison. Her admission occurring after the passage of the act of January 22, 1867, changed entirely her pre-existing relations with the United States. That act regarded her only as a Territory, and did not authorize the building of a penitentiary within the limits of a State.

I have been informed by the Secretary of the Treasury that the entire amount appropriated for building these penitentiaries in Washington, Colorado, Moatana, and probably Idaho, has been received and is available for that purpose. In Arizona and Dakota the revenue is inconsiderable, and the expense of collecting it so nearly exhausts the receipts that at the date of the Secretary's communication there was no available balance that could be applied to this purpose.

The legislature of Washington passed an act designating certain persons therein named, as a board of commissioners to superintend the erection of the penitentiary at such place as they might select in the county of Pierce, at or near the town of Steilacoom. By this act the entire control of the building is assumed by the Territory. It provides for the appointment of a person to superintend its erection, and authorizes the employment of the territorial convicts thereon, and for the payment into the treasury of the Territory of such sum from the penitentiary fund as their labor may be worth. The legislature seems not to have been fully aware of the provisions of the act of Congress. The latter makes it the duty of the Secretary of the Interior to approve the site, and provides that the buildings shall be constructed under his direction. No action can, therefore, under existing circumstances, be taken in the premises by the department. It is presumed that the legislature will amend its legislation so as to make it conform to that of Congress.

An act has been passed by the legislature of Montana locating the penitentiary at Argenta, and appointing commissioners to select a suitable site for said penitentiary at that place. The commissioners have performed that duty, and have made a report thereof to this department. At an early day steps will be taken to have the building erected in accordance with the provisions of the act of Congress.

The Warden of the District Jail reports that on the 1st of November there were in his custody one hundred and thirteen prisons, of whom forty-three were white and seventy colored. During the year preceding that date, twelve hundred and forty-one persons were committed, seventy-nine of whom were convicted and sentenced to imprisonment at Albany. The present officers consist of a warden and fourteen guards. The expense of the jail for said year, including

the cost of transporting prisoners to the penitentiary at Albany, was thirty thousand seven hundred and thirty-six dollars and forty-eight cents, ($30,736 48.) Pursuant to the requirements of a joint resolution, approved March 2, 1867, I examined the public grounds deemed available for the purpose, and selected as a site for a new jail in the District the parcel of land known as reservation, numbered seventeen, situated at the intersection of New Jersey and Virginia avenues, in the city of Washington. The "perfected plans" of the building were approved by a board of disinterested and competent engineers and architects, and public notice of the "letting of the contract" was given in the mode prescribed by law, After a careful consideration of the proposals, I accepted such as offered the best terms to the government. The contractors have executed bonds with acceptable security, conditioned for the faithful performance of their engagements, and I trust that the work may, without interruption, be prosecuted to an early completion.

Congress, at its last session, made no provision for the House of Correction for this District. Of the twelve thousand dollars ($12,000) appropriated at the preceding session, eight thousand dollars have been paid t› the treasurer. Five thousand five hundred and five dollars and fifty-three cents ($5,505 53) have been expended by him upon the order of the trustees in repairing and furnishing the temporary building upon the government farm, in an attempt to render it fit for the reception and detention, for the time being, of juvenile offenders. One thousand four hundred and fifty-seven dollars ($1,457) have been spent in the employment of a watchman and for other purposes, of which the report of the board does not furnish specific information. The trustees are of opinion that the building now occupied cannot be adapted to any permanent use. For the erection of one such as is required, they suggest that an appropriation of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) is necessary, and they request an additional appropriation of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) to meet the eurrent expenses of the institution. They have furnished no detailed estimate, and I submit the subject for consideration.

I earnestly invite attention to the views expressed in the last annual report of this department, touching the law directing the imprisonment of juvenile offenders sentenced by the federal courts. A modification of its provisions is indispensable to give it practical effect in many parts of the country.

The Metropolitan Police force consists of 238 men, of whom six are detectives. They made 20,075 arrests during the past year, 3,783 of which were of females, and 6,136 were of colored persons; 13,224 of the alleged offences were against the person, and 6,851 against property; 12,167 of those arrested were unmarried, and 7,373 could neither read nor write; 971 were committed to jail; 334 gave bail for appearance at court; 200 were turned over to the military; 6,330 were dismissed; 1,967 were sent to the work-house; and 576 gave bonds to keep the peace. In 569 cases, various light punishments were inflicted; fines, to the amount of $38,098 45, were imposed in 9,128 cases. 184 lost children were sent home; 3,473 destitute persons were furnished with temporary lodgings, and 131 were assisted or taken to the hospital. The dective force made 462 arrests; recovered stolen or lost property to the amount of $15,691 40, and performed

other labors, which do not admit of record. The sanitary company of the police have been actively employed, and with evident advantage to the health of the city.

This department suggested, in the last annual report, the expediency of creating a court for the trial of offences of a minor grade, and the subject is again presented for consideration.

During the year ending 30th of June, 1867, there were admitted to the Government Hospital for the Insane one hundred and nine patients, of whom eightyeight were males. The whole number under treatment was three hundred and ninety, of whom two hundred and seventy-three were males. The number discharged was seventy-seven, of whom sixty-six were males. The number of deaths was thirty-three, of whom nineteen were males. The whole number under treatment at the close of the fiscal year was two hundred and eighty, of whom one hundred and eighty-eight were males. More than half of these were from civil life. There have been two thousand three hundred and fifteen persons treated since the institution was opened, one thousand and sixty-four of whom were natives. The receipts during the past year amounted to one hundred and one thousand eight hundred and seventy-one dollars and ninety-five cents, ($101,871 95,) and at its close there was a balance of two thousand four hundred and thirty six dollars and sixty-nine cents ($2,436 69) in the hands of the superintendent. Congress will, no doubt, cheerfully make the usual allowance for the support of the hospital. I recommend that an additional appropriation, for which an estimate has been submitted, be made for furnishing, lighting, and heating the unfinished part of the east wing of the main edifice, and for the purchase of land contiguous to the present grounds. The report of the board of visitors contains many interesting tables and an elaborate discussion of the proper treatment of persons afflicted with a peculiar form of insanity, of whom an unusually large number was admitted during the past year.

I have heretofore expressed my opinion of the admirable manner in which this institution has been conducted. Its present condition reflects the highest credit upon the accomplished superintendent and those associated with him in the administration of its affairs.

The Columbian Institute for the Deaf and Dumb is a private corporation. I referred to its history and its relation to the government in my last annual report. I respectfully invite attention to the views which I then had the honor to submit.

In addition to the payment of the charges for the education and maintenance of the pupils entitled to admission on the order of the Secretary of the Interior, Congress has advanced to this institution the sum of two hundred and sixty-four thousand and forty dollars and eighty-seven cents, (8264,040 87.) There are now twenty-three pupils from the District of Columbia, and three who are the children of persons in the military service of the United States. By the acts of February 16, 1857, and May 29, 1555, Congress agreed to pay annually one hundred and fifty dollars ($150, for the maintenance of each of such pupils. The directors requested an appropriation in gross for the support of the in-titution, instead of the payment for such pupils per capita. The ct allowing such

charges should therefore be repealed, as Congress made the requested appropriation for that and the succeeding year, and it is confidently believed they will evince the same liberality for the ensuing fiscal year. At the last session the admission of ten pupils from the States to the collegiate branch of the institution was authorized, on the same terms and conditions as those prescribed by law to the residents of this District. This provision was annexed to the appropriating clause granting twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for the support of the institution and the purchase of books and apparatus. Nine pupils availed themselves of this privilege, thereby entailing an unexpected burden upon the resources of the institution. The directors request, on this account, an allowance of three thousand dollars, ($3,000.) I have submitted an item therefor in the deficiency estimates for the current year. During the last fiscal year three pupils died, eleven were dismissed, and eight admitted. In accordance with the direction of the board of trustees, the president proceeded to Europe, to examine similar schools in Great Britain, Prussia, France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, and Italy. The result of his investigations is embodied in an able and interesting paper, which accompanies the report of the board.

The claims of such an institution are of the most imposing character. I am, nevertheless, of the opinion that when Congress shall have liberally provided for the indigent deaf mutes who reside in this District, or are the children of persons actually in the military or naval service, it will have fully discharged its duty, if not exhausted its constitutional power over the subject. The present buildings are more than sufficient for the ample accommodation of the government pupils. The board of directors, in addition to the school for the primary branches, desire to maintain a preparatory department, where the deaf mutes of the several States may be prepared for admission into the college proper. The studies in the latter will embrace as thorough and comprehensive a course of instruction in ancient and modern languages, and in the literary and scientific branches, as is furnished in the best American colleges. The indigent deaf mutes of the several States, who are competent to profit by these advantages, are to be maintained and instructed at the expense of the general government. It certainly was not the original intention of Congress to provide for the gratuitous instruction of these afflicted persons. If unable to incur the expenses of an education, they should appeal to individual munificence, or to that of the States in which they reside. The support of paupers is an appropriate subject of State legislation, and has never been regarded as falling within the province, or constituting a duty, of the general government. The arguments advanced to justify Congress in furnishing educational privileges for the indigent deaf mutes of a State would equally require a similar provision for the blind or lame, or those who, without natural infirmities, desire collegiate instruction, but are excluded by their poverty from obtaining it.

Should these views be regarded as erroneous, however, and Congress deem it their constitutional duty to establish and maintain a national deaf mute college, the United States should control it, and be vested with a title to the grounds purchased by their means for its uses. The erection of buildings required for the accommodation of all the students who may desire instruction and mainten

Craig, along the thirty-second parallel, by what is known as the Gila route. The surveys have met the most favorable anticipations. At no point will the grades exceed the maximum allowed by law for the Pacific railroad, and such grades will be for short distances, and at only two or three points between Fort Wallace and the Rio Grande. The highest altitude attained on this line is 7,816 feet above tide-water. The company express the conviction that had the work not been delayed by unexpected difficulties with the Indians, the road would have been finished to Fort Wallace by the end of the present year, and they have every reason to expect that it will reach a point 335 miles west from the Missouri river by the 31st proximo.

Forty miles of the road of the Central Branch Union Pacific Railroad Company have been accepted since the date of my last annual report, and the government commissioners are now engaged in examining another section of twenty miles.

This company, after the Union Pacific Railway Company, Eastern Division had vacated its line along the Republican fork of the Kansas river, claimed that, under existing laws, they were entitled to extend their road from its intersection with such vacated line, and on the latter to the one hundredth meridian, and to receive, in aid of the construction thereof, the same subsidy in lands and bonds per mile as for the first hundred miles of their road. The department, February 19, 1867, rejected the claim upon the ground that the promised subsidy was confined to “one hundred miles in length next to the Missouri river."The lands on such yacated line, that had been originally withdrawn, were, therefore, restored to their original status.

It appears from the company's report, dated the 11th of October last, that the road has been definitely located for one hundred miles, and terminates in the valley of the Little Blue river, near the mouth of Coon creek, in township four, range six, east of the sixth principal meridian, in Marshall county, Kansas. The construction of bridges occasions a heavy expense. The most important is that across the Big Blue river, four hundred and thirty-four feet in length, and thirtyone feet above low water. The equipment of the road consists of six locomotives, two passenger and one hundred and forty-four other cars. A substantial round-house, with stalls for six locomotives, a machine shop, and commodious depot buildings have been erected. Other buildings are in process of erection. A ferry, with a first-class side-wheel boat, has been established by the company on the Missouri river, at Atchison, for the accommodation of the road.

No report has been received from the Sioux City and Pacific Railroad Com.pany, and the department has not been advised of the construction of any portion of the road.

The first section of the Western Pacific Railroad Company, of Califor: in, twenty miles in length, was accepted on the 14th day of December last. No work has since been prosecuted.

Commissioners examined the road of the San Francisco and San José Railroad Company, and reported, under date of February 9, 1866, that, in its construction and equipment, it fully attained the standard of exe llence prescribed by the Pacific railroad acts. The company made claim to an acceptance by the