intention to exercise sovereignty, jurisdiction, or control over said island except for the pacification thereof, and asserts its determination, when that is accomplished, to leave the government and control of the island to its people;'

"And whereas, the people of Cuba have established municipal governments, deriving their authority from the suffrages of the people given under just and equal Jaws, and are now ready, in like manner, to proceed to the establishment of a general government which shall assume and exercise sovereignty, jurisdiction, and control over the island:

'Therefore, it is ordered that a general election be held in the Island of Cuba on the third Saturday of September, in the year 1900, to elect Delegates to a Convention to meet in the city of Havana at 12 o'clock, noon, on the first Monday of November, in the year 1900, to frame and adopt a Constitution for the people of Cuba, and as a part thereof to provide for and agree with the Government of the United States upon the relations to exist between that Government and the Government of Cuba, and to provide for the election by the people of officers under such Constitution and the transfer of government to the officers so elected.

"The election will be held in the several voting precincts of the island under, and pursuant to, the provisions of the Electoral Law of the 18th April, 1900, and the amendments thereof."

The election was held on the 15th September, and the Convention assembled on the 5th November, 1900, and is now in session.

In calling the Convention to order, the Military Governor of Cuba made the following statement:

"As Military Governor of the island, representing the President of the United States, I call this Convention to order.

"It will be your duty, first, to frame and adopt a Constitution for Cuba, and when that has been done to formulate what, in your opinion, ought to be the relations between Cuba and the United States.

"The Constitution must be adequate to secure a stable, orderly, and free government.

"When you have formulated the relations which, in your opinion, ought to exist between Cuba and the United States the Government of the United States will doubtless take such action on its part as shall lead to a final and authoritative agreement between the people of the two countries to the promotion of their common interests.

"All friends of Cuba will follow your deliberations with the deepest interest, earnestly desiring that you shall reach just conclusions, and that by th gnity, individual self-restraint, and wise conservatism which shall charact your proceedings the capacity

of the Cuban people for representative government may be signally illustrated.

"The fundamental distinction between true representative government and dictatorship is that in the former every representative of the people, in whatever office, confiues himself strictly within the limits of his defined powers. Without such restraint there can be no free constitutional government.

"Under the Order pursuant to which you have been elected and convened you have no duty and no authority to take part in the present government of the island. Your powers are strictly limited by the terms of that Order."

When the Convention concludes its labours I will transmit to the Congress the Constitution as framed by the Convention for its consideration and for such action as it may deem advisable.

I renew the recommendation made in my special Message of the 10th February, 1899, as to the necessity for cable communication between the United States and Hawaii, with extension to Manila. Since then circumstances have strikingly emphasized this need. Surveys have shown the entire feasibility of a chain of cables which at each stopping place shall touch on American territory, so that the system shall be under our own complete control. Manila once within telegraphic reach, connection with the systems of the Asiatic coast would open increased and profitable opportunities for a more direct cable route from our shores to the Orient than is now afforded by the trans-Atlantic, continental, and trans-Asian lines. I urge attention to this important matter.

The present strength of the army is 100,000 men-65,000 regulars and 35,000 volunteers. Under the Act of the 2nd March, 1899, on the 30th June next, the present volunteer force will be discharged and the regular army will be reduced to 2,417 officers and 29,025 enlisted men.

In 1888 a Board of Officers, convened by President Cleveland, adopted a comprehensive scheme of coast-defence fortifications, which involved the outlay of something over 100,000,000 dollars. This plan received the approval of the Congress, and since then regular appropriations have been made and the work of fortification has steadily progressed.

More than 60,000,000 dollars have been invested in a great number of forts and guns, with all the complicated and scientific machinery and electrical appliances necessary for their use. The proper care of this defensive machinery requires men trained in its use. The number of men necessary to perform this duty alone is ascertained by the War Department, at a minimum allowance, to be 18,420.

There are fifty-eight or more military posts in the United States other than the coast-defence fortifications.

The number of these posts is being constantly increased by the Congress. More than 22,000,000 dollars have been expended in building and equipment, and they can only be cared for by the regular army. The posts now in existence and others to be built provide for accommodations for, and if fully garrisoned require, 26,000 troops. Many of these posts are along our frontier or at important strategic points, the occupation of which is necessary.

We have in Cuba between 5,000 and 6,000 troops. For the present our troops in that island cannot be withdrawn or materially diminished, and certainly not until the conclusion of the labours of the Constitutional Convention now in Session and a Government provided by the new Constitution shall have been established and its stability assured.

In Porto Rico we have reduced the garrisons to 1,636, which includes 879 native troops. There is no room for further reduction here.

We will be required to keep a considerable force in the Philippine Islands for some time to come. From the best information obtainable we will need there for the immediate future from 45,000 to 60,000 men. I am sure the number may be reduced as the insurgents shall come to acknowledge the authority of the United States, of which there are assuring indications.

It must be apparent that we will require an army of about 60,000 and that during present conditions in Cuba and the Philippines the President should have authority to increase the force to the present number of 100,000. Included in this number authority should be given to raise native troops in the Philippines up to 15,000, which the Taft Commission believe will be more effective in detecting and suppressing guerillas, assassins, and ladrones than our own soldiers.

The full discussion of this subject by the Secretary of War in his Annual Report is called to your earnest attention.

I renew the recommendation made in my last Annual Message that the Congress provide a special medal of honour for the volunteers, regulars, sailors, and marines on duty in the Philippines who voluntarily remained in the service after their terms of enlistment had expired.

I favour the recommendation of the Secretary of War for the detail of officers from the line of the army when vacancies occur in the Adjutant-General's Department, Inspector-General's Department, Quartermaster's Department, Subsistence Department, Pay Department, Ordnance Department, and Signal Corps.

The army cannot be too highly commended for its faithful and effective service in active military operations in the field and the difficult work of civil administration.

The continued and rapid growth of the postal service is a sure index of the great and increasing business activity of the country. Its most striking new development is the extension of rural free delivery. This has come almost wholly within the last year. At the beginning of the fiscal year 1899-1900 the number of routes in operation was only 391, and most of these had been running less than twelve months. On the 15th November, 1900, the number had increased to 2,614, reaching into forty-four States and territories, and serving a population of 1,801,524. The number of applications now pending and awaiting action nearly equals all those granted up to the present time, and by the close of the current fiscal year about 4,000 routes will have been established, providing for the daily delivery of mails at the scattered homes of about 3,500,000 of rural population.

This service ameliorates the isolation of farm life, conduces to good roads, and quickens and extends the dissemination of general information Experience thus far has tended to allay the apprehension that it would be so expensive as to forbid its general adoption or make it a serious burden. Its actual application has shown that it increases postal receipts, and can be accompanied by reductions in other branches of the service, so that the augmented revenues and the accomplished savings together materially reduce the net cost. The evidences which point to these conclusions are presented in detail in the Annual Report of the Postmaster-General which, with its recommendations, is commended to the consideration of the Congress. The full development of this special service, however, requires such a large outlay of money that it should be undertaken only after a careful study and thorough understanding of all that it involves.

Very efficient service has been rendered by the navy in connection with the insurrection in the Philippines and the recent disturbance in China.

A very satisfactory settlement has been made of the long-pending question of the manufacture of armour plate. A reasonable price has been secured and the necessity for a Government armour plant avoided.

I approve of the recommendations of the Secretary for new vessels and for additional officers and men which the required increase of the navy makes necessary. I commend to the favourable action of the Congress the measure now pending for the erection of a statue to the memory of the late Admiral David D. Porter. I commend also the establishment of a national naval reserve and of the grade of Vice-Admiral. Provision should be made, as recommended by the Secretary, for suitable rewards for special merit. Many officers who rendered the most distinguished service durin

the recent war with Spain have received in return no recognition from the Congress.

The total area of public lands as given by the Secretary of the Interior is approximately 1,071,881,662 acres, of which 917,135,880 acres are undisposed of and 154,745,782 acres have been reserved for various purposes. The public lands disposed of during the year amount to 13,453,887-96 acres, including 62,423.09 acres of Indian lands, an increase of 4,271,474-80 over the preceding year. The total receipts from the sale of public lands during the fiscal year were 4,379,758 dol. 10 c. an increase of 1,309,620 dol. 75 c. over the preceding year.

The results obtained from our forest policy have demonstrated its wisdom and the necessity in the interest of the public for its continuance and increased appropriations by the Congress for the carrying on of the work. On the 30th June, 1900, there were thirty-seven forest reserves, created by Presidential Proclamations under section 24 of the Act of the 3rd March, 1891, embracing an area of 46,425,529 acres.

During the past year the Olympic Reserve, in the State of Washington, was reduced 265,040 acres, leaving its present area at 1,923,840 acres. The Prescott Reserve, in Arizona, was increased from 10,240 acres to 423,680 acres; and the Big Horn Reserve, in Wyoming, was increased from 1,127,680 acres to 1,180,800 acres. A new reserve, the Santa Ynez, in California, embracing an area of 145,000 acres, was created during this year. On the 10th October, 1900, the Crow Creek Forest Reserve, in Wyoming was created, with an area of 56,320 acres.

At the end of the fiscal year there were on the pension roll 993,529 names, a net increase of 2,010 over the fiscal year 1899. The number added to the rolls during the year was 45,314. The amount disbursed for army pensions during the year was 134,700,597 dol. 24 c., and for navy pensions 3,761,538 dol. 41 c., a total of 138,462,135 dol. 65 c., leaving an unexpended balance of 5,542,768 dol. 25 c. to be covered into the Treasury, which shows an increase over the previous year's expenditure of 107,077 dol. 70 e. There were 684 names added to the rolls during the year by special Acts passed at the first Session of the Fifty-Sixth Congress.

The Act of the 9th May, 1900, among other things, provides for an extension of income to widows pensioned under said Act to 250 dollars per annum. The Secretary of the Interior believes that by the operations of this Act the number of persons pensioned under it will increase, and the increased annual payment for pensions will be between 3,000,000 and 4,000,000 dollars.

The Government justly appreciates the services of its soldiers and sailors by making pension payments liberal beyond precedent to them, their widows, and orphans.