the above list many of these miscreants are Chinese. As a rule they are old, and partially blind or crippled, and I am creditably informed that some of them commit this crime by order of their bosses for the purpose of being sent up in order to obtain their board and lodging, and, in addition to secure the $25 in money. I have no doubt of the truth of this statement, for there are several who have served second and third terms for the same offense. For instance, for the bringing of a prisoner to Carson from White Pine county on a ten months' sentence, costs the State $176. To my mind this is a ridiculous state of affairs. The law should be repealed. It is wrong in principle and extremely expensive in its operation. While it is a crime deserving severe punishment, I am confident that sixty days' labor in the chain gang, working on the streets, would be a greater punishment for the class of people who commit this offense, and would do more toward lessening its commission, than a year's confinement in the State Prison. The report of the Warden for the past two years shows that he has exceeded his appropriation for maintaining the State Prison in the amount of $1,706 74, but his receipts for the keeping of United States prisoners amounted to $7,716 19, which leaves a balance in favor of the Prison of $6,009 15. The management of the Prison affairs during the past two years under Warden McCullough has been honest, economical and entirely satisfactory to the Board of Prison Commissioners. His officers and guards are competent, brave and efficient in the line of duty, and very courteous and gentlemanly while conducting visitors through the Prison. Six thousand eight hundred and twenty-five people have been conducted through the buildings and grounds during the past two years. For a detailed statement you are respectfully referred to the report of the Warden.

AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION.

At this stage of affairs in Nevada when, through the depreciation of silver and the denial to us of a rightful restoration to its place as money, the mining industry has reached its lowest ebb, the hardy husbandman with his aid and labor must come to the fore. The many thousands of acres of land rich and fertile must be cultivated. There is no substautial reason why we should import ham and bacon, butter and cheese, and many other agricultural products. Butter can be produced at home. The quantity is what must be increased and a home market supplied. Our farming interests should be fostered. Any legislation that will advance our agricultural resources will prove a blessing to our people at the present time. It will increase the population, large fields will be opened up for experiments, and, if attended with success, manufactories will follow. Nevada has depended on her great mineral resources to the neglect of all else. She has the requisites for an agricultural State. Climate, soil, over 70,000 acres already under plow, and over

750,000 acres that can be brought under cultivation by individual effort alone. The Secretary of Agriculture at Washington reports that already Colorado, in the very heart of the mountain system, yields agricultural products greater in value than her products in mining, and Utah, more sterile than our State, and yet what a contrast between her valleys and those of Nevada. The development of the State's agricultural resources should be the chief concern of the people. The live stock and sheep raising industries have made rapid strides since the winter of 1889-90. Dairying has sprung up within the last year and a half and has become a valuable industry, not only suppling the home market, but also leaving a handsome surplus for exportation.

It has been demonstrated by our State Experiment Station that the sugar-beet can be cultivated with wonderful success on our lands. An opportunity is here afforded for a combination of capital and labor that should be taken advantage of. All the experimental beet-sugar factories have proven the value of this new agricultural industry and its practicability. Let the matter be investigated and given all the encouragement which its importance demands.

On the subject of irrigation it is a difficult matter to suggest or recommend. Millions of acres are awaiting the coming of the waters that shall turn them into waving fields and blooming meadows. The Legislatures have been considerate and painstaking in trying to find out the best means of assisting, encouraging and carrying on irrigation, but there everything ceases. No successful effort has been made to organize under the 1891 law and prove its. practicability or impracticability. The 1889 law was declared not suitable to our wants, and the. $100,000 appropriation was returned into the treasury unused. Nevada's arid lands cannot be reclaimed until the question is determined as to ownership of water. The courts and Congress can lend a helping hand by giving the State complete control of its waters and overthrowing the old common law riparian rights doctrine," that obstructs our way and hangs like a millstone round our necks. When this is accomplished Nevada can reclaim her lands without Government aid, though if ever a State deserved aid and encouragement from the Government the Battle-born State, in return for her gratefulness, should head the list. She must settle the rights of all existing claimants to the use of waters. The appointment of a State Engineer will best secure a proper adjudication of those rights. This I learn from an examination of the Colorado and Wyoming laws. Gentlemen, any enactments that you may pass to hasten this condition of affairs will be gratefully received by the people of the State.

INVESTIGATION OF THE CAUSES OF FIRE.

Any step towards a prevention of loss by fire presents a question of general interest and of serious import. The National Board of

Fire Underwriters suggest the appointment or election of Fire Coroners, whose duty it shall be to investigate the cause of every fire. Undoubtedly this is a step in the right direction, and in the larger States would be the most practicable plan, but in Nevada, where city and county officers are not worked until they are ready to drop, the better system would be to extend the purview and duties of the present Coroners to include casualities to property by fire. In cities the fire marshals, or like officers, would be the persons in whom to vest the power of investigation. It should be the imperative duty of the Coroners to attend, as in cases of death, whenever a fire occurs, within two days of the occurence of the fire, and examine whether it was the result of carelessness, accident or design, and report thereon. They should receive such service fees of like kind. and amount as are now allowed in cases of inquests on deaths. The New York statute also requires services as follows: "It shall be the duty of the Coroner to take cognizance of all fires or conflagrations occurring in the county in which he acts, and to be present at the place where they occur at the earliest practicable moment to investigate and report thereon. He shall, by personal inquiry and otherwise, ascertain and record the circumstances preceding, attending and following each fire, great or small, in public or private property alike. He shall make particular effort to ascertain the cause or origin of each fire in the place where it originated, and shall say, as far as practicable, how it might have been prevented or avoided. He shall have power to enter and examine, with or without jurors and assistants, the premises that have been on fire, for the purposes above described, and all the powers conferred in this Act shall be applicable in cases of attempts to start incendiary fires, and in all cases where the inquest of the Coroner reveals arson or incendiarism, or attempts of arson or incendiarism, he may commit the person apprehended or may report the same to the District Attorney, and shall aid the officers of the law with all the evidence at his command to indict and convict persons charged with such crimes." A record should be kept of the data of each fire, and such records should be deemed public documents, and should be open to the inspection of citizens. This plan is both inexpensive and feasible, and I commend the question to your favorable consideration.

PROMOTION OF UNIFORMITY OF LEGISLATION.

I am requested by the American Bar Association and the Governors of New York, Massachusetts and other Eastern States to call your attention to the determined effort now being made to bring about a uniformity of legislation in the United States on the subject of marriage and divorce, insolvency, the form of notarial certificates, acknowledgment of deeds, execution and probate of wills, and fugitives from justice, and to invite your active

co-operation in an encouragement of this effort. Acts have passed the Legislatures of a large number of States already, establishing a Board of Commissioners, three in number, to serve four years and to be appointed by the Governor. It is made the duty of these Commissioners to examine above-named and kindred subjects, to confer with the Commissioners appointed for the same purpose by other States, to ascertain the best means to affect an assimilation and uniformity in the laws of the States upon these subjects, and to consider, especially, whether it would be wise and practicable for the States to join in convention to draft a set of uniform State laws and to submit them finally to the several States for adoption.

The plan has received the commendation of over twenty of the States, including our sister States, California and Colorado. The language of the Governor of Delaware briefly and tersely states the necessity for such unifority as follows:

"The spirit of comity that should prevail between the States of the Union induces me to call attention to certain communications lately received by me from the commission to promote uniformity of legislation throughout the Union upon the important subject of marriage and divorce., Under the present arrangement of the Constitution no Federal cognizance or control over these subjects exists, and consequently a distressing absence of harmony in the legislation and judicial action of the several States exists, to the great injury of the family tie, the uncertainty of moral obligations, the legitimacy of children and the rights of property. By co-operation and coordinate legislation of the respective States a legal status could be agreed upon by all, which would enable great and valuable reforms to be accomplished."

There is much wisdom in this movement. Even if a convention is never held concert of action in conference by the various Commissions would inevitably bring about a beneficial result, as much so as if a general assembling of the Commissioners was held. The subject is left with you for consideration, adding that I am heartily in sympathy with the movement.

ELECTION LAWS.

The last general election has demonstrated that the Australian ballot law, as enacted by our Legislature of 1891, is a success, and meets the approval of the entire people of the State. I deem it my duty, however, to suggest an amendment wholly in the interest of economy. Under the law, as it now stands, the Secretary of State is required to furnish the paper for the ballots. The law should be amended requiring him to have all the ballots for the several counties printed at the State Printing Office at the expense of the State. I am informed by him that the total cost of this work for the last election, as per statements returned from the several County

Clerks, will exceed $5,000, much of which was done out of the State. He also informs me that he will guarantee to have the work done in our State Printing Office at a cost not to exceed $500 for the entire lot, thus making a saving of $4,500. It is also important, I think, that the names of nominees and parties should be arranged uniformly on all the ballots, which can only be accomplished by having the ballots all printed at the same place. When there are amendments to the Constitution to be voted upon it would appear to be especially important that the ballots should be printed under one supervision in order that they may be concisely stated and correctly arranged under their proper numbers and titles. This can only be done by one who is familiar with them. The Secretary of State, being the custodian of all laws and resolutions, would seem to be the proper officer to perform these duties. I would suggest that township officers be left off the Australian ballot altogether, and that they be nominated in any manner desired by the citizens of towns and be voted for at the same time and place, but on a separate ticket, and that said ticket be deposited in a separate ballot box. Or the law might be so amended as to have the election of township officers take place at the same time as the election of school trustees.

DIRECT TAX.

Notwithstanding the fact that the last Legislature passed an Act requiring the State Board of Examiners to cancel and annul all contracts heretofore existing between the State of Nevada and Capt. John Mullan with reference to the collection of claims against the General Government, I have received several communications from him during the past two years, none of which have been officially acknowledged. Your attention is called, however, to the fact that there is due from the United States to the State of Nevada the sum of $3,903 77. This money has been appropriated and will be paid upon presentation of a proper resolution passed by the Legislature accepting the same and the trusts imposed in full satisfaction of account. It appears from the records that the recovery of this money is due to the exertions of Mr. Mullan prior to the cancellation of his contract, and it would seem just that he should receive the compensation named in that contract for this particular collection, although he is no longer recognized as an agent of the State in any manner. Mr. Mullan suggests, as a form of resolution referred to above, the following:

JOINT RESOLUTION

Authorizing the Governor of the State of--to receive and receipt for moneys due said State, from the General Government of the United States, on account of repayment of the direct tax. WHEREAS, By an Act of Congress, approved March third, eighteen hundred and ninety-one, entitled "An Act to credit and pay to the