e for us, while we humbly implore the forgiveness of our
sins and a continuance of His mercy.

Let families and kindred be reunited on that day, and let their hearts,
filled with kindly cheer and affectionate reminiscence, be turned in
thankfulness to the source of all their pleasures and the giver of all
that makes the day glad and joyous.

And in the midst of our worship and our happiness let us remember the
poor, the needy, and the unfortunate, and by our gifts of charity and
ready benevolence let us increase the number of those who with grateful
hearts shall join in our thanksgiving.

In witness whereof I have set my hand and caused the seal of the United
States to be hereunto affixed.

[SEAL.]

Done at the city of Washington, this 25th day of October, A.D. 1887, and
of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and twelfth.

GROVER CLEVELAND.

By the President:
T.F. BAYARD,
_Secretary of State_.

EXECUTIVE ORDERS.

JANUARY 4, 1887.

In the exercise of the power vested in the President by the
Constitution, and by virtue of the seventeen hundred and fifty-third
section of the Revised Statutes and of the civil-service act approved
January 16, 1883, the following regulations governing promotions in the
customs service at the city of New York are hereby approved and
promulgated:

REGULATION 1.

The board of examiners at the New York customs district may at any time,
with the approval of the Civil Service Commission, order an examination
for promotion, and at least five days before the examination is to take
place shall cause a notice to be posted conspicuously in the office for
which such examination is to be held, and shall state in said notice the
class or classes to test fitness for promotion to which the examination
is to be held and the time and place of examination. Promotions shall
be from class to class, and the examination of persons in one class
shall be to test their fitness for promotion to the next higher class:
_Provided, however_, That if in any examination for promotion the
competitors in the next lower class shall not exceed three in number,
the board may, at its discretion, open the competition to one or more
of the classes below the class in which there are not more than three
competitors. All persons in the class immediately below the class for
which promotions are to be made, and who have been in said class at
least six mon