stem, preventing
stagnation and deadwood and keeping every employee keenly alive to the
fact that the security of his tenure depends not on favor but on his
own tested and carefully watched record of service.

Much of course still remains to be accomplished before the system can
be made reasonably perfect for our needs. There are places now in the
classified service which ought to be exempted and others not classified
may properly be included. I shall not hesitate to exempt cases which I
think have been improperly included in the classified service or include
those which in my judgment will best promote the public service. The
system has the approval of the people and it will be my endeavor to
uphold and extend it.

I am forced by the length of this Message to omit many important
references to affairs of the Government with which Congress will
have to deal at the present session. They are fully discussed in the
departmental reports, to all of which I invite your earnest attention.

The estimates of the expenses of the Government by the several
Departments will, I am sure, have your careful scrutiny. While the
Congress may not find it an easy task to reduce the expenses of the
Government, it should not encourage their increase. These expenses will
in my judgment admit of a decrease in many branches of the Government
without injury to the public service. It is a commanding duty to keep
the appropriations within the receipts of the Government, and thus avoid
a deficit.

WILLIAM McKINLEY.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, December 6, 1897_.

_To the Congress of the United States_:

The act of Congress, approved July 19, 1897, entitled "An act making
appropriations to supply deficiencies in the appropriations for the
fiscal year ending June 30, 1897, and for prior years, for other
purposes," provided for the acceptance by the Government of the United
States of the invitation extended by the Republic of France to
participate in an international exposition to be held at Paris, from
April 15 to November 15, 1900, and authorized the President to appoint a
special commissioner with a view to securing all attainable information
necessary to a full and complete understanding by Congress in regard to
the participation of this Government in that exposition.

Maj. Moses P. Handy of Chicago, was appointed such special commissioner,
and I now enclose his report, giving the details of his mission. It is
a comprehensive and c