tion of Congress to the views heretofore
expressed in relation to the mode of choosing the President and
Vice-President of the United States, and to those respecting the tenure
of office generally. Still impressed with the justness of those views
and with the belief that the modifications suggested on those subjects
if adopted will contribute to the prosperity and harmony of the country,
I earnestly recommend them to your consideration at this time.

I have heretofore pointed out defects in the law for punishing official
frauds, especially within the District of Columbia. It has been found
almost impossible to bring notorious culprits to punishment, and,
according to a decision of the court for this District, a prosecution is
barred by a lapse of two years after the fraud has been committed. It
may happen again, as it has already happened, that during the whole two
years all the evidences of the fraud may be in the possession of the
culprit himself. However proper the limitation may be in relation to
private citizens, it would seem that it ought not to commence running in
favor of public officers until they go out of office.

The judiciary system of the United States remains imperfect. Of the nine
Western and Southwestern States three only enjoy the benefits of a
circuit court. Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee are embraced in the general
system, but Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Alabama, Mississippi, and
Louisiana have only district courts. If the existing system be a good
one, why should it not be extended? If it be a bad one, why is it
suffered to exist? The new States were promised equal rights and
privileges when they came into the Union, and such are the guaranties of
the Constitution. Nothing can be more obvious than the obligation of the
General Government to place all the States on the same footing in
relation to the administration of justice, and I trust this duty will be
neglected no longer.

On many of the subjects to which your attention is invited in this
communication it is a source of gratification to reflect that the steps
to be now adopted are uninfluenced by the embarrassments entailed upon
the country by the wars through which it has passed. In regard to most
of our great interests we may consider ourselves as just starting in our
career, and after a salutary experience about to fix upon a permanent
basis the policy best calculated to promote the happiness of the people
and facilitate their progress tow