prisoner is sent to one State for confinement and quite a different
thing if he is sent to another. I recommend that a uniform credit for
good behavior be prescribed by Congress.

I have before expressed my concurrence in the recommendation of the
Attorney-General that degrees of murder should be recognized in the
Federal statutes, as they are, I believe, in all the States. These
grades are founded on correct distinctions in crime. The recognition of
them would enable the courts to exercise some discretion in apportioning
punishment and would greatly relieve the Executive of what is coming to
be a very heavy burden--the examination of these cases on application
for commutation.

The aggregate of claims pending against the Government in the Court of
Claims is enormous. Claims to the amount of nearly $400,000,000 for the
taking of or injury to the property of persons claiming to be loyal
during the war are now before that court for examination. When to these
are added the Indian depredation claims and the French spoliation
claims, an aggregate is reached that is indeed startling. In the defense
of all these cases the Government is at great disadvantage. The
claimants have preserved their evidence, whereas the agents of the
Government are sent into the field to rummage for what they can find.
This difficulty is peculiarly great where the fact to be established is
the disloyalty of the claimant during the war. If this great threat
against our revenues is to have no other check, certainly Congress
should supply the Department of Justice with appropriations sufficiently
liberal to secure the best legal talent in the defense of these claims
and to pursue its vague search for evidence effectively.

The report of the Postmaster-General shows a most gratifying increase
and a most efficient and progressive management of the great business
of that Department. The remarkable increase in revenues, in the number
of post-offices, and in the miles of mail carriage furnishes further
evidence of the high state of prosperity which our people are enjoying.
New offices mean new hamlets and towns, new routes mean the extension of
our border settlements, and increased revenues mean an active commerce.
The Postmaster-General reviews the whole period of his administration
of the office and brings some of his statistics down to the month of
November last. The postal revenues have increased during the last year
nearly $5,000,000. The deficit for