e and
profitable medium of intercourse between the lottery company and its
victims. The use of the mails is quite as essential to the companies
as the State license. It would be practically impossible for these
companies to exist if the public mails were once effectively closed
against their advertisements and remittances. The use of the mails by
these companies is a prostitution of an agency only intended to serve
the purposes of a legitimate trade and a decent social intercourse.

It is not necessary, I am sure, for me to attempt to portray the robbery
of the poor and the widespread corruption of public and private morals
which are the necessary incidents of these lottery schemes.

The national capital has become a subheadquarters of the Louisiana
Lottery Company, and its numerous agents and attorneys are conducting
here a business involving probably a larger use of the mails than that
of any legitimate business enterprise in the District of Columbia. There
seems to be good reason to believe that the corrupting touch of these
agents has been felt by the clerks in the postal service and by some of
the police officers of the District.

Severe and effective legislation should be promptly enacted to enable
the Post-Office Department to purge the mails of all letters,
newspapers, and circulars relating to the business.

The letter of the Postmaster-General which I transmit herewith points
out the inadequacy of the existing statutes and suggests legislation
that would be effective.

It may also be necessary to so regulate the carrying of letters by the
express companies as to prevent the use of those agencies to maintain
communication between the lottery companies and their agents or
customers in other States.

It does not seem possible that there can be any division of sentiment
as to the propriety of closing the mails against these companies, and
I therefore venture to express the hope that such proper powers as
are necessary to that end will be at once given to the Post-Office
Department.

BENJ. HARRISON.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, July 30, 1890_.

_To the Senate of the United States_:

I transmit herewith a report from the Acting Secretary of State, in
response to a resolution of the Senate of the 23d instant, calling for
information touching the alleged arrest and imprisonment of A.J. Diaz
by the Cuban authorities and the action which has been taken in respect
thereto.

It will be seen that Mr.