emed best to continue the
existing form of local government, I recommend that the right to vote,
hold office, and sit on juries in the Territory of Utah be confined to
those who neither practice nor uphold polygamy. If thorough measures
are adopted, it is believed that within a few years the evils which
now afflict Utah will be eradicated, and that this Territory will in
good time become one of the most prosperous and attractive of the new
States of the Union.

Our relations with all foreign countries have been those of
undisturbed peace, and have presented no occasion for concern as to
their continued maintenance.

My anticipation of an early reply from the British Government to the
demand of indemnity to our fishermen for the injuries suffered by that
industry at Fortune Bay in January, 1878, which I expressed in my last
annual message, was disappointed. This answer was received only in the
latter part of April in the present year, and when received exhibited
a failure of accord between the two Governments as to the measure of
the inshore fishing privilege secured to our fishermen by the treaty
of Washington of so serious a character that I made it the subject of
a communication to Congress, in which I recommended the adoption of
the measures which seemed to me proper to be taken by this Government
in maintenance of the rights accorded to our fishermen under the
treaty and toward securing an indemnity for the injury these interests
had suffered. A bill to carry out these recommendations was under
consideration by the House of Representatives at the time of the
adjournment of Congress in June last.

Within a few weeks I have received a communication from Her Majesty's
Government renewing the consideration of the subject, both of the
indemnity for the injuries at Fortune Bay and of the interpretation
of the treaty in which the previous correspondence had shown the two
Governments to be at variance. Upon both these topics the disposition
toward a friendly agreement is manifested by a recognition of our
right to an indemnity for the transaction at Fortune Bay, leaving the
measure of such indemnity to further conference, and by an assent to
the view of this Government, presented in the previous correspondence,
that the regulation of conflicting interests of the shore fishery
of the provincial seacoasts and the vessel fishery of our fishermen
should be made the subject of conference and concurrent arrangement
between th