00.

It appears from these papers that the estimated yield of corn, wheat,
and oats for 1882 in the States of Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota,
Kansas, and Nebraska was more than 1,000,000,000 bushels. It is claimed
that if the cheap water transportation route which is now continuous
from the Atlantic Ocean to Chicago is extended to the Upper Mississippi
by such a canal a great benefit in the reduction of freight charges
would result to the people of the Upper Mississippi Valley, whose
productions I have only partly noted, not only upon their own shipments,
but upon the articles of commerce used by them, which are now taken from
the Eastern States by water only as far as Chicago.

As a matter of great interest, especially to the citizens of that part
of the country, I commend the general subject to your consideration.

CHESTER A. ARTHUR.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, January 8, 1884_.

_To the House of Representatives:_

In answer to the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 7th
instant, respecting the alleged distribution of circulars in some of the
Departments asking contributions for political purposes, I hereby
transmit the reply of the Secretary of State.

CHESTER A. ARTHUR.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 8, 1884_.

_To the Senate and House of Representatives:_

I transmit herewith to the House of Representatives a communication from
the Secretary of War, submitting the annual report of the Mississippi
River Commission.

I take this occasion to invite the early attention of Congress to the
continuation of the work on the Mississippi River which is being carried
on under the plans of the commission. My sense of the importance of the
improvement of this river, not only to the people of the Northwest, but
especially to the inhabitants of the Lower Mississippi Valley, has
already been expressed in a special communication to the last Congress.
The harvests of grain and cotton produced in the region bordering upon
the Mississippi are so vast as to be of national importance, and the
project now being executed for their cheap transportation should be
sufficiently provided for.

The commission report that the results due to the still uncompleted
works have been remarkable, and give the highest encouragement for
expecting the ultimate success of the improvement.

The act of August 2, 1882, appropriated $4,123,000 for the work on that
part of the river below Cairo. The estimates of the