Show THE MESSAGE A statesmanlike AND COM DOCUMENT revenue reform strongly advocated HZ HK STICKS TO TOE THE CIVIL SES VICE LAW wise and pertinent on topics BUT SILENT AS TO OUR TERRITORY to the Congress of the united states in the discharge ofa of a constitutional duty and following a well weli established precedent in the executive office I 1 herewith transmit to the congress at its reassembling certain information concerning the state of the union together with such recommendations for legislative bon consideration as appear necessary and expedient our bar government has bab consistently maintained its relations of friendship toward all powers and of neighborly 4 interest toward those whose possessions are arc contiguous to our own few questions have arisen during the past year with other governments government 8 and none of those are beyond the reach of settlement in friendly concil we are as yet without provision for the OF CLAIMS of citizens of the united states against chill chili lor for injuries doneau the war with peru and bolivia the mixed commission organized under the claims convention concluded by the chill chili government with certain european states have developed an amount of friction which we trust can be avoided in the convention which our representative at santiago is authorized to negotiate CHINESE persecutions the cruel treatment of inoffensive chinese has I 1 regret to say been repeated bated in some of the far western 9 tates states and territories and acts of violence against those people beyond the power er of the local constituted authorities a to prevent and difficult to punish are reported even in distant alaska auchet much of this violence can be traced to race prejudice and competition of labor which cannot however lustily the oppression of strangers whose safety is guaranteed by our treaty with china equally with the most favored nations in opening our vast domain joallen to alien allen elements tre the purpose of our lawgivers law givers was to invite assimilation and not to provide an arena of endless antagonisms the paramount duty of ma maintaining public order and defending lug the interests of our own people may require the adoption of measures of restriction restrict iou but they should not tolerate the oppression of individuals of a special race I 1 am not without assurance that the government of china whose friendly disposition towards us I 1 am most happy to recognize will meet us halt half way lu in devising a comprehensible remedy by bv which an effective limitation of chinese immigration joined to the protection of those chinese subjects who remain in this country way may be secured legislation is needed to execute the provisions of our oar chinese convention of 1880 touching the opium traffic CENTRAL AMERICAN RELATIONS while the good will of the colombian government toward our country is m manifest ani fest the situation of american interests on the isthmus of panama has at times excited concern and invited frig friendly nolly action looking to the performance of the engagements of the two nations concerning the territory embraced embrace din in the inter oceanic transit with the subsidence of the isthmian disturbances and the erection of the state of panama into a federal district under the direct government of the constitutional administration at bogota a hew bew order of things has been inaugurated which although as yet somewhat experimental and affording scope tor for the arbitrary exercise of pow power r by the delegates of the national autho authorities promises much improvement friendship WITH FRANCE the sympathy between the people of the U united ted states and france born during our colonial struggle for inde pen deuce dence and continuing today to day has received a fresh ini impulse pulse in the successful completion and dedication ot of the colossal colos statue of liberty enlightening the world in new york harbor the gift of frenchmen to americans A convention between the united states stales and certain other powers for the protection of submarine sub marine cables was signed at paris on march 1884 and has been duly ra titled and proclaimed b by y this government by agreement between the high contracting parties this convention is id to go into effect the first of january next but the legislation required for its execution in ill the I 1 united states has not yet vet been adopted I 1 earnestly recommend its enactment OUR GERMAN RELATIONS cases have co continued to occur in germany giving rise to lo much correspondence pon dence in in rotation relation to the privilege of sojourn rn of our naturalized citizens of german an origin revisiting the land of their birth yet I 1 am happy to state that our relations with that cou country have lost none of their accustomed cordiality the claims for interest upon the amount ot of tonna tonnage e dues illegally exacted from certain arman german steamship shi lines were favorably reported in bott both houses bouses of Con congress Kress at the last session and I 1 trust will receive final and favorable action at an early day THE FISHERIES the recommendation contained in my last annual message in relation to a mode of settlement of the fishery rights in the waters of british north norta america so long the subject of acx anxious difference between the united states and great britain was met by an adverse vote of the senate on april last and thereupon negotiations were instituted to obtain an agreement with her britannic Maje government for the promulgation of such joint interpretation and definition of the article of the convention of 1818 relating to the territorial waters and inshore fisheries of the british provinces as should secure the canadian rights from encroachment from united states fishermen and at tile the same time insure the enjoyment by the latter of the privileges guaranteed to them by s uch such convention the questions involved are of long standing are of arave grave consequence and from time to time for nearly three quarters of a century have given rise to earnest in ter national discussion not unaccompanied by irritation temporary arrangements range ments by treaty have served to flay allay friction which however has revived ived as each treaty has terminated the last arrangement under the treaty of 1871 was aal abrogated after due notice by the united states on june 30 1885 but I 1 was enabled to obtain lor for our fishermen for the remainder of that season enjoyment of the full privileges accorded by the terminating treaty the joint commission by whom the treaty had been negotiated although invested with plenary power to make a permanent settlement were c content with a temporary arrangement after the ter termination mi nation of which the question was relegated to the stipulation of the treaty of 1818 as to the first article of afi winch no construction st satisfactory to both countries countries has ever been agreed upon the progress of civilization and growth of ef population in the british provinces to which the fisheries in question are conti contiguous bous and the expansion of commercial intercourse between them and the united states present today to day a condition of affairs scarcely realizable e at the date of the negotiations of 1818 new and vast interests have been brought into existence modes of intercourse between the respective countries have been invented and multiplied the methods of conducting the fisheries have been wholly changed and all this is necessarily entitled t to 61 candid and careful consid aeration and the adjustment of the terms and conditions of intercourse and commerce between the united states and their neighbors alono along a frontier of over miles this pra propinquity community of language and occupation and similarity of political and social institutions indicate the practicability and obvious wisdom of maintaining mutually beneficial and friendly relations whilst I 1 am un feignedly desirous that such relations should exist between us and the inhabitants of canada ye yet tt the action of their officials during the e past season toward our oar fishermen has been a uch such as to seriously threaten their bontin continuance liance although di disappointed is d in my efforts to secure a satisfactory settlement the ushery question negotiations are still pending with a reasonable hope that before the close of the present session of Congress such advancement maybe may be made that an acceptable conclusion may been reached each bol at an early day there may be laid laia before congress the correspondence of the department of state in relation to this important subject so that the history of the past fishing season maybe may be fully disclosed and the action and the attitude of the administration clearly comprehended more extended reference is not deem deemed ed necessary yin in this communication ALASKA AND HAWAII the recommendation submitted last year that provision be made for a preliminary of the conventional boundary line between alaska and british columbia is renewed I 1 express my unhesitating conviction that the intimacy of our relations with hawaii should be emphasized emphasised ed asa As a result of the reciprocity treaty of 1875 those islands on the highway 0 oriental and australian traffic are virtually ani an of american commerce an and d a stepping stone to t the he growl growing g trade ot of toe the pacific the Pon eia esian island groups haye have been so bo absorbed by other and and more powerful governments that the hawaiian islands are left almost alone in the en ment of their autonomy which it is important for us should be preserved our treaty is now terminable on one years yea rs notice n otic e but b u t propositions to abrogate I 1 it U would in my judgment be most ill advised 1 I d the paramount influence we have there acquired once relinquished could only with difficulty be regained gained ic and a valuable coign of vantage for ourselves might baicon be converted into a stronghold for our commet commercial mercial competitors I 1 earnestly recommend that the existing treaty stipulations ions be extended tor for a further term of seven years A recently signed treaty to thid end is now before the senate the importance of telegraphic communication between those islands and the united states should not be overlooked JAPAN I 1 the question of a general revision of the treaties of japan is again under discussion at tokio As the first to open relations with that empire and as the nation inmost in most direct c commercial relation with japan the united stater have lost no 0 opportunity port unity to testify their consistent friendship friendship by supporting the just claims of japan to autonomy and independence among the nations treaty ot of extradition between tile the un ted states and japan the first concluded by that empire has been lately proclaimed BERIA the weak nesai liberia and the difficulty of hainta ning clug effective sovereignty rel nty over a s ou outlying aling districts have ha e exposed lat republic to en croach ments cannot be forgotten lors otten that this distan immunity orn om is an off shoot jol our system owing its origin to the associated benevolence of american citizens whose praiseworthy efforts to create a nucleus of civill civilization bation in th tha dark continent have commanded respect and samps sympathy thy everywhere especially in this country although a formal protectorate over liberia liberi I 1 is S contrary to our traditional policy the moral right and duty of the united states to assist in all proper ways in nee of its integrity is obvious and has been consistently advanced during daring nearly half a cent century arv I 1 recommend that in the beor reorganization of our navy small vessels so no longer found adequate to our needs be presented to liceria to be employed by it in the protection an of its coastwise revenues MEXICO the encouraging development of beneficial and intimate relations between the united states and mexico which has teen been so BO marked within the te past lew few years is at once the occasion of congratulation and of friendly solicitude licit ude I 1 urgently renew my for former mer representation of the need or of speedy legislation by congress to carry into effect the reciprocity commercial convention of january 20 1883 our commercial tr treaty eaty of 1831 1 with mexico was term terminated bated according to its provisions in 1881 upon notification given by mexico in pursuance of her announced policy of recasting all her american tre treaties atlis mexico has since concluded with several foreign governments new treaties of commerce and navigation defining alien rights of trade property and residence treatment 0 of shipping consular privileges and the like our yet unexecuted reciprocity cip rocity convention of 1883 covers none of these points the settlement of which is so necessary to good relationship lation ship I 1 propose to initiate with mexico negotiations for a new and enlarged treaty of commerce and navigation TUB THE CASE la in bomp compliance liance with a resolution of the senate communicated to that body on august ad last and also to the house of representatives the correspondence pon dence in the case of A K cutting an american citizen then imprisoned in mexico charged with the commission of a penal offense in texas of which a mexican citizen was the object after demand had been made for his release the charge against him was amended so as to include a violation of mexican law within mexican territory this joinder of alleged offenses one with within u and the other exterior to mexico induced me to order a special investigation of the ease case pending which mr cutting was released the incident has however disclosed a claim of jurisdiction by mexico novel in our history where bri any offense committed anywhere b befi fore foreigner penal in the place of iw ife com commission mission and of which a mexica tf is the object may if the offender be found in mexico be there tried and punished in conformity with mexican fews jurisdiction was sustained by the courts of mexico in the ahe cutting case and approved by the execl tive branch of that upon the authority of a mexican statute the appellate court in releasing mr cutting decided that the abandonment of tile the complaint by the mexican citizen a aggrieved by the alleged crime a libed libelous publication removed the basis of further prosecution and also declared justice to have been satisfied by the enforcement of a small part of the original sentence tence the ha admission mission of such a pretension would be attended with serious results invasive of the jurisdiction of this government and highly dangerous to our oar citizens in foreign lands therefore I 1 have denied it and protested against its anteal attempted pt exercise as unwarranted by the principles of law and international usages A sovereign his jurisdiction of of fences which take effect within Ws uis territory although concocted or commenced outside of it but the right is denied of any foreign s sovereign ov r ei to punish a citizen of the U t t e d 8 agta tea for an offense consummated on our dur soil in violation of outlaws our laws even though the offense be against a sub subject jector or citizen of such sovereign sovereign the mexican statute in question makes maes the claim broadly broadly and tile the principle if conceded would create a dual responsibility lity in the citizen and lead to a confusion destructive of that certainty in the law which is an i essential to liberty when citizens of the united states voluntarily go into a foreign country they must abide by the laws therein there in force and will not be protected by their own government from the consequence of an offense agal against P 11 t those laws committed in such foreign 9 1 country but the watchful care and interest of the government over its citizens are not relinquished |