Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-12-09

my last annual message, | stated a..
lures had been made by the BritisL iD@C ~ o'e'-
ment for tbispurpOse, in friendly ,niri, i9g,.'.' %
/ cordial yreciproeated. Their 1ronosa1 mo-. Slch
to withdraw these questions from dir. vas.
tiation between the two Government acso-
accomplish the same object, by noo,., oa' 70
between the British Government an5 Y''a'oa
the Central American Republics wboso I".a o
toral interests are Immediately inyolvoS 'gr'' III
settlement was to be made in aceordansn 4Ae
the general tenor of the interpretatioD' ~ With
upon the Clayton and Bulwer treaty r. tp',eI
United States, with certain modfrar;a,'' zoe
negotiations are still pending upon tbis l. As
it would not be proper for me now 70 'n Gus, o'ss,
ncate their present condition A final ,',l'' ,'.I.
ment of these questions is greatlyto be da I've
as this would wipe out the remain no sued "nr'd
of dispute between the two countries '4'.'c!
Our relations with the two great pmr:.
France and Russia, as well as with ali T',S1 - u
Governments on the Continent of F,ro,, O'4e'
cept that Of Spain, continue to be Of I5p', H. 1'
friendly character. '>'
OUR RELATIONS WITH SPAIN
With Spain our relations remain in o.,
satisfactory condition. In my message Of A. ~,
cember last, [ informed you that our T,-. -.,
Extraordinary and Minister PeniDoen,,,!Y
to Madrid had asked for his recall an5
was my purpose TO send out lew Mnis,..
that Court with special instructions on MI on' "
tions pending between the two Govern. i'.N
and with determination to have them ,,.,'5
lily and amicably adjusted, if that were t,..' Io,.
| BILE. This purpose has been hitherto dss,,,l
! by causes which ! need not enumerate
The mission to Spain has been in,rus.a3 .
a distinguished citizen Of Kentucky wbo nil
proceed to Madrid without DELAY and r,t w."
another and a final attempt to obtain ir,,.,
from that Government
Spanish officials, under the direct cortr,r -.
the Captain General of Cuba, have ir,rt.,
our national flag aud, in repeated instance,
have from time to time inflicted injuries on "A,
soDs and property of our citizens. These bS,,
given birth to numerous claims ayair1 +.
Spanish Government, the merits Of which l,r
been ably discussed for series of wear, /,
our successive diplomatic representatives T.,
withstanding this we have not arrived a,
practical result in any single instance m. .,
we may except the case of the Black Warm
under the late administration and that m.
Sented an outrage of such character as womb
have justified an immediate resort to war ir
our attempts to obtain redress have been h,
fed and defeated The frequent and Of, -
curing changes in the Spanish Ministry han
been employed as reasons for delay We lu
been compelled to wait, again and again n.
the new Minister shall have had time to il,
yeStigate the Justice of our Cemand
Even what has been denominated the "C,.
ban claims" in which more than hundred II
our citizens are directly interested, have ',
nisLed no exception. These claims were { :.
refnnding duties unjustly exacted from Auc-
can vessels, at different CuStom-houses In Cr
ba, so long ago as the year 1874 The pin
cipleS upon which they rest are mauifes.7 Il
equitable and just, that after 4 period Of usa.
ly ten years, in 1854, they were recognized 81
the Spanish Government. Proceedings wen
afterwards instituted to find their amount. 90
this was finally fixed according to their 9g
statement. with which We are satisfied lI
the sum of one hundred and twenty-eisht ,-o
Sond six hundred and thirty-lYc dollars 81
tifty-four cents. just at the moment atg i
delay of fourteen years, when We had reaso
to expect that this sum would be repaid q
interest, we have received q proposal O1ern;
to refund one-third of that amount, >fortrtT
thousand eight hundred and seTentyeish. %
lars and forty-one cents but without iute's
if we would accept this in full satisfaction
The offer is. also, accompanied by declra]
that this indemnifcation is not fOundedOl o.
reason of strict justice, but is made as s
cial favor.
One alledged cause Of procra>tinaton in 4
examination and adjustment Of our claim i
arises from an obstacle which it is the duty
the Spanish Government TO remove. Wa2
the aptain-GeneraI of Cuba is invested VI;
general despotic authority in the so1eran'
of that Island, the power is withheld ron
to examine and redress wrongs comm.iitl
officials under his control, on citizens Of
United States Instead Of making our
plants directly to him at Havana we are
ged to present them through our M0!|
Madrid. These are then referred back 70
Captain-General for information and III
time is thus consumed in preliminary ,.'9
cations and correspondence between N''
and Cuba, before the Spanish Goycrnnel.
proceed to negotiation. Many Of the dI
ties between the two Governments wo1a
Obyiated, and long train of negotiation a'
ed, if the Captain General were invested
authority to settle questions Of easy sou'
on the spot, where all the facts are iTe>l
could be promptly and satisfactorily aScc'-
ed. We have hitherto in vain urged npO'
Spanish Government to coufer this power
on the Captain General, and our M'H,"
Spain will again be instructed to urge i"S
ject on their notice. In this respect We o'.
a different position from the Powers Oh h''.
Cuba is almost within sight of our shores
commerce with it far greater than tDa'
other nation, including Spain ITSELF 'D1
citizens are in habits Of daily and eA'.
personal intercourse with every part u
Island. 1t is, therefore, q great grew
that. when q difficulty occuIS no malt"
unimportant, which might be read,'! ~.
at the moment, We should be obliged 10 ',