Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-04-06

be necessary
SEC .. Ind be it further enacted, That one
hundred thousand dollars be appropriated Tor de-
fraying such expenses as the President may deem
necessary for obtaining possession as aforesaid ana
the security of the said territory to be applied un
der the direction of the President out OF any mon
ey in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.
SEC. g. Ind be 1T further enacted, That In case
possession of the territory aforesaid shall be obtain
ed by the United States aforesaid that until 9th
er provision be made by Congress, the President oe
and be is hereby authorized to establish WITHIN the
territory aforesaid temporary government ana the
military, civil and judicial powers thereof snail be
vested in such person and persons and DC exercised
in such manner as he may direct for the protection
and maintenance of the inhabitants OF the SAID terri
tory in the full enjoyment of their liberty, property
and religion.
Approved January Is, 1911.
AN ACT ,ncern,ng an act enable the President of the
United States under certain contingencies tn take pos
session of the country living Of the Pedo and
south of the State of Georgia and the Mississippi Terri
tory and for other purposes, and the declaration accom-
| panying the same.
Be it enacted By the Senate and House Of repre-
seutatires of the United States Of america In Con-
gress assembled That this act and the act passed du-
ring the present session of Congress entitled An
act to enable the President of the United States, I'M
der certain contingencies, to take possession OF the
country living east of the river Perdido and south of
! the State of Georgia and the Mississippi Territory
and for other purposes" and the declaration accom-
panying the same be not printed or published until
the end of the next session of Congress, unless d.
rested by the President of the United States; any
law or usage to the contrary Notwithstanding.
Approved March 3, ISL
AN ACT authorizing the President of the United States
to take possession of tract of country lying south OF
the Msspp Territory and west Of the river of Pcrd:do
BE it enacted By the Senate and House Of Repre-
sentatires Of the United States Of Anerica IN Con-
gress assembled That the President be, and he is
hereby, authorized to occupy and hold all that tract
of country called West Florida, which lies west of
the river Perdido and now in possession of the
United States.
I Sec Ind be it FURTHER enacted, That for the
purpose of occupying and holding the country aore-
said and of atfordng protection to the inhabitants
thereof under the authority of the United States,
the President may employ such parts of the military
and naval force of the United States as he may deem
| necessary.
Src. : ind be it fvther enncted That. for de-
fraving the necessary expenses twenty thousand
dollars is hereby appropriated out ofany moneys in
the treasury not otherwise appropriated, and he
applied Cor that purpose under the direction of the
President.
: Approved February -, 1913.
Happily no necessity arose for the exercise by the
President of the extraordinary powers conferred on
subsequent &C Iuisition of Florida by the treaty of
22d of February, 1919.
1t is a fact of some significance that these acts
and resolutions for the first time published and
promulgated with the laws, pending the negotiation
of the treaty for the ceSsion of Florida.
Even after the treaty had been signed by the
plenpotentiaricS of the contracting parties, the
Spanish government withheld its ratification on frv
: olous pretenceS until the oath of October 1920.
tyrov ha1f hp
and forbearance of our government been exhausted
that President Monroe, in his annual message of
December, 1919, brought the subject to the atten-
ton of Congress- and said: From full view Of
all the circumstances, it is submitted to Congress
whether it will not b proper for the United States
to carry the conditions of the treaty into effect in
the same manner as if it had been ratified by Spain;
claiming, their part all its advantages, and yield
ing to Spain those secured to her."
From these legislative and executive manifesto
tons, Immediately preceding and succeeding our
list war with England, we might deduce example
which we do not follow, because may safe
ly repose the conviction that power is ade
quate to protection under any emergency.
OF the immense colonial possessions once held by
Spain in this quarter Of the globe, none remain I'M
der her authority except the islands of Cuba and
Porto Rico. To her they are distant and expensive
appendages, in no way connected with or participa
ting in her government adding nothing to her pow
err and held solely for the advantages derivable to
the mother country from monopoly of their trade
Though the inhabitants Of Cuba are probably more
heavily taxed than any other population in the
word-eight hundred thousand free persons, of
whom two hundred thousand are free negroes, pay
ing than twenty three millions of dollars per
annum-yet Spain derives little no advantage
from the revenue it being absorbed in the support
of nearly %, 900 peninsular troops and numerous
navy, on and around the island, to keep it in SUBJ
lection Whilst Spain held large colonies on the
main land of the continent especially whilst Next
co, Texas, Louisiana, and Florida were under its
rule, Cuba was important to her as a commercial
entrepot, and also as military outpost from which
were fitted out her expeditions to Mexico and Cen
trail and South America. Its importance in that
respect seems to have been appreciated by her and
recognized by other nations; for whilst Louisiana
and Florida repeatedly changed sovcreigns, Cuba
never has from the time the Spanish flag was plant
ed upon it by Columbus in 1882 except for short
time, during which Great Britain held it by con-
quest Its value to Spain, in this respect, has en-
tirey ceased and it has become of even greater i'm
portance to us as her successors in Florida Louisi
ana, and Texas. Our rights and obligations in ref
erence to the Gulf and the nations lying around it
: to which the committee has already adverted, de
mand that the island of Cuba should constitute ;
State of our confederacy, bound to us not only by
common constitution, but by the bonds of mu
Iuai Interest," anu Sue ny Sue WIN tnG sister States
of the Union, aiding to place under our flag tn,
richest and freest commerce the world has seen
Its importance to our national security, and fo
the protection Of our foreign and coastwse com
merce, will be perceived from considerations which
we will briefly present.
Into the Gulf of Mexico empty all the rivers O
Texas, the Mississippi and its tributaries all tn
rivers of Alabama, and portion of those of Geor
ga and Florida, furnishing $4,000 miles of inlan
navigation and bearing towards the markets of tn
world the surplus productions of fifteen of the mos
fertile States in the Union. The trade of the port
IN the Gulf may be set down at two hundred mi
lions Of dollars per annum, as follows:
= Exports of domestic produce to
foreign countries (officiaD $113541 1857 0
> Imports from foreign countries
(oficiaD 19,7O3,s7O 0
!. Exports coastwise (estmated) 100000 Q
% Imports coastwise (estimated) 47,OOO,0OO 0