Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-04-11


of the yellow fever are chiefly con-
fined. The losses of the Spanish
army from illness were largely due
TO the lack sanitary care, and the
are satisfied that
their losses have been largely exag-
gerated. The Commissioners have
given special attention 10 the matter
of health, and, besides getting infor-
nation from other quarters, they
have charged. two medical gentlemen
TO report specially uponi it, and their
reports are appended. Their con-
cIusion is this: The popular idea
That the Dominican territory is par
ticularly unhealthy, and that per-
sons visiting it are peculiarly liable
to yellow fever, is entirely erroneous,
rs the average general health and
longevity is quite equal TO, and prob
ably greater thar the United States.
Upon the whole, immigrants are
not liable to any more disturbance
of general health than persons who
pass from the old to the new States
of the United States, and saving
upon the sea coast, the process is so
simple as to escape notice. Taking
the year through, as much agricultu-
raj work can be done without affect
ing the health, as can be done in
our Middle and Western States, and
greater results. Persons in all cir
comstances can here, by selecting
their locality, enjoy delicious eli
mate and abundance of fruit, with far
less liability to disease of the lungs,
TO scarlet fevers and other fearful
epidemics, and without any liability
to yellow fever. The commission,
its attaches, and members Of the
press numbered 80, and the officers
and crew of the frigate numbered
496. This company of 528 sojourued
IN the harbors, supposed to be the
most unhealthy part of the country,
or in the interior of the island, about
two months. Few, ifany, had been
Observation-Disclosures, there was
but one case of mortal disease, and
that from causes unconnected with
the climate. There was no case OF
malignant fever and none of severe
sickness among them. The steamer
Ndtasket, with its full complement
OF officers and sea men, has been in
the harbors of the island for about
fifteen months, and has not had q
single case of yellow fever. Earth
quakes have done no serious damage
in the island since 1916, and though
slight shocks occur almost every
year, they are so inconsiderablt
that scarce one in u dozen of the
inhabitants are aware of them. Hur
ricanes are not infrequent, and some
times are attended with considerable
damage.
NAvIGABLE WATERS.
The island has several rivers nav
| igable for a short distance into the in
terror, while three great bays-Sa
mana, Acoa and Mazeanvilla-ad
NIT vessels of the largest draft, tho
only the first has an Importance in ;
military point of view.
SANTANA.
The Commissioners state the ad
vantages of the acquisition of Samani
would be the securing of q powerful
military and naval station, which
would doubtless stimulate the grow Il
of an important city, that portion o
the waterfront which has ALREADY
been acquired by citizen OF th,
United States, being but q small par
of what would be occupied by tn
site of a great commercial city il
San Domingo. Inland commnnica
too br ~vator and rail would be easy
and the future Of SANTANA bay, unde
the authority of the United States
could not fail to be of national impor
| lance.
FINANCE.
The Commissioners publish som,
figures showing the result of inquir
les as TO the debt of the government
and its obligations, whether funded
and ascertained and admitted, or un
adjusted and under discussion. an(
the revenues for 1870, but the figure,
have been so buDgied by the tele
graph that no reliance can be PLACED
on them, no two papers publishing
them alike. The sum total of debt
and claims is 81 ,565, S21. They saw
We believe that this statement in
cludes all the Indebtedness or obi
cations for which the Dominican
republic is in any degree liable, a,
well as that which it considers vaIiC
and binding as that which it regards
unfounded. or overstatod by the clai.
mants Throughout the inquiry i
was urged upon the Dominican au.
thorities that every claim known tC
exist, OF whatever character, should
be exhibited to the commission
whose object was not to determin,
the precise amount that was. Justly
due and binding, but to get at the
bottom and find the utmost limit OF
their obligations, setting forth every.
thing for which the government
could, under any circumstances. be
made liable. The above account
contains much that the Dominican
government believes to be partly or
wholly groundless, and some which.
upon investigation, will appear CUES
tionable. Among pending claims is
one upon President Baez, for des-
truction ofproperty. II is alleged
by the claimant that the Spanish
government recognized the claim as
valid, and ordered an examination
to Tx the amount, but the commits
sion cannot understand how this
claim could be valid against the Do
mican government. A question has
been raised in our country whether
the government and people of the
D~minican republic, having once
been under the rule of the Haytiens.
might not be liable fora portion of
the indemnity exacted by France of
Hayti for the estates of French FAM
lilies which had been confiscated
by the Haytiens during the revolu-
ton of 1871. The Commissioners