The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1871-12-23
I,RESIDENT'S MESSAGE.
WASHINGTON, December 4, 1871

/ WAsHrNGToN, December 4, 1871.
To se Senate and House of Representatives
Ii, addressing my third annual mes
sage to the law-making branch of the
goysrnment, it is gratifying to be able
to 1 ate that, during the past year,
sucf Tess has generally attended the
effort to execute all laws found upon
the statute books. The policy has
been, not to inquire into the wisdom
of ke laws already enacted, but to
leat th their special interest and enforce
thea accordingly. The past year has,
unfer wise providence, been one of
GENERAL PROSPERITY.
D, the nation it has, however, been
att hded with more than usual chas-
tisesnents i'm the loss of life and prop
ertE by storm and fire. These disas-
ters have served to call forth the best
ele'aents of human nature in our coun-
tryaand to develop friendship for us
ON The part of foreign nations which
goeS far toward alleviating the dis
tress occasioned by the calamities.
The benevolent who have so gener-
ously shared their means with the vic
tim of these misfortunes will reap
theS reward in the consciousness of
hay ing performed a noble act, and in
reed living the grateful thanks of men,
wols ben and children whose sufferings
they have relieved.
The relations of the United States
with
FOREIGN POWERS
com nue. to be friendly. The year
has been an eventful one in witness
ing7 7two great nations speaking one
Language and having one lineage,
setting, by peaceful arbitration, dis
putes of long standing and liable at
at aiy time to bring those nations in
to bloody and hostile conflicts. An
exapple has thus been set which, ii
sued S,ssful in its final issue, may be
foil wed by other civilized nations,
andVbe the final means of returning to
productive industry millions of men
who are now maintained to settle the
disp1ites of nations by the bayonet
and brOadsword.
| 4 transmit herewith copy of the
treaky allued to, which has been con-
cludfe ID since the adjournment ef Con-
gresA with her Brittanic Majesty, and
a copy of the protocol of the confer
ences of the commissioners by whom
it pes negotiated. This treaty pro-
vide$ methods for adjusting the ques-
tionApendihg between the two nations.
Various questions are to be adjusted
by arbitration. recommend Congress
at az early day to make the necessa-
ry peovision for the tribunal at Gene
va, Ind for the several commissions
on the part of the United States called
for by the treaty. His majesty, the
King of Italy, the president of the
Swiss confederation, and his majesty,
the kmperor of Brazil, have each con-
sent q on the joint request of the two
powers to name an arbitrator for the
TRIBUNAL of Geneva. / have caused
my thanks to be suitably expressed
for tae readiness with which the joint
request has been complied with by the
appointment of gentlemen of emf
mend and learning to these important
posi9 IONS. His majesty, the Emperor
of GArmany, has been pleased to COM
ply with the joint request of the two
COVE rnments, and has consented to
act al arbitrator of the disputed water
bOur3 3lary between the United States
and Ereat Britain. The contracting
parties in the treaty have undertaken
to re gard as between themselves GER
tain Srinciples of public law for which
the United States has contended from
the commencement of her history.
They have also agreed to bring these
principles to the knowledge of the
othes maritime powers, and invite
them to accede to them. Negotia-
tiOns are going on as to the form of
the note by which the invitation is to
be extended to the powers. l recon-
mend the legislation necessary ON the
part s'f the United States to bring in
to oil keration the articles of the treaty
relatkhg to the fisheries and to the
other matters touching the relations
of the United States toward the
BRITISH NORTH AMERICAN POSSES
sIONs,
to / xcome operative as soon as the
proper legislation shall be held on the
part of Great Britain and its posses
sions. 1t is much to be desired that
this legislation may become operative
befoRs the fishermen of the United
Statfs begin to make their arrange
menA for the coming season.
l Nave directed a communication,
of which copy is transmitted here
with, to the Governors of New York,
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Michi-
gan, Illinois and Wisconsin, urging
upoiE THE governments of these States
respe ectively the necessary action on
their part to carry into effect the
object of the article of the treaty
which contemplates the use of the
canals on either side, connected with
the navigation of the lakes and rivers
form ing the boundary, in terms of
equiH by the inhabitants of both
counE tries. 1t is hoped that the i'm
portince of the object and the benefits