The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-12-05
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Our Relations with Foreign
Powers in a SatisfaC-
tory Condition.
The Spanish Difficulty in
Course Of honorable and
Peaceable Adjustment.
The Financial and Other Questions
Of Interest Discussed.

To he Senate and House Of Representatives.:
The year that has passed since the submits
sion Of my last Message TO Congress has, es-
pecially the hitter part of it, been an eventtul
one to the country. In the midst of great
national prosperity financial crisis has &C.
CURED that has brought low fortunes of great
proportion. Political partiZanship has almost
ceased to exist, especially III the agricultural
regions and the capture on the high seas OF
vessel bearing our flag has at one time
threatened the most serious consequences.
and excited the public mind from one end of
the country to the other This, happily, now
il in the course of satisfactory adjustment,
honorable to both nations concerned.
The relations of the United States however,
with most Of the other nations, continue 20
be friendly and cordial. With France. Ger
many. Prussia, Italy and the the minor pow
ers with Brazil and most Of the South Amer
lean Republics. and with Japan, nothing has
occurred during the year TO demand special
notice. The correspondence between the De-
partment of State and various diplomatic
representatives in or from those countries Is
Transmitted herewith.
The money awarded to the United States by
the Tribunal of Arbitration at Geneva was
paid by Her Alaiesty's Government few days
in advance of the time when il would have be-
come payable according to the terms of the
treaty. In compliance with the provisions of
the acc of March 3 1873, it was at once paid
into the Treasury. and used to redeem, 50 far
a. it might, the public debt of the United
States, and the amount so redeemed was in
vested IN a per cent registered bond of the
United States for S15,5000 600, which j. now
held by the Secretary of State, subject to tie
future disposition of Congress.
| renew my recommendation, made at the
assembling OF the last session of Congress,
that q commission DE created for the purpose
OF auditing and determining the amounts OF
the several direct losses growing out Of the
destruction of vessels and their cargoes by the
Alabama and the Shenandoah, after leaving
Melbourne, for which the sufferers have re-
ceiyed no eQ uyalent or compensation.
By act approved on the It'll day of FebrU-
ary the last Congress made provision for
completing jointly with an officer or commits
siouer 30 be named 10y Her Britannia Majesty.
the discrimination OF 30 much of the boundary
line between the territory OF Great Britain and
our own as was left uncOmpletcd by the COM
masioners appointed under the act of Con-
gre~s of August H. 1856. Under the proy!s-
ions of this act, the Northwest water bounda-
~ Of the United states has been determined
and marked in accordance with the award of
the Emperor OF Germany. \ protocol and 4
copy of the map upon which the line was thus
marked axe contained in tie papers submitted
here.
The commission organized under the treaty
of Washington for the settlement and deter
minatiOn of the claims of citizens of either
committed against their persons or property
during the period between April ID. 1861. and
April 9. 1868, made its final award on the 2JtL
day of september last. Ii was awarded that
the Government of the United States should
pay to the Government of Her Britannia Ma
iestv. within twelve months from the date of
the award. the sum Of Tl,929, $40 in gold. The
Commission disalowed or dismissed all other
claims of British subjects against the United
States. The amount Of the claims presented
by the British Government. but disallowed or
dismissed, is understood TO be about S93 000,
900. 1t also disallowed all the claims Of the
United States against Great Britain which
were referred to it. | recommend the early
passing of all act appropriating the amount
necessary to pay this award against the United
States.
recommend legislation to create a special
court 10 consist of three Judges. who shall
be empowered 10 hear the claims of aliens
upon the United states arising ont of acts
committed against their persons or property
during the instruction. The recent confer
ence under the Treaty OF Washington was
confined to claims Of British subjects arising
during the period named in the treaty. but il
il understood that there are other British
claims Of a similar nature arising after the 9th
OF April 1865, and il u known that other
claims of like nature are advanced by cti-
Gems or subjects OF other powers 1t il desir-
able 10 have these claims also examined aud
disposed of.
The Commissioners appointed. pursuant to
the authority of Congress. TO examine into
the nature and extent OF the fOrays. by tres
passeTs from Mexico. upon the herds of
Texas. have made report, which will De sub
mitted for your consideration,
I transmit herewith. for the consideration
and determination Of Congress, an application
OF the Republic Of Santo Domingo 30 this
Government to exercise protcctOrate over
that Republic. Since the adjournment Of
Congress the following treaties with foreign
powers have been proclaimed. 4 naturaza-
zion convention with Denmark convention
with Mexico for renewing their Claims Com
mission: a convention of friendship COM
merce and eXtredti0n with the Orange Free
state. and naturalization convention with
Ecuador
l renew a recommendation made in my mes
sage of Decemner. 1870. that Congress au-
thorize the Postmaster-General TO issue all
commissions to officials appointed through his
department.
i invite the earnest attention of Congress
to the existing laws of the United States re-
speeding eXtradition. and the eligibility Of IA
tionaiity by individuals. Many citizens Of the
United States reside permanently abroad. with
their families. Under the provisions of the
act approved Feb 10, 1855, the children Of
such persons are 10 be deemed and taken to
be citizens of the United States, but the rights
of citizenship are not to descend to persons
whose fathers never resided in the United
states. II thus happens that persons who
have never resided in the United States
have been enabled to put forward pretension
to the protection Of the United States among
the claim of military service of the Govern
ment. under whose protection they were born
and have been reared. In some cases un-
uaturaiZed citizens Of the United States have
returned TO the land of their birth to
remain there, and their children. the issue
of q marriage contracted there after their
return who have never been in the
United States, have leid claim Co our protec-
ton, when the lapse of many years have i'm
posed upon them the duty Of military service
20 tho only Government which had ever known
them personally. Until the year 1863 il was
left embarrassed by tho conflicting opinions Of
courts and of iursts to determine how Tar the
doctrine of perpetual allegiance derived from
our former colonial relations with Great Brit