Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-12-17

satisfactory manner and to relieve Congress
and the departments from the consideration o
the questions. Legislation necessary to ex
tend to the colony of New Foundland certain
articles of the treaty of Washington, of thu
9Th day of May, 1871, having been had,
protocol to that effect was signed in behalf o.
the United States and of Great Britain on the
2Sth day of May last, and was duly pro
claimed on the following day. A copy of the
proclamation is submitted herewith.
A copy of the report of the commissions
appointed under the act Of March 19, 1872
for surveying and making the boundary be
tween the United States and the British pos
sessions, from the Lake of the Woods to the
summit of the Rocky Mountains, is herewith
transmitted. am happy to announce thai
the field work of the commission has been com
pleted and the entire line from the northwest
corner of the Lake of the Woods to the sum
NIT of the Rocky Mountains has been run and
marked upon the surface of the earth. 1t il
believed that the amountremaining unexpend
ed of the appropriation made at the last ses
sion of Congress, will be sufficient to complete
the office work. I recommend that the au
thority of Congress be given to the use of the
unexp pended balance of the appropriation in
the completion the work of the commission
in making its report and preparing the neces'
sary maps.
The court known as the court of commits
sioners of Alabama Claims, created by an Ac!
of Congress of the last session, has organized
and commenced its work, and it is to be hoped
that the claims admissible under the provisions
of the act, may be speedily ascertained and
paid.
1t has been deemed advisable to exercise the
discretion conferred upon the executive at the
last session, by accepting the conditions re-
quired by the government of Turkey, tor the
privilege of allowing citizens of the United
States to hold real estate in the former coun'
try, and by asserting to certain change in
the jurisdiction of courts in the latter. A
copy of the proclamation is herewith commu'
nicated.
There has been no material change in our
relations with the independent States of this
hemisphere, which were formerly under the
dominion of Spain. Marauding on the from
tiers between Mexico and Texas, still frequent
ly takes place, despite the vigilance of the
civil and military authorities in that quarter
The difficulty of checking such trespasses
along the course of river of such length as
the Rio Grande, and so often fordable, is
obvious. 1t is hoped that the efforts of this
government will be seconded by those of Mex
leo, to the effectual suppression of these acts
of wrong
From report upon the condition of the
business before the American and Mexican
joint claims commission, made by the agent
on the part of the United States, dated Octo'
ber 81, 1874, it appears that of the 1107 claims
filed on the part of the citizens of the United
States, 4S3 had been finally decided and rs
we're in the hands of the umpire, leaving 1853
to be disposed of; and of the 998 claims filed
against the United States, 726 had been final.
ly decided, one was before the umpire and III
remained to be disposed Of Since the report
of that date, other claims have been disposed
of, reducing somewhat the number still pend
ing, and others have been passed upon by the
arbitrators. 1t has become apparent in view
of these figures, and of the fact that the work
involving the umpire, is so particularly labo-
rious that the commission would be unable to
dispose of the entire number of claims pend.
ing prior to the first day Of February, 1873,
the date fixed for its expiration. Negotia.
tions are pending, looking to the securing Of
the results of the decisions which have been
reached, and to further extension of the
commission for limited time, which, it is con-
fidently hoped, will suffice to bring all the bu'
siness now before it to a final close.
The strife in the Argentine republics to be
deplored both on account Of the parties there
to, and from the probable effects on the inter
ests of those engaged in the trade to that
quarter Of whom the United States are among
the principal AS yet, so far as am aware
there has been no violation Of our national
rights-rights which, as we'll as our duties in
that respect, it shall be my endeavor to main.
tain and observe
1t is with regret announce that no further
payment has been received from the govern
ment of Venezuela on account of awards in
favor of the citizens of the United States
Hopes have been entertained that if that re-
public could escape from foreign and civil wal
for few years, its great natural resources
would enable it to honor its obligations
Though it is now understood to be at peace
with other countries, a serious insurrection is
reported to be in progress in an important re-
gion of that republic. This may be taken ad
vantage of as another reason to delay the
payment of the dues of our citizens
The deplorabe strife in Cuba continues
without any marked change in the relative ad
vantages of the contending forces. The in
surrection continues, but Spain has gained nc
superiority. Six years of strife give to the
insurrection significance which cannot be de-
MED. Its duration and the the tenacty of its
adherents together with the absence Of mani
tested power of suppression on the part Of
Spain, cannot be controverted, and may make
some positive steps on the part of other pow
ers matter of self:necessity. had conf
IDENTIFY hoped at this time to be able to an
nounce the arrangement Of some of the i'm
portant questions between this government
and that of SPAIN But thenegotiations have
been protracted. The unhappy intestine dis
sensions Of Spain command our profound
sympathy, and must be accepted as perhaps g
cause of some delay. An early settlement ir
part at least, Of the questions between the
governments, is hoped. In the meantime
awaiting the results of Immediately pending
negotiations, I defer further and fuller com
munication on the subject of the relations o.
this country with Spain.
have again to call the attention of Con
gress to the unsatisfactory condition of the ex
iisting laws with reference to expatriation anc
election of nationality. Formerly, amid con
Aicting opinions and decisions, it was difficult
to exactly determine how far the doctrine o
perpetual allegiance was applicable to citizens
of the United States Congress, by the act o
the 9th of July, 1868, asserted the abstrac
right of expatriation as fundamental prnci
ple of this government. Notwithstanding sucl
assertion, and the necessity of frequent appli
cation of the principle, no legislation ha