Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1874-12-11

tween the United States and the British
Possessions, from the Lake of the Woods tC
| the summit of the Rocky Mountains, is here.
with transmitted. / am happy to announce
that the field work of the Commission
| has been completed, and the entire line
4 from the northwest corner of the Lake Of
| the Woods to the summit of the Rocky
! Mountains, has been run and marked upon
4 the surface of the earth. 1t is believed that
4 the amount remaining unexpended of the
appropriation made at the stsession of Con-
gress will be sufficient to complete the Office
work I recommend that the authority oil
| Congress be given to use the unexpended
balance of the appropriation in the compile,
4 ton of the work of the Commission, in
making the report and printing the necessary
map.
THE ALABAMA CLAIMS. 81
/ The court known as the Court of Commits
sioners of Alabama Claims, created by an act
of Congress the last session. has organized
| and commenced the work, and it is to be
hoped that the claims admissible under the
provisions of the act may be speedily ascer-
| tanned and paid. rs
UNITED STATES CITIZENS AND REAL ESTATE
l = INTURKEY.
1t has been deemed advisable to exercise
the discretion conferred upon the Executive
| at the last session by accepting the conditions
required by the Government of Turkey for the
| privilege of allowing citizens of the United
States to hold real estate in the former coun-
try by asserting to certain change in the
| Jurisdiction of the courts in the latter. A
copy of the proclamation upon these subjects
is herewith communicated.
t. MEXICO AND SOUTH AMERICA.
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
| frontiers between Mexico and Texas still fire.
quently 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 ford
| able, is obvious. It is hopedthat the efforts
of this Government will be seconded by those
of Mexico, to the effectual suppression of acts
| of wrong.
From a 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, and dated
| Oct 2S 1874, it appears that of the 1,0l7
| claims filed on the part of the citizens of the
| United States 4S3 had been finally decided and
| Is were in the hands of the umpire, leaving 1862
| to be disposed of; and of the 998 claims filed
| against the United States 726 had been finally
decided on, one was before the umpire and
| 271 remained to be disposed Of Since the
date of such report other claims have been
| disposed of, reducing somewhat the number
| still pending, and others have been passed
upon by the arbtrators. 1t has become ap-
parent, in view of these figures and OF the
fact that the work devolving on the
umpire is particularly MnS be nnabe to
dispose of the entire number of
claims pending prior to the LIST day of Febru-
/ ary. 1875, the date fixed for its expiration.
| Negotiations are pending looking to- the Sc
| curing of the results of the decisions which
have been reached and to further extension
1 IL. fo. limit
| it is confidently hoped, will suffice to bring
| all the business before it to final close.
The strife of the Argentine Republic is to
| be deplored, both on account OF the partles
| thereto and from the probable effects OF the
interests of those engaged in the trade to
| that quarter of whom the United States are
among the principal. AS yet, so far as l am
aware, there has been no violation OF our
| neutrality rights, which, as we'll as our
duties in that respect it shall be my endeavor
| to maintain 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 citizens of the United States. Hopes
have been entertained that If the Republic
could escape both foreign and civil war for a
| few years its great natural resources would
enable it to honor its obligations. Though 1t
| is now understood to be at peace with other
countries, a serious insurrectlon is reported
| to be in progress in an important region OF
| that Republic. This may be taken advantage
| of as another reason to delay the payment of
the dues of our citizens.
| CUBA AND SPAIN.
| The deplorable strife in Cuba continues
/ without any marked change in the relative adj
| yantaees of the contending forces. The in
| surrection continues, but Spain has gained no
superiority. Six years of strife give the in
| s,lrrection q significance which cannot be
| IGNORED. Its duration and the tenacity of its
| ,4s xpit bp QhSanpa m a l.
! ifested power of suppression on the part OF
| Spain, cannot be controverted, and may make
| some positive steps on the part OF other
powers matter of self-necessity.
| had confidently hoped at this time to be
able to announce an arrangement OF some OF
| the important questions between this Govern
| ment and that Of Spain but the negotiations
| have been protracted. The unhappy intes-
tine dissensions of Spain command our pro-
! found sympathy, and must be accepted as,
perhaps, cause for some delay. An early
| settlement, in part at least, of the questions
| between the Governments is hoped for. In
| the meantime awaiting the results OF lmme-
Ediately pending negotiations, l defer fur
| ther and fuller communication on the subject
| of the relations of this country and Spain.
| ExPATRIATION AND NATURALIZATION.
I have again to call the attention of Con-
| oress to the unsatisfactory condition of the
| existing laws with reference to expatriation
y,
| amid conflicting opinions and decisions, it
was difficult to exactly determine how far the
1 doctrine of perpetual allegiance was appli-
| cable to the United States. Congress, by the
act of the 9th of July, 1868, asserted
the abstract right of expatriation as a
| fundamental principle of this Government.
| Notwithstanding such assertion and the ne
cessity of the frequent application of the prin-
| ciple no legislation has been had defining
| what acts or formalities shall work expatria-
| ton, or when citizen shall be deemed to
have removed or to have lost his citizenship.
| The importance of such a definition
| is obvious. The representatives of the
| United States in foreign countries are
continually called upon to lend their aid and
| the protection of the United States to per-
| sons concerning the good faith or the reality
of whose citizenship there is at least great
question. In some cases the provisions of the
| treaties furnish some guide; in others it
| seems left to the persons claiming the hene-
| fit of citizenship while living in a foreign
country, contributing in no manner to the
| performance of the duties of a citizen OF the
| United States, and without the intention at
any time to return and undertake those du-
ties, to use the claim of citizenship of the
| United States simply as shield from the per-
| formance of the obligations of citizen else
| where.
| The status of children born of American
parents residing in a foreign country, of
American women who have married aliens,
or American citizens residing abroad, where
such question is not regulated by treaty, are
all sources of frequent difficulty and discus
| sion. Legislation on these and similar ques-
tions, and particularly defining whsn and un-
der what circumstances expatriation can be
accomplished, or is to be presumed, is espe-
cially needed.
In this connection earnestly call the atten-
tion of Congress to the difficulties arising
/ from fraudulent naturalization. The United
States wisely, freely and literally offers its
1 faith tn reside within 1iy,ife ny, fbo;r oor,