Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-12-15
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Concluded from last ceeh.

L - -
Concluded from last reeh.
l RELATIONS WITH MEXICO.
The free laws, so called sevcra
years since, established by the Mcxi
can Government in certain of thu
States Of that Republic adjacent tc
our frontier, remains in full opera
tion. 1t has always been materially
Injurious to honest traffic, for il oper
ates as incentives to traders in Mexico
to supply, without custom charges
the wants of the inhabitants on this
side of the line, and to prevent the
same wants from being supplied by
merchants of the U. S., thereby to 4
considerable extent defrauding oul
Revenue and checking honest com.
mercial enterprises. Dcprcdations
by armed bands from Mexico, on thf
people of Texas near the frontier, con.
tinue though the main object of in.
cursions is robbery, they frequently
result i'm the murder of unarmed and
pcaceably disposed persons and in
some instances even thc~United States
Post Offices and mail communications
have been attacked. Renewed re.
monstrances upon this subject have
been addressed to the Mexican Gov.
ernment, but without much apparent
effect. The military force of this
Government disposable for service
in that quarter is quite in.
adequate TO eflectually guard the line
even at those points where the incur.
sions are usually made. An expert
ment of an armed vessel on the lsir
Grande for that purpose is on trial
and it is hoped that, if not thwarted
by the shallowness of the river and
other natural obstacles, IL may mate.
rally contribute to the protection OF
the herdsmen of Texas.
The proceedings of the Joint Com.
mission under the convention between
the United States and Mexico, of the
fourth of July 1868, on the subject OF
claims will soon be brought to a close,
The result of those proceedings will
then be communicated to Congress.
am happy to announce that the
Government of
( NFNELUEtA
has. upon furthor consideration, prac.
ticallv abandoned Its objection 10 pay
to the United States that share Of rev.
enue which some years since il Allot'
ted towardslthe extinguishment Of the
claims of foreigners generally.
In thus reconsidering its determine.
tion that Government has shown Z
Just sense Of self respect which can
mot fail to reflect credit upon 1t In the
eyes of all disinterested persons else
where. 1t is to be regretted that III
payment on account of claims of citi.
zens Of the United States are still toe
meagre In amount, and that the stipu.
lation of the treaty In regard to tbs
sum to be paid and the periods wher
these payments were to take place
should have been so siGnally disre
garded.
Since nv last annual message tht
exchange has been made OF the ratif
cation of q treaty of commerce ant
navigation with Belgnin and of con
ventions with the
MEXICAN REPUBLIC.
for the further extension of the Join
commission respecting the claims will
the Hawaiian Islands for commercia
reciprocity, and with the Ottoman
Empire for eytraditiou, ali Of whicl
have been duly proclaimed.
x The. Court OF Commissioners of
ALABAMA CLAIMS
has prosecuted Its important dntie
very well and very satisfactorily.
convened and was organized on tn
22nd day of July, 1874, and by IN,
terms Of the act under which il wa
created, was to exist for one yea
from that day. The act provided
however. that should it he found i'm
practicable to complete the work o
the Court before the expiration OF th
year, tho President might, by procls
| nation, extend the time of its dura
tion to period not moro than si
months hey nnd the expiration OF III
one year. Having received satisfa1
tory evidence that il wonld DO i'm
practicable 10 complete the wor
, within the time originally fixed.
, isaued = proclamation, n copy OF VIII c
is herewith enclosed, extending th
: time Of the duration OF the Court
: period of six months from and afte
22nd of July Last, The report mad
through the clerk OF the Court, con
: municated herewith, shows the cond
ton Of the calendar on Nov. last, An
: the large Amonnt Of work which hs
been accomplished. Thirteen hnI
dred and eighty two claims have bee
: presented, of which fS2 had been dis
: posed Of At the date OF the report.
). am Informed that lT0 cases were dec
. ded during the month of Novemhe
Arrangements are being made An
discussions given in the remainin
:, cases with all despatch consistent wit
s proper adjudication of tho question
c submitted. Many Of the claims NJ
in behalf of the mariners. or d,
pend on the evidence OF mariner
= whoso absence has delayed the takin
l. and the return of the necessary CIV
h dence. II ia represented that it wi
!. be practicable for the Court to final
dispose Of all the cases before it will
y In the present limits OF its duration
h I Justice to the parties claimant, wi
o have been at largo expense in prepa
n ing their claims aud obtaining the
. support, suggests short extension
u enable the Court to dispose of all ii
G claims which have been presented.
o recommend snch legislation a. ms
I. be deemed proper to enable the Con
!, to complete the work before II.
Z, / recommend that some suitab
q provision be made for the create
&c of a
a SPECIAL CoUIr,
6 or bv conferring tho necessary juri
1t diction upon some appropriate trib
:, nal for the consideration and detern
~ nation of the claims against the 90
c. ernment OF the United States, viii
have arisen within some reasonAt
time or which may hereafter Rrii
excluding all claims barred by trea
provisions or otherwise. 1t haa bc
el found impossible to give proper CO
!, sideration to these claims by the 4
= ecutive Department of tho Cover
~ ment. Such . tribunal would affo
Mt an opportunity to aliens, other th
4. nritiah subiecte. to present thl