The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-12-09

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the cessation of the strife before the
whole island shall be laid waste and lar.
ger sacrifices of life be made, shall feel
it my duty, should my hopes of a salts
factory adjustment and of the early res.
toration Of peace and the removal of FL.
ture causes Of complaint be unhappily
disappointed to make further commu.
nication to Congress at some period moi
far remote, and during the present ses
sion, recommending what may theI
seem to me to be necessary.
.l THE FREE ZONE. ,.u AID.
| The Free Zone, so-called, several year,
since established by the Mexican Gov.
ernment in certain of the States of thai
Republic, adjacent to our frontier, re.
mains in full operation. 1t has always
been materially Injurious to honest
traffic, for it operates as an incentive tC
traders in Mexico to supply without Gus.
tom charges the wants of inhabitants on
this side the line, and prevents the same
wants from being supplied by merchants
of the United States, thereby, to a con-
siderable extent, defrauding our revenue
and checking honest commercial enter
prise.
Depredations by armed bands from
Mexico on the people of Texas near the
frontier continue. Though the main OBJ
ject of the incursions is robbery, they
frequently result in the murder of un-
armed and peaceably disposed persons,
and IN some instances even the United
States postoffiCes and mail communiCa-
tions have been attacked. Renewed re-
monstrances upon this subject have been
addressed to the Mexican Government,
but without much apparent effect. The
military force of this Government dis.
possible for service in that quarter is
quite inadequate to effectually guard the
line, even at those points where the in
cursions are usually made, An expert.
ment of an armed vessel on the Rio
Grande for that purpose is on trial, and
it is hoped that if not thwarted by the
shallowness of the river and other natu.
raj obstacles, it may materially contrib
ute to the protection of the herdsmen of
Texas.
The proceedings of the Joint Commits
sion under the convention between the
United States and Mexico of the 4th of
July, 1868, on the subject OF claims will
soon be brought to close. The result of
those proceedings will then be commu-
niCated to Congress.
VENEZUELA WILL PAY UP.
am happy to announce that the Gov
ernment of Venezeula has, npon further
consideration, practically abandoned its
objection to pay to the United States
that share of its revenue which, some
years since it allotted toward the extin-
guishment of claims of foreigners gener-
ally. In thus reconsidering its determi-
nation, that Government has shown a
just sense of self-respect which cannot
fail to reflect credit upon it in the eyes of
all disinterested persons elsewhere. 1t
is to be regretted, however, that its pay
ments on account of claims of citizens of
the United States are still SO meager as
to demand the stipulations of the treaty
in regard to the sums to be paid, and the
periods when these payments were to
take place, should have been so signally
disregarded.
TREATIES AND CONVENTIONS.
Since my last annual message the ex-
change has been made of the ratification
of treaty of commerce and navigation
with Belgium, and of conventions with
the Mexican Republic for the further ex-
tension of the joint commission respect
ing claims with the Hawaiian Islands for
commercial reciprocity, and with the 0t-
toman Empire for extradition, all of
which have been duly proclaimed.
ALABAMA CLAIMS. ",.
The Court of Commissioners of Ala
bama Claims has prosecuted its impor-
tant duties very assiduously and very sat
isfactorily. 1t convened and was organ
lied on the 22d day of July, 1874, and by
the terms of. the act under which it was
created was to exist for one year from
that date. The act provided, however,
that should it be found impracticable to
complete the work of the court before
the expiration of the year, the President
might, by proclamation, extend the time
of duration, not to exceed six months
beyond the expiration eff the one year.
Having received satisfactory evidence
that it would be impracticable to COM
plete tho work within he time originally
fixed, issued proclamation Ia copy of
which is presented herewith), extending
the time of the duration of the court for
a period of six months from and after
the 22d day of July last. A report made
through the Clerk of the Court (commu-
nicated herewith shows the condition of
the calendar on the lst of November last,
and the large amount of work which has
been accomplished, Thirteen hundred
and eighty-two claims have been pre-
sented, of which six hundred and eighty
two had been disposed of at the date of
the report. am informed that one hun
dred and seventy cases were decided
during the month of November Argu-
ments are being made decisions given in
the remaining cases, with all the dispatch
consistent with the present complication
of the question submitted. Many of
these claims are in behalf of mariners,
or depend on the evidence of mariners,
whose absence has delayed the taking of
the necessary evidence. 1t is represent
ed 10 me that it will impracticahle for
the court to finally dispose of all the
cases before it within the present limit
Of its duration. Justice to the parties
claimant, who have been at large ex.
pense in preparing their claims and OBJ
tanning the evidence in their support
suggests short extension to enable tie
court to dispose of all the claims which
have been presented. recommend the
legislation which may be deemed proper
to enable the court TO complete the work
before it. ..,.- -........
...... CLAIMS OF ALIENS.
/ recommend that some suitable pro-
vision be made, by the creation of spe-
cial court, or by comforting the necessary
jurisdiction upon some appropriate tribu-
nal, for the consideration and determi-
nation of the claims of aliens against the
Government of the United States which