Richmond weekly palladium., 1875-12-09
THE AGRIcuLTuRAL DEPARTMENT..

THE AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT.
/ transmit herewith the report OF the
/ Commissioner of Agriculture, together
/ with the reports of the commissioners,
/ the board Of audit aud board OF health
/ of the District of COininbia; to all of
(which invite your attention. The
5Burcau of Agriculture has accomplish
ed much IN disseminating useful
knowledge to the agricalturist, and
also introducing new and useful pro-
ductions adapted to our soil and eli
mate. and is worthy-of the continued
announcement of the government.
1 The report lof the Commissioners of
Education, which accompanies the re-
! port of the Secretary of the Interior
shows IA gratifying progress in educa-
tional matters.
MEXICAN DEPREDATIONS.
! In nearly every annual message that
/ have had the honor of transmitting
to Congress l have called attention to,
the Free Zone, so called, several years
| since established by the Mexican Gov
ernment in certain of the States of that
republic adjacent To our frontier, which
| remains i'll full operation. 1t has al
ways proved materially injurious to
honest traffic, for it operates as an in
centive to traders in Mexico to supply,
without customs charges, the wants OF
the inhabitants on this side of the line,
and prevents the same wants from be-
ing supplied by merchants of the Uni.
ted States, thereby, to a considerable
extent, defrauding our revenue and
checking honest commercial enterprise.
DepredationS by armed bands from
Mexico on the people of Texas, near
the frontier, continue; though the main
object of the incursions is robbery,
| they frequently result in the murder OF
unarmed and peaceably disposed per-
sons, and in some instances even the
United States post offices and mail
communications have been attacked.
Renewed remonStrances upon this sub
ject have been addressed to the MeXi-
can Government, but without much ap-
parent effect The military force of this
government at its disposal for service in
that quarter is quite inadequate to eff
fectually guard the line, even at those
points where the incursions are usually
made. An experiment of an armed
vessel on the Rio Grande for that pur-
pose is on trial, and it is hoped that ii
not thwarted by the ShallOwneSS of the
river and other natural obstacles, it may
materially contribute to the protection
of the herdSmen of Texas.
THD MEXICAN CLAIMS.
The proceedings of the Joint commission,
under the convention between the United
States and Mexico, of the 4th of July, 1865,
on the subject of claims, will soon be
brought to a close. The result of these pr o.
ceedings viii then be communicated to
Congress
vENEZUELAN CLAIMS.
| am happy to announce that the Venez-
uelan Government has, upon further con-
sideration, practically abandoned it's objec-
tion to pay the United States that share of
iotted toward the extinguish ment of claims
of foreigners generally; Ia thus consider
ing its determination that government has
,,hown 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 that Its payments on
account of claims OF citizens of the United
States are still SO meager in amount, and
that the stfpulariOnS of the treaty in regard
| 10 the sums to be paid and the places where
the payments We're to take place should
have beeu signa1ly disregarded.
TREATIES.
Since my last message, the exchange has
been effected of the ratification of "a treaty
of commerce and navigation with Belgium,
and of a convention with the Mexican Re-
public for the further extension of the joint
commission respecting claims; with the
Hawaiian Islands for commercial reciproc-
ity, and viii h the Ottoman Empire for ex-
tradition, all of which have been duly pro-
claimed.
THE ALABAMA CLAIMS.
The Court of Commissioners of the la
bama claims h;ts prosecuted its important
duties very assitluously and very satisfac-
tOrily. 1t convened and was organized on
V,
of the act under which il created was
TO expir- one year from that day. The act
provided, however, that should it be found
1npr;ct1cabie to complete the work of the
court before the expiration OF the year, the
President might, by proclamation, exien
the time of its duration to II period not
moIe than six months beyond the expira-
ton OF one year. Having received Satisfac-
tory evidence that il would be impractiea-
bic to complete the work within the time
originally fixed, l issued my procia matioI,
| a copy of which is presented herewith, con-
I inn irnF fh.. SNf
court for period of six months from and
after the I'D OF July last. The report made
Gated herewith, shows the condition of the
Gale ndar on the lst of November last, and
accom- plished. Thirteen hundred and
eighty claims have been presented, of
which six hundred and eighty two had
been disposed of at the date of report. |
am Informed that one hundred and seventy
eases were decided dming the month of
November. Arguments are being made
| and decisions given in the remaining eases
with all the despatch consistent with proper
/ settlement of the questions submit d.
Many of these claims are III behalf o.
mariner and depend on the evidence of
mariners whose absence has delayed the
taking and return of necessary evidence,
| 1t is represented by some that IL viii be I'M
practicable for the court 10 dnaliy dispose
| of all the cases before II within the present
| limit of ats duration. Justice to all parties
CLAIMANT who have been at large expense
IN preparing their claims. ana obtaining
short extension, To enable the court TO dis
pose of all the claims which have been pre-
sented. ! recommend the legislation which
may be deemed proper to enable the court
to complete the work before u.
| recommend that some suitable provi-
sion be made, hy the creation of special
court, or by comforting = necessary juris-
diction upon some appropriate tribunal,
for the consideration and determination of
the claims of allie against the Govern
meut of the United States, which have
arisen within some reasonable time,
which may hereafter arise, excluding all
claims barred by treaty prov isions or other
xrrtS Ill
proper consideration to thoS,. claims by the
Executive department. of the government.
Such a tribunal would afford oppor-
tunIty to aliens. other than British SUBJ
Jects, TO present claims on account of acts
committed against their persons or prop
erty during the rebellion, as also to those
| subjects of Great Britain whose claims have
arisen subsequent to the 9Th of April, 1855,
and could not be presented TO the late com
| mission, organized pursuant to the pro-
visions of the Treaty OF Washington.
OCEAN TELRGRAPH
| The electric telegraph has become an es-
sential and indispensable agent in the trans
Its operation on land and within particu-
lar states is nee yssarily under control of the
jurisdiction within which 1T operates. The
lines on the high seas, however, are not
subject to the particular control of any one
government, In 1859 a succession was grant
ed by the French government to a company
which proposed to lay cable from the
shores OF France to the United States. At
that time there was n Geographic connec-
ton between the United States and the con-
tinent of Europe, through the po sessions of
Great Britain at either end of the line, and
under the control of an association which
at a large outlay of capital, and at great
risk, demonstrated the practicability of
tiaintiilng such means of communication.
4 ne cost OF correspondence by this agency
was great, pc. sibly not too large at the time,
Tor proper remuneration for the costly en-
terprise 1t was, however, "A heavy charge
upon the means of communication which
progress in the social and commercial in
tercourse of the world found to be a neces-
sity, and the obtaining of this French con-
cesslon showed that other capital than that
already ia ested was ready to enter into
conpet1tlon with an assurance of adequate
returns for the outlay. impressed with the
con vIet1on thai the interests, not only of
the Y United states, bur of the world at large
demanded or would demand, the multi.
pilcatIon OF such means of communication
between separated continents, was desir-
Gus that the proposed connection should be
made, hut certain provisions of this conces-
sion We're deemed by me to be ohjectiona-
bic, particularly one which gave TOR "A long
rIn OF years the exclusive right of tele-
graphic comlnun ication by submarine ca
BILE between the shores of France and the
United states. L could not concetie that
ShOnll 81 nj fhx.r rI..I,,