Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1875-12-08

tves every possible suggestion of desire TO inter
fere or to add to the difficulties with which she
has been surrounded. The Government of Spain
has recently submitted To our Minister at Madrid
certain proposals. which it is hoped may be found
| to be the basis, if not the actual submission, of
terms, to meet the requirements of the particular
grefs to which this Government has felt itself en-
titled to complain. These proposals have not yet
| reached me in their full text. On their arrival
they will be taken into careful examination, and
may, hope, lead to a satisfactory adjustment Of
the questions to which they refer, and remove the
possibility of future occurrences such have
given rise to our Just complaints
1t is understood also that renewed efforts are
being made TO introduce reforms in the internal
administration of the island. Persuaded how
ever, that proper regard for the interests of the
United States and of it's citizens entitle ii to
lief from the strain to which it has been subjected
by the difficulties of the questions and the wrongs
| and losses which arise from the contest in Cuba.
and that the interests of humanity itself demand
the cessation of the strife before the whole island
shall be laid waste and larger sacrifices OF life be
| made shall feel ii my duty, should my hopes of
| a satisfactory adjustment and of the early res
toration of peace and the renewal of future
of complaint be unhappily disappointed to make
| a further communication to Congress at some pc
riod not far remote and during the present
| sion, recommending what may then seem to me to
be necessary.
The Free Lane, so called, several years since
established by the Mexican Government in certain
| of the States of that Republic adjacent to our
frontier remains in full operation. 1t has always
been materially injurious to honest traffic. for IL
operates as an incentive to traders in Mexico to
supply without customs charges, the wants of in
habltants this side the line, and prevents the
| same wants from being supplied by the merchants
| of the United Ststes, thereby, to considerable
| extent, detrauding 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 OBJ
ect of these incursions is robbery they frequently
result In the murder of the unarmed and peaceably
disposed persons, and in some instances even the
| United States post ofhces and mail communica-
| lions have been attacked. Renewed remonstrances
| upon this subject have been addressed TO the Mex
| lean Government, but without much apparent eff
/ IN Government
possible in that quarter is quite inadequate to Ell
fectualy 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
purpose is on trial, and it is hoped that, II not
| thwarted by the shall0wness OF the river and
| other natural obstacles, II may materially con-
| tribute to the hcrusincn u1 Texas.
| The proceedings of the Joint Commission under
| the Convention between the United States and
| Mexico of the 4th July, 1885, on the subject OF
claims will soon be brought to close. The result
| Of those proceedings will then be communicated
| to Congress.
| l am happy TO announce that the Government of
| Venezuela mas, upon further consideration, prac-
ticay abandoned its objection to pay to the United
States that share of its revenue which some years
since il allotted towards the extnguishment OF the
claims of foregners generally In thus reconsider
ing its determination that Government has showna'
just OF selrespect which cannot fail to reflect
credit upon it in the eyes Of all disnerested per-
| sons elsewhere. 1t is to be regretted, however,
that its payments account of claims of citizens
of the United States still SO meagre in amount,
and that the stipulations CT the treaty in regard
to the sums to be paid and the periods when those
payments were to take place, should nave been 50
| signally disregarded.
| Since my last annual message the exchange has
been made of the ratification of a treaty of com
| merce and navigation with Belgium and OF con
ventons with the Mexican Republic for the further
| extension of the joint commission respecting
| claims; with the Hawaiian islands for commercial
| reciprocity and with the Ottoman Empire for
| extraditi0n, all of which have been duly pro-
claimed.
| The Court of Commissioners of Alabama Claims
1 has prosecuted its important duties very assidu
1 ssoTan rflU = md
was organized on the I'D day of July, 1874 and by
| the terms of the act under which ii was created
was TO exist Tor one year from ,hat aate nd me ACT
! ticabe to complete the work of the court before
! the expiration of the year, the President might.
by proclamation extend the time of its duration to
| a period not more than six months beyond the eX-
piraton of the one year. Having received salts
factory evidence that it would be impractcable to
| complete the work within the time originally
| fixed, issued a proclamation "a copy OF winch is
presented herewith) extending the time OF dura-
| tion of the court for period OF SIX months from
| and after the I'D day of July last. A report
| made through the clerk of the court (c0mmuni-
Gated herewith) shows the condition OF the calen-
| dar on the LIST of November last, and the large
| amount of work which has been accomplished.
| Thirteen hundred and eighty-two claims have
| been presented of which six hundred and eighty
| two had been disposed of at the date of the
port. / am informed that one hundred and sew
| enty cases were decided during the month of No
| vember. Arguments are being made and decisions
| given I'm the remaining cases with all the dispatch
| consistent with the proper consideration OF the
|
| In behalf of mariners or depend on the evidence
| of mariners, whose absence has delayed the TAX
| ing or the return of the necessary evidence.
| 1t is represented to me that ii will be impractt-
cable for the court to finally dispose of all the
before 1t within the present limit of its du
ration. Justice to the parties claimant, who have
| been at large expense in preparing their claims
and obtaining the evidence in their support, sug-
gests a short extension, to enabethe court to dis
| pose 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. l. recommend that some suitable
provision be made by the creation Of a special
court by comforting the necessary jurisdiction
upon some appropriate tribunal, for the conside-
ration and determination of the claims OF aliens
| against the Government of the United States
which have arisen within some reasonable linlta-
tion Of time, which may hereafter arise, exclud-
ing all claims barred by treaty provisions OF other
wise. II has been found impossible to give proper
| consideration TO these claims by the Executive
| Department of the Government Such a tribunal
would afford an opportunity to Aliens other than
British subjects to present their claims on account
of acts committed against their persons or proper
ty during the rebellion; also TO those subjects
of Great Britain whose claims. having arisen sub
sequent to the 9th day of April 1865, could not be
presented to the late commission organized pursu
ant to the provisions of the Treaty of w ashngton.
| The electric telegraph has become an essential
| and indispensable agent in the tranmission OF
| business and social messages, Its operation on
land and within the limit OF particular States is
| necessarily under the control Of the jurisdiction
within which 1t operates. Inc lines on tne nlgn
| control of any one Government. In 1859, con-
cession granted 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 a telegraphic construction
| between the United States and the continent of
Europe. Through the possessions of Great Britain
at either end of the line under the.contro OF an
association which had, at large outlay of capital
and at great risk, demonstrated tie practicabiity
| of maintaining such means of communication.
| The cost of correspondence by this agency was
great, possibly not too large at the time ior a
| costly an enterprise.
| 1t was. however a heavy charge upon means
of communication which the progress in the social
| and commercial intercourse Of the werld found to
be a necessity, and the obtaining OF this French
| concession showed that other capital than that
| already invested was ready to enter INTO compe-
ttion with assurance of adequate return for their
| outlay Impressed with the conviction that the
| interests, not only of the people OF the United
| States but of the world at large, demanded, or
/ would demand, the multiplication OF such means
of communication between separated continents, 1t
was DESTROYS that the proposed connection should
be made, but certain provisions OF this concession
| were deemed by me to be Objectionable, particu
larly one which gave for long term Of years the
| exclusive right of telegraphic communication by
| submarine cable between the shores OF France
and the United States. could not concede that
any Power should claim the right to land a cable
| ON the shores Of the United States, and at the
time deny to the United States or its citizens
| or grantees equal right to land a cable on its
shores. The right to control the conditions for
the laying of a cable within the jurisdictional
waters of the United States to connect our shores
with those of any foreign state, pertains excu
| siyely TO the Government of the United States
under such linn itations and conditions Congress
may impose.
In the absence of legislation by Congress, was
unwilling the one hand to yield to q foreign
State the right to say that its grantees might land
on our shores while 1t denied similar right to
our people to land its shores, and on the other
hand was reluctant to deny to the great inter-
ests of the world and of civilization the facilities
of such communication were proposed. There
fore withheld any resistance to the landing of the
cable on condition that the offensive monopoly fea
ture of the concession be abandoned, and that the
right of any cable which may be established by
authority of this Governmental land upon French
territory and to connect with French land lines
and enjoy all the necessary facilities privileges
incident TO the thereof upon as favorable terms
as any other company, be conceded. As the result
| thereof the company, In question renowned the
| exclusive privilege, and the representative of
France was informed that, understanding this re-
linqushment to be construed as granting the en-
tire reciprocity and equal facilities which had been
demanded, the opposition to the landing of the
cable withdrawn. The cable under this
French concession landed in the month of
July, 1869. and has been efficient and valuable
agent of communication between this country and
the other continent.
II soon passed under the control, however, of
[ those who had the management of the cable con-
Meeting Great Britain with this continent, and
thus whatever benefit TO the public might have
ensued from competition between the two lines
| was lost mn n faeil IF an