Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-12-09

. the United States and British possessiona from
the northwest anglo OF the lake Of the woods
: 70 the Rocky nountaine, eominenced In 1872,
has been completed, Tho nnai agreements
' been duly signed. and tho work Of the commits
sion - complete, The fixing Of the
: BOUNDARY upoN TsR PACIFIC COAST
! by the protocol O, March 10, 1873, pursuant to
! thu award OF the emperor OF Germany by ar
, ticle XXxtV. Of the treaty Of Washington,
with the termination OF the work OF tlis CONF
: Mission, adjusts and flxes the entire boundary
! between tho United states and tho British
possessions, except tho portion OF territory
ceiod by Russia to tho United States under the
treaty OF 1867. Tho wnrk Entrusted to the
commissioners and the officers OF the army at.
tached TO tho commission has been we'll aud
satisfactorily performed, Tho original II tho
final agreement Of tho commissioners, signed
upon the twenty-ninth OF May, 1876, with tho
original 'list of astronomical stations OBJ
served" the original official "list OF monu-
ments marking tho international boundary
line md the maps, records and general re-
ports relating to the commission, hsve been
deposited in tho department OF State. The OIL
clal report q the commissioners on thu part Of
the United states, with tho report OF the chief
astronomer OF the United States will 10 sub,
mitted to Congress- within short limo.
THE ExrRADIyIoN TREATY WITH ENGLAND.
/ reserve for q separate communication to
Congress statement II the condition Of the
questions which lately arose with Great
Britain, respecting tho surrender Of fugitive
criminals undor the treaty ~ 1912.
fpakiaN TREATIES
| TIE Ottoman government gave notice under
date Of January 10, 1874, OF it. desire to fer
inmate tho treaty OF 1862 concerning CON-
merce and navigation, pursua It 20 the pr
visions Of the twenty USE cond article thereof.
Under this notice the trn'y terminated upon
the itih day Of Juno, 1876. That government
has invited negotiations toward thu conclu-
sion OF nov trea'y. by the act OF Congress
OF March %, 1874 tho President WAS authors
led, when he should reselve satisfactory in
formstion that the Ottoman government or
that OF Egypt had organized new tribunals
| likely to secure to citizens OF the United States
the same Impartial justice enjoyed nndor the
exercise Of judicial functions by diplomatic
and consular officers OF the United States, to
suspend the operation NJ tho cot OF jane %,
| 1866, and to accent for citizens OF the United
Statos tho iursdIosoa OF tho new tribunals.
Satisfactory information having been received
| I the Organization Of such new tribunals in
Egypt. I caused proclaim ttion to bs issued
On tho twenty von,h Of March last, suspend
lug the operation OF the act OF Juno 20. 1860,
Ia Egypt according to the provisions of the
act A copy OF the proclamation accompanies
this message The I'm ted States has united
with the other powole In the organ IA ion of
those courts. Il ia hoped that the jurisdiction
al lotions which have arisen may ne readily
adjusted aid inst this advance in ;dici.l re-
form may bo hindersd by no obstacler.
| Tho necessary legislation to carry into effect
tho convention respecting commercial reci-
procity concluded with tho
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
IN 1875 having been hal, The proclamation to
carry into effect the convention, as provided
| by tue act " r)vod August IL, 1876. was duly
issued upon tho OH day of Septembtr last.
copy thereof accompsnt this message. The
commotiore which hsvo been prevalent in
Mexico for some time p st, and which, uthap-
| PLY, seem to be not yet wholly quieted. have
led TO complaints Ct citizens Of the United
States of injuries by psr.ols in an hority.
1t is hoped, however that these will ultimately
be adjusted to the satisfaction Of both govern
ments. The
| FRONTIER OF THE UNITED STATES
in that quarter has not been exempt from acts
OF violence by citizens Of one republic on those
OF the other. The fir, quency Of these is sup
posed to be incr ased, and their adjustment
made M re- difficult by the considt rable
changes in the course Of tho lower part OF tho
Rio Grande river, which river Is a part of the
boundary between the two countries. These
changes havs ac,d on either sldo OF that
RIVER portions Of land which by existing con-
vertons belong to tie Jurisdiction Of the gov
orpnent on the opposite side Of he river |
difficulty IS under confederation between the |
two republics
The government OF The United States OF |
Colombia has psid tho award i'll the of the
steamer Montjo, seized by the auth rites Of
thai government some years since, and the |
am GUN. has been transferred to the claimants. |
MEXICAN CLAIMS.
It. is with satisfaction that am able to an-
nounca thai the joint commission foc the ad- |
y mpDt Of claims DptWnpD the limited StAtna |
anu Mexico. uuder the convention of 1868, the |
dhration Of which has been several mes ex-
tended, has brought its labors to a close.
From the report Of the agent of the United
States, which accompanies the papers trans
mite herewith, it Will be seeu that within
the time limited By the lnmission ole thou
sand AMI seventeen claims on the part Of Cit
zans Of the VI tied States against Mexico were
referred to the comm sson.
or these claims S31 were dismissed or dissl-
lowed, and 1856 cases awards were made in
favor Of the claimants against Tue Mexican re-
public. amounting i'll the aggregate to
a. 1875, 622.2O Within tho same period 995
claims On the pa Of cit zeus Of the Mexican
replblic against the United States were re-
ferred to the commission. OF these claims
S31 were dismissed or disallowed and in 1877
Gases awards wore made in favor Of the claim
ants against the United States, amounting in
the aggregate to $3.50, 498.4l.
Monthly payments of very small part of
tho amouat due by the government OF Vene-
Zuela to citizens OF the United States on ac-
count of claims OF the lat or against that gov
eminent continue to he made with reasonable
puuctuality.
FRAUDULENT NATURALIZATION.
In former messages have called the atten-
ton f Congress TO the necessity of leSis ation
with regard to fraudulent naturalization, and
to the subject Of repatriation ard tho election
OF nationality The numbers If persons
~,rAl~
the United States tho case ard facility
with which the honest Immigrant may, after
the lapse OF a reasonable time, become
pc $685. ed OF all the privileges of citizenship
OF the United States, and the IF, quent occa-
sions which induce such adopted ctizans to re-
turn to tho country Of their birth, render the
subject OF n4tur alization and tho SAFE guards
which experience La. proved necessary for the
protection Of the honest naturazed citizen OF
paramount Importance. The very simplicity
in the requirements CT law on this question
afford opportunity for frau, and the want OF
uniformity in the proceedings and rec ,rds OF
the various courts. AMI ia the forms
of the certificates Of naturalization issued,
afford o constant sourcs OF diff ,ultg.
suggest additional requirements
to the acq,iltion OF citizenship, beyond
those now exjstinr, bl5 | invite the earn-
est attention Of Gong ess to the nscessi y
and wisdom of some p' ovi.ions regarding
uniform ty in the records and certificates, and
providing against tho frauds which frequently
take place, and fer the vacating Of a record Of
naturaliz ltion obtained in fraud. The Sc pro-
Visions are needed in aid and for the protec-
ton of the honest citizen OF foreign birth, ard
for the want of which he il made 20 suffer not
infrequeatly. TIL, United States has Unlisted
upon the right Of expatriaton, and has obtain
ed after a long struggle, all admission OF the
principle c1ntenGed for by acqliescenco there
iu on the palt of many foreign power4. AID by
tAe CONCLUSION Of treaties on that subj c.. 1t
is. however, but justice to the government TO
which auch naturaized citizens have formerly
owed ale siaIca, as well as to the United
States thai CO tam fixed and def lite rules
Should bs adopted governing such cases, and
providing how expa.ration may be accompl sh-
ed While immigrants i'll large nuubers be-
como citizens of tho United States, it is also
true that persons both native born and natur-
allied once citizens Of the United States,
either by formal act. or as the effect of u &c.
ries of facts and C circumstances, abandon their
snd cease to be emit cd to the pro-
lection of the United Slater, but contlnue, on
convenient OCCASIONS, to assert q claim to pro-
tectit III the absence of provision on these