Morning journal and courier., 1880-12-07

The relations between this government and that of the United States of Colombia have | engaged public attention during the past year, mainly by reason of the project or an interoceanic canal across the Isthmus of Pan anna, to be built by private capital under concession from the Colombian government | for that purpose. The treaty obligations subsisting between the United States and Colombia, by which we guarantee the neu- 1 trality of the transit and the sovereignty and property of Colombia in the Isthmus, make it necessary that the conditions under which so stupendous change in the region em- braced in this guarantee should be effected transforming, as it would this Isthmus from a barrier between the Atlantic and Paclhc oceans into a gateway and thoroughfare be- tween them for the navies and the merchant ships of the world-should receive the ap- proval of this government as being compata- bIe with the discharge of these obligations on our part and consistent with our interests as the principal commercial power of the west ern hemisphere. The views which ex- pressed in a special message to Congress in March last, in relation to this project, deem it my duty to again press upon your atten- tion Subsequent consideration has but con- frned the opinion 'that it is the right and duty of the United States to assert and main 1 tain such supervision and authority over any l interoceanic canal across the Isthmus that l connects North and South America as will protect our national interest"
 l The war between the republic of Chlh on l the one hand, and the allied republics of Peru and Bolivia on the other, still cont1n- ues. This government has not felt called I upon to interfere in a contest that is within | the belligerent rights of the parties as inde- | pendent States We have, however, always ! held ourselves in readiness to aid in accom- ! modating their difference, and have at differ | ent times reminded both belligerents of our | willingness to render such service.
 [ of in direction I gently accepted by all the beligerents, and 1t f was hoped they would prove eficacious; but l I regret to announce that the measures ] which the ministers of the United States at | Santiago and Lima were authorized to take, | with a view to bring about peace were not 1 successful In the course of the some questions have arisen affecting neutral rights; ! in all of these the ministers of the United 1 States have, under their instructions, acted 1 with promptness and energy in protection ot l American interests.
 1 The relations of the United States with the | empire of Brazil continue to be most cordial, ! and their commercial intercourse steadily in creases, to their mutual advantage.
 l The internal disorders with which the Ar ! genuine Republic has for some time past been afflicted and which have more or less lntiu- | enced it's external trade, understood to
 have been brought to close. This happy ! result may be expected to rebound to the ! benefit of the foreign commerce of that re- 1 public as well as to the development of its | vast interior resources.
 In Samoa the government of King Ma lietoa, under the support and recognition of the consular representatives of the United
 States, Great Britain and Germany, seems to
 have given peace and tranquility to the Isl ! ands. While 1t does not appear desirable to
 adopt as a whole the scheme of tripartite
 local government, which has been proposed,
 the common interests of the great treaty
 41,oi,, lokf 4r 1 the native frame of government, and thls
 may be best secured by simple diplomatic
 agreement between them. It would be well if the consular jurisdiction of our represen-
 tative at Apia were increased in extent and
 importance so as to guard American inter
 ests in the surrounding and outlying islands
 of Oceanica.
 The obelisk, generously presented by the
 Khedive of Egypt to the city of New York,
 has safely arrived in this country, and will
 soon be erected in that metropolis. com
 mission for the liquidation of the Egyptian
 debt has lately concluded it's work, and this
 government, at the earnest solicitation of the
 Khedive has acceeded to the provisions
 adopted by it, which will be laid before Con-
 gress for it's information. A commission for
 the revision of the judicial code of the re-
 form tribunal of Egypt is now in session in
 Cairo. MT. Farman, consul general, and J.
 M. Batchelder, Esq, have been appointed as
 commissioners to participate in this work.
 The organization of the reform tribunals will
 probably be continued for another period of
 five years.
 In pursuance of the act passed at the last
 session of Congress, invitations have been
 extended to foreign maritime States to join
 in sanitary conference in Washington, be-
 ginning the first of January. The acceptance
 of this invitation by many prominent powers
 gives promise of success in this important
 measure designed to establish system of
 A1,e- F1
 of infectious or epidemic diseases may be
 more effectively checked or prevented. The
 attention of Congress is invited to the neces-
 sary appropriations for carrying into effect
 the provisions of the act referred to.
 | TRADE AND COMMERCE.
 The efforts of the Department of State to
 enlarge the trade and commerce of the Uni ted States through the active agency of con
 sular officers and through the dissemin ation
 of information obtained from them, have | been unrelaxed. The interest in these efforts, as developed in our commercial communities, l and the value of the information secured by
 this means to the trade and manufactures of
 the country, W re recognized by Congress at | it's last session and provision was made for | the more frequent publication of consular | and other reports by the Department of State. The first issue of this publication has l now been prepared, and subsequent issues l may regularly be expected The importance and interest attached to the reports of con- l sular officers are witnessed by the general l demand for them by all classes of merchants 1 and manufacturers engaged in our foreign
 trade. It is believed that the system of such l publications is deserving of the approval of 1 Congress, and that the necessary appropria- | tions for its continuance and enlargement | will commend itself to your consideration | The prosperous energies of our domestic 1 industries and their immense production of the subjects of foreign commerce, invite, and even require, an active development of the wishes and interests of our people in that di- l rection. Especially important is it that our commercial relations with the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of South America, with the West Indies and the Gulf of Mexico should be direct, and not through the circuit of Eu- ropean systems, and should be carried on 1n our own bottoms. The full appreciation of the opportunities which our front on the Pacific ocean gives to commerce with Japan, China and the East Indies, with Australia and the Island groups which lie along these routes of navigation, should inspire equal efforts to appropriate ito our own shipping, and to administer by our own capital, a due proportion of this trade. Whatever notifications of our regu- lations of trade and navigation may be neces- sary or useful to meet and direct these i'm pulses to the enlargement of our exchanges and of our carrying trade, am sure the wisdom of Congress will be ready to supply. One initial measure, however, seems to me so clearly useful and efficient that venture to press it upon your earnest attention. It seems to be very evident that the provision of regular steam postal communication, by aid from government, has been the forerun- ner of the commercial predominance of Great Britain on all these coasts and seas, greater share in whose trade is now the desire and the intent of our people. It is also manifest that the efforts of other European nations to contend with Great Britain for share of this commerce have been successful in pro portion with their adoption of regular steam postal communication with the markets whose trade they sought. Mexico and the States of South America are anxious to re- ceive such postal communications with this country and to aid in their development. Similar cooperation may be looked for, in due time, from the eastern nations and from Australia. It is difficult to see how the lead in this movement can be expected from pri- vate interests. In respect of foreign commerce, quite much in inter- nal trade, postal communication seems neces- sariIy matter of common and public admin istration, and thus pertaining to government. respectfully recommend to your prompt at-