The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-12-10

ing friendly and honorable adjustment.
: | am glad 20 inform you that
THE TREATIES LATELY NEGOTIATED WITH
i CHINA
have been duly ratified on both sides and the
Exchange made AT Peking. Legislation is ne
+ cessory to carry its provision into effect.
The prompt and friendly spirit with
which the Chinese Government, al the
request Of the United States, conceded the
+ modification Of existing treaties, should Sc
cure careful regard tor the interests
and susceptlbIltics of that Government
/. in the rcenaCtment of any laws re-
laung to Chinese Immigration. These
classes OF treaties which forbid the par
ticlpaiOn Of citizens or vessels OF the
United States IN the opium trade Will doubt
less receive your approval, and they Will attest
the sincere interest which our people and
n Government have in the commendabe efforts
of the Chinese Government 10 put stop to
this dcmorallzlng and destructive traffic. In
relation both to China aud Japan, some
! changes are desirable in our present system
of consular jurisdiction. | hope at some iu-
ture time to lay before you scheme for It's
Improvement in the entire East.
The intimacy between our country and
u JAPAN,
the most advanced of the Eastern nations,
T continues to he cordial. ! am advised that
the Emperor contemplates the establishment
Of constitutional government, and that he has
already summoned n parliamentary congress
for the purpose of citccting "a change such n
I remarkable step toward complete assimilation
with Western systems cannot fail to bring ia
pan into closer and more beneficial relation
ship with ourselves, as the Chief Pacific power
! A question has arisen in relation to the cX
ercse in that country Of the
JUDICIAL FUNCTIONS
conferred upon our Ministers and Consuls
! The indictment, trial and conviction in the
| Consular Court at Yokohama of John Ross,
merchant seaman on board an American yes
sci, have made it necessary tor the Govern
lmcnt to institute careful examination into
the nature and methods of this jurisdiction.
1t appears that Ross was regularly shipped
under the flag of the United States, but was
by birth a British subject. My predecessor
felt it his duty TO maintain the position that
during his service as regularly shipped sea
man on board IN American merchant vessel
Ross was subject to the laws OF the service
and to the jurisdiction of the United States
| Consular authorities.
! | renew the recommendation which has
heretofore been urged by the Executive upon
the attention OF Congress, that after the reduc
ton of such amount as may be found due 10
American citizens, the balance of
| THE INDEMNITY FUND
heretofore obtained from China and Japan,
and which is now in the hands of the State
| Department, be returned to the Governments
of those countries.
The King of
in the course of his homeward return after a
]ournep around the world, has lately visited
this country While our relations with that
Kingdom are friendly, this Government has
viewed with concern the efforts to seek replen-
ishment of the diminishing population OF the
islands from outward sourcess to degree
which may impair the native sovereignty and
independence IN which the United States was
among the first to testify "A lively Interest,
OTHER NATIONS.
Relations of unimpaired amlty have been
maintained throughout the year with the re-
spectivc Governments OF Austria, Hungary,
| Belgium, Denmark, Hayti, Paraguay ana
Uruguay, Portugal and Sweden, and Norway,
and this may also be SAID OF Greece and Equa
dor. Although our relations with those States
have for some years been severed by the with
drawa of appropriations for diplomatic repre-
sentatives at Athens and Quito, it seems expe-
dent TO restore those missions even on a re-
duced scale, and decidedly recommend such
q course with regard to Ecuador, which is
likely, in the near future, to play an lmpor
tant part among the nations OF the South
ern Pacific.
THE HIGH SEAS
invite your attention to the proprcty of
adopting the new code of International rules
for the prevention 0f collisions on the high
SEAS and of conforming the domestic leglsla-
ton of the United States thereto, so that no
confusion may arise from the application OF
conflicting rules in the case OF vessels OF dll-
ferent nationalties meeting in tidal waters.
These international rules differ but slightly
from our own. They have been adopted by
the Navy Department for the gOverance OF the
war ships of the United States on the high
seas, and in foreign waters, and through the
action of the State Department IN dissemina-
ting the rules, and IN acquainting the ship
masters with the option OF conforming to them
without the jurisdiCtlonal waters of the United
States. They are now very generally known
and obeyed.
The State Department still continues to
publish to the country the
| TRADE AND MANUFACTURING REPORTS
received from its officers abroad. The success
! of this course warrants its continuance and
such appropriation as may be required to meet
the rapidly increasing demand for those pub
LEGATIONS. With special reference to the Az
lanta Cotton Exposition the October number
of the reports was devoted to Il valuable col
lection of papers on the oOttongoods trade of
the world.
THE INTERNATIONAL SANITARY
| CONFERENCE,
for which IN 1879 Congress made PROVISION as
sembled in this city early in January last, and
the sessions were prolonged until March. AL
though 1t reached no specific conclusion at
fecting the future action of the participant
powers, the interchange of views proved to be
most valuable The full protocols of the SEES
slons have been already presented to the
Senate.
As pertinent to this general subject, | call
your attention To the operations of the
| NATIONAL BOARD or HEALTH,
established by &C. of Congress, approved March
3, A. d. 1879. Its sphere of duty was enlarged
by the act of June ,, in the same year. BY
the lastlamed act the board was required To-
/ Institutn such hnnns roo nS IN Irht he Nnnmel