The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1883-12-13
be conclusion OF thetreaty. General Irlesias

/
Europe. When the will of the Peruvian PEG
pie shall be manifested. shall not hesitate II
recognize the Government approved by
them. Diplomatic and naval representative:
of the Government attended at Caracas, the
centennial celebration OF the birth of the il
lustriouS Bolivar; at the same time the un
yelling of the statue of Washington in the
Venezuelan capital testified to the veneratior
in which his memory is held there. Congress
at its last session, authorized the Executive tC
propose to the Venezuelan Government a re
opening of their marts. The departure from
this country of the Venezuelan Minister
has detained the opening of negotiation:
for revising the commission. This Govern
ment holds that until the establishment of G
treaty upon this subject the Venezuelan
Government shall continue to make payments
provided for in the Convention of 1866. There
is ground for believing that the dispute grow
ing out of the unpaid obligations due from
Venezuela to France will be satisfactorily ad
justed. The French Cabinet has proposed 9
basis of settlement which meets with my ap
prOval, but as it involves a recasting of the
annual quotas of the foreign debt il has been
deemed advisable to submit the proposal to
the Judgment of the Cabinets of Berlin. Cop
penhagen, the Hague, London and Madrid.
At the recent coronation of His Majesty
King Kalakaua. this Government was repre-
scented both automatically and by the formal
visit of a vessel of war. The question of ter.
minating or modifying the existing rcciproc
ity treaty with Hawaii is now before Congress
! am convinced that the charges of abuse and
frauds under that treaty have been exagger-
ated, and renew the suggestion of last years
message, that the treaty be modified wherever
its provisions have proved enerous to
legitimate trade between the two countries
/ am not disposed to favor the entire cessation
of treaty relations. which have fostered good
will between the countries, and contributed
toward the equality of Hawaii in in the family
of natiOCS.
In pursuance of the policy declared by this
Government of extending our intercourse
with the Eastern nations, legations have dur
hppn established Persia
Siam, and Corea. IT is probable that perma-
nent Commissions from these countries will
ere long he maintained in the United States.
4 special embassy from Siam is now on its
way hithcr. Treaty relations with COrea were
perfected 10y the exchange at Seoul on the
18th of May last, Of the ratifications of the
lately concluded convention and the ENJOYS
from the King have visited this country and
received a cordial welcome. Corea is as yet
unacquainttd with the methods of Western
civilization, but now invites the attention of
those interested in the advancement of our
foreign trade, as it needs the implements and
products which the United States are ready to
supply. We seek no monopoly of its COM
merce and no advantages over other nations,
but as the Chinese in reaching for a higher
civiliZction have confided in this Republic we
cannot regard with indifference any encroach-
ment upon their right.
CHINA.
China, by the payment of a money indem-
nifty, has settled certain of the lOng-pending
claims of our citizens. and / have strong
hopes that the remainder will soon he adjust
ed Questions have arisen touching the rights
of American and other foreign manufacturers
in China under the provisions of treaties
which permit aliens to exercise their indus
tries in that country, On this specific point
our own treaty is silent, but under the opera
ton of the ''most favored nation" we have
like privileges with those of other powers.
While it is the duty Of the Government to see
that our citizens have the full enjoyment of
every benefit secured by treaty, doubt the
eXpediency of leading in a movement to con-
strain China to admit of an Interpretation
which we have only an indirect treaty right
TO exact.
The transfer TO China of American capital
for the employment there of Chinese labor
would in effect inaugurate a competition for
the central markets now supplied by our home
industries. There is good reason to believe
that the law restricting the immigration of
Chinese has been violated Intentionally or
otherwise by the officials of China, upon
whom is devolved the duty of certifying that
the emigrants belong to the excepted classes.
Measures have been taken to ascertain the
facts incident to this supposed infraction.
and it is believed that the Government of
China will cooperate with the United States
in securing the faithful observance of the
law. The same considerations which prompted
Congress at its last session to return to Japan
the SimOenski indemnity seems to me TO re-
quire at its hands like action in respect to the
Canton indemnity fund. now amounting to
100000. The question of the general revision
of the foreign treaties has been considered in
without definite result as yet. This Govern
ment is disposed TO concede the requests of
Japan to determine its own tariff duties, to
provide such proper judicial tribunals as may
themselves to the Western powers
for the trial of causes to which foreigners are
parties, and to aSsimiate the terms and dura-
alton of its treaties to those of other civilized
States.
Through our Ministers at London and at
Monrovia this Government has endeavored
to aid Liberia in its differences with Great
Britain touching the northwestern boundaries
of that Republic. There is a prospect of adj
justment of the dispute by the adoption of the
Mannah River as the line This arrangement
is compromise of the conflicting territorial
claims. and will take from Liberia no country
over which it has maintained effective juris-
diction.
THE CONGO VALLEY.
The rich and populous valley of the Congo
is being opened to commerce by society
called the International African Association,
of which the King of the Belgians is the Pres
ident, and citizen of the United States is the
chief executive officer, and large tracts of
territory have been coded 10 the Association
by native chiefs. Roads have been opened
and steamboats, placed upon the river, and
the nucli of States established at twenty-five
stations under one flag, which offers freedom
to commerce and prohibits the slave trade.
The objects of'the society are philanthropical.
1t does not aim at permanent political con-
troll, but seeks the neutrality of the valley.
The United States cannot he Indifferent TO
involved in it. 1t may become advisable for
us to cooperate with other commercial pow
ers in promoting the rights of trade and resi-
dence in the Congo valley, free from the
or political control
of any one nation In view of
the frequency of invitation from
and scientific Congress, for the discussion of
important matters of general concern, / re-
peat the suggestion of my last message, that
provision be made for the exercise of discre-
to such conventions. Specialistsare
ready TO serve the national interest in such
capacity without personal profit or other com
pensation than the defrayment of expenses
actually incurred, and these a comparatively
small annual appropriation would suffice to
meet. .... E
FOREIGN COMMERCIAL RESTRICTIONS.
/ have alluded in my previous message to
the injurious and veNatious restrictions suf-
fered by our trade in the Spanish West Indies.
Brazil, whose natural outlet for its great ma
tional staple. coffee, is through the United
States, imposes heavy export duty on that
sued in other American countries. Our
petroleum exports are hampered in Turk
sh and other Eastern ports by restric-
tons as 10 storage and by oncrous tax
our great food products is in some quarters
cloGged with like impediments. For these
adequate relief is not always pro-
vided by reciprocity treaties like that with
Hawaii or that lately negotiated with Mexico,
and now awaiting the approval of the Senate.
1t IS not advisable 10 provide some measure of
equitable retaliation in our relations with
Governments which discriminate against our
own? If. for example, the Executive were
to apply to Spanish vessels and
cargoeS from Cuba and Porto Rico, the same
rules of treatment and scale of penalties for
technical faults which are applied to our
vessels and cargoes in the Antilles, a resort to
that course might not be barren of good re-
suits Discretionary authority to forbid the
Importation of articles of consumption in
furious 10 health might be advantageously ex-
srcised in our dealings with countries discrimi-