The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-12-02

.o,.uuu, Ak the extent to which foreign hold
ers of copyright shall be here privileged, it
has been deemed advisable to negotiate such
conventions For this reason the United
States were not represented at the recent
conference at Bernie.
NEUTRALITY LAWS.
recommend that the scope of the neu
| trality laws of the United States be so en-
larged as to cover all patent acts of hostility
committed in our territory and aimed
| against the peace of n friendly nation
Existing statutes prohibit the fitting out of an
expedition and restrict the shipments of ex-
plosiveS, though the enactments in the latter
respect were not framed with regard to in
ternational obligations, but simply for the
protection of passenger travel All
these statutes were intended to
| meet special emergencies that had
already arisen. Other emergencies
have arisen since and modern ingenuity
| supplies means for the organization of hos
| tilities without open resort TO armed vessels,
| or to filibustering parties. see no reason
| why overt preparations in this country for
the commiss on of criminal acts, such rs are
| here under Consideration, should not be alike
! punishable, whether such acts are intended
| to be committed in our own country, OF in
| foreign country with which We are at peace.
| Tie prompt aud thorough treatment OF this
question is one which intimately concerns
the national honor.
NATURALIZATION.
| Our existing naturalization laws neei re-
vision Those sections relating to persons re
| siding within tae limits OF tho United States
| within 1875 and l19S nave now only hlStor-
| zeal interest. Section }, III, recognizing the
| citizenship OF the children Of naturaized
parents is ambiguous III its terms and partly
obsolete. There are special provisions
/ of law faVoring the naturalization of
those who serve in the army or in mer
| chant vessels, while no similar priv
| ileges are granted those who serve in the
navy or marine corps a uniform
rule of naturalization such as the constitu-
| ton conlemplates should, among other
| things clearly define tho status OF persons
born within the United States subject to a
| foreign power (s5ec. 1893, and of minor
children of fathers who have declared their
intentions OF becoming citizens, but have
failed to perfect their naturalization. 1t
might be wise to provide for a central bureau
! of registry, wherein should be filed authenti-
Gated transcripts of every record OF natural
ization in the several federal and state
courts, and to make provision also for the
| vacation OF cancellation of such record in
cases where fraud had been practicad upon
the court by the applicant himself, or where
citizenship. A just and uniform law in this
respect would strengthen the hands of the
government in protecting its citizens abroad,
and would pave the way for the conclusion
Of treaties of naturalization with foreign
countries.
DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR SERVICE.
The legislation of the last session effected in
the diplomatic and consular service certain
changes and reductions which have been
4, %
ton and commercial activity OF our country
are steadily on the increase and are giving
rise to new, varyfng and often delicate
relationships with other countries. Oar
foreign establishment now embraces nearly
double the area of operations that it did
twenty years ago The confinement Of such
a service within the limits of expendi-
ture then established is not, it seems to me
| in accordance with true economy A com
munity of G0000,000 of people should be
adequately represented in its intercourse
with foreign nations. A project for the re
organization Of consular service and for re
casting the scheme of eXtra-te ritorial juriS
diction is now before you If the limits Of
a short session will not allow its full consid
Grafton, trust you will not fail to make
suitable provision for present needs of tht
service.
1t has been customary to define in the ap
preparation acts the rank of each diplomatic
Office to which salary is attached sug
gest that this course be abandoned, and tina
, it he left to the president, with the advic
: ahd consent of the senate to fix from tim
, to time the diplomatic grade Of the repre-
, sentatives Of this government abroad a
it may seem advisable, provision bein
definitely made, however, as now, for tn
! amount OF salary attached to the respectiv
I stations.
THE CONDITION OF OUR FINANCES
: and the operations of the various braEche
/ | of the public service which are cOnnecte,
= with the treasury department are very full
= discussed in the report of the secretary.
D appears that the ordinary revenues for tn
: fiscal year ended June 50, 1884, were:
, From customs. sl95, OCT, 4So :
o From internal revenue. ....... l21, 5S6, ORES
| From all other sources. ....... 5lSG6, 3O1 q
n Total ordinary revenues. .S34S, $40 500 5
1 THE PUBLIC EXPENDITURES.
+ during the same period wer2:
For civil expenses ..............$222, 5l2 aQ.
For foreign intercourse. ....... 1850, 1861
t For in3ians. Observation-Disclosures. 6,475, 999, :
5 For pensions observation-disclosures. s. 40 22S ;
For the military establishment
| including river and harhOr
c Improvements and arsonals. 80, 429,Go3.;
&c For the naval establishment, in.
3. Gliding vessels, machieeryS
d and improvements at navy
Z wards Observation-Disclosures. Il 292 Col a..
/ For miscellaneous Expenditures
10 including public buildings,
L lighthouses and collecting tho
p revenue. ...............,... $3.50, zoe
/ For expenditures on account of
e the District of Columbia 100. 3,401, 049. {
For interest On tine public debt. 54,51S ,37S. 4
IS For the sinking fund ........, 40, 100 229
---------
y Total Ordinary expenditures 29O,9 Vic, 4Sd.'
u -------
/ Leaving surplus Of. S51, G01, 59G.(
81 AS compared with the preceding fisc
l year thera was net decrease OF over al
o'oO2J N 'he an ,uht Oh expenditures, Ii
. aE7reSate recellIS were ioss Inhh tlto'e n,
~ sIln year previous ny aoouI goa, oouo'V- II
~ -elLlila nt ot i5[ o9 rom customs MAJ
n up lel s;S -so'VJ''uUJ o. ohl5 aehciehcyo al
ipouC S:o1oJo,Do3 ol C!e feLiiiI-iuef Wa I'll
" tiie rom lliIer4lt tN
IN n9 SE,le.'5y 9'UAii5'teS we IeVeipGs u
CIe asS1l Gai "IlCl VIII eild June oo 100
u a. so'''oVo 0'o ahd the toEisA eADshdIIn'
u at 1890. ga. POI III, in which are included II
~ interest ON the debt and the amount pa
IL able to the sinking fund. This would laa'