The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-12-05

Ourselves EGdAGCl1 1tNA NA1
commercial movement between our domesuc
| ports, and to insure q removal OF the burdens
on shipping in the Spanish Indies, OF when
in the past our shipowners and snlpmaSters
have so often had cause to complain
Tho negotiation OF this convention has Tor
a time postponed the prosecutions OF certain
claims of our citizens which were declared 10
be without the jurisdiction OF the late span
ish-American claims commission, ana winch
are, therefore, RENTED to dlplohlatlC cuah-
nels for adjustment The speedy settlement
OF these claims will now be urged Dy THIS
government Negotiations for q treaty OF
| commercial reciprocity with the Dominican
( republic have been successfully ConcIuueu,
and the result will shOrtlD be laid before the
senate. Certain questions between the
United States M the Ottoman empire sui
remain unsolved Complaints in behalf OF
our citizens are not satisfactorily adjusted
The porte has sought to withhold from our
the right Of favored treatment 10
which we are entitled by existing cOnNen-
tiOnal stipulations, and the revision or the
tariff is unaCcomplished The final disposition
Cf pending questions with Venezuela has not
as yet been reached, but | have good reason
| to expect an early settlement, which wall
provide the means Of re-eNamlnlng t@e
Caracas awards, in conformity with the OK.
pressed desire of congress, and which will
recognize the justice of certain claims pre-
ferred against Venezuela.
CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA.
The Central and South American conmis-
sion, appointed by authority of the act of
July, 1884, will soon proceed to Mexico. 1t
has been furnished with instructions which
will be laid before you They contain a
statement of the general policy OF the gov
eminent for charging its commercial inter
course with American states. The commits
sioners have been actively preparing for
their responsible task by holding confer
ences in the principal cities with merchants
and others interested in the Central and
South American trade. The international
Meridian conference, lately cORYened in
Washington, upon the IN vitatiOh of the
government of the United States, was com
posed of representatives OF twenty-five ma
lions. The conference concluded its labors
on the 1st of November, having with sub
stantial unanimity agreed upon the meridian
Of Greenwich as the starting point whence
longitude is to be computed, through $50
degrees eastward and westward, and upon
the adoption, for all purposes for which 1t
may be found convenient, OF a universal
day, which shall begin at midnight on the
initial meridian, and whose hours shall be
four. The formal report of the
transactions of this conference will
be hereafter transmitted to congress.
This government is in frequent receipt OF in
vitations from foreign states to participate
in international exhibitions, often of great
AAANblSpN uAAN AALPOAG 0ASN "a lb@ 0S w
do an advanced position in the worlds pro-
ductiOn, and aiming to secure a profitable
share for our industries in the general COM
petitive markets, Il is a matter of serious
concern that the want of means of partici-
patton in these xhibi should so often ex-
clude our producers from the advantages
enjoyed by those of other countries. During
the past year the attention of congress was
drawn to the formal invitations in this re-
gard rendered by the governments of En-
gland, Holland, Belgium, Germany and
Austria. The executive has in some in
stances appointed honorary commissioners.
This is, however, a most unsatisfactory ex-
padient, for, without some provision to meet
necessary working expenses OF a commits
sion, it can effect little or nothing in behalf
of exhibitors. An international inventors
exhibition is TO be held In London next
May. This will cover a field of special i'm
portance in which our country holds
foremost rank, but the executive is at pres
emf powerleSs to organize a proper represen-
tatlon or our vast national interests in this
direction. / have in some previous messages
referred to this subject. IL seems to me
that a statute giving to the executive gem
eral discretionary authority to accept such
invitations and 10 appoint honorary CON-
missioners without a salary and placing at
the disposal OF the secretary of state a
small fund for defraying their reasonable
expenses would be af great public utility.
This government has received official notice
that the revised international regulations for
preventing collisions at sea have been adopt
ed byall the leading maritime powers except
the United States, and anne into force on the
1st of September last For the due protec-
ton of our shipping interests. the proyis-
ions of our statutes should at once be brought
into conformity with these regulations. The
question of securing authors, composers and
artists copyright privileges In this country
In return for reciprocal rights abroad
is one that may justly challenge your
attention. 1t IS true that d convention
viii be necessary for fully accomplishing
his result, but until congress shall Tx the
extent to which foreign holders of copyright
shall be here privileged, it has been deemed
inadvisable to negotiate such convention.
For this reason the United States were not
represented at the recent conference at
Berne. recommend that the scope of the
neutrality laws of the United States be so
enlarged as TO cover all patent acts of
hostility committed in our territory and
aimed against the peace of a friendly nation.
Existing statutes prohibit the fitting put of
armed expeditions and restrict the shipment
of explosives, though the enactments in the
latter respect were not framed with regard
to international obligations, but simply for
the protection Of passenger travel. Allthese
statutes were framed to meet the special
emergencies that have already arisen. Since
modern ingenuity supplies means for the
organization of hostilities without open re-
sort TO armed vessels or TO flibustering
parties, | see no reason why overt prepara-
tions In this country for the commi ssion Of
criminal acts such as are here under con
sideration should not be alike punishable,
whether such acts are intended to be COM
rlitted in our own country or In a foreign
country with which we are at peace, The
prompt and thorough treatmento OF this ques-
ton Is one which intimately concerns the
national honor. Dun existing
NATURALIZATION LAWS
also need revision. Those sections relating
to persons residing within the limits of the
United States iii 1895 and 1898 have now
only a historical interest. Section 2172.
recognizing The citizenship Of the children Of
naturalized parents, is ambiguous tits terms
and partly obsolete. There are special pro-
visions of law fayorinQ the NATURALIZATION of