The Mineral argus., 1884-12-11

| norris. ana 10 insure a IdAlONdA W JIG
on shipping in the Spanish Indies, of which
in the past our shipowners and shtpmasters
have so often a cause TO complain
The negotiation of this convention has Tor
a time postponed the prosecution OF certain
claims of our citizens which were declared 10
, be without the jurisdiction of the late span
ish-American claims commission, and Whlch
are, therefore,, RENTED to diplomatic cnah-
nels for adjustment The speedy settlement
of these claims will now be urged Dy Jnls
government Negotiations for a treaty OF
commercial reciprocity with the Dominican
republic have been successfully concluded,
and the result will shortly be laid before the
senate. Certain questions between the
United States and the Ottoman empire still
remain Unsolved Complaints in behalf OF
our citizens are not satisfactorily adjusted
The porte has sought to withhold from our
commerce the right of favored treatment to
which we are entitled by existing conven-
tional stipulatiOns, and the revision OF the
tariff is u~naccomplished. The final disposition
of pending questions with Venezuela has not
as yet been reached, but | have good reason
to expect an early settlement, which VIII
provide the means Of re-examining the
Caracas awards, in conformity with the ex-
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 commits
sion, appointed by authority of the act of
July, 1854, 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 enlarging 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. h international
Meridian conference, lately convened in
Washington, upon the invitation of the
government of the United States, was com
posed of representatives of twenty-five ma
tions The conference concluded its labors
on the LIST 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 it
may be found convenient, of a universal
day, which shall begin at midnight on the
initial meridian, and whose hours shall be
counted from zero up to twenty
four. The formal report of the
be hereafter transmitted to congress
This government is in frequent receipt of In
v~itations from foreign states to participate
in international exhibitions, often of great
interest and Importance. Occupying as we
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, it is a matter of serious
concern bQab JDe want OF means OF parClCl-
patton in these exhibits 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-
pedient, for, without some provision to meet
nnannnnNWw NrrAwIyTH~ zang -
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
ent powerless to organize a proper represen-
tatiae % our Nast notros1al interests in this
dIreclon- L nave IN some Previous messages |
referred to this subject 1t seems to me
that a statute giving to the executive gen
eral discretionary authority to accept such
invitations and TO appoint honorary com
m1ssioners without a salary and placing at
the disposal of the secretary of state a
small fun for d%efraying their reasonable
expenses would be of great public utility.
This government has received official notice
that the revised international regulations for
preventing collisions at sea lave been adopt
ed by all the leading maritime powers EXCEPT
the United States, and came into force on the
LIST of September last. For the due protec-
ton of our shipping interests, the provis-
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 a convention
Will be necessary for fully accomplishing
this result, but until congress shall fix the
extent to which foreign holders of copyright
shall be here privileged, it has been deemed
Inadv1sable to negotiate such convention.
For this reason the United States were not
represented at the recent conference at
Berne. l 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.
statutes prohibit the fitting out 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. All these
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, l see no reason why overt prepare
lions in this country for the commission of
acts such as are here under con
sideraton should not be alike punishable.
whether such acts are intended to be COM
mitted in our own country or in a foreign
country with which we are at peace. The
prompt and thorough treatment of this uues-
ton is one which Intimately concerns the
national honor. Our existing
NATURALIZATION LAWS
also need revision. Those sections relating
to persons residing within the limits of the
United States in 1875 and 1898 have now
only a historical interest Section 2172,
recognizing the citizenship of the children of
naturalized parents, is ambiguous in its terms
and partly obsolete. There are special pro-