The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-02

be counted from zero up to 24o The formal re-
| port of the transactions of the conference will
| be hereafter transmitted to Congress,
This government is in frequent receipt Of in
| vitatons from foreign states to participate in
international exhibitions, often of great interest
and Importance. Occupying, we do, an ad-
vanced position in the worlds production, and
aiming to secure profitable share for own
industries in the general competitive markets, it
| is matter of serious concern that the want of
means for participation in these exhibits should so
| often exclude our producers from the advantages
| enjoyed by those of othercountries. During the
| past year the attention of Congress was drawn
to the formal invitations in this regard rendered
| by the governments of England, Holland, Bel
| gium Germany and Austria. The executive
has, in some instances, appointed honorary com
| miSsoners. This is, however most unsatiS-
| factory expedient, for without some provision to
| meet the necessary working expenses of a com
| mission, it can effect little nothing in behalf
| of eXhlbiters An international inventors exhi-
| btlon is to be held In London next May; this
will cover field of special importance in which
| our country holds foremost rank but the exec
utiye is at present powerless to organize proper
representation of our vast national interests In
| this direction. have, in several previous mes
| sages, referred to this subject. 1t seems to me
! that statute giving the executive general dis
cretonary authority to accept such invitations
! and to appoint honorary commissioners without
salary, and placing at the disposal of the Secre-
tary of State small fund for defraying 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 have been adopted
| by all the leading maritime powers except the
| United States. and came into force the 1st of
! September last For the due protection of our
shipping interests the provisions of our statutes
| should at once be brought into conformity with
| these regulations.
The question of securing to authors, com
| posers and artists copyright privileges III this
| country III return for reciprocal rights abroad is
one that may justly challenge your attention
| 1t is true that convention will be necessary for
| fully accomplishing this result but until Con
| gress shall by statute fix the extent to which
foreign holders of copyrights shall be here priv
| ileged it has been deemed inadysBble to nego-
tiate such conventions For this reason the
| United States were not represented at the recent
| conference at Berne.
NEUTRALITY AND NATURALIzATION LAWS.
| recommend that the scope of the neutrality
laws of the United States be so enlarged 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 out of armed expeditions and restrict the
shipment of explosives, though the enactments,
| in the latter respect, were not framed with re
gard to international obligation, but simply for
the protection of passenger travel. All these
statutes were intended to meet special emergen-
cies that had already arisen. Other emergen-
cies have arisen since, and mans ingenuity sup
plies means for the organization of hostiities
without open resort to armed vessels or hlbuS-
tering parties l see no reason why overt prep
arations in this country for the commission of
criminal acts such as are here under considera-
ton, should not be alike punishable, whether
such acts are intended to be committed III our
own country or in foreign country with which
we are at peace. The prompt and thorough
treatment of this question Is one which lntl-
mately concerns the national honor.
| Our existing naturalization laws also need re-
vision Those sections relating to persons resid-
ing within the limits of the United States in
l775 and 1898 have only historical interest.
Section 3l72 recognizing the citizenship of the
children of naturalized parents is ambiguous in
its terms, and partly obsolete. There are special
provisions of law favoring the naturalization OF
those who serve in the army merchant yes
sells, while no similar privileges are granted those
| who serve in the navy or marine corps A uni
form rule of naturalization, such as the Consti
tuition contemplates, should, among other things
clearly define the status of persons born within
the United States, subject to foreign power
(Sec. 1892, and of minor children of fathers who
have declared their intention of becoming citi-
zens, but have failed to perfect their naturaliza
tion 1t might be wise to provide for central
| bureau of registry, wherein should be filed
authentic transcripts of every record of natural
izaton in the several federal and State courts,
and to make provision, also, for the vacation and
cancellation Of such record in cases where fraud
had been practced upon the court by the appll-
cant himself or where he had removed OF forfeited
| his acquired citizenship. 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 con
clusion of treaties of naturalization with foreign
| countries.
| The legislation of last session effected in the
diplomatic and consular service certain changes
and reductions which have been productive of
| embarrassment The population and commercial
| activity of our country steadily on the IN
crease, and are giving rise to new, varying and
often delicate relationships with other countries.
| Our foreign establishment now embraces nearly
| double the of operations that it dld
| twenty years ago. The confinement of such a
service within the limits of expenditure then
tablished is not it seems to me- in accordance
with true economy. A community of CO. 600, 600
of people should be adequately represented in its
| intercourse with foreign nations. a project for
the reorganization of the consular service and
| forecasting the scheme of extraterritoria iuris
diction is now before you. If the limits of q
short session will not allow it's full consideration
| trust you will not fail to make suitable pro
vision for the present needs of the service. 1t
has been customary to define, in the appropria-
tion acts, the rank of each diplomatic Office to
which a salary is attached. l suggest that this
course be abandoned and that it be left to the
! President, with the advice and consent of the
Senate, to fix, from time to time, the diplomatic
| grade OF the representatives of this government
abroad, may seem advisable, provision being
definitely made, however, as now, for the
amount of salary attached to the respective
| stations.
The Finances of the Nation.
The condition of our finances and the opera
tions of the various branches of the public serv-
ice which are connected with the Treasury De-
partment are very fully discussed in the report