The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-12-17
The Executive Message.

The Executive Message.
THE IMPORTANT OPINIONS AND RECON-
MENDATIoNS OF PRESIDENT CLEvE
LAND TO CONGRESS.
The Presidents message to Congress
opens with reference to the public be-
reavement caused by the death OF the Vice
President, followed by some observations
upon the respective duties of the Execu-
| tive and Congress. Contemplation OF
! the grave and responsible functions he
says, assigned 10 the respective branches
OF the government under the Constitution.
will disclose tie partitions Of power be-
| tween eur respective departments and
| their necessary Independence, and also the
need for The eAsieise OF all the power ell
! frosted TO each III that spirit OF comfy
| and CO operation. Which is essential to the
proper fulfj ilns.. OF the patriotic oblig;..
lions which res apon ns as faithful ser
wants OF the peuts;e.
! Tie message iis.n proceeds To The Gus
/ tomaly review u he business OF the sew
eral executive departments III order, be-
! ginning with q Summary OF the relations
/ of the United States with All foreign
powers. which continue to ba friendly. =
\ Z1iOSiOJ ID 1AttaC3 Ai1Obss Ob}SA tiiJS,ot W
| the objections OF the government OF
Austria Hungary TO The reception of Mr..
Kelly as envos The reasons advanced, =
the President1 $. were such as could
| not be acquiesced In without violation OF
my oath OF Office ard the precepts OF the
! Constitution, since they necessarily III
Y0lved Limitations in favor of a foreign
| government upon the right of selection by
the Executive and required such an appli-
cation of d religious test as a qualification
for office under the United States as would
have resulted Ill the practical disfranchlSe-
ment of a large ass OF our citizens and
the abandonment of vital principle in
our government. The Austro FL hungarian
Government finally decided not to receive
Mr.. Kelley as the envoy of the United
States and That gentleman has since re-
signed his commission, leaving the post
vacant. | have made no new nomination
and the interests of this government at
| Vienna are now III the care of the secretary
OF legation, acting as Charge 'Afaires ad
interim.
uTIE IsTIIMUs CANAL.
The interest OF the United States in a
practicable transit for ships across the
strip of land separating the Atlantic from
| the Pacific has been repeatedly manifested
| during the last half century. My imme-
date predecessor caused to be negotiated
with Nicaragua treaty for the cOnStruc-
| ton, by and at the sole cost of the United
States, of q canal through Nicaraguan ter
rItory and laid it before the Senate. Pend
| ing the action Of that body thereon | with
drew the treaty for REORGANIZATION. At
| tentive consideration of it's provisions
leads me to withhold it from re-submis-
sion to the Senate. Maintaining, as | do,
1 ofo nF Of &c Prom
| Washington day, which prescribe en-
| tanglipg alliances with foreign States, |
do not favor apolicy Of acquisition of new
and distinct territory or the incorporation
of remote interests with our own.
Whatever highway may be constructed
| across the barrier dividing the two great
| est maratime areas of the world must be
| for the worlds benefit, trust for man
| kind. to be removed from the chance of
domination by any single power, nor be-
come point of invitation for hostilities
or a prize Of warlike ambition. An en-
gagement combining the construction.
| ownership and operation of such work
by this government, with an offensive and
defensive alliance for its protection, with
| the foreign State whose responsibilities
and rights we would share, is, ID my
| Judgment, inconsistent with such dedi-
cation to universal and neutral use and
would, moreover, entail measures for its
realization beyond the scope of our ma
tiOnal pOlitY or present means.
The lapse OF years has abundantly con.
firmed the wisdom and foresight of those
earlier administrations, which, long be-
fore the conditions of maritime inter-
course were changed and enlarged by the
progress of the age, proclaimed the vital
need OF inter oceanic transit across the
American Isthmus and consecrated it in
advance to the common use of mankind
by their positive declarations and through
the formal obligations of treaties, To-
ward such realization the efforts of my adj.
mlnistratlon will be applied. ever bearing
in mind the principles on which 1t must
rest and which We're declared in no un.
certain tones by Mr.. Cass, who, while
Secretary OF State in 1858, announced that
What the United States want in Central
America, next to the happiness of its peo-
pie. is the scrutiny and neutrality of the
inter. oceanic routes which lead through
it,
THE CHIN SR QUESTION.
In the application Of the acts lately
passed to execute the treaty of 1880, re-
strictive of the immigration of Chinese
laborers into the United States, indi-
vidual cases Of hardship have occurred
beyond the power Of the executive to rem
edy and calling for judicial determination.
The condition Of the Chinese question in
the Western States and Territories is,
despite this restrictive legislation, far
from being satisfactory. Ali the power Of
this government should be exerted to
maintain the amplest good faith towards
China in the treatment Of these men. and
the infexible sternness Of the law in
bringing the wrong-doers to justice should
be insisted upon. The admitted right of
government to prevent the influx of
elements hostile to its internal peace and
security may not be questioned, even
where there 10 no treaty stipulation or the
subject. That the exclusion Of Chinese
labor is demanded in other countries where
like conditions prevail Is strongly evil
denced in the Dominion Of Canada, where
Chinese immigration is now regulated by
laws more exclusive than our own. If ex-
listing laws are inadequate to compass the
end in view / shall be prepared to give
earnest consideration to any further RENE
dial measures, within the treaty limits,
which the wisdom Of Congress may de-
wise.
OTHER STATE DEPARTMENT TOPICS.
Among other interesting subjects al
luded to in this portion Of the message are
GNe lLUpOTUdflCc Oi pIUmOtiHk CUluuleICldl
intercourse with Mexico ]; the negotiation
of new and fill treaty with Spain, not
open to the objection OF the unratified
commercial treaty. and the value of in
ternational copyright. upon which the
matured views Of the Berne Conference
are recommended to the consideration Of
Congress. The President also calls atten-
tion to the inadequacy of existing legisla-
tion touching citizenship and naturaliza-
ton, recommending "a central bureau of
record of the degrees Of naturalization
granted by the various courts" and legis-
lation to define the right of alien domicile
as distinguished from Federal naturali-
zation. With regard to the treaties with
Spain and Santo Domingo, which were
withdrawn by the President on assuming
Office, re examination has satisfied him of
the inexpediency Of entering into
engagements of this character not
covering the entire traffic. "These
| treaties contemplated the surrender by
| the United States Of large revenues for in
adequate considerations. This was in
itself inexpedient, and embarrassing qnes-
tions would have arisen under the favored.
nation clauses OF other treaties. AS a
! Further 0h;ncfion IL ia evident that tari IF