The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-12-12

2
sideration to any further remedial measures,
within the treaty limits, which the wisdom of
Congress may devise.
The independent State of the Congo has
been organized as a government, under the
sovereignty Of His Majesty the King of the
Belgians, who assumes its chief magistracy
in his personal character only, without max
ing the new State a dependency of Belgium.
1t is fortunate that benighted region, owing
atl'it has of quickened civilization to the be-
nefcence and phiianthropic spirit of this
monarch, should have the advantage and Sc
CURLY of his benevolent supervision.
The action taken by this government last
! year in being first to recognize the flag OF the
International Association of the Congo has
been followed by formal recognition of the
new nationality which succeeds to its soNer-
eign powers.
A conference of delegates of the principal
| commercial nations was held at Berlin last
winter to discuss methods whereby the Congo
Basin might be kept open to the world $
| trade. Delegates attended on behalf of the
/ United States on the understanding that
! their part should be merely deliberative,
without imparting to the results any binding
character, so far as the United States were
concerned. This reserve was due to the IN
/ any disposal by an international congress OF
| jurisdictional questions in remote foreign ter
! ritories The results of the conference were
embodied in formal act of the nature Of
an international convention, which laid
! down certain obligations purporting to
! Ject TO ratification within one year.
Notwithstanding the reservation under
which the delegates of the United States at
! tended their signatures were attached to the
general act III the same manner as those OIL
| the penipotentaries of other governments,
thus making the United States appear, with
! out reserve or qualification as signatories to
| a joint international engagement imposing
| on the signers the conservation OF the terri
| torial integrity Of distant regions where we
! have no established interests or control.
! This government does not, however. regard
its reservation of liberty of action i'll the
premises as at all impaired; and holding that
| an engagement TO share in the obligation OF
enforcing neutrality in the remote valley OF
| the Congo would be an alliance whose re-
| sponsihilities we are not in position to as
! sumo, | abstain from asking the sanction OF
| the Senate to that general act.
The correspondence will be laid before you,
! and the instructive and Interesting report OF
| the agent sent by this government to the
| Congo country, and his recommendations for
! the establishment Of commercial agencies OH
| the African coast are also submitted for your
| consideration.
The commission appointed by my prede-
| cessor last winter to visit the Central and
| South American countries, and report on
the methods Of enlarging the commercial re-
l1IlDDS Oh lllc bIlllcN suites Iisio
submitted reports, which will be laid before
! you. .
No opportunity has been omitted TO testify
! the friendlIneSs of this government toward
! Corea, whose entrance into the family OF
| treaty powers the United States were the first
| to recognize. | regard with favor the aPpli-
| cation made by the COrean Government to
| he allowed to employ American officers as
military instructors to which the assent OF
! Congress becomes necessary, and | am happy
! to say this request has the concurrent sane
! ton Of China and Japan.
The arrest and imprisonment OF Julio X.
! Santos IL citizen of the United States, by the
| authorities of Ecuador, gave rise TO 4 conten-
! ton with that government in which his
/ right to be released or to have q speedy and
impartial trial on announced charges and
| with all guarantees OF defense stipulated by
treaty was insisted upon by us. After an
! elaborate correspondence and repeated and
earnest representations on our part MI. San
! tos was, after an alleged trial and conviction,
| eventually included in a general decree OF
amnesty and pardoned by the Ecuadoran
Executive and released, leaving the question
| of his American citizenship denied by the
Ecuadorian government, but insisted upon
! by our own.
The amount adiudged by the late French
and American Claims Commission to be due
from the United States to French claimants
on account of injuries suffered by them dur
ing the war Of secession having been appro-
| priated by the last Congress, has been duly
! paid to the French Government
The act of February %, 1885, provided for
! n preliminary search of the records OF
French prize courts for evidence bearing on
/ the claims of American citizens against
/ France for spolationS committed prior to
1901. The duty has been performed, and the
| report of the agent will be laid before YOU.
! | regreatSto say that the restrictions upon
the importation of our pork into France con-
tinue Notwithstanding the abundant demon
| stration of the absence of sanitary danger IN
its use; but | entertain strong hopes that,
with Il better understanding Of the matter,
this vcxatious prohibition will be removed.
! 1t would be pleasing to be able to say as much
| with respect to Germany, Austria and other
countries, where such food-products are abb
| solutely excluded without present prospects
of reasonable change.
The Interpretation of our existing treaties
| of naturalization by Germany during the past
! wear has attracted attention by reason of an
apparent tendency on the part of the impe-
rial government to extend the scope OF the
residential restrictions 10 which returning
! naturaliZed citizens OF German origin are as
| serted to be liable under the laws of tire EN-
pire The temperate and just attitude taken
by this government with regard TO this class
| OF questions will doubtless lead TO Il satistac-
tory understanding.
The dispute of Germany and Spain relative
to the domination of the Caroline islands has
attracted the attention of this government,
by reason of extensive interests of American
citizens having grown up i'll these parts dur
ing the past thirty years, and because the
question of ownership involves jurisdiction
Of matters affecting the status of our citizens
under civil and criminal law. Whilst stand
ing wholly aloof from the proprietary issues
raised between powers to both of which the
United States are friendly, this government
expects that nothing in the present conten-
ton shall unfavorably affect our citizens car
| rving on 4 peaceful commerce or there domi-
ciled, and has so informed the governments
of Spain and Germany.
THE FISHERIES, &C
The marked good will between the United
States and Great Britain has been maintained
during the past year. The termination OF
the fishing clauses of the treaty OF Washing
ton, in pursuance of the joint resolution OF
\ March 5, 1888, must have resulted in the alb
/ rupt cessation on the list of. July of this year,
in the midst oftheir ventures, of the opera
tions of citizens of the United States engaged
in fishing in British-American waters, but
for diplomatic understanding reached with
Her Majesty's Government in June last,
whereby assurance was obtained that no IN
terruption of those operations should take
place during the current fishing season.
In the interest of good neighborhood and
of the commercial intercourse of adjacent
communities, the question of the North
American fisheries is one of much import
ance: Following ont the intimation given
by me when the eXtensory arrangement
above described was negotiated, recommend
that the Congress provide for the appoint
ment of a commission in which the Govern
ments of the United States and Great Britain
shall be respectively represented, charged
with the. consideration and settlement,
upon a Just, equitable and honorable
basis, of the entire question of the fishing
rights of the two governments and Their re,