Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-12-09

| August last, and also to the house of rep
resentatives, the correspondence in the
case of A. II. Cutting, an American citi-
zen then imprisoned in Mexico, charged
with committing penal offense in Texas,
of which Mexican citizen was the OBJ
| ject. After demand was made for his re-
lease, the charge against him was amend
ed so as to include a violation of Next
can law within Mexican territory. This
joinder of amended offenses, one
| within, and the other exterior
to Mexico induced me to order
a special investigation of the case,
pending which Mr.. Cutting was released!
The incident has, however, disclosed
claim of jurisdiction by Mexico, novel in
| our history, whereby any offense commit
ted anywhere by foreigner, penal in the
place of its commission, and of which
Mexican is the object, may, if the offender
be found in Mexico, be there tried and
punished in conformity with Mexican
| laws. Jurisdiction was sustained BY the
courts of Mexico in the Cutting case and
approved by the executive branch of that
government, upon the authority of,
Mexican statute. The appellant
court at releasing Mr.. Cutting de-
cided that the abandonment of the COM
plant by the Mexican citizens aggrieyed
by the alleged crime-a libelous publica-
tion-and removed the basis of further
prosecution and also declared Justice to
have Been satisfied by the enforcement
of a small part of the original sentence.
The admission of such a pretension would
| be attended with the most serious re-
suits in case of the invasion of the iuris-
diction of this government, and the juris-
4 n+5n Df IL, L
dangerous to our citizins In foreign
lands; therefore I have denied it and
protested against its attempted exl
ercise as unwarranted. By the principles
of law and international usages a sovereign
has jurisdiction of offenses, which take
effect within his territory, although con-
certed or commenced outside of it, but
the right is denied of any foreign SOW
ereign to punish citizen of the United
States for an offense consummated on our
own soil in violation of our laws, even
though the offense be against a subject or
citizen of such sovereign. The Mexican
statute IN question makes the claim
broadly, and the principle if conceded,
would create dual responsibility in the
citizens, and lead to a confusion destruc-
tive of that certainty in the law which is
an Essential of liberty. When citizens
of the United States voluntarily go into
a foreign country must abide by the
laws there in force and will not be pro
lected by their own government from the
consequences of an offense against those
laws committed in such foreign country
but the watchful care and interest of this
government over its citizens are not re-
iinquished because they have gone abroad,
and if charged with crime committed in
the foreign land fair and open trial
conducted for them. With that this gov
eminent will not be content when the life
or liberty of its citizens are at stake,
whatsoever the degree to which, extra
ditional criminal jurisdiction may have
been formerly allowed by the consent and
reciprocal agreement among certain or
the European states. No such doctrines of
practices was ever known to the laws of
this country or of that from which
our institutions have mainly been derived.
III the case of Mexico, there are reasons
especially strong for perfect harmony in
the mutual exercise of Jurisdiction. Ma
ture has made US irrevocably neighbors.
and wisdom and kind feeling should make
us friends. The overflow of capital and
enterprise from the United States is a
patent factor in assisting the develop
ment of the resources of Mexico, and III
building up the property of both cOun-
tries. To assist this good work, all
grounds of apprehension for the security
of person and property should be
removed, and I trust that in the
interestof good neighbor hood, the
statute referred to will be so mOdi-
fed, as to eliminate the present prob
ability of danger to the peace of the two
countries.
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NETHERLANDS
has exhibited concern in relation to Ger!
tain features of our tariff laws, which are
supposed by them to be aimed at class
of tobacco produced in the Dutch East
Indies. Comment would seem unnecesS
sary upon the unwisdOm of legislation
appearing to have a special national dis
elimination for its object, which, al
though unintentional may give rise to
injurious retaliation.
The establishment, less than four years
ago, of legation at Teheran is bearing
fruit in the interest exhibited by
THE SHAFTS GOVERNMENT
in the industrial activity of the United
States and the opportunities of beneficial
interchanges. Stable government is now
happily restored in
PERU
by the elevation of a constitution pres
ident, land period of relation is entered
upon. But recovery is necessarily slow
from the exhaustion caused by the late
war and civil disturbances. A convention
to adjust, by arbitration, the claims of
our citizens has been promised and is
under consideration.
The naval officer, who bore to Siberia
the testimonials bestowed by congress in
! recognition of the aid given to
THE JEANETTE SURVIVORS,
has successfully accomplished his mis-
sion. His interesting reports will be
submitted. 1t is pleasant to know that
this work of appreciation has been
welcomed by the Russian government and
people as BELTS the traditions friendship
of the countries. The civil perpetrators
in the
SAMOAN ILSANDS