The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1886-12-16
MEXICO.
THE TREATIES.

ASldl duu Ah1llhu IclAGlOub US Tween GQ6
United States and Mexico, which has
been 80 marked within the past few years,
is at once the occasion of congratulation
and Of friendly s%olicitude. Iurgentlyre n
my former representation Of the need OF
speedy legislation by congress to carry. into
effect the reciprocity commercial convention
of Jan. 20. 1883. Our commercial treaty of
1881 with Mexico was terminated accord
ing to its provisions, in 1881, upon notifca-
zion given by Mexico. in pursuance of her
announced policy of recasting all her COM
treaties Mexico has since con-
cluded with several foreign governments
new treaties of commerce and navigation,
defining alien rights Of trade, property and
residence, treatment of shipping consular
privileges n the like. Our yet unexe-
,cuted reciprocity convention Of 1888 covers
which is SO necessary to good relationship.
I propose to initiate with Mexico negotia-
Hons for a new and enlarged treaty of COM
merce and navigation. Us
Il CUTTING EPISODE
In compliance with a resolution Of the
senate, communicated to that body on Aug.
Q last, and also to the house of representa-
tiyes, the correspondence In the case OF A N.
Cutting, an American citizen, then .imuris-
oned in Mexico, charged with the ommis-
sion of q penal ofense In Texas, Of which a
Mexican citizen was the object After. IA de-
AA4 AASA ANSA4 &AA ASA 04o ACkVAS0 kA0
charge against him was amended SO as to
inclnde a violation of Mexican law within
Mexican territory. This joinder OF alleged
ofenses, one within and the other exterior
to Mexico. inducedm me to order q special In
yestigation of the case, pending which Mr..
Cutting was released The Incident has.
however, disclosed o claim of jurisdiction
by Mexico novel In our history, whereby any
3ofense committed anywhere by q foreigner
and Of which q Mexican is the: object, may, IL
the. offender be- found In Mexico, be there
tried and punished In conformity with Mex
lean laws. Jurisdiction was sustained by
the courts of Mexico In the Cutting case,
approved by the executive branch OF
that government upon the authority Of the
Mexican statutes The appellate court In re-
Sdonmenb OF the complaint by the Mexican
citizens nggrieYed by the alleged crime q
E]ibelous publfcationl, removed the basis Of
further prosecution, and also eclared Justice
to have been satisfied by the enforcement of
~ small part OF the original sentence. The
admission OF such q pretension would be at
tended with serious results, invasive of the
Jurisdiction Of this government and highly
dangerous to our citizens N foreign lands
ETherafore,sI have denied It, and protested
against tts attempted exercise rs unwar-
ranteds by the principle of law and inter-
national usuagea a sovereign has jurisdic-
ton OF offenses which take effect within his
territory, although! concerted or commenced
outside 1T; but the right is denied OF any
foreign sovereign to punish a citizen of the
United States for an offense consummated
on our sol. ever though the ofense be
agntnstn subject or citizen of such sover-
aign. The Mexican ststntei In question: akes
Tho claim bodily, and the principle, If oon-
coded, would create adual responsibility Ii
the citizen md lead to- confusion, OF that
certainty IN law which ID an essental OF lib
erty. When citizens o the Unitod States
voluntarily 90 into d foreign country they
must abide bYthe laws there In force and
raenS from the consequences OF an ofssrse