The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1886-12-10

The Relations OF Labor, Capital and
Revenue Considered-The Farmers In.
terests-Needed Changes In the Land
Laws.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 6.-President Cleve.
lands message opens up with the usual sur
vey of foreign relations, and one third of
the message is devoted to the discussion and
review of foreign relations. Our govern
ment, he says, has consistently maintained
its relations of friendship toward all other
powers and of neighborly interest towaI d
those whose possessions are contiguous to
our own. Few questions have arisen dur.
ing the past year with other governments,
and none of those are beyond the reach of
settlement in friendly council. The
cruel treatment of inoffensive Chinese
In the far west is alluded
to and in speaking of a remedy he says the
paramount duty Of maintaining public or
der and d Tending our own people may re-
Quire the adoption of measures of restric-
preston of individuals of special race.
RELATIONS WITH CANADA.
Discussing the fisheries question, So long
the subject of anxious difference betwe, n
the United States and Great Britain, the
president says The questions involved are of
grave consequence, and from time to time,
for nearly three-fourthsof a century, have
given rise to earnest international discussion,
not unaccompanied by irritation Tempo
rary arrangements by treaties have served to
allay friction, which, however, has revived.
While DESTROYS that friendly relations should
exist between the people of the United States
and Canada, the action of Canadian officials
during the past season toward our fisher
men has been such, the president Thinks as
to call for their continuance, and al
though disappointed in his efforts to salts
factory settlement of the question, negotia-
tions are still pending with reasonable hope
hat before the close of the present session OF
congress, announcement may be made that
an acceptable conclusion has been reached.
HAWAII A d NE: IC!
Abiding to our relations with Hawaii,
the president recommends an extension for
of 1875 He urgently renews his
recommendation of legislation to carry
into effect the Mexican reciprocity treaty OF
January, 1883, and proposes to initiate ne
gotiations with Mexico for treaty of COM
MERGE and legislation. Referring to tn,
Cutting cas-. he says the incident has dis
closed a claim of jurisdiction by Mexico,
novel in our history, whereby any offense
committed anywhere by foreign r, penal
in the place of it's 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 This jurisdiction was
a-..-s approved by executive branches of that
government, upon the authority of Mex
lean statute. The appellate court in re-
leasing Mr.. Cutting decided that aban
donment of complaint by the Mexican
citizt aggrieved by the alleged crime Ia
libelous publication) removed basis OF
further prosecution and also declared justice
to have been satisfied by enforcement of a
small part of original sentence. The ad
mission of such pretension, the president
argues, would be attended with serious re-
suits invasive of jurisdiction of this gov
eminent, and highly dangerous to our
citizens in foreign lands; therefore he has
denied and protested against its attempted
law and of int irrational usages
A sovereign has jurisdiction of offenses
which take effect within his territory.
although concocted outside of it, but the
right is denied of any foreign sovereign to
punish any citizen of the United States for
an offense consummated on our soil in VIC
lation of our laws, even though the offense
be against a citizen of such sovereign
The Mexican statute in question makes the
claim, and the principle, if conceded, would
make dual responsibility in the citizen and
lead to inextricable confusion.
When citizens of the United States w.
unfairly go in foreign country they must
abide by the laws there in force and viii
not be protected by the crown government
from the consequences of an offense ayains,
those laws committed in such foreign
country, but the watchful care and interest
of this government over its citiz. ms are not
relinquished because they have gone
abroad; and if charged with crime COM
mitted in the foreign land fair AMI open
trial conducted VITA decent regard for
justice and humanity will be demanded for
them. With less this government will MOI
content, when the life or liberty Oh It's
citizens is al SAKE and whate, the de-
gree to which extra or territorial criminal
jurisdiction nay have been form riy al
lowed by consent or reciprot al agreement
among certain of the European stat s,no such
doctrine or practice was ev,r known to the
laws of this country or of that from which
our institutions have mainly been derived
In the case of Mexico, there are reasons
especially strong for p,rfect harmony in
the mutual exercise of jurisdiction. Mature
has made us irrovocably neighbors, and wis
dom and kind feeling should make us
frien Is
The outflow of capital and enterprise
from the United States is a potent factor in
assisting development of the resources a
Mexico, and in building up the prosp rity
of both countries.
To assist in the good work. all grounds of
apprehension for security of person and
property should be removed, and the presi-
dent trusts in the interests of good neigh |
borhood that the statutes will be so modi- |
fed as to eliminate the present possibilities
OF danger to tine peace of the two coun
tries.
The president recommends placing the |
consular service on a better footing, and re- |
iterates the necessity of some mode of in |
spection and of reporting the manner in