The Portland daily press., 1886-12-07


| of October my proclamation declaring reci-
| procal suspension in the United States. IL
| Is most gratifying to bear testimony to the
| earnest spirit IN which the government OF
| the Queen Regenth has met our efforts to avert
| the initiation of commercial Determinations
| and reprisals which are ever disastrous to
| the material interests and the political good
| will Of the countries they may affect The
| profitable development Of the large CONNER
| cial Exchanges between the United States
| and the Spanish Antilles is naturally an OBJ
| ject of s0licitude Lying close at our doors
and finding here their main markets of sup
| ply and demand. the welfare of Cuba and
| Porto Rico and their production and trade
are scarcely less important to us than to
| Spain, and their commercial and financial
movements are so naturally part of our
| system that no obstacle to freer intercourse
| should be permitted to exist. The standing
| instructions Of our representatives at Madrid
| and Havana have for years been to leave no
| effort unessayed to further these ends, and
at no time has the equal good desire of Spain
neen more hopefully manifested than now
Inc government OF Spain, by removing the
consular tonnage fees off eargoes shipped to
| the Antilles, and by reducing passport fees,
| mas shown its recognition of the needs of
| less trammeled intercourse.
| THE TURKISH NATURALIZATION TREATY
An effort has been made during the past
| year TO remove the hinderances to the pro-
| clamation of the treaty Of naturalization
has remained imperative owing to dis
| agreement OF Interpretation of the clause re-
iatlve to the effects of the return to and So
| lourn OF naturalized citizen in the land of
| his origin. L trust soon to be able to an
nounce favorable settlement Of the differ
| ence as to this Interpretation.
IL mas been highly satisfactory to note the
improved treatment of American mission
aries In turkey, as has been attested by their
acknowledgment to cur late minister to that
government Of his successful exertions in
their behalf.
THE VENEZUELAN CONVENTION.
The exchange Of ratifcations of the con-
yentlon OF Dec. :, 1885, with Venezuela for
the re-opening OF the awards of the Caracas
Commission under the claims convention of
1866, has not yet been effected, owing to the
delay OF the Executive of that republic in
ratlfylng the measure. | trust that this
postponement will be brief, but should it
much longer continue the delay may well be
regarded as a rccisiOn of the compact and
failure on the part of Venezuela TO complete
an arrangement so persistently sought by
her during many years, and assented to by
this government, in a spirit of international
fairness, although to the detriment of hold
ers OF bona fde awards of the impugned
commission.
CITIZENSHIP AND NATURALIZATION.
renew the recommendation Of my last
annual message, that existing legislation
concerning citizenship and naturalization be
devised. We have treaties with many States
providing for the renunciation of citizenship
By naturalized aliens, but no statute is found
to give effect TO such engagements. nor any
which provides needed central bureau for
the registration OF naturalized citizens, and
experience suggests that our statutes regu-
latlng extradition might be advantageously
amended by provision for the transit across
our territory, now convenient thOr0ughfare
OF travel from one foreign country TO anoth-
er, Oh fugitiyes surrendered by a foreign gov
n a hfrd GfutA
are not unusual in the legislation of other
countries, and tend to prevent the miscarri-
age Of justice. 1t Is also desirable, In order
TO remove present uncertainties, that author
lty should be conferred on the Secretary Of
State 70 issue certificate in case of an ar
rest for the purpose of extradition to the
officer before whom the proceeding is pend
ing, showing that a requisition for the sur
render Of the person charged has been duly
made. Such certificate, If required to be
received before the prisoners examination,
would prevent long and expensive judicial
inquiry into charge which the foreign gov
ernment might not desire to press. l also
recommend that express provision be made
for the immediate discharge from custody OF
persons committed for extraditon where the
| President is OF opinion that surrender should
not be made.
INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT.
The drift of sentiment in civilized COM
munities toward full recognition Of the
human intellect has brought about the adop-
| tion by many nations of an International
| Copyright Convention, which was signed at
| Berne on the 18th of September, 1885. Inas-
mach as the constitution gives to Congress
| the power to promote the progress of
science and useful arts by securing for limit
| ed times to authors and inventors the ex-
elusive right to their respective writings and
discoveries, this government did not feel
warranted in becoming a signatory pending
the action of Congress upon measures Of in
| ternational copyright now before it, but the
| right of adhesion to the Berne convention
| hereafter has been reserved. | trust the
! subject will receive at your hands the atten-
tion 1t deserves. and that the just claims of
authors so urgently pressed will be duly
| needed.
| THE TAX UPON ART.
Representations continue to be made to
/ me of the Injurious effect upon American
| artists, studying abroad, and having free
access to the art collections of foreign eoun-
| tries, OF maintaining a discriminating duty
| against the Introduction of the works of their
| brother artists of other countries i am in
duced to repeat my recommendation for the
abolition of that tax.
| THE CONSULAR SERVICE.
| Pursuant to provision of the Diplomatic
| and consular appropriation act approved
| July /, 1885, the estimates submitted by the
Secretary of State for the maintenance of the
| consular service have been Tecast on the
4
allowance is deemed advisable Advantage
has been taken Of this to redistribnte the
salaries of the offices now appropriated for,
in accordance with work performed, the i'm
portance OF the representative duties Of tine
| incumbent, and the cost of living at each
| post. The last consideration has been too
| often lost sight of in the allowances hereto
fore made The compensation which may
suffice for the decent maintenance of aworthy
and capable officer in position of onerons
and representative trust at post readily ac-
cessible and where the necessaries Of life are
abundant and cheap may prove an made
| quate pittance in distant lands, where the
better part Of years pay is consumed in
reaching the post of duty, and where the
comforts of ordinary civilized existence can
only be obtained with difficulty and at ex-
orbitant cost l trust that in considering
the submitted schedules no mistaken theory
or economy will perpetuate system which
in the past has virtually closed to deserving
talent many offices where capacity and at
tainments Of high order are indispensable,
and in not a few instances has brought dis
credit on our national character and entailed
embarrassment and even suffering on those
deputed to uphold our dignity and interests
abroad. In connection with this subject |
earnestly reiterate the practical necessity of
supplying some mode OF trustworthy inspec-
tiOn and report OF the manner in which the
onsulates are conducted. In the absence of
such relablel information efficiency can
scarcely be rewarded or its opposite correc-
ted. increasing competition In trade has di-
rected attention to the value of the consular
reports printed by the Department Of State
and the efforts of the government to extend
the practical usefulness of these reports
have created wider demand for them al
home and spirit of emulation abroad. Con-
stituting record of the changes occurring
in trade and of the progress of the arts and
invention in foreign countries, they are
much sought for by all interested in the SUBJ
jeets which they embrace.
THE TRAsURY DEPARTMENT.
The report of the Secretary of the Treas
ury exhibits in detail the condition of the
public finances and of the several branche:
of the government related to his department
l especially direct the attentionlof Con
gress to the recommendation in this and the
last preceding report of the Secretary
touching the simplifcation and amendment
Of the laws relating to the collection of Oul
revenues, and in the interest of economy anC
justice to the government l hope they may
be adopted by appropriate legislation. The
ordinary receipts of the government for thu
fiscal year ended June 80, 1886, were 1886,
439, 722 o.; of this amount S192, 800, OPS Al wa
received from customs and S116.S05, 1886. A
from internal revenue The total receipt
as here stated were S13, 3,749, ,020.6S create
} than for the previous year, but the increas
! from customs was $11.434, ,0S4.l0, and from
internal revenue S4,307, ,21094, making.a gail
in these items for the last year of S15, ,741, ,295