The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-11-01

her majesty'S government his cOntinu
ance in his present official position in
the United States is no longer accept
able to this government and would
consequently be detrimental to the
relations between the two countries.
The grounds of this action ON the part
of the United States. are stated in a
report of the secretary of state to the
president, dated the 10Th inst, which is |
follows:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
WASHINGTON, OCT. %, 1888.
To the President of the United States:
The undersigned has the honor to |
submit for your consideration the |
following statement with view to
receive your direction thereon.
On the 4th of September last letter
purpOrting to be written by one Ch2S.
Murchison, dated at Pomona, Cali
fornia, was sent from that place to the
British minister at this capital in
which the writer solicited an express
sion of his views in regard 10 certain
unsettled diplomatic questions be-
tween the United States and Great
Britain, stating at the same time that
such an expression was sought by him
for the purpose of determining his vote
at the approaching PRESIDENTIAL election.
He stated that he was natnral1Zed
citizen of the United States of English
birth, but that he still considered Eng
land the father country, and this fact
led him to seek advice from the
British representative in this IOun-
try. He further stated that the
| Information he sought was not for
himself alone but to enable
him to give certain assurances to many
| other persons i'll the same situation as
himself, for the purpose of influencing
and determining their political actions
as citizens of the United States or Eng
| lish birth, but who still regarded their
original obligations of alliances as par
| amount. The letter also contained
gross reflections upon the conduct OF
| this government in respect to questions
now in controversy and unsettled be-
tween the United States and Great
Britain, and both directly and indi-
rectly imputed insIncerity in such con-
duct. TO this letter the British minis
ter at once replied from Beverly ,MaSsa-
chusetts, under date of September 18th
last. In this reply he stated that 'any
political party which openly favors
the mother country at the
present moment would lose
popularity and that the party in power
is fully aware of that fact, and that in
respect to the questions with Canada
which have been unfortunately reopen
ed since the rejection of the fisheries
treaty by the republican majority in
the senate and by the presidents mes
sage to which you allude, allowances
must therefore be made for the politi-
cal situation as regards the presiden-
tial election" The minister thus gave
his assent and sanction to the asper-
sions and imputations above referred
to,
: Thus under his correspondents asSur-
ance of secrecy in which the minister
concurred by making his answer ''pri-
yate" he undertook to advise a citizen
of the United States how to exercise
the franchise of suffrage in al
election close at hand for the
presidency and vice-presidency Of the
3 United States and through him as che
2 letter suggested to influence the votes
a of many others. Upon this correspon
> dence being made public, the minister
received the representatives of the pub
I lie press and in frequent interview
. with them intended for publication
: added to the lmpugnments which b'
; had already made of the good faith o.
q this government in its public action
aud International dealings. Although
ample time and opportunity have beer
n afforded him for the diSavOwal, mOdlfi
q Cation or correction of his statement
. to some of which his attention wa
: called personally by the undersigned
n yet no such diSavOwal or modification
has been made by him through tn
channels in which his statements frs
found publicity. The question is thu
presented whether it is campatibl
3 with the dignity, security and iudepen
= dent sovereignty Of the United State
to permit the representative of for
q eign government in this country, no
8 only to receive and answer withou
= disapprOval and confirm by his repetl
3 ton aspersions upon its political actiol
q but also to interfere IN its domestic al
d fairs by advising persons formerly hi
q countrymen as to their political cours
, as citizens of the United States. A
II between this country and Great Brit
B. ain there can be no controversy as t
q the complete severance or the ties o
n original allegiance by naturalization
Disputes on this point were flnally pu
at rest by the treaty or natur8liZatlo
countries on the 18th Of May 1876
al Therefore it will not be commended
r nor was such contention ever admltte
,1 by us, that citizens of the Unite
:, States of British origin are subject Il
~ the claim of the country OF thei
= original allegiance.
# The undersigned also has the homo
= to call the attention to the provision
Vi
n United States by which several pena
az ties are visited upon the citizens of tn
10 United States, who without tn
authority or the permission OF thi
government commences or carries o.
any verbal or written correspondence
g. or intercourse with any foreign govern
- ment or any officer or agent thereof.
either with an intent to influence tn
z action of such government or its agent
10 in relation to any disputes or cOntrC
g. versies with the United States @
X with an intent to defeat the measure
s. of the government of the Unite
States. The penalties are equally ap
plicable to every citizen of the Unite
States not duly authorized who .'couI
5. sells advises or assists in any such col
III respondence, with similar unlawful
n intent.
The undersigned respectfully advise
y that the attention of the attorney-geT
as eral of the United States be directed
these enactments in order that an IL
vestigation will be made with view
ascerrain whether they have not bee
10 violated in the present case by the CO.
a respondeDce of the British minister.
BY your direction the attention {
n the British government has in spiri
es of comfy been called to the COZ
TO duct of their minister as aboV
l. described, but without result. 1t there
D. fore becomes necessary Tor Cnls govern
ment to consider whether as the qua
dian of its own self-respect and IL
integrity of its institutions, it win Pc
O. NIT further intercourse to be hel
Tn through the present British minister {
4. this capital. It is to be observed tia
precedents are not wanting as to tt
al question under consideration. 1t Is
IS. settled rule essential TO the maintel
n ance of international intercourse tn;
Il a diplomatic representative must
persona grata to the government
- which he is accredited and If, by
conduct, he renders himself person
iS non grata, announcement OF the ia
he may be made to his government
he In the present case all the requir
no ments of comfy have been fulfilled I'll
IS. facts having been duly communicatI