The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-12-04
Al Home anil Peace With the People Of
Other Countries.
A Pleasant Greeting From The President
to Congress.
The Chief Executive Calls for Proper
Tariff Revision.
Measures Suggested to Increase South
American Trade.
The Needs Of the Merchant Marine
Not Forgotten.
What the Nation Owes to the Men
Who Fought for It.
Protection and Education for the
Enfranehised Negroes.
The Needs Of the Merchant Marine
Not Forgotten.
What the Nation Owes to the Men
Who Fought for 1t.
Protection and Education for the
Enfranehised Negroes.
Coast Defenees and Increased Naval
Strength Recommended.

WASHINGTON, December 3.--In both
Houses of Congress today the special COM
mittees appointed for that purpose reported
that they had notified the President that
Congress was in session. The message from
the President was then read. The message
| follows:
To the Senate and House Of Representatives:
There are few transactions IN the admins
tration of the government that are even tenn
| porarily held in the confidence of those charg-
ed wi h the conduct of the public business.
Every step taken is under the observation of
| an intelligent and watchful people. The state
of the Union is known from day to day and
suggestions as to needed legislation find an
earlier voice than that which speaks in these
annual communications of the President to
Congress.
Good will and cordiality have characterized
our relations and correspondence with other
governments and the year just closed leaves
few international questions of Importance re-
naming unadjusted. No obstacle is believed
to exist that can long postpone the consider
alton and adjustment of the still pending
questions upon satisfactory and honorable
terms. The dealings of this government with
other states have been and should always be
marked by frankness and sincerity, our pur-
poses avowed and our methods free from in
trigue. This course has borne rich fruit in the
past and it is our duty as a nation to preserve
the heritage of good repute which century of
right dealing with foreign governments has
secured to US.
OUR DISTINGUISHED VISITORS.
1t is matter of high significance and no less
of eongratulation that the first year of the sec
ond century of our constitutional. existence
..l. -
representatives of all the independent States of
North and South America, met together in
earnest conference touching the best methods
of perpetuating and expanding the relations OF
mutual interest and friendliness existing among
them. That the opportunity thus offered for
producing closer international relations and
the increased prosperity of the States repre-
sented will be used for the mutual good of all,
cannot permit myself to doubt Other peo-
pie will await with interest and confidence the
results TO flow from so auspieous meeting Of
allied and in large part identical interests.
The recommendations of this international
conference of enlightened statesmen will
doubtless have the consderate attention of
Congress and its cooperation in the removal
of unnecessary barriers TO beneficial inter-
course between the nations of America. But
while the commercial results which it is hoped
will follow this conference are worthy of pur-
suit and of the great interest they have excited,
it is believed that the crowning benefit will be
found in the better securities which may be
delivered for the maintenance of peace among
all American nations and the settlement of all
contentious by methods that Christian civil
ization can approve. While viewing with in :
terest our national resources and products, the
delegates will. / am sure, find a higher salts
| faction in the evidence of unselfsh friendship
which everywhere attend their intercourse
| with our people.
Another international conference having
great possibilities for good has lately assem-
| bled and is now in session in this capitol. An
invitation was extended by the government
under the act of Congress of July 9, 1883 to
all maritime nations to send delegates to confer
touching the revision and amendment of the
rules and regulations governing vessels at sea
and to adopt uniform system of marine sig
| nails The response to this invitation has
been very general and very cordial. Delegates
| from 26 nations are present in the conference
| and they have entered upon their useful work
with great zeal and with an evident apprecla-
| ton of its importance. So far as the agreement
| to be reached may require legislation to give
| effect, the corporation of Congress is conf
| IDENTIFY relied upon. 1t is an interesting if not
| indeed an unprecedented fact that the two in
ternational conferences have brought together
| here the accredited representatives of thirty
| three nations. Bolivia, Eucador and Hon.
| duras are now represented by resident ENJOYS
| of the plenipotentiary grade. All the
States of the American system now maintain
| diplomatic representatives at this capital In
this connection it may be noted that all the
| nations of the western hemisphere with one
exception send to Washington ENJOYS extra
| ordinary and ministers plenipotentary, being
| the highest grade accredited to this govern
| ment. The United States on the contrary
sends envoys of lower grade to some of our
| sister republics. Our representative in Para
| quay and Uruguay is a minister resident, while
| to Bolivia we send minister resident and con-
| sui general. In view of the Importance of our
relations with the States of the American
| system our diplomatic agents in those
| countries should be of the uni
form rank of envoy extraordinary and
minister plenipotentiary. Certain missions
were so elevated by the last Congress with
happy effect, and recommend the completion
of the reform thus begun with the inclusion
also of Hawaii and Hayti in view of their rela-
| tions to the American system of States. l also
| recommend that timely provision be made fol
extending TO Hawaii an invitation to be repre-
| sented in the International conference now sit
| UDg AT tnlo Chpltais
| Our relations with China have the attentive
consideration which their magnitude and in
terest demand. The failure of the treaty
negotiated under the administration of my
| predecessor for the further and more complete
restriction of Chinese labor immigration ant
with it the legislation of the last session o.
| Congress, dependent thereon, leave some ques-
| tions open which Congress should
now approach in that wise anc
lust spirit which should charac.
terize the relations of two great anc
friendly powers. While our supreme interests
| demand the exclusion of a laboring element
which experience has shown to be incompati-
BILE with our social life, all steps to compass
this imperative need should be accompanied
with a recognition of the claim of thos,
strangers now lawfully among US to human,
and Just treatment. The accession of tn,
Young Emperor of China, marks an era O
progress and prosperity for the great countr,
over which he is called to rule.
SAMOAN AFFAIRS.
The present state of affairs in respect L
the Samoan Islands is encouraging. Th
conference which was held in this city
in the summer of 1887, between the rep
resentatives of the United States
Germany, and Great Britain having been ad
! iourned because of the persistent divergence