The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-12-10
Commission to Secure
Uniform Elections.
National Honor in Chilian
Trouble Vindicated.
Success of Tariff and Sill
yer Legislation.
Growth Of the Navy---Aid
to the Veterans.

The following is the full text of President
Harrison's message which was sent to Congress
yesterday:
To the Senate and House of Representatives;
The reports of the heads of the several exec
utive departments, required by law to be sub
mitted to me, which are herewith transmitted,
and the reports of the Secretary of the Treasury
and the Attorney General. made directly to
Congress, furnish comprehensive view of the
administrative work of the last fiscal year re-
lating to internal affairs 1t would be of great
advantage If these reports could have an atten-
tive perusal by every member of Congress and
by all who take an interest in public affairs.
Such perusal could not fail to excite higher
appreciation of the wise labor and conscientious
effort which are given to the conduct of our
civil administration.
The reports will, believe, show that every
question has been approached. considered and
decided from the standpoint of public duty and
upon considerations affecting the public in
terests alone. Again, ! invite to every branch
oi the service the attention and scrutiny of Con-
gress. The work OF the state department dur
ing the last year has been characterized by an
unusual number of important negotiations and
by diplomatic results of notable and highly
Denenclal character. Among these are the re-
ciprocal trade arrangements which have been
concluded, in the exercise OF the powers con
lerred by section 3 Of the tariff law, with the
republic OF Brazil, with Spain for its West India
ppesotisid, pessess,Gns, ana with San Domingo. Like
much advanced and it is hoped that before the
close OF the year further definitlve trade ar
rangemehts OF great value will be concluded.
THE BEHRISG SEA CONTROVERSY.
In view of the reports which had been re-
ceived as to the diminution of the seal herds in
the Behring Sea, deemed it wise to propose to
Her Majesty's government in FebrdaTy last
than an agreement for a closed season should
be made pending the negotiations for arbitra-
tion which then seemed to be approaching a
deplorable conclusion. After much correspon-
dence and delay, for which this government
was not responsible, an agreement was reached
and signed on the 18th of June by which Great
Britain undertook, from that date and until
May /. 1892 to prohibit the killing by her sub
lects OF seals in the Behring Sea, and the
government of the United States, during the
same period, to enforce its existing prohibition
against pelagic sealing and to limit the catch by
the lur seal company upon the ISLANDS TO 1000
skins. If this agreement could have been
reached earlier in response to the strenuous
endeavors of this government, 1t would have
y Resh did more emeelse Dnt coming even IS iade as
diminishing the destruction of the seals by the
In my last annual message, I stated that the
basis of arbitration proposed by Her Maiesty's
government for the adjustment of the long pend
ing controversy as to the seal fisheries was not
acceptable. 1 am glad now TO be able to an
nouuce that terms satisfactory to this govern
ment have been agreed upon and that an agree
ment as to the arbitration is alltha Is necessary
10 the completion of the convention. In view of
the advanced position which this government
has taken upon the subject OF International ar
bitratlOn, this renewed expression of our adher-
ence TO this method for the settlement of
di>put such as have arisen in the Behring Sea
Will, L doubt not. meet with the cvncUrrene of
Congress. Provision should be mace for Joint
demarcation of the frontier line between Canada
and the United states. wherever required by the
increasing border settlements. and especially
for the exact location of the water boundary in
the straits and rivers.
should have been glad to announce some
favorable disposal OF the bout dairy dispute b.
tween Great Britain AMI Venezuela, touching
the western frontier of British Guiana but the
friendly efforts of the United States in this dt
recti0n have Inns far been unavailing. This
government will continue to express its concern
at any appearance of foreign encroacbment ON
terrific long under the administrative control
OF the American states. The determin alton of
disputed boundary is easily attainable by
amicable arbitration, wnere the riguts of thu
respective parties rest, as here, on historic facts
readily aScertainable.
AMEhlCAN MEATS In EOREIGN MARKETS.
The law of The last Congress providing a sys-
TEN of inspection for or meats intended f1r
export, and clothing the President with power
to exclude foreign products from our markers in
case the country sending them should perpetrate
unjust Determinations against any product of
the United States. placed this government in a
position to effectively urge the removal Of such
determinations againSt our meats. Ii is graft
Tying to be able Ito st lie that Germany, Den
mark, Italy, Austria and France, in the order
named, have opened their ports to inspected
restrictions IN very instance was asked for and
given solely upon The ground that we had now
provided meat nspec ction that should be ac-
cepted as adequatc to the complete removal of
the dangers, real or ftncied, which had been
previously urged. The stale Department. our
ministers abroad and the Secretary Of Agricul-
iure have co operated with unfiae ging and intel
ligent zeal for the accomplishment of this great
result. The outlines of an agreement have been
reached with Germany, looking to eQuitab e
trade concessions in cons deratioh of the con.
time has not yet arrived when this correspon.
dence can be submitted to Congress.
GOOD ADVICE TO BRAZIL.
The recent l0lltical disturbances in the Re
public of Brazil have excited regret and solic.-
tude. The information we possessed was too
meagre to enable us to form satisfactory judg'
ment of the causeleading to the temporary as.
sumption of supreme power by President Fonse-
ca, but this government did not fail to express to
him its anxious solicitude for the peace OF Brazil
and for the maintenance of the free political
institutions which had recently been Established
there; nor to offer our advice that great modera-
tiOn should be observed in the clash of parties
and the contest for leadership. These counsels
were fecelyed Ia tne most friendly spirit and the
ment has been re- established without bloodshed
MAFIA MURDERS AND ITALY's COMPLAINT
The lynching at New Orleans March last OF
eleven mel OF Italian nativity by mob Of citi-
zens was most deplorable and disereditable
inc dent. 1t did not, however, have its origin in
any general animosity TO the Italian people.
nor In any disrespact 10 the government of
Italy, with which our relations were of the
most friendly character. The fury of the m, b
was directed against these men as the supposed
participants, or accessories, IN the murder of a
city Off er. do not allude to this as mtIgat
Ing In any degree this offense ag inst law and
humanity, but only as Affecting the Information
al questions which grew out of II. 1t was at
once represented by the italian minister that
several Of those whose lives had been taken M by
the mob were Italian subjects, and demand
was made for the punishment Of the partici.
pants and for an indemnity to the families OF
that the manner In which these claims we've
presented was not such as to promote calm
discussion of theq uestions involved, but this
may well be attributed to the excitement and
indignation which the crime naturally evoked,
The views OF this government as TO Its obliga-
tiOns to foreigners domiciled here were fully
stated In the correspondence. as well as Its pur
pose to make an investigation of the affair with
a view to determine whether there were present
any circumstances that could, under such rules
| tion upon the United States. The temporary
absence of a minister plenlpoteDtiary OF Italy al
this capital has retarded the Iurther correspon-
dence, but 1t Is not dOuDteu tntI d Hlnuly con-
i CluSiOn iy attaiQADlo.