Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-12-17
THE MESSAGE.
President Harrison's Third Annual
Message to Congress.
GENERAL REVIEW OF STATE AFFAIRS.
Reciprocity. the Tariff. Finance. silver and
Other Questions-The CHILEAN and
Italian Imbroglios on the
Gerrymander''-Sugge
PRESIDENT HARRIsoS's OPINIONS.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9.-The following
is President Harrison's message to the
Fifty second congress:
To THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENT
ATlNES. The reports Of the heads OF the sever
a. executive departments, required hy law To
be submitted 10 me, which are herewith trans
mltted and the reports OF the secretary Of the
treasury ana the attorney general, made di
reetly 10 congress, furnish comprehensive
View OF the administrative work OF the last
hscal year relating TO international affairs. Il
NouLa &c Qi great advantage II these
reports could have an attentive perus-
al by every member OF congress
and by all who take an interest in public af-
fairs; such a pecusal shoulc.not fan TO excite a
higher appreciation Of the vast labor and con
sclentious effort which are given TO the conduct
OF our civil administration. The reports will, I
DeIlSNe, snow that every question has been
approached considered ana decided from the
standpoint Of public duty and upon censidera-
lions affecting the public interests alone.
Again invite to every branch OF the service
the attention and scrutiny Of congress
Reciprocal Trade.
The work Of the state department during the
last year has been characterized by an uu-
usual number of important negotiations and by
upiomatlc results OF notable and highly ben
eiicial character Among these are the recip-
rooal trade arrangements which have been CON
cluded in the exercise Of the pOwer conferred
by section OF the taYin law. with the republic
OF Brazil. with Spain for its West India posses.
elons and with san Domingo. Like negotiations
Win Otuer countries have been much advanced
ana IL Is noped that before the close OF the year
further dehnitve trade arrange ments Of great
value will be concluded
The Behring sea Question.
In view OF the reports which have been re-
ceived as to the dimInution Of the seal herds in
the Behring sea, deemed il wise TO propose to
her maJestys government in February last
mat an agreement as TO a closed season should
be made pending the negotiations for arbitra-
tlon Whlch then seemed to be approaching a
favorable conclusion After much correspond
ence and delays 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
ana until May !. 1892 10 prohibit the killing by
her subjects OF seals IN the Behring sea, and
the government OF the United States, during
the same period, to enforce its existing pro-
hibltion against peagic sealing and to limit
the catch by the Fur Sealing Company upon
the Islands to 1900 skins II this agreement
could have been reached earlier in response to
the strenuous efforts OF this government it
would have been more effective; but, coming
even as late as II did, II unquestionably result
ed IN greatly diminishing the destruction Of
the seals by the Canadian sealers.
Our Pork Abroad.
The laws OF the last congress providing q
system OF inspection for our meats intended
| Tor exports. and clothing the president with
| power to exclude foreign products from our
| market in case the country sending them
should perpetraie unjust Determinations
against any product of the United States.
placed this government in position
| TO effectively urge the removal Of
| such determinations against our meats. Il is
| gratifying TO be able TO state that Germany,
| Denmark, Italy. Austria and France. in the or
der named, have opened their ports TO inspected
| pork products, The removal OF these restric-
! tiOns in every instance was asked for and given
solely upon the ground that we had
| now provided a meat inspection that should
! be accepted as adequate to the complete re-
| moval Of the dangers real or fancied which
| had been previously urged.
Brazilian Troubles.
| The recent political disturbances in the re.
public OF Brazil have excited regret and solicit
! tude The information we possessed was too
meager 10 enable us to form a satisfactory
| judgment OF the causes leading to the tenn
| porary assumption Of supreme power by Presi-
| dent Fonseca; but this government did not fail
| 10 express TO him its anxious solicitude for the
| peace or Brazil ana for the maintenance
OF the free political institutions which had re-
| Gently been established there, nor to offer our
| advice that great moderation should be OBJ
served IN the clash OF parties and the contest
| Tor leadership. These counsels were received
in the most friendly spirit, and the latest in
formation is that constitutional government has
been re-established without bloodshed
The New Orleans Lynching.
The lynching at New Orleans in March last
of eleven men OF Italian nativity by mob OF
citizens was most deplorahle and discredit
able incident II did not, however, have its
origin in any general animosity TO the Italian
people nor in any disrespect to the govern
ment OF Italy, with which our relations were
OF the most friendly character. The fury OF the
mob was directed against these men as the
| supposed participants or accessories in
the murder Of city officer I do
not allude to this as mitigating in any degree
this offense against law and humanity, but
only as affecting the international questions
which grew out Of it. II was openly represented
by the Italian minister that several Of those
whose lives had been taken by the mob we're
Italian subjects, and a demand was made for
the punishment OF the participants and for an
indemnity TO the families OF those who were
Killed 1t IS to be regretted that the manner
IN which these claims were presented was not
such as TO promote a calm discussion Of the
questions involved; but this may well
be attributed to the excitement and
evoked. The views Of this government as to
Its obligations TO foreigners domicied here
were fully stated in the correspondence as its
purpose TO make an investigation OF the affair
with view to determine whether there weIo
present any circumstances that could, under
such rules Of duty as we had indicated, Gre
ate an obligation upon the United States
The temporary absence of the sub-minister
plenipotentiary Of Italy at this capital has re-
tarded the further correspondence, but it is not
doubted that friendly conclusion is attainabe.
Some suggestions growing out of this I'm
happy incident are 0Tthy the attention of
congress. IL would, believe. be entirely com
petent for congress 10 make odenses against
the treaty rights of foreigners domiciled in the
United States cogniZable in the federal courts.
This has not however, been done and federal
oflcers and courts have power in such cases
to intervene either for the protection of
foreign citizen or for the punishment Of his
slayers. 1t seems to me TO follow. in this state
OF the law, that the officers OF theIstate charged
with police and judicial powers in such eases
must, in the consideration ~ the international
questions, growing out Of such Incidents be re-
garded in such sense federal agents as to
make this government answerabe for their
acts in cases where it would be answerable II
| the United States had used its constitutional
power to define and punish crimes against
| treaty rights
The ChfItan Tp,hrO1Ifo
The president reviews the late civil war in
| Chilli at some length, touches briefly upon the
Eeizure. escape and surrender Of the Itata and
says: THE instructions 10 our naval officers
and TO our minister at Santiago, from the first
TO the last of the CHILEAN war enjoined upon
them the mos, impartial treatment and abso-
Lutte noninterference. / am satisfied that these
instructions We're observed and that our rep
resentatives were always watchful 10 use their
influence impartially in the interests OF hu-
manity, and on more than one occasion did 50
| effectively. No officia complaint o. the con
| duct Of our minister or Of naval Of
hcers during the struggle has been pre-
sented To this government" Contin
uing, the president details at length
the attack the sailors OF the Baltimore in
Valparaiso on october IT, resulting in tho
death Of Two seamen and the serious injury OF
seven or eight others. and says The atten-
ton Of the Gillian government was at once
called to this affair, and a statement Of the
facts obtained by the investigation had con-