The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-01-18

QenUS are parallels, ana tnat the Cnlledn
Government should be expected to no
more interfere in the one case than the
Federal Government of our own republic
in the other. But this idea proceeds
upon mistake. Chile is one State; its
Government is absolute over all Chilean
territory. There is in Chile no fedora
ton Of independent sovereignties. There
are provinces, it is true, but they are not
under local self-government, even so
much as are cities and towns with US. In
matters judicial and executive all au-
thority proceeds from the Chilean Gov
eminent with its headquarters at San
tiago. There are no States. or compacts
with political divisions of the country;
no district, State or subordinate govern
ments; no Executive but that of the re-
public. Whoever deals politically in
Chile, does so with the one and only
Government in that republic. But in
this country whoever lands upon our
soil, except he touches the Alaskan
shore, has to deal with State govern
ment, and becomes subject to its sover-
eign jurisdiction, which is limited only
by the terms of surrender of rights which
go to make up the Federal power. In
Chile the local authority is the appointee
of the President. and is subject to re-
moval at any time. All its acts are de-
pendent upon approval by the central
authority, and which may disavow and
reverse them. Under such conditions
it is to be readily seen that for the Valpa-
raise affair we must deal with the Chilean
Government, and can have to do with no
other, and can hold no other responsible.
Whatever is done at Valparaiso by the
Government representatives, or that is
done by any other, and is not repudi-
ated by the Government at Santiago, be-
comes the act of the latter. 1t was
wholly different condition of affairs at
New Orleans. Foreigners residing there
do so under the Louisiana government.
The Federal Government can guarantee
to them only that they shall have the
same treatment and privileges accorded
to the citizens Of Louisiana by the local
government. But the assaults at New
Orleans were not against those of any
specific nationality because of it; as a
matter of fact, the assaults included citi-
zens as well as aliens. Whereas at VAL
paraiso the assaults were melted by hos
tility to the nationality of our men; the
uniform Of the United States was the OBJ
! iect and the source of the indignity put
upon our sailors. In whatever light the
cases are reviewed, they will be seen to
be wholly dissimilar and in nothing
parallel.
| THE work of the River Convention,
(which assembled in their annual session
in this city Friday, was well and clearly
done. 1t was large and representative
and a harmonious body, and it formu-
lated strong memorial to Congress,
which will be at once forwarded. While
the convention did not ignore the cause
of the degradation of the navigable rivers,
it INDUCED in no expressions concerning
! the same that can excite any feeling
whatever on the part of miners. In
deed, the spirit Of the convention was
conservative, manly and broad. The
| body went so far as to indicate it's desire
to hold counsel with the Miners Con-
vention, and to that end authorized it's
Executive Committee to confer with the
| like committee of the miners assembly,
for the purpose of carrying out the objects
expressed in the memorial. These OBJ
jects are to secure from Congress affirma-
| tive action approving the reports and
recommendations of the Government
engineers appointed by the Federal legis-
| lature to ascertain the condition of the
chief navigable rivers of the State, and
| to report what, if any, work is necessary
| to be done upon them. Such action by
| Congress will carry with it appropria-
tons advised, aggregating some $500, 900.
A committee is to go on to Washington at
once to lay before Congress and the
proper departments the claims of Califor-
MIA, and to overcome, if possible, the re-
ported economic policy of cutting our
river appropriations to nominal figure.
To longer neglect the channels of the Sac
ramento, Feather and San Joaquin, for so
| from being economic, will be absolutely
wasteful of public money, since the
longer the delay the greater must be the
outlay eventually.