The record-union., 1894-12-04

rom the diplomatic correspondence on
the subject, which has been laid before
the Senate. it will be seen that this Gov
ernment has offered to conclude a con-
Nehtlon with Spain for disposal by arbi-
.Ialion oi the outstanding claims between
lhe Two countries, except the Mora claim,
WHICH, having been long ago adjusted.
now only awaits payment as stipulated,
anu OF course 1t could not be included
ene proposed convention. 1t was hoped
that this offer would remove parliament
airy obstacles encountered by the Spanish
government in providing payment of the
Mora indemnity. l regret to say that no
oennlte reply To this offer has yet been
niade, and all efforts to secure payment
OF THIS settled claim have been unavailing.
ARMENIAN QUESTION.
In my last annual message l adverted
10 The CLAIM on the part of Turkey of the
right TO eXpel, as persons undesirable and
qangerous, Armenlans naturaliZed in the
United States and returning to Turkish
jurisdiction. Numerous questions in this
relation have arisen. While this Govern
ment acquiesced i'll the asserted rights
OF expulsion, II would not consent that
Armenlans may be imprisoned or other
wise punished for no other reason than
having acqulesced without imperial con-
sent To American citizenship.
Three OF the assailants of Miss Melton,
VI
been convicted by the Ottoman courts,
and L am advised that an appeal against
the acquIttI OF the remaining five has
been taken by the Turkish prosecuting
officers.
RELATIONS WITH VENEZUELA.
a convention has been concluded with
venezuela for the arbitration OF long
disputed claim growing out of the seizure
OF certain vessels, the property of citizens
OF the United States.
Although signed, the treaty of extradi-
Ilon with eneZuela is not yet in force,
owing to the iuSistance of that Govern
ment that when surrendered its citizens
shall III no case be liable to capital pun
ishment.
RESULTS OF THE MARITIME CONFER
ENCE.
The rules for the prosecution of coll
llSlons at sea, which were framed by the
maritime conference held in this city in
1852, having been concurrently incorpor-
ateu IN the statutes OF the United States
and Great Britain, have been announced
10 take effect March |, 1895, and invita-
tons have been extended to all maritime
nations 10 adhere to them. Favorable re-
sponses have thus far been received from
Austria, France, Portugal, Spain and
Sweden.
SAMOAN AFFAIRS.
n my last annual message / referred
prleny to The unsatisfactory state of al
fairs IN Samoa under the operation of the
Berlin treaty, as signally illustrating the
lmpollcy OF entangling alliances with for
elgn powers, and on May 9, 1894 in re-
sponse to resolution of the Senate. |
sent special message and documents to
thab body on the same subject, which
emphasized my previously expressed
opinions. Later occurrences the cOrre-
spondence in regard TO which will be laid
before Congress, further demonstrate that
the government which was devised by
the three Powers and forced upon the
natives against their lnveterate hostility
can be maintained only by continued
presence OF foreign military force, and at
no small sacrifice of life and treasure,
The suppression Of the Mataafa insur-
rectlon by the troops and the subsequent
Punishment Of the leader and eleven other
chiefs, as recIted in my last message, did
not bring lasting peace to the islands.
Formidable uprisings continued. and
finally rebellion broke out in the capi-
tai island, Opolu, headed in the western
district by the younger Tamasese, and
in Atua, the eastern district, by other
leaders. The insurgents ravaged the
country and fought the Government
troops up to the very doors of Apia The
King again appealed to the Powers for
help, and the combined British and Ger
man naval forces reduced the Atuans to
apparent SuDJectlon, not, however, with
out considerable loss to the natives. A
few days later Tanlasese and his adber-
ents, fearing the ships and the marines,
proiessed Submission.
Reports received from our agents at
Apia do not justify the belief that the
peace thus brought about will be OF long
duration. 1t is their conviction that the
natives are at heart hostile to the present
Government; that such of them as profess
loyalty to it do SO from fear of the
Powers, and that it would speedily go to
pieces If the warships were Withdrawn
In reporting to his Government on the
unsatisfactory situation since the sup
preston OF the late revolt by foreign
armed forces, the German Consul at A pia
stated that the fact that peace Will be
lasting is hardly TO be presumed. The
lesson given by firing on Atua was not
sufficiently sharp and incisive to leave a
lasting impression on the forgetful
Samoan temperament. In fact, condi-
tions are existing which show that peace
will not last, and is not seriously in
tended. Malletoa, the King, and his chiefs
are convinced that the departure OF the
warships will be signal for a renewal of
war.
The circumstance that the representa-
tives OF the villages OF all the districts
nave already Withdrawn to Atua 10 hold
meetings, and that botn Atua and Aana
have forbidden the inhabitants of these
districts which fought on the side of the
Government to return to their villages
and have already partly burned down
the latter, indicates that real concilia-
ton of the parties is still far off, and in a
note of the 10Th ultimo, inclosing q copy
of that report for the information Of this
Government, the German Empassador
said: ''The contents of the report awak-
ened In the Imperial Government appre-
hension that under existing circum-
stances the peace concluded with the
rebels will afford no assurance of the
lasting restoration of tranquility in the
islands,"
The present Government has utterly
failed to correct if, indeed, it has not
aggravated the very evils it was intended
to prevent. 1t has not stimulated our
commerce with the islands. Our partici-
ton in its establishment, against the
wishes Of the natives, was in plain def
ance OF the conservative teachings and
warnings of the wise and patriotic men
who laid the foundations of our free in
stitutions, and L invite an expression OF
the judgment of Congress on the pro-
priety OF steps being taken 10y The Gov
ernment looking TO the withdrawal from
lis engagements with the other Powers,
va SOAiiO iSfaSNhaOAS tCA MS nOL
to any OF our existing rights.
Treasury Department..
The Secretary of the Treasury reports
that the receipts of the Government from
all sources of revenue during the fiscal
year ending June 30, 1894, amounting to
S372, So, 49S 20, and its expenditures to
$442, 900, 15S 50. leaving a deficit OF S69,-
SOB, 200 %. There was decrease of Sl5-
952, ,b74 66 in in the ordinary expenses OF