The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-12-06

sels ana cargoes in our ports in like cases.
No satisfactory settlement of these yexa-
tious questions has yet been reached.
The Mora case, referred to in my last
annual message, remains unsettled
From the diplomatic correspondence on
this subject, which has been laid before
the senate, it will be seen that this gov
ernment has offered to conclude a con-
vention with Spain for disposal by arbi-
tration of outstanding claims between
the two countries, except the Mora claim,
which, having been long adjusted, now
only awaits payment as stipulated, and
of course 1t could not be included in the
proposed convention. 1t was hoped that
this offer would remove parliamentary
obstacles encountered by the Spanish
government in providing payment of the
Mora indemnity. l regret to say that no
definite reply to this offer has yet been
made, and all efforts to secure payment
of this settled claim has been unavailing
In my last annual message l referred
to the claim on the part of Turkey of the
right to expel, as persons undesirable
and dangerous, Armenians naturalized
in the United States and returning to
Turkish jurisdiction. Numerous ques-
tions in this relation have arisen. While
this government acquiesces in the as
serted right of expulsion it will not con-
sent that Armenians may be imprisoned
or otherwise punished for no other rea-
son than having acquired without i'm
perlal consent, American citizenship.
Three of the assailants of Miss Melton,
an American teacher in Mosul, have been
convicted by the Ottoman courts and l
am advised that an appeal against the
acquittal of the remaining five has been
taken by the Turkish prosecution officers.
A convention has been concluded with
Venezuela for the arbitration of long
disputed claim growing out of the seiz-
ure of certain vessels, the property of
citizens of the United States.
Although signed, the treaty of eXtradi-
tion with Venezuela is not vet in force,
owing to the insistance of that govern
ment that when surrendered it's citizens
shall in no case be liable to capital pun
ishment.
The rules for the prevention of colis-
ions at sea, which were framed by the
Maritime conference held in this city in
1889, having been cOncurrently incOrpo-
rated in the statutes of the United States
and Great Britain have been announced
to take effect March 6, 1895, and invita-
tions have been extended to all maritime
nations to adhere to them. Favorable
responses have thus far been received
from Austria, France, Portugal, Spain
and Sweden.
In my last annual message | referred
briefly to the unsatisfactory state of af-
fairs in Samoa under the operation of the
Berlin treaty, as signally illustrating the
impolicy of entangling alliances with for
eign powers; and on May 9, 1894, in re-
sponse to q resolution of the senate, | sent
q special message and document to that
body on the same subject, which empha-
sized my previously expressed opinions.
ater occurrences, the correspondence in
regard to which will be laid before con-
gress, further demonstrate that the gov
,ernment, which was devised by the three
lpowers and forced upon the Samoans
lagainst their inveterate hostility, can be
maintained only by the continued presence
IOf a foreign military force and at no
small sacrifice of life and treasure. The
suppression Of the Mataafa insurrection
! by the powers and the subsequent Danish
ment of the leader and IL other chiefs,
: as recited in my last message, did not
: bring lasting peace to the islands For
midable uprising continued and finally a
rebellion broke out in the capital island,
| Upola Head in Aana, the western district,
by theyounger TamasseZ 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 German naval forces reduced
the Atuans to apparent subjection, not,
, however, without considerable loss to the
natives. A few days later Tamassez and
his adherents, fearing the ships and the
= marines, professed submission. Reports
received from our agents at Apia do not
: justify the belief that the peace thus
brought about will be of long duration. II
| is their conviction that the natives are
! at heart hostile to the present government
that such of them as profess loyalty to il
do so from fear of the powers and that il
l would speedily 90 to pieces if the warships
were withdrawn. In reporting to his gov
ernment on the unsatisfactory situation
: since the suppression of the late revolt
, by foreign armed forces, the German con
sui at Apia stated that peace will be
lasting is hardly to be presumed. The les
/ sons given by firing on Atua was not sufii'
ciently sharp and decisive to have last
ing impression on the forgetful Samoan
! temperance. In fact, conditions are ex
: will not last and is not seriously in
= tended. Maleitoa, the king, and his
chiefs are convinced that the departing
of the warships will be n signal for a
, renewal of the war. The circumstances
that the representation of the villages
: of all the districts which were opposed
to the government have already with
drawn 10 AtIud 10 HOlu lueelluBS, uuu
the fact that both Attua and Aana have
forbidden inhabitants of those districts
. which fought on the side of he govern
ment to return to their villages, and have
already partly burned down the latter
indicates that reconciliation of the par
ties is still far off, and in note Of the
10th ult., inclosing copy of that re-
; port for the information of this govern
ment, the German ambassador said
"The contents of the reports awakened
the imperial governments apprehen-
sion that under existing circumstances
the peace concluded with the rebels
will afford no assurance of the lasting
restoration of tranquility in the island" "
The present government has utterly
failed to correct, if indeed 1t has not
aggravated the very evils it was in
tended to prevent, it has not stimulated
our commerce with the islands. Our
participation in is establishment
against the wishes of the natives was
! in plain defiance of the conservative
teachings and warnings of the wise and
: patriotic men who laid the foundations
, of our free institutions, and L invite
an expression of the judgment of CON
gress on the propriety of steps being
! taken by this government looking to the
, withdrawal from its engagement with
the other powers on some reasonable
: terms not prejudicial of any OF our ex-
istng rights.