Middletown transcript., 1895-12-07
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.


To the Congress Of the United States:
4 The present assemblage of the legisla
tive branch of our government occurs a
o time when the interests Of our peopl
and the needs Of the country give especia
prominence to the condition Of our foreigl
relations and the exigencies Of our ma
tional finances The reports Of the head
of the several administrative department.
Of the government fully and plainly ex
hibit what has been accomplished within
the scope Of their respective duties ani
present such recommendations for the bet
terment Of our oountry's condition as pa
triotic and Intelligent labor and obserya
tion suggest.
therefore deem my executive duty
adequately performed at this time by pre-
senting to the congress the important
phases Of our situation as related to oul
intercourse with foreign nations, and 9
statement Of the financial problems which
confront us, omitting except as they are
related to these topics, any reference te
departmental operations
Inc Wallef C0S6s
The customary cordial relations between
this country and France have been undis-
turbed, with the exception that full ex-
PLANTATION Of the treatment Of John L
Waller by the expeditionary military au-
thorities OF France still remains to be
given. Mr.. Waller, formerly United
States consul at Tamatave, remained in
Madagascar after his term of Office expired
and was apparently successful in procur-
Ing business concessions from the Hoyas
of greater or less value. After the occu-
patton of Tamatave and the declaration OF
martial law by the French he was arrested
upon various charges, among them that
Of communicating military information
to the enemies of France, was tried and
convicted by military tribunal and SEN
fenced to 20 years imprisonment.
Following the course justified by abun-
dant precedents, this government request
ed from that of France the record Of the
proceedings Of the French tribunal which
resulted in Mr.. Waller's condemnation.
This request has been complied with to
the extent of supplying copy of the off.
cial record, from which appear the consti-
tuition and organization of the court, the
charges as formulated, and the general
course and result Of the trial, and by
which it is shown that the accused was
tried in open court and was defended by
counsel. But the evidence adduced in
support of the charges-which was not re-
ceived by the French minister for foreign
affairs till the first week in October-has
thus far been withheld, the French gov.
ernment taking the ground that its pro-
duction in response to our demand would
establish bad precedent The efforts Of
our ambassador to procure 1t, however.
though impeded by recent changes in the
French ministry, have not been relaxed,
and it is confidently expected that some
satisfactory solution Of the matter will
shortly be reached. Meanwhile it appears
that Mr. Waller's confinement has every
which the state of his health
and all the other circumstances Of the
case demand or permit.
The Bering Sea Award.
The understanding by which the United
States was to pay and Great Britain to
receive lump sum Of s425, 900 in full
settlement of all British claims for dam
ages arising from our seizure of British
sealing vessels unauthorized under the
award Of the Paris tribunal of arbitra-
tion was not confirmed by the last con-
gress, which declined to make the neces-
sary appropriation. am still of the opin-
lon that this arrangement was judicious
and advantageous one for the government,
and l earnestly recommend that 1t be
again considered and sanctioned. II, how
ever, this does not meet with the favor of
1t certainly will hardly dissent
from the proposition that the government
Is bound by every consideration of honor
and good faith to provide for the speedy
adjustment Of these claims by arbitration
rs the only other alternative. A treaty OF
arbitration has therefore been agreed upon
and will be Immediately laid before the
senate, SO that in one Of the modes sug-
gested final settlement may be reached.
The Alaskan Boundary.
The completion Of the preliminary sur
Vey of that Alaskan boundary which fol-
lows the contour OF the coast from the
point Of Prince of Wales is
and until it strikes the one hundred and
'orty- first meridian at or near the summit
,f Mount st. Elias awaits further neces-
'ary appropriation, which is urgently rec-
This survey was undertaken |
Under the provisions of the convention en-
;ered into by this country and Great Brit |
lin. July 90, 1899, and the supplementary |
of Feb 8, 1894.
As to the re naming section of the |
Alaskan boundary, which follows the one |
hundred and forty first meridian north |
vardly from Mount st. Elias to the frozen
ocean, the settlement of which involves |
he physical location Of the meridian men, |
ioned, no conventional agreement has yet |
been made. The ascertainment OF a given |
meridian at particular point Is a work |
much time and careful observa- |
ions and surveys. Such observations and |
urveys were undertaken by the United |
States coast and geodetic survey in 1890 |
md 1891, while similar work in the same |
quarters under British auspices are be- |
ieved to give nearly coinoident results, |
,ut these surveys have been independent |
y conducted, and no International agree |
nent to mark those or any other parts of |
he one hundred and forty first meridian |
~ permanent monuments has yet been |
made. In the meantime the valley Of the |
Yukon Is becoming highway through |
he hitherto unexplored wilds OF Alaska,
md abundant mineral wealth has been |
discovered in that region, especially at or |
lear the junction of the boundary merid- |
an with the Yukon and Its tributaries. |
n these circumstances it is expedient |
md indeed imperative that the jurisdic-
ional limits Of the respective governments
n this new region be speedily deter |
mined. Her Britannia majesty's govern |
nent has proposed joint delimitation Of |
he one hundred and forty first meridian |
" an international commission Of experts, /
which, II congress will authorize It and |
make due provision therefor, can be ac-
with no unreasonable delay.
t is impossible to overlook the vital i'm
,ortance of continuing the work already |
inferred upon and supplementing 1t by
urther effective measures looking to the
'xact location Of this entire boundary line.
The Venezuelan Dispute.
1t being apparent that the boundary
lispute between Great Britain and the re-
,ublic Of Venezuela concerning the limits
Il British Guiana was approaching an
lcute stage, definite statement of the
interest and policy of the United States
IS regards the controversy seemed to be
equired both on its own account and In
Jew of its relations with the friendly |
lowers directly concerned. In July last
dispatch was addressed to our
m ha ssaflnr nj , Oi,,4on for communication |