The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1895-12-04

yetor1S bwo british ships have been ofi police
Nuty d2H'ng this ssGsG1 in those waters The
neSd OF a more effective enforcement OF exist
ing reguhsonsns wen rs tho adoaaon OF such
additional Negotiations as experiences has seown
70 be absolutely necessary TO carry eut the IN
tent OF the award, have been earnestly urged
upon the British govercmcnt, but thUstar with
out enective results.
In the meantimo the dep.etion OF 1ie seal
herds by means OF peSasic hunting has so
alarmlngly progressed that tunless their siaugn-'
Ter IN ut once effectively checked their extlne.
Son WITHIN few years seems TO be matUeV OF
absolute certainty.
The understanding by which the Unfted
States was TO pay, and Great Britain to re-
celVe, lump sum Of S425 900 In full SettlemeHO
OF al British claims for damages arising from
our seizure of British sealing vessels, unau-
thonzed under the award of the Paris trlDunat
OF urDltratl0n, was not confirmed Dy the lasb
congress, which declined to make the neces-'
sary appropriation.
am still OF the opinion that this arrange
ment was judicious and advantageous one for
the government, and l earnestly recommend
that 1t be again considered and sanctioned. H.
however, this does not meet with the faVor OF
congress, it certainly will hardly dissent from
the proposition that the government is Dounu
by every consideration ofhonor and OF good taltn
TO provide for the speedy adjustment OF these
claims by arbitration as the only other alter
native. A treaty Of ARBITRATION has therefore
been agreed upon, and will be Immediately laid
before the senate, so that in one Of the modes
suggested q final settlement may be reached.
Notwithstanding that Great Britain orlgl-
mated the proposal TO enforce international
rules for the prevention OF collisions ut sea-
based on the accommodations OF the maritime
conference of Washington, and concurred in
suggesting March |, 1895. as the date TO be set
by proclamation for carrying these rules into
general effect, her majesty IS government, having
encountered opposition ON the part OF British
shipping interests, announced iJS inability TO
accept that d0te, which was consequently can
ccllcd. The entire matter is still in abeyance,
without prospect Of better condition In the
near future.
ALASKA BOUNDARY.
The completion of the preliminary survey OF
that Alaskan boundary which follows the con-
tour of the coast from tho Southernmost point
OF Prince CT Wales island until it strikes the
one hundred ana forty-!irst meridian, at or near
the summit OF Mount ST Elias, awaits further
necessary appropriation, which is urgently rec
commended
This survey was undertaken under the pro-
visions OF the convention entered into by this
country AMI Great Britain July -, 1892. and the
supplementary convention of February y, 1874.
AS TO the remaining section of the Alaskan
boundary, which follows the one hundred a~ld
f0rty-tirSt meridian nOrthwardly from Mount
st. Elias 10 the frozen ocean. the settlement or
which involves the physical location or the
meridian mentioned, no conventional agree
ment has yet been made
AoInQunv mineral wealth has been dlScOV-
cred in that region, especially ct or near the
Junction OF the boundary meridian with the
Yukon and It's tributaries. In THESE clrcum-
stances IL is expedicnt aad, indeed imperative
that the juriSdictional limits of the respective
governments in this new region be speedily de-
termined Her Britannia majeSty's govern
mcnt has proposed @ joint delimitltion of the
one hundred and forty-first meridian by an
international commission of experts, which, If
congress will authorize it and make due pro-
vision therefor can be accomplished with no
unreasonable delay.
THE FISHERIES DISPUTE.
call attention to the unsatisfactory delini-
tation OF the respective jurisdictions of tue
United States and the Dominion of Canada In the
great lakes at the approaches to the narrow
waters thai connect them. The waters in QueS-
tion are frequented by fishermen of both ma
tionaltieS aAd their nets are there used. OW-
ing TO the uncertainty ard Ignorance as to the
true boundary vexatous disputes and injurious
seizures Of boats andnet by Canadian cruisers
often occur, while any positive settlement
thereof by an accepted standard is not easily to
be reached.
A joint commission to determine the line in
those quarters on practical basis, by meas
ured courses following range marks on snore, is
necessity for which immediate provision
should be made.
THE VENEZUELAN AFFAIR.
| 1t being apparent that the boundary dispute
| between Great Britain and the republic Of Ven-
| ezuela concerning the limits of British Guinea
| was approaching an acute stage, q dehnlte
statement of the interest and policy OF the
| United States as regards the controversy
| seemed to be required both on it's own account
| and in view Of It's relations with the friendly
| powers directly concerned. lnJuly last there
| fore, dispatch was addressed to our ambaS-
| sador ut London for communication to the
| British government, in which the attitude OF
| the United States was fully and distinctly sci
| forth.
| The general conclusions therein reached and
formulated are, in substance, that the tradi-
/ a.,I CHI of crnu rf1
| ment Is firmly opposed to forcible increase
| by any European power of its territorial pos
sessions on this continent; that this policy Is
US well founded In principle as 1t Is strongly
| supported by numerous precedents: that as a
| consequence the United States is bound to pro-
| test against the enlargement Of the area oi
| British Guiana in derogation Of the rights anc
| against the will Of Venezuela; that, consider
ing the DISPARITY in strength Of Great Britain
| and Venezuela the territorial dispute between
them can be reasonably settled only by friendly
| and impartial arbitration, and that the resort
to such arbitration should include the whole
controversy, and is not satisfied II one OF tht
| powers concerned is permitted to draw an arbi
trary line through the territory in debate Il
declare that 1t will submit to arbitration only
the portion lying on one side OF 1t.
In view Of these conclusions, the dispatch II
question called upon the British government
for q definite answer to the question whethe
IL would or would not submit the territorial
controversy between itself and Venezuela IL
its entirety to impartial arbitration The an
swer OF the British government has not ye
been received, but is expected shortly, w6el
further communication on the subject vii
probably be made to the congress.
HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS.
Early in January last an uprising against tn
| government of Hawaii was promptly sup
pressed Martial law was forthwith prOclaime
and numerous arrests were made OF person
: suspected of being in sympathy with the royal
ist party. Among these were several citizen
s1aA aRit hnN nnFNNFt tnfn
! by a military court and sentenced TO deatf
Imprisonment. or fine, or were deported with
out trial The United States, while denyin
, protection to such as had taken the Hawaiia
oath of allegiance, insisted that martial Law
though altering the forms of justice, could NJ
, superSede justice itself, and demanded sta
2 of execution until the proceedings had bee
| submitted to this government and knowledg
obtained therefrom that our citizens had II
ceived fair trial.
The death sentences were subsequently cor
! nuted or we're remitted on condition of leavir
} the islands. Tho cases Of certain American
j., arrested and expelled by arbitrary order, witt
out formal charge or trial have had attentto
| and in some instances have been found to ju
tify remonstrance and claim for indemnit
: which Hawaii has not thus far conceded.
MIR. Thurston, the Hawaiian minister, havil
= furnished this government abundar.t reason
= asking that he be recalled that course was pu
) sued, and his successor has lately been receive
= MEXICAN BOUNDARY DISPUTE.
y The boundary dispute which lately threa
ened to embroil Guatemala and Mexico h
"A happily yielded to pacific counsels and its
y termination has by the joint agreement of t
!. parties been submitted to the sole arbitratl
~ ~ Of the United States minister to Mexico I
y commission appointed under the convention
~ February 49, 1889, to set new monuments alo
~ the boundary between the United States o
= Mexico has completed its task.
- NICARAGUAN AFFAIRS.
n In last years message l narrated at So
as length the jurisdiction questions then fresl
arisen in the Mosquito Indian strip OF MI
nj raRua. Since that time, by the voluntary
re of the Mosquito nation, the territory reserN
n- TO them has been incorporated with Nicarag
= the Indians formally subjecting themselves
l. be governed by the general laws and regu
h tions OF the republic instead of by their o
l. customs and regulations, and thus avail
a. themselves of privilege secured to them