Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1895-12-05
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

To the Congress of the United States:
The present assembage of the legisla-
tive branch of our government occurs at
a time when the interests of our people |
and the needs of the country give especial
prominence to the condition Of our foreign
relations and the exigeDciss Of our ma.
tioDal finances. The reports Of the heads
of the several administrative departments |
Of the government fully and plainly ex
hibit what has been accomplished within |
the scope Of their respective duties and
present such recommendations for the bet
terment of our country's condition as pa
triotic and intelligent labor and observa-
tion suggest
1 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 our
| intercourse with foreign nations, and a
statement Of the financial problems which
confront us, omitting except as they are
related to these topics, any reference to
departmental operations
The Waller Case.
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 preoedents 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 a 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-
| oeived 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 a bad precedent. The efforts of
our ambassador to procure it, 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 |
alleviation 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 1895. 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-
ton was not confirmed by the last con
gress, which declined to make the Deces-
sary appropriation. / am still OF the opin-
ion that this arrangement was judicious |
and advantageous one for the government,
and | earnestly recommend that it be
again considered and sanctioned. IL how
ever, this does not meet with the favor OF |
congress, 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
as 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 q 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
southernmost point of Prince OF Wales is
land until 1t strikes the one hundred and
forty first meridian at or near the summit I
OF Mount st. Elias awaits further neces-
sary appropriation. which is urgently rec
commended. This survey was undertaken
under the provisions of the convention en-
tered into by this country and Great Brit
ain July 22, 1899, and the supplementary
convention of Feb. 8, 1894.
AS to the re naming section of the
Alaskan boul dary, which follows the one
wardly from Mount st. Elias TO the frozen
ocean. the settlement of which involves
the physical location of the meridian men,
toned, no conventional agreement has yet
been made. The ascertainment of given
meridian at particular point is a work
requiring much time and careful Observa-
tions and surveys. Such observations and
surveys were undertaken by the Uni4ed
States coast and geodetio survey 10 1890 |
and 1891, while similar work in the same
quarters under British auspices are be-
iieved to give nearly coincident results
but these surveys have been independent
ly conducted, and no international agree
ment to mark those or any other parts of
the one hundred and forty first meridian
by permanent monuments has yet been
made. In the meantime the valley Of the
Yukon is becoming highway through
the hitherto unexplored wilds of Alaska,
and abundant mineral wealth has been
discovered in that region, especially at or
near the junction of the boundary merid-
ian with the Yukon and its tributaries
In these circumstances it is expedient
and indeed imperative that the jurisdic-
tional limits Of the respective governments
in this new region be speedily deter
mined. Her Britannia majesty's govern
ment has proposed joint delimitation OF
the one hundred and forty first meridian
by an international commission Of experts,
which, IL congress will authorize it and
make due provision therefor, can be ac-
complished with no unreasonable delay
1t is impossible to overlook the vital i'm
portance of continuing the work already
entered upon and supplementing it by
further effective measures looking to the
exact location of this entire boundary line
The Venezuelan Dispute.
1t being apparent that the boundary
dispute between Great Britain and the re-
public OF Venezuela concerning the limits
Of British Guiana was approaching an
acute stage, a definite 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 its relations with the friendly
powers directly concerned. In July last,
therefore, dispatch was addressed TO our
ambassador at London for communication
TO the British government, In which the
attitude of the United States was fully
and distinctly set forth. The general con-
illusions therein reached and formulated
are in substance that the traditional and
established policy of this government is
firmly opposed to forcible increase by