Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-04-17
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
Doctrine Laid Down by Gresham
Chinese Indemnity--What En-
gland Threatens.

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Gresham has laid down some doctrine
touching the rights of merchant steamers
in foreign ports to afford asylum to
refugees that may be OF great Importance
to commanders of vessels. This was
called out by letter aadressSd to- the
state department by q. P. Huntington,
president of the Pacific Mail Steamship
company. The secretary responded that
the so-oalled doctrine of the right of
asylum having no application to mer-
chant vessels in port, it follows that
shipmaster can found no exercise OF dis
cretion on the character of the offense
charged against the refugee. While no
general rule can be laid down as COM
prehensible principle, merchant vessel
IN foreign port is within the local juris-
diction of that country with respect to
offenses or offenders against the laws
thereof, and an orderly demand for the
surrender of person accused of crime
by due process of law, with an exhibi-
tion of warrant of arrest in the hands
of the regularly accredited officers of the
law may not be disregarded or resisted.
N1pPED IN THE BUD.
The state department has checked in
its inception an attempt of the Haytlan
government to impose a discriminating
tax on American citizens and other for
eigners residing in Hayti. Secretary
Gresham entered a most vigorous pro-
test, pointing out that the proposed law
would be in direct conflict with the treaty
,ph: :ob bok cb
not be subjected to any tax not imposed
upon Haytians. Thereupon the Haytian
government abandoned the contemplated
action.
WHAT ENGLAND THREATENS.
Officials here profess to have no in
formation as yet as to the instructions
sent to British war vessels for the en-
forcement of the ultimatum against Nicar-
aqua. Those in q position to under
stand the status of affairs, however, ex-
press the belief that the British instruc-
tions are on the following lines: First,
there shall be no exercise of force which
will affect the commerce or the interests
of the United States or her citizens or of
other foreign countries; second, the exer-
else of force shall be confined to the exc
cution of passive blockade of Nicar-
aguan ports according to the established
rules for that manauver. The passive
blockade is designed to cripple the in
ternational commerce Of Nicaragua and
yet leave all foreign commerce so pro-
tected as to proceed as usual.
BUCHANAN WILL HANG.
Chief Justice Fuller to-day denied the
application of DR.. Robert W. Buchanan,
the New York wife murderer, for a writ
o. error. Buchanan is under sentence
of death during the week beginning on
Monday next.
INDEMNITY WILL BE PAID IN SILVER.
The Chinese imperial edict sent by the
Associated Press last night from Tien
Tsin is accepted among officials and
diplomats here as setting at rest the con-
Alcting reports as to the final terms of
peace. The indemnity of 100000, 900 taels
is a compromise. At the Chinese lega-
ton it is stated that the present value Of
the customs or treasury tael, in which un-
doubtedly the payment will be made, is
$1.O5 in Mexican silver or about Is cents
in gold. This would make the indemnity
equivalent to 22O,000,OOO in Mexican sill
yer or 150,O0O,O0O in gold. The Mexican
trade dollar is the current coin in China
and the basis of calculation. So the be-
lief is very strong, though information
on the subject is lacking, that the pay
ment will be in silver. The edict that
Japan is to occupy the Liao Tung penin-
sula up to the 40th degree of latitude set
ties the important point that she is to
have the great fortress of Port Arthur
and the immediate surrounding territory,
as forshadowed in these dispatches. The
edict does not state whether Japan gets
the acquisition permanently or until the
indemnity is paid. If the occupancy is
only temporary it will give japan mill
tary command over China as long as the
occupancy lasts.
GUATEMALA TROUBLES.
There was much complaint during the
past year about the abuse of Americans
in Guatemala in cases like that of Henry
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