Evening star., 1897-04-02
PRESIDENT DIAZ'S MESSAGE.
Condition OF Affairs in the Mexican
Republic.

President Diaz opened the Mexican con-
gress last evening and began hts message
with a review of the foreign relations. He
remarked that Mexico has no difficulty
with any foreign government In reference
to Cuba h said that whenever Mexican
citizens have been arrested and impris-
oned in Cuba charged with being impli-
Gated in the insurrection the Mexican con-
sui at Havana had been successful III Oh
tanning their release.
With respect TO the United States. he re-
fer-ed to the extension OF the term for
completion OF the work of the international
water boundary commission by all agree
menJ between the TWO governments con-
cludei at Washington November last The
extension Is for one year and the subject
for this commission is to settle the con-
troversy arising from changes in the bed
OF the Rio Grande river and in that part
OF its course where II forms the interna-
ticnal boundary He also stated that the
same commission had reported on the plan
for construction OF the dam of the same
river above Ell Paso and said that the
Mexican minister az Washington was ne
goJistins a treaty with the United States
government upon lines recommended by
the commission
He also remarked that the two govern
n ents had agreed to submit to the arbitra-
uon of the Argentine minister al Madrid the
claims against Mexico OF Charles Oier-
lander and Barbara Messenger growing
out Of Tie arrest of the former by Mex
lean officials in the border Of lower Cali
fornia- The arrangements for arbitration
OF uis claim have been reached under the
old treaty OF Guadalupe which provided
for the Submittal 10 arbitration of all
CONTROVERSIES between the TWO nations
which cannot be settled through diplomatic
chaInels, provided that arbitration is not
appAcsDle 10 special circumstances. which
do not exist in the present instance
In dealing with domestic affairs the
fFesideni alluded 10 the progress of public
WORKS throughout the country and deyotes
huch space u the subject of education
CToiG and silver mining continues 10 pros
per He remarked that slrce his previous
message In september 2,,53 mining grants
had been issued. During the last fiscal
year totaI exports of Mexico amounted to
siS"osO. OF which mineral products con-
ulouted sI1.Un.UD- In some of the mixing
camps OF Mexico great progress is being
male in the application OF electricity gem
Grated from water power for the operation
OF mining and milling machinery The
MeAlcah government has accepted the IN
vitation 10 be represented by delegates at
the NTH universal postal congress to meet
al Washington in Nay
The railway system of the country has
been extended since September by ~ kIlo-
meters twenty-five new or modified char
ters for railroads have been granted in
the same time and only four have been
forfeited
The financial condition of the ,overnmen,
continues entirely satisfactory and normal.
sources OF revenue continue to increase
In the first half of the present fiscal wear
the normal revenue amounted to S23 800 600
which is more than half of the sum adopt-
eG as the basis for estimating the reye-
rue during the next fiscal year
Import duties exceed collections in the
first half OF last fiscal year by a half mil
Hon, and the yield OF stamp duties bn-h
nearly millfon-