Middletown transcript., 1898-12-10


serve our large interests in that quarter
by all means appropriate to the con-
slant policy of our government. The
territories of Kiaochau, of Wei-Hai-
Wei and of Port Arthur and Talienwan.
leased to Germany, Great Britain and
Russia respectively for terms of years,
will, it is announced, be open to inter-
national commerce during such alien
occupation, and If no discriminating
treatment of American citizens and
their trade be found to exist or be here
after developed the desire of this gov
ernment would appear to be realized.
The measures taken to protect Amer
leans in China are mentiSned, and the
president then details this later aspects
of the Colombia-Italian difficulty. Amer
lean representation at the Paris exposi-
tion is the next subject, and Commits
sioner Peck's work is detailed. The
president, after speaking Of the COM
mercial arrangement with France and
the pending one with Germany, says:
Our relations with Great Britain have
| continued on the most friendly footing.
Asserting to our request, the protection
| of Americans and their interests in
| Spanish jurisdiction was assumed by
the diplomatic and consular represent
atfves of Great Britain, who fulfilled
their delicate and arduous trust with
tact and zeal, eliciting high commenda-
ton. I may be allowed to make fitting
| allusion to the instance of Mr.. Rams
| den, her majesty's consul at Santiago
| de Cuba, whose untimely death after
distinguished service and untiring eff
fort during the siege of that city was
| sincerely lamented.
It will give me especial satisfaction
| If shall be authorized to communicate
| to you favorable conclusion of the
| pending negotiations with Great Britain
| in respect to the Dominion of Canada.
| 1t is the earnest wish of this govern
| ment to remove all sources of discord
and irritation il our relations with the
neighboring Dominion. The trade be-
/ tween the two countries is constantly
| increasing, and it is important to both
| countries that all reasonable facilities
should be granted for it's development.
Annexation of Hawaii.
The annexation of Hawaii is now dis
cussed. The president says, after de-
failing the taking over of the islands
| and the appointment of the Hawaiian
commission:
I The commissioners having fulfilled
the mission confided to them, their re-
| port will be laid before you at an early
/ day. 1t is believed that their recon-
mendations will have the earnest con-
| sideration due to the magnitude of the
responsibility resting upon you to give
such shape to the relationship of those
mid-Paciffc lands to our home Union as
will benefit both in the highest degree,
realizing the aspirations of the COM
munity that has cast it's lot with us
and elected to share our political her
| itage, while at the same time justifying
the foresight of those who for three
quarters of century have looked to
the assimilation of Hawaii as natural
and inevitable consummation, in har-
mony with our needs and in fulfillment
of our cherished traditions.
| Under the provisions Of the Joint res
olution the existing customs relations
of the Hawaiian Islands with the Unit
ed States and with other countries re-
main unchanged until legislation shall
| otherwise provide. The consuls of Ha-
wall here and in foreign countries con-
tinue to fulfill their commercial agen-
cies, while the United States consulate
at Honolulu is maintained for Rll ap-
propriate services pertaining to trade
and the revenue. 1t would be desirable
that all foreign consuls in the Hawaiian
Islands should receive new exequaturs
from this government.
The attention Of congress is called to
| the fact that, our consular offices
having ceased to exist in Hawaii and
being about to cease in other countries
| coming under the sovereignty of the
United States, the provisions for the
relief and transportation of destitute
| American seamen in these countries un-
| der our consular regulations will in
consequence terminate. 1t is proper,
therefore, that new legislation. should
be enacted upon this subject in order to
meet the changed conditions
The president speaks Of our relations
| with Mexico and suggests the amend
ment of the extradition statute so as
to give the president authority to act
| where a treaty negatives the obliga-
tion to surrender. Other Mexican ques-
tions are discussed. The message then
| says:
The Czar's Proposal.
The proposal Of the czar for a general
| reduction of the vast military estab-
| lishments that weigh so heavily upon
many peoples in time of peace was
communicated to this government, with
an earnest invitation to be represented
in the conference which it is contem-
plated to assemble with view to dis
| cussing the means Of accomplishing so
desirable a result His majesty was at
once informed of the cordial sympathy
| of this government with the principle
| involved in his exalted proposal and Of
| the readiness of the United States to
| take part in the conference. The active
| military force Of the United States as
measured by our population, territorial
area and taxable wealth is, and under
any conceivable prospective conditions
must continue to be- in time of peace so
| conspicuously less than that Of the
armed powers to whom the cars ap-
| peal is especially addressed that the
/ question can have for us no practical
| Importance save as marking an auspi-
cious step toward the betterment and
| good will among them, but in this view
It behooves us as nation to lend coun-
| tenance and aid to the beneficent prof.
| ect.
! The newly accredited envoy of the
| United States to the Ottomon porte car
ries instructions looking to the disposal
of matters in controversy with Turkey
| for a number of years. He is especially
charged to press for just settlement
Of our claims for indemnity by reason
of the destruction of the property of
American missionaries resident in that
country during the Armenian troubles
| of 1895, as well as for the recognition
of older claims Of equal justness.
He is also Instructed to seek an ad-
| iustment of the dispute growing out of
| the refusal of Turkey to recognize the
acquired citizenship of Ottoman born
| persons naturalized in the United States
since 1869 without prior imperial con-
| sent, and in the same general relation
| he is directed to endeavor to bring
4 about a solution of the question which
has more or less acutely existed since
1869 concerning the jurisdictional rights
| of the United States in matters of
criminal procedure and punishment un-
der article of the treaty of $780, This
| latter difficulty grows out of a verbal
difference, claimed by Turkey to be es-
| sential, between the original Turkish
text and the promulgated translation.
After more than two years from the
4