The evening times., 1898-12-05

| during the present session of Congress-
Negotiations to the same end with Ger
many have been set on foot. Meanwhile
| no effort has been relaxed to convince the
| Imperial Government of the thoroughness
| of our inspection of pork products for
! expectation, and 1t is trusted that the ef-
| ficient administration of this measure by
the Department of Agriculture will be
recognized as a guarantee of the health
| fulness of the food staples we send
abroad to countries where their use is
| large and necessary.
OUR FRUITS IN GERMANY.
| / transmitted to the Senate, on the 10th
| of February last, information touching
the prohibition against the importation OF
| fresh fruits from this country, which had
| had then recently been decreed by Ger
many on the ground of danger of dissent
mating the San Jose scale insect. This
precautionary measure was justified by
Germany on the score of the drastic steps
| taken in several States of the Union
against the spread OF the pest, the elab-
crate reports of the Department of Ag-
riculture being put in evidence to show
| the danger to German fruit-growing in
| terests should the scale obtain a lodg-
! ment in that country. Temporary relief
| was afforded in the case of large consign-
| ments of fruit then on the way. by inspec-
| ton and admission when found non-in-
| fected. Later the prohibition was extend
| ed to dried fruits of every kind, but was
relaxed so as to apply only to unpeeled
| fruit and fruit waste. AS was to be ex-
| pected, the alarm reached to other coun-
| tries, and Switzerland has adopted a SIM
| liar inhibition. Efforts are in progress to
| induce the German and Swiss Govern
ments TO relax the prohibition in favor of
| dried fruits shown to have been cured
| under circumstances rendering the exist
ence of animal life impossible.
RELATIONS WITH ENGLAND.
Our relations with Great Britain have
| continued on the most friendly footing
| Asserting to our request the protection
of Americans and their interests in Span
! ish jurisdiction was assumed by the dip
| lomatic and consular representatives Of
| Great Britain, who fulfilled their deli
cate and arduous trust with tact and
/ zeal, eliciting high commendation. / may
be allowed to make fitting alusion to the
instance of Mr.. Ramsden, Ter Majesty's
! consul at Santiago de Cuba, whose un-
| timely death after distinguished service
| and untiring effort during the siege OF
| that city was sincerely lamented.
| In the early part of April last pur-
| suant to a request made at the instance
| of the Secretary Of State by the British
| ambassador at this Capital the Canadian
government granted facilities for the
passage Of four United States revenue
| cutters from the Great Lakes to the At
| lantic Coast by way of the Canadian ca
| nails and the St. Lawrence River. The
vessels had reached Lake Ontario and
were there awaiting the opening of navi-
cyaf when declared hot
the United States and Spain. Her Ma
| jestys government thereupon, by a com
municaTion of the latter part of April
stated that the permission granted fore
| the outbreak of hoStiiities would not b
| withdrawn provided the United States
| Government gave assurance that the
| vessels in question would proceed direct
to q United States port without engaging
in any hostile operation. This Govern
ment promptly agreed to the stipulated
condition, ii being understood that the
vessels would not be prohibited from re-
sisting any hostile attack.
TRADE WITH CANADA.
1t will give me especial satisfaction if /
shall be authorized to communicate TO
YOU a favorable conclusion of the pending
negotiations with Great Britain ir re-
SiSGl ~ lllt DOillHlDll OIL tdNdud. 1t is
| the earnest wish of this Government TO
| remove all sources of discord and irrita-
ton in our relations with the neighb 1ring
| Dominion. The trade between the two
| countries is constantly increasing and IL
| is important to both countries that all
| reasonable facilities should be granted
| for it's development.
The government of Greece strongly
urges the nervousness of the duty here
| imposed upon the currants of that coun-
| try, amounting to 100 per cent or more
of their market value This fruit is stat
| ed to be exclusively a Greek product not
coming into competition with any domes-
! tic product. The question of reciprocal
| commercial relations with Greece. includ-
! ing the restoration of currants to the free
| list is under consideration.
| The long standing claim of Bernard
| Campbell for damages for injuries sus-
| tanned from violent assault committed
against him by military authorities in the
| Island of Haiti, has been settled by the
| agreement of that republic TO pay him
! $4,000 in American gold. OF this sum
| 5000 has already been paid 1t is hoped
| that other pending claims of American
| citizens against that republic may be ami
| cably adjusted.
| ANNEXATION OF HAWAII.
Pending the consideration by the SEN
ate of the treaty signed June 16. 1897, by
| the plenopotentiaries of the United States
| and of the Republic of Hawaii providing
| for the annexation of the Islands. a Joint
resolution to accomplish the same pur-
| pose by accepting the offered cession and
| Incorporating the ceded territory into the
| Union was adopted by the Congress and
| approved July I. 1898. / thereupon direct
| ed the United States steamship Philadel-
| phia TO convey Rear Admiral Miller to
| Honolulu. and intrusted to his hands this
! important legislative act, to be delivered
| to the President of the Republic of Ha-
| wall, with whom the admiral and the
| United States minister were authorized to
| make appropriate arrangements for
| transferring the sovereignty of the ISL
| ands to the United States. This was SIM
ply but impressively accomplished on the
| 18th of August last, by the delivegG of a
| certified copy of the resolution to Presi-
| dent Dole, who thereupon yielded up to
| the representative of the Government of
the United States the sovereignty and
| public property of the Hawaiian Islands
| Pursuant to the terms of the joint reso-
| luton and in exercise of the authority
/ thereby conferred upon me, | directed that
| the civil judicial and military powers
heretofore exercised by the officers of the
! Government of the Republic of Hawaii
! should continue to be exercised by those
| officers until Congress shall provide gov
| ernment for the incorporated territory
| subject to my power to remove such Of
| ficers and to fill vacancies. The President