The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-12-06

! and Orange Free State governments. 70
exercise the customary good othee9 OF
a neutral for the care OF British inter-
ests. In the discharge Of this function
/ am happy 70 say that abundant OPP
/ portuuity has been Afforded 70 show the
lmpartiality Of this government toward
1 both the combatants.
For the fourth time In the preSeut'de-
cade question has arisen with the gov
eminent OF Italy In regard to the lynch.
ing Of Italian subjects. The lateAt Of
these deplorable events occurred at
| Tallulah, Louisiana, whereby tiYe I'M
fortunates of Italian origin were taken
| from jail and hanged.
The authorities Of the state and rep
resentatlVe of the italian embassy haV-
| Ing separately Investigated the occur
renee, WITH dIscrepant results. parucu'
larry as to the alleged citizenship Of the
victims. and It not appearing that the
/ state had been able to discover and
! punish the violators Of the law. an IN
| dependent investigation has been set
on foot, through the agency OF the de-
! partment OF state, and Is still IN pro-
gress. The result win enable the exec
utive to treat the question with the gov
eminent of Italy in spirit OF faifNess
and Justice. A satisfactory solution
will doubtless be reached.
Treaty Rights to Foreigners.
The recurrence Of these distressing
manifestations Of blind mob fury d.
rected at dependents or natives Of q
foreign country suggests that the con-
| tIngency has arisen for action by Con-
Rress in the direction OF comforting upon
the federal courts Jurisdiction tE TINS
class OF International cases, where the
ultimate responsibility OF the teueEal
government may be involved. the
! suggestion is not new. In his anauol
message OF December 8. 1881. my preoe-
cessor President Harrison, said:
ut would, l believe, be entirely COM
petent for Congress to make oftenses
against the treaty rights Of Foreigners
domlcIled in the United States cogniza-
! bic in the federal courts. This has not.
however, teen done. and the federal
| officers AMI courts have no power IN
such cases to intervene either for the
protection OF u foreign citizen or Tor
| the punishment of his slayers. It
seems to me to follow. In this state OF
the law, that the officers OF the stare
charged with police and s-SS.clal powers
| In such cases must, In the consideration
Of international questions growing OUT
Of such incidents, be regarded IN Suen
sense as federal agents as to maks th ms
| government ansWerahle for their acts
IN cases where II would be anwerable II
| the United States had used Its coDStitu-
| tional power to define ana punish
| crimes against treaty rights
| A bill 10 provide for the punishment
| OF violations OF treaty rights OF aliens
was introduced in the senate Mareh l.
| 1899 and reported faVorably March 80
Having doubtless in view the language
OF that part Of Article III. Of the treaty
| OF February rs, 1872, between the uni
ted States and Italy, which supuiates
that "the citizens Of each OF the hlGh
contracting parties SHAH receive, IN tne
states and territories Of the other, NEST
constant protection and security for
their persons and property, and shalI
enjoy In this respect the same rights
and privileges as constitute a like crime
against the United States, and be cog
ni2able In the federal courts. NO acuon
was taken by Congress in the matter;
| earnestly recommend that the sub
| ject be taken up anew, and acted upon
| during the present session. The neceS-
sity for some such provision apuno-
sntly appears. Precedent for consttut.
ing a federal Jurisdiction In criminal
cases where aliens are sufferers y ra-
tionally deducIble from the exist
ing statute, which gives to tne
district and circuit court9 Of
the United States Jurisdiction of civil
suits brought by aliens where the
amount involved exceeds certain sum.
| II such Jealous Golicltude be shown for
alien rights in cases Of merely civil ana
pccunIary import, how much greater
should be the public duty to take eogni.
zance of matters Affecting the lie ana
the rights of aliens under the settled
principles OF international law no less
than under treaty stipulation, In cases
az such transcendant wrong doing as
moh-Hurder, especially when experience
has shown that local justice is too often
helpless 10 punish the Offenders
After many years Of endeaVor on the
| part OF this government to that end the
! Italian government has consented to
enter into negotiations for naturalsza-
| tion convention, having for one OF It's
| objects the regulation Of the status or
| Italians Except those Of an age for &C.
| tive military service), who, having been
nnturalIzed In the United States. may
revisit italy. It Is hoped that with the
mutually concIllatory spirit displayed
successful conclusion will be reached
New Treaties With Foreign Powers.
The treaty Of commerce and navIEa-
ton between the United States and
Japan. on November %, 1874, took effect
In accordance with the terms Of Its
XIXth article on the 18th Of July last,
| simultaneously with the announcement
of like treaties with the other powers.
| except France, whose convention did not
| 20 into operation until August I, the
| United States being, however, granted
| M TO that date all the privileges and
rIchts accorded to French citizens under
the old French treaty. BY this not2-
bic conventional reform Japan's posi-
ton as fully independent sovereign
power Is assured. control being cameo
OF taxation. customs revenues, judiciai
| administration, coastlng trade and all
other domestic functions OF government
| and foreign eXtra-territorual rlgnts De"
ing renowned.
Comprehensive codes OF civil and
criminal procedure. according to west
| ern methods, public instruction, patents
and copyrights. municipal administra-
tion. Including Jurisdiction over the for
mer foreign settlements. customs taritts
| and procure. public health and other
! administrative measures have been pro-
claimed. The working OF the new sys-
tenn has given rise to no material COM
plants on the part OF the American citl-
1ens or interests. circumstance when
attcFts the ripe consideration with
which the change has been prepared.
Valuable assistance was rendered by
the Japanese authorities 10 the United
States transport ship, Morgan City,
while stranded al Kobe, Permission
has been granted to land and pasture
army horses at Japanese ports Of call
| on the way to the Philippine Islands.
These kindly evidences OF good will ara
! highly appreciated.
The Japanese government has shown
a lively interest In the proposition OF the
! Pacifc Cable Company 20 add 30 It's
projected cable lines Hawaii Guam