The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1899-12-07

and Industrial prosperity which will Civ,
employmc to Idle men and re-estsbllsh ih'
! PURSUITS or peace. This II her chief and
Immediate need Ry the time the result,
! or the recent census will have been tnbu
iaich we shall proceed TO provide for elec
lions which will commit the municipal gov
4 ernmcnis or the islsnd to the officers elect
\ ed by the people. The experience thus ac
| quircd viii prove OF great value In the for
nation " q representative convention nj
! the people TO draft constitution and estab
Ilsn general system OF Independent gov
ernnent for the Island In the meantime
and so long ms we exercise control over the
Island. the products OF Cuba should hnvp n
market In the United States on as good
terms and with as favorable rates Of duty
as are given 10 the West India Islands IN.
der treaties of reciprocity which shall he
made. For the relief Of the distressed in
the Island Of Cuba the War Department has
Issued supplies 10 destitute persons through
the officers ~ the army. which have
amounted 10 5dl3 O0O ratlons. nj n cost of
81 All. .J54.ST. To promote the dlsarma ment
~ the Cuban volunteer arnv. tho Of
S25f7.7j0 was paid from the emergency
fGrd provided by the net of January = 1880
for that purpose. Ont Of the Cuban island
revenues during tho six months ending June
20. 1S99. H.Ti20I4.20 was exDendcd for san
itation. s293. SS1.I0 for charities and hos
pItnls. nnd Ses 044 OF for aid to the dcsti-
tute. Judicial intercourse between the
courts Of Cuba md Puerto Rico and OF
Spain has been established as provided by
tho treaty OF peace The Cuban political
prisoners in Spanish ncnaI stations have
heen and are being released and returned
10 their homes. ] would recommend appro-
priatc legislation In order IN carry Into OK
ecutiOn Art 'cle : OF the treaty of peace with
Spain. by which the United States assured
the payment NJ certain claims for lndem-
nifty for Its citizens against Spain.
In the Turkish Empire the situation Of
our citizens remains unsatisfactory. Our
efforts during nearly forty years to bring
a NJ f-1t
to he on tho brink of final failure through
the announced policy ~ the Ottoman Porte
to refuse recognition Of the alien status Of
native Turkish subjects naturalizcd abroad
since 1867
The arbitrary treatment In some instances
of American productions In Turkey has Mt
tractcd attention ~ late. notably In regard
To our flour Large shipments nv the re-
Turkish ports have been denied entrance.
SETTLEMENT OF THE VENEZUELAN
BOUNDARY.
The International Commission NJ ArhItrn-
tlon rendered IN award on October 2 last
whereby the boundary line between Venc-
zucla and British Guiana Is determined.
Tins ending CONTROVERSY which has exist
ed FOR the greater part of the century. The
award. MS to which the arbtrators were
unanimous. appears to be equally satiSfac-
tory 10 both parties.
Venezuela has once more undergone rev
olutOn. Tho Insurgents under General
Castro. after n sancuinary engagement In
which they suffered much loss. rallied In
the mountainous interior and advanced to-
warl the capital The hulk ~ the army
having sided with the movement. President
Andradc quilted Caracas. where General
Castro set mp provisional government.
with which our Minister and the represent
atlveS of other powers entered Into diplo-
matte relations on the 10th Of November
1899
CoxfMrDCrA ,rDI,ATtt-c cI ocEp Dr.R
ING THE RECESS.
The fourth section Of the tariff act ap-
proved July 81. 1897. appears to provide
only for commercial treaties. which should
he entered into by tho President and also
ratified by the Senate within two years
" have been signed during the Congress
sional recess with Great Britain for the
respective colonies " British Guiana. Bar.
hadoes, Bermuda. jamaica and Turks and
Caicos Islands aud with me republic OF
Nicaragua. Important reciprocal conven-
tons have also been concluded with France
and with the Argentine Republic.
The President here refers to the interest
taken In the international Union or Amer
lean Republics and Statea that all the re-
pubIcs OF South and Central America are
now represented. and says that. AZ none Of
the members have given notice ot with
drawal. according TO the terms. It's main
tcnance Is assured for the next ten years.
In view OF this fact and OF the numerous
questions OF general Interest and common
benefit to all OK the republics OF America,
some of which were considered by the hrst
international American conference. hut not
finally settled, and others which have since
then grown to Importance. IL would seem
cxpedlent that the various republics constl-
tutlng the union should he Invited 10 hold.
at an early date. another conference In the
cn pital Of one OF the countries other than
the United States. which has already en-
joyed this honor
RESULTS or PEACE CONFERENCE.
In response to the Invitation Of His Ma
jesty the Emperor " Russia. delegates from
twenty-six countries were assembled nj
The Hague on the 18th OF May. as members
Of conference In tho interest or peace
The occasion seemed TO he opportunc for
the scrions consideration OF plan for the
pacific adjustment of international diner
ences n subject In which the American peo-
ple have been deeply Interested for many
Years and n definite project for n perma-
nent international tribunal was Included In
the instructions TO the delegates or the
United States. The final act of the confer
ence includes conventions upon the anchor
alton OF the laws and customs Of war on
land the adaptation 10 maritime warfare
Of the principles Of the Geneva Conven.
tion Of 1864. and the extension or Judlclal
methods to international cases The con- |
ventlon for the pacific settlement Of inter
national conflicts emhodles the leading fea- |
lures OF the American plan. with such mod |
ificatlons as were rendered necessary by the
great diversity Of Views and interests rep |
by the delegates. The four titles |
OF the convention provide for the mainte.
nance Of general peace. the exercise or good |
Offices and mediation. the formation OF com |
missions OF inquiry and international arbi- |
tration. The provision for arbitratlon con.
templates the formation OF permanent |
tribunal before which disputed cases may
he brought for settlement 10y the mutual |
consent OF the ltigants In each separate
rase. The advantages OF such n permanent |
tribunal over impromptu commissions OF ar
btration are conceived to he the actual ex-
stence OF Il competent court. prepared to
administer justice. the greater economy re-
;ultlng from welldevised system. ana the
accumulated judicial skill and experience
which such a tribunal would soon possess.
Tins interpreted. the convention for the
,aclfc settlement OF international CONNECTS
nay he REGARDED as realizing the earnest
iesirc Of great number or American clti,
.ens, whose deep sense Of Justice expressed
II numerous resolutions and memorials. mas
,rged them TO labor for this noble achieve
nent The general character or the con.
'cntion already signed by the delegates OF
Il to the favorable action OF the
senate OF the United States, whose RAIN
alton II still awaits.
or THE VOLUNTEER
REGIMENTS.
Since my last annual message. ana IN
bedence 10 the acts Of Congress OF April
2 and 20, 1S9S. the remaining volunteer
orce enlisted for the Spanish war consist
ne OF "A. .Sl4 regulars and 110.2O2 volun-
GERS. with over 5000 volunteer officers. has
cen discharged from the military service;
" the volunteers. 66I officers and 1881
nen were serving In the Philippines. ana
$50 Of the regulars who were entitled 70
q mustered out after the ratification OF
be treaty of peace. They voluntarily re.
lalned nj the front until their places could
e filed by new troops. They were re-
urned home In the order In which they
Mt of the service and In the ranks OF citi-
ensbin recommend that the Congress