The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-12-04

way.
 OVeftures for convention to effect the
 building of canal under the auspices of
 the United States are under considera-
 ton In the meantime, the views of the congress upon the general subject, in the
 light or the report of the Commission
 appointed to examine the comparative merits of the various Lrans-lsthnian ship canal projects, may be awaited.
 l commend to the early attention of the Senate the Convention with Great Brit ain to facilitate the construction of such
 canal and to remove any objection which might arise ont of the Convention
 commonly called the Clayton Bulwer Treaty.
 The long-standing contention with Por- tugal, growing out of the seizure of the Delagoa Bay Railway, has been at last determined by | favorable award of the tribunal of arbitration at Berne, to which it was submitted. The amount of the award which was deposited in London awaiting arrangements by the Govern ments of the United States and Great Britain for it's disposal, has recently been paid over to the two Governments.
 A lately signed Convention of EXtradi- tion with Peru as amended by the Senate has been ratified by the Peruvian Con- gress.
 Another illustration of the policy of this Government to refer international disputes to impartial arbitration is seen in the agreement reached with Russia to submit the claims on behalf of American sealing vessels seized in Bering Sea to determination by Mir. T. M. c. Asser, a distinguished statesman and jurist of the Netherlands
 Thanks are due to the Imperial Rus sian Government for the kindly aid rem dered by it's authorities in eastern Si- beria to American missionaries fleeing from Manchuria.
 Satisfactory progress has been made toward the conclusion of q general treaty of friendship and intercourse with Spain, in replacement of the old treaty, which passed into abeyance by reason of the late war \ new convention of extradi- tion is approaching completion, and I should be much pleased were conner cial arrangement to follow. I feel that we should nos suffer to pass any oppor- tunity to reafIirm the cordial ties that ex- isted between LIS and Spain from the time oI oul tdl ICSl lIitit tilVtl'lihANs anu tp Nll nance the mutual benefits of that con- mercial intercourse which is natural be- tween the two countries.
 By the terms of the Treaty of Peace the line bounding the ceded Philippine group in the southwest failed to include several small islands lying westward of the Sulus, which have always been rec ognzed as under Spanish control. The occupation of Sibutu and Cagayan Sulu by our naval forces elicited a claim on the part of Spain, the essential equity of which could not be gainsaid. In or der to cure the defect of the treaty by all possible ground of future respecting the inter- pretation of it's third article I directed | the negotiation of q supplementary | treaty, which will be forthwith laid be- | fore the Senate, whereby Spain quits all | title and claim of title to the islands | named as well as to any and all islands | belonging to the Philippine Archipelago lying outside the lines described in said | third article, and agrees that all such [ islands shall be comprehended in the ces- sion of the archipelago as fully as if they had been expressly included within those lines In consideration of this ces- sion the United States is to pay to Spain the sum of $100,000.
 A bill is now pending to effect the recommendation made in my last An nual Message that appropriate legisa- ion be had to carry into execution Arti- ,le VII of the Treaty of Peace with Spain, by which the United States as sumed the payment of certain claims for of it's citizens against Spain. ask that action be taken to fulfill this 
 The King of Sweden and Norway has accepted the joint invitation of the Unit ,d States, Germany, and Great Britain Q arbitrate claims growing out of losses in the Samoan Islands in the ,ourse of military operations made neces- 'ary by the disturbances in 1899.
 We await the fultillment of the promise if the Sultan to make reparation for the injuries suffered by American citizens in Armenia and elsewhere in the Turkish Empire. His Majesty's good disposi- ion in this regard has been evinced " the issuance of an trade for rebuilding he American college at Harpoot The failure of action by the Senate at ts last session upon the commercial con
  ton and approval, although caused by , he great pressure of other legislative , has caused much disappoint- nent to the agricultural and industrial interests of the country, which hoped to { roft by their provisions. The conven- , ional periods for their ratification hay 7 az expired it became necessary to sign S dditional articles extending the time for $ hat purpose. This was requested on ! UT part, and the other governments in- ( crested have concurred with the excep- 2 ion of one convention, in respect to f 'hich no formal reply has been received. Since my last communication to the 2 Congress- on this subject special commer- n ial agreements under the third section S f the tariff act have been proclaimed s -ith Portugal, with Italy, and with Ger V lany. Commercial conventions under 6 le general limitations of the fourth sec V on of the same act have been concluded 'ith Nicaragua, with Ecuador, with the & 'ominican Republic, with Great Britain I, I behalf of the island of Trinidad, and I -ith Denmark on behalf of the island h : St. Croix. These will be early commu- Q cated to the Senate. Negotiations with ,her governments are in progress for h le improvement and security of our V relations. Q, The policy of reciprocity so manifestly a sts upon the principles of international n