PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



645 



of the foreign commerce of that republic as well as to 

 the development of its vast interior resources. 



In Samoa, the government of King Malictoa, under 

 the support and recognition of the consular represen- 

 tatives of the United States, Great Britain, and Ger- 

 many, seems to have given peace and tranquillity to 

 the islands. While it does not appear desirable to 

 adopt as a whole the scheme of tripartite local govern- 

 ment, which has been proposed, the common interests 

 of the three great treaty powers require harmony in 

 their relations to the native frame of government, and 

 this may be best secured by a simple diplomatic agree- 

 ment between them. It would be well if the consular 

 jurisdiction of our representative at Apia were in- 

 creased in extent and importance, so as to guard 

 American interests in the surrounding and outlying 

 islands of Oceanica. 



The obelisk, generously presented by the Khedive 

 of Egypt to the City of New York, has safely arrived 

 in ttiis country, and will soon be erected in that me- 

 tropolis. A commission for the liquidation of the 

 Egyptian debt has lately concluded its work, and this 

 Government, at the earnest solicitation of the Khedive, 

 has acceded to the provisions adopted by it, which 

 will be laid before Congress for its information. A 

 commission for the revision of the judicial code of the 

 Eeform Tribunal of Egypt is now in session in Cairo. 

 Mr. Farman, Consul-General, and J. M. Batchelder, 

 Esq., have been appointed as commissioners to par- 

 ticipate in this work. The organization of the Reform 

 Tribunals will probably be continued for another pe- 

 riod of five years. 



In pursuance of the act passed at the last session of 

 Congress, invitations have been extended to foreign 

 maritime states to join in sanitary conference in Wash- 

 ington, beginning the first of January. The accept- 

 ance of this invitation by many prominent powers 

 gives promise of success in this important measure, 

 designed to establish a system of international noti- 

 fication, by which the spread of infectious or epidemic 

 diseases may be more effectively checked or prevented. 

 The attention of Congress is invited to the necessary 

 appropriations for carrying into effect the provisions 

 of the act referred to. 



The efforts of the Department of State to enlarge 

 the trade and commerce of the United States, through 

 the active agency of consular officers, and through the 

 dissemination of information obtained from them, 

 have been unrelaxed. The interest in _ these efforts, 

 as developed in our commercial communities, and the 

 value of the information secured by this means to the 

 trade and manufactures of the country, were recog- 

 nized by Congress at its last session, and provision 

 was made for the more frequent publication of con- 

 sular and other reports by the Department of State. 

 The first issue of this publication has now been pre- 

 pared, and subsequent issues may regularly be ex- 

 pected. The importance and interest attached to the 

 reports of consular officers are witnessed by the gen- 

 eral demand for them by all classes of merchants and 

 manufacturers engaged in our foreign trade. It is 

 believed that the system of such publications is de- 

 serving of the approval of Congress, and that the 

 necessary appropriations for its continuance and en- 

 largement will commend itself to your consider- 

 ation. 



The prosperous energies of our domestic industries, 

 and their immense production of the subjects of for- 

 eign commerce, invite, and even require, an active 

 development of the wishes and interests of pur people 

 in that direction. Especially important is it that our 

 commercial relations with the Atlantic and Pacific 

 coasts of South America, with the West Indies and 

 the Gulf of Mexico, should be direct, and not through 

 the circuit of European systems, and should be carried 

 on in our own bottoms. The full appreciation of the 

 opportunities which pur front on the Pacific Ocean 



Kves to commerce with Japan, China, and the East 

 idies, with Australia and the island groups which 

 lie along these routes of navigation, should inspire 

 equal efforts to appropriate to our own shipping, 



and to administer, by our own capital, a due propor- 

 tion of this trade. Whatever modifications of our 

 regulations of trade and navigation may be neces- 

 sary or useful to meet and direct these LmpabM t. tin: 

 enlargement of our exchanges and of our can- vim; 

 trade, I am sure the wisdom of Congress will be ready 

 to supply. One initial mea-sure, however, seem- t' 

 me so clearly useful and efficient that I venture to 

 press it upon your earnest attention. It seems to be 

 very evident that the provision of regular steam postal 

 communication, by aid from Government, has been 

 the forerunner of the commercial predominance of 

 Great Britain on all these coasts and seas, a greater 

 share in whose trade is now the desire and the intent 

 of our people. It is also manifest that the en"nrts ,,i 

 other European nations to contend with Great Britain 

 for a share of this commerce have been successful in 

 proportion with their adoption of regular steam postal 

 communication with the markets whose trade they 

 sought. Mexico and the States of South America are 

 anxious to receive such postal communications with 

 this country, and to aid in their development. Similar 

 cooperation may be looked for, in due time, from tlie 

 Eastern nations, and from Australia. It is difficult to 

 see how the lead in this movement can be expected 

 from private interests. In respect of foreign com- 

 merce, quite as much as in internal trade, postal com- 

 munication seems necessarily a matter of common and 

 public administration, and thus pertaining to Govern- 

 ment. I respectfully recommend to your prompt at- 

 tention such just and efficient measures as may con- 

 duce to the development of our foreign commercial - 

 exchanges, and the building up of our carrying trade. 



In this connection I desire also to suggest the very 

 great service which might be expected In enlarging 

 and facilitating pur commerce on the Pacific Ocean 

 were a transmarine cable laid from San Francisco to 

 the Sandwich Islands, and thence to Japan at the 

 north and Australia at the south. The great influence 

 of such means of communication on these routes of 

 navigation in developing and securing the due share 

 of our Pacific coast in the commerce of the world 

 needs no illustration or enforcement. It may be that 

 such an enterprise, useful and in the end profitable as 

 it would prove to private investment, may need to be 

 accelerated by prudent legislation by Congress in its 

 aid, and I submit the matter to your careful considera- 

 tion. 



An additional and not unimportant, although sec- 

 ondary, reason for fostering and enlarging the Navy 

 may be found in the unquestionable service to the ex- 

 pansion of our commerce which would be rendered by 

 the frequent circulation of naval ships in the seas and 

 ports of all quarters of the globe. Shins of the proper 

 construction and equipment to be of the greatest effi- 

 ciency in case of maritime war might be made con- 

 stant and active agents in time of peace in the ad- 

 vancement and protection of our foreign trade, and in 

 the nurture and discipline of young seamen, who 

 would naturally, in some numbers, mix with and im- 

 prove the crews of our merchant ships. Our mer- 

 chants at home and abroad recognize the value to for- 

 eign commerce of an active movement of our naval 

 vessels, and the intelligence and patriotic zeal of our 

 naval officers in promoting every interest of their 

 countrymen is a just subject of national pride. 



The condition of the financial affairs of the Govern- 

 ment, as shown by the report of the Secretary of the 

 Treasury, is very satisfactory. It is believed that the 

 present financial situation of the United States, wheth- 

 er considered with respect to trade, currency, credit, 

 growing wealth, or the extent and variety of our re- 

 sources, is more favorable than that of any other coun- 

 try of our time, and has never been surpassed l>y that 

 of any country at any period of its history. All our 

 industries are thriving ; the rate of interest is low ; 

 new railroads are being constructed ; a vast imm igni- 

 tion is increasing our population, capital and labor ; 

 new enterprises in great number are in progress, and 

 our commercial relations with other countries are im- 

 proving. 



