CONGRESS, UNITED STATES. (PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.) 



179 



Sweden and Norway, no incident has occurred which 

 calls for special comment. The recent opening of 

 new lines of telegraphic communication with Central 

 America and Brazil permitted the interchange of mes- 

 sages of friendship with the governments of those 

 countries. 



During the year there have been perfected and pro- 

 claimed consular and commercial treaties with Seryia, 

 and a consular treaty with Boumania, thus extending 

 our intercourse with the Danubian countries, while 

 our Eastern relations have been put upon a wider 

 basis by treaties with Corea and Madagascar. The 

 new boundary-survey treaty with Mexico, a trades- 

 mark convention and a supplementary treaty of ex- 

 tradition with Spain, and conventions extending the 

 duration of the Franco- American Claims Commission, 

 have also been proclaimed. 



Notice of the termination of the fisheries articles of 

 the Treaty of Washington was duly given to the Brit- 

 ish Government, and the reciprocal privileges and ex- 

 emptions of the treaty will accordingly cease on July 

 1, 1885. The fisheries industries, pursued by a numer- 

 ous class of our citizens on the northern coasts both 

 of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, are worthy of the 

 fostering care of Congress. Whenever brought into 

 competition with the like industries of other countries, 

 our fishermen, as well as our manufacturers of fishing 

 appliances and preparers offish products, have main- 

 tained a foremost place. I suggest that Congress 

 create a commission to consider the general question 

 of our rights in the fisheries and the means of opening 

 to our citizens, under just and enduring conditions, 

 the richly stocked fishing waters and seating-grounds 

 of British North America. 



Question has arisen touching the deportation to the 

 United States from the British Islands, by govern- 

 mental or municipal aid, of persons unable there to 

 gain a living and equally a burden on the community 

 here. Such of these persons as fall under the pauper 

 class as defined by law have been sent back in accord- 

 ance with the provisions of our statutes. Her Majes- 

 ty's Government has insisted that precautions have 

 been taken before shipment to prevent these objec- 

 tionable visitors from coming hither without guaran- 

 tee of support by their relatives in this country. The 

 action of the British authorities in applying measures 

 for relief has, however, in so many cases proved inef- 

 fectual, and especially so in certain recent instances of 

 needy emigrants reaching our territory through Can- 

 ada, that a revision of our legislation upon this subject 

 may be deemed advisable. Correspondence relative to 

 the Clayton-Bulwer treaty has been continued and will 

 be laid'before Congress. 



The legislation of France against the importation ot 

 prepared swine products from the Unitea States has 

 been repealed. That result is due no less to the 

 friendly representations of this Government than to 

 a growing conviction in France that the restriction 

 was not demanded by any real danger to health. 



Germany still prohibits the introduction of all swine 

 products from America. I extended to the Imperial 

 Governm'ent a friendly invitation to send experts to 

 the United States to inquire whether the use of those 

 products_ was dangerous to health. This invitation 

 was declined. I have believed it of such importance, 

 however, that the exact facts should be ascertained 

 and promulgated, that I have appointed a competent 

 commission to make a thorough investigation of the 

 subject. Its members have shown their public spirit 

 by accepting their trust without pledge of compen- 

 sation, but I trust that Congress will see in the na- 

 tional and international bearings of the matter a suffi- 

 cient motive for providing at least for reimbursement 

 of such expenses as they may necessarily incur. 



The coronation of the Czar at Moscow afforded to 

 this Government an occasion for testifying its con- 

 tinued friendship by sending a special envoy and a 

 representative of the Navy to attend the ceremony. 



While there have arisen during the year no grave 

 questions affecting the status in the Russian Empire 



of American citizens of other faith than that held by 

 the national church, this Government remains firm in 

 its conviction that the rights of its citizens abroad 

 should be in nowise affected by their religious belief. 



It is understood that measures for the removal of 

 the restrictions which now burden our trade with 

 Cuba and Porto Eico are under consideration by the 

 Spanish Government. 



The proximity of Cuba to the United States, and 

 the peculiar methods of administration which there 

 prevail, necessitate constant discussion and appeal on 

 our part from the proceedings of the insular authori- 

 ties. I regret to say that the just protests of this Gov- 

 ernment Have not as yet produced satisfactory results. 



The commission appointed to decide certain claims 

 of our citizens against the Spanish Government, after 

 the recognition of a satisfactory rule as to the validity 

 and force of naturalization in the United States, has 

 finally adjourned. Some of its awards, though made 

 more than two years ago, have not yet been paid. 

 Their speedy payment is expected. 



Claims to a large amount which were held by the 

 late commission to be without its jurisdiction have 

 been diplomatically presented to the Spanish Gov- 

 ernment. As the action of the colonial authorities, 

 which has given rise to these claims, was admittedly 

 illegal, full reparation for the injury sustained by our 

 citizens should be no longer delayed. 



The case of the Masonic has not yet reached a set- 

 tlement. The Manila court has found that the pro- 

 ceedings of which this Government has complained 

 were unauthorized, and it is hoped that the Govern- 

 ment of Spain will not withhold the speedy reparation 

 which its sense of justice should impel it to offer for 

 the unusual severity and unjust action of its subordi- 

 nate colonial officers in the case of this vessel. 



The Helvetian Confederation has proposed the in- 

 auguration of a class of international treaties for the 

 referment to arbitration of grave questions between 

 nations. This Government nas assented to the pro- 

 posed negotiation of such a treaty with Switzerland. 



Under the Treaty of Berlin, liberty of conscience 

 and civil rights are assured to all strangers in Bul- 

 garia. As the United States have no distinct conven- 

 tional relations with that country and are not a party 

 to the treaty, they should, in my opinion, maintain 

 diplomatic representation at Sofia for the improve- 

 ment of intercourse and the proper protection of the 

 many American citizens who resort to that country as 

 missionaries and teachers. I suggest that I be given 

 authority to establish an agency and consulate-gen- 

 eral at the Bulgarian capital. 



The United States are now participating in a re- 

 vision of the tariffs of the Ottoman Empire. They 

 have assented to the application of a license-tax to 

 foreigners doing business in Turkey, but have opposed 

 the oppressive storage-tax upon petroleum entering 

 the ports of that country. 



The government of the Khedive has proposed that 

 the authority of 'the mixed judicial tribunals in Egypt 

 be extended so as to cover citizens of the United 

 States accused of crime who are now triable before 

 consular courts. This Government is not indisposed 

 to accept the change, but believes that its terms 

 should be submitted for criticism to the commission 

 appointed to revise the whole subject. 



At no time in our national history has there been 

 more manifest need of close and lasting relations with 

 a neighboring state than now exists with respect to 

 Mexico. The rapid influx of our capital and enter- 

 prise into that country shows, by what has already 

 been accomplished, the vast reciprocal advantages 

 which must attend the progress of its internal devel- 

 opment. The treaty of commerce and navigation of 

 1848 has been terminated by the Mexican Govern- 

 ment, and in the absence of conventional engagements 

 the rights of our citizens in Mexico now depend upon 

 the domestic statutes of that republic. There have 

 been instances of harsh enforcement of the laws against 

 our vessels and citizens in Mexico, and of denial of the 



