198 



CONGRESS. (PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.) 



eminent has terminated. While it was in progress it 

 became necessary to enforce our neutrality laws by 

 instituting proceedings against individuals and vessels 

 charged with their infringement. These prosecutions 

 were in all cases successful. 



Much anxiety has lately been displayed by various 

 European governments, and especially by the Govern- 

 ment of Italy, for the abolition of our import duties 

 upon works of art. It is well to consider whether the 

 present discrimination in favor of the productions of 

 American artists abroad is not likely to result, as they 

 themselves seem very generally to believe it may, in 

 the practical exclusion of our painters and sculptors 

 from the rich fields for observation, study, and labor 

 which they have hitherto enjoyed. 



There is prospect that the long-pending revision of 

 the foreign treaties of Japan may be concluded at a 

 new conference to be held at Tokio. While this 

 Government fully recognizes the equal and independ- 

 ent station of Japan in the community of nations, it 

 would not oppose the general adoption of such terms 

 of compromise as Japan may be disposed to offer in 

 furtherance of a uniform policy of intercourse with 

 Western nations. 



During the past year the increasing good-will be- 

 tween our own Government and that of Mexico has 

 been variously manifested. The treaty of commercial 

 reciprocity concluded January 20, 1883, has been rati- 

 fied, and awaits the necessary tariff legislation of Con- 

 gress to become effective. This legislation will, I 

 doubt^not, be among the first measures to claim your 

 attention. 



^ A full treaty of commerce, navigation, and consular 

 rights is much to be desired, and such a treaty I have 

 reason to believe the Mexican Government stands 

 ready to conclude. 



Some embarrassment has been occasioned by the 

 failure of Congress at its last session to provide means 

 for the due execution of the treaty of July 29, 1882, 

 for the resurvey of the Mexican boundary and the re- 

 location of boundary monuments. 



With the Eepubhc of Nicaragua a treaty has been 

 concluded, which authorizes the construction by the 

 United States of a canal, railway, and telegraph line 

 across the Nicaraguan territory. 



By the terms of this treaty sixty miles of the river 

 San Juan, as well as Lake Nicaragua, an inland sea 

 forty miles in width, are to constitute a part of the 

 projected enterprise. 



This leaves for actual canal construction seventeen 

 miles on the Pacific side and thirty- six miles on the 

 Atlantic. To the United States, whose rich territory 

 on the Pacific is for the ordinary purposes of com- 

 merce practically cut off from communication by 

 water with the Atlantic ports, the political and com- 

 mercial advantages of such a prelect can scarcely be 

 overestimated. 



It is believed that when the treaty is laid before 

 you the justice and liberality of its provisions will 

 command universal approval at home and abroad. 



The death of our representative at Eussia while at 

 his post at St. Petersburg afforded to the Imperial Gov- 

 ernment a renewed opportunity to testify its sympathy 

 in a manner befitting the intimate friendliness which 

 has ever marked the intercourse of the two countries. 



The course of this Government in raising its repre- 

 sentation at Bangkok to the diplomatic rank has 

 evoked from Siam evidences of warm friendship and 

 augurs well for our enlarged intercourse. The Siam- 

 ese Government has presented to the United States a 

 commodious mansion and grounds for the occupancy 

 of the legation, and I suggest that by joint resolution 

 Congress attest its appreciation of this generous gift. 



This Government lias more than once been called 

 upon of late to take action in fulfillment of its inter- 

 national obligations toward Spain. Agitation in the 

 Island of Cuba hostile to the Spanish Crown having 

 been fomented by persons abusing the sacred righto 

 of hospitality which our territory affords, the officers 

 of this Government have been instructed to exercise 



vigilance to prevent infractions of our neutrality laws 

 at Key West and at other points near the Cuban 

 coast. I am happy to say that hi the only instance 

 where these precautionary measures were successfully 

 eluded the offenders, when found in our territory, 

 were subsequently tried and convicted. 



The growing need of close relationship of inter- 

 course and traffic between the Spanish Antilles and 

 their natural market in the United States led to the 

 adoption, in January last ; of a commercial agreement 

 looking to that end. This agreement has since been 

 superseded by a more carefully framed and compre- 

 hensive convention, which I shall submit to the 

 Senate for approval. It has been the aim of this 

 negotiation to open such a favored reciprocal ex- 

 change of productions carried under the flag of either 

 country as to make the intercourse between Cuba and 

 Porto Eico and ourselves scarcely less intimate than 

 the commercial movement between our domestic ports, 

 and to insure a removal of the burdens on shipping in 

 the Spanish Indies, of which in the past our ship- 

 owners and ship-masters Lave so often had cause to 

 complain. 



The negotiation of this convention has for a time 

 postponed the prosecution of certain claims of our 

 citizens which were declared to be without the juris- 

 diction of the late Spanish- American Claims Commis- 

 sion, and which are therefore remitted to diplomatic 

 channels for adjustment. The speedy settlement of 

 these claims will now be urged by this Government. 



Negotiations for a treaty of commercial reciprocity 

 with the Dominican Eepublic have been successfully 

 concluded, and the result will shortly be laid before 

 the Senate. 



Certain questions between the United States and 

 the Ottoman Empire still remain unsolved. Com- 

 plaints on behalf of our citizens are not satisfactorily 

 adjusted. The Porte has sought to withhold from 

 our commerce the right of favored treatment to which 

 we are entitled by existing conventional stipulations, 

 and the revision of the tariffs is unaccomplished. 



The final disposition of pending questions with 

 Venezuela has not as yet been reached, but I have 

 good reason to expect an early settlement, which will 

 provide the means of re-examining the Caracas awards 

 in conformity with the expressed desire of Congress, 

 and which will recognize the justice of certain claims 

 preferred against Venezuela. 



The Central and South American Commission ap- 

 pointed by authority of the act of July 7 ? 1884, will 

 soon proceed to Mexico. It has been furnished with 

 instructions, which will be laid before you. They 

 contain a statement of the general policy of the Gov- 

 ernment for enlarging its commercial intercourse with 

 American states. The commissioners have been ac- 

 tively preparing for their responsible task by holding 

 conferences in the principal cities with merchants 

 and others interested in Central and South American 

 trade. 



The International Meridian Conference, lately con- 

 vened in Washington upon the invitation of the Gov- 

 ernment of the United States, was composed of repre- 

 sentatives from twenty -five nations. The conference 

 concluded its labors on the 1st of November, having 

 with substantial unanimity agreed upon the meridian 

 of Greenwich as the starting-point whence longitude 

 is to be computed through one hundred and eighty 

 degrees eastward and westwardj and upon the adop- 

 tion, for all purposes for which it may be found con- 

 venient, of a universal day ; which shall begin at 

 midnight on the initial meridian and whose hours 

 shall be counted from zero up to twenty-four. 



The formal report of the transactions of this con- 

 ference will be hereafter transmitted to the Congress. 



This Government is in frequent receipt of invita- 

 tions from foreign states to participate in international 

 exhibitions, often of great interest and importance. 

 Occupying as we do an advanced position in the 

 world's production, and aiming to secure a profitable 

 share for our industries in the general competitive 



