CONGRESS. (PBESIDENT'S MESSAGE.) 



215 



voted by Congress to those who generously succored 

 the survivors of the unfortunate " Jeannette " expedi- 



It'is gratifying to advert to the cordiality of our in- 

 tercourse with bpain. 



The lonf-pending claim of the owners of the ship 

 "Masonic/* for loss suffered through the admitted dere- 

 liction of the Spanish authorities in the Philippine 

 Islands, has been adjusted by arbitration, and an in- 

 demnity awarded. The principle of arbitration in 

 such cases, to which the United States have long and 

 consistently adhered, thus receives a fresh and grati- 

 fying confirmation. 



Other questions with Spain have been disposed of 

 or are under diplomatic consideration with a view to 

 just and honorable settlement. 



The operation of the commercial agreement with 

 Spain, of January 2-February 13, 1884, has been found 

 inadequate to the commercial needs of the United 

 States and the Spanish Antilles, and the terms of the 

 agreement are subjected to conflicting interpretations 

 in those islands. 



Negotiations have been instituted at Madrid for a 

 full treaty, not open to these objections, and in the 

 line of the general policy touching the neighborly in- 

 tercourse of proximate communities, to which I else- 

 where advert, and aiming, moreover, at the removal of 

 existing burdens and annoying restrictions ; and al- 

 though a satisfactory termination is promised, I am 

 compelled to delay its announcement. 



An international copyright conference was held at 

 Berne in September, on the invitation of the Swiss 

 Government. The envoy of the United States at- 

 tended as a delegate, but refrained from committing 

 this Government to the results, even by signing the 

 recommendatory protocol adopted. The interesting 

 and important subject of international copyright has 

 been before you for several years. Action is certain- 

 ly desirable to effect the object in view ; and while 

 there may be question as to the relative advantage of 

 treating it by legislation or by specific treaty, the 

 matured views ol the Berne conference can not fail 

 to aid your consideration on the subject. 



The termination of the commercial treaty of 1862 

 between the United States and Turkey has been 

 sought by that Government. _ While there is question 

 as to the sufficiency of the notice of termination given, 

 yet as the commercial rights of our citizens in Turkey 

 come under the favored-nation guarantees of the prior 

 treaty of 1830, and as equal treatment is admitted by 

 the Porte, no inconvenience can result from the as- 

 sent of this Government to the revision of the Otto- 

 man tariffs, in which the treaty powers have been in- 

 vited to join. 



Questions concerning our citizens in Turkey may 

 be affected by the Porte' s non-acquiescence in the 

 right of expatriation and by the imposition of relig- 

 ious tests as a condition of residence, in which this 

 Government can not concur. The United States must 

 hold, in their intercourse with every power, that the 

 status of their citizens is to be respected and equal 

 civil privileges accorded to them without regard to 

 creed, and affected by no considerations save those 

 growing put of domiciliary return to the land of origi- 

 nal allegiance, or of unfulfilled personal obligations 

 which may survive, under municipal laws, after such 

 voluntary return. 



The negotiation with Venezuela relative to the re- 

 hearing of the awards of the Mixed Commission con- 

 stituted under the treaty of 1866 was resumed in 

 view of the recent acquiescence of the Venezuelan 

 envoy in the principal point advanced by this Gov- 

 ernment, that the effects of the old treaty could 

 only be set aside by the operation of a new conven- 

 tion. A result in substantial accord with the advi- 

 sory suggestions contained in the joint resolution of 

 March 3j 1883, has been agreed upon and will shortly 

 be submitted to the Senate for ratification. 



Under section 3659 of the Kevised Statutes, all funds 

 held in trust by the United States and the annual in- 



terest accruing thereon when not otherwise required 

 by treaty, are to be invested in stocks of the United 

 States bearing a rate of interest not less than 5 per 

 cent, per annum. There being now no procurable 

 stocks paying so high a rate ot interest, the letter of 

 the statute is at present inapplicable, but its spirit is 

 subserved by continuing to make investments of this 

 nature in current stocks bearing the highest interest 

 now paid. The statute, however, makes no provis- 

 ion for the disposal of such accretions. It being 

 contrary to the general rule of this Government to 

 allow interest on claims, I recommend the repeal of 

 the provision in question, and the disposition, under 

 a uniform rule, of the present accumulations from in- 

 vestment of trust funds. 



The inadequacy of existing legislation touching citi- 

 zenship and naturalization demands your considera- 

 tion. 



While recognizing the right of expatriation, no 

 statutory provision exists providing means for re- 

 nouncing citizenship by an American citizen, native- 

 born or naturalized ? nor for terminating and vacating 

 an improper acquisition of citizenship. Even a fraud- 

 ulent decree of naturalization can not now be canceled. 

 The privilege and franchise of American citizenship 

 should be granted with care, and extended to those 

 only who intend hi good faith to assume its duties and 

 responsibilities when attaining its privileges and bene- 

 fits ; it should be withheld from those who merely go 

 through the forms of naturalization with the intent of 

 escaping the duties of their original allegiance with- 

 out taking upon themselves those of their new status, 

 or who may acquire the rights of American citizen- 

 ship for no other than a hostile purpose toward their 

 original governments. These evils have had many 

 flagrant illustrations. 



I regard with favor the suggestion put forth by one 

 of my predecessors, that provision be made for a cen- 

 tral bureau of record of the decrees of naturalization 

 granted by the various courts throughout the United 

 States now invested with that power. 



The rights which spring from domicile in the 

 United States, especially when coupled with a decla- 

 ration of intention to become a citizen, are worthy of 

 definition by statute. The stranger coming hither 

 with intent to remain, establishing his residence hi 

 our midst, contributing to the general welfare, and by 

 his voluntary act declaring his purpose to assume the 

 responsibilities of citizenship, thereby gains an incho- 

 ate status which legislation may properly define. The 

 laws of certain States and Territories admit a domi- 

 ciled alien to the local franchise, conferring on him 

 the rights of citizenship to a degree which places him 

 in the anomalous position of being a citizen of a 

 State, and yet not of the United States, within the 

 purview of Federal and international law. 



tion to define this right of alien domicile as distin- 

 guished from Federal naturalization. 



The commercial relations of the United States with 

 their immediate neighbors and with important areas 

 of traffic near our shores, suggest especially liberal in- 

 tercourse between them and us. 



Following the treaty of 1883 with Mexico, which 

 rested on the basis of a reciprocal exemption from cus- 

 toms duties, other similar treaties were initiated by 

 mv predecessor. 



"Recognizing the need of less obstructed traffic with 

 Cuba and Porto Eico, and met by the desire of Spain 

 to succor languishing interests in the Antilles, steps 

 were taken to attain those ends by a treaty of com- 

 merce. A similar treaty was afterward signed by the 

 Dominican Eepublic. Subsequently overtures were 

 made by her Britannic Majesty's Government for a 

 like mutual extension of commercial intercourse with 

 the British West Indian and South American depend- 

 encies, but without result. 



On taking office, I withdrew for re-examination the 

 treaties signed with Spain and Santo Domingo, then 

 pending before the Senate. The result has been to 



