200 



CONGRESS. (THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.) 



to the Government of Italy it* reprobation and abhor- 

 rence of the lynching of Italian subjects in New Or- 

 leans by the payment of 125,000 francs, or $24,330.90, 

 was accepted by the King of Italy with every mani- 

 festation of gracious appreciation, and the incident 

 has been highly promotive of mutual respect and 

 good will. 



In consequence of the action of the French Govern- 

 ment in proclaiming a protectorate over certain tribal 

 districts of the west coast of Africa eastward of the 

 San Pedro river, which has long been regarded as the 

 southeastern boundary of Liberia, I have felt con- 

 strained to make protest against this encroachment 

 upon the territory of a republic which was founded 

 by citizens of the United States, and toward which 

 this country has for many years held the intimate re- 

 lation of a friendly counselor. 



The recent disturbances of the public peace by law- 

 less foreign marauders on the Mexican frontier have 

 afforded this Government an opportunity to testify 

 its good will for Mexico and its earnest purpose to 

 fulfill the obligations of international friendship by 

 pursuing and dispersing the evil doers. The work of 

 relocating the boundary of the treaty of Guadalupe 

 Hidalgo, westward from El Paso, is progressing favor- 

 ably. 



Our intercourse with Spain continues on a friendly 

 footing. I regret, however, not to be able to report 

 as yet the adjustment of the claims of the American 

 missionaries arising from the disorders at Ponape, in 

 the Caroline Islands, but I anticipate a satisfactory 

 adjustment in view of renewed and urgent representa- 

 tions to the Government at Madrid. 



The treatment of the religious and educational 

 establishments of American citizens in Turkey has of 

 late called for a more than usual share of attention. 

 A tendency to curtail the toleration which has so 

 beneficially prevailed is discernible, and has called 

 forth the earnest remonstrances of this Govern- 

 ment. Harassing regulations in regard to schools and 

 churches have been attempted in certain localities, 

 but not without due protest and the assertion of the 

 inherent and conventional rights of our countrymen. 

 Violations of domicile and search of the persons and 

 effects of citizens of the United States by apparently 

 irresponsible officials in the Asiatic vilayets have from 

 time to time been reported. An aggravated instance 

 *of injury to the property of an American missionary 

 at Bourdour, in the province of Konia, called for than 

 urgent claim for reparation, which I am pleased to 

 say was promptly heeded by the Government of the 

 Porte. Interference with the trading ventures of our 

 citizens in Asia Minor is also reported, and the lack 

 of consular representation in that region is a serious 

 drawback to instant and effective protection. I can 

 not] believe that these incidents represent a settled 

 policy, and shall not cease to urge the adoption of 

 proper remedies. 



International copyright has been extended to Italy 

 by proclamation in conformity with the act of March 

 3, 1891, upon assurance being given that Italian law 

 permits to citizens of the United States the benefit of 

 copyright on substantially the same basis as to sub- 

 jects of Italy. By a special convention, proclaimed 

 Jan. 15, 1892, reciprocal provisions of copyright have 

 been applied between the United States and Germany. 

 Negotiations are in progress with other countries to 

 the same end. 



I repeat with great earnestness the recommenda- 

 tion which I have made in several previous messages 

 that prompt and adequate support be given to the 

 American company engaged in the construction of 

 the Nicaragua Ship Canal. It is impossible to over- 

 state the value from every standpoint of this great 

 enterprise, and I hope that there may be time, even 

 in this Congress, to give to it an impetus that will in- 

 sure the early completion of the canal, and secure to 

 the United States its proper relation to it when com- 

 pleted. 



The Congress has been already advised that the 

 invitations of this Government for the assembling 



of an international monetary conference to consider 

 the question of an enlarged use of silver were accepted 

 by the nations to which they were addressed. The 

 conference assembled at Brussels on the 22d of No- 

 vember, and has entered upon the consideration of this 

 great question. I have not doubted, and have taken 

 occasion to express that belief as well in the invita- 

 tions issued for this conference as in my public mes- 

 sages, that the free coinage of silver upon an agreed 

 international ratio would greatly promote the interests 

 of our people and equally those of other nations. It 

 is too early to predict what results may be accom- 

 plished by the conference. If any temporary check 

 or delay intervenes, I believe that very soon commer- 

 cial conditions will compel the now reluctant govern- 

 ments to unite with us in this movement to secure 

 the enlargement of the volume of coined money 

 needed for the transaction of the business of the 

 world. 



The report of the Secretary of the Treasury will 

 attract especial interest in view of the many mislead- 

 ing statements that have been made as to the state of 

 the public revenues. Three preliminary facts should 

 not only be stated, but emphasized, before looking 

 into details: First, that the public debt has? been re- 

 duced since March 4, 1889, $259,074,200, and the an- 

 nual interest charge $11,684,469; second, that them 

 have been paid out for pensions during this admin- 

 istration up to Nov. 1, 1892, $432,564,178.70, an oxcc>s 

 of $114,466,386.09 over the sum expended during the 

 period from March 1, 1885, to March 1, 1889 ; and, 

 third, that under the existing tariff up to Dec. 1 about 

 $93,000,000 of revenue, which would have been col- 

 lected upon imported sugars if the duty had been 

 maintained, has gone into the pockets of the people 

 and not into the public treasury, as before. It there 

 are any who still think that the surplus should have 

 been kept out of circulation by hoarding it in the 

 Treasury, or deposited in favored banks without inter- 

 est while the Government continued to pay to these 

 very banks interest upon the bonds deposited as se- 

 curity for the deposits, or who think that the extended 

 pension legislation was a public robbery, or that the 

 duties upon sugar should have been maintained, I am 

 content to leave the argument where it now rests, 

 while we wait to see whether these criticisms will 

 take the form of legislation. 



The revenues for the fiscal year ending June 30, 

 1892, from all sources were $425,868,260.22, and the 

 expenditures for all purposes were $415,953,806.56, 

 leaving a balance of $9,914,453.66. There were paid 

 during the year upon the public debt $40,570,467.98. 

 The surplus in the Treasury and the bank redemption 

 fund, passed by the act of July 14, 1890, to the gen- 

 eral fund, furnished in large part the cash available 

 and used for the payments made upon the public debt. 

 Compared with the year 1891, our receipts from cus- 

 toms duties fell off $42,069,241.08, while our receipts 

 from internal revenue increased $8,284,823.1 3, leaving 

 the net loss of revenue from these principal sources 

 $33,784,417.95. The net loss of revenue from all 

 sources was $32,675,972.81. 



The revenues, estimated and actual, for the fiscal 

 year ending June 30, 1893, are placed by the Secre- 

 tary at $463,336,350.44, and the expenditures at $461,- 

 336,350.44. showing a surplus of receipts over expen- 

 ditures of $2,000,000. The cash balance in the Treas- 

 ury at the end of the fiscal year, it is estimated, will be 

 $20,992,377.03. 



So far as these figures are based upon estimates of 

 receipts and expenditures for the remaining months 

 of the current fiscal year, there are not only the usual 

 elements of uncertainty, but some added elements. 

 New revenue legislation, or even the expectation of 

 it, may seriously reduce the public revenues during 

 the period of uncertainty and during the process of 

 business adjustment to the new conditions when they 

 become known. But the Secretary has very wisely 

 refrained from guessing as to the effect of possible 

 changes in our revenue laws, since the scope of those 

 changes and the time of their taking effect can not in 



