162 



CONGRESS. (THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.) 



make the award and regulations agreed upon by the 

 Bering Sea tribunal of arbitration practically effect- 

 ive; and it is not doubted that Great Britain will co- 

 operate freely with this country for the accomplish- 

 ment of that purpose. 



The dispute growing out of the discriminating tolls 

 imposed in the Welland Canal upon cargoes of cereals 

 bound to and from the lake ports of the United States 

 was adjusted by the substitution of a more equitable 

 schedule of charges, and my predecessor thereupon 

 suspended his proclamation imposing discriminating 

 tolls upon British transit through our canals. 



A request for additions to the list of extraditable 

 offenses covered by the existing treaty between the 

 two countries is under consideration. 



During the past year an American citizen, employed 

 in a subordinate commercial position in Hayti, after 

 suffering a protracted imprisonment on the unfounded 

 charge of smuggling, was finally liberated on judicial 

 e.xHini nation. Upon urgent representation to the Hay- 

 tian Government a suitable indemnity was paid to the 

 sufferers. By a law of Hayti, a sailing vessel, having 

 discharged her cargo, is refused clearance until the 

 duties on such cargo have been paid. The hardship 

 of this measure upon American shipowners, who con- 

 duct the bulk of the carrying trade of that country, 

 lias been insisted on with a view of securing the re- 

 moval of this cause of complaint. 



Upon receiving authentic information of the firing 

 upon an American mail steamer touching at the port 

 of Amapala because her captain refused to deliver up 

 a passenger in transit from Nicaragua to Guatemala 

 upon demand of the military authorities of Honduras, 

 our minister to that country, under instructions, pro- 

 tested against the wanton act and demanded satisfac- 

 tion. The Government of Honduras, actuated by a 

 sense of justice, and in a spirit of the utmost friend- 

 ship, promptly disavowed the illegal conduct of its 

 officers, and expressed sincere regret for the occurrence. 



It is confidently anticipated that a satisfactory ad- 

 justment will soon be reached of the questions arising 

 out of the seizure and use of American vessels by in- 

 surgents in Honduras and the subsequent denial by 

 the successful government of commercial privileges to 

 these vessels on that account. 



A notable part of the southeasterly coast of Liberia, 

 between the Cavallyo and San Pedro rivers, which for 

 nearly half a century has been generally recognized 

 as belonging to that republic by cession and purchase, 

 has been claimed to be under the protectorate of 

 France in virtue of agreements entered into by the 

 native tribes over whom Liberia's control has not been 

 well maintained. More recently, negotiations between 

 the Liberian representative and the French Govern- 

 ment resulted in the signature at Paris of a treaty 

 whereby, as an adjustment, certain Liberian territory 

 is ceded to France. This convention, at last advices, 

 had not been ratified by the Liberian Legislature and 

 Executive. Feeling a sympathetic interest in the for- 

 tunes of the little commonwealth, the establishment 

 and development of which were largely aided by the 

 benevolence of our countrymen, and which constitutes 

 the only independently sovereign state on the west 

 I'oa^t of Africa, this Government has suggested to the 

 French Government its earnest concern lest territorial 

 impairment in Liberia should take place without her 

 unconstrained consent. 



Our relations with Mexico continue to be of that 

 <'losc and friendly nature which should always char- 

 acterize the intercourse of two neighboring republics. 

 The work of relocating the monuments marking the 

 boundary between the countries from Paso del Norte 

 to the Pacific is now nearly completed. The commis- 

 sion recently organized under the conventions of 1884 

 and 1889 it is expected will speedily settle disputes 

 growing out of the shifting currents of the Rio Grande 

 river east of El Paso. 



Nicaragua has recently passed through two revolu- 

 tions, the party at first successful having in turn been 

 displaced by another. Our newly appointed minister, 

 by nis timely good offices, aided in a peaceful adjust- 



ment of the controversy involved in the first conflict. 

 The large American interests established in that coun- 

 try in connection with the Nicaragua Canal were not 

 molested. The canal company has unfortunately be- 

 come financially seriously embarrassed, but a gen- 

 erous treatment has been extended to it by the Gov- 

 ernment of Nicaragua. The United States are espe- 

 cially interested in 'the successful achievement of the 

 vast undertaking this company has in charge. That 

 it should be accomplished under distinctively Amer- 

 ican auspices, and its enjoyment assured not only to 

 the vessels of this country as a channel of communi- 

 cation between our Atlantic and Pacific seaboards, but 

 to the ships of the world in the interests of civiliza- 

 tion, is a proposition which, in my judgment, does not 

 admit of question. 



Guatemala has also been visited by the political 

 vicissitudes which have afflicted her Central Ameri- 

 can neighbors, but the dissolution of its Legislature 

 and the proclamation of a dictatorship have been un- 

 attended with civil war. 



An extradition treaty with Norway has recently 

 been exchanged and proclaimed. 



The extradition treaty with Russia, signed in March,. 

 1887, and amended and confirmed by the Senate in 

 February last, was duly proclaimed last June. 



Led by a desire to compose differences and con- 

 tribute to the restoration of order in Samoa, which 

 for some years previous has been the scene of con- 

 flicting foreign pretense and native strife, the United 

 States, departing from its policy consecrated by a cen- 

 tury of observance, entered four years ago, into the 

 Treaty of Berlin, thereby becoming jointly bound with 

 England and Germany to establish and maintain 

 Malietoa Laupepa as King of Samoa. The treaty pro- 

 vided for a foreign court of justice ; a municipal coun- 

 cil for the district of Apia, with a foreign president 

 thereof, authorized to advise the king ; a tribunal for 

 the settlement of native and foreign land titles, and a 

 revenue system for the kingdom. It entailed upon 

 the three powers that part of the cost of the new Gov- 

 ernment not met by the revenue of the islands. Early 



in the life of this triple protectorate the native dissen- 

 it was designed to quell re 



revived. Rivals defied 



o que 



the authority of "the new king, refusing to pay tuxes, 

 and demanding the election of a ruler by native suf- 

 frage. Mataafa, an aspirant to the throne, and a large 

 number of his native adherents, were in open rebel- 

 lion on one of the islands. Quite lately, at the request 

 of the other powers, and in fulfillment of its treaty 

 obligation, this Government agreed to unite in a joint 

 military movement of such dimensions as would prob- 

 ably secure the surrender of the insurgents without 

 bloodshed. The warship "Philadelphia" was ac- 

 cordingly put under orders for Samoa, but before she 

 arrived the threatened conflict was precipitated by 

 King Malietoa's attack upon the insurgent camp. Ma*- 

 taafa was defeated and a number of men were killed. 

 The British and German naval vessels present subse- 

 quently secured the surrender of Mataafa and his ad- 

 herents. The defeated chief and ten of his principal 

 supporters were deported to a German island of the 

 Marshall group, where they are held as prisoners un- 

 der the joint responsibility and cost of the three pow- 

 ers. This incident and the events leading up to it 

 signally illustrate the impolicy of entangling alliances 

 with foreign powers. 



More than fifteen years ago this Government pre- 

 ferred a claim against Spain in behalf of one of our 

 citizens, for property seized and confiscated in Cuba. 

 In 1886 the claim was adjusted. Spain agreed to pay 

 unconditionally as a fair indemnity $1,500,000. A re- 

 spectful but earnest note was recently addressed to 

 the Spanish Government insisting upon prompt ful- 

 fillment of its long- neglected obligation. Other 

 claims, preferred by the United States" against Spain 

 in behalf of American citizens for property confiscated 

 in Cuba, have been pending for many years. 



At the time Spain's title to the Caroline Islands 

 was confirmed by arbitration, that Government agreed 

 that the rights which had been acquired there by 





