158 



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



The Ottoman Porte has not yet assented to the in- 

 terpretation which this Government has put upon the 

 treaty of 1830 relative to its jurisdictional rights in 

 Turkey. It may well be, however, that this difference 

 will be adjusted by a general revision of the system 

 of jurisdiction of the United States in the countries of 

 the East a subject to which your attention has been 

 already called by the Secretary of State. 



In the interest of justice toward China and Japan, 

 I trust that the question of the return of the indem- 

 nity fund to the governments of those countries will 

 reach at the present session the satisfactory solution 

 which I have already recommended, and which has 

 recently been foreshadowed by congressional discus- 

 sion. 



The treaty lately concluded with Corea awaits the 

 action of the Senate. 



During the late disturbance in Egypt the timely 

 presence of American vessels served as a protection 

 to the persons and property of many of our own citi- 

 zens and of citizens of other countries, whose gov- 

 ernments have expressed their thanks for this as- 

 sistance. 



The recent legislation restricting immigration of 

 laborers from China has given rise to the question 

 whether Chinese proceeding to or from another coun- 

 try may lawfully pass through our own. 



Construing the act of May 6, 1882, in connection 

 with the treaty of Nov. V. 1880, the restriction would 

 seem to be limited to Chinese immigrants coming to 

 the United States as laborers, and would not forbid a 

 mere transit across our territory. I ask the attention 

 of Congress to the subject for such action, if any, as 

 may be deemed advisable. 



This Government has recently had occasion to 

 manifest its interest in the Kepublic of Liberia by 

 seeking to aid the amicable settlement of the bound- 

 ary dispute now pending between that republic and 

 the British possession ol Sierra Leone. 



The reciprocity treaty with Hawaii will become 

 terminable after Sept. 9, 1883, on twelve months' no- 

 tice by either party. While certain provisions of 

 that compact may have proved onerous, its existence 

 has fostered commercial relations which it is impor- 

 tant to preserve. I suggest, therefore, that early 

 consideration be given to such modifications of the 

 treaty as seem to be demanded by the interests of our 

 people. 



In view of our increasing trade with both Hayti and 

 Santo Domingo, I advise that provision be made for 

 diplomatic intercourse with the latter by enlarging 

 the scope of the mission at Port-au-Prince. 



I regret that certain claims of American citizens 

 against the Government of Hayti have thus far been 

 urged unavailingly. 



A recent agreement with Mexico provides for the 

 crossing of the frontier by the armed forces of either 

 country in pursuit of hostile Indians. In my mes- 

 sage of last year I called attention to the prevalent 

 lawlessness upon the borders and to the necessity 

 of legislation for its suppression. I again invite the 

 attention of Congress to the subject. 



A partial relieffrom these mischiefs has been sought 

 in a convention, which now awaits the approval of 

 the Senate, as does also another touching the estab- 

 lishment of the international boundary between the 

 United States and Mexico. If the latter is ratified, 

 the action of Congress will be required for establish- 

 ing suitable commissions of survey. The boundary 

 dispute between Mexico and Guatemala, which led 

 this Government to proffer its friendly counsels to 

 both parties, has been amicably settled. 



No change has occurred in our relations with Ven- 

 ezuela. I again invoke your action in the matter of 

 the pending awards against that republic to which 

 reference was made by a special message from the 

 Executive at your last session. 



An invitation has been received from the Govern- 

 ment of Venezuela to send representatives in July, 

 1883, to Caracas, for participating in the centen- 



nial celebration of the birth of Bolivar, the founder of 

 South American independence. In connection with 

 this event it is designed to commence the erection at 

 Caracas of a statue of Washington, and to conduct an 

 industrial exhibition, which will be open to American 

 products. I recommend that the United States be 

 represented, and that suitable provision be made 

 therefor. 



The elevation of the grade of our mission in Cen- 

 tral America to the plenipotentiary rank, which was 

 authorized by Congress at its late session, has been 

 since effected. 



The war between Peru and Bolivia on the one 

 side and Chili on the other began more than three 

 years ago. On the occupation by Chili, in 1880, of 

 all the littoral territory of Bolivia, negotiations for 

 peace were conducted under the direction of the 

 United States. The allies refused to concede any 

 territory, but Chili has since become master of the" 

 whole coast of both countries and of the capital of 

 Peru. A year since, as you have already been ad- 

 vised by correspondence transmitted to you in Janu- 

 ary last, this Government sent a special mission to the 

 belligerent powers to express the hope that Chili 

 would be disposed to accept a money indemnity for 

 the expenses of the war, and to relinquish her de- 

 mand for a portion of the territory of her antago- 

 nist. 



This recommendation, which Chili declined to fol- 

 low, this Government did not assume to enforce ; nor 

 can it be enforced without resort to measures which 

 would be in keeping neither with the temper of our 

 people nor with the spirit of our institutions. 



The power of Peru no longer extends over its 

 whole territory, and in the event of our interference 

 to dictate peace would need to be supplemented by 

 the armies and navies of the United States. Such in- 

 terference would almost inevitably lead to the estab- 

 lishment of a protectorate a result utterly at odds 

 with our past policy, injurious to our present interests, 

 and full of embarrassments for the future. 



For effecting the termination of hostilities upon 

 terms at once just to the victorious nation and gener- 

 ous to its adversaries, this Government has spared no 

 efforts save such as might involve the complications 

 which I have indicated. 



It is greatly to be deplored that Chili seems re- 

 solved to exact such rigorous conditions of peace and 

 indisposed to submit to arbitration the terms of an 

 amicable settlement. No peace is likely to be lasting 

 that is not sufficiently equitable and just to command 

 the approval of other nations. 



About a year since, invitations were extended to 

 the nations of this continent to send representatives 

 to a peace congress to assemble at Washington in 

 November, 1882. The time of meeting was fixed at a 

 period then remote, in the hope, as the invitation itself 

 declared, that in the mean time the disturbances be- 

 tween the South American republics would be adjust- 

 ed. As that expectation seemed unlikely to be realized, 

 I asked in April last for an expression of opinion from 

 the two Houses of Congress as to the advisability of 

 holding the proposed convention at the time appointed. 

 This action was prompted in part by doubts which 

 mature reflection had suggested whether the diplo- 

 matic usage and traditions of the Government did not 

 make it fitting that the Executive should consult the 

 representatives of the people before pursuing a line 

 of policy somewhat novel in its character., and far- 

 reaching in its possible consequences. In view of the 

 fact that no action was taken by Congress in the 

 premises and that no provision had been made for 

 necessary expenses, I subsequently decided to post- 

 pone the convocation, and so notified the several gov- 

 ernments which had been invited to attend. 



I am unwilling to dismiss this subject without assur- 

 ing you of my support of any measures the wisdom 

 of Congress may devise for the promotion of peace on 

 this continent and throughout the world, and I trust 

 that the time is nigh when, with the universal assent 



