State of the Union Addresses of Chester A. Arthur
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Chester A. Arthur >> State of the Union Addresses of Chester A. Arthur
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 Tokyo. While this
Government fully recognizes the equal and independent 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 between our own Government
and that of Mexico has been variously manifested. The treaty of commercial
reciprocity concluded January 20, 1883, has been ratified and awaits the
necessary tariff legislation of Congress 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 that 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 relocation of
boundary monuments.
With the Republic 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 60 miles of the river San Juan, as well as Lake
Nicaragua, an inland sea 40 miles in width, are to constitute a part of the
projected enterprise.
This leaves for actual canal construction 17 miles on the Pacific side and
36 miles on the Atlantic. To the United States, whose rich territory on the
Pacific is for the ordinary purposes of commerce practically cut off from
communication by water with the Atlantic ports, the political and
commercial advantages of such a project 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 Russia while at his post at St.
Petersburg afforded to the Imperial Government 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 representation at Bangkok to
the diplomatic rank has evoked from Siam evidences of warm friendship and
augurs well for our enlarged intercourse. The Siamese 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 has more than once been called upon of late to take action
in fulfillment of its international obligations toward Spain. Agitation in
the island of Cuba hostile to the Spanish Crown having been fomented by
persons abusing the sacred rights 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 in 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 intercourse 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
comprehensive convention, which I shall submit to the Senate for approval.
It has been the aim of this negotiation to open such a favored reciprocal
exchange of productions carried under the flag of either country as to make
the intercourse between Cuba and Puerto Rico 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 shipowners and shipmasters have 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
jurisdiction of the late Spanish-American Claims Commission, 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
Republic 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. Complaints 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 reexamining 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 appointed 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 Government for enlarging its commercial intercourse
with American States. The commissioners have been actively 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 convened in Washington upon
the invitation of the Government of the United States was composed of
representatives 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 180 degrees eastward and westward, and upon the
adoption, for all purposes for which it may be found convenient, 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 conference will be hereafter
transmitted to the Congress.
This Government is in frequent receipt of invitations 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 markets, it is a matter of serious concern that the
want of means for participation in these exhibitions should so often
exclude our producers from advantages enjoyed by those of other countries.
During the past year the attention of Congress was drawn to the formal
invitations in this regard tendered by the Governments of England, Holland,
Belgium, Germany, and Austria. The Executive has in some instances
appointed honorary commissioners. This is, however, a most unsatisfactory
expedient, for without some provision to meet the necessary working
expenses of a commission it can effect little or nothing in behalf of
exhibitors. An International Inventions Exhibition is to be held in London
next May. This will cover a field of special importance, in which our
country holds a foremost rank; but the Executive is at present powerless to
organize a proper representation of our vast national interests in this
direction.
I have in several previous messages referred to this subject. It seems to
me that a statute giving to the Executive general discretionary authority
to accept such invitations and to appoint honorary commissioners, without
salary, and placing at the disposal of the Secretary of State a small fund
for defraying their reasonable expenses, would be of great public utility.
This Government has received official notice that the revised international
regulations for preventing collisions at sea have been adopted by all the
leading maritime powers except the United States, and came into force on
the 1st of September last. For the due protection of our shipping interests
the provisions of our statutes should at once be brought into conformity
with these regulations.
The question of securing to authors, composers, and artists copyright
privileges in this country in return for reciprocal rights abroad is one
that may justly challenge your attention. It is true that conventions will
be necessary for fully accomplishing this result; but until Congress shall
by statute fix the extent to which foreign holders of copyright shall be
here privileged it has been deemed inadvisable to negotiate such
conventions. For this reason the United States were not represented at the
recent conference at Berne.
I recommend that the scope of the neutrality laws of the United States be
so enlarged as to cover all patent acts of hostility committed in our
territory and aimed against the peace of a friendly nation. Existing
statutes prohibit the fitting out of armed expeditions and restrict the
shipment of explosives, though the enactments in the latter respect were
not framed with regard to international obligations, but simply for the
protection of passenger travel. All these statutes were intended to meet
special emergencies that had already arisen. Other emergencies have arisen
since, and modern ingenuity supplies means for the organization of
hostilities without open resort to armed vessels or to filibustering
parties.
I see no reason why overt preparations in this country for the commission
of criminal acts such as are here under consideration should not be alike
punishable whether such acts are intended to be committed in our own
country or in a foreign country with which we are at peace.
The prompt and thorough treatment of this question is one which intimately
concerns the national honor.
Our existing naturalization laws also need revision. Those sections
relating to persons residing within the limits of the United States in 1795
and 1798 have now only a historical interest. Section 2172, recognizing the
citizenship of the children of naturalized parents, is ambiguous in its
terms and partly obsolete. There are special provisions of law favoring the
naturalization of those who serve in the Army or in merchant vessels, while
no similar privileges are granted those who serve in the Navy or the Marine
Corps.
"An uniform rule of naturalization" such as the Constitution contemplates
should, among other things, clearly define the status of persons born
within the United States subject to a foreign power (section 1992) and of
minor children of fathers who have declared their intention to become
citizens but have failed to perfect their naturalization. It might be wise
to provide for a central bureau of registry, wherein should be filed
authenticated transcripts of every record of naturalization in the several
Federal and State courts, and to make provision also for the vacation or
cancellation of such record in cases where fraud had been practiced upon
the court by the applicant himself or where he had renounced or forfeited
his acquired citizenship. A just and uniform law in this respect would
strengthen the hands of the Government in protecting its citizens abroad
and would pave the way for the conclusion of treaties of naturalization
with foreign countries.
The legislation of the last session effected in the diplomatic and consular
service certain changes and reductions which have been productive of
embarrassment. The population and commercial activity of our country are
steadily on the increase, and are giving rise to new, varying, and often
delicate relationships with other countries. Our foreign establishment now
embraces nearly double the area of operations that it occupied twenty years
ago. The confinement of such a service within the limits of expenditure
then established is not, it seems to me, in accordance with true economy. A
community of 60,000,000 people should be adequately represented in its
intercourse with foreign nations.
A project for the reorganization of the consular service and for recasting
the scheme of extraterritorial jurisdiction is now before you. If the
limits of a short session will not allow of its full consideration, I trust
that you will not fail to make suitable provision for the present needs of
the service.
It has been customary to define in the appropriation acts the rank of each
diplomatic office to which a salary is attached. I suggest that this course
be abandoned and that it be left to the President, with the advice and
consent Of the Senate, to fix from time to time the diplomatic grade of the
representatives of this Government abroad as may seem advisable, provision
being definitely made, however, as now, for the amount of salary attached
to the respective stations.
The condition of our finances and the operations of the various branches of
the public service which are connected with the Treasury Department are
very fully discussed in the report of the Secretary.
It appears that the ordinary revenues for the fiscal year ended June 30,
1884, were:
From customs - $195,067,489.76
From internal revenue - 121,586,072.51
From all other sources - 31,866,307.65
Total ordinary revenues - 348,519,869.92
The public expenditures during the same period were:
For civil expenses - $22,312,907.71
For foreign intercourse - 1,260,766.37
For Indians - 6,475,999.29
For pensions - 55,429,228.06
For the military establishment, including river and harbor
improvements and arsenals - 39,429,603.36
For the naval establishment, including vessels, machinery,
and improvements at navy-yards - 17,292,601.44
For miscellaneous expenditures, including public buildings,
light-houses, and collecting the revenue - 43,939,710.00
For expenditures on account of the District of Columbia - 3,407,049.62
For interest on the public debt - 54,578,378.48
For the sinking fund - 46,790,229.50
Total ordinary expenditures - 290,926,473.83
Leaving a surplus of - 57,603,396.09
As compared with the preceding fiscal year, there was a net decrease of
over $21,000,000 in the amount of expenditures. The aggregate receipts were
less than those of the year previous by about $54,000,000. The falling off
in revenue from customs made up nearly $20,000,000 of this deficiency, and
about $23,000,000 of the remainder was due to the diminished receipts from
internal taxation.
The Secretary estimates the total receipts for the fiscal year which will
end June 30, 1885, at $330,000,000 and the total expenditures at
$290,620,201.16, in which sum are included the interest on the debt and the
amount payable to the sinking fund. This would leave a surplus for the
entire year of about $39,000,000.
The value of exports from the United States to foreign countries during the
year ending June 30, 1884, was as follows:
Domestic merchandise - $724,964,852
Foreign merchandise - 15,548,757
Total merchandise - 740,513,609
Specie - 67,133,383
Total exports of merchandise and specie - 807,646,992
The cotton and cotton manufactures included in this statement were valued
at $208,900,415; the breadstuffs at $162,544,715; the provisions at
$114,416,547, and the mineral oils at $47,103,248.
During the same period the imports were as follows:
Merchandise - $667,697,693
Gold and silver - 37,426,262
Total - 705,123,955
More than 63 per cent of the entire value of imported merchandise consisted
of the following articles:
Sugar and molasses - $103,884,274
Wool and woolen manufactures - 53,842,292
Silk and its manufactures - 49,949,128
Coffee - 49,686,705
Iron and steel and manufactures thereof - 41,464,599
Chemicals - 38,464,965
Flax, hemp, jute, and like substances, and manufactures thereof -
33,463,398
Cotton and manufactures of cotton - 30,454,476
Hides and skins other than fur skins - 22,350,906
I concur with the Secretary of the Treasury in recommending the immediate
suspension of the coinage of silver dollars and of the issuance of silver
certificates. This is a matter to which in former communications I have
more than once invoked the attention of the National Legislature.
It appears that annually for the past six years there have been coined, in
Compliance with the requirements of the act of February 28, 1878, more than
27,000,000 silver dollars.
The number now outstanding is reported by the Secretary to be nearly
185,000,000, whereof but little more than 40,000,000, or less than 22 per
cent, are in actual circulation. The mere existence of this fact seems to
me to furnish of itself a cogent argument for the repeal of the statute
which has made such fact possible.
But there are other and graver considerations that tend in the same
direction.
The Secretary avows his conviction that unless this coinage and the
issuance of silver certificates be suspended silver is likely at no distant
day to become our sole metallic standard. The commercial disturbance and
the impairment of national credit that would be thus occasioned can
scarcely be overestimated.
I hope that the Secretary's suggestions respecting the withdrawal from
circulation of the $1 and $2 notes will receive your approval. It is likely
that a considerable portion of the silver now encumbering the vaults of the
Treasury might thus find its way into the currency.
While trade dollars have ceased, for the present at least, to be an element
of active disturbance in our currency system, some provision should be made
for their surrender to the Government. In view of the circumstances under
which they were coined and of the fact that they have never had a
legal-tender quality, there should be offered for them only a slight
advance over their bullion value.
The Secretary in the course of his report considers the propriety of
beautifying the designs of our subsidiary silver coins and of so increasing
their weight that they may bear their due ratio of value to the standard
dollar. His conclusions in this regard are cordially approved.
In my annual message of 1882 I recommended the abolition of all excise
taxes except those relating to distilled spirits. This recommendation is
now renewed. In case these taxes shall be abolished the revenues that will
still remain to the Government will, in my opinion, not only suffice to
meet its reasonable expenditures, but will afford a surplus large enough to
permit such tariff reduction as may seem to be advisable when the results
of recent revenue laws and commercial treaties shall have shown in what
quarters those reductions can be most judiciously effected.
One of the gravest of the problems which appeal to the wisdom of Congress
for solution is the ascertainment of the most effective means for
increasing our foreign trade and thus relieving the depression under which
our industries are now languishing. The Secretary of the Treasury advises
that the duty of investigating this subject be intrusted in the first
instance to a competent commission. While fully recognizing the
considerations that may be urged against this course, I am nevertheless of
the opinion that upon the whole no other would be likely to effect speedier
or better results.
That portion of the Secretary's report which concerns the condition of our
shipping interests can not fail to command your attention. He emphatically
recommends that as an incentive to the investment of American capital in
American steamships the Government shall, by liberal payments for mail
transportation or otherwise, lend its active assistance to individual
enterprise, and declares his belief that unless that course be pursued our
foreign carrying trade must remain, as it is to-day, almost exclusively in
the hands of foreigners.
One phase of this subject is now especially prominent in view of the repeal
by the act of June 26, 1884, of all statutory provisions arbitrarily
compelling American vessels to carry the mails to and from the United
States. As it is necessary to make provision to compensate the owners of
such vessels for performing that service after April, 1885, it is hoped
that the whole subject will receive early consideration that will lead to
the enactment of such measures for the revival of our merchant marine as
the wisdom of Congress may devise
The 3 per cent bonds of the Government to the amount of more than
$100,000,000 have since my last annual message been redeemed by the
Treasury. The bonds of that issue still outstanding amount to little over
$200,000,000, about one-fourth of which will be retired through the
operations of the sinking fund during the coming year. As these bonds still
constitute the chief basis for the circulation of the national banks, the
question how to avert the contraction of the currency caused by their
retirement is one of constantly increasing importance.
It seems to be generally conceded that the law governing this matter exacts
from the banks excessive security, and that upon their present bond
deposits a larger circulation than is now allowed may be granted with
safety. I hope that the bill which passed the Senate at the last session,
permitting the issue of notes equal to the face value of the deposited
bonds, will commend itself to the approval of the House of
Representatives.
In the expenses of the War Department the Secretary reports a decrease of
more than $9,000,000. Of this reduction $5,600,000 was effected in the
expenditures for rivers and harbors and $2,700,000 in expenditures for the
Quartermaster's Department.
Outside of that Department the annual expenses of all the Army bureaus
proper (except possibly the Ordnance Bureau) are substantially fixed
charges, which can not be materially diminished without a change in the
numerical strength of the Army. The expenditures in the Quartermaster's
Department can readily be subjected to administrative discretion, and it is
reported by the Secretary of War that as a result of exercising such
discretion in reducing the number of draft and pack animals in the Army the
annual cost of supplying and caring for such animals is now $1,108,085.90
less than it was in 1881.
The reports of military commanders show that the last year has been notable
for its entire freedom from Indian outbreaks.
In defiance of the President's proclamation of July 1, 1884, certain
intruders sought to make settlements in the Indian Territory. They were
promptly removed by a detachment of troops.
During the past session of Congress a bill to provide a suitable fire-proof
building for the Army Medical Museum and the library of the
Surgeon-General's Office received the approval of the Senate. A similar
bill, reported favorably to the House of Representatives by one of its
committees, is still pending before that body. It is hoped that during the
coming session the measure may become a law, and that thereafter immediate
steps may be taken to secure a place of safe deposit for these valuable
collections, now in a state of insecurity.
The funds with which the works for the improvement of rivers and harbors
were prosecuted during the past year were derived from the appropriations
of the act of August 2, 1882, together with such few balances as were on
hand from previous appropriations. The balance in the Treasury subject to
requisition July 1, 1883, was $10,021,649.55. The amount appropriated
during the fiscal year 1884 was $1,319,634.62 and the amount drawn from the
Treasury during the fiscal year was $8,228,703.54, leaving a balance of
$3,112,580.63 in the Treasury subject to requisition July 1, 1884.
The Secretary of War submits the report of the Chief of Engineers as to the
practicability of protecting our important cities on the seaboard by
fortifications and other defenses able to repel modern methods of attack.
The time has now come when such defenses can be prepared with confidence
that they will not prove abortive, and when the possible result of delay in
making such preparation is seriously considered delay seems inexcusable.
For the most important cities--those whose destruction or capture would be
a national humiliation--adequate defenses, inclusive of guns, may be made
by the gradual expenditure of $60,000,000--a sum much less than a
victorious enemy could levy as a contribution. An appropriation of about
one-tenth of that amount is asked to begin the work, and I concur with the
Secretary of War in urging that it be granted.
The War Department is proceeding with the conversion of 10-inch smoothbore
guns into 8-inch rifles by lining the former with tubes of forged steel or
of coil wrought iron. Fifty guns will be thus converted within the year.
This, however, does not obviate the necessity of providing means for the
construction of guns of the highest power both for the purposes of coast
defense and for the armament of war vessels.