APPENDIX.

PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS.

ALBERT D. MARKS.

NOTEWORTHY CHANGES IN STATUTE LAW MADE BY CONGRESS DURING THE LAST YEAR.

The most important of the enactments of Congress at its last session was the shortest, and the first placed on the statute books. It was as follows:

"Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States, in Congress assembled, that the sum of one hundred thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, be, and the same is hereby appropriated, for the expenses of a commission to be appointed by the Presi dent to investigate and report upon the true divisional line between the Republic of Venezuela and British Guiana.”

This appropriation on its face gives no indication of its importance, but when it is considered in connection with the message of President Cleveland, submitted to Congress four days before its passage, on Dec. 21, 1895, the unlimited possibilities wrapped in it are unfolded.

With that message the President submitted to Congress the correspondence which had passed between this Government and that of Great Britain attempting to secure the submission to arbitration of the long-standing boundary dispute between Great Britain and Venezuela, which had ended in the refusal of Great Britain to have the dispute arbitrated. After reviewing the different phases of the controversy, the message ended thus:

"The dispute has reached such a state as to make it now incumbent upon the United States to take measures to determine with sufficient certainty for its justification, what is the true divisional line between the Republic of Venezuela and British Guiana. The inquiry to that end should, of course, be conducted carefully and judicially, and due weight should be given to all available evidence, records, and facts in support of the claims of both parties.

"In order that such an examination should be prosecuted in a thorough and satisfactory manner. I suggest that the Congress make an appropriation for the expenses of a commission, to be appointed by the Executive, who shall make the necessary investigation, and report upon the matter with the least possible delay.

"When such a report is made and accepted, it will, in my opinion, be the duty of the United States to resist by every means in its power, as a willful aggression upon its rights and interests, the appropriation by Great Britain of any lands or the exercise of governmental jurisdiction over any territory which, after investigation, we have determined of right belong to Venezuela.

"In making these recommendations, I am fully alive to the responsibility incurred, and keenly realize all the consequences that may follow. I am, nevertheless, firm in my conviction that while it is a grievous thing to contemplate the two great English-speaking peoples of the world being otherwise than friendly competitors in the onward march of civilization and strenuous and worthy rivals in all the arts of peace, there is no calamity which a great nation can invite which equals that which follows a supine submission to wrong and injustice, and the consequent loss of national self respect and honor, beneath which is shielded and defended a people's safety and greatness."

Congress responded by immediately giving the appropriation asked, with practical unanimity in both houses.

In this matter the Executive and Legislative Departments stood together, and their course has been indorsed with great heartiness by a large majority of the people of this country.

Later in the session, the two houses passed the following resolution:

"Resolved, by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring therein, that, in the opinion of Congress, a state of public war exists between the Government of Spain and the Government proclaimed, and for some time maintained, by force of arms by the people of Cuba; and that the United States of America should maintain a strict neutrality between the contending powers, according to each all the rights of belligerents in the ports and territories of the United States.

"Resolved, further, that the friendly offices of the United States should be offered by the President to the Spanish Government for the recognition of the independence of Cuba."

On the point of the recognition of the belligerent rights of the Cuban insurgents, the President and the Secretary of State have declined to follow the wish of Congress manifested in this resolution. In this they have been following the well-defined diplomatic precedents of this country, but it is manifest that the sympathies of the people of the country are with Congress and not with the President and Secretary of State. It must finally result that the will of the people obtain.

It is simply of historical interest to investigate the scope of the original Monroe Doctrine. The people of the United States have evidently determined that they will go beyond it and assume a practical protectorate over the two Americas. From the passage of the Cuban resolution they have further evidently determined that they will depart from the established precedents of more than one hundred years, and will no longer follow the policy of non-interference in the affairs of their neighbors. Our past policy has resulted in enabling us to keep the peace with the world. We have passed more than a century with only two foreign wars.

It is a matter of

speculation as to what the new policy will bring to us.

In anticipation of the results of this change of our foreign policy, the preparations made by Congress reflect clearly that it is the intention and purpose to prepare the country for offense as well as defense.

The Fortifications act of June 6, 1896, appropriates two and one-half million dollars for gun and water batteries; a half million dollars for sites of sea coast defenses; one hundred thousand dollars for torpedoes; three and one-half million dollars for high power coast defense guns, and a quarter of a million dollars for ammunition for them. The Naval Appropriation act of June 10, 1896, appropriates four hundred thou sand dollars to purchase armament for the high speed merchant marine vessels which have become auxiliary cruisers in the navy for use in time of war. One million three hundred thousand dollars was set apart to build torpedo boats, and more than ten million dollars to build three battle ships.

In the midst of these warlike threats and preparations, there is, however, a note of hopefulness to the man who desires the blessings of peace. There has been, both in Great Britain and in the United States, a widespread movement in favor of a general arbitration treaty between the two countries. The proposal has met with favor, both from the English Cabinet and from our own Department of State. Such communications have been exchanged as lead to a reasonable hope that in a short while all causes of war with our kin across the sea will be removed. This would diminish very largely the dangers of the vigor of our new foreign policy, since complications with Great Britain are those most likely to arise.

REVENUE LAWS.

The act of June 3, 1896, bears striking testimony to the fact that the ingenuity of man is constantly devising new means wherewith he can intoxicate himself. The old revenue statutes contemplated only brandy distilled from apples, peaches and grapes, while the new act makes their provisions cover also brandy made from pears, pineapples, oranges, apricots, berries and prunes.

Another act, approved June 3, removes from the free list alcohol to be used in the arts. The free alcohol provision of the Tariff act of 1894 has given rise to innumerable claims against the Government, and this act was passed to prevent the vexation of these claims, as well as to repair the loss of revenue. However, a joint committee was appointed by the

two houses to consider all questions relating to the use of alcohol in the arts free of tax, and to report their conclusions to the next session of Congress.

An act approved June 8 provides an easy and expeditious mode for the delivery of imported parcels not containing merchandise for sale, and not exceeding $500 in value. These are to be carried by bonded express companies and delivered through them, and can be gotten through the custom-house without the tedious waiting of triplicate invoices required in ordinary importations.

The act approved June 6, imposing a tax upon the manufacture and sale of "filled cheese," is a new illustration that the power to tax is the power to destroy. "Filled cheese" is made of skimmed milk, with the admixture of certain animal fats or vegetable oils. Manufacturers are required to pay an annual tax of $400. Wholesale dealers are required to pay a tax of $250. Retail dealers are required to pay an annual tax of $12. Packages are required to be branded with the words "filled cheese" in black-faced letters not less than two inches in height, to be placed on the top and bottom of the package, and in four places on the side. Retail dealers are required to pack the cheese when sold in branded packages. All dealers are required to display in a conspicuous place in their salesrooms a sign with "filled cheese sold here" in black-faced letters, not less than six inches in length, upon a white ground. In addition to the tax laid upon the dealers, a tax of one cent a pound is laid on the product manufactured in this country. Imported filled cheese is required to pay an internal revenue tax of eight cents a pound. It is not difficult to understand that this measure means the wiping out of that business.

The enforcement of the internal revenue laws of the Government has always been a heavy expense, and it has frequently been made the means of great extortion by fee grabbing officials. In the bill making appropriation for the judicial expenses of the Government, the fee system has been in a large measure destroyed. All fees have been made to accrue to the Government. The District Attorneys have been placed on a salary. The three in Tennessee are each allowed $4,500. The Marshals are likewise put on a salary. The three in Ten