Through unforeseen causes, foreign to the will of both Governments, the
ratification of the convention of December 5, 1885, with Venezuela, for
the rehearing of claims of citizens of the United States under the
treaty of 1866, failed of exchange within the term provided, and a
supplementary convention, further extending the time for exchange of
ratifications and explanatory of an ambiguous provision of the prior
convention, now awaits the advice and consent of the Senate.
Although this matter, in the stage referred to, concerns only the
concurrent treaty-making power of one branch of Congress, I advert to it
in view of the interest repeatedly and conspicuously shown by you in
your legislative capacity in favor of a speedy and equitable adjustment
of the questions growing out of the discredited judgments of the
previous mixed commission of Caracas. With every desire to do justice to
the representations of Venezuela in this regard, the time seems to have
come to end this matter, and I trust the prompt confirmation by both
parties of the supplementary action referred to will avert the need of
legislative or other action to prevent the longer withholding of such
rights of actual claimants as may be shown to exist.
As authorized by the Congress, preliminary steps have been taken for the
assemblage at this capital during the coming year of the representatives
of South and Central American States, together with those of Mexico,
Hayti, and San Domingo, to discuss sundry important monetary and
commercial topics.
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