Volhynia, Podolia, and Bessarabia. Otherwise foreigners are permitted to do business in these provinces the same as subjects of the Empire, and there are said to be no special restrictions in any other part of the Empire. A general exception to this, however, must be noted in the regulations relating to Jews. Anyone of Jewish origin should make special inquiry before acting upon general assurances, for the Russian Government has special regulations in regard both to its Jewish subjects and to foreigners of such origin. While no exceptions are made against foreigners within the limits stated, yet it should be borne in mind that regulations and requirements are much more minute and complex here than in our country, and so a foreigner needs to proceed with great care in order not to fail in such particulars. Free individual initiative is not the practice here, but Government consent and control actively touch nearly everything; and ignorance or disregard of this often occasions difficulties which might be avoided. I have, etc., CLIFTON R. BRECKINRIDGE. SAMOA. CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE EMBASSY OF GERMANY AT WASHINGTON. No. 357.] Mr. Olney to Baron von Thielmann.1 DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, March 28, 1896. EXCELLENCY: I have the honor to bring to your attention, for the information of His Imperial Majesty's Government, a copy of a letter from Mr. W. L. Chambers, lately United States land commissioner to Samoa, dated the 26th instant, making certain suggestions looking to the permanent and safe preservation of the labors of that commission, now that they are completed. The report of Mr. Chambers to which he refers will be found on pages 465 to 470 of Senate Ex-Doc. No. 97, Fifty-third Congress, third session, copies of which have heretofore been supplied to your embassy. I have, etc., [Inclosure in No. 357.] RICHARD Olney. Mr. Chambers to Mr. Olney. WASHINGTON, D. C., March 26, 1896. SIR: I had the honor, while representing our Government under the Berlin treaty on the Samoan land commission, to make some suggestions to Secretary Gresham regarding the preservation in permanent and orderly shape of the valuable work of the commission. Reference to his reply, dated February 24, 1894, will show how he regarded the suggestion, but as the work was then far from complete no action was taken by the treaty Governments. After the completion of the work, and before my return, Secretary Gresham asked me to make a more comprehensive report of the labors of the commission than I had forwarded from Samoa, which was a mere statement of the conclusion of the work, accompanied by tabular statistics. He also requested me to embody my suggestions regarding the orderly preservation of the work, as he wished to have my report printed along with Samoan correspondence called for by a resolution of the Senate. This report is dated February 3, 1895, and is printed; vide, message of the President to Senate, February 26, 1895. Subse quently the Secretary sent for me, and after further discussing the sug gestions said he intended to submit the matter to the ambassadors of England and Germany for the consideration of those Governments. He agreed with me that the preservation in some indestructible form of the commission's work was scarcely less important than the work itself. 'Sent also mutatis mutandis to the British ambassador. I do not know that he did anything further, for very soon afterwards he died, and I presume the subject rests where he left it. I beg to invite your attention to it now, because I have learned through Consul-General Mulligan that the chief justice of Samoa has about completed the work of revising the decisions of the land commissioners. I am otherwise informed that he made a judicial examination of every finding reported by the commission, and that he has disagreed with the commission only on one legal point, which affected but comparatively few of the 3,942 claims; and thus the completeness with which the land feature of the Berlin treaty has been carried out entitles it to the high esteem in which it is regarded by the treaty powers. However, this is immaterial. The long and trouble-producing land disputes are legally ended, and the evidence of this should be preserved in the most secure and permanent form. Nobody can foresee what is to be the fate of these unhappy people. "The Samoan question" is much out of proportion to its deserts, but it exists and will probably continue. In any view of the subject the most discordant element is now at rest, but the whole land question would be opened again with all its evil-breeding possibilities if the settlements as now adjusted are left in their present chaotic and insecure condition, or worse still, if the evidence of these adjustments should be destroyed. It should be borne in memory that the Tamasese element, numerically, perhaps, half the natives, continually in opposition to the Government of straw under Malietoa, never recognized the commission officially. Suppose the Tamasese party should oust the Malietoans at a time when there was no foreign war ships in port? Every vestige of the commission's work, except the minute books, etc., deposited with the consular board, would be destroyed. I feel, Mr. Secretary, that in again bringing the matter to the attention of the Department I am emphasizing a subject of no small moment and which carries with it its own apology. I beg to inclose herewith marked portions of my report bearing upon this subject, and remain, etc., W. L. CHAMBERS. Baron von Thielmann to Mr. Olney. [Translation.] IMPERIAL GERMAN EMBASSY, Mr. SECRETARY OF STATE: The Imperial consul at Apia has, in his recent reports, referred to the delays, which are constantly increasing, in the payment of the taxes which, by the provisions of the Samoa act, are made payable to the Samoan Government by persons residing outside of the municipal district. The total amount of these arrearages, i. e., of those considered collectible, is estimated at $1,100. In this connection, reference is made to the fact that the foreign taxpayers are constantly becoming more disinclined to be the sole contributors to the support of a government which is unable to collect a tax from its own subjects, and which makes no return to them for their payments into its treasury. It is quite evident, from the statements of the Imperial consul, that the discontent with the present system of taxation among the foreign settlers is universal, and that the necessity of devising some means to afford speedy relief is felt as much by the parties interested as by the consuls of the three treaty powers. As is known, the conclusion of the Berlin treaty was based upon an (estimated) annual revenue of from $60,000 to $90,000, and the arrangements in the Samoa act were likewise based upon such a revenue. The nonpayment of the native tax has completely upset these estimates. It is true that the tax was paid at the outset with more or less regularity, and that, finally, in the year 1893, after the Mataata insurrection was ended, the sum of about $2,000 was collected by the consuls. Since that time, however, that source of Government revenue has wholly failed, and the arrearages in the payment of the native tax are said to amount to upwards of $100,000, for the collection of which there is no prospect whatever. As the feeling which has arisen among the foreign taxpayers at Apia, owing to this discouraging state of affairs, has undoubtedly been reported to the Department of State by the United States consulgeneral at Samoa, 1 am instructed to invite your excellency's attention to the state of things above described, and to solicit a statement of the intentions of the United States Government as regards the adoption of any measures that may afford relief. I avail, etc., Baron von Thielmann to Mr. Olney. [Translation.] THIELMANN. IMPERIAL GERMAN EMBASSY, Mr. SECRETARY OF STATE: I have the honor, in pursuance of instructions received from the Imperial Government, most respectfully to inform your excellency that, as appears from the inclosure, an outlay of 15,965.83 marks has thus far been occasioned by the detention of the Samoan Chief Mataafa and his companions on the Marshall Islands, of which amount, according to the agreement, one-third (5,321.94 marks) are payable by the United States. I would remark in this connection, referring to Secretary Gresham's note to the Imperial ambassador, Baron von Saurma, of May 12, 1894, that the account of the expense incurred by the detention of the rebels at Takaofo has not yet been prepared by the Imperial consulate at Apia, and that this account will be presented for settlement hereafter. As the United States Government, by Secretary Gresham's note of September 6, 1893, to Baron von Saurma, the Imperial ambassador, expressed its willingness to assume one-third of the expense incurred by the deportation and maintenance of the Samoan chiefs interned in Jaluit, I take the liberty most respectfully to request your excellency to order the sum of 5,321 marks and 94 pfennigs (equivalent to $1,267.10) to be paid to this Imperial embassy, when I will receipt therefor. I avail, etc., THEILMANN. [Inclosure.] Account of the expense incurred by the internment of Mataafa and his companions in the No. Marshall Islands. Items. Amount. Mks. Pfgs. 1 Charge for a telegram to the consulate.general at Sydney, dated Sept. 27, 1893, relative to the placing of the Samoans on the Marshall Islands. 247 45 2 Transmission of telegraphic orders to the commanders of H. M. S. Arcona and Bussard, relative to the disarming of the Samoans. 1,124 20 3 Cost of removing Mataafa on board of the Katoomba from July 19 to July 26, 1893, £1 128.. 32 45 4 Two telegrams to the commanders of H. M. S. Falke and Bussard of April 3 and 21, 1894, relative to the disarming of the Samoans 323 20 5 One telegram to the commanders of H. M. S. Arcona, Alexandrine, and Marie, relative to same. 6 One telegram to the senior officer of the South Sea station, relative to same.. 311 15 307 40 7 Money spent for Mataafa's requirements on board of H. M. S. cruiser Sperber in September, 1893... 36 64 8 Cost of 8 guns for the governor to enable him to arm the watchmen on account of the internment of the Samoans in Jaluit 114 36 9 Cost of books (Samoan language and Samoan dictionary). 6 00 Cost of providing quarters and caring for the Samoans during the 10 Money expended in caring for 6 Samoans placed on board of H. M. S. Bussard. 11 294 00 Second half year 1893-94 First half year 1894-95 12 Provisions supplied to the Samoans in June and July, 1895, by H. M. S. Bussard. Total 15,965 83 No. 131.] Mr. Olney to Baron von Thielmann. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, April 3, 1896. EXCELLENCY: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 23d ultimo, touching the insufficiency of the Samoan revenues and the dissatisfaction expressed by the foreign settlers with the present system of taxation. You accordingly solicit a statement of the intentions of the Government of the United States with reference to the adoption of any measures that may afford relief. In reply I have to say that this Government has formed no plan, and therefore has at present no suggestions to offer as a remedy for the state of affairs said to exist in the Samoan Islands in relation to the subject of native taxation. Accept, etc., No. 145.] RICHARD OLNEY. Mr. Olney to Baron von Thielmann. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, EXCELLENCY: I beg to acknowledge your favor of the 24th ultimo, and to say in reply that I have directed payment to your embassy of the sum of 5,321 marks (equivalent to $1,267.10), being "one third of the expense incurred by the deportation and maintenance of the Samoan chiefs interned in Jaluit." linclose the check of the disbursing clerk of this Department for the sum mentioned and a receipt in duplicate, one copy of which after signature should be returned to this Department. In making this payment, pursuant to the obligations of the treaty of June 14, 1889, between the United States, Great Britain, and Germany, |