[Footnote 5: See pp. 24-25.]

[Footnote 6: See pp. 25-26.]

[Footnote 7: See Vol. VIII, pp. 847-851.]

[Footnote 8: See p. 27.]




SPECIAL MESSAGES.


EXECUTIVE MANSION, _December 17, 1889_.

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

The act of Congress approved July 9, 1888, "for an international marine
conference to secure greater safety for life and property at sea," and
in virtue of which the present conference is now holding its sessions
at Washington, provides by the third section that the labors of the
conference shall terminate on the 1st day of January, 1890, or sooner,
by direction of the President.

I transmit herewith a report from the Acting Secretary of State,
accompanied with a letter from Rear-Admiral S.R. Franklin, United States
Navy, president of the conference, stating that in all probability the
labors of the conference can not be brought to a close by the time fixed