naturalized Armenians, he is expected to protect them from unnecessary
harshness of treatment.

In view of the impaired financial resources of Venezuela consequent upon
the recent revolution there, a modified arrangement for the satisfaction
of the awards of the late revisory claims commission, in progressive
installments, has been assented to, and payments are being regularly
made thereunder.

The boundary dispute between Venezuela and British Guiana is yet
unadjusted. A restoration of diplomatic intercourse between that
Republic and Great Britain and reference of the question to impartial
arbitration would be a most gratifying consummation.

The ratification by Venezuela of the convention for the arbitration of
the long-deferred claim of the Venezuelan Transportation Company is
awaited.

It is hardly necessary for me to state that the questions arising
from our relations with Hawaii have caused serious embarrassment.
Just prior to the installation of the present Administration the
existing Government of Hawaii had been suddenly overthrown and a treaty
of annexation had been negotiated between the Provisional Government
of the islands and the United States and submitted to the Senate for
ratification. This treaty I withdrew for examination and dispatched
Hon. James H. Blount, of Georgia, to Honolulu as a special commissioner
to make an impartial investigation of the circumstances attending the
change of government and of all the conditions bearing upon the subject
of the treaty. After a thorough and exhaustive examination Mr. Blount
submitted to me his report, showing beyond all question that the