this capital. An invitation
was extended by the Government, under the act of Congress of July 9,
1888, to all maritime nations to send delegates to confer touching the
revision and amendment of the rules and regulations governing vessels
at sea and to adopt a uniform system of marine signals. The response to
this invitation has been very general and very cordial. Delegates from
twenty-six nations are present in the conference, and they have entered
upon their useful work with great zeal and with an evident appreciation
of its importance. So far as the agreement to be reached may require
legislation to give it effect, the cooperation of Congress is
confidently relied upon.

It is an interesting, if not, indeed, an unprecedented, fact that the
two international conferences have brought together here the accredited
representatives of thirty-three nations.

Bolivia, Ecuador, and Honduras are now represented by resident envoys of
the plenipotentiary grade. All the States of the American system now
maintain diplomatic representation at this capital.

In this connection it may be noted that all the nations of the Western
Hemisphere, with one exception, send to Washington envoys extraordinary
and ministers plenipotentiary, being the highest grade accredited to
this Government. The United States, on the contrary, sends envoys of
lower grades to some of our sister Republics. Our representative in
Paraguay and Uruguay is a minister resident, while to Bolivia we send a
minister resident and consul-general. In view of the importance of our
relations with the States of the American system, our diplomatic agents
in those countries should be of the uniform rank of envoy extraordinary
and minister plenipotentiary. Certain missions were so elevated by the
last Congress with happy effect, and I recommend the completion of the
reform thus begun, with the inclusion also of Hawaii and Hayti, in view
of their relations to the American system of states.

I also recommend that timely provision be made for extending to Hawaii
an invitation to be represented in the international conference now
sitting at this capital.

Our relations with China have the attentive consideration which their
magnitude and interest demand. The failure of the treaty negotiated
under the Administration of my predecessor for the further and more
complete restriction of Chinese labor immigration, and with it the
legislation of the last session of Congress dependent t