On the 6th of May, Senator Frye reported from the Foreign Relations Committee a bill as a substitute for several similar measures which had been referred to that Committee. On the 17th of June, 1886, the bill was passed by the Senate, and reaching the House of Representatives was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, but no action was taken thereon. At the beginning of the first session of the 50th Congress Mr. Sherman reintroduced the bill for the Intercontinental Railway Commission. Mr. Reagan reintroduced his bill for a common silver coin, and Mr. Frye the bill, which had passed the Senate at the previous session, authorizing a conference at Washington; a favorable report from the Committee on Foreign Relations being made on this latter bill. On the 4th of January, 1888, the Customs Union proposition was revived by Mr. Townshend, and Mr. McKinley reintroduced his bill to authorize a conference to determine a plan of arbitration between American nations, while a similar measure was proposed by Mr. Yardley. Mr. McCreary, of Kentucky, on the 4th of January, 1888, reintroduced his bill for an international American conference, and on the 9th of February the same was reported favorably from the Committee on Foreign Affairs. The bill reported was passed on the 29th of February, 1888, and upon reaching the Senate was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. Mr. Frye reported it back on the 21st of March with his bill as a substitute, which was passed on the 22d, and a committee of conference appointed. The conference report was submitted and adopted by the House on the 4th of April, but rejected by the Senate on the 25th of the same month. On the 27th a new conference was ordered, and an agreement having been reached the bill was finally passed by both Houses on the 10th of May, 1888, and later in the same month it became a law. The following is the full text of the foregoing bill: "An Act authorizing the President of the United States to arrange a conference between the United States of America and the republics of Mexico, Central and South America, Hayti, Santo Domingo and the Empire of Brazil. "Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby, requested and authorized to invite the several governments of the republics of Mexico, Central and South America, Hayti, Santo Domingo, and the Empire of Brazil, to join the United States in a conference to be held at Washington, in the United States, at such time as he may deem proper, in the year eighteen hundred and eighty-nine, for the purpose of discussing and recommending for adoption to their respective governments some plan of arbitration for the settlement of disagreements and disputes that may hereafter arise between them, and for considering questions relating to the improvement of business intercourse and means of direct communication between said countries, and to encourage such reciprocal commercial relations as will be beneficial to all and secure more extensive markets for the products of each of said countries. "SEC. 2. That in forwarding the invitations to the said governments the President of the United States shall set forth that the conference is called to consider "First. Measures that shall tend to preserve the peace and promote the prosperity of the several American states. "Second. Measures toward the formation of an American Customs Union, under which the trade of the American nations with each other shall, so far as possible and profitable, be promoted. "Third. The establishment of regular and frequent communication between the ports of the several American states, and the ports of each other. "Fourth. The establishment of a uniform system of customs regulations in each of the independent American states to govern the mode of importation and exportation of merchandise and port dues and charges, a uniform method of determining the classification and valuation of such merchandise in the ports of each country, and a uniform system of invoices, and the subject of the sanitation of ships and quarantine. "Fifth. The adoption of a uniform system of weights and measures, and laws to protect the patent rights, copyrights and trade-marks of citizens of either country in the other, and for the extradition of criminals. "Sixth. The adoption of a common silver coin, to be issued by each Government, the same to be legal tender in all commercial transactions between the citizens of all the American states. "Seventh. An agreement upon and recommendation for adoption to their respective governments of a definite plan of arbitration of all questions, disputes and differences that may now or hereafter exist between them, to the end that all difficulties and disputes between such nations may be peaceably settled and wars prevented. "Eighth. And to consider such other subjects relating to the welfare of the several States represented as may be presented by any of said states which are hereby invited to participate in said conference. "SEC. 3. That the sum of seventy-five thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, the same to be disbursed under the direction and in the discretion of the Secretary of State, for expenses incidental to the conference. "SEC. 4. That the President of the United States shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, ten delegates to said conference, who shall serve without compensation other than their actual necessary expenses, and the several other States participating in said conference shall be represented by as many delegates as each may elect: Provided, however, That in the disposition of questions to come before said conference no State shall be entitled to more than one vote. "SEC. 5. That the Secretary of State shall appoint such clerks and other assistants as shall be necessary, at a compensation to be determined by him, and provide for the daily publication by the Public Printer, in the English, Spanish and Portuguese languages, of so much of the proceedings of the conference as it shall determine, and upon the conclusion of said conference shall transmit a report of the same to the Congress of the United States, together with a statement of the disbursements of the appropriation herein provided for. Approved, May 24th, 1888." MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL AMERICAN CONFERENCE. Pursuant to the provisions of the foregoing Act, the Department of State, through the Secretary, Hon. Thomas F. Bayard, sent out in July, 1888, invitations to the several governments of Mexico, Central and South America, Hayti and Santo Domingo, to send delegates to an International Conference to be convened in Washington on the second day of October, 1889, and, accordingly, the Conference assembled in the Diplomatic Chamber of the Department of State on the date above specified, the following countries being then represented: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Perú, Salvador, the United States, Uruguay and Venezuela. The delegates, after having been introduced to the Hon. James G. Blaine, were welcomed by him to the United States, in an able address, which will be found given in full in the published reports of the Conference. The Committee on Railway Communication, upon which were present delegates representing eighteen governments of America, submitted a report, which was adopted by the Conference on the 26th of February, 1890. INTERCONTINENTAL RAILWAY. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON RAILWAY COMMUNICATION. The International American Conference is of the opinion: "First. That a railroad connecting all or a majority of the nations represented in this Conference will contribute greatly to the development of cordial relations between said nations and the growth of their material interests. "Second. That the best method of facilitating its execution is the appointment of an International Commission of Engineers to ascertain the possible routes, to determine their true length, to estimate the cost of each, and to compare their respective advantages. Third. That the said Commission should consist of a body of engineers, of whom each nation should appoint three, and which should have authority to divide into subcommissions, and appoint as many other engineers and employés as may be considered necessary for the more rapid execution of the work. "Fourth. That each of the governments accepting may appoint, at its own expense, commissioners or engineers to serve as auxiliaries to the subcommissions charged with the sectional surveys of the line. "Fifth. That the railroad, in so far as the common interests will permit, should connect the principal cities lying in the vicinity of its route. "Sixth. That if the general direction of the line cannot be altered without great inconvenience, for the purpose mentioned in the preceding article, branchlines should be surveyed to connect those cities with the main line. "Seventh. That for the purpose of reducing the cost of the enterprise, existing railways should be utilized as far as is practicable and compatible with the route and conditions of the continental railroad. "Eighth. That in case the results of the survey demonstrate the practicability and advisability of the railroad, proposals for the construction either of the whole line or of sections thereof should be solicited. "Ninth. That the construction, management and operation of the line should be at the expense of the concessionaires, or of the persons to whom they sublet the work, or transfer their rights with all due formalities, the consent of the respective governments being first obtained. "Tenth. That all materials necessary for the construction and operation of the railroad should be exempt from import duties, subject to such regulations as may be necessary to prevent the abuse of this privilege. "Eleventh. That all personal and real property of the railroad employed in |