The Express.
London, England, 1851-02-18 00:00:00

GERMANY.

Our Berlin correspondent writes as follows :
BERLIN, FEB. 15.
The debate on the Schleswig-Holstein question today
was a most animated one. . .

-- _
The motion calls on the government to protect the rights
of the duchies, accuses the Comm curies of having exceeded
their instructions, and condemns the tulmission of the Danes
into the Crown work of Rendsburg and into Friedrichsort ;
it was introduced by Baron Arnim, who was Minister of
Foreign Affairs in I§lB, and who was the main promoter of
the Prussian policy at that period. A committee was ap- Our :Montreal correspondent writes as follows:
pointed a fortnight. ago to examine and report upon the MONTREAL, J. 31.
I motion. I summarised their report on V. ednestLy. It The question of reciprocity with the United States
recommends the house to pass to the order of the day. has been again revived in this province, and Mr. Hinds.,
The debate was commenced this morning by the reading Inspector General (Chancellor of the Exchequer), as you
of this report. Baron Arnim then ascended the tribune, and may be aware, has been some time at Washington, with a
attacked the policy of the government in a most effective view of inducing the American government to pus a red-
niiross, which met with the frequent applause of a crowded preitv bill. fir. Ilineks has addressed a letter to the
base. He declared that the Crown works of Reudshurg, Hon. Mr. M'Lean, chairman of the congressional committee
and that Friedriehsort had been surrendered to the ,on commerce, which has been published in the newspapers,
Danes, contrary to the instructions of the commissaries of and recopied by all the Canadian ones. I state this as it is
Prussia and Austria. and contrary to their distinct arm, an.indateres. tine letter,ugnadicatiinonvofffectth,e
threatenshset
of pruebudilicatiogniniionnthein
ances to the Statthulterschaft of the Duchies, that they had Canada.
further promised, provided the Duchies gale way to the shape of discriminating duties, and a refusal to grant to
demands of the confederation without any resistance, that , American vessels the free navigation of the St. Lawrence.
neither Austrian nor Fru-elan troops should enter Holstein. A notice was given at the last session of our parliament, by
The character under which they had entered Holstein did not Mr. Robinson, one of the ex-ministry, to the effect that he
affect the promise of the commissaries. He considered that would more at the commencement of the next union for
the Prussian commissioner, haying so flagrantly broken his I leave to introduce a bill to impose discriminating duties on
plighted word, and having further exceeded his instruc. r American imports should reciprocity on their part be in the
eons, ought to be recalled, and the ratification of the con- , meantime refused. Mr. Mocks in. his letter alludes to this
vention concluded by him refused by the government. Was notice, holding it out as part of his threat to Mr. M'Lean.
it right or just that the Dines should be left to regulate the I think it is very doubtful if the American government
frontier question by themselves ? That was the case. The will pass this reciprocity bill. I see that some of the lead-
proclamation of the Danish general, Baggescn, had jug wMg papers are strongly against the project.
been agreed to by the comminaries, and the ; Some of these contend they should have the free
rights of the duchies, clear as they_ were, were ' navigation of the St. Lawrence as a natural right; and
disregarded and outraged by the very powers who I that this has always been claimed on the part of the Ame-
bad ondertok,,,, to protect them, Both the great rine government. They lay it down as a principle held '
powers of G. ninny had been gnay of great tr.. aehery in , by all writers on international law, that the inhabitants of
the north; but Prussia was degridea to the dust, %hilt the ' the upper part of a navigalde stream bare a right ti the
rnal power, Austria, suffered no evil consequences from her I free navigation of its mouth. Not to take up time to dis-
til-faith. Austria was consistent, but the country had to miss the justice of this theory, but granting it, the Aracri-

CANADA.

cans would find the Falls of Niagara and the rapids be-
tween Kingston and Montreal rather lianl navigation. And
surely, they would hardly consider our canals as common
property to which they have a natural right. But however
all this may be, I am by no means sure of the soundness of
the policy of closing our waters to the western trade. In I
any event we need that trade to pass through those waters
for many reasons, and it is useless to deny, or to attempt to
conceal from the Americans, that it was for this purpose
the canals were mainly constructed. The interest of the
debt incurred for their construction is burdensome to
the province, and we want the tolls of the western trade
to pay it. It is not by prohibiting American vessels that
the Welland can compete with the Erie canal.
The present import trade Irani the United States now
amounts to 2,000.000 dols. At the present time the scale
of duties is the EOM on both American and English im-
ports into l'anaila. Our export trade to the States, as I
have previously shown you. is also increasing.
The imports at this port exclusively it appears by late Cllll.
tom House returns amounted to 1,7:32,99 a. The exports to
437,4481.