The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-01-15 00:00:00

LATEST

THE PEACE NEGOC/ATIONS.

lie
rbe
A despatch, dated Vienna, the I,3th instant,
ived, and
Prince Gortschakoff that the, entire Austrian
But
oti,h theßussianaving
cornespiy had
'dti, .rinformed
legation at St. Petersburg, Would quit that capital
athriant"Cn ocuenst t ha
on the 18th of the present month.

THE FRENCH FUNDS

PARIS, MONDAY EVENING.
The transactions on the Bourse to-day closed
at the following prices :—Four-and-a Half per
Cents, 91f. ; Three per Cents, 62f. 65c.

---0.--...-

THE ARMY IN THE CRIMEA
Advices from the camp before Sebastopol, dated
1, state that the weather continues frosty, hut not
as it was. The writer says:—There can hardly b
perfect example of a sinecure than the office of a new.
correspondent in the camp before Sebastopol at
present time. There seems little chance of the
sians meddling with us at present. WO the g,,
in its present state, it would be difficult to
artillery. The men are well clothed, well f
the quarters are as good as circumstances will permit, tl-
appeared contented, and have every reason to he It
expected that the docks we have mined will -be blown
this week, but no day is yet positively fixed.

MILITARY DESPATCHES FROM THI
CRIMEA.
A supplement to the London Gazetts of Friday., (
two despatches, with enclosures, addressed to Lord p,
by General Sir W. J. Codrington. The first consists of a
letter from his Highness Omer Paeha, in ecknowlEdgment
of a despatch announcing the gracious intention of Her
Majesty to bestow the Crimean medal upon the Ottoman
troops. The second is Dr. Hail's weekly report, dated 31st
December, 1855, which shows a Terry satisfactory sate
of
the general health of the army, More than half the deaths
during the week have taken place in the Land Transport
Corps alone. They are as well :fed and clothed as the
soldiers, but uear'y one-half of the force is. composed of
natives, not of the Crimea, but of Asia Minor and other
places, and they bear the winter ill. The numbar of deaths
during the week were forty, ani of during the previous,
week thirty-six.

nmure,

THE PEACE PROPOSITIONS.
THE RUSSIAN REPLY.
7We learn from Paris, in addition to the intelligence sup-
plied by our own correspondent, that the Russian reply to
the Austrian propositions is couched in terms extremely
mild and conciliatory, but that Austria was not satisfied.
The runture of relations between Austria and Russia is
regarded as a fact.
From Vienna, under yesterday's date, we learn that the
Emperor of Austria displays great firmness, and insists
on the unconditional acceptance of the proposition of
which Count Valentine Esterhazy was the bearer.,
The Vienna correspondent of the Constitutionne/ com-
plains of the want of energy shown by the Ministers of
Saxony and Bavaria at St. Petersburg, who might be re-
garded as representing the minor of the German Con-
federation. Had Germany combined frankly with
Austria to enforce those terms as an ultimatum, with-
out modification and withont discussion—as they have
now been presented by the Envoy of that Power to ther
Court of St. Petersburg—they would have rendered/
Alexander IL an immense service, by enabling him to
place himself in the right point of view before his Owl
subjects, as only yielding to an irresistible- Europeans
combination of force and opinion. Had the minor Gemmel
States—to say nothing of Prussia concurred to exhibit
that combination, the war might have been brought to $
speedy close ; but as matters now stand, nothing will be
left but foriAustria to withdraw her ambassador, and act
with the Western Powers in pursuance of the policy she
has finally espoused, and peremptorily placed before the
moffoernrecnottmattevriepurnozposaintyionms
ocraennthotanbeat epnaterristaoi
Court of St. Petersburg. The attempt of that court to
rneLdonfdoorn:.
and unless in the improbable event of Russia changing her"
mind, and accepting, at the eleventh hour, the terms,
which have bean laid before her, there is no prospect but
the renewal of hostilities with redoubled energy, as soont
as the season permits.

CHURCH OF ENGLAND SCULPTURE READEDA A''..4ocL,
girml Sorip
nhcee'platform we'.'e the Rev. Dr. M'\ lie, R'v-
ilnussaolemiaetineotingwausf
itiehleaCionutrhceh
cool'
lElien.
giate I
aatken by the Lord W.shop of Chester. Among
tcaa—lthht efoaTuashi
ideirliaeealtrlwftspa-taeosn:
tl
'pnast six
doe'cslpoictke,olleasstevneriget There was rather
Id of the night. Tito
Dr. Hume, Rey. W. Pollock, Rev. Messrs, T. e. C,wai I.
W.
Bardsley, J. J. Batten, W. Tatten, F. Pain, C. W. Lawc:,neo
Taylor, J. ilaq, G. Read, Moeran, Leslie, Av
;,ter,,on
Wooller, Gilmour, Hunt, Dandy, Wolseley, Conor, M'l
Powell, Williams, Moore, Holmes, Power, Ellison, Harper,
H. Carpenter, Messrs. Greg,son, Adam Frodgson, Christi- ~or
Bushell, Webszer, Halhead, Rounthwaite, &c. Th,
Mr. Cowan read the annual report. It g.
acknowledged the large amount of support which th
was receiving from the public, but stated that on th
acomint there was a deficiency of £125, the inc
while the expenditure amounted to £2,339. Th
rleB3as:ei,rosi
sn.colfuTstihvheee
no
sfuomtch;et
yrp roescvvei oirseui st9s y6p,e3aai3r:i6s,dbu:r;rn igcp: erti,h;ilitej, :air:,
ab,
five annual contributors, of largo amounts, for the :
of particular readers—one of £lOO, two of £65, and
16,000 on the number in 1854. Of these visits 6,311 is
t
and 17,629 to Roman Catholics. An rich
c;os the
the fo r
report
reading
the Scriptures in Irish has been establisbet
further stated that several house aoentt
and s sick,
declared that since the visits of the readers to the dwellings
occupied by Irish Roman Catholics, a spirit of piety was
growing up amorg them, and that they were daily becoming
more orderly and. cleanly. The report, in conclusion, set
forth that the income , f last your had not been equil to the
expenditure, and that when it was known there were but 31
readers to visit a population of 200,000 people, the public
would see how unequal such a number were for the work,.
and how liberally they should come forward in aid of the
society. The report was adopted, and the meeting agldressedr
at considerable length, by the Right Rev. Prelate in the
chair, by the Rev. Dr. M'Neile, Rev. W. Pollock, 111 r.
(4regson, and Mr. C. Bushell. A vote of thanks to ti 0
chairman was passed, and the proceedings were closed by
the benediction.

ratetnlly

X 2,114,

The British mail steamer Asia, Captain Lott,
arrived at this port yesterday, with 105 passengers,
fine d on the 7th January rescued Capt. Griffin and
men of the schooner Sarah, of Halifax, which
had been dismasted and was in a sinking state.
On the 11 th January, at midnight, exchanged
night signals with the Africa, and on the 13th
passed the Baltic.
The adviees by the Asia are to the Ist inst. from
Boston, and they supply the President's Message
delivered to the Congress on the 31st December,
notwithstanding the House of Representatives had
not yet elected a Speaker. The following appeared
in our third edition yesterday, and is given by the
New York Times as a summary of the Message
Which we publish in our paper to-day :
brThe President, yesterday, took the country by surprise
anchingnd hie message to Congress before the popular
of that body was prepared to receive it. The
President assigns as his motives for taking this extraor-
dinary step,
his convictions of duty "which would not.
Permit him longer to postpone the obligation enjoined
uPon him by the Constitution, to give to Congress infor-
ro
their ation of the state of the Union, and recommend to
consideration such measures'as he shall judge neces-
sary and expedient. But the propriety of s riding a
Message Mes and recommending measures to an unorgan:zed
is not
which has no power to consider or act upon them,
very obvious. We find nothing in the message
itself of sufficient importance to justify the unusual
course'of the President, in sending it to Congress before
the organization of the Lower House.
The message is well written, of the ordinary length,
and with less of " Buncombe " in it than might have been
expected; and though it is broadly and decidedly in
favor of the South, and as strongly Pro-Slavery as it
ri
Could possibly be made, it is quiet in expression, and
stctly in accordance with the antecedent utterances of
the President. In respect to our relations with Eegland,
the ?resident is candid and firm in the expression of his
°pinions, and the tone of his remarks is in singular con-
trast with that belligerent temper which the London
2'imes has attributed to him. The Message is eminently
pea6eable as respects all foreign Powers, and the only
show of ati opposite feeling is in that part of it which
relates to the conflicting sentiments of the North and
the South, which, with so large a majority against
him in Congress, cannot be supposed as intended to in-
fluence the minds or actions of its members.
The question of greatest importance which demands tne
attention of Congress, is that which his risen out of the
negotiation with Great Britain in relation to Central
-America. He gives a narrative of the negotiations and
treatises, from which it appears that the two governments
-are still widely at variance on the subject, as they have
long been, and the President states that it will afford him
Sincere gratification, if future efforts shall result in the
the
!uccess heretofore anticipated with more confidence than
aspect of the
,case now ermits him to entert sin
Still, he does 'not consider an amicable solution of
i'cntroversy hopeless. The importance of this Ct.
Atn,rican question, which is, in reality, the prominent
feature of the Message, may be inferred from the debates
in the SenNe which immediately followed the reading of
it,—Messrs.,oayton, Seward, Cass and Weller, all con-
curring in suppoting the President's views, which are
expressed with great firmness though moderate in
tone. The Enlistment case nex follows it is treated at length, and our rights are asserted in as; decided.
a manner as in the Central American question. Repara-
tions of the wrong done in the infringement of our laws
have been demanded, but the subject is under discussion.
The appointment of a Commissioner is again recommend-
ed to establish the boundary line that divides the territory
of Washington from the contiguous British Provinces,
where, it seems, there has been imminent danger of
collisions. On the subject of the Danish Sound Dues, the
President still adheres to his former opinion—that the
United States ought not to submit to their payment. Our
relations with other European Powers are of a satisfactory
nature. Mexico and Nicaragua are dispatched in a few
lines. The reference which the President makes to the
condition of the Public Treasury is confined to its revenues
and expend tures. Nothing is said, in this connection,
of the foreign trade of the country, the results of which.
for the fiscal year 1855, have heretofore been published
in the NORTHERN DAILY TIIIES, and are here recapi-
tulated:
Foreign Imports, 1855
Against year 1854.

Decreased Import .. ~. -•- • •
Exports, inclu, ing specie, 1855
Against year 1854

..$261,382,960
.. 305,780,235

. 664,397,293
$275,158,856
278,241,064

- -
Decreased Export..
The Message states that the revenues of the Treasury
Were

565,003,930

For year 1855
For 1856, officl;l 'and estimated
The expenditures exclusive of payments on account of
the Public Debt,
For year 1855 ...... . ....................
Public Debt paid off...

Per year 1855, official and estimated.. ...... dol. 60.476.000
Texas and Mexican claims The available resources for the current„ ,
10 750,000
fiscai year,
from which to pay the last two items, are estim tted at
88,856,710 &A; so that the b dance available to the Trea.-
Bury on 30th June next, will be 15,693,863 dots, assuming
that the Texas Indemnity, 7,750,000 dol., and the 51 ''cl-
ean. 3,000,000 dol., to be paid off before that periol. The
existing system of receiving, keeping, and disbursing, the
Puhlic revenues is commended for its safety. Upon
the " principle that all moneys not required for the
current expenses of the Gp)vernment, should remain for
active employment among the people," the Presi-
dent recommends an early revision and reduction of the
Tariff of Duties on Imports, without departure from the
principles of the existing law,
The Condition of the Army and Navy is briefly allu led
to, and'the decision of the retiring Board, we infer, is not
to be disturbed. In Kansas, the President naively re-
Marks, there have been acts prejudicial to good order,
but as yet none have occurred to justify the interposition
of the Federal Executive; from which it might be sup,
'Posed his advices from that distant territory had not
been very full or reliable. Ile then gives us a long essay
on the constitutional theory of the government, in which
be exhibits a decided partiality for the South, and its
ecu li a r institution, from which the slide into the Ne-
raska bill is both easy and natural, and his round and
vehement approval of that measure ineeitable and a
matter of course. The possibility of a dissolution of the
'Union is hinted at, but the President has too much con-
fidence in the patriotism of the people to believe in such
a thing. The Message coucludes with an appeal to the
Almighty, with which our other Presidents have com-
menced the Messages.
On the *hole, the Message will be regarded, we think,
with satisfaction, excepting those parts which relate to
slavery, which will be as vehemently, praised at the South,
as they will be denounced by a majority of the people at
the North.

In the Senate, after the reading of the message,
Clayton made some remarks relative to the treaty of A,
19, 18,50, in order to show the people of the United Stittthe strength of the position assumed by the American
Government, relative to Central American aff tirs, and the
Injustice of the position taken by Great Britain with regard
to the construction of that treaty. He agreed, generally,
with all that the President had stated, and contrasted the
pacific character of his country with the aggressive.policy
always pursued by Great Britain. Mr. Seward inquired
'whether the ground taken by the President has allowed the
British Government to take action regarding the construc-
tion of that treaty, namely :—That it was merely prospec-
tive in its operation, and had no reference to the actual
occupation by that country of the territory
in question, was the uaders'anding of the GI ',eminent of the United States when the treaty
was made. Mr. Clive!' then bent.; secretary of state.
Ur.. Clayton replied that it was an entirely new constriction,
something of which he had never heard. He had never
dreamed of such a construction being given to the language
of the treaty. Does any man suppose (Mr. Clayton said) that
I, in the possession of my senses, entered into a treaty with
1,-.4ain to allow her to remain in possession of the whole of
this is `'mu', merely because she had been in possession of
it, and then :''reed a treaty to prohibit my own countrymen
from taking posse;slon, leaving her to remain undisturbed ?
What motive could an it metican Senate have had in voting
for it ? Is it possible that atzy man can believe, for a single
moment. such a view was in contemplation by the negotia-
tions when it was agreed that " nei:ber will cweopy,
nize, fortify, or exercise dominion" in Central America ?
Occupy means, first, to take posseession, and, secondly, to
keep possession. Great Britain agreed to do neither, also
agreeing that they would not exercise dominion there.
Mr. Cass expressed his entire concurrrence with what had
fallen from Mr. Clayton, and his gratification at the course
taken by the President, and the view enunciated in the
message. In the whole history of diplomacy
tbt.
nothing to be found at all comparable with the courst
Britain regarding the construction of the Clayton-Bulwer
treaty, and Central American affairs.

re was

Yar Mahom
death, excef

not app
advance beyond U

The steamship Star of th; West, which left
an Juan on the 26th ult., had arrived at New York,
liming over half a million of dollars on .freight.
Including a first shipment from the mines of
Nicaragua, with very interesting news from that
republic. General Walker's government was more
Popular, the country quiet, and his troops so nume-
rius that he had detached a tattalion to Honduras
to assist the President, if necessary, in any diffi-
ctilties which may arise between his people And
the executive of G-uatemala. Experienced Ameri-
Can miners from California were very sanguine of
obtaining a rich yield of gold in Nicaragua.

a very short illness

e privy

the R:ght Hon. George Canning,

Exchequer. Toe Qw.; ..
po,,ed for the mike of p
COMMFRCIAL INTELLIGENCE. I supported by the conservative c
the present Speaker, gained ti
MONEY AND STOCKS.
Slnee oar advieets of 24th Dec. the Stock Market
Mr. GoulbUrn 9 votes, and 1
Itltinelgutb.eeTlT gllghtly'depressed, without any marked move-
Euro e he pacific aspect of the recent intelligence from deceased enjoyed the annual j ear. P_ , the dullness of Exchange, and the prospect of unexpected death a vacancy is c
/r money after the* middle of January, have restored mons for Cambridge University

Lord Dalhousie is at Calcutta winding up the affairs
of state before leaving. Lord El phinstone continues his
tour in Guzzerat. Lord Harris is at Madras.
According to the summary of the Bombay Times, the
Sontal insurrection seems now over ; the last of the in.
surgents in the field have been \ surrounded, and Kanoo,
the only leader of note yet remaining amongst them,
has been captured. We have since our last
had no disturbances of any kind in any part
of India. An expedition is said to be in prepara-
tion against the robber chief Saadut Khan, whose
people still threaten to molest us. A temporary tran-
quillity reigns in Oude, under the fear on both sides that
an uproar will be the signal for coercion. The Rajpoot
state of Oodeypore, one of the oldest, and best governed in
India, has been' of late threatened with civil war, in con-
sequence of misunderstandings amongst the chiefs them-
selves, and betwixt a porti n of them and their sovereign.
About a year ago the sovereign and his chiefs agreed at
last to submit their grievances to English arbitrament.
binding themselves to abide by our decision, whatever
that might be. The award having been communicated to
them, the Rana submitted with the most perfect integrity,
but tie chiefs broke their pledge, and now desire that the
British government should alter its judgment. A bill is
at present before the legislative council to enable Hindoo
widows to marry without sacrificing their rights, and for
' • heir children, who, in the eye of the English
it considered bastards.
n of December 8, has the following :
tence from Herat is horrible; the whole of
d's family, old and young, have been put to
_ the mother of the two princes who were
recently murdered by the Persian troops. Her life was
spared with the view of extorting from her the treasure
she was known to have possessed; but she was prepared
for thi4, fur on the murder of her two sons she collected
all her jewels and burnt them, and allowed her slaves
to distribute the spoil among themselves. She is now
red, with red hot irons to give up her wealth. We do
nd immediate hostilities unless the Persians

The news from Canchhar of a very warlike nature.
When the forces of Dost nahomed and the Candahar
chiefs unite, it i 3 calculated they will muster at ou, 70,000
men and about 80 guns.

COMMERCIAL I NTELLIGENCE

BOMBAY, Dec. 15.—Our money market for the fort•
night has been daily becoming tighter, and the banks
have raised their rate of interest 1 per cent. Our
import market continues to exhibit considerable firm-
ness, with a steady demand for mot fabrics up to the
arrival of the Overland mail. The intelligence received
by that opportunity of improved prices in the Manchester
market encouraging a hope of a corresponding improve-
ment with us, but some few holders came forward with
their large stocks held for years, at a high cost, and
press sales at prices below the current ones of the day.
though there was no lack on the part of dealers to tike
off a large amount of goods, and it wes pretty correctly
ascertained that the stock in the baaar is remarkably
light, and that recent purchases have found their way
into the country without delay. That circumstance of ,
itself is a satisfactory proof of the healthy state of our
import market, notwithstanding the musat unaccountable
anxiety displayed on the part of one or two firms to force
sales taking place. Almost every variety of produce has
Increased in value. Freights have slightly advanced.
The rate for citton to Liverpool and London being
43 ss. to £3 10s. per ton, and for seed 2s. 6d. higher to
London. Exchange on England, for the past fortnight,
has bad an upward tendency.
CALCUTTA, Dec. 13.—1 n produce we have been very
much at a stand still, but the late advanced prices have
been mostly maintained. The news of the October sale
of Indigo is considered quite as favourable as could have
been hoped for. The saltpetre question is sailed against
the petition to the council of the American merchants,
and prices have declined from 12 annas to a rupee per
maund. We have no sugars to speak of in the market,'
and the few lots taken are dear for Great Britain. Rice
is in active de.nand for all parts. The shipments of
wheat are also continued and at reduced prices. Our
piece-goods operations since the last mail have been to a
fair extent notwithstanding an apparent dulness in the
niarl¢et, and although the prices of most articles have an
easier tendency, still, on the whole, values have been
tolerably suppurted. Grey goods command most atten-
tion. The bleached being less inquired for. Prints,
though less brisk, sustain values, as do woollens, though
it is late in the season for purchases. Twist has been
remarkably quiet, and most accounts are looking clawn•
ward. Metals are mostly without animation. Copper
and spelter losing ground, All other sorts hold previous
positions. Our nsoney market continues to exhibit signs
of extreme depression, leading to no hopeful anticipa-
tions for some mouths ta come. In exchange, 90 day's
bills have been sold at 2s 4tl, and bank-post bills at
2s id. The heavy demand for tonnage for lice has sus-
tained rates pf freights generally.

THE

DEATH OF THE RIGHT HON. HENRY
GOULBURN, M.P.

We regret to announce the demise of the Right Hon.
Henry Goulburn, M.P. for the University of Cambridge.
Tho right hon. gentleman expired at 3 o'clock on Saturday
morning, at Lechworth House, near Dorking, Surrey, after
He was born in 1784, so that he was

in his 72nd year. Mr. Goulburn accepted the post of Chief
lecretary for Ireland 'in December, 1821, and was then
He filled that office under the several
administrations of the Earle liiverpool, Viscount Goderich,

, and the Duke of Welling-
tc n, when, in March, 1828, the illustrious puke selected him
to fill the important office of Chancellor of the Exchequer.
On the formation of Sir Robert Peel's first ministry, in
1834, Mr. Onuiburn was rppointed Secretary of State Co-
ttle How Department, which be held till the administration
bra ke up in April following. When Sir Robert was again
called npon, in September, 1841, to take office, that astute
d Mr. Goulburn for his Chancellor of the
I gentleman, in 1839, was pro-
House of Commons,
but Ur. Shaw Lefevre,

'ction, there

)pinf; fr)r

•
for Mr. Lefevre 317. rThe
pension of £2OOO. By his
:aused in the House of Com-

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE,

SENATE.
WA.SHINGTON, Dec. 31, 1855.

Prayer by the Chaplain, Rev. Henry C. Dean.
The journal of yesterday was read and approved.
Mr. Sidney Webster, Private Secretary of the President,
appeared, announcing a message in writing, which was
read.

THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
FELLOW CITIZENS OF THE SENATE AND
OF THE I.IOTIsE OF REPRESENTATIVES :

The constitution of the 'United States provides that
congress shall assemble annually on the first Monday of
December, and it has been usual for the President
to make no communication of a public character to the
Senate and House of Representatives until advised of
their readiness to receive it. I have deferred to this
usage until the close of the first month of the session, but
my convictions of duty will not perm 't me longer to post-
pone the discharge of the obligation enjoined by the con-
stitution upon the President " to give to the Congress
information of the state of the Uninn, and recommend to
their consideration such measures as he shall jud;e neces-

sary and expedient."
It is matter of congratulation that the republic is tran-
quilly advancing in a career of prosperity and peace.

FOREIGN RELATIONS-CENTRAL AM SR ICA

Whilst relations of amity continue to exist between the
United States and all foreign powers, with some of them
grave questions are depending, which may require the
con4ideration of Congress. _ _

Of such questions, the most important is that which
has arisen out of the nerociations with Great Britain, in
reference to Central America.

By the convention concluded between the two govern-
ments on the 19th of April, 1850, both parties covenanted
that " neither will ever occupy, or fortify, or colonise,
or assume, or exercise, any dominion ove-, Nicaragua,
Costa Rica, the Mosquito coast, or any p' at of Central
America."

It was the undoubted understanding of the United
States, in making this treaty, that all the present States
of the former republic of Central America, and the entire
territory of each, would thenceforth enj )y complete in-
pendence ; and that bath contracting parties engaced
equally, and to the same extent, for the present and for
the future, that if either then had any claim of right in
Central America, such claim, and all occupation or
authority under it, were unreservedly relinqnished by
the stipulations of the convention ; and that no dominion
was thereafter to be exercised or assumed in any part of
Central America, by Great Britain or the United States.
This government, consented to restrictions in regard to
a region of country, wherein we had, specific and peculiar
interests, only upon the convict ion that the like restric-
tions were in the same sense obligatory on Great Britain.
But for this understanding of the force and effect of the
convention, it would never have been concluded by us.

I at home or abroad, subject only to such restrictions in this
' relation as the laws of war, the usage of nations, or special
treaties, may impose; and it is our sovereign right that
our territory and jurisdiction shall not be invaded by
either of the belligerent parties, for the transit of their
armies, the operations of their fleets, the levy of troops
for their service, the fitting out of cruisers by or against
either, or any other act or incident of war. And these
undeniable rights of neutrality, individual and national,
the United States wilt under no circumstances surrender.
In pursuance 'of •this 'policy, the laws of the United
States do not forbid their citizens to sell to either of the
belligerent powers, articles, contraband of war, or to take
munitions of war or soldiers on board their private ships
for transportation ; and although, in so doing, the indivi-
dual citiz-n expsses his property or person to some of
the hazards of war, his acts do not involve any breach
of national neutrality, nor of themselves implicate the
government. Thus, during the progress of the present
war in Europe, our citizens have, without national
responsibility therefor, sold gunpowder and arms to all
buyers, regardlesS of the destinalon of those articles.
Our merchantmen have been, and still continue to be,
largely employed by Great Britain aed by France, in
transporting troops, provisions, and munitions of war to
the principal seat of the military operations, and in
bringing home their sick and wounded soldiers; but such
use of onr mercantile marine is not interdicted either by
the international, or by our municipal • law and there-
fore does not compromit our neutral relations with
Russia.

But our municipal law, in accordance with the law of
nitions, peremptorily forbids, not only foreigners, but
our own citizens, to fit out, within the limits of the United
States, a vessel to commit hostilities against any State
with which the United States are at peace, or to increase
the force of any foreign armed vessel intended for such
hostilities against a friendly State.
Whatever concern may have been felt by either of
belligerent powers lest private armed cruisers or other
vessels, in the service of one, might be fitted out in the
ports of this country to depredate on the property of the
other, all such fears have proved to be utterly ground-
less. Our citizens have been withheld from any such
act or purpose by good faith, and by respect for the law.
While the laws of the union are thus peremptory in
their prohibition of the equipm Hit or armament of
belligerent cruisers in our poris, they provide not
less abso'utely that no person shall, within the territory
or jurisdiction of the United States, enlist or enter him-
self, or hire or retain another person to enlist or enter
himself, or to,go beyond the limits or jurisdiction of the
United States, with intent to be enlisted or entered in
the service of any foreign state, either as a soldier, or a
marine or seam in on board of any vessel of war, letter of
marque or privateer. And these enactments are also in
strict .onformity with the law of nations, which declares
that no state has the right to raise troops for land or sea
service in another state without its consent, and that,
whether forbidden by the municipal law or not, the very
attempt to do it, without such consent, is an attack on
the national sovereignty.
Such being the public rights and the municipal law of
the United States no solicitude on the subject was enter-
tained by this government, when a year since the British
Parliament passed an act to provide for the enlistment of
foreigners in the military service of Great Britain.
Nothing on the face of the act, or in its public history,
indicated that the British government_ proposed to
attempt recruitment in the United States ; nor did it ever
give intimation of such intent ion to this government. It
was matter of surprise, therefore, to find, subsequently,
that the engagement of persons within the United States
to proceed to Halifax, in the British province of Nova
Scotia, and there enlist in the service of Great Britain,
was going on extensively, with little or no disguise.
Ordinary legal steps we, e :immediately taken to. arrest
and punish parties concerned, and so put and end to acts
infringing the municipal law, and derogatory to our
sovereignty. Meanwhile, suitable representations on the
subject were addressed to the British government.
Thereupon it became known, by the admission of the
British government itself, that the attempt to draw
recruits from this country originated with it, or at least
had its approval and sanction ; but it also appeared that
the public agents engaged in it had "stringent instruc-
tions ' not to violate the municipal law of the United
States.

from the Baltic. I have declined in behalf of the United
States to accept this invitation, for the most cogent reasons.
One is, that Denmark does not offer to submit to the conven-
tion the question of her right to levy the Sound Dues. A
second is, that, if the con-ention were allowed take cognizance
of that particular question, still it would not be competent to
deal with the great international principle involved which
affects the right in other cases of navigation and commercial
freedom, as well as that of access to the Baltic. Above all,
by the express terms of the proposition it is contemplated, that
the consideration of the Sound Dues shall be commingled with,
and made subordinate to a matter nholly extraneous, the
balance of power among the governments of Europe.
While, however, rejecting this proposition, and insisting
on the right of free transit into and from the Baltic, I have
expressed to Denmark a willingness, on the part of the United
States, to share liberally with other powers in compensating
her for any advantages which commerce shall hereafter derive
from expenditures made by her for the improvement and safety
of the navigatio❑ of the Sound or Belts.

I lay before you, herewith, sundry documents on the
subject, in which my views are more fully disclosed.
Should no satisfactory arrangement be soon concluded
I shall again call attention to the subject, with recommenda-
tion of such measures as may appear to be required in order to
assert and secure the rights of the United States, so far as they
are affected by the pretensions of Denmark.