The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-03-23 00:00:00

THE SOUND DUES.

BERLIN, MARCH 19:
The draft of the projected treaty for the redehip-
tion of the Sound Dues, which appeared some little
time back in our columns, underwent some modifi-
cation before it arrived at its final conclusion and
execution last Saturday, 14th inst. The said draft
was the result of the negociations that had been
carried on for some time previous between England,
Prussia, and France, and to which Denmark had
more or less assented ; Austria, Hanover, and we
believe the Hanseatic Towns signified their acces
sion to it as soon as it was made known to them,
but subsequently various alterations were made
in it, in the course of the last few weeks, as will
be evident from the following apercu of the actual
Treaty, which was signed on the 14th inst.
The Treaty is concluded between Denmark on
the one part, and Belgium, France, Great Britain,
Hanover, the Hanseatic Towns, Mecklenburg-
Schwerin, the Netherlands, Austria, Oldenburg,
Prussia, Russia, and Sweden and Norway on the,
other part. Denmark undertakes oh her part, in
Art. 1, no longer to levy any impost under the
name of Sound or Belt Dues, Light Dues, &c., on
any vessel, or its cargo, passing the Sound or the
Belts; immaterial whether the vessels only pass
through, or whether they put into Danish ports;
and also not to cause any vessel passing through
the Sound or Belts to be in any Way detained or
searched. The aforesaid dues shall not be reim-
posed at any future time in the form or under the
name of navigation dues or tolls. In Art. II she
undertakes :-1. To keep up and maintain all the
lights and beacons at present existing in the
Danish waters and on the Danish coasts in good
order, to devote care and attention to the increase
and improvement of the same, without cost or
charge to foreign navigation ; to watch over the
pilotage in the Cattegat, Sound, and the Belts ;
to fix the rates of pilotage only with reference to
the interests of navigation ; and to permit
private speculators, foreigners as well as
Danes, to form establishments for towing in
the Sound and Belts. 2. To come to an under-
standing with Sweden for the further maintenance
of the existing lights and beacons on the
Swedish and Norwegian coasts which at present
contribute to the safety of the passage through the
Sound and the Cattegat. In Art. 111. she under-
takes, on all canals and lines of communication
between the German Ocean, the Elbe, and the
Baltic, to reduce the existing transit dues on all
goods to 16 shillings Danish for 5001 b. Danish, and
to introduce generally such exemptions from these
transit dues as already exist on some of these
individual lines of communication: Any advantage
that may subsequently be conferred on any single
line of communication shall be at the same time
extended to all other canals and lines of communi•
cation.

On the other part, each and every one of the
States participating in this treaty undertakes, in
Articles IV, V, and VI, to pay, as an indemnity to
Denmark-, the sum specified against its name in
Article IV. Each State is at liberty to pay off its
quota within 20 years, in equal half yearly instal-
ments, which shall comprise the proportional
amount of the capital and the interest on the arrears.
Each State has separately to come to an agreement
with Denmark as to the manner how, and the place
where, and the rate of exchange at which the pay-
ment is to be made, and as to the conditions for
the entire or partial discharge of its quota,
According to Article VI., Denmark's obligations
come into force on the Ist of April of this year. By
that time the exchange of the ratifications of the
treaty shall, if possible, have already taken place in
Copenhagen. Those States whose constitutional
polity renders it imperative, undertake to procure
the necessary approval of their legislative bodies.
Finally, Denmark has reserved to herself the
right of coming to separate arrangements with such
States as have not taken part in this treaty with
regard to the fiscal treatment of their vessels, with
this reservation, however, that the vessels shall
neither be detained or searched.
The United States of North America were not
represented at the late Sound Dues Conferences
in Copenhagen, the American Government having
refused some time back any longer to acknowledge
the principle an which Sound Dues are collected at
all ; hopeful expectations are, however, entertained
in Copenhagen that, now that an arrangement had
been arrived at with the European Powers that
Government will be found less unwilling to enter
into this generally received plan for the redemption
of them. Despatches were sent off from Copenha-
gen to Washington on this subject sufficiently early
in Febrnary for them to arrive there before the
closing of Congress on the 4th inst., so that it is
not improbable that some answer satisfactory to
Denmark may arrive in the Danish capital before
the conclusion of the term appointed by the Ame-
rican Government for the determination of its
treaty with Denmark.
Last Sunday Mr. Buchanan, our minister in
Copenhagen, passed through Ha:nburg on his way
to London, whither he is, doubtless, the bearer of
a copy of the general treaty just concluded with
Denmark, and also of a draught for a special treaty
to be concluded between that power and England
with reference to the modes which England will
choose for the payment of her quota ; he is accom-
panied to England by his second attache, Mr.
Donald Cameron.

Baron von Bulow, the Thinish representative at
Frankfort, who was the baarer of the last Danish
answer to the German Courts, has just returned
hither from Vienna, accompanied by Baron von
Bille Brahe. They had a long conference with
Baron von Manteuffel the day before yesterday in.
the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and almost imme-
diately the Baron von Bulow will return to his post
at Frankfort.

. The melancholy incident which I mentioned in
my last letter of the sudden death of one of the
Deputies, as one may almost say, while addressing
the house, has produced a wide spread and painful
sensation here ; the more so, as apoplectic and
paralytic attacks are this year more frequent and
usual at this season, in consequence of the unusual
warmth of the:weather. The circumstances under
which this sudden death took place are, moreover,
calculated to throw an additional interest over it,
and will probably cause the deceased to be looked
on by the less educated of his party as a martyr to
his cause and his church. Herr Otho was a pro-
minent member of the Roman Catholic party in
the House of Representatives, and on this occasion
was commencing an elaborate speech, on which
the hopes of the party were rested, in opposition
to the ways and means proposed to be voted to the
Minister of Public Worship. He had spoken as
follows

Gentlemen,—l may assume it to be a matter of notoriety
what claims and demands with reference to the interests of the
Catholics I and my friends have been striving for years to
enforce on the attention of the House and of the Government.
It will doubtless be equally well known to you that our
endeavours, with very few exceptions, have always been no-
ceseful. The majority of these complaints have been directed
against a state of things (calls of ' Speak louder% which
proceeds directly from the Ministry of public Worship, and
it is this . .

After pressing his hand on his heart, and
repeating the last words in a faint voice, the
speaker added, " Gentlemen, I grieve to say I can-
not proceed," turned deadly pale, and sank to the
ground. The members in his immediate vicinity
and the Ministers all sprang forward to his
assistance, and he was carried into a neigh-
bouring room. Three medical men, members
of the house, gave him the benefit of their profes-
sional skill, and every attempt was made to
restore him to animation. A priest of his own
Church, who is also a member for Cologne, was
prepared to afford him the last consolations of
religion, but from his continued state of uncon-
sciousness it was not possible to administer the
sacrament to the dying man, and the offices of
religion were confined to the administration of the
supreme unction. With a deep sigh and groan he
shortly expired in the arms of the priest, as the
latter put up the simple aspiration " Father ! into
Thy hands we commend his soul."