The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-19 00:00:00

nig SOUND DUES MEATY.

The drift of the proposed treaty drawn up by
the commissioners in conference at Copenhagen, to
' settle the terms on which the Sound du-s are to be
abolished by the Government of Denmark, is
published in extenso in the Btussels joarnal, Le
Surd,- of Monday, together with the schedu'es
specifying the various articles exempt from toll.
The liieig of Denmark engages not to levy any
dm ge whatever upon vessels or cargoes passing
from the Nerth. Sea ti the Baltic, or vice versa,
thr ,ugh t' e Belts, or the Soiled, wi,etherthey mei ely
t averse the Danisitwiets, or whether they anchor
therein. No v ss.l is time 'fter, upon any pretext
whatever, to be subjected, in ia,siug the Sound or
Belts, to any detentiou or impediment. Tee King
of Denmark, however, reserves to himself a right
to settle by special arrangements, not involvieig
either search or detention, the fiscal and customs
regulations to which vessels shall be subject be-
longing to powers which have not taken part in
this treaty. Vess-ls entering or leaving tile Danish
ports, whether 1 tden or in ballast, shall be exempt
from all lighthouse and other: such dues, not having
the character of customs duties, or a pecul;ar har-
bour dues. The D.inish Government under.akes to
maintain all existing i eacon s, light Li o uses, buoys, and
landmarks, a'ong ttiecoast or in the approaches to its
harbours, road , rivers, and channe s, and also to
take into its serious consideration every use:ill ad-
dition or alteration, without any cost to foreign
vessels. It will also exercise supervision over the
pilot service, which is to be always available for
captains and maeters of ships, at their option. The
pilot charges are to be modified ; they are in no
case t:) be incraass.d, and they are to I.e the same
for Danish as for foreign veevls, and not to be
demanded except from those vessels which volun-
tatily etepl y the pilots. Any private indivi-
duals, Danes or foreigners, are -to be allowed,
without any restriction, to establish or station
in the Sound steam-boats serving exclusively
fir towing vessels which may choose to etrploy
then. Ttie exemption from tolls which a great
variety of articles at present enjoy in certain of the
channels. reutes, or passages connecting the North
Sea with the Biltic, is henceforth extended to
every such channel or route either now existing or
which may hereafter be made between the North
Sea and the Baltic. (A very long list of tin com-
modities which enjoy this exemption is annexed.)
' It is quite understood that if any other articles of
commetce are at any future time favoured with a
similar exemption in any one of the channels re-
ferred to, the same exemption shall hold good on all
other routes. An uniform tax by weight of sixteen
skilings Danish for 5001bs. Danish is to be levied.
upon all merchandise, not at present exempt, con-
veyed by whatever route ; and the King of Den-
mark engages to place all the routes of communica-
tion upon a footing of perfect equality with the
most favoured routes now existing, or hereafter
to be established, between any two or several
Danish ports. The foregoing stipulations are
to take effect from the Ist of April, 1857. As
indemnification and compensation for the sacrifices
thereby incurred, the governments contracting
will him engages to pay the King of Denmark,
who accepts the same, a total amount of 30,570,698
rigsdalers ; each of them to be responsible only for
its own quota. The sum is to be paid within 20
years, by 40 half-yearly payments of equal amount,
ineluding a dim'nishing interest upon the sum not
yet piyaWe. The mode and place of payment is
to be set led by each Government with the Danish
Government, by a separate conventi. n, as well as
the condition: upon which the payment may be an-
tkipwed ur redeemed.