Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-12-06

friendly dispositions have been on ootn SlaeS
encouraged and promoted. They will CONT
nue. to be cherished and cultivated on the part
of the United States. 1t would have been gra-
tifying to have had it in my power to add, that
the claims upon the justice OF the French Go
yernment, involving the property and the com
Portable subsistence of many of our fellow-cl-
tizens, and which have been so long and so
earnestly urged, were in a more promising
train of adjustment than at your last meeting;
but their condition remains unatered.
With the Government of the NetheriahaS'
the mutual abandonment of discriminating du-
ties had been regulated by Legislative acts on
both sides, The act of Congress OF the zoth
of April, 1918, abolished all discriminating
duties of Impost and Tonnage, upon the YES
sells and nroduce of the Netherlands in the
ports of the United States, upon the assur-
ance oiyen by the Government OF the Neither
lands. that all such duties operating against
the shipping and commerce OF the United
States, in that Kingdom, had been abolished.
These reciprocal regulations had continued IN
force several years, when the discriminating
principle was resumed by the Netherlands IN
a new and indirect form, by bounty OF ten
per cent in the shape of return OF duties to
their national vessels, and in which those OF
the United States are not permitted to partlcl-
pate By the act Of Congress OF 9TH January,
1924, all discriminating duties In the United
States were again suspended, so far as related
to the vessels and produce OF the Netherlands,
so longas the reciprocal exemption should be
extended to the vessels and produce OF the u
nited States in the Netherlands. Butthe same
act provides that In the event OF a restoration
of discriminating duties, to operate against
the shipping and commerce OF the Y. States,
In any of the foreign countries referred to
therein, the suspension of discriminating du-
ties In favor of the navigation OF such foreign
country should cease, and all the provisions OF
the acts imposing discriminating foreign tom
mage and impost duties in the United States,
should revive, and be in full force with regard
to that nation.
In the correspondence with the Govern
ment of the Netherlands upon this subject,
they have contended that the favor shown to
their own shipping by this bounty upon their
tonnage, is not to be considered as discrlml-
mating duty. But it cannot be denied that it
produces all the same effects. Had the mutual
abolition been stipulated by Treaty, such a
bounty upon the national vessels could scarce
ly have been granted consistently with good
faith. Yet, as the Act of Congress of 9TH ia
nuary, 1924, has not expressly authorized the
Executive authority to determine what shall
be considered as revival OF discriminating
duties by foreign Government to the disad-
vantage of the United States, and as the re-
taliatory measure on our part, howeverJust and
necessary, may tend rather to that conflict OF
legislation which we deprecate, than to that
concert to which we invite all Commercial ma
tons, as most conducive to their interest and
our own, have thought it more consistent
with the spirit of our Institutions to refer the
subject again to the paramount authority OF
the Legislature to decide what measure the E.
Emergency may require, than abruptly by Pro
clamation, to carry into effect the mlnatory
provision of the act of 1924.
During the last Session of Congress, Urea
ties of Amity, Navigation and Commerce, were
negotiated and signed at this place with the
government of Denmark, in Europe, and with
the Federation of Central America, in this he
misphere. These treaties then received the
constitutional sanction of the Senate, by the ad
vice and consent to their ratification. They
were accordingly ratified on the part of the u
nited States, and during the recess of Congress
have been also ratified by the other respective
contracting parties. The Publications have
been exchanged, and they have been published
by ProClamations, copies of which are herewith
communicated to Congress. These Treaties
have established between the contracting par
ties the principles of equality and reciprocity
in their broadcast and most liberal extent Each
party admitting the vessels of the other into its
ports, laden with cargoes the produce or ma
nufacture of any quarter of the globe, upon the
payment of the same duties of tonnage and i'm
post that are chargeable upon their own They
have further stipulated, that the parties shall
hereafter grant no favor of navigation or COM
merce to any other nation, which shall not up
on the same terms be granted to each other; and
that neither party will impose upon articles OF
merchandise, the produce or manufacture OF the
other, any other or higher duties than upon the
like articles being the produce, or manufacture
of any other country. To these principles there
is in the Convention with Denmark an excep-
ton, with regard to the Colonies of that King
dom in the Arctic Seas, but none with regard
to her Colonies in the West Indies.
In the course of the last summer, the term to
which our last Commercial Treaty with Swe
den was limited, has expired. A continuation
of it is in the contemplation ofthe Swedish Co
vernment, and is believed to be desirable on
the part of the United States. 1t has been pro-
posed by the King of Sweden, that, pending
the neoociation of renewal the expired Treaty