Alabama state intelligencer., 1831-12-24
PRESIDENTS MEssAGE.

Fellow Citizens of the Senate and House Representatives l The representation ofthe people has been renew ed the twenty-second time since the constitution they formed has been in force. For near half cen- tury, the chief magistrates, who have been success lvely chosen have made their annual communion
 tons of the state of the nation to its representatives, Generally, these communications have been of the
 most gratifying uature testilying m advance in all the improvements of social and al the securities of political lie. But frequently and justly, as you have been called on to be grateful for the bountics o Pro- whence, at lew periods have they been more Gbun- danty or extensively bestowed than at the present rarely, II ever, have we had greater reason to con graduate each other on the continued and increasing prosperity of our beloved country
 Agriculture, the first and most important occupa- ton of man, has compensated the abours of the bus- bandman with plentiful crops of all the varied pro- duets ol our extensive country. Manufactures have been established, in which the funds of the capitast hnd profitable investment, and which give employ ment and subsisanee 10 a numerous and increasing body of industrious and dexterous meche:cs. The la5orer is rewarded by high wages in the construc- ton Of works of lnterial improvement, which are extending with unprecedented rapidity. Science Is steadily penetratingthe recesses of nature, and dis closing her secrets while the ingenuity of free minds IS sublectng the elehents 10 the power of man. and making each new conquest auxiliary 10 his comfort. By our mails, whosd speed is continually increased, and whose routes ari every year extended the com muncation of public intelligence and private busi- ness is rendered frequent and snfe; the intercourse between distant cities which il formerly required weeks to accomplish, is now effected in a few days; and in the construction of railroads and he appca- lion of steam power, have il reasonable prospect that the extreme parts of our country wihbe so much approximaled, and those most isolated by he obsta- ces of natnre, rendered so accessible as to remove m apprehension sometimes entertained, tha, tho great extent of the Union would endanger its persa- heHt existence.
 Tna,,, d., tt.fn manufactures and internal improvements we turn to the state of our navigation and trade with foreign nations and between the States, shall scarcely 1 find less for graduation A beniliccnt Provi dence has provided for their exercise and encour- agement an extensive coastindented with capacious l bays, noble rivers, inland seas with country pro duc;ive cfevery material for ship building, and every commodity for gainlu commerce. and filled with population, active, intelligent, well informed and fearless fdanger These advantages are not neg lected; and an impulse has lately been given to com nlercial enterprise, which fills ship yards with new constructions, encourages all the arts and bran ches of industry connected with them, crowds the wharves of our cities with vessels, and covers tho most distant seas with our
 Let us be grateful for these blessings to the ben- cent Being who has conferred them, and who suf
 eIs us to indulge reasonable hope ofther contn. uance and extension, while neglect not the means by which they may be preserved. live may dare to judge of His future designs by the manner iii which lis past favours have been bestowed, he has made national prosperity to depend on the preservation of our liberes-our national force our federal union-and our individual hap piness on the maintenance of our State Iights and wise institutions. If we are prosperous at home, and respected abroad, it is because iree mi ted, industrious, and obedient to the laws. While we continue so shall, by the blessing of Heaven, go m the happy career we have begun, and which has brought us, in the short period of political
 ,c |, tLi ons-iiom thirteen separate Colonies 10 twentyfour United States-irom weakness to srength-ir0m a
 rank scarcely marked in tho scale of Nations 10 a high place in tEeir respect -..s.s s
 This last advantage Is one that has resulted, in Il great degree, from the principles which have guided our intercourse with foreign Powers since we have
 assumed an equal station among them: and hence.
 the annual account which the Executive renders to the country, of the in which that branch of his duties has been fulfilled, proves instructive and salutory.
 The pacific and wise policy of our Government kept us in q state of neutrality during inc that
 have, at different periods since political existence
 been carried on by other powers but this policy, while il gave activity and extent 10 onr commercet
 exposed it iG the same proportion 10 injuries from U the beigerent nations. Hence have arisen claims of !, indemnity for those injuries. England France. ! Spain Holland Sweden, Denmark, Naples. and lately Portugal had all in greater less degree n-
 iringed our neutral rights. Demands for reparatiou !; were made upon all They have had in all, and continue to have in some cases. leading influence on the nature of our relations with the powers on whom they were made.
 fthe claims upon England it is unnecessary to speak, further than to say, that the state oftlngs to F which their prosecution and denial gave rise has
 been succeeded by arrangements, productive of mu- tual good feeling and amicable relations between
 the two countries, which it Is hoped will not be in terruped. One of these arrangements Is that rela al n.ln
 to Congress at the last session and although ife
 short period during which it has been in force will
 not enable me to form an accurate judgement of its
 operation there Is every reason to believe that Ii will prove highly beneficial. The trade thereby au- tliozed has employed, to the Both September last upwards of 30000 tons of American and 15 ,OCC
 tons of foreign shipping in the outward voyages; and in the inward, nearly equal amount of American and 20O00, only of foreign tonnage. Advantages, too, have resulted to agricultural interests from
 the state of the trade between Canada and our Ter ritories and States bordering on the St. Lawrence
 and the Lakes, which may prove more than equiva-
 lent to the loss sustained by the discrimination made to favor the trade of the Northern colonies with tho West Indies.
 After our transition from the state of colonies to :, that of an independent nation, many points were found necessary to be sett ed between and Great Britain. Among them the demarkaton of boundaries not prescribed with sufficient precision
 in the treaty of peace. Some of the lines that di-
 vide the States and Territories of the United States
 from the British provinces have been defnitiyely
 fixed. That, however, which separates us from the provinces of Canada and New Brunswick to the
 north and east, was still in dispute when came in- to ofice But found arrangements made for its settlement over which had no control. The com missioners who had been appointed under the pro- visions of the treaty of Ghent having been unable to agree convention with Great Britain by my i'm mediate predecessor in office, with the advice and consent of the Senate, by which was agreed "ihat the points of difference which have arisen in the set