Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1841-06-17
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF
STATE.
DEPARTMENT or SrAry. !
Washington. May "a, lSil. (

II
t'fSiEn commerce Of the United States to which
he Secretary of State considers II To- be his duty TO
call the attention of the President at the earliest op-
portuniY.
/ The Grit =, the collection Of Sound dues or the
tan payable al Elsnore, LAID Ivy the DANISH Govern
meat upon the eargOes Of vessels passing through /
| he Sound into and ont from the Baltic sea
The right Of Denmark 10 levy these duties is rs.
serted nn the grOuad Of ancient usage, coming dow
tffn the period when that power had possession of
both shorcs Of the Baltic and Sound However
gas'''nEa1 D. rsh,. or uncertain its origin, i, has
heen recgf-e by European Governments in sew. !
eral tre,ties with Denmark. some oC them entered
into 81 as early period the fourteenth century
ana nasfnuch ne our treaty with that Power con- !
tainsa c.anse putting the footing in this
respect a. other tbs most favored nations il has been
soquiesced IN. or raihcr has been denied by US
The treaty 1t l6i5. between Denmark and Hol.
Lard, o. which iarf Of the principal articles then
SnoNn M commerce, wtih n rule of measurement
and fixed rate If duty. Nas appended, Together
with the suh~cqueut one between the same parties
~ l1Ol. amenda'ory aud explanatory OF the formcr
has been generally considered a. the basis Of all
subsequent treaties. and among ihem our own, con.
clndod IN s2G. and limited o. continue ten years
irum ~ date. and further until the end Of one year
siier uotcc BY etiher party Il an intcnun to ter.
iniuate ". and which J. .iill in force
Treaties have also been concluded with Den.
3 MARK. By Great Biiiagn, France. Spain. Portugal
Russia. Pnis.ia aud Bragl by which. Nth ose OF
iNo exceptions IN their favor they placed on the
sane iooiing o. The Cniicd Sales.
, There ha. recently been q general movement on
! de part Of The Northcm Powers of Europe, with
regard ~ the suhlect Of these Sound dues and
J. which seems o. anprl o. this Government favora
bic Opportunity in conjunction Nith them for Ell
etrriing itself % uhtan slne such alteration or mo
dihrai0u Of etisng regulations shall conduce Co
} the ieedgm and extension OF our commerce. or at
lefs towards feiir, ug % irom % the burdens
now imfo=et. WHICH, OWING o. The uaisre Of our
trade. operate. many instances. very unclually
aud uigusuy Ca o. IA camParrsDn With thai Of other
nations
; The ancisn, isrid of l6ij. by which the paw.
i meni ni these dues was regulated. has usyrr heen
revised, and BY means of the changes which
have taken place IB commerce since that period.
and o. the alIemion "a price many articles there
: IN included. chiefly consequence ct the seue.
l. meni Of America and the introduction Of her pro-
dnee mo general commerce. Al has become quite
naPpcahe.
IL - presumed o. have been ihc intention Of the
trainers Of that iarh 10 fI duty OF about one pe,
ceuium al Nal"rem upsn the ARTICLES therein rnn.
neraied, bat the change ia value 0f many OF those
commodities. and the absence OF any CORRESPOND ng
change IA the duty. has. uany instances Inrrea,
ed the ad Va'nrem from one pcr cenium % three
i,ur and even seven and Ihls generally up,n those
articles which inrm the chief exports ct the United
S'aies' ui Spnih AtnerItu, and the West India IL
ans such as the articles Of cotton. nee ran sugar
; tobacco, Ium. CampcaChy wood. &c
On all articles not enumerated in this ancient "a.
r'h It Is stipulated by the treaty OF l1OI that IA.
privileged natiunS," or Ihase who have tre,t,c.
with Denmark. shall pay nj ysloien of one pcr
cent hut the value 0f these articles being 6reJ Nv
some rules known only Co the Danish Government
or at least unknown to this duty appears uncer.
tain aud hucioaiing. and ITS estimate . vcry much
left To the arbitrary discretion of the cusonbou..
c officers al Elsinore.
IL has been. 10y Of the public winter. 1,
, Denmark commended that goods OF privileged m
t"S, carried IN the vessels OF uupriy.leyed nations
should not he entitled 10 the limitation Of one tc,
d cenium al yalorem. but should be taxed one and
" quarter per cenum. the amount levied on the goods
IN OF unETiyileged nations and also that This limit,
e ion should lie confined TO the direct trade ~ tha
y vessels coming from or bound 20 the ppris Of , M,
ton not IN treaty with Denmark should NV on thea
u cars"cs the additional quarter per cent
&c These questions. although the former Is not Of ~
= much consequence 10 us whJ are orr own carrier.
4 are still. IN with each other of sufficient
importance 10 render decision upon them. and a
; inll understanding, extremely desirable.
These Sound dues are, moreOver IN addition Ia
the port charges of light money. pass money. SC
which are quite equal 10 The charged al other
places, aud the payment of which together with
the Sound dues.ofeu causes TO vessels considerable
delay at Elsinore
The port charges, which are usual among all ma.
lions 10 whose pors vessels resort are unobiection
able. except that. IN this case they arc the mare
consequences of the imposition of the Sound dues
following necessarily upon the compu sory delay al
F.lslnore of vessels bound up and down the Sound
with cargocs, with 40 nieniinn Of making any i'm.
poriniIon into any port of Denmark, and having mo-
other occasion for delay Elsnpre than that which
arises from the necessity of paying the Sound does
and IN doing. Involuntary subecting themseIy ..
= 10 these other demands
These port duties would appear 10 have some
reason ia them. because Of the equivalent; while IN
J. acl they arc made requisite, With the eXception
perhaps OF The expense of lights by the delay ne.
D cessary for the payment of the Sonnd dues
The amount Of our commerce with Denmark di.
rect ~ uncomfortable. compared Nth that Of our
"a transactions with Russia. Sweden and The o,rt. al
y Prussia and the Ceramic Association ON the Bal
TIC but the sum annually paid To- That Government
10 Sound dues and the consequent port charges by
d our vessels alone, Is estimated at something over
Is one hundred thousand dollar.
e The greater proportion Of this amount =. MD b.
the articles Of cotton, sugar tobacco and rice IA.
e hrsl and last OF these paying duty II about three
rer cent nd vaOrem reckoning their value NJ the
~ places whence they came.
by list published at Elsnore IN 1910 IL m.
2 pears that between April and November Of thai
II year, scyeniytwO American vessels cprsp,r,t,.I
# small Eumber. lowered their topssis beG,,c ,b
castle Of Cfouberg. These were al! b,nnd up tbe
>, sound 10 ports the Baltic with cargocs f,,fI
= ~ part OF the abave named products up,p which,
alone. according 10 the t1rn was p,id n s,,,n e..
y 'eedlng ioriy thousand dollars for these dues
,, Having disposed Of these clrrocs they returned
j. laden with the usual productions of the copurrie.
4 on the Baltic on which, 90 like manner. vsr. md
d duies on going out through the sound. again sf.
J. khowltdgng the tribute by an announcement and
: sometimes hazardous ceremony
E The whole amount 'hus paid within period Of
? eighi months, on inward and outward bound car.
90 NrH - n a. Vsa..sa O..
we're bound f0r. or intended 10 strp NJ any nor, A.
l. Denmark. except compusorily ai Elsurrc. F,r the
purpose yi complying with these emotions. must
have exceeded The large sum above named
have, Therefore. thought proper 10 brIrp fbis
SUBJECT before you Of This Time and 90 20 into these
genera statements m relation b. L which might be
earned more iEtO detail. and substantlted by doc.
unenis how az The Department 10 the end tb,t m
yDn should deem % eHpedeni. Instructions may he
gwen 70 he representative Of the United States nj