The Arkansas banner., 1844-01-23


 bic tlis. few of the pe.sons enumerated made declaration 10 the Government of more than onc-half of their property. We may reason- ably suppose, therefore, that those persons must have taken with them nearly twelve millions oi gaitlers-equal to about $s4, ,800,- DO. The number and value of the people who ceme 10 us from all Germany may thus Dc well apprS ci lted, not only in their pcrso- nal character, but iH the addition they make to our actual wealth.
 Ill oidef 'o 'enoye the impeachment to cnl- grafton presented Tn the heavy tax imposed on the property of the cmigrants, have, by your direction, instructed the minister of the United States at Berlin, Mr Wheaton, who has been furnished with full powcra for that purpose, to conclude special conven- tions for the abolition of the droa d'aubairc and droit dc detraciioH between the uniie,i States and the following German States, who have sevefally expressed their readiness to enter into such arrangement, viz
 His Majesty the King of Bavaria,
 His Majesty the King of fSaxony.
 His Majesty the King of WurtembuYg.
 His Royal lIighncss, the Elector of Hessc
 His Royal Highness, the Grand Duke of | llessc.
 His Royal HigIness, the Grand Duke of Baden.
 Powers were also al the same time given to Mir. Wheaton to negotiate treaties of con- z meree and navigation with the Grand duchies of Mecklenburg Sehwerii, and Oldenburg, two States not yet included ill the Customs Union.
 In view of these and other advantages which the contemplation of this subject held out, the minister of the United States at Ber- lin had been instructed to use every exertion in his power to place our relations with the German Customs Union on the best and most friendly footing, and the result is, that tho basis of conventional commercial arrange ment has just been agreed upon, (and sub mitted for the consideration and action of this governmental between his Majesty the King of Prussia, ill behalf of Prussia, and all the States associaicd in the Customs Union, and , the minister at Berlin, on the part of the 7 United States; which, if sanctioned by Congress, would effect the long cherished object of procuring the reduction of the pre- sent duty on our tobacco, secure the contin- ued admission of our cotton free ofell duties. and prevent the imposition of any higher ] duly OH rice than that which is at present imposed--that article, as is already known, having at our request been rcduce,! to It's , present low rate by the Customs Union. Tor these vast advantages, the conditional arrangement proposes that the United States should give 10 the Customs Union proper D equivalents, by reducing the heavy duties of 3 the present tariff upon silks, looking-glass plates, wines, toys, linens, and such other , articles as are not the growth or manufacture of the United States.
 Mr. Wheaton's late despatch will fully ex- plain the whole course of his proceedings in reference to this interesting subject, and doubt not, will be satisfactory to Congress, , should that body choose 10 call for them- In the mean time, lay before you the cor , respondence between Mr. Wheaton and the Baron BuIow, which gives the outline of the proposed arrangement.
 2 The reduction on tobacco proposed on the part of the German Customs Union brings to | our view, in strong light, inc unfortunate slate of the trade with England, France, and Austria, in that great staple of our country.
 In England, we have to complain of fan enor- Q nous duty of three shiIlings pound, or about eight hundred per cent. on its value at the place of exportation at the same time 1t is permitted to sell the article freely in that country.
 In France. however, although every min istcr of the United States, from the year l7S6 to the present time, has earnestly pressed the subject upon that government, no change has been effected. The government of France still continues the monopoly or reggie, which stops up all the avenues to that trade, whilst } the United States admit all the products of 7 French industry.
 l In Austria the same plan of monopoly or Q reggie destroys the prospect of any productive f trade of tobacco; and our minister at that :. Court holds out no intueement to hope for {, any ckange for the better.
 f It may be proper 10 remark that the pro- : posed treaty will not effect the provisions of 5 existing treaties with other foreign powers The stipulation IS found in many of them, : that, if the United States should grant more favorable terms 10 any other ration, those terms should be considered as extending to the nations parties to these treaties. il But tlis stipulation is always understood as conditional, that is, that the advantages of the new treaty ahal be given only on tic same terms Oil which they are given to the party Of that treaty.
 II they be given without equivalent, they must also be given to those nations without equivalent; if they be given in consideration of equivalents, no nation can claim them, ur- der the general stipulation above mentioned, without offering like equivalent.
 The duties imposed on the importation of particular commodity may therefore with. propriety be reduced; as no articles the pro- duce or manufacture of one country which may, in consideration of such reduction, re- duce its duties on our staple productions, without giving to any other nation, with which we may have such treaty stpula- ton, right to require the same reductions as to its productions or manufactures, unless such nations will come under the same con- ditions. The treaty of 1892 with France is l q precedent in point.