Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1852-12-11
President S Message,
Fel'o,c citizens Of tie Senate

/
individuals and parties may have been dsap-
pointed in I'd result, it is nevertheless a subject
ofnational cons Eulation thattbe choice has been
effected by tA6ndependent suffrages of a free
people, undisturbed by those influences which
IN other countries have too often affected the pu-
rity of popular elections.
| Our grateful thanks are due to an All-merci
full Providence, not only for staying the pesti-
lence which in different forms has desolated
some of our cities, but for browning the laborS of
the husbandman with an abundant harvest, and
the nation generally with an abundant harvest,
and the nation generally with the blessings of
peace and prosperity.
DEATH OF DANIEL WEBSTER.
Within few weeks the public mind has been
deeply affected by the death of Daniel Webster,
filling at his deceaSe the Office of Secretary of
State. His associates in the Executive govern
ment have sincerely sympathized with his fami-
ly and the public generally on this mournful oc-
casion. His commanding talents, his great polt-
ical and professional eminence, his welltried pa
triotsm, and his long and faithful services; in the
most important public trusts, have caused his
death to be lamented throughout the country.
and have earned for him a lasting place in our
| history.
FISHERIES.
| In the course of the last summer considerable
anxiety was caused for short time by an official
intimation from the government of Great Britain
that orders had been given for the protection OF
the fisheries upon the coasts of the British prov
inces in North America against the alleged en-
croachments of the fishing vessels of the L. S.
and France. The shortness of this notice and
the season Of the year seemed to make it mat
ter Of urgent importance. 1t was first appre
| bapIaJ 4bo4 ,pa-aa-oI ,,oro1 fNroa boI
ordered to the fishing grounds to carry into ef
feet the British interruption of those provisions
| in the convention of 1918, in reference to the
true intent ofwhch the two governments differ.
TWAS soon discovered that such was not the de-
sign of Great Britain, and satisfactory explana-
tons of the measure have been given both here
and in London.
The unadiusted difference, however, between
the two governments as to the Interpretation Of
the first article of the convention of 1918 is still
a matter of importance. American fishing yes
sells within nine or ten years have been excluded
| from waters to which they had free access for
| twenty-five years after the negotiation of the
! treaty. In 1915 this exclusion was relaxed so
! far as concerns the Bay of Fundy, but the Just
and liberal intention of the Home government
in compliance with what we think the true con-
structon of the convention, to open all the other
outer bays to our fishermen, was abandoned, IN
! consequence of the opposition of the colonies
Notwithstanding this, the United States have,
since the Bay of Fundy was re-opened to our
! fishermen III 1916, pursued the most liberal
course toward the colonial fishing interests. By
the revenue law of 1916, the duties on colonial
fish entering our ports were very greatly redu-
ced, and by the warehousing act it is allowed to
be entered in bond without payment of duty
/ In tbic colonial 6cb hoe fha
oily of the export trade in our market, and isen-
tering to some extent into the home consump-
ton. These facts were among those which in
creased the sensibilty of our fishing interest, at
the movement in question.
The circumstances and the incidents above al
luded to have led me to think the moment favor
able for reconsideration of the entire subject
of the fisheries on the coasts of the British prov
lnces, with a view to place them upon more
! liberal footing of reciprocal privilege. A will
/ hngneSS to meet US in some arrangement of this
kind is understood to exist on the part of Great
Britain, with desire on her part to include in
one comprehensive settlement, as well this sub
ject as the commercial intercourse between the
| United States and the British provinces.
have thought that whatever arrangement may
be made on these two subjects, it is expedient
that they should be embraced in separate con-
ventions. The illness and death of the late Sec
rotary of State prevented the commencement of
the contemplated negotiation. Pains have been
taken to collect the information required for the
! details of such an arrangement. The subject
is attended with considerable difficulty. 1t it is
found practicable to come to an agreement mu
tualy acceptable to the two parties, conventions
may be concluded in the course of the present
winter. The control Of Congress over all the
provisions of such an arrangement, affecting the
revenue, will of course be reserved.
CUBAN AFFAIRS.
The affairs of Cuba formed prominent topic
in may last annual message. They remain in
an uneasy condition, and feeling of alarm and
irritation ON the part of the Cuban authorities
appears to exist. The feeling has inttrfered
with the regular commercial intercourse between
the United States and the island, and led to
some acts of which we have right to complain.
But the Captain General of Cuba is clothed
with no power to treat with foreign governments,
nor is he in any degree under the control of the
Spanish Minister at Washington. Any COM
munication which he may hold with an agent of
a foreign power is informal and matter of
courtesy Anxious to put an end to the existing
inconvenience (which seemed to rest on mis-
conception [ directed the newly appointed
Minister to Mexico to visit Havana, on his way
to Vera Cruz, He was respectfully received by
the Captain General, who conferred with him
freely on the recent occurrences; but operma-
nent arrangement was effected
In the mean time, the refusal of the Captain
General to allow passengers and the mail to be
landed in certain cases, for a reason which does
not furnish in the opinion of this Government
even good presumptive ground for such pro-
hibition, has been made the subject of a seri-
GUS remonstrance at Madrid: and | have no rea-
son to doubt that due respect will be paid by
the government of Her Catholic Majesty to the
representations which our Minister has been In
structed to make on the subject.
1t is but justice to the Captain General to add,
that his conduct toward the steamers employed
to carry the mails of the United States to Ha-
vana has, with the exceptions above alluded to,
been marked with kindness and liberality, and
indicates no general purpose of interfering with
the commercial correspondence and intercourse
between the island and this country.
Early in the present year official notes were
received from the Ministers of France and Eng
land, inviting the Government of the I. S. to
become party with Great Britain and France
to tripartite Convention, in virtue of which the
three powers should severally and collectively
disclaim, now and for the future, all intention to
obtain possession of the Island of Cuba, and
should hind fbeu, m all at