The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1852-12-11
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
Fellow Citizens al The Senate

.llr close Of ,our last SESSION ha. been marked
hv no extraordinary political event. The
ctiad-rnna election OF Chief Mani>tra" has
passed oi with les than the usual excitement
However individuals and part-, nav have
lrcn 'lisarpoin" in the rr-aIt it i, never
thrlc-s a subject of national comor,tulatinn.
that the choice has been eft, c:cI by the in
dependant suffrage, Ola free people, undi,-
:urt,Hf ~ those lnincnrc> which in Other
countr's have too often affected the purity
otpop'itar elections.
Our grateful thanks are du" to an Afl-mcr-
cifnl Providence. not only for sta,inr tn,
pc-'-ncc which in different forms ha. DESC
lated some of our cities but for rrowniny the
!abors of til" hu>bandman with an a'undaur
harvest. and the nation generally with the
blessings Of peace and prospective
Within few weeks tie public mind ia-
been deeply affected by the death OF Daniel
Webster. ti,ling at hi, dcrcasc the Office of
Secretary of State. His associates in the Ex-
ccufiyc government nave sincerely s,lni,a.
rhizrl with his family and the public gcncr-
ally on TIN, mourntul occasion. His com
man'ilng talents, his great political and pro-
tc,,ioual rmincncc, hi, we'll tried patriotism
and hi- LONG and faithful services. in the most
important public trusts. have caused his Irail
to he amcntcd throughout the country, and
have earned for him lasting place in ON
history.
In the course of the last summer consider
able ANXIETY was caused for Il short time hv
an official n,InIation from the government of
Great Britain. that orders had been given
for the protection of the fisheries upon the
coasts Of the British provinces in North y
mrrira. against the alleged cncroar hnlcns OF
the fishing vessels of the United States and
France The shortncss of this notice and
the season OF the year seemed to make II a
matter Of urgent importance. 1t was at first
unprecedented that an Increased naval force
had been ordered 10 the fishing grounds. to
carry into effect the British Interpretation of
those provisions in the Convention of 1878.
in reference to The true intent of which the
two governments differ 1t was soon dis, ov-
crc,,' that such was not the design Of Great
Britain. anu satisfactory explanations of the
real J',icrts ot'thc measure have been "i,en.
both here and N Lendon.
The manifested difference, however. be-
tween the two governments. as to the inter
probation otthe first article OF the Convention
of ISIS is still a matter of importance. a.
merriam fi>hin" vessels within nine or ten
wear. 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 con
Germs the Bay of Funlv. but the just and lib
cral intention OF the Home government in
compliance with what We think the true con
sfrurtlon of the con.cn tion. to open all the
other outer BAYS to our fishermen was aban-
donrd. in consequence Of the opposition of
the colonies Notwithstanding this. the L.
nitcd States have. since the B,v of Fundy
was rc-opcnrd to our fishermen in 1915. pur-
sued the most liberal course toward the colo
NAL fishing interests. Bv the revenue law
OF 1876. the duties on colonial ii,h cntcrin.
ports We're YER, greatly rrlured, and hy the
warchou>ing act it is allowed to b. entered in
bond without payment of duty. In this WAY
,>,lrnlal fish has acquired the monopoly of the
export trade in our market. and i entering
II some extent into the home consumption
These facts We're among tllo,,. which iurrcas-
ed the scn>itiIity of our fishing int, rest, at
the movement in question.
These circumstances and the incidents a.
bovc ailhlrd t" have led me to think the mo
mcnt favorable for a reconsl lc alton of the
entire subject of the fisheries ON the coasts
at the British provinces. with view to pla-c
them upon a more liberal footing of rcriDro-
cal privilege. A willingness to meet Us In
some arrangement Of this kind * understood
to exist, on the part of Great Britain, with
desire on .er part to include in one compr--
hcn>lvc settlement, is we'll this subject as the
commercial Intercourse between the United
States and the British provinces. | have
thought that whatever arrangements NAV Ii,
madc on these two subjects. it j. cApcdient
that they should be- embraced in separate
conventions. The illness and death OF the
lat" Secretary OF State prevented the COM
nHHct-n-n1 Of the contemplated negotiation.
faln* have been taken To- collect the intnr-
nation required tor the details of such m ar
rang"ntn,. line subject Is attended with
considerable difficulty. If it is found practi-
vablc 70 come to an agreement mutually ac-
crptable to the two parties, conventions NAV
be concluded in the course of the prrscnt
winter. The control of Congress over all the
provisions of such an arrangement, affecting
the revenue, will of course be reserved
The affairs of Cuba formed prominent
topic in my last annual message. They re-
main in an uneasy condition. and feeling of
alarm and irritation on the part of the Cuban
authorities appears TO exist. The feeling has
intcrfercd with the regular commercial in
t.rcourse between the United States and the
island. and led to some acts of which we have
right to complain. But the Captain Cen
cral of Caba is clothed with no power to trca,
with tcs~i.n governments, nor is he in any
a. a.. g, Il.
lister at Washington. ANY communication
which he may hold with an agent of ioreig
power is informal and matter of COURTESY
Anxious to put an end to the existing incon-
,cnirnces. (Which seemed to rest OH mis-
conccption) directed til. ncwv-appointed
Minister to Mexico TO wit Havana. on ~.
way to Vera Cruz. He was Respectfully re-
cclved by the Captain General who confer
red with him trec Y on the recent occurre7,r
e.; but no permanent arrangement was et
footed
IN the mean time the refusal ofthc CAPTAIN
''cHcrai ~ allow passengers and the mail t.
/" landed IN certain ca>rS, for IA reason which
does not furnish, in the opinion of this Gov
eminent, even good preSumptive grounc
for such prohibition. has been made the sub
]-ct OF a serious rcmonStrance at Madrid
and have no reason to doubt that due r,.s,,.c
will he paid by the government of Her Cath
olic Majesty to the representations which
our Minister has been Instructed TO make 0,
the subject.
1t is hut .iu<tic" to the Captain General t.
add. that his conduct towards The, steamer
employed! 30 carry TIE mails of the Lutte,
Stats t" Havana has, witt. the exception a
hove ALLUDED to, been marked with liadnes