Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1852-12-16
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
FELLOW CITIZENS OF THE SENATE


FELLOW CITIZENS OF THE SENATE
AND House OF REPRESENTATIVES:
The briefspace which has elapsed since
the close of your last session has beer
marked by no extraordinary political e
vent. The quadrennial election of Chic
Magistrate has passed off with less thar
the usual excitement. However individ-
uals and parties may have been disap-
pointed in the result, it Is nevertheless a
subject of national congratulation that the
choice has been effected by the indepen-
dent suffrages Of free people, undistur-
bed by those influences which in other
countries have too often affected the puri-
ty of popular elections.
Our greateful thanks are due to an
All-merciful Providence, not only for stay
ing the pestilence which in different forms
has desolated some of our cities, but for
crowning the labors of the husbandman
with an abundant harvest, and the nation
generally with the blessings Of peace and
prosperity.
Within a few weeks the public mind
has been deeply affected by the death of
Daniel Webster, filing at his decease
the Office of Secretary of State. His as
sociates in the. Executive government
have sincerely sympathized with his fam
iiy and the public generally on this
mOurnful occasion. His Commanding tai
ents, his great political and professional,
eminepce, his well-tried patriotism, and
his long and faithful services, in the most
important public trusts, have caused his
death to be lamented throughout the coun-
try, and have earned for him lasting
place in our history.
In the course of the last summer con-
siderable anxiety was caused for short
tine 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
provinces la North America against the
alleged encroaehment5 of the fishing yes
sells of the United States and France
The shortness Of this notice and the sea-
son of the year seemed to M axe it a mat
ter Of urgent importance. 1t was at first
apprehended that an increased naval force
had been ordered to the fishing grounds to
carry into effect the British interpreta-
ton of those provisions in the convention
of 1913, in reference to the true intent Of
which the two governments differ. 1t
was soon discovered that such was not
the design of Great Britain, and satisfac-
tory explanations of the real objects of
the measure have been given both here
and in London.
The unadjusted difference, however, be-
tween the two governments as to the in
depreciation of the first article Of the con-
vention Of 1918 is still matter Of import
ance. American fishing vessels within
nine or ten years have been excluded
from waters to which they had free ac-
cess for twenty-five years after the nego-
tiation of the treaty. La ls45 this ex-
clusion was relaxed so far as concerns
the Bay of Fundy, but the just and liber-
al intention of the Home government, in
compliance with what We think the true
const ructionof the convention, to open all
the other outer bays to our fishermen, was
abandoned, In consequence of the opposi-
tion of the colonies. Notwithstanding
this, the U. States have, since the Bay of
Fundy was re-opened to our fishermen in
Is45, pursued the most liberal course to-
ward the colonial fishing interests. BY
the revenue law of 1916, the duties on
colonial fish entering our ports were very
greatly reduced, and by the warehousing
act it is allowed to be entered in bond
without payment of duty. In this way
colonial fish has acquired the monopoly
of the export trade in our market, and is
entering to some extent into the home con-
sumption. These facts were among those
which increased the Sensibility of our fish
ing interest, at the movement in question.
The circumstances and the incidents
above alluded to have led me to think the
moment favorable for a reconsideration
of the entire subject Of the fisheries on
the coasts Of the British provinces, with
view to place them upon more liberal /.
footing of reciprocal privilege. A will !,
lingness to meet us in some arrangement
of this kind is understood to exist, on the
part of Great Britain, with a desire on
her part to include in one comprehensive
settlement, as well this subject as the
commercialinteroourse between the United
States and the British provinces have