The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-12-08


ncwl y-organized Confederation or the
States composing it. The delays which
have taken place in the formation of
the new government have as yet pre-.
vented the execution of those instruc.
tons; but there is every reason to hope
that these vast countries will be cventu.
ally opened to our commerce
A treaty of commerce has been con.
cludcd between the United States and
the Oriental Republic of Uruguaywhich
will be laid before the Senate Should this
Convention 60 into opcration,it will open
to the commercial enterprise o -four citi-
zens country of great extent and I'M
surpassed in natural resources. but from
which foreign nations have hitherto been
almost wholly excluded
The correspondence of the late Sec
Rotary ofState with the Peruvian charge
d'afiaircs relative to the Lobos Islands
was communicated to Congress toward
the close Of the last session. Since that
time, on further investigation of the
subject doubts which had been enter
tanned of the title of Peru TO those islands
have been removed and | have deemed
it just that the temporary wrong which
had been unintcntionally done her, from
want of information. should be repaired
by an unrcseryed acknowledgment of her
sovereignty
have the satisfaction to inform
you that the course pursued by Peru
has been crcditablc to the lborality
of her government. Before it was
known by her that her title would be ac.
kuowledgcd at Washington. her Minister
of Foreign Affairs had authorized our
charge d'aifaros at Lima to announce 20
the American vessels which had gone to
the Lobos for guano. that the Peruvian
Government was willing to freight them
ON its own account This intention has
been carried into effect by the Peruvian
Minister here, 10y an arrangement which
is believed to be advantageous to the
parties in interest.
Our settlements on the shores Of the
Pacific have already given a great extcn
sion, and in some respects new direc
ton to our commerce in that ocean 4
direct and raridly-incrcasing intercourse
has sprung up with Eastern Asia. The
waters Of the Northern Pacific, even in
to the Arctic sea, have of late years beer
frcquented by or whalemcn The ap
plcation of steam to the general purposes
Of navigation is becoming daily NOR,
common, and makes it desirable to oh
tain fuel aud other necessary supplies a
convenient points on the route between
Asia and our Pacific shores Our un-
fortunate countrymen who from time t,
time suffer shipwrcck on the coasts o
the eastern seas are entitled to protec
ton. Besides these specific objects, III,
general prosperity Of our State on th
Pacific requires that an attempt should
be made to open the opposite regions O
Asia to a mutually beneficial intercourse
1t is obvious that this attempt could b,
made by 10 power to so great advantag
rs by the United States, whose constitu
tional system excludes every idea of dis
tant colonial dependencies [ have ac
cordlngly been led to order an appropri
ate naval force to Japan, under the com
mand of a discreet and intelligent Office
Of the highest rank known to our service
He is intructed to eudeavor to Obtain
FROM the government Of that countr,
some relaxation of the inhospitable ant
anti social system which it has pursued
for about two centuries. lie has been di
rected particularly to demonstrate in tn
strongest language against the crue
treatment towhich our shipwrecked mar
ncrs have often been subjected. and t,
insist tia. they shall be treated with hu
snanity. lie is instructed however a
the same time to give that government
the amplcst assurances that the object
Of the United States are such and sucl
only rs | have indicated. and that tn,
expedition is friendly and peaceful. Not
withstanding the jealousy with whicl
the governments of Eastern Asia rcgar,
all overtures from foreigners. | am no
without hopes of a beneficial result O
the expedition. Should it be crowne,
with success. the advantages will not b
confined to the United States, but, as il
the case of China, will be equally en-
ioyed b. all the other maritime powers
| have much satisfaction in stating tina
IN all the steps preparatory to this cXpc
dition the Government Of the United
States has been materially aided by III
goo Offices of the King of the Neither
lands, the only European power having
any commercial relations with Japan.
In passing from this survey of on
foreign relations, | invite the attention
Of Congress to the condition of that de
partmcnt of the Government to which
this branch of the public business is en-
trusted. Our intercourse with foreign
powers has of late years greatly increas
ed, both i'll consequence OF our owl
growth and the introduction of many
new States into the family of nations
In this way the Department of State ha
become ovcrburdened 1t has, by the re
cent establishment of the Department o
the Interior, teen relieved of some pOr
ton of the domestic business If tn,
residue of the business of that kind sucl
as the distribution of Congressional doe
umcnts, the keeping, publishing aud dis
tribu;ion of the laws of the United States
the execution of the copyright law, the
subject Of reprieves and pardons, and
some other subjects relating to interior
administration, should be transferred
from the Department of State, it would
unquestionably be for the benefit of the
public service. | would also suggest
+ that lhe building appropriated to the
State Department is not fire proof that
there is reason to think there are defect,
in its construction. and that the archives
of the Government in charge of the De