The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1852-12-15
VOLUME XII.
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Gentlemen ofthe Senate and

close of vour last session has been marked by
an extraordinary political event. The quaden
NAL election of Chief Magistrate has passed OF
| with less than the usual excitement. However
| individuals and parties may have been d'saP
pointed in the result, it is nevertheless the sub
| iect of generalization that the choice has beer
| effected hy the inde pendent suffrages OF free
people, undisturbed by those influences which
| in other countries have too often effected the
purity of popular elections.
! Our grateful thanks are due to an all merci
| full Providence, not only for staying the pestl.
lence which in different forms has desolated
some of our cities, bat tor GROWING the iaoors
| OF the husbandman with an abundant harvest,
and tie nation generally with the blessings Of
peace and prosperity.
| Within a few weeks the public mind has
been deeply effected by the death OF Daniel
Webster, filling at his death the office Of Sec
| retarv of State His associates in the Execu-
tive Government have sincerely sympa'hized
with his family and the public generally on this
nlournful occasion. His commanding talents
his great political and professional eminence
his well tried patriotism, and his long and faith
full services in the most important public trusts
have caused his death to be lamentcd through-
out the country, and have earned for him last
| ing place in our history.
| In the course Of the last simmer considerable
4 a
cial intima,ion from the government of Great
Britain that orders had been given tor the pro-
lection of the fshereies upon the coasts OF the
British provinces in North America, against
| the alleged encroachments of the fishing yes.
sells Of the United States and France. The
short ness uf this notice and the season OF the
wear seemed to make it a matter OF urgent i'm
por,ance 1t was at first apprehended that an
| incr eased naval force had been ordered to the
| fishing grounds to carry inte effect the British
| Interpretation of provisions in the convention
of 1914, in reference te the true intent OF which
the tive governments differ. 1t was soon dis
covered that such was not the design of Great
Britain, and satisfactory explanations of the real
objects Of the measures have been given, both
here and in London.
The unajiusted difference, however, between
| the two Governments as to the Interpretation
Of the first article of the convention OF 1918 Is
| still matter of some importance. American
/ fishing vessels within nine or.ten years have
been excluded from waters to which they have
had free access for the last twenty five years at
ter the negotiation of the treaty. In lo45 this
exclusion was relaxed far as concerns the
Bay Of Fundy, but the just and liberal intention
Of the Home Government, in compliance with
what we consider the true construction OF the
convention; to open all the other outer bays to
our fishermen, was abandoned, IN consequence
/ Of the opposition of the colonies. Notwithstan-
ding this, the nited States have, since the
| Bay Of Fundy was re opened to our fishermen
| in lS45, pursued the most liberal course toward
| the colonial fishing interests. BY the revenue
law of 1886 the duties on colonial fish entering
our ports were very greatly reduced, and BY
the war.housing 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 consumption These
facts were among those which increased the
sensbiity of our fishing interest, at the move
mcnt in question.
These circumstances, and the incidents above
alluded to, have led ME TO think the momen,
favorable TO the reconsideration Of the entire
subject OF the fisheries on the coasts Of the Brit.
ish Provinces, with a view to place the n upon
more liberal footing Of reciprocal privilege
A willingness TO meet us in some arrangement.
ofthis kind is understood to exist on the part OF
Great Britain, with deaire on her part to in
clude in one Comprehensive settlement as well
this subject as the commercial intercourse be-
| tween the United States and the British prov
| ,nces l have thought that whatever arrange
| ments may be made on these two subjects, it is
expedient that they should be embraced in sep
arate conventions The illness and death Of
| the late Secretary of State prevented the com
| meucement of the contemplated negotiation
l Pains have been taken to collect the informa.
ton required for the details Of such an arrange
| ment The subject is attended with considerable
difficulty II it is found practicable to come to
an agreement mutually 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.
The affairs of Cuba formed prominent topic
| in my last annual message. They remain in
an uneasy condition, and a feeling of alarm and
| irritation on the part of the Cuban authorities
appears 10 exist. This feeling has interfered
with the commercial intercourse between the
I United States and that island, and led to some
acts of which we have a 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 oi
the Spanish Minister at Washington. Any
communication which he may hold with an
agent Of any foreign power is informal and a
| matter of courtesy. Anxious to put an end to
the existing Inconvenience, (Which seemed to
rest on misconception.) directed the newly
appointed Minister to Mexico to visit Havana
on his way to Vera Crnz He was respectfully
received BY the Captain General, who conferred
4
no permanent arrangement was effected.
In the meantime the refusal Of the Captain
General to allow passengers and the mail to be
landed in certain cases, forl reason which does
not furnish in the opinion orSthis government
even a good presumptive ground for such a
prohibition, has been made the subJectsof a Sc
rious remonstrance at Madrid; and we have nc
reason to doubt that due respect will be paid by
the government Of Her Catholic Majesty to the
representations which our Minister has been
instructed to make on the subject.
| II is but justice t., the Captain General to
add, that his conduct towards the steamers en-
ployed to carry the mails OF the United States
to Havana has, with the exceptions above ale
luded to, been marked with kindness and lib.
erality, and indicates no general purpose of in
terfering 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
England, inviting the government of the United
States to become party with Great Britain and
| France to tripartie 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 oi
| Cuba, and should bind themselves TO discounte.
nance all attempts to that effect on the part oi
any power or in ividual whatever This invi-
taton has been respectfully declined, for reasons
which would occupy too much space in this
communication to mention in detail, but which
led me TO suppose that the proposed measure
would be Of doubtful eonstitutionalty, impolitic
and unavailing. have, however, in common
with several Of my predecessors, directed the
Ministers of France and England to be assured
that the United States entertain designs
against Cuba, but that, on the contrary, | should
| regard its incorporation into the Union, at the
present time, as fraught with serious peril.
Were this island comparatively destitute O
inhabitants, or occupied by kindred race,
should regard it, it voluntarily ceded by Spain
as most desirable acquisition hut, under ex
isting circumstances, should look upon its in.
corporation into our Union as a hazardous meas
use. It would bring into our confederacy
population of different national stock, speak.
ing different language, and not likely to har-
monize with the other members 1t twould prob
ably affect in prejudcial manner the industria
interests Of the South; and it might revive thos,
conflicts Of opinion between the different Sec
t tions Of the country, which SO lately shook tn,
} Union to its centre, and which have beea 81
: happily compromised.