Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-04-29
DAIEY VIRGINIAN.
SATURDAY MORNING. APRIL %. 1854.
Navieat;on of the Amazon

Navigation OF the Amazon
The papers brought BY the last steamer from
Aspinwall. contain correspondence of some IN
terest between the United States minister to Pc
ru, Hon. J. Randolph Clay, and the Peruvian
minister of Foreign Affairs, Don Jos Georgoria
Paz Sedan. relative to the navigation OF the Pc
ruvan waters of the Amazon by foreign vessels.
Mr.. CLAW wrote to Senior Sedan. stating that he
noticed bv an advertisement in the Mensagero
newspaper, at the Peruvian capital that the Bra
lillian line of steamers navigating the Amazon
were passing through the Peruvian territories be-
vond the bounds to which they were formally linz
tied. He. therefore. claimed the same privilege
for United States vessels under the provisions of
treaties existing between the two governments
To this Senor Sedan replied at considerable
length, and with marked ability. lie admits that
Brazilian vessels are allowed 10 navigate the con-
fuents or tributaries of the Amazon flowing
through the territory of Peru, because 1t is SO
stipulated in the treaty concluded with Brazil,
and because the concession is reciprocal Al
though limit had been previously set TO such
intercourse, by fixing a certain point. beyond
which Brazilian vessels were not allowed TO pro-
coed, vet the Brazilian government protested a
gainst such limitation. and brought forward such
good reasons. that the Brazilian government
has removed the limis as being contrary 10 the
treaty. He further says TINT similar privileges
onnuot be claimed for the United States under
the treaty between the two governments, be /
cause that only provides for reciprocal liberty OF
commerce and navigation to the eoasts, ports,
and places where foreign commerce Is permitted.
This. he contends. does not refer to the inter-
nal commerce of the two countries, carried on
npou the rivers because the United States gov
eminent itself does not put such an interpreta-
ton upon 1t as to permit Peruvian vessels to nav
igate at all times the rivers of California, although
those craft, would find it greatly 10 their adFan-
tare. we're such privilege allowed them. The
treaty contains also an article TO the following
effect:
..The two high contracting parties hereby bind
and engage themselves not tn grant any favor,
privilege or immunity whatever IN matters of
commerce and navigation 10 other nations which
shall not also be Immediately extended to the cit
liens Of the other contracting party,1ho shall en-.
10y the same gratuitously II the concession shall
han G been gratnitous, or on giving compensation,
as nearly possible OF proportional value and
effect If the concession shall have been condition
al"
has offered no such equivalent as that it claims,
aud without such it cannot urge tn above artl
Gle as justification of its demands. Near the
close Of the document, the pith of the argument
is thus given:
Neither the Amazon, nor the tributary rivers
belonging to Peru have been,nore are yet opened
TO foreign commerce. The treaty with Brazil, 50
far from opening them, has declared and reoog-
nized the prnoii lie that the the navigation of them
ought 10 belong exclusively 10 the States owning
their banks. BY this treaty nothing has been
conceded to other powers, the application of
which could be claimed by the government of the
Union alleging the rights of the most favored ma
ton
A similar correspondence has also taken place
between Senior Soldan and the British Charge a.
Affairs in Peru. The answer of Sedan is similar
to the above.