Demoine courier., 1854-12-21

not ordinarily devoted TO the military
profession, to augment the army and the
navy, SO as TO make them fully adequate
10 The emergency which calls them into
action. The proposal to surrender the
right to employ privaleers is professedly
founded upon The principle that private
property of unofending non combatan.s,
though enemies, should be exemp, from
the .ravages of war, but the proposed sur
render goes but little way in carrying
out tina, principle, which equally requires
that such private properly should no, be
seized or moles,ed by national ships OF
war. Should The leading power OF Eu.
rope concur in proposing, as rule OF
international law, to exempi private prop
erty, upon the ocean. from seizure by
public armed cruisers as well as by pri
vateers, the United States will readily
meet them upon tha. broad ground.
Since the adjournment of Congress,
the Publications OF the treaty between the
United States and Great Britain, relative
to coas, fisheries, and to reciprocal trade
with the British North American Prov
lnces have been exchanged, and some OF
its anticipated advantages are already
enjoyed by US, although lis full execu-
ton was to abide certain acts Of legisla
ton not ye, fully performed. So soon
as il was ratified, Grea, Britain opened
to our commerce the free navigation of
the river st. Lawrence, and to our fish
ermen unmolesled access to the shores
and bays, from which they had been pre-
yiously excluded. on the coasts of ber
North American Provinces; in return for
which she asked for the introduction,
free of duty, into the ports of the United
States, of the fish caught on the same
coast by British fishermen. This being
the compensation. stipulated in the trea-
ty, for privileges of the highest impor-
tance and value to the United States,
which were thus voluntarily yielded be.
fore il became effective, the request seem
ed to me to be reasonable one; bu, i,
could not be acceeded to, from want OF
authority TO suspend our laws imposing
duties upon all foreign fish.
In the meantime the Treasury De-
pariment issued regulation, for ascer.
tanning the duties paid or secured by
bonds on fish caugh, on the coasts of the
British provinces, and brought to our
markets by British subjects, after the
flshing grounds had been made fully ac-
cessi5le to the citizens of the United
States. recommend to your favorable
consideration a proposition, which will
be submitted 10 you, for authority to re.
fund the duties and cancel the bonds
thus received. The provinces Of Cana.
da and New Brunswick have also an,ici.
pa,ed the full operation of the treaty, by
legislative arrangements, respectively, to
ADMIT, Tree of duty, the products oil the
United States mentioned in the free list
OF the treaty; and an arrangement, slmi.
lar to that regarding BRITISH fish, has
been made for duties now chargeable on
the products of those provinces enumer-
| ated in the same free list, and introduced
theretrom into the United States; prop
ositlon for refunding which will, in judg.
meni, be in like manner entitled 10 your
favorable consideration.
There is difference of opinion between
the United States and Great Britain, az
to the boundary line of the Territory Of
Washington adjoining the British pos.
sessions on the Pacific, which has al.
ready led TO difficulties on the part ol
the citizens and local authorities OF the
two governments. l recommend thai
provision be made for commission, to
be joined by one on The part of her Brit.
tannic Majesty, for the purpose Of run.
ming and establishing me line in con,ro
versy. Certain stipulations Of the third
and fourth articles Of the treaty conclud.
ed by the United States and Great Brit
ain in 1916, regarding possessory righ
of the Hudson's Bay Company. and
property of the Pugel's Sound Agricul-
sural Company. have given rise 10 Sc
rious disputes. and i, is important to all
concerned. that summary means of set
Ting them amicably should be devised
| have reason TO believe, that an arrange
ment can be made on just terms, for the
ex,inguishment Of the rights in question
embracing also. the right of the Hud-
sons Bay Company to the navigation q
the river Columbia; and therefore sug-
gest TO y our consideration. the expedien-
cy of making contingent appropriation
for that purpose.
France was the early and efficient al
ly of the United States in their struggle
for independence. From tha. time to
the present, with occasional slight inter-
ruptions, cordial relations Of friendship
have existed between the governments
and people of the two countries. The
kindly sentiments. cherished alike by
both nations. have led 10 extensive social
and commercial intercourse, which,
trust, will not be interrupted or checked
by any casual event Of an apparently
unsatisfactory character. The French
Consul at San Francisco. was, not long
since, brough, into the United States
District Court at :ha, place. by compul.
sorry process, as witness in favor of an
other foreign Consul. in violation, as the
French government conceives, of his
privileges under our consular convention
with France. There being nothing in
the tpa n 3 ct;nn xgh;ch oo,,ll :rn~l.,