The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1854-12-13

PRODUCTION, Tree OF duty INTO tho port s
of Che United States of fish caught on
the same coast by British fishermen
This being the compensation, stipulated
in the treaty, for privileges Of the high.
est importance and value to the United
States. which were thus voluntaril y
yielded before it became effective, tha
request seemed to me to he a reasonable
one but it could not be acceded to-
from want Of authority to suspend our
laws imposing duties upon all foreign
fish. In the meantime. the Treasury
Department issued a regulation, for as
certaining the duties paid or secured by
bonds on fish caught on the coast of the
British provinces, and brought to our
markets by British subjects. after the
fishing-grounds had been made fully ac.
cessible to the citizens of tho United
States. ! recommend to your favorable
consideration proposition, which will
be submitted to you. for authority to re-
fund the duties and cancel the bonds thus
received The provinces ofCauada and New
Brunswick have also anticipated the full
operation of the treaty. by legislative
arrangements, respectively, to admit free
of duty, the products of the United
States mentioned in tue free list of the
treaty; and an arrangement, similar TO
that regarding British fish. has be ell
made for duties now chargeable on the
products Of those provinces enumerated
in the same ftco lists, and Introduced
thcrefrom into the United States; a
proposition for refunding which will. IN
may Judgment be in like manner entitled
to your favorable considerai iion.
There i. difference Of opinion between
the United States and Great Britain, as
to the boundary line Of the Territory Of
Washington adjoining the British pos.
sessions Oh the Pacific. which has al.
ready led to difficulties on the part Of
TIC ciiaHns ana local authorities of the
two Governments .-cYmmcnd that
provision be made for commission to
be joined by one on the part Of Her Br
fannie Majesty, for the purpose of run.
ping aud establishing the line in contro.
versy. Certain stipulations of the third
and fourth articles of the Treaty con
cludcd by the United States and Great
Britain in lSiG. regarding rossessory
rights Of the Hudson Bay Company.aud
property Of the Pngct's Sound Agricul
tural Company have given rise to serious
disputes, and it is important to all con
cerncd. that summary means Of settling
them amicablv should be devised |
have reason to believe. that an arrange
ment can be made on just term-, for the
cxtineushmcnt Of the rights in question,
embracing also, the right Of the IIud-
sous Bay Company 10 the navigation of
the River Columbia; and therefore
suggest to your considerations the eSpe-
dicHcy of making il contingent approprl
alton for that purpose
France was tho earl y and efficient al
Is Of the United States ia their struggle
for independence From that time to the
present, with occasional slight intcrrup.
tons. cordirl relations cffriendship have
eAisol between the governments aud
people of the two countries. The kind.
ly sentiments, cherished alike BY both
nations. have led to extensive social and
commercial intercourse, which, Ittrnat.
will not be interrupted or checked by any
casual event of an apparently ursaiisfac,
tory character. The French Consul at
San Francisco was, not long since,
brought into the United States District
Court at that place, by compulsory pro.
cess, as a witness in favor Of another
foreign Consul. in violat ion, as tho
French Government couccvcs, Of his
privileges under our consular convention
with France. There being nothing in
the transaction which could imply any
dsrospcct to France or its consul, such
explanation has been madc,as hope will
be satisfactory, subsequently. msunder-
standing arose on the subject Of tie
French Government having as it appear.
ed, abruptly excluded tho American
Minister to Spain from passing through
France. on his way from London to
Madrid But that Government has nm
cquivocally disavowod any design to deny
the night Of transit to the Minister Of
the United States and, after explana.
tions to tLi' effect, he has resumed his
journey, and actually returned throdah
France to Spain herewith lay before
Congress the correspondence on this
uliect between our Envoy at Paris, aud
the Minister Of Forcith Relations of
the French Government.
Tic position Of our affairs with Spain
remains as at the close of yolr last scs.
sion Internal agitation, assuming very
nearly the character of political revolu-
tion, has recently couvulsed that coun-
ny. The late ministers were violently
expelled from power, and men, Of very
different views in relation to its internal
affairs, have succeeded Sirco tits
change there has been 10 rropitious O..
portunity to resume, and press On, nego.
tiaiions for the adjustment Of serious
questions of difficulty iotwcon the Span.
lsh Governments md the United States
There is rf.son to believe that our min
ister viii fnd the present Government
moro favoraLly inclined than the pre-
ceeding to comply with our just demands
and to make suitable arrangements for
restoring harmony, and preserving peace,
between the two countries.
Negotiations are pending with Den
mark to discontinue the practice of levy
ing tolls on our vessels and their car.
goes passing through the Sound. | do
not doubt that we can claim exemption
therefrom as u matter of right, 1t is
admitted on oil hands that this exaction
is sanctioned, not by tho general princi-
| les of tho law of nations, but only by
special conventions, which most of the 4
nations havo entered into I
with Denmark. The fifth article of our .
treaty Of 1926 with Denmark, provides
that there shall not be paid, on tho vessels
Of the Uuitod States and their cargoes
1 Il L Il ! L L