The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1854-12-13

/ its full execution was to decide certai
l. acts of legislation not yet fully perform
# ed. So soon as it was ratined Grea
e Britain opened to cur commerce the fre
/ navigation of the River st. Lawranc
s and to our fishermen unmolested acces
8 to the sh pres and bays, from which the
f had been previously excluded on tn
e coasts of her North American provence
f in return for which she asked for the in
: PRODUCTION, free of duty, into the port
: of the United States of the fish caugh
: on the same coast by British fishermen
: This being the compensation stipulate,
!, in the treaty for privileges of the. high
! est importance and value to the lutte,
/ States, which were thus voluntaril
| yielded; before it became effective thu
request seemed to me as reasonable on,
but it could not be acceded to from
want of authority to suppend our law.
, imposing duties on all foreign fish.
In the meantime the Treasury De
partment issued a regulation for ascer
tanning the duties paid or secured By
bonds OIL the fish caught on the coasts
of the British Provinces and brough
to our markets by British subjects after
the fishing grounds had been made fully
accessible to citizens of the United
States. I recommend to your favorable
consideration proposition which will b.
submitted to you,for authority to refund
the duties and cancel the bonds thus
received. The provinces of Canada and
New wBrunswick have also anticipated the
full operation of the treaty by legisla
tive arrangements respectively, to ADMIT
free of duty, the products of the United
States mentioned in the free list of the
treaty and an arrangement similar to
that regarding the British fish has been
made for duties now chargeable on the
products of those Provinces enumerated
in the same free list and introduced
therefrom into the United States, prop
osition for refuuding which, will, in my
| judgment, be in like manner entitled to
your favorable consideration.
There is 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 on the Pacific, which has already
led to difficulties on the part of the citi-
zeDs and local authorities of the govern
ments. recommend that provision be
made for commission, to be Joined by
one on the part of Her Britannia
Majesty, for the purpose of running and
Establishing the line in controversy
Certain stipulatious Of the Sd and 4th
articles of the treaty concluded by the
Uuited States and GreatBritain in $40,
regarding the possessory rights of the
Hudson Bay Company and property of
the Pagets Sound y iculteral Compa-
ny, have given rise to serious disputes
and it is important TO all concerned
that summary means of settling them
amicably should be yised L have
reason to believe that an arrangement
can be made on just terms for the ex-
tinguishment of the rights in question,
embracing also the right of the Hudson
Bay Company to the navigation Of the
river Columbia and L therefore suggest
to your consideration the expediency of
making contingent approp! iation for
that purpose.
France was the early and efficient ally
of the United States i'll their struggle
for independence From that 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 to extensive To-
cal and commercial intercourse, which
trust will not he interrupted or checked
by any casual or event of an apparently
unsatisfactory charactr. The French
Consul at San Fransisco was, not long
: r. Il
Court at that place, by compulsory pro-
cess, as witness in favor of another
Consul, in violation, as the French gov
ernment conceives, of his privilege un-
der our Consular Convention with
France There being nothing in the
transaction which could imply any disre-
spect to France or its Consul, an expla-
nation had been made, which [ hope
will be satisfactory. Subsequently, a
misunderstanding arose on the subject
of the French government, as it appear
cd, abruptly excluded the American
Minister to Spain from journeying
through France, on his way from Lon
pom to Madrid but that government
has unequivocally disavowed any design
to deny the right of transit to the Min
lister of the United States, and after ex-
plantations to this fact he has resumed
his journey, and actually returned
through France to Spain. [ herewith
lay before Congress the correspondence
on this subject, between our envoy at
Paris and the Minister of Foreign re-
lations of the French Government
The position of our affairs with Spain
remain as at the close of our last session.
Internal agitation, assuming very near
ly the character of political revolution,
hasrecently convulsed that country.
The late ministers were violently ex-
PEELED from power, and men of very diff
ferent views have succeeded. Since
this change there has been no propit-
ious opportunity to resume and press on
negotiations for the adjustment of seri-
GUS questions of difficulty between the
Spanish government and the United
States There is reason to believe that
our minister will find the present gov
ernment more favcrably inclined than
the preceding to comply with our just
demands, and to make suitable arrange
ments for restoring harmony and pre-
serving peace between the two countries.
negotiations are pending with Den
mark to discontinue the practice of lev
ying tolls on our vessels and their car
goes passing through the Sound. 1 do
not doubt that we can obtain exemption
therefrom as a matter of right. 1t is
admitted on all hands that this exaction
is sanctioned not by the general princi-
pies of the law of nations, but only by