Eastern times., 1855-10-04
The Danish Sound Dues.

Our difficulty with Denmark in relation TO
the sound Gues begins to assume a serious as
pect. Wars have grown out of smaller
"specs" than this. The following from the
Boston Post gives ''bird 's-eye'' view of the
. matter in dispute, and will be found interesting
at this time =
Every foreign arrival contains fresh evidence
of the attention which the attitude of this
country, as TO the Denmark sound dues, has
excited in Europe. The immediate cause of
this, the action of the administration in April
last, in giving the notice that is required for
termination of the existing treaty between the
United States and Denmark treaty which
the old custom as TO these sound dues was ac-
quiesced in.
The custom ofsimposing such en- arbitrary
tax on commerce is not founded on right, but
in prescription, in old usage, which for centu-
ries has been transmitted and recognized in a
succession of treaties. The sound is a narrow
strait commanding an entrance to the Baltic
Sea, and was formerly owned, on both shores,
by Denmark. The two outlets in the Baltic
and North Seas, the sound and the Two belts,
it is claimed by Danish jurists, were very
early protected against pirates and the peris
of navigation by guardships and landmarks
and light houses but the right to levy tolls
on foreign vessels and cargoes passing through
these waters, was not claimed as an equivalent
for these services, but were considered as an
incident to territorial sovereignty over them.
This sovereignty was acknowledged very ear
ly in 1860, in treaty with the Hanseatic
league, and in 1880, in treaty with Henry
VII, of England, Denmark no longer owns
both shores. These straits are now open sea.
l. 4 Ill
the laws of nations are part OF the great ocean
highway, through which the world commerce
should, of right, have unobstructed passage.
The United States, like other nsiions-all
other powers-acquiesced in, and submitted to
the payment Of this tribute; just as it once ac-
quiesced in, and was obliged TO tolerate the
miserable exactions of the Barbary powers
and in treaty made in 1926 with Denmark
gave its formal acquescence in this CONNER
cal exacton. AT this period Henry Whea-
ton, the great lurst, was entrusted with
special mission to Denmark, and during his
residence in this country, from 1927 to 1885,
investigated the subject with his characteristic
thOroughness, and communicated the results of
his investigation to his government. His OBJ
Ject was to relieve commerce from the arbitra-
ry imposition of such tax. The treaty ex-
tended for ten years, and of course nothing
could be done then
In 19ll, MIR. Webster, when secretary of
state, made a report-on' this subject TO the
President, which was compiled from the de-
spatchss of Mr.. Wheaton, and recommended
opening negotiations with Denmark with a
view to obtain notifications of the tariff
These were obtained. Several old, vexatious
and humliating things were abrogated. Still
the old tax remained. New irriations arose
A. NJ
Buchanan, in instruc,ing the charge at Copen-
hagen, writes, that 'under the public law of
nations, it cannot be pretended that Denmark
has any right to levy duties on vessels passing
through the sound from the North Sea to the
Baltic p and he authorized the charge to Of
fer, for the perpetual remuneration of these
duties, $3.50, 1000, and a continuance of the
commercial convention.
In 1853, on the accession of President
Pierce, instructions were given to our charge
10 press the matter of the sound dues to their
conclusion but, through Mr.. Marcy, declined
10 authorize an offer to Denmark of any COM
pensailon for what was demanded as of right
In his annual message of 1854, the President
proposed to terminate the treaty of 1926. and
the necessary notice has been given TO Den
mark.
While the propriety of this course on the
part OF the government has been generally ad-
mitted at home, and openly justified in many
journals abroad, yet in some of them the poll
cy is openly advocated of an interference with
this question by France and England. The
king of Denmark, it is generally credited, has
formally applied to Louis Napoleon to medi-
ate, or openly interfere, in this matter; and it
is also said that the French emperor has de-
clined to do ii. How this question, and the