Butte record., 1855-01-06

tic!e, for most obvious reasons, is much
d sired by nations having naval estab-
lishments large in proportion 10 their
foreign commerce. If it were adopted
as an internalion rule, the commerce OF
nation having comparatively small
naval force, would be very much at the
mercy of its enemy, in case Of war with
a power of decided naval superiority
The bare statement Of the condition in
which the United States would be placed
after having surrendered the right to re-
sort to privateers, in the event Of war
with belligerent Of naval supremacy,
viii show that this government could
never | stem to such proposition. The
foreign commerce of the two countries
Is nearly equal, and about equally ex-
posed to ho tile depredations. In war
between that power and the United
States, without resort on our part to our
mercantile marine, the means Of our e. :
emy to hfict injary upon our commerce
would be ienfoll greater than ours to
retaliate We could not extricate our
country from its unequal condition, with
such an enemy, unless we at once depar-
ted f.om our presect peaceful policy,
and become great naval power. Mo-
would this country be better situated in
war with one of the secondary naval
power. Though the naval disparity
would be less, the greater extent and
more exposed condition of our wide
spread commerce wo.ld give any Of them
a like advantage ever Us.
The prcposition to enter into engage
ments to torego resort 10 privateers, in
case this country should be fore ID into
war with great naval power IS not en-
titled to more favorable con Iteration
'han would b. a proposition to agree not
to accept the services of volunteers or
operations on land When the honor
Or the rights OF oar country require it
to assume IA hos lie attitude, it contil"nt-
y rules upon the p,trlo ism Of It's cii-
zens, not ordinarily d voted to the mill
iary profession, to augment the army
and the ravy so as to make them filiv
adequate. to the emergency which calls
them into action. The proposal to sur
rend r the right to employ privateers Is
proie~sedly found d upon the princip e
that pirate property of unafTondine
non-co.abatants though enemies, slonld
be exempt from the ravages Of war bu:
the proposed surrender goes bat lite
way in carry ing out that principle, which
aqlallY requires that such private prop
erty should no! be seized or mol ested by
national ships Of war Sh9uld the lead
iag powers Of Europe concur in propos-
lng, as rule OF international law, to
exempt private property upon the ocean
from seizure by public armed cruisers,
as well as by p.ivateers, the United
States viii readily meet them upon the
broad g~ound
Since the adjournment of Congress
the ratifcatons Of the treaty between
the United Siatrs and Great Britain,
relative to coast fisheries, and to rccip-
rocal trade with the British North Amer
lean provinces, have been exchanged,
and some of is anticipated advantages
are already enjoyed by us, although It's
full execu ion was to abide certain acts
of legislation rot yet fully Performed
So soon as it was ratified, Great Britain
opened TO our commerce the free nayi-
cation of the river St. Lawrence and to
our fishermen unmolested access to the
shores and bays, from which thev had
been previously excluded, on the coasts
Of her North America provinces; in re-
turn for Which, she asked for the intro.
ducion, free OF duty, into the ports of
the Tn ted States, OF the fish caught on
tie samo coast by British fi>hermen.-
THIS being the compensation, stipulated
in the treaty, for privileges of the highest
i Importance and value to the United
States, which we're thus voluntarily
yielded b. fore it became effective, the
request seemed to me to be a reasonable
one bat it e1ul1 not be acced d to,
from want Of authority to suspend oui
laws imposing duties upon all foreign
fish. Ia the meantime, the Treasury
Department issued a regulation, for as
certaining the duties paid or secured by
bonds on fish caught Ga the coasts oil
the British provinces, and brought to
our markets by British subjects, after
the fishing grounds had been made fully
accessibl to the citiz ms Of the United
Sia es. | recommend to your favorable
consideration a proposition which will
be submitted to you, for authority to re-
fund the duti and cancel the bond,
thus received. The provinces Of Cana
dl and New Brunswick have also anti
cipated the full operation of the treaty,
by legislative arrangements resp ctiyely.
to admit, free from duty. the products
of the Uuited States mentioned in the
free list Of the treaty and and an ar
rangement; similar to that regarding
British fish, has been made for duties
now chargeable on the products of those
provinces enumerated III the same free
list, and introduced therefrom into the
United States; a proposition for refund
ing which will, in my Judgment, be in
like manner entitled to your favorable
conside alton.
There is difference of opinion between
the United States and Great Britain as
tJ the boundary line of the Territory of
Washington adjoining the British poss-
-. IL. II