The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-04-20


"THE DANisH-SOUND DUES"
Other engagements have prevented US from taking
tce Of communication signed aObseryer which appear
ed ia the National Lgencr of the 4th Of April on the
subject Of the DanishSound Dues Ia order that our
readers may fully understand what Is By Danish
Sound dues necessary that should that the
government Of Denmark has long arrogated right Of
exclusive supervision the straits Of what is known
the Danish Sound Vessels obliged, account Of the
shoals the Of Sweden to along the shores Of
the island Of Zealand and to pass under the cannon Of
Cronenburg Denmark has demanded, pretext ofndem
nifty for the expense Of the protection supervision Of nav
gaton certain duties which certain governments, our
inclusive have agreed to pay resolution Of the
33d Congress however responding to the suggestion of the
President of the United States In his last message has
provided that notice should be given TO Denmark lac
cordng the terms of treaty with that govern
men) that the expiration OF twelve months no sound
dues be exacted from American vessels The reasons
for this step will best appear in the remarks we shall make
upon the communication Of observer in the Keigsncsr
OF the Ath Of April
That writer attempts in the first place to pass himself
of as an American. He speaks Of sour country and
makes a deliberate argument against our country"
No American could have written article which is
throughout Justification of and degrading
or tribute which, according to the principles Of public
law Denmark should demand and ought not TO
pay
observer tell. us because he passageof the sound
Esnore between the Danish and Swedish coast is about
three English miles wide it is therefore "confesscdly
within the territorial jurisdiction of those two countries
The principle here asserted has attracted much attention
in Europe; among others that of Theodore Orolan,
French writer, whose work international Rules and
Diplomacy of the Sea- is regarded standard authority
From this work extract the following complete
TO the argument of observer above quoted;
'Straits passages to communicate from to
another If the of these Free the communication
should be equally for otherwise the liberty OF these
would be but chmera. 1t would not suffice here to
attribute ownership of the strait the nation which
of the shoreo that in fact the strait in
the power that nation that she has the of
manng by her artillery by other mode of action
deence word that she can have really in her
eon' aThe material obstacle to the ownership being
moved the obstacle would still remanthe essential
and nvioabe right of nations TO communicate with each
other Thus The strait Of Gibraltar, for instance
that eee could tack there, this strait ooud
free, because the Mediterranean. although sea,
i~ as free az the 6oandiess ocean,"
1t will be seen how closely this argument applies to the
Danish Sound "observer" tells that Sweden has acqui
esced the Of Denmark and that these dues have
been collected from very period The acquescence
of Sweden cannot according the principles Of enght
ened international law, be held to operate against other
nations any than time consecrate gross njus
tice wrong.
"observer" seeks by misapplcaon of terms, justify
the tribute paid the Danish government by stating that
anohiug is more clearly established generally ac
knowledged than the right of every nation all
sells entering their ports whether in the shape Of
light money, tonnage duty, anchorage" &c. &C. 1t will
not be held by @observern presume that the Danish
Sound called is Danish possession To impose duties
upon vessels entering the waters the sports of any
nation is of different thing from the imposition OF
such tribute Denmark from other nations whose
vessels pass the Sound, and be justified under
the general right Of collecting for lighthouses port
charges &c than ii be under the
right which has made the the highway of nations On
the subject of these charges by the Danish government
the same author from whom have already quoted de-
clares
IL should be observed that the duties of the Sound
product of which in the beginning high and which
that time had been justified indemnity for the
the protection supervision of navigation have
the Of time in consequence Of the development of
maritime relations, and Of the large number Of ships which
pass by this strait increased such extent in their
product that the yearly this day Of proportion
the expenses which may have been their legitimate OBJ
ect to cover that the surplus constituting Of toll
Of tribute, tho Of hieh should be free s ieg
macy may NTH good rcasoa Be contested"
Observer goes He says;
said that this duty exaced on vessels which
have intention Of stopping trading in Denmark but
bound to ports of other nations and that the sound
only channel of communication by which they such
ports But does Great Britain do the thing every
day Is not every American vessel bound France Ho
land aud the Baltic that stops and anchors any the
British channel ports whether from contrary winds distress
for orders for any other cause subjected the payment
Of light money anchorage harbo aud Dues on pre-
csey the footing and principle that the sound
exacted p
Light money is exacted IN British ports if vessels stop
in those ports but vessels DO not voluntarily stop al Es
nore the Danish sound voluntarily enter port there
Great Britain does claim duty Of vessels as is done by
Denmark which merely pass in sgh: The on the Dan
sh Sound compes vessels stop for the purpose Of pay
ing il, and not for any other reason.
observer attempts show that there is an anal
ogy between the imposition Of tonnage and import duties
in the 81 Lawrence ~ the British government before our
late reciprocity treaty and The charges exacted by the Da
nsh authorities upon at vessels passing through the
sound But this is ridiculous assumption The ST
Lawrence is rrr, flowing through the territory ~
Great Britain in much Of lis course aud the ton
mage and import duties paid upon this ground MOI
with the strait that connects the great highway on the
by the Danish sound and which would render the free
navigation Of those seas impoRsibl. IL thi. anato -