Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-08-07

The Danish Government i undersle0d ~ have
answered the notice Of the speedy lapse ~ tlss
Sound Dues uGaiy, gwen by thu President ~ the
United States - long aTgumsntatifs sncInoftAl
apparently 10 tlic following elleci; Tbs Dahiah
Minister for F0fcign Affairs exprosats his frFrrt
that the Government al Washington shouA nol
have allowed negotiations "a sot.lc ori h. prcslade
the decisive step u has taken Ia this scatter aud
that in 40 doing il viii cause difficulties phlol,
might have otherwise been avoided The short
notice allowed 10 Denmark does not admit 81 hes
devoting the necessary time 10 this important
question, more particularly a. ~ tbs moment
Denmark is ia difficult position, arising ftosn
her neighbors striving 10 inyolye her il a war
with Russia. To aequiesoe Ia the American De-
mands would bring with Il the sacrifice al thou.
sands OF pounds sterling for the benefit 81 etlcg
States, who, properly speaking, bear the whole
burden OF these dues, while America seldom csn.
tributes more than $500 a year TO them Don.
mark is just at this moment least OF all prepared
to make such a sacrifice this. ! cannot helI
looking on Americas giving this notice al this
time as hard treatment, by no means provoked by
Denmark, for many have been the instances IA
which the Danish Government has RENTED these
dues to American merchants, contrary 10 all
right, and tolely in the hope Of preserving the
amlcable relations of the two countries nndts-
turDed. The Danish Government considers u
impossible TO comply with the demand made with
in the time allowed by the notice, and reckons
that the demand itself will not be looked upon ia
vorably elsewhere
REFUSAL OF AN AMERICAN CAPTAIN TO PAY rnE
STATE DUES.
HAMBURG, July l6.--We have Just had an in
stance OF the great vgor and consistency which
the Americans display when they have once taken
a "noton" into their heads. In the same manner
they look upon the payment of the Sound dues
as to be resisted because not levied in virtue OF
| L.. a a Il.
fuse now to acknowledge the claim Of Hanover TO
levy the State dues, and insist upon passing up
the Elbe to Hamburg without delivering up the
ship papers TO the Hanoverian authorities Mt
Brunshausen as required, and complied with by
every other mercantile flag.
The example was set few days ago by Cap
tam Merryman, of the American barque Undine
VINO hatly refused to give up his papers on pass
ing the Iianoverian guard-ship of State, though
he rlsked being fired on, and succeeded in bring
ing his vessel up TO Hamburg, and dscharring his
varied and valuable cargo without the payment
OF the onerous State dues. Your commercial
readers will be enabled to appreciate the advan-
tages OF this exemption, by glance at the follow
ing contents of the cargo, taken from our official
import list
/ No. 1884, Undine, American barque, 1913 tons,
Captain r. Merryman, from New York; July IL
65I males of cotton, $50 bags of cocoa, 50 chests
OF ready made clothes, 1906 pieces of logwood,
II bales of furs, 10 bales of hemp 1870 casks OF
resin, bales of hops, 81 packages merchandise,
85l bags of saltpetre, 40 packages tobacco, 900
barrels of turpentine, l76 packages of clocks Sal
barrels of whaebone, 80 chests of leather goods,
packages of India rubber SO barrels of potash,
and 80 900 nails
Though it is much TO be regretted, for the
honor OF the flag, that it was not British ship
that was the first to resist the payment of these
odious State dues, which the Hanoverian Gov
eminent admit to be unjust and illegal, and are
continually shifting their position, at one moment
claiming it as river toll, and when attacked on
that pretending to call it sea duty-yet it is to
be hoped that British captains will not be slow to
follow the example set by their american col
league for the benefit of commerce in general.