The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1855-01-06

TEETOTALIsM AT HER MAJEsTY's TABLE.-A
British Peer, when dining lately with the
Queen, was challenged by Royal Duchess to
take wine with her. His Lordship politely
thanked her Grace, but declined the compl-
ment, stating that he never took wine. The
Duchess Immediately took wine. The Duchess |
turned to the Queen and ocular
ly said =" Please your Majesty, here is Lord
-, who declines wine at your Majesty's ia |
ble." Every eye was turned to the Queen, and
not little curiosity was evinced as to the man.
ner in which the total abstainer would be dealt
with by royalty. With smiling and graceful
expression, her majesty replied :" There is no
compulsion at my table. paper.
This recalls an incident which occurred some
years since, on board one of the New York and
Liverpool liners. The birthday of the sove-
reign was celebrated with unusual hilarity at
dinner. The cloth having been removed, the
marks, in which he took occasion to say that
the toast he was about to propose, he was GER
tain that every person present would respond
to with bumper, gave" The QueenH Among
those present was ScOtchman, a resident of
this country. 1t was perceived that he had
drank but part Of his wine thereupon fire.
eating young Englishman rose and said: 81
regret to perceive, Mr.. President that person
present has sighted your request, and the SEN
timent you proposed. I beg leave, sir, to re-
peat the toast. and if it meets with a repetition
of the insult, shall deem it my duty to resent
it," The glasses were re-filled and all rose to
drink it with the honors," but the Scotchman
who kept his seat and drank no wine. AS soon
as the toast had been properly washed down
and cheered, the volunteer champion of her
Majesty remarked audibly, that he would call
him out for it, to which the Scotchmaa re-
piled: "YOu may call me out, but will not
come out but if you insult me, 1 will imme-
diately give you the sorest thrashing you ever
had in your life." This was said in such cool
but determined tone and manner. that every
one knew he would be as good as his word and
it was equally evident from his physique that
he could do it with the greatest ease. The eff
feet upon the whole company was electrical.
| He was heartily applauded, and in reply to a
good natured remark from the President said
be trusted the day would never come when the
measure of persons loyalty would be the
amount he drank for some years observation
in different quarters of the world had satisfied
him that the less q man drank Of intoxicating
liquors, the better citizen, man or Christian, he
became. The young Englishman at once made
the an,ende honorable, and learned at the same
time a salutary lesson in temperance and good
manners.-.N Y. Times.
THE DANISH SOUND TAxEs.-The suggestion
made by the President in his message in rela-
ton to the duties paid to Denmark for permit
ting our ships to enter and depart from the Bal
tic is one that deserves the attention of Con
gres. Our commerce has long felt the effects
of this tax, and it is high time that measures
should be taken to annul the treaty entered in
to with Denmark in the year 1926, by which
the vessels of the United States, when passing
through the Sound at Elsineur, are compelled
| 1,,f
this duty was trife; and as the vessels OF
other countries quietly submitted to it, we ask
ed no exclusive privileges.
| 1t appears that the treaties with England,
France and Prussia. by which they contracted
to pay the Sound duties, expired in 1884, and
have not been renewed. Soon after this, Mr..
Upshur made an effort to have the duties abol-
ished, but up to this time nothing has been ac-
complished. Our treaty with Denmark may
be annulled at any time by giving one years
notice, and this notice the President recon-
mends should at once be given.
| The precise period when this tax was first
levied, we are unable to ascertain. One au-
thority says that the first treaty made between
Denmark and England.in relation to the Sonnd
duties was in the year 1850. Another says
that England first agreed to pay them in the
year 1890, during the reign of Henry VII,
when that monarch made treaty with the
King of Denmark, by which the English engag-
ed to pay the Scum dues ON all vessels enter
ing or returning from the Baltic; and in re-
turn they were allowed to have mercantile
consuls in the chief seaports of Denmark and
Norway. These had their origin in an agree
ment between the King of Denmark on the one
part, and the Hanse Towns On the other, by
which the former undertook to construct light
houses, landmarks, &C., along the Cattegat,
and the latter to pay duty for the same. The
duties have since varied at different periods.
Ships of war are exempted from them. Latter
ly several governments have made efforts to
resist the Sound dues, in which resistance they
might have been successful with so weak a
power as Denmark but Russia, whose sove.
reign possesses reversionary title to the Dan
ish crown, sustains the former in adhering to
its long established custom. although that Gus
tom is contrary to every principle of interna-
tional law.
The number of vessels of all nations which
had paid the Sound dues in certain years, were
faIlNwa