The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1856-12-11
WHOLE NUMBER 976.

for the last fiscal year, were ten million four
hundred and seven thousand eight hundred
and sixty. eight dollars; and its gross receipts
seven million six hundred aud twenty thou
sand eight hundred and one dolIars--fnaking
an excess Of expenditure over receipts OF
two mil ion seven hundred and eighty.seven
thousand and foriy.six dollars. The def
cheney OF this department is thus seven hum
dred and forty -four thousand dollars greater
than Tor the year ending June 81, 1853. or
this deficiency, three hundred and thirty
thousand dollsrs is to be attributed to tho
additional compensation allowed bostmas-
ters by the act Of Congress of June %, 1854,
The mail facilities in every part of the coun-
try have been very much increased in that
period, and the large addition OF railroad ser.
vice, amounting to seven thousand nine
hundred and eight miles. has added largely
to the cost of transportation.
The inconsiderab!e augmentation Of the
income OF the Post Office Department un-
der the reduced rates of postage, and it's in-
creaslng expenditures, must, for the present,
make 1t dependent, to some extent, upon the
treasury for support. The recommendations
OF the Postmaster General, in relation 10
the abolition OF the franking privilege; and
his views on the establishment OF mail
steamship lines, deserve the consideration Of
Congress. | also call the special attention
ot congress to the statement of the Postmss-
ter General respecting the sums now paid
Tor the transportation OF mails to the Pana.
ma Railroad Company, and commend to
their early and sagorable consideration the
suggestions OF that officer in relation to new
contracts for mail transportation upon that
route, and also upon the Tehuantepec and
Nicaragua routes.
The United States continue in the enjoy.
ment OF amicable relations with all Ioreign
powers.
When my last annual message was trans.
mttod to Congress, two subjects of contro.
versy, one relating to the enlistment Of sol.
diers in this country for foreign service, and
the other to Central American, threatened
to disturb good understanding between the
United States and Great Britain. OF the
progress and termination Of the former q,ies-
ton you were informed at the time; and the
other is now in the way of satisfactory ad.
iustment.
The object Of the convention between the
United States and Great Britain of the 10Th
of April, 1850, was to secure, for the bene.
mon use of any transit way, or interoceanic
communication, across the Isthmus of Pana.
anna, which might be opened within the
limits OF Central America The pretension
subsequently asserted by Great Britain, to
dominion or control over territories, in or
near two of the routes, those of Nicaragua
and Honduras, were deemed BY the United
States not merely incompatible with the
main objectof the treaty, but opposed even
TO Its express stpulations. Occasion of con.
troversy on this point has been removed by
an additional treaty, which our minister at
London has concluded, and which will be
submitted to the Senate for its
consideration. Should the proposed SUD.
Elemental arrangement be concurr6d in by
all the parties TO be effected by it, the OBJ
Jects contemplated by the original conyen.
ton will hove been fully attained.
The treaty between the United States and
Great Britain, of the 5th OF June, 1854,
which went into effective operation in 1856,
put on end to causes of irritation between
the two countries, by securing to the United
States the right of fishery on the coast of the
British North American provinces, with ad-
equal to those enjoyed by British
subjects. Besides the signal benefits OF this
treaty TO large class of Our citizens en-.
gagged IN pursuit connected to no Inconsid.
cradle degree with our national prosperity
and strength it has had favorable effect
upon other int rests in the provision it made
tor reciprocal freedom of trade between the
United States and the British provinces ifr
America.
The exports Of domestic articles to those
provinces during the last year amounted to
more than twenty-five millions of dollars,
exceeding those of the preceding year by
nearly seven millions of dollars; and the
imports therefrom, during the same peffod,
amounted to more than twenty. one millions
an increase Of six millions upon those Of
the previous year.
The improved condition of this branch of
our commerce is mainly attributable to the
above mentioned treaty.
Provision was made, in the first article of
that treaty, for a commission to designate the
mouths OF rivers to which the common right
OF II ,hery, on the coast of the United States
and British Provinces, was not to extend
This commission has been employed part
OF two seasons, but without much progress
in accomplishing the beet for which it was
Instituted, in consequence Of aserious differ
ence OF opinion between the commissioners,
not only as to the precise point where the
rivers terminate, but in many instances as
to what constitutes river. These difficult
ties, however, may be overcome by resoato
the umprage provided for by the treaty.
The efforts perseveringly prosecuted since
the commencement OF my administration, to
relieve OR trade TO the Baltic from the ex.
action of sound dues by Denmark have not
yet been attended with success Other
governments have also sought to obtain
like relief to their commerce, and Deumark
was thus induced TO propose an arrangement
to all the European powers interested in the
subject; and the manner in which hsr prope.
'itlon was received, warranting her 70 Be-.
Iieve that satisfactory arrangement with
them could soon be concucluded, she mads
strong appeal to this country for a tempo.
rary suspension of definite action on its part.
IN consideration the embarrassment whi,h
might result TO her European negotiations
by an immediate adjustment Of the question
with the United States. This request has
been acceded TO, upon the condition that ths
sums collected after the 10th Of Juae last.
md until the 10th of June next, from egs9
iels and cargoes belonging to our merchants,
ire TO be considered as paid under the pro.
est, and subject to future adjustment There
reason to believe that an arrangement be-,
ween Denmark and the maritime powers of
furone On tha snhiacf will soon r., s,...s.f