The Evansville daily journal., 1856-01-04


can provinces, has been organized and has COM
menced its labors; to complete which there is
needed further appropriations for the service
Of another season.
SOUND DUES. S.g.-.-...4
In pursuance of the authority, conferred by
e resolution Of the Senate of the United States,
passed on the Sd of March last, notice was
given to Denmark on the 14th day of April, !
Of the intention of this government to avail
itself of the stipulation of the subslstlng con-
vention of friendship, commerce and naylga-
ton between that Kingdom and the United |
States, whereby either party might, alter ten
years, terminate the same at the expiration ofone
year from the date of notice for that purpose.
The considerations, which led me to call the
attention of Congress to that convention, and
induce the Senate to adopt the resolution re-
ferred to, still continue in full force The con-
vention contains an article, which although 1T
does not directly engage the United States to
submit to imposition of tolls on the vessels
and cargoes of ofAmericans passing into or from
the Baltic sea- during the continuance of the
treaty, yet may by possibility,be construed as
| implying such submission. The exaction of
those tolls not being justified by any principle
of international law, it became the right and
! the duty of the United States to relieve them
selves from the implication of engagement on
the subject, SO as to be perfectly free to act in
the premises in such way as their public In
terests and honor shall demand.
remain Of the opinion that the United
States ought not to submit to the payment of
Sound dues, not so much because ofthe amount,
which is a secondary matter, but because 1T is
in effect the recognition of the right of Denmark
to treat one of the great maritime highways of
nations as close sea, and the navigation of it
as privilege for which tribute may be imposed
upon those who have occasion to use it.
This government, ON a former occasion not
uni ke the present, sgnalized its determination
TO maintain the freedom of the seas, and of the
great natural channels of navigation. The
Barbary States had, for long time, coerced
the payment of tribute from all nations, whose
ships frequented the Mediterranean. To the
last demand of such payment made by them,
the United States, although suffering less by
their depredations than many other nations,
| returned the explicit answer, that we prefer
red war to tribute, and thus opened the way
t to the relief of the commerce of the world
: from an ignominious tax, so long submitted
5 to by the far more powerful nations of Europe
Ifthe manner of payment of the Sound dues
differ from that of the tribute formerly conced-
4 ed to the Barbary States, still their exaction
: by Denmark has no better foundation in right.
7 Each was in its origin, nothing but tax on
!, common natural right, extorted by those,
: who were at that time, able to Obstruct the
:, free and secure enjoyment of it but who no
e longer possess that power. - ..t+
Denmark, while resisting our assertion OF
the freedom of the Baltic Sound and Belts has
: indicated readiness to make some new ar
e rangement on the subject and has invited the
: governments interested, including the United
j States, to be represented in convention to as
: semble for the purpose of receiving and con-
: sdering proposition, which she intends to
# flsubmit, for the capitalization of the Sound dues
and the distribution of the sum to be paid as
! Communication among the governments, ac-
: Icording to the respective proportions of their
# maritime commerce to and from the Baltic.
t | have declined in behalf of the United States
, to accept this invitation, for the most cogent
: reasons. One is, that Denmark does not Of
d fer to submit to the convention the question
e of her right to levy the Sound dues. A Sc
i cond is that, if the convention were allowed to
take cognizance of that particular question,
: still it would not be competent to deal with
the great international principle involved
. which affects the right in other cases of navi-
i cation and commercial freedom, as we'll as
j that of access to the Baltic. Above ALL by the
n express terms of the proposition, it is contem-
r plated, that the consideration of the Sound
r dues shall be commingled with, and made sub
d ordinate to, matter wholly extraneous, the
: balance of power among the governments OF
T, Europe.
While, however, rejecting this proposition
y and insisting on the right of free transit into
h and from the Baltic, l have expressed to Den
r mark willingness, on the part of the United
If States, to share literally with other powers
u in compensating her for any advantages, which
e commerce shall hereafter derive from expendi-
S lures made by her for the improvement and
e safety of the navigation of the Sound of Belts
: lay before you, herewith, sundry docu-
r ments on the subject, in which my views are
d more fully disclosed. Should no satisfa !ory
arrangement be soon concluded, I shall again
e call your attention to the subject, with recon
: mendation of such measures as may appear tc
n be required in order to assert and secure the
Il United States, so far as they are affected by
c the pretensions of Denmark. .syjaa to =
J, ssfflr t-tin sa FRANCE. ~ attf ft}1 11E 5a3
}, I announce with much qualification, that
5 since the adjournment of Congress, the ques-
= ton, then existing between this government
: and that of France, respecting the French
consul at San Francisco, has been satisfactorily
determined and that the relations of the two
o governments continue to be of the most friendly
r nature. 5iis5'1e I iie .i' 2 l9it4l' p isalfi
: .5ii o -. h1a noi4GG GREECE. - .1ollya tjegoe'
: A question, also, which has been pending
g for several years between the United States
s and the kingdom 81 Greece, growing gout of the
t sequestration, by public authorities of that
e country, of property belonging to the present
n American Consul at Athens, and which had
S been the subject of very earnest discussion
e heretofore has recently been settled to the
If satisfaction of the party interested and of both
0 governments. iJ1-ia2 e3 1858 no -Hf'n.
t - ..-tl7'ca 2 5E1 SPAIN s.'zl b 5ll ff
Z l.. With Snain neacefIlll relations are still