Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1856-01-04

/ udl occurrence, Dut ucllDerate design. en-
tered upon with full knowledge of our
laws and national policy, and conducted by
responsible public functionaries, impelled
Inc To- present the case to the British gov
srnmcnt, in order to secure. not only a
cessation of the wrong, but its reparation.
I The subject is IT'LL under discussion, the
result of which will be communicated to
( YOU in due time.
/ repeat the recommendation submitted
to the last Congress, that provision he
made for the appointment ola commission
er, in conneXion with Great Britain, to
survey and establish the boundary line,
which divides the Territory of Washington
from the contiguous British possessions.
! BY reason OF the extent and importance of
the country in dispute, there has been i'm
/ mincnt danger of collision between thesub-
/ iects Of Great Bsitan and the citizens of
/ the nited States. including their respect
i've authorities in that quarter. The pros
pect OF a speedy arrangement has contrib
uted hitherto to induce on both sides for
bearance to assert bv force what each claims
as Il right. Continuance Of delay on the
part of the two governments to act in the
matter will increase the dangers and diif-
culties of the controversy.
! misunderstanding exists as to the ex-
tent, character, and value of the pOSsesso-
ry rights of the Hudsons Bay Company
and the property of the Pugets Sound
Agricultural Company, reserved i'll our
treaty with Great Britain relative to the
Territory of Oregon | have reason to be-
levc that cession of the rights of both
companies to the United States, which
would be the readiest means OF tcrmina-
ting all questions, can be obtained on rea-
sonable terms and with a view to this
end, present the subject to the attention
+ "S Congress.
The colony of Newfoundland, hr,ine
enacted the laws required by the treaty u.
the oh OF june, 1874, is now placed on
the same footing, in respect to commercial
intercourse with the United States, as the
other British North American provinces
The commission. which that treaty con
templated, for determining the rights o.
fishery in rivers and mouths of rivers on
the coasts of the | nited States and the
British North American provinces. has
been organized and has commenced its la
bors to complete which there is needed
further appropriations for the services o.
another season.
SOUND DUES.
In ,f III. .,,,borit,-
red BY a resolution of the Senate Of the
United States passed on the Sd of March
last, notice was given to Denmark, on the
lith day OF April, of the intention Of this
government 10 avail itself of the stpula-
tion OF the subsisting convention Of friend
ship, commerce, and navigation between
that Kingdom and the United States,
whereby either party might, after ten
years, terminate the same at the expira-
tion Of one year from the date of notice
for that purpose.
The considerations. which led me to
call the attention of Congress 10 that con-
vention, and induced the Senate to adopt
the resolution referred to, still continue in
! full force The convention contains an ar
ticle, which. although it does not directly
engage the United States to submit to the
/ imposition OF tolls on the vessels and car
goes of Americans passing into or from
the Baltic sea, during the continuance o.
the treaty, Yet may, by possibility, be con-
strucd as implying such submission. The
exaction of those tolls not being justified
/ by any principle of international law, it be-
came the right and the duty Of the Uuited
( States TO relieve themselves from the I'M
plication Of engagement on the subject, SO
as to be perfectly free to act in the premis-
es in such way as their public interests and
honor shall demand
remain OF the opinion that the United
States ought not to submit 10 the payment
/ OF the Sound dues, not SO much because
, Of their amount, which is secondary mat
! ter. but because it is in effect the recog-
milton OF the right OF Denmark to treat one
OF the great maritime highways of nations
as close sea, and the nav cation of it as a
privilege for which tribute may be imposed
upon those who have occasion to use it.
This government, on a former occasion
not unlike the present, signalized its de-
termination 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
oi such payment made by them, the Uni
ted States, although suffering less by their
depredations than many other nations, re-
turned the explicit answer, that We prefer
red war to tribute, and thus opened the
way to the relief of the commerce of the
world from an ignominious tax, so long
submitted to by the more powerful nations
Of Europe.
If the manner of paymen to fthe Sound
dues differ from that of the tribute former
ly conceded to the Barbary States, still
their exaction by Denmark has no better
foundation in right. Each was, in its orr
gin, nothing but tax on common natu-
raj right, extorted by those, who were at
that time able to obstruct the free and Sc
cure enjoyment of it, but who no longer
possess that power.
Denmark, while resisting our assertion
of the freedom of the Baltic Sound and
Belts, has indicated readiness to make