The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-01-12


dance with it.
In the meantime, the mat,er acquired addi-
tiOnal Importance by the recruitments in the
U. S. not being discontinued, and the disclos-
ure of the fact that they were prosecuted up
on a systematic plan, devised by official au-
thority-that recruiting rendezvous had been
opened in our principal cities, and depots for
frontier, and the whole business conducted
under the supervision and by the regular CO.
operation of British officers, civil and military
some in the N. American provinces, and some
in the U. s. The completely of those officers
in an undertaking which only could be accom-
plished by defying our laws and throwing sus-
picion over our attitude as neutrals. and dero-
eating cur territorial rights. was conclusively
proved by the evidence elected liz the trials
of such of their agents as have been apprehen-
ded and convicted. Some of the officers thus
implicated are of high official jurisdiction, SO
that legal proceedings could not reach the
source of the mischief
These considerations, and the fact that the
cause of complaint was not mere casual oc-
currence, but deliberate design. entered up
on with full knowledge Of our laws and ma
tional policy, and conducted by responsible
public functionaries, impelled me to present
the case to the British Government in order
to secure not only cessation of the wrong.
discussion, the result of which will he COM
municated to you in due time.
/ repeat the recommendation submitted to
the last Congress, that provisions be made
for the appointment of a Committee in con-
nection with Great Britain, to survey and
establish the boundary line which divides
the territory of Washington from the CONT
guous British Possessions. By reason of the
extent and Importance of the country in dis
pute, there has been imminent danger of COL
lision between the subjects of Great Britain
and the citizens of the United States institu-
ting their respective authorities in that quar-
ter. The prospect of speedy arrangement
has served hitherto to induce, on both sides,
forbearance to assert by force which each
claim is right. The continuance of delay,
on the part of the two governments, to act
in the matter, will increase the danger and
difficulties of the controversy. Misunder-
standing exists as to the extent character
and value of the possessive rights of the Hud-
son Bay Company, and the property of the
Puget Sound Agricultural Society, reserved
in our treaty with Great Britain relative to
the Territory of Oregon,
have reason to believe that accession to
the rights of both Companies by the United
States would be the readiest means of obvi-
ating all questions which can be brought
about upon reasonable terms, and with a
view to that end, l present the subject to
the attention of Congress,
The colony of Newfoundland having enacted
the laws required by the treaty of June 1854,
is now placed on the same footing with respect
to commercial intercourse with the U. S. as the
other British North American Provinces
The commission which that treaty contemp-
LIT (~~l L. s-:.~ a! az I'll
rivers and mouths of rivers, and the coasts of
the United States and the British North Ameri-
can Provinces has been organized. and has
commenced its labors, to complete which, there
is needed further appropriations for the service
of another season.
In pursuance of the authority conferred by
the Senate of the United States, passed on the
Sd of March last, notice was given to Denmark
on the 18th day OF April. of tba intention of
the Governments to avail itself of the stipula-
ton of the subsistfEg convention of fl friendship
commerce and navigation, between that King.
dom and the United States, whereby either
party might after ten years terminate the same
at the expiration OF one year lom the date of
of notice for that purpose. The considerations
which led me to call the attentions ofCongress
to that Convention, and induced the Senate to
adopt the resolution referred to, still continue
in full force. The convention contains an arti-
engage
the United States to submit to the imposition
of tolls on vessels and cargoes of Americans
passing into or from the Baltic Sea, during tbe
continuance of the treaty, may by possibility
be construed as implying such submission.
The exaction of those tolls not being just
fled by any principles of international law it
becomes the right and duty of the IT, S. to
relieve themselves from the implication of
engagement on the subject, so as to he per-
fectly free to act in the premises in such
way as the public interests and honor shall
demand. | remain of the opinion that the
q S ought not to submit to the payment of
the Sound dues-not SO much because of
their amount, which is secondary matter,
but because it is, in effect, recognition of
the right of Denmark to treat one of the
great maratime highways ofnations as close
sea, for which tribute may be imposed upon
those who have occasion to use it.
This government on a former occasion, not
unlike the present, signified its determine
ton to maintain the freedom of the seas and
of the great national channels of navigation.
The Barbary States had, for long time, CO.
ersced the payment of tribute from all ma
tons whose ships frequented the Mediterra-
mean. To the last demand of such payment
made by them, the U S., though suffering
less by their depredations than any other ma
ton, returned the explicit answer that we
preferred war to tribute, and thus opened
the way to the relief of the commerce of the
world from the onerous tax SO long submit
ted to by the more powerful nations of Eu-
rope.
If the matter of this payment Of the
Sound Dues differed from that of the tri-
butte formerly conceded to the Barbary
States, still this exaction by Denmark has
no better foundation in right. This was
in its rigin nothing but tax on COM
mon national right, exacted by those who
were at the time able to obstruct tho free
and secure enjoyment of it, but who no
longer possess that power. Denmark,
while resisting our assertion of the free
dom of the Baltic, Sound and Belts, has
indicated a readiness to make some new
arrangement on the subject, and has in
vited the governments interested, includ-
ing the United States, to be represented
in Convention 10 assemble for the pur-
pose of receiving and considering the
proposition which she intends to submit
for the capitalization of the Sound Dues.
and the distribution of the sum to be
paid as communication among the govern
ments, according to the respective pro-
portions of their maratime commerce to
and from the Baltic.
have declined in behalf of the U. S., to
accept the invitation, for the most cogent rea-
Sons. One is, that Denmark does not offer to