Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1856-01-11

/
property Of the Pugets Sound Agricultural
Company, reserved in our treaty with great
Britain relative to the Territory of Oregon.
l have reason to believe that cession of
the rights of both companies to the United
States, which would be the readiest means
OF terminating all questions, can be ebtainsd
on reasonable terms; and with view to this
end, present the subject to the attention Of
Congress. sra j b
The Colony of Newfoundland, having en-
acted the laws required by the treaty of the
5th of June, 1854, is now placed on the
same footing in respect to commercial inter-
course with the United States, as the other
British North American provinces. -5 ri
The commission which that treaty con-
templated, for determining the rights Of fish
cry in rivers and mouths of rivers on the
coasts of the United States, and the British
/ North American provinces, has been organ
lied and has commenced its labors; to com
plete which there is needed further appro-
| priations for the service of another season.
.a-i ~ Ea SOUND DUES. '1.elo
In pursuance of the authority, conferred
by resolution in the Senate of the United
/ States passed on the Sd of March, last, no
tice was given to Denmark on the 18th day
of April, of the intention of this Govern
ment to avail itself of the stipulation Of the
subsisting convention of friendship, com
merce and navigation between that kingdom
and the United States, whereby either party
! might, after ten years, terminate the same
at the expiration of one 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 resolu-
ton referred to, still continue in full force.
The convention contains an article, which
although it does not directly engage the
i United States to submit to the imposition
1 of tolls on the vessels and eargoes of Amer
leans 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 these
tolls not being justified by any principle Of
international law, it became the right and
duty of the United Safes 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
4 interests and honor shall demand.
:. l remain of the opinion that the United
] States ought not to submit to the payment
of the Sound Dues, not so much because Of
{ their amount, which is a secondary matter
but because it is in effect the recognition oi
the right of Denmark to treat one of the
the great maritime highways of fnations as 9
close sea, and the navigation of it as priv
/. ilege for which tribute may be imposed upor
, those who may have occasion to use it.
This government, on former occasion
not unlike the present, signalized its deter
, mination to maintain the freedom of the
seas and of the great natural channels O.
f navigation. The Barbary States had for {
!, long time eoerced the payment of tribute
from all nations whose ships frequented thu
Mediterranean. To the last demand of sucl
payment made by them the United States
although suffering less by their depreazef
J than many other nations, returned the ex
plicit answer that we preferred war to tribute
and thus opened the way to the relief of the
commerce of the world from an ignomini
Gus tax, so long submitted to by the mor'
powerful nations of Europe. bGa
). If the manner of payment of Sound Dues
differ from that of the tribute formerly con
ceded to the Barbary States, still their ex
action bv Denmark has no better foundation
/, in right. Each was in its origin, nothing
! but a tax on common natural right, ex
torted by those who were at that time abl'
: to obstruct the free and secure enjoyment o
it, but who no longer possess that power
: Denmark while resisting our assertion
the freedom of the Baltic Sound and Belts
! has indicated readiness to make some ney
arrangement on the subject, and has invit
! ed the Governments interested, including tn
: United States, to be represented in a con
: vention to assemble, for the purpose of re
$ ceiving and considering proposition, whieI
q she intends to submit, for the capitalization
n of the Sound Dues, and the distribution o
h the sum to be paid as commutation amoni
4 the Governments, according to the respect
I i've proportion Of their maratime commerc
! to and from the Baltic. have declined
q behalf of the United States to accept this ii
o. vitation, for the most cogent reasons. On
i is, that Denmark docs not offer to submit t
! the convention the question of her right t
\ lew the Sound Dues. A second is, that
a the convention were allowed to take eognil
# anee of that particular question, still it woul
{ not be competent to deal with the great il
# ternational principle involved, which affect
a the right in other cases of navigation ant
commercial freedom, as well as that of &C
# cess to the Baltic. Above all, by the el
; pres terms of the proposition, it is contem
! plated that the consideration of the Scum
If Dues shall be commingled with, and mad
v subordinate to a matter wholly extraneou
,e the balance of power among the govern
n ments of Europe.
/ While, however rejecting this proposition
70 and insisting on the right of free transit int
If and from the Baltic, 1 have expressed to De-
lo mark willingness, on the part of the Un
ted States, to share literally with othC
powers in eompensating her for any adval
3, tages which commerce shall hereafter d
u u rive from expenditures made by her for Il
: !; improvement and safety of the navigation
- - the Sound or Belts.
|? lay before you, herewith, sundry doc
y = ments on the subject, in which my views a
-