Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1856-12-12

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transportation.
The inconsidorlble augmentation Of the
income of the Post Office department under
the reduced rates of postage and its increas-
ing expenditures, must, for the present.
make It dependent to some extent upon the
treasury for support. The recommendations
Of the Postmaster General in relation to the
abolition of the frankling privilege, and his
| views on the establishment of mail steamship
lines, deserve the consideration Of Congress
| also call the special attention Of Congress
so the statement of the Postmaster General
respecting the sums now paid for the trans
| portation of mails to the Panama RaiTOad
| Company, and commend to their early and
| favorable consideration the Suggestions OF
that officer in rela tion to new contracts Tor
mail transportation upon that route, and
also upon the Tehuantspcc and Nicaragua
routes
The United States continue in the enjoy.
ment of amicable relations with all foreign
powers.
When my last annual message was trans
mtted to Congress, two subjects Of contro-
versy, one relating to the enlistment of sol
ders in this country for foreign service, and
the other to Central America, threatened to
| disturb good understanding between the Uni
ted States and Great Britain OF the progress
and termination OF the former question you
were informed Mt the time ; and the other is
low in the way of satisfactory adjustment
The object of the convention between the
United States and Great Britain Of the 10th
of April, 1850, was to secure, for the benefit
Of all nations, the neutrality and the common
use Of any transit way, or intcr.oceanic com.
munication, across the Istmus of Panama,
which might be opened within the limits Of
Central America. The prctensiOn subsc-
quently asserted by Great Britain, to dom
inipn 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 Oh
lb;t of the treaty, but opposed even to its
express stipulations. Occasion OF controversy
on this point has been removed by an ad-
dltional treaty, which our minister at London
has concluded, and which will be immedia-
tcy submitted to the Senate for its consider
alton. Should the proposed supplemental
| arrangement be concurred in by all parties
to ne effected by it, the object contemplated
by the original convention will have been
| fully attained.
The treaty between the United States and
Great Britain, of the 5th of juno, 1851,
which went into effective operation in 1879,
| put an end to causes irritation between the
countries, by securing to the United States
the right 70 fishery on the coast of the British
| North American Province, Of with advantages
equal to those enjoyed by British subjects.
Besides the signal benefits Of this treaty to Il
large class Of our citizens engaged III a
| pursuit connected to no inconsiderable degree
with our national prosperity and strength, 1t
has had favorable effect upon other interests,
in the provision it made for reciprocal free
dom of trade between the United States ana
the British Provence in America.
Tho nvnnrts of domestic articles to those
provinces during the last year, amounted to
more than twenty two millions OF dollars cX-
ceeding those of the preceding year by nearly
seven millions of dollars and the imports
thcrcfrom, during the same period, amounted
to more than twenty one millions,-an IN
crease of six millions upon those OF the pre-
yious year.
The improved condition of this branch oI
our commerce is mainly attributable to the
above mentioned treaty.
, Provision was made, IN the first article o
that treaty, for u commission to designate
the mouths of rivers to which the common
rirht of fishery, on the coast Of the CniteC
States and the British Provinces, was not L
extend. This commission has been employee
a part of two seasons, but without mucl
progress in accomplishing the object toI
/ which it was instituted, in consequence OF ;
: serious difference Of opinion between th
commissioners, not only as to the precis
point where the rivers terminate. but il
. many instances as to what constitutes
r river These difficulties, however, may b
overcome by resort to the umpirage provide,
A for by the treaty.
q The efforts perscveringly prosecuted sine
the commencement of my administration. t
=, relieve our trade to the Baltic from the cNac
!, ton Of Sound dues by Denmark, have no
: vet been attended with success, Other Y
i crnments have also sought to obtain lik
a relief to their commerce, and Denmark va
/. thus induced to propose an arrangement t
. all the European Powers interested IN tn
subject and the manner IN which her PRO
, position was received warranting her to be
=, hcve that a satisfactory arrangement wit
= them could soon be concluded, she made
:. strong appeal to this government for tempo
q rary suspension of definite action on its part
A in consideration of the embarrassment whic
" might result to her European negotiations b.
Is an immediate adjustment of the questlO
N with the United States. This request ha
!. been acceded to, upon the condition that tn
r. sums collected after the 10Th of June last
;. and until the 10Th of June next, from vessel
" and cargoes belonging to our merchants, ar
v to be considered as paid under protest, an
"a SUBJECT to future adjustment. There /
a reason to believe that an arrangement, be
,r tween Denmark and the maritime powers Q
" Europe on the subject, will be soon cor
% cluded, and that the pending negotiatio
II with the United States may then be resume
, and terminated in a satisfactory manner.
"a With Spain no new difficulties have ariser
J., nor has much progress been made in the ad
rs justment OF pending ones
,o Negotiations entered into for the purpos
10 of relieving our commercial intercourse wit
, the island of Cuba of some of its burden:
70 and providing for the more speedy settiemen
Q, of local disputes growing out of that intei
: course, have not yet been attended with an
ia results.
Soon after the commencement of the lat
,e war in Europe, this government submitted
n the consideration OF all maritime nations
two principles for the security of neutr,
,r commerce one, that the neutral flag shoul
r. cover enemies goods. except articles contra
,r band of war and the other, that neutr;
81 property on board merchant vessels of belll4
crents should be exempt from condemnation
g with the exception of contraband articles
M These were not presented as new rules OF II
ID tcrnatIonal law having been generally claim
NJ ed by neutrals, though not always admltte
n by belhgerents. One Of the parties in I'll
= war-Russia-as well as several neutral pow
- ers, promptly acceded to these propositions
IN and ihe two other principal belllgerents, Gre,
Is Britain France, having consented to obSer'
No them for the present occasion, favorable ol
ty portunity seemed to be presented for obtail
r ing a general recognition of them both
v. Europe and America
= But Great Britain and France, in commo
I'd with most of the states of Europe, while io
ed bearing to reject, did not atirmatiyely a
nd upon the overtures of the United States.
,h While the question was in this position
the representatives of Russia, France, Gre
IN Britain, Austria, Prussia, Sardinia and Ia
of kew, assembled at Paris, took into considers
he ton the subject of maritime rights, and p'
he forth a declaration containing the two prime
N. pies which this government had suhmitie