Star of the Kanawha Valley. [volume] (Buffalo, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1856, 1856-01-16

lAHGSlAsl,, IS, sJANUA Ali.
ments BY actin this matter will in
crease the dangers and difticlties of the
controversy N
misunderstanding exists as to the
extent, character and value Of the pos
sessory rightsofthe Hudson Bay Com
pany and the property Of the Puget
Sound Agricultural Company resery-
ed. in our treaty with Great Britain
relative to the Territory ofOregoni- ~
| have reason to believe that a cession
ofthe rights Of both companies to the
United States, which would be the
readiest means of terminating all
questions, dan be obtained Of reason
able terms; and with a view to this
end, present the subject to the atten-
ton Of Congress. sS s .5 t'S s% /.
The colony Of Newfoundland, hav-
ing enacted the laws required BY the
treaty Of the 9Th Of June, 1854, LID
now placed Ion,the same footing, in re-
spect to commercial intercourse, with
the United States as the other British
North American provinces. ..a1.5 III j
The commission which that treaty
contemplated for determining the
rights Of fishery in the 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 complete which there is needed
further appropriations for the service
OF another season. - .n..n..a +,
J -z.*'I souSDDuEs. @wy<1 +
Tn pursuance Of the authority conferred
by resolution Of the Senate Of the Tni-
ted States, passed on the Sd of March last,
notice was given to Denmark on the 14th
day of April Of the intention Of this GOV
eminent to avail itself Of the stipulation
Of the subsisting convention Of friendship,
commerce and navigation between that
Kingdom and the United States, where
by either party might, after ten years,
terminate The same at the expiration Of
one year from the date Of notice for that
purpose, 49, '- -. f.T 49, u
The considerations which lcd me to call
the attention Of Congress to that convcn.
ton and induced the Senate to adopt the
resolution referred to still continue in full
forge. The convention contains an arti-
fclt, which, although ii 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
construed as implying such submission.
The exactfon of those tolls not being Jus
titled by any principle Of international
law, il became the right and the duty Of
the United States to relieve themselves
from the implication Of engagement on
the subject, go rs TO be perfectly free to
actin the premises insuch way rs their
public interests and honor shall demand.
! remain Of the opinion that the United
States oughtrnot 70 submit to the pay.
ment Of the Sound dues, not SO much be-
cause of their amount, which ID secon-
diary matter; but because it is in effect the
recognition Of the right Of Denmark TO
treat one Of the great MARITIME highways
Of nations asa close sea, and the naviga-
ton Of it as d privilege for which tribute
may be imposed upon those who have oe
casion to useit. -. = -" ''5' EI''a eS5'I Y
This government on a former occasion,
not unlike the present, signalized its de-
termination to maintain the freedom 81
the seas and of- the great natural chan
nels Of navigation. The. Barbary States
had for d long time coerced the payment
Of tribute from AL nations whose ships
frequent the Mediterranean. TO the last
demand Of such payment made by them,
the United States, althoug suffering less
by their depredations than many other
nations, returned the explicit answer that
we preferred war 10 tribute, and thus
opened the way TO the relief Of the com
mefce Of the world from an ignominious
tax. 50 long submitted to by the more
powerful nations Of Europe.
II the manner Of payment of the Sound
dues differs from that Of The tribute for
merly conceded to the Barbary States,
still their exaetion by Denmark has no
better foundation in right Each was, in
its origin, nothing but a1tax on COM
mon natural right, extorted by those who
were at that time ableto obstruct the free
and secure enjoyment Of it, but who no
longer possess that power. 81
J Denmark, while resisting our assertion
of the freedom of the Baltic Sound and
Belts, has indicated readiness to make
some new, arrangement on the subject,
Fand has invited the governments interes-
ted, including the United States, TO be
represented mi a conventions TO assemble
for the purpose of receiving and coasid-
ering a proposition which she intends to
submit for the capitalization of the Sound
dues, and the distribution OF the sum to
pbe paid as Communication among the gov
ternments, according TO- the respective
proportions ofitheir maritime eonmerce
to aud from the Baltic. Il have declined,
in behalf Of the United States, to accept
this intitasioni for the most cogent rea-
sons: Il 0 me is that Denmark does not Of
fer to submit to the convention the ques-
ton ofkhersright to levy the Sound dues.
Asecoad is that, if the convention were
allowed 70 take cognizance Of that partic-
ular question: still It would not be com.