Tribune and telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1855-1856, 1856-01-03

hazards of war; sun MS acts 90 any hreacu
of national neutrality, nor OF themselves nplcaic
the government.
Thus dnrng the progress of the present war III I'm
rope. citizens have without national responsibi
w sold gunpowder and arms to parties REGARDLESS %
the destination of those articles Many of our mer-
chantmen have been and continue TO he largely EN-
poyed by Great Britain and France in transporting
troops, provisions, and munitions of war To n prn
opal seat ofmihiary operations and in bringing home
the sick and wounded soldiers; but such use of our
mercantile marine is not interdictcd, and tIe~efrc
does not compromise our neutral relations with Rus
sia. But our municipal law, in accordance with the
law of nations peremptorily forbids only foreign
ers but our citizens TO fit out within tic limits
of the u s., nvesselto commit hosties against any
State with which the o. s. at peace or to increase
the force of any foreign armed vessels intended for
such hostilities against friendly State.
Whatever concern may have been felt by either
of the belligerent powers lest private armed cruisers
other vessels in the service of one might re fitted
out in the ports of this country to depredat upon the
property of the other, all such fears have proved to
NC perfectly groundess- Our citizens have been
withheld from any such act purpose by GOOD faith
and by respect for the law. Willie the laws of The
Union are TINS peremptory in the prohibition of the
equipment or armament at bellgercnt armed cruis-
ers in our ports they provide less absolutely that
no peson shall NTH Territory or Jurisdiction Of the
u = enlist enter himself or to 90 beyond the lin
ITS of jurisdiction of the T. S with intent of being en-
isted or entered into the service of any power,
state. either as soldier. marine or seaman,
on board of any vessel of war, icttr Of noruue, or
privaeer; and these enacments in strict concur
renee with the law of nations which declares that no
St2te has right to raise troops for land or sen ser
sice in another State, without the consent of that
State, and that whether forbidden by the municipal
law, not, the attempt to do it without consent is
attack upon national sovereignty.
Such being the public rights and lie munic pal law
of the Z. s.. solcitude on the subject enter
timed by the Government, when year since, the
British Parliament passed act for the enlistment
of foreigners into the service of Great Britain Moth
4 ~ e - II
Dictated that the British Government proposed to at
tempt recruitingng in the IT, S. nor did It ever give
ntmation of such intent to this government 1t was
matter Of surprise therefore, to find subsequently,
that the engagement of persons within the L. :. TO
proceed to Halifax, in the British province of Nava
Scotia and there TO be enlisted in the service ofoat
Britain was going on extensively, and with little or
no disguise. Ordinary legal steps were Immediately
taken TO arrest and punish the parties concerned
and put end to acts so infringing the municipal
laws and derogatory to our sovereignty. Meanwhile
suitable communications the snhie ct address
ed to the British Government. Thereuponi it became
known to the Administration that the attempt to
draw recruits from this country originated with H.
British government, at least that had its approval
sanction; but it also appeared that the public a.
gents engaged in it had stringent instructions not IL,
violate tie municipal law of the L. s. Tits difficult
to understand how it shoald have been supposed that
troops could be raised here By Greet Britain without
violation of our municipal laws. The unmi5takanlc
object of the law 10 prevent every such act which
or in accordance with it..
In the meantime the matter acquired aidii ional inn
portauce by the recritmens in the IT, s. not being
discontinued, and the disclosure of the fact they were
prosecuted upon systematic PLAN devised by off
cal aUthOrityWthat recruiting rendezvous had been
opened in our principal cities, and depots for the
cepton OF recruits established frontier, and
the whole business conducted under the supervision
and by the regular cooperation of British officers
civil and military some III the n American prov in
ces and some in the U. $. The completely of those
| officers in an undertaking wlce only could be &c
compliShed by detylag our laws and throwing susp
cion attitude ncutras and dcrogatine oli
territorial rights, conclusvcly proved by the ev
dencc elected in the trials of such of their agents
have been apprehended and convicted. Some of the
officers thus implicated of high official position
and many of them beyond our official iurisdon so
at legal proceedings could not reach the source of
the mischief
These considerations, and tho fact tlat the cause
of complaint was not mere caual occurrence but
deliberate design entered upon with full knowi-
edge of our laws aud national policy, ard conducted
by responsible public funconaries impeiled me ia
present the case to the British Government IN order
70 secure not only cessation OF the wrong but its
rcparton. The suqj ect is still under drcssion 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 of Committee. in connection with
Great Britain, to survey and establish the boun-
dairy line which divides the territory of Wash.
ington from the contiguous British possessions
By reason of the extent and importance of the
country in dispute, there has been imminent
danger of collision between The subjects of Great
Britain and the citizens of the United States
nstituting their respective authorities i'll thai
quarter. The prospect Of speedy arrangement
has served hitherto to induce, on both sides, for
bearanee to assert by force which each claim is
right The continuance of delay, on the part oi
the two governments, to act in the matter, will
increase the danger and difficulties of the con-
troversy. misunderstanding exists as to the ex-
tent, character and value of the possessivesights
of the Hudson Bay Company, and the property
70 the Puget Sound Agricultural Society, reser-
we'd in our treaty with Greas Britain relative to
the territory of Oregon.
have reason to believe that accession to the
rights of both Combanies BY the United States
would be the rediest means of obviating all ques-
tons, which can be brought about upon reason
able terms, aud with view to that end. |
present the subject to the attention of Con-
gress.
The celony 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 L. S. as the
other British North American Provinces.
Tue commission which that treaty contempla-
ted for determining the right of fishery in the
rivers and mouths of rivers, and the costs of the
United States and the North American rrovin-
ccs has been organized and has commenced its
labors. to complete which, theLe is needed fur
thcr appropriations fer the service of another
season.
In pursuance of the authority conferred by
the Senate of the United States, passed on the
I'd of March last, notice was given to Denmark
on the Ilth day of April, of the intention of the
Government to avail itself of the stipuason of
friendship, commerce 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 induced the Senate to
adopt the resolution referred to, still continue
in full force. The convention contains an arti-
Gle which, although it does not directly engage
the United States 10 submit TO the imposition of
tolls on vessels and cargocs of Americans pas
sing into or from the Baltic Sea, during the con-
FINANCE of the treaty, may be possibility be
construed as implying such submission The
cxactIon of those tolls not being justified by any
principles of international law, it becomes the
right and duty of the United States to relieve
themselves from the implication of engagement
on the subject. so IS TO be perfectly free to act
in the premises in such way as the public in
tercstS and honor shall demand. remain ofthe
opinion that the United States ought not TO sub
init 10 the payment of the Sound ducs,-not so
much because of their amount, which is a Sc
coudarv matter, but because it is, in effect,
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