The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1856-01-12

tlon of congress.
The colony of Newfoundland, having en-
acted the laws required by the treaty of the
9th Of June, 1884, is now placed on the same
footing in respect to commercial Intercourse
with the United States, as the other British
North American provinces. - -..
The commission which that treaty con-
tempIated for determining the rights Of fish
cry in rivers and mouths of rivers on the
coast 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.
SOUND DUES.
In pursuance of the authority, conferred
by resolution Of the senate of the United
States passed on the Sd Of March last, nc
tiCe was given to Denmark, on the l4th day
of April, of the intention of this govern
ment to avail itself of the stipulation of
the subsisting convention of 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 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 resolu-
tion referred to, still continue in full force.
The convention contains an article, which,
although it does not directly engage the Uni
ted States 10 submit to the imposition Of
tolls on the vessels and cargoes of Ameri
cans passing into or from the Baltic. sea, du
ring the continuance of the treaty, yet may,
by possibility. be construed as implying such
submission. The exaction of those tolls
not being justified by any principle of inter-
national law, it became the right and the du-
ty of the United States to relieve themselves
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
interests and honor shall demand.
i ! 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 il is in effect the recognition Of
the right Of Denmark to treat one of the
great maritime highways Of nations as a
close sea, and the navigation of it as priv
ilege for which tribute may be imposed up
on those who have occasion to use it.
This government on former occasion not
unlike the present. signalized its determin-
alton to maintain the freedom Of the seas,
and of the great natural channels of naviga-
ton. The Barbary states had for long
time, coerced the payment Of tribute from
all nations whose ships frequented the Med
Iiterranean. To the last demand of fsuch pay
ment made by them, the United States. al
though suffering less by their depredations
than many other nations, returned the expli-
cit answer, that we preferred war to tribate.
and thus opened the way to the relief Of the
commerce Of the world from an ignominious
tax. so long submitted by the more power
/ full nations of Europe.
If the manner of payment of the Sound
dues differ from that Of the tribute former
ly conceded to the Barbary states, still their
i exaction by Denmark has no better founda-
2 tion in right. Each was, in its origin
? nothing but tax on a common national
} right. extorted by those, who were at that
S time able to obStruct the free and secure en-