The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-01-08

of such intention to this government. 1t
was matter of surprise, therefore, to find,
subsequently,, that the engagement of per-
sons within the United States to proceed to
Halifax, in the British province of Nova
Scotia, and there enlist III the service Of
Great Britain. was going on extensively;
with little or no disguise. Ordinary legal
steps were Immediately taken to arrest and
punish parties concerned, and so put an
end TO acts infringing the municipal law
and derogatorv To our sovereignty. Mean
while suitable representations on the subject
were addressed to the British government.
ThercupOn it became known, by the adj
mission of the British government itself, tuat
the attempt to draw recruits from this cOun-
Try originated with it, on at least had its
approval and Sanction; but it also appeared
that the public agent engaged in it had
i'''<tringent Instructions not tn violate the
municipal law of the United States. =.
1t is difheultto understand how it should
have been supposed that troops could be
raised here by Great Britain, without vio-
lation of the municipal law. The mmis
! takeablc object of the law was to prevent
| every such act, which, if performed, must
| be either in violation of the law, or in
studied evasion of it; and, in either alter
native the act done would be alike injuFi-
/
In the meantime, the matter acquired adj
ditional Importance by the rccruitments in
| the United States not being discontinued,
| and the disclosure of the fact that they were
| prosecuted upon u systematic plan devised
| by official authority, that recruiting rem
devious had been opened i'll our principal
| cities, and dcpotS for the reception of re-
crlitS established on our frontier; and the
whole business conducted under the super
! vision and by the rcgulpI corporation of
British officers, civil and military, some in
! the North American provinces, and some i'll
! the United States. The completely Of those
officers i'll an undertaking which could only
! be accomplished by dcfying our laws,
I throwing suspicion over our attitude Ot
| neutrality, and disrcgard;ng our territorial
! rights, is conclusively proved by the evil
| dcncc elected on the trial of such of their
| agents as have been unprecedented and con-
| victed. Some of the officers thus implica-
ted are of high official position, and many
| of them beyond our jurisdiction, that
| alprOcccdings could not reach the source
! of the mischief.
These considerations, and the fact that
l the cause of complaint was not a mere
1 casual occurrence, but a deliberate design,
| entered upon with full knowledge of our
laws and national policy, and conducted by
responsible public functionarics, impclled
1 me to present the case to the British gov
| crnmcnt, in order to secure, not only il ccs-
sation of the wrong, but its PREPARATION. The
subject is still under discussion, the result
| of which will be communicated to you in
due time.
| j repeat the recommendation submitted
! to the last Congress, that provision be made
1 for the appointment of q commissioner, in
connection with Great Britain, to survey and
| establish the boundary line which divides
| the territory of Washington from the con-
| tiguous British possessions. BY reason of
the extent and Importance of the country
| in dispute, there has been imminent danger
of collision between the two subjects of
! Great Britain and the citizens of the United
States, including thcirrespective authorities,
in that quarter. The prospect of a speedy
| arrangement has contributed hitherto to in
| ducc on both sides forbearaEce to assert by
| force-what each claims as Il right. Contin-
uance Of delay on the part of the two gov
crnmcnts to act in the matter will increase
the dangers and difficulties of the contro-
| vcrsy.
| misunderstanding exists as to the extent,
| chara cter, and value of the possessory rights
of the Hudson's Bay Company, and the
| property of the Puget's Sound Agricultural
| Company, reserved in our treaty with Great
| Britain relative to the Territory of Oregon.
| | have reason TO believe that a 'cessiou of
] the rights of both companies to the United
| States, which would be the rcadiest means
of terminating all questions, can be obtained
| on reasonable terms and, with view to
this end, present the subject to the atten-
| ton of Congress- --...-
The colony of Newfoundland having enact
| cd the laws required by the treaty of the
| ,f g, Cd
! footing, i'll respect to commercial intercourse
with the United States, as the other British
| North American provinces.
The commission which that treaty con-
templated, for determining the rights of
| Fishery i'll rivers and mouths of rivers on
| the coasts of the United States and the Bri-
| fish North American provinces, has been
| organized, and has commenced its labors
to complete which, there is needed further
appropriations for the service of another
| season.
| In pursuance of the authority conferred
| by a resolution of the Senate of the United
| States, passed on the Bird of March last, no.
| ticc was given to Denmark, on the 18th day
| of April, of the intention of this government
to avail itself of the stipulation of the sub
sisting convention of friendship, commerce,
| and navigation between that Kingdom and
|
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 rcso-
luton referred to, still continue in full force.
| The convention contains an article which,
although it does not directly engage the L.
! States to submit to the imposition of tolls on
the vessels and cargoes of Americans pass
ing into or from the Baltic sea, during the
COZ t'nuance of the treaty, yet may, by pos
sibility, be construed as implying such sub
mission. The cXaction of those tolls not be-
ing justified by any principle of internation-
al law, it became the right and duty of the
! United States to relieve themselves from the
| implication of engagement on the subject,
SO as to be perfectly free to act i'll the prem
ises i'll such way as their public interests
and honor shall demand.
rnDnaiD of tho ODiniOO that tba TTDi+O1