Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1856-01-17
FATEFElHlE, THURSDAY, JANUARY H. 1885, HHn a7

: portance of the country in dispute
there has been imminent danger Q
collision between the subjects Q
Great Britain and the citizens of tn
United States, including their re
spective authorities in that quarter
The prospect of a speedy arrange
fnent has contributed hitherto to in
duce on both sides forbearance t.
assert by force what each claims as
right. Continuance of delay on tn
part of the two governments to ac
tion in the matter will increase th'
dangers and difficulties Of the con
troversy.
misunderstanding exists as to tht
extent, character, and value Of the
possessory rights of the Hudson's
Bay Company, and the property o.
the Puget's Sound Agricultural
Company reserved in our treaty with
Great Britain relative to the Terrific
ry of Oregon. / have reason to be-
'lieve that 'oessiOn Of the rights Of
both companies to the United States,
which would be the readiest means Of
terminating all questions, can be OBJ
tanned on reasonable terms, and with
a view to this end, ] present the
subject to the attention Of Congress.
The colony of Newfoundland, hav-
ing enacted the laws required by the
treaty of the 5th of June, 1854, is
now placed on the same footing, in
respect to commercial intercourse
with the United States, as the 9TH
.er British North American prov
Iiinces.
The commission, which that treaty
contemplated, for determining the
rights of fishery in rivers and mouths
of rivers on the coast of the United
States and the British North Aheri-
can provinces, has been organized
and has commenced its labors; to
complete which there is needed furth-
er appropriations for the service of
another season.
SOUND DUES.
Inpursuance of the authority ,con-
ferred by resolution of the Senate
of the United 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
,ernment to avail itself of the stipu-
,lation of the subsisting convention
,of'friendship, commerce, and naviga-
tion 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 notiee-for thstlpurposs
The considerations which led me
to call the attention Of Congress to
that convention, and induced the
Senate to adopt the resolution re.
ferred to, still continues'in full force.
The convention contains an article,
which, although it does not directly
engage the United States to submit
to the imposition of tolls on the ves-.
sells and cargoes,of Americans,passing
into and from the Baltic sea, during
the continuance Of the treaty, yet
may, by possibility, be construed as
implying such submission. The ex-
action of those tolls not being
justified by any principle of interna-
tional law; it became the right and
the duty of the United States to re-
lieve themselves from the implication
of engagement on the subject, so as
to be perfectly free to act in the pre-
misses in such a way as the public in
terest and honor shall demand.
remain of the opinion that the
United States ought not to submit to
the payment Of Sound dues, not SO
much because Of the amount, which
is a secondary matter, but because it
is'in effect the&cognition ofths right
of Denmark to treat one.of the great
maritime highways of nations as a
close sea, and the navigation Of it as
privilege for which tribute may be
imposed upon those who may have
occasion to use it.
This government, on former &C.
.casion not unlike the present, signal-
'ized its determination to maintain
the freedom of the seas, and of the
great natural channels of navigation.
The Barbary States had, for long
time, coerced the payment Of tribute
from all nations whose ships frequent
ed the Mediterranean. 70 the last
demand of such payment made by
them, the United States, although
suffering lessb their ,depredations