Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1856-01-03

r needed further appropriations for the service o
e another season.
SOUND DUES.
In pursuance of the authority, conferred
, by a resolution of the Senate of the Unite,
= States, passed on the third of March last, no.
tice was given to Denmark, on the 18th day
I of April, of the intention Of this government
to avail itself Of the stipulation Of the sub
slsting convention of friendship. commerce
and navigation between that Kingdom anC
/ the United States, whereby either party
q might after ten years, terminate the sam'
| at the expiration Of one year Gom the date
Of notice for that purpose.
The considerations, which led me to cal
the attention of Congress to that Convention
= and induced the Senate to adopt the resolu.
j. ton referred To, still continue in full force
ID The convention contains an article, which
although it does not directly engage thC
United States to submit to the imposition
$ of tolls on the vessels and cargoes Of Amer
: leans passing into or from the Baltic sea,
during the continuance Of the treaty, yet may
by possibility be construed IA implying such
submission. The exaction of those tolls no
being justified by any principal of information
al law, 1t became the right and the duty 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 premi-
5es in such way as their public interests 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 n secondary matter, but because it is in effect
the recognition of the right of Denmark to treat
one Of the great maratime highways Of nations
as a close sea, and the navigation Of it as a
privilege fot which tribute may be imposed on
those who have occasion TO use il.
This government, on a former occasion not
unlike lhe present, signalized its determination
10 maintam the freedom of the seas, and of the
great natural channels of navigation. The Bar
barry States had, for n long time, c)erced the
payment of tribute from all nations whose ships
frequented the Mediterranean. To the last tie
mand of such payment made by them, the Uni
ted States though suffering less by their depre-
datiOns than many other nations, returned the
explicit answer, that We preferred war TO trib-
ute, and thus opened the way TO the relief of
the Commerce of the world from an ignomini-
Gus tax. so Long submitted 10 by the far more
powerful nations of Europe.
Ii the manner of payment of the Sound dues
differs from that Ofthe tribute formerly conceded
to the Barbary States, still their ~exaction by
Denmark has no better foundation in right.
Each was in its origin, nothing but a tax on a
common natural right, extorted by those, who
were at that time, able to obstruct the free and
secure enjoyment of II, but who no longer possess
that power.
Denmark, while resisting our assertion of the
freedom of the Baltic Sound and Belts, has indi-
Gated a readiness To make some new arrange
ment on the subject, and has invited the govern
ments interested, inclcding the United States TO
be represented in n { invention - assemble for
the purpose Of rrcei' ng and con-. .dcring a pro-
position, which she intends TO submit, for the
u A-I H..
button of the sum to be paid as Communication
AMONG the governments, according to the respec-
tive proportions of their maritime to
and from the Baltic. / have declined in behalf of
the United States TO accept this invitation for the
most cogentr reasons. One is, that Denmark does
not offer to submit to the convention the question
of her right to levy the Sound dues. A second is
that, if the convention were allowed to take cog
nizance of that particular question, still it would
not be competent 10 deal villtlc great interna-
tional principle involved !. .ich affects the right
in other cases of navigafIon and commercial free
dom, as well as that OF access TO the Baltic
Above all, by the express terms of the PROPOSE
ton it is contemplated, that the consideration Of
the Sound dues shall be commingled with. and
made subordinate to, a matter wholly extraneous.
the balance OF power among the governments of
Europe.
While, however, rejecting this proposition.
and insisting on the right of free transit into
and from the Baltic, | have expressed to Den
mark a Willingness on the part of the United
States, Ia share Literally with other powers
in compromising her for any advantages,
which commerce shall hereafter derive from
expenditures made by her for the improve
ment and safety of the navigation of the Sound
or Belts.
l lay before you, herewith, sundry docu-
ments on the subject, in which my views are
more fully disclosed. Should no satisfactory
arrangement be soon concluded, / shall again
call your attention TO the subject, with rec
-ommendaiion OF such measures as may ap-
pear tn be required in order to assert and Sc
cure the rights Of the United States, so far
as they are affected by the pretensions of Dnn-
mark.
FRANcE.-I announce with much gratiiica-
ton, that, since the adjournment of Congress,
the question, then existing between this gov
eminent and that OF Fraaee, has been salts
~factorily determined, and that the relations
Of the two governments continue to be of the
most friendly nature.
GREEcE.-A question, also, which has been
pending for several years between the United
States and the kingdom of Greece, growing out
of the sequestratiOn, by public authorities of
that country, of property belonging to the pre-
sent American OOnSul III hlntnS, I'LL WHICH
had been the subject of very earnest discussion
heretofore, has recently been settled to the sat
i~sfaction Of the party interested and of both
governments.
SPAIS.-With Spain, peaceful relations are
still maintained, and some progress has been
made in securing the redress of wrongs COM
planned of by this government. Spain has not
only disavowed and disapproved the conduct of
the officers, who illegally seized and detained
the steamer Black Warrior at Havana, but has
also paid the sam claimed as indemnity tor the
loss thereby inflicted on citizens of the United
States.
In consequence of n destructive hurricane,
which visited Cuba in 1874, the supreme au-
thority of that island issued 4 decree. permit
ting the importation, for the period of six
months, of certain building materials and pro-
visions, free of duty, but revoked it when about
half the period only had elapsed, to the injury
of citizens of the United States, who had pro-
ceeded to act on the faith of that decree. The
Spanish government refused indemnification to
the parties aggrieved until recently, when it
was assented to, payment being promised to be
made so soon as the amount due can be ascer-
tanned.
Satisfaction claims for the arrest and search
Of the steamer FL Dorado has not yet been
accorded, but there is reason to believe that
it will be, and that case, with others, eontin-
ues to be urged on the attention of the Span
ish government. / do not abandon the hope
of concluding with Spain some general ar
rangement, which, if it do not wholly pre-
vent the recurrence Of difficulties in Cuba,
will render them less frequent, and when
ever they shall occur, facilitate their more
speedy settlement.
MExIco.-The interposition of this gov
eminent has been invoked by many OF its
citizens, on account of injuries lone to their
persons and property, for which the Mexican
republic is responsible. The unhappy situa-
ton OF that country, for some time past, has
not allowed its government 10 give due con-
sideration to claims OF private reparation, and
justify some forbearance in such matters on
the part of this government. But, if the rev.
dictionary movements, which have lately oc-
CURED in that republic, end in the organiza-
ton of n stable government, urgent appeals
to its justice will then be made, and, it nav
be hoped, with success, for the redress Of all
complaints Of our citizens.
GpxTpAI Aurptr. In raUarl 20 tho Aroart