Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1856-01-04

accordn. 20 the respective proportions ot
their maritime commerce to and from the
! Baltic. | have declined in behalf of the
United States to accept this invitation, for
| the most cogent reasons. One Is, that
! Denmark does not offer to submit to the
convention the question of her right to
levy the Sound dues. \ second is, that.
| if the convention were allowed to take
cognlzauce OF that particular question, still
it would not be competent to deal with
the great international principle involved
/ which affects the right in ether cases Of
/ navigation and commercial freedom, as
well as that OF access to the Baltic. Above
/ all, by the express terms Of the proposition
/ it is contemplated, that the consideration
/ of the Sound dues shall be commingled
with. aud made subordinate TO, matter
! wholly cxtraneous, the balance Of power
among the governments Of Europe.
/ While. however, rejecting this PROPOSE
/ ton, aud insisting on the right of free
transit into and from the Baltic, have ex-
pressed To Denmark willingness, on the
/ part of the United States, to share liberal
/ lv with othr powers in compensating her
, for any advantages, which commerce shall
I hereafter derive from expenditures made by
her ior the improvement and safety of the
navigation of the Sound or Belts.
/ lay before YOU, herewith, sundry docu-
ments on the subject, in which my views
are more fully disclosed. Should no salts
factory arrangement be soon concluded, |
snail again call your attention to the sub
jec:. with recommendation Of such niea-
surcs as may appear to be required in or
7 der to assert and secure the rights of the
. United Suites, SO far as they are affected
by the prctension, of Denmark.
FRANCE.
Iannounce with much qualification. that,
Stree the adjournment Of the last Congress,
the question, then existing between tins
government and that Of France, respecting
the French consul at San Francisco, has
been satisfactorily determined, and that
the relations Of the two governments con-
tinue to be of the most friendly nature.
GREECE.
\ question. also. which has been pend
ing for several years between the nited
States and the Kingdom of Greece, grow
ing out Of the sequcstration, by public au-
thorites of that country, OF property be
longing to the present American consul 1T
Athens and which had been the subject
on very earnest discussion heretofore, has
recently been settled to the satisfaction of
the party interested and of both govern
Inents.
SPAIN.
With Spain, peaceful relations are still
maintained, and some progress has been
made in securing the redress of wrongs
/ complained of by this government Spain
has not only disayowed and disapproved
the conduct OF the officers, who illegally
seized and detained the steamer Black
Warrior at Havana, but has also paid the
sum claimed as indemnity for the loss
thereby inflicted on citizens of the United
/ States.
( In consequence of a destructive hurri-
cane, which visited Cuba in 1874, the su-
preme authority Of that island issued de-
cree, permitting the importation, for the
period Of six months, of certain building
materials and provisions, free of duty, bu:
revoked it when about half tie period on
ly had elapsed, to the injury of citizens of
the United States, who had proceeded to
act on the faith of that decree The Span
iSh government refused indemniiication TO
the parties aggricvcd until recently, when
it was a,sented to, payment being promis-
Cd to be made SO soon as the amount due
can be ascertaIued.
Satisfaction claimed for the arrest and
search Of the steamer FL Dorado has not
yet been accorded, but there is reason 10
believe that it will be, and that case, with
others, continues to be urged on the atten-
ton Of the Spanish government. | do not
abandon the hope OF concluding with Spain
some general arrangement, which, if it do
not wholly prevent the recurrence of diff
culties in Cuba, will render them less fre-
quent, and whenever they shall occur IA
cilltate their more speedy settlement.
MEXICo.
The interposition of this government has
been invoked by many OF its citizens, on
account of injuries done to their persons
and property, for which the Mexican re-
public is responsible. The unhappy situ-
alton of that country, for some time past,
has not allowed its government to give due
consideration to claims Of private repara-
ton and sappeared to call for and justify
some forbearance in such matters on the
part of this government But, if the rev.
olutiouary movements, which have lately
occurred in that republic, end in the or
ganization of stable government, urgent
appeals 10 its justice will then be made,
and, it may be hoped, with success, for the
redress of all complaints of our citizens.
CENTRAL AMERICA.
In regard to the American republics,
which, from their proximity and other
considerations, have peculiar relations to
this government, while it has been my con-
slant aim strictly to observe all the obliga-
tions of political friendship and of good
neighborhood, obstacles to this have arisen
in some of them, from their own insufficient
power to check lawless irruptions, which
in effect throws most of the task on the
United States. Thus it is that the dis
I -. e IL