The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-01-13

however that the case has been falsely strained BY
the Americans, and they are not justified in their
position Of CHASING these traders as American coast
ers The last seizure, for instance is of some twelve
Thousand bushels Of wheat shipped from Chicago
TO Oswego,; on board the bark Northern Light,
artificial transit Ssss :. voyage nVo o B as
territory cannot properly be regarded as coasing
voyage within the United States by whatever vessel
II may be performed 1t involves shipment from
an American TO Canadian port, and then re-ship-
ment from the Canadian to an American port. The
opinion of the Collector OF Customs Of Canada is
clearly In favor Of the perfect legality Of the trans
action on the part of colonial vessels; but the
matter Is to be brought formally before the Ameri
can government through our Minister at Washing
ton so that the matter in dispute may be finally set
at rest.
The reciprocity treaty, in reference to articles
rom Canada into the United States, applies only to
the productions OF the colonies and therefore it may
be contended thatit does not embrace the cases I'M
der consideration. Article OF the treaty, in its
hrst division provides for the navigation OF the st.
Lawrence "and the canals in Canada, used as a
means of communication between the great lakes
and the Atlantic ocean," by the citizens of the
United States upon equal terms with the citizens of
Canada. The third subdivision of the same article
is as fOlows:--
right freely TO navigate Lake Michigan vita their vessels
boats and clsfts long as the privilege of navigating
the above clause Of the present article, shalt continue
and the of the United States further engages
to upon the State TO to the
ects OF her Britannia Majesty thu Of the several STATE
canals on terms Of equality with the inhabitants Of the
United States
The Buffalo Commercial Advertiser observes -
1t will be borne in mind that the two Countries border
alike upon the natural waters embraced the treaty
other than the st. Lawrence and Lake Michigan which
lake entirely within the territory Of the United States
navigation Of lake Michigan In this terra n.vs.te
something else must have been included Resides the
right Of sailing empty vessel upon that lake. and the
r,nI1ff Tn .ld usf1, u,nvA
stretch Of TO imply the right to take cargo
to Chicago and return with such as Lake Mi,hi-
gan affords. The American citizen SUCH had certain
rights upon Lake Michigan and privileges upon
the canal secured to him BY the Reciprocity treaty
So the British subj had certain rights upon the canal
upon the lake. We confess it
bic that Canadian friends should entertain the
belief that far and liberal construction of the treaty
Will place the citizens OF hetwo countries upon the anne
basis throughout in these respects The difficulty in the
is that the act of Congress above impose
upon citizens of the United States in reference to the
coastng trade certain requirements which fom their
nature cannot be complied with by the B sh subjects
and under the general views adopted by Canaoian
friends, they would have actually advantage
sbipowners because Of their being free from tramme
which our citizens are subjected BY existing laws
Nothing should have been left to doubt or uncer-
tainty in so important point in the treaty. Free
coastng upon the lakes should have been explicitly
provided for. Governor Marcy was in favor of such
provision while the treaty was under negotiation,
and IL is to be regretted that it was overlooked by
that freights have been less in Canadian bottoms
than in American coasters from Chicago to American
ports on Lake Ontario and to the st. Lawrence The
best informed American journalists agree, however
that the remedy for this is not proposed at OsWe-
go, to compel reshipment from one Canadian yes
sol to another at some Canadian port, as burden
some form, but to frame q new set of coastng re-
gulatons for the commerce of the Lakes, which
shall be adapted to the circumstances of the present
time. Intelligent commercial men at the important
American ports on Lakes Erie and Ontario have
long been sensible of the fact that the present ma
chinery is exceedingly and unnecessarily cumber-
some and annoying, and that regulations framed in
the jealous spirit OF fifty sixty years ago are quite
unfit for the large reciprocal commerce now carried
on between the two countries on the great inland
of North America. States have been settled and
pe0pied, cities sprung up containing enormous gra-
naries, and the network OF water communication for
conveying these food supplies to the ocean, and to
the large towns requiring them, is so iRtermingled
between Canada and the Union that the greater the
facilities Of transit that be afforded to EACH the
greater will be the extension of commerce, Of settle
ment, and Of progress in the West. And the impor
lance of an adjustment Of this question will be bet
ter understood when state that the value of the
goods sent over the lakes is probably greater than
the value Of the merchandise which passes over the
Mediterranean; that the American tonnage on the
lakes has doubled in five years, being now $50 900
tons, whilst that of Canada has increased quite az
rapidly; and that oil this commerce, and the hume
r0us boats and sailing vessels have been built up in
half a century-mOre than half Of 1t in the las
twenty years. Four years ago the aggregate lake
and river trade employed more vessels and more
men than all the ocean and coast navy of the United
States although the total tonnage was less, owing
to the large class Of vessels which navigate the
oceans.
Railways I'm Austria.
We End the following important communication in the
viepna Go'ette Of the 18th ultmo-
est industrial enter prses that has been under