Demoine courier., 1856-01-10

and convicted. Sam, of the officer
hos implicated are Of high official poss
ton, and many Of them beyond our iur-
''a'c''on. 50 TIA, legal proceeding could
Q reach the source Of the mischief -
These considerations. and the lac, tina,
the sauss Of complaint vas no, a mere
casual occurance, bu, a deliberate design
entered upon with a full knowledge Of
cur laws and national policy, and con
Quoted by Responsible public func.ion-
aries, iin2elled me to present the case to
the British Government, in order to sc
care no: only . cessation Of the wrong,
bur lie repara,ion. The ~suc;ec, Is still
under discussion, the result, OF which will
bs communicated TO you in due time.
i present the Recommendation SUBJ
mi,ied 10 the las, Congress, that provis.
iIns made for the appoirtmen, OF a com
missioner, in connection with Grea, Brit
tain, TO survey and establish the bounda
~ line which divides the Territory of
Washington from the CONTIGUOUS British
possessions. BY reason Of the import
ancs Of the country in dispute, there has
been imminent danger Of collision be.
tween the subjects of G fea, Britain and
the citizens OF tho United States, despite
OF their respective authorities on Ina.
cues ion. The prospect of a speedy
arrangement has hitherto continued 10
induce on both sides forbearance 10 as
cert by force what each claimed 40
right. Continuance Of delay on the
part Of the two Governments 10 act in
the matter will increase the dangers and
difficnlty Of the controversy. Misun-
dsrstanding EXISTS a. to the extent char
acter. and value Of the possessors rights
OF the Hudson Bay Company, and the
property Of the FACETS Sound Agricul-
tural Society, reserved in our treaty
with Grea: Britain relative 10 the terri
tory Of Oregon. have reason 10 be
lieve that a cession Of the rights Of both
companies 10 the United States, which
would be the readiest means of termi
mating all questions, can be obtained on
RESPONSIBLE terms; and with a view to
this end,l present the subjec. TO the al
tsntion Of Congress.
The colony Of New FoandIand, having en-
seted the laws required by treaty of June,
1854, IS now placed on the same footing in re-
sPecf TO commercial intercourse with the Uni
ted States as the other British N birth American
Provinces. The commission which that .rea
ty contemplated for determining the rights of
fishery in rivers and mouths Of rivers on the
coast Of the United States and the British
North American provinces has been organized,
and has commenced its labors to complete
which there is needed further appropriations
fort the service Of another season. -
In pursuance Of authority conferred by the
Senate on the Sd Of March last, notice was CIV
en- to Denmark on the 18th day of April, Of the
in'ention OF this government to avail itsslf Of
The stipuiations OF subsisting convention Of
friendship, and navigation 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 notice for that purpose. The con-
siderafiOns which led me to call the attention
OF Congress to that convention, and induced
the Senate to adopt the resolutl IN referred to,
still continue infull force. The convention
contains an article which, although it
does MT directly engage the United States to
submit to the imposition of tolls on the vessels
and carg pes Of Americans passing into or from
the Baltic sea during the continuance Of the
treaty, may by possibility be construed as i'm
plying such submission. The e~xaction of
these tolls not being justified by any principle
Of international law, it becomes the right and
duty of the United States to relieve themselves
from TIE implications of engagements on the
subject, so as to be perfectly free to act in the
premises in such a way as their interests and
honor shall demand. 1 remain of the opinion
that the Unlteh States ought not to submit to
the payment Of the Sonnd Dues, not so much
because of their amounl--but because it is in
effect a recognition Of the right of Denmark 10
treat one Of the great maritime highways of
nations as a close sea, and the navigation of it
as a privilege for which tribute may be i'm
posed upon those who have occasion to use it.
his government, on a former occasion, not
rnlike the present, signified its determination
10 maintain the freedom of the seas, and Of
lac great national channels Of navigation.
The Barbary States had COR y long
time coerced the payment Of tribute from
all nations whose ships fr~equen.sd The
Mediterranean. 10 the last demand Of
such paymsn. made by them, the Uni
ted States, although suffering less by
their d~epreda,ions than any other nation,
S0tutuCV sn0 OAEAiSt ous WCI NuaS VIC pre-
ferred war 10 tribute,. and thus opened
,hs way TO sne relief Of the commerce OF
the world from ignominious attacks, 90
long submitted to by the more powerful
nations OF Europe. Ii the matter of
payment OF Sound Dues differs from
sha. OF the tribute formerly conceded 10
the Barbary STATES, still their exac.ion by
Denmark has nc better foundation in
right. Each was in its origin, nothing
but a AK on a common national right,
exsorted by those who were a. tina, time
able TO obsHucs the free and secure er.
joyment Of II, bu, who no longer possess
that power. Denmark. while resisting
our assertion Of the freedom Of the Bal
sic Sound and belts, has indicated a read.
iness 10 make q new arrangement on The
subject. and has invited The governments
in,srssted. including the United States
40 be represented in q convention 10 as
asemble for the purpose of receiving and
sonsidsring tho proposition which she
intends " submit, FOR the capitsIizauon
Of the. sound dues, and the distribution
Of the sum 10 be paid as Communication
among the governments according to
chair vaa nactive ~nronortions of tbe;r ms.