The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1856-01-11
BIDDEFORD MAINE, FRIDAY, JANUARY II, 1856.

Otner STATE WITHOUT lh SOiiScnt, anu 'ho
whether forbidden by the municipal law o.
not, the very attempt TO do it, without sucl
consent, il an attack on the national sover
eighty.
Such being the public rights and the mu
nicipal law of the United States, no sollcl
tude on the subject was entertained by thu
government, when, a year since, the British
Parliament passed an act to provide for the
enlistment OF foreigners in the military ser
vice of Great Britain. Nothing on the fac,
of the act, or in its public history, indicated
that the British government proposed to at
tempt recruitment in the United States; nor
did Il ever give intimation of such intention
to this gocrnment. IL was a matter OF SUR
prise, therefore, to find, subsequently, that
the engn cement ofpcrsons within the United
States TO proceed TO Halifax, in the British
province of Nova Scotia, and there enlist IN
the service of Great Britain, was going on
extensively, with little or no disguise. Or
dinary legal steps were Immediately taken
to arrest and punish parties concerned, and
so put an end TO acts infringing the munich
pal law and derogatory TO our sovereignty.
Meanwhile suitable representations ON the
subject were addressed to the British gov
ernment.
ThereupOn il became known, by the ad.
mission of the British government itself,
that the attempt to draw recruits from this
country originated with it, or at least had
its approval and sanction but it also ap-
pearcd that the public agents engaged in it
had " stringent instructions" not TO violate
the municipal law of the United States. Ii
is difficult to understand how 1t should have
been supposed that troops could be raised
here by Great Britain, without violation OF
the municipal law. The unmistakable OBJ
jcct of the law was to prevent every such act
which, if performed. must be either in yio-
lation of the law, or in studied evasion OF 1t !;
and, in either alternative, theact done would
be alike injurious to the sovereignty of the
United States.
In the meantime, the matter acquired ad-
ditional Importance, by the recruitments in
tho United States, not being discontinued,
and the disclosure of the fact that they were
prosecuted upon systematic plan devised
by official authority; that recruiting rem
devious had been opened in our principal
cities, and dcpOts for the reception ofrecruits
established on our frontier and the whole
business conducted under the supervision and
by the regular cooperation of British ofh-
GERS, civil and military, some in the North
American provinces, and some in the United
States. The completely of those officers in
an undertaking, which could only be accom-
plished by dcfying our laws, throwing sus-
picion over our attitude of neutrality, and
our territorial rights, is con-
proved by the evidence elected on
the trial Of such of their agents as haveb been
lpprehended and convicted. Some OF the
officers thus implicated are Of high official
position, and many of them beyond our juris-
1iction, so that legal proceedings could not
reach the source of the mischief.
Those considerations, and tho fact, that
the cause of complaint was not mere casual
occurrence, but deliberate design, entered
npon with full knowledge of our laws and
policy, and conducted by response
BILE public functionarics, impelled me to pre-
sent the case to tho British government, in
order TO secure, not only u cessation OF the
wrong, but its reparatiOn. The subject is
still under discussion, the result of which
will be communicated to you in due time.
BRIrIsu RELATIoNs-CoNTISUED.
repeat the Recommendation submitted to
the last Congress, that provision bemadc for
the appointment of u commissioner, in
with Great Britain, to survey and
establish the boundary line, which divides
the Territory of Washington from the con-
tiguous British possessions. BY reason of
the extent and Importance of the country in
dispute, there has been imminent danger of
collision between the subjects of Great Britain
and the citizens of the United States, includ-
Ing their respective authorities in that quar-
ter. The prospect of a speedy arrangement
has contributed hitherto to induce on both
sides fOrbearancc TO assert by force what
each claims us right. Continuance of de
law on the part of the two governments to
act in the matter, will increase the dangers
and difficulties of the controversy.
Misunderstanding exists as to the extent,
character, and value of the possessOry rights
Of the IIudson's Bay Company and the prop
erty of the Pugct's Sound Agricultural Com
pany reserved in our treaty with Great Brit
ain relative 10 the Territory of Oregon. l
have reason to believe that cessiOn of the
rights of both companies TO the United States,
which would be the readiest means of ter
all questions, can be obtained on
terms and with view to this
end, present the subject to the attention OF
Congress.
The colony of Newfoundland, having en-
acted the laws required by the treaty of the
5th of June, 1854, is now placed on the
sane footing, in respect to commercial In
tcrcourse with the United States, as the other
British North American provinces.
The commission which that treaty con-
for determining the rights OF
fishery in rivers and mouths of rivers on the
coasts of the United States and the British
North American Provinces, has been organ
lied and has commenced its labors, TO COM
plete which there is needed further appro-
priations for the service of another season.
SOUND DUEs.
In pursuance of the authority conferred
by a resolution of the Senate of the United
States, passed on the Sd ofNIarch last, notice
was given to Denmark, on the llth day of
April, of the intention of this government to
avail itself of the stipulation of the subsist-
inc convention Of friendship, commerce, and
navigation between that Kingdom and the
United States, whereby either party might
after ten wears, terminate the same at the
expiration of one year from the date of no
tice for that purpose.
The considerations, which led me to call
the attention of Congress to that convention,
and induced the Senate to adopt the resolu-
ton referred to, still continne in full force.
The convention contains an article, which,
although il does not directly engage the
United States to submit TO the imposition OF
tolls on the vessels and cargocs OF Americans
into or from the Baltic sea, during
the continuance of the treaty, yet may, by
possibility, be construed as implying such
submission. The exation 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 relieve themselves
from implication of engagement ON the sub
iect, 50 as to be perfectly free to act in the
premises in such way as their public inter
est and honor shall demand.
remain of the opinion that the United
States ought MOTTO submit to the payment OF
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