Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1857-12-19
VOL. IX-NO o..

"the same Specification as the orisina
. wording" aud thus have nulGhed the
! amendment Of tho Senate, may we'll bt
t doubted. It Ia. perhaps. fortunate that the
question has never arisen. d .szyt5s
The British Government, Immediately At.
5 ter rejecting the treaty as amended, pxoPos-
: ed to enter into new treaty with the Uni
Q ted States, similar In all respects TO the trea-
: ty which they had just refused TO raiify, Il
, the United States would consent to add to
} the Senate's clear and unqualified recogni-
tion Of the sovereignty Of Honduras over
, the Bay Islands the following conditional
stipplatons !" Whenever and 90 soon - the
Republic OF Honduras shall have accepted
, the said Islands, subject to the provisions
, and conditions contained in such treaty"
This proposition was, of course, rejected.
After the Senate had refused to recognize
the British convention with Honduras of tho
9th August. 1866, with full knowledge of
its contents, it ives imp ssible for me. nec-
} essarily ignorant Of ''the provisions and con-
ditions" which might be contained In a fu-
ture convention between the same parties, to
sanction them in advance.
like Gre,t Britain aud the United
tanning the most friendly relations with
each other, have unfortunately concluded a
treaty which they understand in senses de
rectly opposite, the wisest course is to abro-
gate such treaty by mutual consent, and
commence anew, Had this been done
promptly, all difficulties in Central America
would most probably ere this have been ad-
justed to the satisfaction of both parties
The tile spent in discussing the meaning Of
til. Clayton aud Bulwer treaty would have
been devoted to this prai eworthy purpose.
and the task wond have been the more ea-
silly accomplished because the interest Of the
countries in Central America is Identical,
being confined to securing safe transits
over all the routes across the Isth'nus.-
Whilst entertaining these sentiments, shall
nevertheless not refuse to contribute to any
reasonable adjustment Of the Central Amer
lean question, which is not practically in-
consistent with the common Interpretation
of the treaty. Overtures for this purpose
have been recently made by the British Gov
ernmcnt in friendly spirit, which | cordi-
ally reciprocate; but whether this renewed
effort will result in success, am not prepa-
red to express an opinion. A brief period
will determine. With France our ancient
relations of friendship still continue to ex-
ist.
The French Government has in several
recent instances which need not be enume-
rated, evinced spirit of good will and
kindness towards our country, which hear-
tily reciprocate. 1t is, Notwithstanding,
much to be regretted that nations whore pro-
ductions are Of such character as to invite
the most intensive exchanges and free COM
mercial intercourse should continue to en-
force ancient and obsolete restrictions Of
trade against each other. Our commercial
treaty with France in this respect is an ex.
ception from our treaties with all CONNER
cial nations. 1t zealously levies discrimi-
mating duties both in tonnage and on arti-
cles, the growth, produce or manufacture of
the one country when arriving in vessels be-
longing to the other.
More than forty years ago, on the Sd OF
March, 1915, Congress passed an act offer.
ing to all nations to admit their vessels laden
with their national productions into the
ports of the United States upon the same
terms with our own vessels, provided they
would reclprocate to Us similar advantages.
This act confined the reciprocity to the pro-
fluctions of the respective foreign nations
rneut with the United 8, ates. The act Of
May "a, 1925 removed this restrintioH,. and
offered similar reciprocity to all such yes.
sells without reference to the origin OF their
cargoes. Upon these principles, our COM
mercial treaties and arrangements have been
founded, except in France and let us hope
that this exception may not long exist.
Oar rela ions with Russia remain, as they
have ever been, On the most friendly foot
ing. The present Emperor, a. wei as his
predecessors, have never failed, when tho
occasion offered. to manifest their good will
TO our country and their friendship has al
ways been highly appreciated by the Gov.
ernment and people OF the United States.
With all other European governments ex.
cept that Of Spain our relations are as
peaceful as we could desire. regret to say
that no progress whatever has been made
since the adjournment of Congress towards
the settlement of any of the numerous CLAIMS
of our citizens against the Spanish Il vsrn.
ment, besides the outrage committed on our
f,g by tho Spanish war frigate on the high
seas off the coast Of Cuba, in March, 1850,
bv firing into the American mail steamer
Ferro ana and dvtaining and searching her
remains unacknowledged and unredressed.
he general tone and temper of the Spanish
Government towards the United States 10
much to be regretted. Our present Envoy
Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
to Madrid has asked to be recalled, and my
purpose to send out new Minister to Spain
with special instructions on all questions
pending between the two governments and .
to have them speedily and
amcably adjusted if this be possible
In tine mean time, whenever our Minister
urges the just claims Of our ci,izsns ON the
notice OF the Spanish Governments. he IL met
-:.L H. thotG hos
mace the appropriation recommended by
President Polk in his annual message Of
December, lS47, "to be paid to the Spanish
Government for the purpose of distribution
among the claimants in the Amistad caee."
A similar recommendation was made by
nv immediate predecessor in his message of
December, 1856; and entirely concurriug
with both in th- opinion shat this indemni-
ty is Justly due under the treaty with Spain
of the 9th Of October, l795, earnestly
recommend such an appropriation TO the fa-
vorable consideration Of Congress.
A treaty of friendship aud commerce. wss
concluded at Constantinople on the 18th
December, 1855, between the United States
and Persia, the rasi6cations OF which were
exchanged at Constantinople on the 18th
June, 1857, and the treaty was proclaimed
by the President on the 18Th August, 1857.
This treaty, it is believed, will prove bene,
fetal to American commerce. The Shah
has manifested an earnest disposition to enl-
tivste friendly relations with our country.
and has expressed strong wish that we
should be represented at Teheran by q min.
lister plenipatentiary and recommend that
an appropriation be made foI this purpose.
Recent occurrences in China have been
unfavorable to revision of the treaty with
tnat Umpire of the Sd July, l844, with .
view to the security and extension Of our
commerce. The Gath article of this treaty
.A;ualaxod for a roxzisiOn Of Il II, Aaan oYTns