Des Arc citizen., 1859-12-21

zens, and the other to fix the tariff on i'm ports and exports and to regulate the tran sit duties and trade of our merchants with China. This duty was satisfactorily per formed by our late minister These con- ventions bear date al Shanghai on the 8th November, 1858. Having been considered
 in the light of binding agreements subsi- diary 10 the principal treaty, and to be carried into execution without delay, they do not provide for any formal ratification or exchange of notifications by the con tracting parties. This was not deemed | necessary by the Chinese, who are al- ready proceeding in good faith to satisfy | the claims of our citizens, and, it is hoped, to carry out the other provisions of the | conventions. Still thought it was proper 10 submit them to the Senate, by which | they were ratified on the 3d March, 1859. | The ratified copies, however, did not reach | Shanghai until after the departure of our minister to PekiD, and these conventions could not, therefore, be exchanged at the same time with the principal treaty. No | doubt is entertained that they will be rati- fled aud exchanged by the Chinese govern ment, should this be thought advisable |; but, under the circumstances presented, | shall consider them binding engagements from their date on both parties, and cause | them to be published as such for the infor- nation and guidance of our merchants | trading with the Chinese empire.
 Itsaffords me much satisfaction to in- | you that all our difficulties with the repub- lie of Paraguay have been satisfactorily l adjusted. It happily did not become nec- essary to employ the force for this pur- pose which Congress had placed at my | command. under the joint resolution oJ 2d June, 1858. On the contrary, the Presi- dent of that republic, in friendly spirit, acceded promptly to the just and reasena- ble demands of the Government of the United States. Our commissioner arrived | at Assumption, the capital of the repub- lie, on the 25th of January, 1869, and left | it on the 17th of February, having in three weeks ably and successfully accom- plished the objects of his mission. The treaties which he has concluded will be immediately submitted to the Senate.
 In the view that the employment of oth- CT than peaceful means might become nhc- essary to obtain |" just satisfaction from Paraguay, strong naval force was con- centrated in the waters of the La Plata to await contingencies. while our commits sioner ascended the rivers to Asuncion. The navy department is entitled to great credit for the promptness, efficiency and economy with which this expedition was fitted out and conducted. It consisted of nineteen armed vessels, great and small, carrying POO guns and 2500 men, all under command of the veteran and gallant Shu- brick. The entire expenses of the expe- dition hare been defrayed out Of the ordi- nary appropriations for the naval service, except the sum of S289,000, applied to the purchase of seven of the steamers, consti- tuting part of it, under the authority of the naval appropriation of the 3d of March last. It is believed that these steamers are worth more than their cost, and they are all now usefully and actively employed
 in the naval service.
 The appearance of so large force, fit- ted out in such prompt manner, in the far distant water of the La Plata, and | the admirable conduct of the officers and men employed in it, have had happy ef- feet in favor of our country throughout all that remote portion of the world.
 Our relations with the great empires of France and Russia, as well as with all other governments on the continent of Eu- rope, unless we may except that of Spain, happily continue to be of the most friend- ly character.
 In my last annual message I presented | a statement of the unsatisfactory condi- | tion of our relations with Spain and | regret to say that this has not materially | improvnd. Without special reference to | other claims, even the "Cuban caims," | the payment which has been ably urged | by our ministers, and in which more than | a hundred of our citdens are directly in- | terpsted, remain unsatisfed, notwithstand- | ing both their justice and their amount | (S128, ,635.54) had been recognized and as- certain0d by the Spanish government it. self
 hot ton be made " to be paid to the Spanish | Government for the .purpose of distribu- ton among the claimants in the Amistad | 1 case" In common ith two of my pred | ecessors, I entertain no doubt that this is l required by our treaty with Spain of the | 27th October, 1795 The failure to dis | charge this obligation has been employed | by the cabinet of Madrid as reason against the settlement of our claims
 I need not repeat the arguments which I | urged in my last annual message in favor | of the acquisition of Cuba by fair pur- chase. My opinions on that measure re- main unchanged. I, therefore, again in- vite the serious attention of Congress to this important subject. Without recog nition of this policy on their part, it will be almost impossible to institute negotia- tions with any reasonable prospect of suc cess. Until recent period there was good reason to believe that I should be able to announce to you, on the present occasion, hat our difficulties with Great Britain, arising out of the Clayton and Bulwer treaty, had been finally adjusted in man. her alike honorable and satisfa ctorv to hoth parties. From causes, however, which the British Government had not an- tcipated, they have not yet completed treaty arrangements with the republics of Honduras and Nicaragua, in pursuance of tha understanding between the two govern ments. It is, nevertheless, confidently ex- pc ted that this good lwork will ere long be accomplished.
 Whilst iudulging the hope that no other subject remained which could disturb the | good understanding between the two coun- tries, the question arising ont of the ad- verse claims of the parties to the Island of San Juan, under the Oregon treaty of the 18th June, 1S46, suddenly assumed a | threatening prominence.
 In order 10 prevent unfortunate rolli-
 sions on tn 't remote frontier, the late See | retary of State, on the 17th of July, 1855, | addressed a note to MT Crampton, then | British minister at Washington, commu- | nicating to him copy of the instructions | which he MT Marcv1 had giv n, on the l 14th of July, to Gov Stevens, of Wash | ngton Territory, having a special refer enee to an "apprehended conflict between
 our citizens and the British subjects on The island of San Juan" To prevent this,
 the Governor WAS instructed "that the officers of the Territory should abstain | from all acts on the disputed grounds
 which are calculated to provoke any con- 1 flicts, so far as if can be done without im-
 plying the concession to the authorities of | Great Britain of an exclusive right over
 the premises. The title ought to be set | tied be'ore either party shonld attempt to
 exclude the other by force, or exercise l complete and exclusive sovereign rights
 within the fairly disputed limits''
 In acknowledging the receipt on the
 next day of MT. Marcy's note, the British
 minister expressed his entire concurrence
 Gin the propriety of the course recom-
 mended to the Gov. of Washington Terri
 tory by your (Mr. Marcy's) instructions
 to that officer," and stating that he had
 l" lost no time in transmitting copy of that document to the Governor-General of | British North America" and had Gear
 nestly recommended to his Excelency to take such measures as to him may appear | best calculated to secure the part of
 the British local authorities and the in-
 habitants of the neighborhood of the line
 in question, the exercise of the same spirit
 of forhearance which is inculcated by vou | (Mr. Marcy) on the authorities and citi-
 eens of the United States"
 Thus matters remained upon the faith
 of this arrangement until the 9th July
 last, when Gen Harney paid visit to the
 island He found upon it twenty-five
 American resident with their families,
 and also an establishment of the Hudson's
 Bay company for the purpose of raising
 sheep. A short time before his arrival one of the residents had shot an animal belonging 10 the company, while trespass- ? ing upon his premises, for which, how !. ever, he offered to pay it's value but that | was refused. Soon after ssthe chief fac Q tor of the company at Victoria, Mir Dal-
 las, son in-law Of Gov. Douglas, came to n tho island in the British sloop-of-war Sa- r teliite, and threatened Co take ths Ameri-