The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-12-30
THE OCEAN CiHLES.
Important PROPOSAL by presidens Grant.


The difficulties and dIsr'ues which have
arisen In connection Win 'A-!ayng OF foreign
cublcs OH our shores, nave :e.ernined President
Grant TO propose that all the maritime powers Of
the world hold Joint convention FOR the phrp0sc
OF establishing an intcrnailoai agreement Of
protection and neutrality -. ocean cables. The
President las, with this W tirsed the follow
Ing circular letter Of Instruct. . 10 be prepared
and sent to all the ninist. IS and diplomatic
agents OF this government in c;hcr countries:
DEPARTMENT IF STATE,
WASHINGTON, Nov .nber Is, 1859.
.M-rhc President thinks III! 3. present moment
favorable for the negotiation Cf u joint conven-
tiOn by the maritime powers OF the world for the
protection OF submarine ca'.lrs. The United
States have peculiar Interest III fostering the
construction or these Indispensable avenues OF
intelligence, and In protecting them against
wuntUn injury. Its domains c>tcnd from ocean
10 ocean, nmd lis lts commerce iH's III regular IN,
Of the Pacific to tile pOr,s OF Enropc and Of Asia.
Its citizens OH the shores Of bU'h oceans are In
constant communication with each other ncross
the Continent, both by the rail aud the telegraph.
This central position In the '.dinmercc or the
world entities tile United State, To initiate this
movement FOR the common benefit Of the COM
mcrce ami civilization oT all. Tnc features which
the President desires 10 incorporate into the pro.
posed convention arc:
First. Suitable provisions fer the rrotcc, non Of
such cable lines, IN time Of peace and ol war,
we have seen during the present year the sub
marine cable connecting Cub:l with tile United
StuteS severed, ana commune ION through II In
terruptcd. The President proposes 10 prevent
similur destruction and injury hereafter by
Joint declaration that such nets shall he deemed
TO be acls OF piracy, ana punished as such.
Sccond.-Suitable provisions To encourage the
future construction oil such lines. Experience has
already shown that the assumption by one nation
to control the connections With the shores OF
another, viii lead 10 complications that may, un-
less arranged result In preventing al direct telc-
graphic communication between tile two cOun-
tries The President deems thht this can be best
prevented In future, by preventing Tint hereafter
The jolut action OF the two governments whose
shores urc TO be connected. In this way, the capital
OF DoIn countries VIII oe enlisted, ana Ut me same
time possible causes Of differences Will be re-
moved.
Third. Provisions against scrutiny OF messages
by government oillcials The President thinks
that the right TO establish such scrutiny I'm favor
Of the power controlling either end or tile cable is
calculated to lead to trouble, and had, therefore,
A draft OF convention emhodyiug these points
nus been Prepared, and Is herewith enclosed. II
VIII DC understood however,, that this is submit
ted simply as basis for future discussion should
the leading powers concur With the United States
consideration and Jurisdiction. The President
desires that the representatives Mt Washington OF
Great Britain. France, Portugal, ,.iInin, Italy,
North Germany, Austria, Russia, belgium, H0l.
Greece. Venezuela, Brazil tic Argentine Con,
and Chill, may be emp i isered 'u' TO ENTER enter
Sn,iyt Inc an D,a ,s".aasSrsly nego'a,"ns
tionS Identical with these are issued to the repre-
scntatvcs OF the United States ut each or those
powers. You Will, upon the receipt or this, pro.
pose 10 the cabinet OF -, to give to its mInls-
ter At Washington powers TO enter into such ne
gOIiations with the United States, and with the
representatives Of such other powers may be
empowered for that purpose, and to conclude
win them such Joint conventions; and you are
At liberty, In your discretion, to furnish TO the
Minister for Foreign Anurs copy OF these instruc.
tipns nnd their enclosure
| am, sir, very respectfully, your obcdient SER
want, lIAliILToN FISH,
Secretary OF State.