The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-12-09

ly taken, in the interests Of peace and
rs a necessary step in the direction
of perfect and cordial friendship
between the two countries. A sen.
sitive people, conscious of their pow
er are moro at ease under great
wrong wholly unatoned than under
the restraint offs settlement which
satisfies neither their ideas of justice,
nor their grave sense o. tile grievance
they have sustained. The rejection
of the treaty was followed by q state
OF public feeling On both sides which
| thought not favorable to an imme-
date attempt at renewing negotia-
tions. l accordingly 50 instructed
the Minister Of the United States to
Great Britain. and found that my
views in this regard were shared by
Her Majesty's minister. [ hope that
the time may soon arrive, whom the
two governments can approach the
solution of this momentous question,
with an assurance of what is due to
the rights, dignity and honor of each,
and with the determination, not only
to remove the cause of complaint ia
the past, but to lay the foundation Of
a broad principle ofpublic law, which
will prevent further differences, and
tend to form o continued peace and
friendship.
This is now the only grave ques-
ton which the United States will
have with any foreign nation.
The question Of a treaty for recip-
rocity between the United States and
the British Provinces on this CONT
ncnt has not been favorably consider
ed by the administration. The ad.
vantage of such a treaty would be
wholly in favor of the British produ.
Ger, except. possibly, few engaged
in the trade between the two. No
citizen of the United States would be
benefited by Reciprocity. Our in.
ternal taxation would prove q pro-
lection to the British producer al
most equal to the projections which
our manufacturers now receive from
the tariff. Some arrangement, how
ever, for the regulation of commerci-
al intercourse between tho United
States and the Dominion of Canada
may be desirable.
The Commission for adjusting the
claims of the Hudson Bay and Puget
Sound Agricultural Company upon
the United States, has terminated it's
labors. The award Of S65O,OOO has
been made, and all rights and titles
of the Company on the territory of
the United States have been exiting.
uished. Deeds for the property Of
the Company have been received
An appropriation by Congress to
meet this sum is asked.
The Commissioners for determining
the Northwestern Land Boundary
between the United States and the
British Possessions, under the treaty
of 1856, have completed their labors,
and the commission have been dis.
solved in conformity with the recon-
mendation ofCongress.
A proposition was early made to
the British Government to abolish
the mixed courts created under the
treaty Of April 9TH, 1862, for the sup
preston Of the slave trade, but the
subject is still! under negotiation.
1t having como to my knowledge
that corporate company organized
under British laws, proposed to land
upon the shores OF the United States,
to operate submarine cable, under
a concession from his Majesty, the
Emperor Of the French, of an exclu-
sive right for twenty years of tele-
graphic communication between the
shore of France and the U nited States,
with the very Objectionable feature
OF subjecting all messages conveyed
thereby to the sovereignty and con.
troll of the French Government, l
caused the French and British lega.
tons at Washington to be made &C.
quainted with the probable policy oil
Congress on the subject AS foreshad.
owed by the bill which passed the
Senate in March last. This drew
from the representatives of the coun.
try an agreement to accept as the
basis of their operations, the provis.
ions of the bill or ofsuch other en-.
actments on the subject as may be
passed during the approaching ses.
sion of Congress; also to use their in.
fiuence to secure from the French
government modification Of their
concession SO as to permit the land.
ing upon French soil OF any cable be.
longing to any Companyincorporated
by the authority ofthc United States,
or of any State in the Union, and on
their part not to oppose the estab.
lishment ofany such cable. In con.
sideration Of their (this) agreement,
l directed the withdrawal Of all op.
position by the United States author
tiles to the landing Of the cable, and
to the working of it until the meet
ing of Congress. ! regret to say that
there has been no modification made
in the concessions, nor, so far as l
can learn, have they attempted to Sc.
cure one. lheir condition excludes
the capital and the citizens OF the
United States from competition on
the shores of France. l recommend
legislation to protect the rights of
citizens Of the United States, as we'll
as the dignity and sovereignty of the
nation against such an assumption.
/ shall also endeavor to secure by
negotiation, an abandonment of the
principle of monopolies in our tele-
graphic cables. Copies Of this cor
respondence is herewith furnished.
The unsettled political condition of
other countries, less fortunate than
our own, sometime induces their citi
zens to come to tho United States for
the sole purpose OF becoming natural
lied. Having secured this, they re-
turn to their native country and re-
side there; without disclosing their
change of allegiance, they accept
official positions of trust or honor,
which can only be held by citizens
oftheir native land. They journey
under passports describing them as
such citizens, and it is only when
civil discord, after perhaps years Of
quiet, threatens them or threatens
their persons or property, or when
their native State drafts them into
it's military service, that the fact OF
their change Of allegiance is made