The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-12-06

ChAnulZe IN DOnuS ACROSS 10 Tue territory
Of the United States and Canada; and
further, should such an extreme measure
become necessary to suspend It's opera.
tions and any laws whereby the vessels
Of the Dominion of Canada are permitted
to enter the waters Of the United States.
A like unfriGndly disposition Inns been
manifested on the part Of Canada in tho
maintainanCe OF a claim Of the right to
exclude the citizens Of the United States
from the navigation Of the ST. Lawrence.
This river constitutes natural outlet to
the ocean, with an aggregate population Of
about II 600, 900 Inhabitants, and with an
aggregate tonnage of GG1 1857 tons upon
the waters, which discharge into the tor
eign commerce Of our ports which
arc open to British competition, and
the major part of 1t Is done in British
bottoms. II tho American seamcn
bo excluded from this natural avenue
to the ocean, by the monopoly Of the
direct commerce oil the lake ports, then
the Atlantic would be in foreign hands,
their vessels on the transatlantic vOy-
ages having On access TO our lake ports,
which would be denied to American yes.
sells, on similar voyages. To state such a
proposition Is to rctute It's justice, During
the Administration Of 1Ir. John Quincy
Adams, Mr. Clay unquestiOnably dem
onstrated the national right OF the citizens
Of the United Safest to the navigation Of
this river, claiming that the act Of the
Congress Of Vienna, In opening tho kline
and other rivers 10 all nations, show
ed the Judgment Of the European jurists
and statesmen TO DO that the inhabitants ot
country through which o navigable river
passes, have natural right to enjoy the
navigation Of that river to and into the
sea, even though passing through the ter
rit0ry of another power, This right does
moi exclude that co.cquRl right OF the
sovereign possessing the territory through
which the river debOuchcs into tho sea,
10 make such regulations relative to the
policy Of the navigation, as may be yrea-
sonably necessary; but those regulations
should be framed in a liberal spirit OF COM
ity, and should not impose needless bur-
dens upon the commerce which has the
right of transit. 1t has been found in
practice more advantageous to encourage
these regulations by mutual agreement
The United States are ready 10 make any
reasonable arrangement rs to the police
ofthe st. Lawrence, which will be suS-
gested by Great Britain If the claim by
Mr.. Clay was just, when the population OF
the States bordering on theshores Of the
lakes was only 100000, it now derives
greater force and equity from the inCreas-
cd population, wealth, production and ton
mage Of the States on the Canadian frontier
Since Mr.. Clay adduced his arguments In
behalf of our rights, the principle for
which he contended has been frequently
and by various nations recognized by law
or by treaty, and has been extended to
several of the great rivers. By the treaty
concluded at Mayence in 1881, the
Rhine was declared free from the point
where tis first navigable into the sea. By
the convention between Spain and Por-
tugal, concluded in 1885, the naviga-
ton Of the DOur, throughout its whole cX-
tent was made free for the subjects OF
both countries III 1858, the Argentine
Confederation by treaty threw open for
free navigation the Parana and IRA
g1dy TO the merchant vessels Of all ma
tions. In 1856. the aCrimean war was
closed by treaty which provided for the
free navigation Of the Danube In 1853
Bolivia by q treaty declared that it re-
Carded the rivers Amazon and La Platte,
in accordancG with, fixed principles OF
natural law as highways and chlnnelss
opened by nature for tho commerce OF 3Il
nations. In 1850 the Paraguay was made
free by treaty, and in December, 1866,
the Emperor Of Brazil by an imperial de-
cree declared the Amazon TO be open to
all tho otrontidr of Brazil to the merchant
ships OF all nations. The! greatest living
British authority on that subject, while
asserting the abstract right OF the British
claims, says that 1t seems difficult TO deny
that Great Britain may ground her refusal
upon strict law, but 1t is equally difficult to
deny, first, that in so doing she exercises.
harshlyan extreme and hard law. Sec.
ondly, That her conduct with respect TO tho
navigation OF the St. Lawrence is
glHring and discreditablc inconsistency
with her conduct with respect to the
navigation of the Mississippi river. On the
ground that she possessed small do
main in which the Mississippi took its
rise she insisted on this right to navi-
gate the whole volume Of its waters On
the ground that she possessed both banks
of the St. Lawrence where it disembOgues
into the sea, she denies to the United
States the right Of navigation through
about one half Of tho waters Of Lakes
Ontario, Erie, Huron and Superior, and
the whole Of Lake Michigan, through
which the river flows on the property Of
the United States. The whole nation Is
interested in securing cheap transpOrta-
ton from the agricultural States by this
river to the Atlantic seNboArd. To the
citizens Of these States 1t secures greater
return for their labor; to the inhabitants
of the seaboard it offers cheaper food; to
the nation an interest in the immense sur
plus OF wealth. 1t Is hoped that the
Government Of Great Britain will sec the
Justice Of abandoning her new and incon'
sistent claims, to which her Canadian
provinces have urged her adherence.
Our depressed commerce Is o subject
to which called your special attention
at the last session, and suggested tlAt we
would in the future have to look more to
the countries south Of us, and to China
|
and Japan for its revival. Our represen-
tativcs 70 all these Governments have ex-
erted their influence TO encourage trade
between the United States and those
countries TO which they are accredited;
but the fact exists that the carrying Is
done almost entirely in foreign bottoms,
and while this state Of affairs exists we
cannot control our due share Of the com.
merce Of the United States between the
Pacific States and China and Japan. It Is
about all the carrying trade now con-
Quoted in American vessels. l would re.
commend liberal policy towards that
line of American steamers-one that will
insure Its success and ever increased use
fuIncss.@ Thecost oF building iron YES
sels-the only ones that can compete with
foreign ships In the carrying trade-is so