The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-12-06

of all nations. In 1859 the Paragua
was made free by treaty, and i
December, 1866, the Emperor c
Brazil, by Imperial decree, declare
the Amazon to be open to all tn
frontier of Brazil TO the merchant ship
of all nations. The greatest livin
British authority on the subject Will
asserting the abstract right of the Bri
ish claims, says 1t seems difficult t
deny that Great Britain may ground he
refusal upon strict law, butt is equall
difficult to deny, first that in 30 doini
she exercises harshly an extreme an
hard law. Secondly, that her con
duct with respect 70 the navIga
ton of the St Lawrence i
giaring and discreditably inconsisten
with her conduct with respect to tn
navigation of the Mississippi. On tn
ground that she possessed small dc
main in which the Mississippi took it
rise, she insisted on this right to navi
gate the entire volume ofits waters. Oh
the ground that she possesses boil
banks Of the st. Lawrence where it dis
embogues into the sea, she denies t
the United States the right of naviga
ton, though about one-half o
the waters of lakes Ontario, Erie
Huron and Superior, and tn,
whole of Lake Michigan through which
the river flows, are the property Of th'
United States. The whole nation Il
interested in securing cheap transporta
ton from the agricultural States of tn,
West to the Atlantic seaboard; TO th'
citizens of those States it secures
greater return for their labor; to the in
habitants of the seaboard it offers
cheaper food; to the nation an increase
in the annual surplus Of wealth. L
is hoped that the government of Grea
Britain will see the justice Of aban
doning the narrow and inconsistent
claims to which her Canadian provinces
have urged her adherence.
DECLINE OF COMMERCE.
Our depressed commerce is subjec
to which / called your special attention
at the last session and suggested tha
we will in the future have to look more
to the countries south Of us and t
China and Japan for its revival
Our representatives to all these
have exerted their in
huence to encourage trade between
the United States and the countries tC
which they were accredited. But tht
fact exists that the carrying is dsnt
almost entirely in foreign bottoms, and
while this state of affairs exists, we can
not control our due share Of the com
merce Of the world; that | believe the
Pacific States and China and Japan il
about all the carrying trade now
conducted in American vessels
would recommend a liberal policy to-
wards that line of American steamers
one that will insure its success and ever
increase its usefulness. The cost o.
building iron vessels, the only ones tha
with foreign ships in the carry
ing trade, is so much greater in the
United States than in foreign coun
tries that without some assistance
from the Government they cannot
successfully built here. There will be
several propositions laid before Congress
in the course of the present session
looking to remedy for this evil even
if it should be at some cost to the Ma,
tional treasury. l hope such encourage
ment will be given, as will secure Amer
ican shipping on the high seas and
American ship building at home.
BUILDING FOR STATE DEPARTMENT.
The condition Of the archives at the
OF State calls for the early
action OF Congress. The building now
rented by that Department is a frail
structure at an inconvenient distance
from the Executive Mansion and from
the other departments. 1t is i'll adapt.
ed to the purpose for which it is used,
and has not the capacity to accommo'
date the archives, and is not fire proof.
Its remote situation, its slender con-
struction, and the absence OF q
supply of water in the neighborhood
leaves but little hope of safety for either
the building or its contents in case OF
the accident of a fire Its destruction
would involve the loss of the rolls con-
tanning the original acts and resolutions
of Congress, of the history and records
of the revolution. Of the confederation,
Of the whole series of diplomatic and
consular archives since the adoption OF
the Constitution, aud Of the many valu-
able records and papers left with that
when It was the principal
OF the great archives. | re-
an appropriation for the con-
struction oi building for the depart
ment of State.
/ recommend to Your reconsideration
the propriety OF trans 'erring to the
of the Interior, TO which
they seem more appropriately to belong
all powers and other duties in relation
to the territories with which the De
partment OF State is now charged by law
or usage, and from the Interior Depart
ment to theWar Department the Pension
Bureau so far as itregulates the payment
Of soldiers pensions. I would further
recommend hat the payment Of nava
pensions be transferred to one Of the
bureaus of the Navy Department
ESTIMATED EXPENSES.
The estimates for the expense;
Of the government for the fis
cal year are $lS,24, 346.0l less
than for the current one, but
exceed the appropriation for the present
year, for the same items, SS,972 l27. Sc
In this estimate, however, is included
go, ,33S, 1881 for public works hereto
fore begun under Congressional proyi.
sion, and Of which only so much il
asked as Congress may choose to give
The appropriation for the same works
for the present fiscal year was sll 1884,
5lS0S.