Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-12-09

OtA VAS ROAHU WhOIO ~ 10 IA oV nav
gable 10 the sea. BY the conven-
ion between Spain and Portugal,
in 1885, the navigation Of
he Tagus throughout its whole ex-
ent was made free for the subjects of
10Th crowns. In 1853 the Argen-
inc Confederation by treaty threw
,pen the free navigation of the Pa
ana and Uruguay to the merchant
vessels of all nations. In 1856 the
Crimean war was closed by treaty |
which provided for the free naviga-
ion of the Danube. In 1858, Boil
via by a treaty declared that it re-
garded the rivers Amazon and La |
Plata in accordance with strict
principles of national law, as high
ways or channels opened by nature
for the commerce ofall nations. In
1859, the Paraguay was made free
by treaty, and in Dec, 1866, the
Emperor Of Brazil by Imperial de-
cree declared the Amazon to be open
to merchant ships of all nations.
The greatest living British authori-
ty on this subject, while asserting
the abstract right of the British
claims, says it seems difficult to de-
ny that Great Britain may ground
her refusal upon strict law, but it is
equally difficult to deny, first, that
in SO doing she exercises harshly
an extreme and hard law, secondly,
that her conduct with respect to the
navigation Of the st. Lawrence is in
glaring and discreditable inconsis-
tency with her conduct with respect
to the navigation of the Mississippi.
On the ground that she possessed a
small domain in which the Missis-
sippi took it's rise, she insisted on
the right to navigate the entire vol
ume OF its waters. On the ground
that she possesses both banks of the
St. Lawrence where it discmbogues
itself into the sea, she denies to the
United States the right of naviga-
ton, though about one-half of the
waters oflakes Ontario, Erie, Huron
Superior and the whole of Lake
Michigan, through which the river
flows, are the property ofthe United
States. The whole nation is inter
ested in securing cheap transporta-
ton from the agricultural States of
the west to the Atlantic seaboard.
To the citizens of these States it Sc
cures greater return for their la
Dor. TO the inhabitants of the
seaboard it offers cheap food. To
the nation it causes an increase in
the annual surplus of wealth. 1t is
to be hoped that the government Of
Great Britain will sec the justice of
abandoning. the narrow and incon-
sistcnt claim to which her Canadian
Provinces have urged her adher-
ance.
DECADENCE OF AMERICAN COMMERCE.
Our depressed commerce is a subject to
which called your special attention at
the last session. suggested, that We WILL
in the future, have to look more to the
countries south of U.S. and to China and
Japan for its revival Our representa-
tives to all these governments have exert
cd their influence to encourage trade be-
tween the United States and the countries
to which they are accredited, but the fact
exists that the carrying is done almost
entirely in foreign bottoms. While this
state of affairs exist we cannot control
our due share of the commerce of the
world. That between the United States
China and Japan is about all the carrying
trade conducted in American vessels.
would recommend Il liberal policy toward
that line of American steamers-Onc that
will insure its success and even increased
usefulness. The cost Of building iron
vesscls-the only ones that can compete
with foreign ships in the carrying trade
is so much greater in the United States
than in foreign countries, that without
some assistance from the government they
cannot be successfully built here. There
will be several propositions laid before
Congress in the course of the present SEES
sion looking to IA remedy of this evil.
Even if it should be at some cost to the
to the national treasury, hope such en-
enlargement will be given rs will secure
American shipping on the high seas, and
American ship building at home.
NEW STATE BUILDING DEMANDED.
The condition of the archives at the
Department Of State calls for the early
action of Congress. The building now
rented by that department is a frail struc-
turc, at an inconvcnient distance from
the Executive mansion, and from the
other departments 1t is i'll adapted for
the purpose for which it is used, has not
capacity to accommodate the archives,
and is not fire proof Its remote location,
it's slender construction, and the absence
of a supply of water in its neishborhood,
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 containing
the original acts and resolutions of Con
gress, of the historic records of the
Revolution and of the confederation, of
the whole series of diplomatic and con-
sular archives since the adoption of the
and of the many other
valuable records and papers left with that
department when it was the principal de-
pository of the government archives. l
recommend an appropriation for the
of a building for the depart
ment of State.
TRANSFER OF DEPARTMENT BUSINESS.
recommend to your reconsideration
the propriety of transferring to the de-
partment of the Interior, to which they
seem more appropriately to belong, all
powers and duties in relation to the terri
tories, with which the department of
State is now charged by law or usage,
and from the Interior department to the
War department, the Pension bureau so
far as it regulates the payment ofsoldicrs'
pensions | would further recommend
that the payment of naval pensions be
transferred to one of the bureaus of the
navy department.
EXPENSES OF THE GOVERNMENT.
The estimate for the expenses of the
government for the fiscal year are S1S,-
244 346.01 less for the present year than
for the same items in 1S69-70. In this
estimate, however, is included So, 23S ,21S,
81 for public works heretofore begun UNI
Ter Congressional provisions, and Of
which only so much is asked as Congress
may choose to give. The appropriation
or The same work for the present fiscal
rear was $11 ,9S4,51s.0S. lH aa
LOOKING TOWARD SPECIE PAYMENTS
The average value &C gold as compared