Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1870-12-08

PiSHipOtculiaElCs, anu artlCle Ont, d
IL stands in the Convention, was substi
: tuted. Ii, however, it be sold that thi
claim is founded on provincial or colo
maj statutes aud not upon the Conven
tlon, thls Government cannot but re
gard them as unfriendly, and in contra
veHtlon of the faithful execution o
!, which the Imperial Government il
alone responsible. Anticipating that al
! attempt may possibly be made by tn,
Canadian authorities in the coming ses
sion, to repeal these unneighborly act.
towards our fishermen, recommend
you to confer upon the Executive the
power TO suspend by proclamation the
operations of the laws authorizing the
transit OF goods, wares and merchan-
diZe III bonds across to the territory ol
the United States and Canada and fur.
ther, should such an extreme become ne.
cessary 10 suspend its operations and
any laws whereby the vessels of the
Dominion of Canada are permitted to
enter the waters of the United States
A like unfriendly disposition has been
manifested on the part OF Canada in the
maintenance ofa claim OF the right to
exclude the citizens of the United States
from the navigation OF the St. Law
renee. This river constitutes q natural
outlet to the ocean, with an aggregate
population of about l7,600,O00 iuhabi-
ooI, I,5t7 with'an aggregate tonnage OF
IONS upon the waters, which dis
charge into the foreign commerce of our
ports which are open 10 British compe-
iition, and the major part of it is done
in British bottoms. Ii the American
seamen be excluded from this natural
avenue to the ocean, by the monopoly
of the direct commerce of the lake ports,
then the Atlantic would be in foreign
hands, their vessels on the trans-Atlan-
tic voyages having an access to our lake
ports, which would be denied to Amer
ican vessels, on similar voyages. To
state such proposition is to refute its
Justice. During the Administration of
Mr.. John Quincy Adams, Mr.. Clay un-
questionably demonstrated the national
right of the citiZens of the Z. States to
the navigation of this river, claiming
that the act of the Congress of Vienna,
in opening the Rhine and other rivers 10
all nations, showed the judgment of the
European jurists and statesmen to be
that the innhabit ants of country thro'
which anavigrble river passes, have a
natural right to enjoy the navigation of
that river to and into the sea, even tho
passing thro' the territory of another
power. This right does not exclude that
co-equal right of the sovereign posses
sing the territory thro' which the river
debouches into the sea, to make such
regulations relative to the policy of the
navigation, as may be reasonably neces-
sary; but those regulations should be
framed in liberal spirit of comfy, and
should not impose needless burdens
upon the commerce which has the right
of transit. 1t has been found in prac-
tice more advantageous 10 encourage
these regulations by mutual agreement.
The {. S. are ready to make any reason
able arrangement as to the police of the
St Lawrence, which will be suggested |
by Great Britain. If the claim by Mr.. |
Clay was just, when the population OF
the States bordering on the shores of
the lakes was only 100000, it now de-
rives greater force and equity from the
increased population, wealth, produc-
ton and tonnage of the States
the Canadian frontier. Since Mr..
Clay adduccd his arguments in be-
half of our rights, the principle for
which he contended has been frequent
Iy 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 it is first navigable into the sea.
By the convention between Spain and
Portugal, concluded in 1885, the navi-
cation of the Dour, throughout its
whole extent was made free for the sub
ects of both countries. In 1853, the {
Argentine Confederation by treaty
brew open for free navigation the Par ,
ma and Uruguay to the merchant ves- ,
els of all nations. In 1856 the Crimean
var was closed by treaty which provi- j
led for the free navigation of the Dan t
lbe. In 1858 Bolivia by treaty decla- a
ed that it regarded the rivers Amazon
nd La Platte, in accordance with fixed t
principles of natural law, as highways II
nd channels opened by nature for the s
ommerce of all nations. In 1859 the l.
'aragnay was made free by treaty,i n
nd in December, 1866, the Emperor of p
'razil by all imperial decree declared a
ne Amazon to be open to all the FROM a
er of Brazil TO the merchant ships of n
IL nations The greatest living British n
uthority on that subject, while assert Il
lg the abstract right of the British v
aims says that it seems difficult todeny h
nat Great Britain may ground her refu- g
Il upon strict law, but it is equally diff
cult to deny, first, that in so doing she s,
harshly an extreme and hard n
w. Secondly, that her conduct with N
aspect to the navigation of the st. Law t.
,nce is glaring and discreditable in
,nsistency with her conduct with re- O.
,ect to the navigation Of the Mississip- ly
river. On the ground that she pos Ell
.ssed small domain in which the Mis- al
ssippi took its rise, she insisted ON the p
ght to navigate the whole volume of v;
5 waters. On the ground that she re
ossessed both banks of the st. Law "
nee where it disembogues into the sea, pl
10 denies to the United States the right ii
navigation through about one.half of
e waters of Lakes Ontario, Erie, HUI st
III and Superior, and the whole of Lake tn
ichigan, through which the river ca
ows on the property of the U. S. The to
cap transportation from the agricultu- W
| States by this river to the Atlantic ce
aboard. To the citizens of these States ar
secures q greater return for their la le
"; to the inhabitants of the seaboard III
offers cheaper food to the nation an in
terest in the immense surplus of 70
ealth. 1t is hoped that the Govern SO
ent of Great Britain will see tie JUS in
.e ofabandoning her new and incon- fo
'tent claims, to which her Canadian tn
ovinces have urged her adherence. SO
Our depressed commerce is subjec: pc
which called your special attention IN;
the last session. and suggested that ma
E would in the future have to look wi
ore to the countries south of US, and ne