The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1870-12-13
.onOned bv nature for the oommerca of

1856, the Emperor Of Brazil, by i'm.
perial decree, declared the Amazon to
be open to the frontier of Brazil to
the merchant ships of all nations. The
greatest living British authority on the
subject, while asserting the abstract
right of the British claims, SAYS: ut
seems difficult to deny that Great
Britain may ground her refusal upon
strict law, but il is equally difficult to
deny, first, that in so doing she eSer-
cises harshly an extreme and hard law:
secondly, that her conduct with respect
TO the navigation of the st. Lawrence
is in glaring and discreditable incou.
sistency with her conduct with respect
to the navigation of the Mississippi.
On the ground that she possessed a
small domain in which the Mississippi
took its rise, she insisted on this right
to navigate tho entire volume OF its
waters, on the ground that she possess.
cd both banks of the St. Lawrence.
where it 1isembogues into the sea, she
denies to the United States the right
of navigation, though about one>half
of the waters of Lakes Ontario, Erie.
Huron and Superior and the whole of
Lake Michigan, through which the
river flows, are the property of the
United States The whole nation is
interested in securing cheap transpor-
tation from the agricultural States of
the West to the Atlantic seaboard. To
the citizens of those States it secures
greater return for their labor, TO the
inhabitants of seaboard; it offers cheap-
er food, to the nation an increase in the
annual surplus Of wealth. L is hoped
that the Government of Great Britain
will see the justice of abandoning the
marrow and inconsistent claim to which
her Canadian provinces have urged
her adherence.
OUR DEPRESSED COMMERCE.
Our depressed commerce is subject
to which | called your special atten-
ton at the last session. | suggested
that we will in the future have 10 look
more to the countries south of us, and
to Chinasand Japan for its revival.
Our representatives to all those govern
ments have exerted their influence to
encourage trade between 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, and while this state of
affairs exists, we cannot control our
due share of the commerce of the
world; that between the Pacific States
and China and Japan is about on all
the carrying trade now conducted in
American vessels. would recommend
a liberal policy towards that line of
American steamers-one that will in
sure It's success and even increased USE
fulness. The cost of building iron
vessels-the only ones that compete
with foreign ships in the carrying trade
lis so much greater in the United
states than in foreign countries, that
without some assistance from the Gov
ernment cannot they be successfully
Quilt here. There will be several PROPOSE
tions laid before Congress in the course
OF the present session, looking to a
remedy for this evil. Even if it should
oe at some cost TO the national treasu-
ry, hope such encouragement, will be
given as will secure American shipping
on the high seas and American ship.
building at home.
NEW BUILDING FOR THE STATE DE-
PARTMEST RECOMMENDED.
The condition of the archives at the
Department Of State calls for the early
action of Congress. The building now
rented by the Department is a frail
structure, at an inconvenient distance
from the Executive mansion and from
the other Departments. 1t is ill-adapt-
cd to the purpose for which il is used,
has not capacity to accommodate the
archives, and is not tire-proof. Its re-
mote situation, its slender construction,
and the absence of supply of water
in the neighborhood, leaves but little
hope of safety for either the building
or its contents in case on the accident
of a fire. Its destruction would involve
the loss of the rolls containing the
original acts and resolutions of Con-
gress, to the historic records of the
Revolution, and of the confederation
OF the whole series of diplomatic and
consular archives since the adoption of
the constitution and of the many other
valuable records and papers left with
that department when it was the prin-
cipal depository of the government
archives. | recommend an appropria-
tion for the construction of a building
for the Department of State.
TRANSFERS FROM DEPARTMENTS.
l recommend to you the reconsidera-
tion the propriety Of transferring to the
Department of the Interior, to which
they seem more appropriately to be-
long, all powers and other duties in re-
lation to the territories with which the
Department of State is now charged
by law or usage, and from the Inter
ior Department TO the War Depart
ment the Pension Bureau, so far as it
regulates the payment Of soldiers pen
sions. L would further recommend
that the payment of naval pensions be
transferred to one of the bureaus of
the Navy Department.