Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1870-12-16

Anticipating that au attempt may
possible be made by the Canadian au-
thorities in the coming season to repeat
their unneighborly acts toward our fish
ermen, recommend you to confer upon
the Executive the power to suspend by
proclamation the operation of the laws
authorizing the transit of goods, wares
and merchandise in bond across the teri
tory of the United States and Canada !;
and further, should such an extreme
measure be necessary, to suspend the OPP
Grafton of any laws whereby the vessels
of the Dominion of Canada are permit
ted to enter the waters Of the United
States.
| A like unfriendly disposition has been
manifested on the part of Canada in the
maintenance of claim to the right 10
exclude the citizens OF the United States
from the navigation of the ST. Lawrence
This river constitutes a naval outlet to
the ocean for eight states, with an aggre-
gate population of about II 100000 in
habitants and an aggregate tonnage of
6,6l1 1867 tons upon the waters which
discharge into it. The foreign commerce
of our ports on these waters is open to
British competition, and the major part
OF it is done in British bottoms. If the
American seamen be excluded from this
national avenue to the ocean, the mo-
nopoly of the direct commerce of the
lake ports with the Atlantic would be in
foreign hands, their vessels on transat-
lantic voyages having an access to our
lake ports, which would be denied to
American vessels in similar voyages. To
state such proposition is to refute its
justice. During the administration of
Mr.. John Quincy Adams, Mr.. Clay I'M
questionably demonstrated the natural
right of the citizens of the United States
to the navigation of this river, claiming
that the act of the Congress of Vienna,
in opening tie Rhine and other rivers
to all nations, showed the judgement of
European jurists and statesmen that the
inhabitants of that country through
which navigable river passes have
natural right to enjoy the navigation Of
that rivertoand into the sea, even though
the territory Of another power. This
right does not exclude the coequal right
OF the sovereign possessing the territory
through which the river debouches into
the sea to make such regulations rala-
tive to the police of the navigation as
may bereasonably necessary. But these
regu atoms 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 practice more adj
vantageous to arrange these regulations
by mutual agreement, and the United
States are ready to make any reasonable
arrangement as to the police of the St.
Lawrence which may be suggested by
Great Britain.
If the claim made by Clay was Just
when the population of the states Dor
dering on the shores of the lakes was on
ly 100000, to it now derives greater
force and equity from the increased pop
ulation, wealth, production and tonnage
Of the states on the Canadian frontiers.
Since Mr.. Clay advanced his argument
in behalf of our right, the principle for
which he contended has been frequently
and by various nations, recognized by
law and treaty, and has been extended
to several other great rivers.
BY the treaty concluded at Mayence
in 1881, the Rhine was declared free
from the point where it is first navigable
to the sea. BY the convention between
Spain and Portugal, concluded in 1885.
the navigation of the Douro throughout
its whole extent was made free for the
subjects of both crowns. In 1858 the
Argentine Confederation by treaty then
opened the free navigation of the Para
quay and Uruguay to the merchant YES
sells of all nations. In 1856 the Crimean
war closed by treaty which provided
for the free navigation of the Danube
In 1858 Bolivia, by treaty declared that
it regarded the rivers Amazon and La
Plata, in accordance with fixed princi.
pies of national law, as highways or
channels opened by nature for the com.
merce of all nations. In 1859 the Para
quay was made free by treaty, and in
December, 1866, the Emperor of Brazil,
by imperial 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 this
subject, while asserting to the abstract
right of the British claims, SAYS /; ct
seems difficult to deny that Great Brit
ain m'y ground the refusal upon strict
law, but it is equally difficult to depy
first, that in so DOING she exero;sas hl