Year: 1869

whether the treaties between the UnIte<
States and them may not be proftabl,
entered into, to securc more intimate re
lations, friendly commercial intercourse
and otherwise.


The subject of An inter-oceanIc canal I,
connect the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean
through the Isthmus of Darien is one il
which commerce is greatly interested. In
structi0ns have been given to our Ministe
to the Republic of the United States o
Columbia to endeavor to obtain authorit,
for a survey by this Government in orde
to determine the practicability of such al
undertaking, and charter for the right O
way to build by private enterprise sucl
work, if the survey proves it to be prac
ticable. ~


In order to comply with the agreemen
of the United States as to mixed com
mission at Lima, for the adjustment of tn
missioner to Lima in August last. No ap
preparation having been made for thi


purpose, it is now asked that one be mad
covering the past and future expenses o
the Commission.


The good offices of the United States
to bring about q peace between Spain ant
the South American Republics, witt
which she is at war, having been accepted
by Spain, Peru and Chill, a congress ha


been invited to be held in Washington
during the present winter.


A grant has been given the European
of an exclusive right of transit over tn
territory of Nicaragua, to which Costs
Rica has given its assent, which, it is al
legged, conflicts with vested rights of citi
zens of the United States. The Depart
ment of State has now this subject undel
consideration.


The Minister of Peru having made
representations that there was q state o
war between Peru and Spain, and thai
Spain was constructing in and near New
York thirty gunboats, which might bs
used by SPAN in such way as to relieve
the naval force at Cuba SO as to operate
against Peru, orders were given to prevent
their departure. No further steps having
been taken by the representatives of the
Peruvian Government to prevent the de-
parture of these vessels, and not feel
ing authorized to detain the property OF
q natien with which we are at peace on q
mere Executive order, the matter has
been referred to the courts to decide.


The conduct of the war between the
allies and the Republic of Paraguay has
made the intercourse with that country
30 difficult that it has been deemed ad-
visable to withdraw our representative
from there.


Toward the close of the last Admins
tration convention was signed at Lon
oon for the settlement of all outstanding
claims between Great Britain and the
so1 Cal 1o1 TO h
advice and consent of the Senate to its
ratification. The time and the circum.
stances attending the negotiation of the
treaty were unfavorable to its acceptance by
the people of the United States, and its
provisions were wholly inadequate for the
settlement of the gross wrongs that had
been sustained by this Government, as
well as by its citizens The injuries result.
ing to the United States, by reason of the
course adopted by Great Britain during
our late civil war, in increased rates of in
surance, in the diminution of exports and
imports, and other distractions to domes.
tic industry and production, in its effect
upon the foreign commerce of the country,
in the decrease and transfer to Great
Britain of our commercial marine, in the
prolongatiOn of war and increased cost,
both in treasure and in lives, of its sup
preston, could not be adjusted and satis-
fed as ordinary commercial claims which
continually arise between commercial ma
tions, and yet the Convention treated them
simply as such ordinary claims, from which
they differ more widely in the gravity of
their character than in the magnitude of
their amount. Great even as is that diff
ference, not word was found in the treaty
and not an inference could be drawn from
it, to remove the sense of the unfriendli-
ness of the course of Great Britain in our
struggle for existence, which had so deep.
ly and universally impressed itself upon
the people of this country. Believing
that q convention thus miscenstrued in its
scope and made quite different in its pro-
visions would not have produced the
hearty, cordial settlement of the pending
questions which alone is consistent with
the relations which desire to have estab-
hshed between the United States and
Great Britain, regarded the action of the
Senate, in rejecting the treaty, to have
been wisely taken in the interest of peace,
and as q necessary step in the direction
of a perfect and cordial friendship be-
tween the two countries. A sem
sitive people, conscious of their power,
are more at ease under Q great wrong
wholly unatoned than under the restraint
of settlement which satisfies neither their
ideas of justice nor their grave sense of
the grievance they have sustained. The
rejection of the treaty was followed by q
state of public feeling on both sides, which
/ thought not favorable to an immediate
attempt at renewing negotiation. 1 &C.
cordingly 30 instructed the Minister of
the United States to Great Britain, and
found that my views in this regard were
shared by her Msjesty's Minister. hope
that the time may soon arrive when the
two Governments can approach the solu-
ton of this momentous question with an
assurance Of what is due to the rights, dig
nifty and honor of each, and with the de-
termination, not only to remove the causes
of complaint in the past, but to lay the
foundation OF 9 broad principle of public
law, which will prevent future differ
ences, and tend to firm and continued
peace and friendship. This is now the
only grave question which the United
States have with any foreign nation.


The question Of treaty for Reciprocity
between the United States and the British
Provinces, on this continent has
not been favorably considered by the
Administration. The advantage Of such
a treaty would be wholly in favor of the
British producer, except possibly a few en-
gagged in the trade between the two Sec
tions. No citizen of the United States
would be benefited by reciprocity. Our
internal taxation would prove protection
to the British producer almost equal to
the protection which our manufacturers
now receive from the tariff. Some ar
rangement, however, for the regulation of
commercial intercourse between the
United States and the Dominion of Canada
may be desirable


The commission for adjusting the claims
of the Hudson Bay and Puget's Sound
Agricultural Company upon the United
States has terminated its hbors The
award of $650, 900 has been made and all
the rights and titles of the company ON
the territory of the United States have
been extinguished. The deeds for the
property of the company have been re-
ceived. An appropriation by Congress to
meet this sum is asked


The Commissioners for determining the
Northwestern land boundary between the
United States and the British Possessions,
under the treaty ofs1858, /have completed
their labors, and the Commission has dis
solved. In conformity with the recon-
mendation of Congress, proposition was
early made to the British Government to
abolish the mixed courts created under
the treaty of April 2, 1852, for the sup
preston of the slave trade. The subject
is still under negotiation.


1t having come to my knowledge that q
corporate company, organized under Brit
isb laws, proposed to land upon the shores
of the United States, and to operate there
a submarine cable, under q concession
from His Majesty, the Emperor of the
French, of an exclusive right for 20 years
of telegraphic communication between
the shores of France and the United States