Year: 1869

f'oP~'y WI a haeion WIFI WHICH W


are at peace on mere Executive order


the matter has been referred to tn


Courts to decide. The conduct of tn


war between the allies and the RepubIi


OF Paraguay has made the intercours,


with that country so difficult that it ha


been deemed advisable to Withdraw
our representative from her. Toward.
the close of the last Administration {
convention was signed at London fol-
the settlement OF all outstanding claim,
between Great Britain and the United
States, which failed to receive the ad


vice and consent of the Senate to its rat


itication. The time and the circumstan-
ces attending the negotiations of that
treaty were unfavorable to its accept.
ance by the people of the United States
and its provisions wholly inadequate
for the settlement Of the grave wrongs
that had been sustained by this Govern.
ment, as we'll as by its citizens. The
Injuries resulting to the United States
by reason of the course adopted by
Great Britain during our late civil war
In the increased rates of insuran ce, In
the elimination of exports and imports,
and other distractions to domestic in
dustry and production; in its effect up
ON the foreign commerce of the country;
III the decrease and transfer to Great
Britain of our commercial marine; in
the prolongation of the war, and in the
increased cost, both in treasure an in
lives of its suppression, could not be
adjusted and satisfied as ordinary com
mercial claims which continually arise
between commercial nations; and yet
the convention treated these 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
difference, not a word was found in the
treaty, and not an inference could be
drawn from it, to remove the sense OF
the unfriendlinessO of the course of Great
Britain in our struggle for existence
which had so deeply and universally
impressed itselfupon the people of this
country. Believing that convention
thus misconceived in its scope and ina.
dequate in its provisions would not
have produced the hearty, cordial set
tlement of pending questions which
alone is consistent with the relations
which l desire to have established be-
tween the United States and Great Brit
ain, 1 regarded the action of the Sen.
ate in rejecting the treaty to have been
wisely taken, in the interest of peace,
and as necessary step in the direction
of perfect and cordial friendship be-
tween the two countries. A senseitiv


people conscious of their power, are


more at ease under great wrong Who'll.


ly unatOned, than under the restraint
of Il settlement which satisfies neither
their ideas of justice nor their grave
sense of the grievance they have sus.
tanned. The rejection of the treaty was
followed by state of public feeling on
both sides which thought not favora-
BILE to an immediate attempt at renew
ed negotiations. L accordingly so in
structed the Minister of the United
States to Great Britain, and found that
my views in this regard were shared by
her Majesty's Minister. I hope that the
time may soon arrive when the two
Governments can approach the solution
of this momentous question with an ap-
probation of what is due to the rights,
dignity and honor of each and with the
determination not only to remove the
causes of complaint in the past, but to
lay the foundation of broad principle
of public law which will prevent future
difficulties and lend firm and contin-
ued peace and friendship. This is now
the only grave question which the
United States have with any foreign
nation.


The question of renewing treaty
for reciprocal trade between the United
States and Il he British provinces on
this continent has not been favorably
considered by the Administration.
The advantages of such a treaty would
be wholly in favor of the British prov
inces except possibly few engaged in
the trade between the two sections.-
No citizen Of the United States would
be benefited by reciprocity. Our inter.
nal taxation would prove a protection
to the British producer almost equal to
the protection which our manufacturers
now receive from the tariff. Some ar
range ments, however for the reg
ulation Of commercial intercourse be.
tween the United States and the Do
minion 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 la
bors. The award of $650,000 has been
made,and all the rights and titles of the
Company on the territory of the United
States have been extinguished. Deeds
for the property of the company have
been delivered. An appropriation by
Congress to meet this sum is asked.


The commissioners for determining
the Northwestern land boundary be.
tween the United States and the British
possessions, under the treaty OF 1856,
have completed their labors and the
has been dissolved.


In conformity with the recommends
tion of Congress II proposition was early
made to the British Government To
abolish the mixed courts created under
the treaty of April /, 1862, for the sup
preston of the slave trade. The sub.
ject is still under negotiation. 1t hav.
ing come to my knowledge that cor,
porate company organized under tn,
British law proposed to land upon tn,
shores of the United States and to ope
rate there a submarine cable under {


concession from his Majesty, the En-


peror of the French, OF an exclusive


right for twenty years Of communica
20 lntx .,l -