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Published Weekly,
A5W?haa bv AheiriniiDles ofTair and libehA
I . i . - i i ii. i .L'- .U
President's rMessages
. VV ASHINGXON, December 5th, 1825
Tiie President of the United States trans
miued. vtbis day, to both f. Houses pf
Congress the following Message : V
gtllow- Citizen (of the Senaij
7 nVasseinfiiage o
f onr Ufiiofi jri Jjpth Mouses of Congress
at this line5 crsuhdercircum
ratinl acknowledgments to the,. -Giver
cf all UOUO. .WHP iiic eiwuuuHsjiuvi
dental to the most felicitous condition o
human' existence we 'continue to bet
highly favored in alt the eleraents tPtch
contribute to individuat e
oaiibiial -pYwperity
our extensive country 1 we hay e generaUy
lo observe abodesof , health and regions
cf plenty. 3; In our civil ahd4 pljlf rc
lationst we rhay
tranquility jfvithin, ;our JjnleM W!e are,'
as a people, increasing withunabated rapr
idity in populiUpn'aHh-an'd national
Resources vahd whatever Idifirienceji of
opinion exisraoionjos, wuirregara 04ne
mode and the means .'By which we shall turn
ihe beneficence o'rHeaveo to thejmjirove
Lent of oaVown ionditioV ? there is yet a
spirity ahimatihg us ally which wilknpt
suffer the bounties of Providence to be
showered upon us itf;vain,',vil!re
ceive them with grateful hearts, and apu
ply them with un wearied ; hands, to; the
advancement of the general good.
Of the subjects recommended' to the
consideration of UonjgressTat thejjrV last
Session, some veire ; then: 4itffiitively
acted upon. ' Qtliers .left unfinished, I but
partially matured," will recur tpjour;
imtion. witboutV needing? a fenewal of
notice from' rae The 'piirposeypr this
communication ;will rbej tb-presnt Vto
ytiur yif yjhe general aspect of ourpub
liclffiirs at this moment,, and'the fmea
sure whidrb:av"ebeerf taken to carry into
effect tlie intentloris of the j-egislature as
s-gni fied by ; the la w s th eo and; h ere to fore
enacted.' ; '";;,!' -: !" ;
In our intercourse with the other! na
tions of the'eartb. we i have still the hap
piness of enjoying peace and a general
good uhdersianding-iqoalified, liowevef
in several: important in stances, by col
lisions of interest, and by unsatisfied
claims' of justice, to, the settlernent lof
whicli, the constitutional interposition of
the 'legislative authority maejConie
ttltiroatelviudispensable -Vf J) '.r;-
- -vw -1 , ..
Bv the decease of the' Emperof AAIex-
. .--'.'-.:-t'---' i...jr-l..'Lir
" . WM -
antler of Kussia, wnicn occurrco cuieui
bran eousfy with the' com aencement 6f
the las t Session 6f Congress hey United
States have been deprived Of a long tried,
steady ynd'' faithful friend iV-Borti to, the
inheritance of absblule power,, and . trai
ced in the school of adversity from which
no do wer on earth, ' however absolute," is
irora nis youin,
h! tiiat tlicMnterests of his own govern
oentiwoutd best be proteliyby afrank
audlriendly Intercourse
he, as th pse of his people" would bevad-
vaitceilbV '!aUpeiral:-jrpnm
ccursH w ith mir iciuniry 'X candid .ajid
cutifiJentiat ihtercliaiige ofJentiments
bi-tween him i and the Gdvefriment of -ihe
I) silted States "opou .tne ffaiwbfl South
cro America,; tootc place ai a
.f. ' -M t -1 - ': r-'-'-.u- i J -
a':ernativeut that4if f boner or'iaterre
covniitnff :ihen'ueTOh'dencr-ofour.aoob
tT-neiiliwW6fVhch;
er
bv thi United. Mates; aireaoy, oeeiieu
Tae !" bixli nary" IdVplqmtic: !om mu nica
ti n between liis successor, the Emper-,
or NicolaaniT the United States,- fiav
suffered some interruption by tbe illness,
departure, and iubst-quent decease of hts
mi lister resting hSere who' enjoyed, ;ias
be ieritedtne entire confidence f , bS
filw sovereign, :s .'fitr. bad eminently res
ponded tbhaiof; his predecessor But
we have li the bs satisfactory assu
rHnceshat the4sentirathtsl of the reign
ing Emperor towards the .United States
are altogether opwuforijol to those which
had so long nif cb'nstaritly animated his
impenajrolher ud ; we have reason to
hnno that thov ur
ill serve to cement that
narmony
tween
cone
the advanceVneDl of rbe welfares and pros
perityfUuh:. : V"
Our relations of commerce' and navn
gati'on twah Fr a nceirey by the , opera
tion of thoVCohventtoa cX'24tb Jtt3r
long preceding his demise, anaconiriDu
levt r fiVthat Ciuirsieof policy hich;(eft
M liieherovernraents of Europe, no
ana eooo miiueinaMunn, j-w-
. - ..v Oi. , . - .".'. - ' . . .
m' Km-
the two nations, whtca Jounaea in
eniai interestsl : cannot but result .in
4 - -.
( nation.1', in m stater of
gradual , and progressive improvement.
reciprocity winch the United states have
consianiiy letiaerea 10 an me ; nations pi
the reanH, ; as the rule lof commercial
intercourse, which they wjoajd ttaiyeraal
ly prefer that fair and equal competition
is most conducive to the interests of both'
parties the;( United States " iri 1 the ne,
gqtiation of that Convention, earnestly
contended for a mutual renunciation of
discriminating dotie and charges in (he
batik of 'the two, eoaotnesC unable to
obtain the immediate recognition of tins
principle in its full extenf, aflef reducing
theJd'utieSi.or' discrimihatioriji so .far as
was found attainable, lit was agreed that,
at the expiration of two years from the
st of October,: 1822fl when ihe Con veh-i
mon . was 10 co into eueci. ;uniess nonce
f I nf si mnhth hn ' itKr ViH" nhniiM ' BV;
giyen 'to the other, 4bat the,': Con vehiioni
Itself;, musi terminate, those duties should
be reduced by one-fourth : ; and that this
I822t-with
reductibfitshbuld be yearly, repeated, until j municated to Congress. These Treaties', tlje benefit of a final- and permanent "ad--all
discrimination should cease while the have established between the contracting, justmeht of this interest to the satisfac-
(drcej, By the effect of this atiptilatjony
inree-forhsbfUie Jdiscriminamoies.
which had .'been levied by each party',
upon the vessels of4 the other in its ports,
naye(aireaay oeen remoTea ; ana, on ipe oi any quarier oi, iue giooe, upon ine pay
lst of next Octobery should the Cohven- ; mehf of the sam6 duties of tonnage and
tion be still in force. , the remaining furth ' impost that arechargable upon their own.
win oe Qiscuniinura.' r reucu vessels,
laden with French produce, will be re i
ceived in of. ports on the sarae ternis as
our own: aiiq ours, in return, will enjoy
ine same, advantages, in , tne v pons oi ,
ranee. py .inese approximations jo anj pariy win impose, upon articles oi mer
equality of duties and of charges, notonlyf chan dise, the produce or manufacture of ;
has the, .com hie rce bet wee n t he twocoun-" the other, any btheirvor higher, duties than ,
tries prbsperedV but friendly Ijispositions upon the like articles, 'being the produce '
nave oeen. on uuin siats, iicourageu anu
promoted. They ? wiU cohtinbe to be
cherished and cultivated on the part of the
United 'States U Would ha ve been gra
tifying io have had Ulnmy power to add
that the claims upph! the justice pf the
Frenchi Gpvernmenty'ihvol vinVtbe pro
perty and the comfortable subsistence of
many of our fellow-citixens, and ;wiiich
have been so tbqg and sp earnestly, urged,
were" in a more promising train of adjust
ment than at your last meeting j but their
condition remains unaltered. '!.r. ,;,
y WilhjhVGpverement of . the ;Netlier
landsy the mdtuaiyabandonmept of dis
enmi hating duties had been regulated by
Legislative acts' on Dpth. sides.' The aci
ol Congress of the '(-Axyilii
ahb1ished(!allNyjiimina of
Inipph an innage,!'up
and pbddce of the Netherlands in the
ports of the United States upon the . as:
suVanc given by the "Go,vern m en t b f the
Netherlands, that all such duties opera
ting against the shipping and1 commerce
of 'the United Statesj in that Kingdom,
had ; been x abolished. These reciprocal
regulations had continued in force several
years when the discriminating principle
was resumed by the Netherlands in,
new and indirect form,! by a bounty; pf
ten per cent. : in the shape of a ., return!; of
duties to their national vessels, and .in
, which those of the United States are not
permitted to participate. ; By the , act of
Congress of the fth of January. 1824,
all discriminating aunes. in ine vnneo
;States were ainsuerided so far as
'related to the vessels and produce of vthe
;Netheriands, ; so. Ipng; as ;-U W.n reciprocal
exemption should be extended to the ves
sels and produce of the United States .io
the Nethellands'But1 the same act pro
vides that, in the' event of a restoration
bf s discriminating, duties, ;to operate
against the shipping and commerce of the
United States, in a ny f f,the foreign
countries referred to therein, ithe suspen
sion of discriminating duties in., favor of
the navigation of such . foreign, country
should cease, j and all." the provisions rf
tbe actV imposing discriminating' foreign
tonnage and impost duties in the . United
States, J should revive,i!ahd)i)e tln full
fortie' with regard to that nation, v . -! .-.
v In he correspondence with the .Gov
ernment of the Netherlands upon this
subject, they bave ; contended 'that the
favor shot n.to their' own shipping oy
this bouHt;r-opoh their - tonnage, is not
lb be considered as a discriminating duty.
But it cannot be! denied thai it prodacet
all the tame effects. Had 'tha mutual
abolitionbeen stipulaied;by treaty such
a bounty opoo'tbe national vessels could
scarcely have been 'v granted consistently
with good faitb.'; et, as the act of
Congress of rth Januayi 1824, has not
expressly authorised the Executive au
thority to determine what tball be con
sidered as revival of discricjiuatiog du
ties by a foreign Government Co the dis
advantage of the United States, and ;
the retaliatory ocasuie a our pxrtf
however just end necesssiy, ctayj tend
rather to that conflict of legislation which
trfefcb trc iavitt tU csarBtrdal osiiosi,
v ') " ! '''
Amrrr.tm. than to that COOCClt 19
as most conducive to their interest and
our bwniVJ have thought it more consis
tent with the spirit of our. institutions; td
refer the subject again! to the paramount
authority of the Legislature to. decide
what measure the emergency may require,'
man abruptly by proci amation, to carry
into efiect themioatory provision of the
act of 1824. 7 ' 'Viv
puring the last session of Congress,
Treaties jof Amity, l Navigatort7 and
uviuiucree, wpre ,ncgouaip anu; signea
at this place with- the 'Government of
Denmarkji in Europe," and. with . the
federation of Central America, in this
heihheVey& These ?Traties r theni re
ceived the constitotionarsanciion of the
Senate,1 by the advic and consent to
their, ratification. They-vere according
ly ratifi ad, on the part bf f the United!
States,' and,, during the. recess of Con
gress, ' have, beenV also ratified by t the
other respective contract! ng parti.es. The.
j ratine
! they
auons nave Deen exenaneed,. ana
have been published by ProcIama-;
; lions, copies of wh
ich are herewith com-
redprMity Jnh'eir.' -broacfes't, an.d most
Ubrjii rf tent ..: pcH party admitting the
vessels of the . otherinto its ports, laden
. with cargoes the produce or manufacture i
i . wcjr iwve . luriucr iiuuictieu, mai , ihc
parties shall hereafter grant no favor of;
navigation or commerce to any other.na-
uion,,wnicn snati not, upon the same ..terms -
oe graniea i eacn omer: and mat neuner j
or manufacture of any "other country. Td t
these principlese there is, i n the Con ven
tioh with Den mark, Van exception, with
regard to the Colonies of that Kingdom
m the Arctic Seas, but hone with regard
to her Colonies in the .West Indies. ,
.'In the course of the last summer,! the
term to which our last Commercial Treaty
with Sweden was limited, has expired, j
A. continuation of it. is ib."the cbntemDla- i
A. continuation of it. is io the' contempla-
pf the Swedish Government,, and is be
lived to b"e desirable on the part of the
United States- . 'It has been proposed by
the King' of '."Sweden,' that, pending the
negotiation of renewal, the expired Trea
ty should be mutually considered as still
in force ; a measure which will require
the, sanction of Congress to be carried in
to effect on our part, and which I there
fore recommend to your consideration.
:Wilh Prussia, Spain, Portugal, and in
general all ;the European Powers, be-
tween' whom and the United States rela-1
ctions bf friendly intercourse have existed, ;
their condition has not materially varied j
since'the last session of Congress. , : ' 1. re-
gret not to be able to sav the same of odr I
commercial intercourse with the Colonial
Possessions of Great' Britain in America.
Negotiations of tbe highest importance to
our common interests, have been for' se
veral years in discussion between the two
Governments ; and on the part 'of tHe
United States have been, invariably pur
sued in the spirit of candor and concilia-
rtion. Interests of great magnitude and
delicacy .had been adjusted by the Con
ventions of 1S15 and 18 18,! while that of
1822.. mediated by the late Emperor
Alexander, had promised a satisfactory
compromise of claims which the Govern-
ment of the United States, in justice to
the rights of a numerous class of their
citizens, was bound to sustain. But with ted Slates did not forthwith accept purely
regard to the commercial intercourse be- and simply the terms offered by the Act
tween the United States and the British of Parliament, of July, 1825, Great Brit
Colonies in America, it has been hither- fain would hot now admit the vessels of the
to found impracticable to bring the par-j United States even upon the terms on
ties to an understanding satisfactory to which she has opened theni to the oavi-
both. ' The relative geographical posi
tion, and tbe respective products of na
ture cultivated by human Industry,! had
constituted the elements of a commercial
intercourse between ' the United States
and British America, insular and conti
nental, important to the inhabitants of
both countries. - ' But it had r been inter
dicted by Great Britain, upon a principle
heretofore practised upon by tbe coloni
zing nations of Europe, of holding the
trade of their colonies, each in exclusive
monopoly! to herself After the termina
tion of -the late war, this interdiction had
been revived, and ; the , British Govern
ment declined including this portion of
our intercourse with her possessions in
the negotiation of the Convention of 1815.
The trade was then carried on exclusive
ly In British vessels, til! tbe act of Con
gress concerning navigation of 1818, and
the supplemental act of 1320, met .the
interdict by a corresponding csatsrcon
the part of ibs United Sutea. These
erasures, not cf retaliation, bat of neces
sary a elf-defence, were toon succeeds J by
n Act of Parliament, opening certain
colonial ports to the vessel cf the Uni
J tti wia3 -T frca Uts,
I''"'' - 1 .'i 'i
ana to the importation, from thera of cer
tain article's of our , produce- burdened
withr heavyr duties, and j excluding some
oft he mos t valuablei articles of our , ex;
'jjorti.; TBe; IfnjtedlStates opened ;'Jthef r
ports to British vessels from the Colo-.i
nies, upon terms as exactly correspond
ding with those of the Act of jparliament)
s, in the relative position , of the parties,
could be made: And a negotiation was
j, commenced by mutual consent, with the
hope, on ou;. part, that a reciprocal spirit
of accommodation and a common senti
ment of the importance of the trade to the
interests of ; the ' inhabitants of the iwo
countries, between whom it must be car
ried on," would ultimately bring! the par-,
ties to a compromise,' with which . both
ruiglU' be satisfied. ? Vlth this view, the.
Government of jhe' lhited State had de
termihed to sacrifice, something of that
entif reciprocity which . in all commer
cial arrangements wit iy Foreign Powers
they! are entitled!todeniand, and to ac
quiesce in some Inequalities disadvanta-
genus xo ourselves rattier man to lorego
tion of Great Britain herself. The neeo-
tiat ion, repeated ly. suspended by acciden
tal circumstances, was however, by 'mu
tual agreement iand express assent, cpn
sidered as peodinrff. and to be '."".speedily "
resumed. In the menn ,time, another
Act of Parliament, so doubtful and am-
biguous in is import as to have been mis-
understood by the oucers;in thel Colo-
nies who Were to carry it into, execution,
opens again certain Colonial ports, upon
.new conditions and terms, with a threat
io ciose tuem against any IXation which
may not- accept those terms as prescn-
bed by the 'British Government. This
act passed in July,: 1825, not conlmuni-
cated to the Government of the United
States,; bolt Tunderstod byhe British Of.
ficefs of the Customs in the Colonies
where itwas to be enforced, was never-
theless submitted to the consideration of
Congress, dt their last session. With the
knowledge that a negotiation upon the
subject had long been in progress, and,
pledges given of its resumption at an early
day, it was deemed expedient to a wait the
result of that neu;atiatiOQ,rathei thiin. tr.
subscribe implicitly to terms, the import of the United States, or to require the in
of which was not clear, and which the terpbsition of our Ministers, had they been
British authorities themselves, in this present. Their absence has indeed de
hemisphere, were not prepared to explain. prived us of the opportunity of possessing
Immediately after the! close of Uie last . precise and authentic information of the
Session of Congress,
one of our most dis-
tinguisued citizens
was despatched as
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Pie-
nipotentiary to .Great Britain, , furnished
with r instructions which'., we could not
doubt would lead to a conclusion of this
loner controverted.! interest, upon terms
acceptable to Great Britain. Upon his
arrival, and before he had delivered, his
letters of credence, hevwas- met by an
Order of the British Council, excluding,
from and after the first of December no w
current, the vessels of the United States
- .. . . . . n . . .
from all the Colonial British ports, ex
cepting those immediately bordering up-
n'n r-rnw Tarritririfm ' In anttrvr tt Ki OT.
nnfitiilalinnc tinon a. measure thus unex
pected, he is informed that, according to
; the ancient maxims of policy of European
, nations having colonies their, trade is an
exclusive possession of the mother coun- t
try. That all participation in it by other '
nations, is a boon or favor, not forming (
a subject of negotiation, but to be regu- i
lated by the Legislative Acts 'of the Power 1
- owning the colony; , That the British
Government, therefore, declines negotia- i
ting concerning it; and that, as the Uni-
gation of other nations.
- We have been accustomed to consider
the trade which we have enjoyed w ith the
British Colonies, rather as an interchange
of mutual benefits, than as a mere favor
received : that, under every circumstance,
we have given an ample equivalent. We
have seen every other nation holding Col
onies, negotiate with other nations, and,
grant them, freely, admission to ihe Colo
nies by Treaty and, so far are the other
colonising nations of Europe now from
refusing to negotiate for trade with their
Colonies, that we ourselves have secured
access to the Colonies of more than one
of them by treaty. The refusal, however,
of Great Britain to negotiate, leaves to
the United States no other alternative
than that of regelating, of interdicting,
altogether, tbe trade oo their part, ac
cording as cither measure nay aect the
interests of our own cosntry , and with
that cxtlssivt object, 1 would recoaaeod
the whole tsbject to )csr cxLa end csa
tii dsliberatioos.
It is beped that ocr csavallls j exsrtlosa
to ascocp!ts!i cordial good endcrszan
Ciuj ca tsis inttrest, will net have an
topics of discussion between the two Gov
ernments. .! t)ur Northeastern and Sorth
western boundaries,;!are still unadjusted
The Commissioners under the'Tth artU
ticle of theTreaty of Ghent,"haye neatly
come to the close of their labours : noi
Can we renounce the eipectatibn, enf e
bled as it is, that they may -agree lupoa
their report, to the satisfaction or acqui
escence of-both!, patties V The Commit
sion for liquidating the claims for indem
nity for slaves carried away after the closo
of the war, has been sitting, wi th doubt
ful prospects of success..! Propositions of
com promise ! have, .ho we vef,' passed lie
tween the two Governments, -the' result
of which, we flatter ourselves;, may yet
prove satisfactory. Our own dispositionf
and; purposes towards Great Britain, artf
all friendly and conciliatory "nor can w
abandon,: but with strong reluctance, the
belief that they will .ultimately meet a'
return, not of favors, w hich we neither
ask nor desire, ; but of equal 'reciprocity
and g6odiii.;:, ;k -.vy.:y ,1:- : k:
: ', With the American Governmehta of
this hemisphere we continue .to maihtalti
an intercourse altogether ! friendly, "tid
between tlffir nations and ours, ihat com
mercial inferchange of which mutual be
nefit is the source, and mutual comfort
and harmony the result j is in a continual
stale of improvements The war betweea
Spain and them, since the totalexpulsion
I of the Spanish military forcp from their
continental territories, has been little more
than nominal : and their internal tfan
quility, though occasionally menaced bjT
the agitations which civil wars never fail
to leave oenind them, lias not Deen aoec
ea oy any. serious calamity.
r he Congress or Ministers from several
: of those nations which assembled at Pana
ma, after a short session there, adjourned
to meet again, at a more favorable season
. in i the neighbourhood ! of Alexicor The
decease of one of our Ministers on hit
way to the Isthmus, and the impediment j
of the season, which delayed C the depar ""
ture of the other, deprived us of the ad
vantage of being represented at the first
meeting of the Congress. There is, how-."
ever, no reason to believe that any ofihe
; transactions of the Congress' were of W
nature to afiVct. jniuriausljr th-
treaties which were concluded at Panama!
and the whole result has confirmed me in.
the conviction of the expediency to the
United States of being represented at the
Congress. The surviving member of the
Mission: appointed during your last ses
sion, has accordingly proceeded to hie
destination;- and a successor to his distin
guished and lamented associate will be
nominated to the Senate. A . Treaty ot
- Amiiy, Navigation and Commerce, has,
in the course of the last summer, been
: concluded by our Minister Plenipotentiary
: k A :.l .l rr j o: . . .i .
91 mesico, wnn ine vj uiieu oiates oi mat
Confederacy, which will also be laid be
fore 'the Senate, for their advice with
regard to its ratification. ' ,
' Jn adverting to the present condition
of our fiscal concerns, land to the pros'
pects of our Revenue, the fit st remark
that calls our attention,, is,' that they are
less exuberantly prosperous than they
were at ine coi responding period ot
were : at the
the fast year.
- ine severe shc'cft
sustained bv. (he com
extensively
mercial and manofuciuring inierest
in ' Great Britain has not Deen; with
out a perceptible recoil upon, ourselves
A reduced importation from, abroad, is
necessarily succeeded by a reduced tetura
tiS the Treasury at home. yThe net rev
enue of the present year, will not ! equal
that of the last. And the receipts of thai
which is tb come, will fall shoit of those
in the current year. The diminution
however, is in part attributable to the
flourishing condition. of some of our do
mestic manufactures,and so far is compen
sated by an equivalent nore profitable to
the nation. Jt is also! highly gratifying
to perceive, . that tbe deficiency, in. the
revenue, while it scarcely exceeds the any
licipalions of the last, year's from the)
Treasury, hat not interrupted the applU
cation of more than eleven millions during
the present year, to the discbarge of tha
principal and interest of the debt, nor the,
reduction of upwards of seven millions of
the capital debt itself. The balance in the
Treasury on the first of January fast, wea
five millions two hundred and one thoa
tand sis hundred and , fifty dollar and
forty-three cents. The receipts from that
time to tbe SOtb of September last, vercf
nineteen millions five hundred and eighty
five thousand-nine bendxed and thirty-two
dollars and fifty cent. The receipts cf
the current quarter, cjiiaatrd at sis mil
lions cf dollars, yield, with the tsa el
ready received, a revenue cf about (treaty
five inHlion and a baff lor the ycrr. Tba
expenditures for the three first qtrrUrj c(
the yrsry have ascunted to ci-tita
I !