North Carolina Newspapers

It" " r v- - . t - ' .. .. : . ' I- - f- .: W ;i P. -- -!-! ' ' - ' J' - 7 ' 1 Vol. iv. v wilminctok;;; g.b Decembers 1870.; j ! r noFT7" I i 11 r THE WILMINGTON POST. ' ' , i TIJUMSUUD SUNIilYS AND i Iir Year. THURSDAYS. $3 00 Six Montns.. . 'LiirOe Months. ........ ... Ocne m onth. ..2 00 . 1 25 . 50 s' copies, Five cents. 3 furnished at reasonable rates. ICATES OF ADVERTISING: Her 1 . fequarc, one time, 75 cents. than one square, one time, 50 cents. ' timea $1 03 and all succeeding insertions half pi ce additional. ."- " per month, & for one square, and each t peeking equare half rates additional. llklfkjolumn and Column advertisements re ecivjed on proper discount. Lbul adttrtiscmeate 10 cents a aue. Addrees, ;. T . v I; ; .f Editor and rroprietor, " Wilmington, N C. PRESIDENT'S. MESSAGE; tfavite aud House of Representatives : ir of peace and general prosperity to ioti has passed since 'the last . assem- kf Congress. We: have, Uirougn a Providence, been blessed : With abun op?i and have been spared from com plications and war with foreign nations. In Jur inidst comparative harmony has been je-iujrt ci.- n is 10 uu- luyiuucu, mmoti, that! a A El ree exercise of the elective franchise violence and iutiirjidutipnf been de citizens, in exceptionaF cas-es, in ined7 t sevetal of the States lately in rebellion,' aod lirt of the nisoDle has thereby been the reve tipp ,'C1 sca. The States of Virginia, Missia- u Texas have been restored to rep- reseat a gia is t tatidn ion in our National Councils. Geor ic only State now -''without reprcseu- Ln Congress. She may be coivhdent- eted to take her place there also at Uje iedinuirig of the New Year, and then . & . l ... i. . . -i r Jet ijs li'npgi wiil be completed me wont i tuction. 3Vitli an acquiescence- on Of the whole, people in the National on to p y the public debt, created thq()ar obiijat as t lie-price ot our union, ana ine pensions to bur disabled soldiers and sailors,, and tlipii willows and orohaus. and in the chaise to the Constitution which have necessarv by a great rebellion, i herb islliO isl no Reason why we should not ad- vaudc i$ material prosperity and happiuess as niotjlier i nation ever has done alter so. protlacied and devastating awar. PTlbii TO F0HE1GNERS IN NUANCE. : iSop'U .' ropif, th I tier the existing war broke out in Eu l protection of the U. States Minister r ... . r r il..." AT...1. lav llari was invoKea m.-iavor oi inu nuim GulnanV domiciled in French . territory. . - - s 4 y hiiiU E I . m I - Instructions were issued to grant this pro tectiou. This has been followed by an ex 'teDiion of American protection to citizens of aaxohy, llesse and Saxe Coburg, Gotha, :Collmbia, Portugal,N Uruguay, the Domini ' c ui'Rei ilblic, Ecuador, Chili, Paraguay and - Yeiiizueja in Paris. The charge was an ontrousjonej, requiring constant and severe .Jabbr, its well as the exercise of patience, pr4dene and good judgment. It has been pefifornied to the entire satisfaction Of this GoVeruincnt, and, as I am officially inf orm C(jl equally so to the satisfaction of the i GoSvernfn en i. of North Germany. ' RECOGNITION OF THE FRENCH UEPUHLIC. 4s boijn as I learned that a Republic had bedn proclaimed at Paris, and.that the people ot France had acquiesced in the change, the Minister of the United States wus directed, " by 'telegraph, to recognize it and tender my corigratlilatioDS, and those of the people of thii United Btates. The re establishment in : France bf a system of government disebn iiydtertitUi the dynastic traditions of Eu roe, abpeared to be a proper subject for tfitj felicitations of Americans. Should' the l-nnfeentl strueale result in attaching ; the heiuts dt the French to our Ampler forms of repVcsed tatiVe Government,:-, it -win ue a of- still further satisfaction to our Biitijcct I .people. I po$e ou While we make . no , effort to im institutions upon the inliabitants countries, and while we adhere to r oi otncf oue trac' itional neutrality in civil coniesis el&Awhcf cannot be indifferent to the .spnead jof American" political ideas iiv a highly civilized country like France. TI E NON-INTERVENTION TOLICT. Ve were asKed oy me new uutwu- raeiit ta use our good offices, jointly with .ihtLa nil Furonean oowers. in the interests of tnc'accsv Answer was made that the estab- licLfxil italic and the true interests of the Uilitid Istates forbade them to interfere in Europe; Powers, h questions jointly with European 1 ascertained, miormauy and uu- olliciallt, that the Government ot jNortn Grmaoly was rot then disposed to listen to sueh representations from any Powers, aud thOughlearnestly wishing to see the , bless ings ofjpcace restored to the belligerents, with'aUjof whom the United States ,are on fteims of friendship, I declined, on the part of thislGovernment, to take a step which r.rJibi nnlv result in iniurv to our true in terests, ) without advancing . the object for which four intervention was invoked. SlIcuMd Ithe time come when the action of the United States can hasten the return of nrUce blv a single hour, that action will be 1 iWartilvf taken. I deem it prudent, in view ot the number of persons ot Germau and I French birth living in the United States, to iakue. sdon after the official; notice of a state oi war tlad been received from both belliger- I eats, a Proclamation defining the duty of the i U. Statls as a neutral, and the obligations oi persdns residing wunin meir lerriiory io oliservo bur laws, and ; trie laws oi nations This prpclamation was followed by others as circumstances seemed to ? cair ior:iucui. the pelple thus acquainted, m advance, With ttifcir duties and obligations, nave as iasted in preventing violations ot: the neu trality IM the United States. , c ' f ; THE CUBAN WAR. - ' ' It is pot understood that the condition of hr. i naflrrprtion in Cnhn. has matprisdlv fthnn- r - - .w..w..j. jKu.Bince.ine ciose or uieiasi session oi von- gress. : f ., In au early stage of the cantest the au thorities of Spain -. inaugurated a system of arbitrary ajrests, of close confinement, and military trials and executions 'of persons suspected of complicity-with the in surgents and of summary embargo of their properties and sequestration of heir reye nues by executive warrant. Such, proceed ings, so fr, as they eff cted thd persons or property of citizens of the United States, were in violation of the provisions of the treaty of 1705, between the United States and Spain.- "Representations of injuries re suiting to severahpersons.lciaimu2- , to bo citizens of the JJnitcd such violations were"inade to tht Spanish Gbvernmeat. Front Aprils 18C9,! to June last the Spanish Minist r at' VVashigtoii had been clothed with limited power, toward redressing su61wrngs.Hfhat power was found to be withdrawn in, view of (the favor able situation (ubafrrhich; however, did not lead to fjvpcation or suspension of extraordTnary and arbitrary unctons exir cicd by tho Kxtemtivc power in uba, we were oon;eu , to J3iaKe ' .1' ' otir complaints at Madrid. THE SPANISH V AKD XJMERICAN CLAlStS COM- V MISSION. In the ncgotiattOns thus pending there the ' United claimed that, for the future, operie.il and States; only the rights se- cured to their ciUzsns by treaty sHouFfFlK; respected, and that'a joint tribunatihtould be established in the United States iwith full jurisdiction over all such claimsjl Before 1 A 1 1 1 1 sucu.a tiiounai eaco claimant ic .required to prove his caset On the othqr hand, Spain would be a liberty to trayersi every fact, and thus complete equity ' woiild be done. A case whjch at one time ihreateu ed seriously to effect the Irelatifibbf,; the United States ancj, Spain has already, been disposed of. Irthls way the clairaLtif the owners of the ColiLlovd AsDinwalli for the illegal seizure and detention of tliat v ef ,DJ was relerred to arpilration by mutua and resulted in an, j& ward : to t the States for the suiifofj 10,702 50 Another and long pending claim nature thatTot a w.hale ship has been disi posed Of by irieud'if -arbitration tlukingith present year. It wa refried byij'nt cpnj sent, of the United Jjtates and Brazil to the decision ot Sir Edward Thornton, her Brit tanic Majesty's Minister at Washington, who undertook the; task and,; examining the mass of correspondence audi testimony myuy Ward I su b m 1 1 1 e by t h e t vv o G o v tj r n m e h 1 8,t a ed to the United States the sum of I in gold, which has since been pai imperial Government ay be agreed to by eiwier. nation witnc dishonor. It is to be hoped that! this mod erate demand will be acceded to by tepain without further delay. It U:e negotiations unfortunately be without result, it will then become my duty to communicate that let to Congress and invite its action on the sub- ect. ,'.'' ! j' - . SOUTH AMERICAN PEACE4 CONKERfSKCE. The lonqr deferred peace (cohferencj between Spain and the allied Sohth jAnieri- cau Governments has been inaugurated in Washington under the auspices ol the United States. Pursuant to the recommen dation contained in the resolution ot tho House of Representatives of the 17th De- cember, lSGOj the Executive Departtaeht of the Government offered its friendly1 offices for the promotion of peace ; between Spain and the allied Republics. Hesitations oc- curred to the acceptance of the Offer; Ulti- mately a conference was arranged an.' open ed in this city on the 29th- Octobers last, at which I authorized the Secretary of State to preside. It was attended by .Ministers. of Spam, Peiu, Chili and iiicuadcr,. ltj conse- quence ot the absence ot a representative from Bolivia, the Conference -adjourned un til his attendance from that Republic, or other measures could be adopted towards compassing its object. The allied and other Republics ot Spanish origin- may seej in this tact a new prooi or our sincere; interest in their welfare : to see them blessed with good Governments, capable ot maintaining order and of preserving their respective territo rial integrity, . and of our 3 sincere Wish to extend our own commercial relatiofis vith them. - The time is not far distant w!hen, in the natural course of events, the Eiirobeau political connection with .this Continent will cease. Uur policy should be shaped, in viow of this, so as to ''all V the commercial interests of the Spanish American I States more closely, and thus sive the United States all the pre-eminence and all the ad- vantage which Mr. Monroe and Mr, Clay contemplated when they pro posed, to join in a Congress at Panama. SAN DOMINGO TREATY. x uunug me last sessiou oi vyongress a ireaiy ess tise ior me annexation oi iuc rvepuouc oipano- m haye EOUght rfage abroad for this pur mingo to the U. States failed toieceive the I ns(V vfVflvHtinnl treaties Ihlvelbeen con- two-thirds vote. J was thoroughly ebnyme edthat the best interests ot this couutry, com mercially, demanded its ratification. Time has only confirmed me in this - view, aiad I nOw firmly believe, the moment it is ikhown that the United States have entirely ji aban doned the proiect of accepting as a part of its territory, the Island ot San Domingo, a free port.. will bfl negotiated for by; Euro pean nations. tf In the Bay of Samana a large commercial city will spring up, to which we Will be a tributaryswithout receiving corresponding benefits, and then will be seen the . folly of our rejecting so great a prize. -I be - iov ernment of. Sah Domingo' has voluntarily sought this annexation. It is a weak; power, numbering, probably, less than 120,000 cnnla nndpt nospssinfr nnn of the; richest ov v.ai, mwwj ww f-y .w 1 - trritnnes under - the-san: f It is cabat51eof supporting. a population of 10.000,000 'of people io luxury. The people of San Do- miniro are not caoable ot maintaining them- , ,t i . t. i j t ooiuns in T.iip.ir iirHXP.ui i: iiiiuLinn.- auiir inusi lnnkvfor fantside8UbDOtt.v?Thev?veamfJr the ' protection of our free institutidhs and laws, and our progress and ciyUjzatioh. OW.ll ..fnon (hom 9 ;i,L :.. Tho opnnieifinn it Ran lifmi Item rtesir- aUo HAnonon in Jfa o-pncrrnnbical rvnsftinn; it commands the entrance to the Carribbean I appear that the popular mind became pos Rpa and thn Tsthmns transit ot commerce, sessed with the idea that this contest, ex- It possesses the -richest" 8oir.-tbebe$trafld most capacious harbor? the most 'salubrious climate, nd the most valuabreproduct3 oi the forest, "mine and soil of anyot the West India Islands.! fits possession ibytia will in a few years build up a coastwise; commerce ot immense magnitude jvhi.ch .will go. far ;towar3- frestoriDgto!ui lost mcrctant marine. It" will1 give to us those articles which we consume so largely and do nbtu produce, tlius equalizing-our exports and; imports. Irfcase'bf 'foreign war, it will give us command of all the islands referred ,;uv, ,iuuS. preyuan -enemy., worn ever again poessmg: hii65lf of K-'re&cUffiy6& tfewWrVif7:- a WeV-f -L-I . toand thus; preyenan enemy from ? ever trade between the States borderins on the of Mexictr is chtin two by the Bahamaaand the Antillas twice. AYe must, as it were, pass through foreign countries to get by nf en f , un cfer w h i c h h er' immense resources can be developed, will give renumcrative waires to tens-of 'thousands of laborers not. now upo&vtueiaHancl.' 'Thiiabor will take advantage of every availa!esnaean oftrans-' portation to abadefon th adjacent fisTknds and seek the blessings ot freedom and its sequence each inhabitant Receiving , the re ward of his own labors. Porto Uico and Cuba, will have ""to abolish slavery as a rneasure of. 1 f-presef yation itoj retam'lheir laborers! San Domingo will beepme a large pjLqsCmer of )jeprbb!lctB f thoorth ern farms and manufactories. The cheap rates at which her citizens can be furnished with food, tools -and; machinery Ifvilf make it heeessafy that contiguous, if lands should have the same "advantages in order to com pete in the production '.jaf sugar, coffee, to bacco, tropical fruits, &c This wHl. onen to us a still wier hiarket'fof iir products. Tho production of our own supply of these aiuwcs wiuctii ou more, man, luu.uuUiUUU vPTeasj nlaii ef porlsi 5 ffl i t b suchafc t u re, !njnfto;( fiLodpi'lMfi foreig ners and PBy.spenQur-iitizena'traelinffln for- eigq iaiid?eqiiaijto th&Senti fyllc 1 pt the precious metaJSJti' thi's couj(itry .; It inoi' so accpmptitif D j Tg eijajj'uisitioniofs&aii Do mingo, lSianjadhef encet it& the 10Ut)6c-. trine4t isia measure of -National Arofc'tibn; it is asserting our just claim to "a cbhTtrpUing infi,nnnn I, l I l' 1 " OI at once, and ultimately so in Brazil; it is to settle the "unhappy condition of Cuba and tp end an -.exterminating conflict- it is- to provide :the best means for paying our, hon est debts' without overtaxing the pwpleiqt' is to luruisu our citizens wiiii me necessa ries of every day lite at cheaperi rates than ever before, and it is, in fine, a rapid stride towards that greatness v whicli -the intelli gence, industry .and enterprise of the citi zens off the United States entitle Hiis coun try to assume among nations. In view of the importance of this question I earnestly urge' upon Congress early action, expressive ot its views, as to the best means ot acquir ing San Domingo. My suggestion is that. by joint resolution or the two Houses of Congress, the iilxecutiye! be .authorized to appoint a commission to negotiate a treaty with the authorities ot San Domingo for the acquisition ot that island,-and that an appropriation be made to defray the exptn ses of such commission.. ;Tlie qdestion may then be determined either by r the action' of the two Houses ot Congress upon a resolu tion of annexation, as in the case of the ac quisition of Texas. So con,vinced ?amsI of the advantages'td now from the' acquisition of San Domingo, and of the great disadvan tages, 1-might almost say the calamities. to flow from non-acquisition, that I believe the subject has only to be .investigated to be approved. It to to be regretted that our representa tions, in regard to the injurious enects, es pecially upon the revenue ot. he United States, of the policy of the ' Mexican Gov ernment in excepting from import duties a large tract of its territory on our borders, have "not only been fruitless1 but that it is even proposed in that country to extend the limits within which the privileges adverted to has hitherto been enjoyed. The expedi ency of taking into your serious considera tion proper measures tor countervailing the policy reterred to will, it is presumed, en gage your earnest attention. X ' ! EXTRADITION TREATIES. ; . f It is the obvious interest, especially of UW8U ""-""o ..-e,- - nainhhnrinft' natinno trt nrnvina arrarnQf im. lr:moQ TO1fi,;n tlir hnrripr nd whn Dose. jjiXtradiuonj ireaues tnaveDeen con cluded; with several 6f the Ceutiai American Republicsand, others are inrprpgress.; YENEZUNLIAN CLAIMS. The fslinleilof fCpngr JfSeMJed, as ikuf UAnn nWa tfhiinmmiccinrr 1 ttn-? mr U f V -WW : ( on . . claims. , againsk (veu.6uis,t , . uuw- municated in my messages ot March 31, 1869. and March 31. 1870. It has not been deemed advisable to. distribute any of the money wnicu naa oeen recoyereu lroiu iuai government until Congress shall nave acted upon the subject. ti , THE TIEN-TSIN MASSACRE. -j.fi The massacres pf; Frtnchaln Russian re sidents at Ticu.TaihjCGhmaBder circnm stances pi greai uai.ui.ivj wo.v, yj- some," to have been r-premcditatea ana to ln- I T . i .i , , . . dicate a purpose amofi the populace to ex terminate foreigners in the Chinese Empire. The 4? vi oosition, but, shows a complicity Between I .u iAXJl Z?HirlWi "oTirftho mnh T! i LuciuLiu.jiuuJvtiuvw auv. . mw uvu, a government at Pekm, however, seetoato have been disposed to fulfill- its treaty obligatioBtmriAsici-i aDHt ao ao so. I I Infnrttinaf.filv. thfitlCWST OI,inoWat DerweeTT Untortunatelyt thetncwsfpfitheiwar between the German States and ? Fraflce! reached . . -. I Chinfi t koon after the m&SSaC.'e. It WOUld sea rrora tieorgia to the vcst .iJoasUiLEhjr- tending to Chinese waters, would neutralize the, Christian, influence and power, and that the time WMcomiog when the superstitious masses5 might expel all I foreigners, and' re store i mandarian - inflaence. : Anticipating trouble trom this cause, I Inyited : France and North Germany to make an -authorized suspension of hostilities in the East, where they -were 'temporarily suspended by the. act pt vthe eomnianders, and- to act together for the future protection JnjCbina ot the Uve3 and" , property! of . Americans and Europe- rtvvM gseat jhitain batified. t i jOiLiZt: ?? ' ' r-!K T - "t j VSihce 'the adjournment of Congress the - J 4 " I-"? ratifications 5 61 the treaty with Great Brit am for apohshing'the mixed courts for the su ppressionipf the slave (trade is now con fined .to the; eastern coast of Africa, whence the 'slaves are "taken to Arabian markets.. The ratifications of the Naturalization Con vention, between Great Britain and the Uni ted States have also been; exchanged during recess, and thus a long standing dispute be tween the two1 governments has been set tled in accordance witlj the principle al ways contended for by the United States. THE NORTHERN BOUNDARY QUESTION. . ; la April last, while engaged in locating a military reservation near Pembina, acorps of surveyors discovered that the commonly received boundary line between the United States and the British possessions, at that place, is about 4,700 feet! south of the true position of the.Mth parallel, and that the line, when! run on what isnow supposed to be the true position ot that parallel, would leave the Fort t)f the Hudson Bay Compa ny at Pembina within the territory of the United .States.; This information being communicated: to the British Government, I was requested to consent, aud did consent, that the British occupation ot the fort of the Hudsbn'slBay Company should continue for. the present. I deem it Important, how ever, that, this part of the boundary line should be definitely fixed by a joint com mission of the two governments, and I sub mit herewith estimates of the expenses of such a commission on the part of the United States and recommend that an appropria tion btf.marib for that purpose. The land boundary has already been fixed and mark ed, from . the summit ot the Rocky Moun tains to the Georgia n Bay. It should now be,. in like, manner, marked from the Lake of the Woods to Mountains. the summit of the Rocky i ; THE ALABAMA CLAIMS. i I' regret to say that ho conclusion has been j reached r. for the adiustment of the claims against Great Britain, groving out of the course adopted' by fthat government during the . rebellion. ' The Cabinet of London, so far as its views have been expressed, does not appear to bq willing t) concede that her Majesty's government was guilty ot any ne gligence, or; did or permitted any act dur ing the war by which the United States has any justifiable complaint. Our firm and unalterable-convictions are directly the. re verse. I therefore recommend to Congress to authorize the appoinment of a commis sion to take proof of the amounts and the ownership of these Several claims on notice to , the representative of Her Maiestv at Washington, and that authority of these claims by the United States, so that the government shall have the; ownership of the private claims as well as the responsible control of all the demands against Great Britain. It cannotbc necessary'to add that. whenever. Her Majesty's government shall entertain a desire for a full and friendly ad justment ot these claims, the United States 11 . ' A ' i I ' . V A t wirrenter upon ineir consideration, wiiu an earnestdesire for conclusion, consistent with the honor and dignity of both nations. i THE CANADIAN, FISHERIES QUESTION. The course pursued by the Canadian au thorities towards the fishermen of the Uni ted States, during the past season; has not been marked by a friendly; feeling. By the first article of the Convention ot 1818, be tween Great Britain and the United States, itlwas agreed that the ".inhabitants " of the United States should have, forever, in com mon with British subjects, - the right of iking fish in certain water therein defined. In tbe waters not included in the limits named in the convention, within three miles of parts ot the British coast, it has been the ciistom for many, years to give to intending fishermen of the United Staies, a reasonable warning ot their) violation bf the technical rights of Great Britain. The Imperial Gov-. ernraent is understood to have delegated the whole, or a share ot 3 its jurisdiction or control of these in shore fishing grounds to the Colonial authority, known as the Do minion of Canada, and this semi-independent, but irresponsible agent has exercised" its delegated powers in anj unfriendly way. Vessels have been seized witnout notice or warning, in violation ' of i the custom previ ously prevailing and have been taken into the Colonial 0 ports, their; voyages broken, and the vessels condemned! There is rea son to believe that this unfriendly and vexa tious treatment was designed to bear harsh ly upon, the hardy fishermen of the. United States, wjth; a view to political effect on this Government.; The statutes ot the DomiDipn ot Canada assume a still broader, and more untenable jurisdiction over :he vessels of the United Statas.1 1They attlwrize officers or persons, to bring vessels, liovering within three marine miles of any ot the coasts, bays, creeks, and harbors of .Canada, into port to search the cargo' to examine the master on oath pouching the cargo and voyage and to inflict upon him ;a heavy pecuniary penalty if true answers are not givev and if tuch a vessel is found preparing to jfisbi within three marihe milei any such coasts, bay s, creeks or harbors, ,.:without a license, after 1 the ex piration of the period, named in the last license granted to it, they provide that the vessefwitU 'iier tackled itcJ shall: be for- feited;0 It is not' known ; that any. condem- nationa have been made under, this .statute, iShouia he autnori ties ox ;anaaa attempt to enforce it, it - will become : my duty to ake sucn stepE;as may pe cessarj 10 pro ect the rights of citizens of the United tates ff..:k- i,i,it It has been claimed bv Her Majesty's offl- m cers inai ine nsmns vessels oi m wuusu m . ,1 ...1 . eA;. . r .1. tt.:.j States have no riht to epter the open porta of the British possessions in North America, except for the purposes of shelter and re pairing damages, ot, purchasing wood and obtaining. water; that they have noriht to enter at the'British custom houses, or to trade thereexcept ;n the purchase of wood and'water, and that they must depart within twenty-four hours after notice to leare. It is not known that any 'seizure of a fishing vessel carrying the flag of the United States has been made under; this claim.- So tar as the claim is founded on an alleged construe- by. Her Majesty1 GovenmiehtiDuring the wms4,uvw, niuvu fpfvwcueu we negoua tions of the Convention ot 13J8, the British Commissioners1 proposed to expressly ex clude the fishermen of the United States from the privilege of carrying on trade with any of Her Brittanic Majesty V subjects re siding within the limits assigned for their use, and also, that it should not be lawful fcr any vessels ot the United States; engaged in said fishery, to have on board any goods,; waies or merchandise, whatever, except such as may be necessary for the prosecu tion ot their voyages, to and from said fish-; ing grounds ; and any vessel of the United States which shall contravene this regula tion may be seized, condemned and con fiscated with her cargo. ' V This proposition, which is identical with tjhe construction now put upon the language 1 oi me uonvention, was emphatically rejected by the American Commissioners, and, thereupon, was abandoned by the British Plenipotentiarie,and Article 1. as it stands in the Convention, was substituted. If,; however, it be" said that this claim is found ed on provincial or colonial statutes,; and not upon the Convention, this Government cannot but regard them.as unfriendly; and in contravention of the spirit, if not of the letter of the treaty, for the faithful execu tion of which the Imperial Government is alone responsible. 1 Anticipating that an attempt may possibly be made by the Canadian authorities, in the coming season, to repeat their uhneighborly acts towards our fishermen, I ! 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 . territory of the United. States to Canada; and further, should such an extreme measure become necessary, to suspend the operation of any laws whereby vessels ot the Dominion of Canada are per mitted to enter the waters of the United States. .' V- ;..-;.( : . : -; , j' NAVIGATION OF THE ST. LAWRENCE 4 A like unfriendly disposition has! been manifested on the part pt Canada in the maintenance of a claim ot iight to ex clude the citizens of the United States from? the navigation of the St. Lawrence. This river constitutes, a natural . outlet to the ocean for eight States, with an. aggregate population of about 17,600,000 inhabitants, and with an aggregate tonnage of 661,367; tons upon the waters which discharge into it. ' The foreign commerce of our , ports pn! these waters is open tot British cpmpetition, and the major part of it is done in British bottoms. If the, American seamen ; be ex cluded from this natural ' avenue to ithe oceaD, the monopoly of the; direct CQmmerce of the lake ports with; the; Atlantic would be in foreign' hands, their vessels on trans Atlantic voyages having an access te our Lake ports, which would be - denied to American vessels on similar voyages. To state such a proposition , is to refute its justice. During the Administration ot Mr. John Quincy Adams, Mr. Clay unanswerably demonstrated the natural rights ot the citi zens of the United States to the Jjavigation ot the river, . claiming that the act of the; Congress of Vienna in opening, the Rhine and other rivers to all nations showed the judgment of European jurists and states men to be that the inhabitants of a country through which a navigable river passes have a natural right to enjoy .the naviga tion of that river to and into' the sea,, even though passing through' the territories of. another Power. This right does not 'ex clude the co-equal right of ihe sovereign possessing the territory through ; which the river debounches into the sea to make such regulations relative : to the police of the; navigation as may be reasonably ' necessary, out tnose reguiauons snouia De iramea in a liberal spirit of comity, and should not im pose needless business upon the commerce which has the right of transit. It has been found in practice more advantageous to ar range these. regulations by mutual; agree ment. The. United States are .ready to make any reasonable arrangement as to. the police of the St. Lawrence which may be suggetted by Great liritainr? li the claim made by Mr. Clay was just " when the popu lation of . States bordering on the shores ol the LaKeswas 3,400,000 it now? derives: greater force and tquity Jrom the increased population, wealth, production and tonnage of the States on the Canadian border. 8ince Mr. Clay advanced his argument in behalf of our "right, the principle for which he contended ? has been frequently I and by various , nations recognized by law or by treaty, and has bcen extended to several other great rivers. By the treaty concluded at Mayence, in 1831, the Rhine was declared free from the point where it is first navigable to the seaJt By theh Convention between Spain and Portugal, concluded in 1835 the navigation of the Donro throughout - its whole extent was made free for, the solK jectsof both Crowns. In l$53:tbe Argentine Confederation, by treaty,, turewi Gpen the free navigation of the Parana ana Uruguay rivers to ; the merchant vessels ot all na tions. In 1856 the Crimean war was closed by a treaty whicn provided for the free nav igation of the Danube. In v 1858, JB61ivia by treaty, declared that it regarded the riy ers Amazon. and ? La? Plata,, in .accordance witb fixed prmciples -Jof national law, as high way s or channels opened by nature for the commerce of all nations." - In ' 1859 the Paiaguay was made' free by treaty and. in December, 18C6r the Emperor of Brazil, by imperial decree,"dec1 ared h Amazon, to be 6pen to the frontier of 'Brazil to' the mer chant ships ?f all nations. The greatest living British authority on 4his subjectj while asserting the Tbstract right bt the British claim, says : VI t seems difficult to deny that Great Britain may ground htr re acquiesced in1by the United I Staiea-w l fusal upon strict law,1 but it is equally diffi cult to deny that in so doing she exercises harshly an extremely hard law; secondly, that her conduct with respect to the naviga tion of the , Qt. Lawrence -is in glaring and discreditable inconsistency ? with her con duct with respect ' to the navigation of the Mississippi. On the, ground thatt she pos sessed a small domain in which the Missis- - 1 1 - t sippi took its rise, she insisted on the 'right "tiw- MJcte5e.TOiun.ox, iuwa.ers. On the ground that she possesses both, banks of the St. LawrenceZ-where it discharge? it self into the sea,f she denies Ito the: United States the right ot navigation, k though about one-half of the waters of Lakes Onta rio, Erie, Huron, f and Superior'and the whole of Lake Michigan, through ?which the river flows, are the 'property -bt the United States. The whole nation isuinter ested in securing cheap transportation from the agricultural States of the West tcr the Atlantic seaboard.: To the citizens pt.ihose States it secures a greater return ior?their l&bcir; to the inhabitants of the seab6drd it aifforda a cheaper food; to the nati'ao!BSi!in crease : to'thc annual surplus ot wealthvJt is to bo hoped that the government of Great Britain will see the justice of- aban&oilng the narrow and inconsistent claim to which her Canadian Provinces have urged her ad herence. U .j. iru: fjf -..y;:, t vv,iTrryi" A mas t. Oar depressed commerce is a ent ject to which I called your eepecial attention at .be iaefos. eion, and euggeuted that we willi in tfct toture, have to look more to the oonntries eoutij ol-tis and to China and Japan for ita revivals Otuep reseotatives to all theae Governments' haWex tended their influence to, encourage trade d tween the- TJnitfcd Bt&tes and ' the coantrie to which they are a ocr edited. Bat tha fact xiita that the carrying trade ie almost entirely In for eign bottomi, and while this atate of affairs ex ists we cannot control uur due share of the com merce of the world. Tkat hetweealtha ipieiflo State?, China and Japan ia about all the carrying Uede now conducted? in litneriouit jvetseisu woald recommend a liberal policy towards that lip e of American ateamera, one t bat j will insure its success, and even increased naefufnesa. The eest of bnildiog iron e8e!,-; tho only ones 'that on, compete with for8ig ahips in the carrying trade, ii so mnota greater in "the TJoited t3ta.es than in f reign countries that, without assist ance from the Government," they cannot be suc cessfully built liere. There will be serera. pro. positions laid before Congress, in' the coarse of the present session, looking to a remedy for this evil. If it should be at some cost to the National Treasury, I hope snob, eaooaragetaent witl be given as will secure American shipping on . the high jseaa and Amerioan ihip-bniiding at hom4. NECESSITY FOR A NEW BDrj,DINO FOll THE r.TTT rAirifT?TnTii - OTAXJS UBFARTMENT. I iThe coaaitiotf of rtearehires-at the:i)eparf mont of State calls for tho earty sotion of Oon gresa. The building no reWtod ty that Depart ment is a . frail etruo.ure, at an inconvenient distance from, the Executive : Mansioa and from the other. Departments. It is ill-adapted,4a the purpose for which it is need; - has not capacity to aocommodate the archives, and U not fire proof. Its t emote ti .nation; I Its ! slender coot etruction, and the absence of a supply of water ia the neighborhood, i leivev but Iiuft ;hdpa of safety, for either the building or its contents, in iC8 oft Jhe accident pf at fir&niltal destriictioa woald involve the loss of the rolls contaiaing the original cUniresalatioDs of; Codgross; of thf historic records of the Revolution and of the Confederation; of the, whole series ot dipiomatie atid Conmlar archives since tho adoption of the Constitution; of the many other, valuable reord and papers' left with that Department when it waB the principal depository of the GoTermental archives..4 Si ri-,ii if - .x , :I recommend an appropriation for the, oon struction of a bnildiog for tbe,! Department of estate. f TRANSFER OF BUREAUS REC0MldtENDED.' ... I recommend to your leoopsideratioa the -pro-' priety of transferring to the Department of the Interior, to whioh they seem, m?ro appropriately! to belong, all powers atd duties ia relation to the territories, withr which the, Department, Bf ate is ipo charged, by law br 'usage; and from the Interior Department to the War Department, the Pension Barean.' so far as ' it regulates the payment of soldiers' pensions. I would farther recommend that the payment o naval pensions be transferred to one of the bureaus pf the Nayy. Departmental- .MvA v,. tu. ..ofr.-aa . ', 1 ESTIMATES FOR THE NEXT FISCAL TEAR. , , f.- , i -.if- 'tU; '-. i; ' - . - j The estimates for the expenses of the govern ment for the next fiscal year, are- 418,24316 jOll . less than for the current one, but exceed thd ap propriation for the present year, for .Ihe i same: items, $8,972,127 66V In this eatimatV however, V is included $22 3a3,t7S 37 for public works here- ' tofore began nnderX.o6g8ioat5iprQvision8,, and of which only so much is aebed as Congress may choose to giveuJThe appropriation- for the4 same work for the present fiscii year was $11, 9Si5 8 03. ; The average value of gold s com-1 pared with nations 1 currency, for the wbo'e of the year 1869. w-s; about. 134, and ?: for stleven months of 1870 the same relative value has been, about 115. The approach to a specie basis is very grratifying, but the lct canaot be denied that the Instability of tbetvalae of oar -earreney is.pre judicial to our prosperity, and tends to keep up prices ta the detriment of tra5e.y ' Tho eyils - of a depreciated and fl ictqating currency are so r great ma. now, wnen tho piemium on gold has ' fallen so much, it would seem that tho time hat arrived when, by wise and ptudeatiat legislation, Ooneress should look io a policy ..which would X place our currency at par with gold" at no distant ; REDUCTION OF TAXATION. IThe tax collected from the people has been re. duced more than eighty miliione .of dollara per annum. By steadiness in our present course,, there is as reason why in a few short years th -Na'ional tax gatherer may not disappear from the door of the oitizea almost entitely. r With thers i venue stamp dispensed by postmasters ia every community ; a tax upon ilq iora of all aorta, and" tobacco, in ail its forms, ana by a wise adjustment r of the tariff which, i4 pit a doty only :poa those -articles which we couid dispense with, kcown as loxuries, and on those which we nse more of than1' we produce, revenue enough may be raioedjafter. a few years of peace and cneent reduction of In-' debtednees, to fulfill all onx obligations A further er redaction of expenses; ia - addition to a reduc tion of. interest account, may bereliedroa to mate this practicable. Be venae reform, if it means thivhas my hearty aapporU ll it implie ii .. a collection of all the revenue for the support of Government ; for the. payment bf principal and! ?t interest of the publio debt, pensions &o., by di rectly taxing the people, then 1 am' against rev- : onue reform, and coufliently believe the people are with me. If it means failure to provide the 1 necessary means to defray all the expenses of the , Government; and thereby repudiation of the pub tic debt and penaionsftthsttX-wm stiilgmore op posed to each kind of reveaus reform. Bt venue reform has hot been defined by any of iU advo cates, to my kntnrledgef but teems td be accept ed as ecmething which if to supply every man's . r wants, without anV cost or iffor ton hi part. a. l true revenue reform canhot bs mads inla day,1 but mutt ba the work of national legislation nd , of time." As soon as the revenue em he dispensed -with,; all day jshoul4 bo removed; 1 from: coffw, i tea and other articles of uoiveMal use ,j:q.v pro- , duoed bv ourselves. The necessities of the,coun try compel ns to collect rsvenae. from oaz int4 b poits. An army of assessors and collectors if not . ajpieasant sight to the citizen, bat that or a tar 1 Iff for revenue is nee.ssiry. f ducha tifi, sofar as it acts as an enconragtmsnt to home proiuo- 1 tioa, affords empio ment to labor at living wages," - in contrast to the pauper lab i of the Old orid, l J Concluded on fourth page. f x - V i I