IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 'V A {./ '/ w. 1.0 I.I 1.25 Mi. 1^ 2.2 U ill 1.6 V] / > f %">^' .^ // y >^ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY 14580 (7)6) 872-4503 C/j CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques :\ ,^0 Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographlques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. n n n n n n □ Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur Covers damaged/ Couverture endommagde Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaurde et/ou pellicul^e Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque Coloured maps/ Cartes gdographiques en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ Relid avec d'autres documents Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La re Mure serr6e peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge intdrieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajoutdes lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas 6t6 filmdes. Additional comments:/ Ccmmentaires suppldmentaires.- L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 4td possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-dtre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la mdthode normale de filmage sont indiquds ci-dessous. D D D D D D Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur Pages damaged/ Pages endommagdes Pages restored and/or laminated/ Pages restaurdes et/ou pelliculdes Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages ddcolordes, tachetdes ou piqudes Pages detached/ Pages ddtachdes 0Showthrough/ Transparence D D Quality of print varies/ Quality indgale de I'impression Includes supplementary material/ Comprend du materiel suppldmentaire Only edition available/ Saule Edition disponible Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc.. ont 6x6 filmdes 6 nouveau do fa9on 6 obtenir la meilleure image possible. This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est filmd au taux de reduction indiqud ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X SOX v^ 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X re jdtails es du modifier er une Filmage The copy filmed here has beeti reproduced thanks to the generosity of: National Library of Canada The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. L'exemplaire filmd fut reproduit grdce i la g6n6rosit6 de: Bibliothdque nationale du Canada Les images suivantes ont 6t6 reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et de la nettetd de Texemplaire filmd, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. es Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol — «^ (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprimde sont filmds en commenpant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la dernidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second plat, selon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont filmds en commenpant par la premidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole -^ signifie "A SUIVRE ", le symbole V signifie "FIN ". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre film6s d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est filmd d partir de Tangle supdrieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m^thode. errata I to t > pelure, on d n 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 32(1 CoxnuEss, '2d SisHum. Rep. No. 4, Ho. OF I?i;ps. •^ v» M n i^ KECirUOCAL THADK WI'I'II TIIK I'.IMTISII NORTH AMER- ICAN COLONIES. [To aocoiDimuy Itill H. K. No. \W).] Ftnrti AHv 1 1, \'*W.\. Mr. D. L. Peymour, finni llic Coniiiiitlcc on Coinincrco, inadc llic I'ol- lowing REl'ORT. 'Hie Comiiiil'fr on Commerrr, to u-hom irrrc '('firrid sitiidr)/ mcmorinh of yiiiuricdn cifizr/is, rdadrc /o ncijirvad (/ 'da utth the British, ISorth Ami I lean colonics, report: T\u- inijiortnncc ot" llic Inidc of tlic Ciiilfd St;it(>s with lln^ British Noilli Amcricjin colonics, r;ij)i(lly incrciisinu; with the cxt(Mision of lii- cihtics ot intcrconununiciition, the rc{)catc(l rccoinnKMidiilions ol" tliis suhjcct to the consi(hriilion ot" Congress by the i*resi(Knt ol" th(> United States, the expressions ol" public oj)inion l)y resolutions and petitions from our northern frontier and leading; coinniercial cities, and the hberal overtures of some of the colonial goveriunents, urge up( i Congress the necessity of establishing our connnercial intercourse with tlie colonies upon a basis (jf a lair and liberal recij)i()city, and upon principles con- genial with the enlarged comnierciid spirit of the present age Tl le comnuttee proj)ose, l)riellv, to re\ lew the past legisl;ition a UK 1 treaty stipulations relative to our connnercial intercourst,^ with the British North American colon le to ex hibit tl !(' j)ic'sent })osition an< 1 111 Cot ignitude of this trade; to recoininend measures to be adopted by inress lor the lutiire arranucmc-nt ot commerce w ith tl lese colonies: and to discuss the ellects w liich the projxised arrangements will have upon several leadinu; interests of our conntrv. The commiltee do not deem it necessary tor their purpost^ to enter into a lull explanation of the comj)licafed legislation which has taken place in respect to colonial trade. They desire simply to show how, in the course of years, notwithstanding fretpient measures of retaliation, yet in conse(juence of alternate conc< ssions, a most narrow and op- pressive system has hern enlaiged into one of com[)arative freedom and liberalily, alike bcnelicial to the colonies and th(3 United Stat(^s. y !)( tl n reviewinir ttie conimeicia 1 hist orv ot tiicM' colonies, w hicl 1 ma said to commence in 17>»Ji, the att( iition is lirst arrested bv a measure of enligliteiKHl and far-seeing statesmanship, which remarkably con- trasts with the subsctpient j)olicy of the liiitish ministry. In March, J7S3, William Pitt, then C^hanc(dlor of the lOxcht (juct, introduced in the House of Commons a bill lor the regulation of trade 2 H. Rep 4. iiii'l iiifcrcourso hclwrrn lli<> ])p()})I(.' (A' (hvii\ I^iitiiiii nnd oftlK^ I'liitcd Suites, ill wliicli were cnibodicd principles ()('])ublic- policy wliicli may St rvc as precepts l(»r let^nslafion in our time. A portion ofllie hill is in tiu- l()llo\\ inif words: "And wliereas it is liiulily expedient that the intercourse hetween dreat llritain and the I'nited Smtes shoiildho estahhshed on tlie rnost rn/(/rir((l prlnrijihs nf r< rip road htiHiits to hoth cninitriis-, hut, from the distance between (Jreal Britain and America, Jl iiin-t he a consi(h'ral)le time hglbre aiiv convention or treaty for es- tahhshinii; and rcirnlatinLT the trade and iiiierconrs<" hetween (!reat liiit.iin and the I'liitcd Slates ol' America upon a permanent I'ounda- tioii (;an be conchided :" # * # " i\ow, l()r the piiipose of makinijf a temporar}' i'ei,nilalion ol the commerce and intercourse Ixtwecn (Jreat Britain and said I'nited States ol"Ameri<'a. and in orch'i' to evinc(! a (hsposition of dreat liritain to l)(^ on terms of" the most perli'ct amity with the said I'nited States of AiiK'rica, and in confidence of tlie lil\e friendly (hsj)osilion on the p:irt of the said I'liiled States towarc's (ireat l>ritain, [)e it further enacted, that liom and after ***** ij,,. ships and vessels of tli(> subjects and citizens of the said Tnited States of Amer- ica, with the mercliandises and t^oods on board liie same, shall be atbnit- f.(!d into all the ports of (!reat Jiritain in the same manner as the ships and vessels of" the snbj'ects of other indcjx'iidcnt sovereign slates," Ikv. 'I'he regulation thus liir aj)jilied only to the commercial interc(»urse between the United Stales and (Jreat iiritain. It was the sam(> which, atier a laps(> of more than lliirly years, was established l)y the conven- tii'U of 1^1-3, and is yet in f()rce. The intercourse witli the colonies was fo i)e s(>ltlcd on ])rinci[)les e(pially hberal. The l)ill contimu^s: "And be it tii'ther enacted, that, during the term at!)resaid, tlie shij)s and vessels of the subjects and citizens of the Vnited Slates shall be ;id- initted into the poi'ts of" his Majesty's islands, colonies, or plantations in America, with any merchandises or goods of the growth, produce, or manufacture of the territories of" llie ;d"oresaid United States, with lib- erty to export from his said Majesty's islands, colonies, or pbnitations in America, to ihc^ said territories of the said United States, any nun'- chandises or goods whalscK ver, and such merchandise and goods which shall be imported into or exported from said British islands, coloni(.\s, oj" plantations in America, shall be liable lo \\w same duties and charges (->!ilv as the same nierchandise and goods would be subject to if they M'ei(^ the ])ro])erly of Ihitish natural-born su])jecls, and imported or ex- ported in ihitish-buill ships or vessels, navigated by liritish s«>amen. •'And l)e it furth(M' enacted, that during all the lime lun-ein- l)ei()re limiuul, there shall he lh(^ same drawbacks, exeni})tions, and bounties on m.erchaiidis<^s and gootis exported from dreat Britain into the territories of said Unit(Ml States of America, as are allow(>d in the (\nse of expoitation to the islands, plantations, or colonies now remain- inir or belonging to the Crown ot (ireat, Britain in America,." ft has been well said, that in the long and eventful life of William Pill, and in the plertilude of his power, he never accomplished, nay, he ni^ver devised a measure more" strongly marked with the stamp of libe- ral principle and of profi'und wisdom than the draught of this bill. Unfortunately for the welfare of the colonics, and both countries, lh II. R(p. 4. 3 the ii'si^ntilinn of >rr. Pitt with Lnrd Sliclhnni, wlio li;ul concluded tlio |)(';ic(', iiiid tlif succt'ssioii nt" the miiii.-tiy l()iiiit'd hy.lhc roiditioii of Ldfd Noitli ;md Cliiirlcs J. l-'ox, uiidnnlili'dly prcvciilcd llic sysicm of iViciidlv iiifcrcoiirsc with Aiiictic;i, wliidi ,Mi-. I'itt's hill \v;is ;d)()iit to iiiti"ti(hi('(', tiDiii Ixiii^ ciinicd iiiln clii'ct. Thn whdic rcifiihitioii ol" the iiit('i('()iirs(> was (■(imniittid to the (hscictioii ot" the lviiiu;'s coiiuciL On the 2d nfJiiK, I7^-"!, ;iii order \v;is piissed in eouiieil, restricting the triide helweeii the I'liited Stiites and the Jiritisli colonies to a very sniali inunher (»t" articles, and interdictiiiLr tlie trade altoiiethcr, «'\cej)t in Ihitish ships. 'I'his order was continued !)>' annual acts of l*arli;i- ' nient and orders in council, till Fel)ruary, 17SS, when tlie provision was estahlished hy a jxruiaiicnt statute, which tooji ellect iVoni the 2(1 ol April of that vear. From J7>-}to jsl-'), contiMued eliorls wci'c made by llu; I nited Stat( s to arranut> tlie colonial trade by treaty, l)iit all our j)ropo~itions weic evaded or declined hy (lr(\at liiilain. In the mean tihi as a measure ol" sell-deli'nce, in 17*^!), Coniiress le\ied ii small discriminatini: dutv <»!" impost and tonnaue on f'(>rrlarinL>; upon the IJrit- islishippinu. Jiy the act of the -U] of March, ISIG, Congress declart.'d the princi])le u|)()n which tin- connuercial j)olicy of the United Stat(!S Would he estahhshed, hv cnactinL!: that all previous acts providiuL^ fi)r discriminating duties should he repealed in liivor of such nations us Were j)rej)ared to exercise the same liberal j)olicv towards tliis count rv, 1>\ the con\cntion of J "^1 •'), this principle was made applicable to the couuiierce Ix'twccii the Iniled States and the IJritish couiUries in iMU'opc. liy this con\ention Clicat Jiritain secured the abolition of our discriminatiuLr dutii^s. lint she expresslv excluded from this ar- rangemeni the trade betweiMi the I'nited Stutes and the Jiritish colo- nies in America, antl preserved t()r herself all the advantage's of the circuitous or trianirular N'oyairc from (Jreal IJritain to the colonies, from the colonics io the United States, and from the l'nit(.'d Stat(,\s to (jr(\at Britain. This arrantrement pi'oved so unfavorable to tlu- shippinii; in- terests of the United States, that the liovernment immetliately insisted, and continued to insist, that the rule of reciprocity applied to on(i branch of the commercial intercourse should be made* e(|ually ap})licable to both. The twelve years sueceediui^ thc! eonxcntion of 1815 were em- ployed in endeavors to arranuc the terms ot" the colonial trade' with the I'nited States by negotiation, or 1(» secure them through the agency of separate legislative enactment .*■;. " 'J'Ik^ government of the U'nited States," says Mr. Clay in his letter to Mr. \'aughn of the lltli (October, I'^^i), "has always been anxious that the trade between th(Mii and the Jiritish colonies shoukl be j)lace(l. upon a liltcral and eiiuit.able basis. There has not been ii moment since tlu; adoption of the j)resent constitution, when they were not willing to apply to it principle:? of FAtii iiEcifuoerTY axd eqcal com- iM'/rrnox. TIumc has not lieen a time during thc same period when they litive understood the British govenunent to be preparcjd to adopt that principle. The struggle on the side of dreat Britain was to main- tain her monopoly, and on that of the United States to secure an e(|ual ])articipation in thc trade and intercourse between them and tlic British. 4 H. Rep. 4. colonics." Alllioiiirli f]i(> two govcrmnciits more tli.'tn f)iiro cniiciirn'il ill (Nicli olli( r's views ,'is to llic coiidilioiis to wliirh tlicy would iissciit, llirir r('sj)(('livt eiiliic sii|)|)i('ssioM ol lli<; tr;i(le. An order in council, issued on the :i7tli d;iy ol' .Inly, I'^'J'), directed tli;it tlie tr;id(> ;ui(l intereonrse heiwccn the Iniicd Si.ilo imd tiie urciiler j)iirt of" tlie British colonies should cense t'roni ;nid alter a prescribed day, and on the 17lh of March, l'^^*?, the J'resident ol" the United States, by proclamation, declared the tradi^ hetween the I nited States and th(> British colonies to be piohibited. Ncverlheliss, tli(,' trade so neccssury l()r tlu! colonies and tlx- Hnited Stales had s(»nL;hl out H)r itsclt'a snflieienf thouL;h circuitous ehaiuiel, notwithslanditi!/ thi; obstructions which illibeial leiiislation had placed in its course. ()urpi()- (luceuas shipped in American \-essels to the neutral West India islands, whence it was rc-shipped bv the Hritish colonists to their own j)orts. A large trade was carried on in [)laster, liom Nova Scotia.; the r>riti>h vessels bringing it to the line in Passama(|uoildy liay, from whence it was taken in American vessels. The total \alue of imports liom the colonies to this conntrv lor the year ending September, 1*^27, uas $41->,1IS. The value of our total domestic and foreign cxpoils to ilu' colonies was .S-J,8.'}(),()7 1. The year I^l'!) is an important epoi h in th(> history of the colonial trade. The riiited States, in this year, ga\(3 ail impulse lo the cause of commercial freedom, by making the fiist movement towards the abandonment of the selfish and narrow policy which had prcn'ailed f()r thirty years, and trusting to the ellects of eon- cession instead of retaliation. In ls:i9, Mr. Mcdiaue, then our ni:nist( r at the Court of St. James, was instructed by President Jackson to ojxn negotiations ndative to the colonial trade. Mr. \'an IJuren, in his let- ter of instructions, decdared the principles upon which the uovermneut opened these n(\g()tiations. Ifc remarks: "The policy of tlie I iiiled States in relation lo their commercial intercourse with other nations is lounded o)i princlp/r}^ (if peim'kct kquality and Ri:cii'i!ocrrv. By the adoption of these principles, they have cndeavoretl to relieve themselves from the discussions, discontents, and end)arrassnients in- separable from the imposition of biu'densome discriminations. These principles were avowed whilst \\\vy were yet struggling f(>r their inde- pend(Mice, an; recorchnl in their lijst treaty, and have since been ad- hered to with the most scrupulous fidelity." The results of" Mr. Mc- Ijane's negotiations are contained in the proclamation issued bv tli(^ President in Nov(>mber, 1830, and the order in council issuid No\ em- ber (), 1S30. Our ports of entry, and sul)SC(|uently ports of" delivery, were open to British and colonial vessels. The immediate elll'ct of this arrangement was tin; raj)id increase of colonial shij)s in American ports, and their competition, in our most important cairving trade, with American vessels. Tlu^ n(>eessary evils which fl)llowed from this ar- rangement wen^ the subjc-ct of much com[)laint on the j)art of American ship-owners. They complained that while all our ports were open to British and colonial ships, only a limited numl)er of jiorts in the colonies were open to American shipping; that while colonial produce; was ad- mitted into our ports on the same terms as that of \\\r most fiivored nations, a much heavier duty was imposed uj)on American })roduce and manufaciures than nmm those of Great Britain; and iIk v espeeiallv v.l ■lit, iIk; •-'•;, ii(i ■ il \\U'. llio ill. {)- ids, A .^h it H. U(|). 4. 5 (M)iii|)l;iiii((I lli;it nil llic hciidils ol' tlic circiiiuiiis voynffo uci-c srciirod :iliiiii' lo ilic shipping of (ii'(':il iSriliiiii, iiiidrr the svslciii vvliii'li at lliin time |)i<\ aili'd. A slii|) iiiiLrlit Itr laden in Liscrpnol with niiods l()|- St. .loliii, ill \t'\\ lininswick. and llii'mc t ikc a caiLTo «»t Ininlicr |i» llio West Indies, or to (Hie nf oiir <(nitliein |i(p|ts. 'I'lie IWii c»|)ei al ions rnniisli:(! a siiUlcieiit piolil lor the snsnije, and llie sliip eniild allitid to fetmilin l)alla-l. I ikNt lliese eiiciini^tanees, the liritl.-li >!ii|) eoiilii tai\e a IreiLilit ot ('Dttoii iVoin .New ()ileaiis on the lowest teims, since it would (leltaN tile expen-es ol'tlie \o\aue and leave a tail' pioril. TIk! Aliierieaii >liips, deprived of the hein'Mls of the eircnitoiis vova^e, vvern (lepeiidelit whollv oil the ireinht of eotloii alone lor the income ol their vovaijes, and were thus siil)|ccte(| to a rniiioiis com pet it ion. 'The eth clg ol the new at raii'^^enn lit were iindoiihtecllv at i\\>\ injurious t(» our sliip- piii'4 interests; hut teinporarv and p.irtial e\ils iiiiist always follow tio.-n a change in a eoiiiniercial >v-teni. 'rime and an extended \i( w of all the interots aliicted |»v ~-iicli a chaiinc, can alone deternilne il> ad\an- taiics. ( )ne result, ceriainlv, ot' the arraiiLrciiieiit, was u rapid increase ofthe trade hetwcen the I'liitcd States and the colonies. ()iir aiiiicul- tiiial and maniitactiii iiiu' interests wer» heneiited liv an increased coii- siiiiiption of their wans and piodiice. 'J'lie colonists were led to |)er- ccivc that they would he heiietiied hv more intimate relali(»lis with their eiiterpri.Miiu^ and lloiiri diiiiu' nei.Lihhors. 'J'lie value of the exports to tlu; colonies in I ^ lU was in'ar ihree tii.nes that of the exports in 1 '>:i7, under the old sv-t 111. 'iir total domestic exports to the colonies, in 1^40, were valii (I at S-l.'^it-^iHiti. In i ^-1:}, ( Jreat IJritaiii reciprocated tlui llheral policy olllie L'niled States. Ilclijie this time the colonies hiul imposed d i scr imi I lat in ij(l 1 11 Hs. Jirit isli and colonial produce and man- iit'actiires were adiiiilled a! a lower rate ol' duty than llinimi. In this year I^ord Stanley (now Marl l)crhv) issued his celebrated despatch, in coiise(pience ot" A'liich all dixainiiiiatini: duties were al)(tlisli((l hy th(5 colonics. American and other loreiLrn iiianui"i<'tures and produce, in coiiul)jcct, however, to the restriction that they shall sail from ono ])ort to anoihcr, in the same (■oloiiy, onl}' in ballast. Thus a sccuihI caus" of t'omplaint has been removed. The a(l\antaue of the tlireet()l(l voyaiic is now enjoyed by our ship- [)in,ir, ;uid during periods in the staunation of the shipment of cotton some of oiir larufcr and more costlv ships have made nMnuiuwating freiiihts by the transportation of lumber from the colonies t(» (Ireat lirilain. Thus have all the objections to the arranirements of \^'-iO beiMi renioveel, wiihont obnoxious or retaliatory legislution on the part ()[■ the I nited States. JVevious to l^U) a hii^h duly was imi)()sed l)y Great Britain upon CS « ti H. R( p. 4. liiiilx-r :iri(l wlir.-it, im[)()il('(l fKHii :ill ciniiifiirs rxrcj)! lli< cdlctiiics. 'rill' \\ iihdniw ;il »»(" ;ill protrciinii liy ilic liomc Lrovcrntiuii! iipoii co- loriiiil |)IimIiicc in I'^'Mi, hy the .l;iiiH;il rcpr.il of ihc iniii l.iws, ;mi<1 llic rrdiiciidii (»r llic iliilv iij»i»ii liirciuii liinltcr iiiuic tli;ii) (Hic-li.ill, ;i|>- |)(';iis l(» li.'ivc (|i>|)cll( t-^ nil lln ir old idc'is i»r (•(iiiiiiici, h;id shown the colonists the ;idv;iiit;iL'^es of (»iir nilirkcls, ;ind the liicililies we possessed of silj)|)l\ill!,' iillthe liecess;ir of Jilc which were not riiiiii.-hcd hy their own prodnctions. They were now rciidv lo propose to ns ;in ;irr;iiiL^cme!il ol' conimcreinl inler- conrse, roiindcd iij»on those |ninciplcs ol" perii ct c(|n;dity .'ind recipro- city which the I'niled Sl.itcs liml iilw.ivs professed (o he the policy of hcv commcrci.'il Intercourse w illi foit i^iii ii;ilions. In Is4^;i (leleu;itioii w;is sent from (';in;id;i to ;irr;iliue the terms of reciprocity helween tlmt liovernment mid ours. No mimiLrcinenl, how- ever, was niiide, in const'i[iicnce of the liiilnrc of Congress to legi>lalc upon the snhject. iVo fnrther action has he<'n had in relaiion to this trade hy oni' "gov- ernment, althoiitih the pro\ineial lei^islatiire <•! ('aiiada, since I'^H, j)assed a law^ proNidiiiL" li)r i('ci|)rocaI trade in natural products, to he carried into eliect upon the adoption ol similar arranticnunLs hy our government. This nioNcinent on the j)arl of the colonial 0, and the sul>sc(|uent le<,Mslation of the col- onies, have settled most of the (piestions connected with the navigation interest. The j)rincipal complaint on the part of the colonics is, that tlicr(^ is a want of ri.'ciprocity in the impost ofdiilics. On the part of the rnltcd •States there is a desire l()r the free na\ iuation of the rivers St. Law reiicc) and St. .John hy American ships, and e(pial participation with British suhiccts in the coast lisli(>ries. The dutv on our side, on colonial and other ii)reiu:n ijoods, avcrai: cs twenty-lhree and a half per cent, on the princij)al articles of imj)orla- tion. The duty imposed upon our exports to Canada averages twelve; and a half per cent, [i does not diller materially, althouah it is somewhat low I er, in tlie other colomes. It would be a as one in which the colonies are exclusively interested, r,r to snppose that the action which the committee! reconKnend is m response to their solicitations, altlunigli ilth such overtures arc entilled lo most respectful considerali on. .1, H. Rep. 4. 7 II \v;ir? ri;itni;il tli;il tills siihjcci slioiild jit liist < xciip uun'o. inlcrcst in the coloiiifs, s»'|»;ir;itt\ l»y lliti't' iIkhismihI inilis ol' ncciiii iVoiii the iii(»flifr <(niiilry. Tlicir j)n»\iiiiii\ iiiid case of iicrcss to <»iir ^n ;it iiiarts ot (•(Hiiiiificc cdiild iiot l.iil In ciciilc ;i sti(tiiLr ii(' I(» niiKtvc til)' li.'irrirrs \\lii<-|i denied tlieiii ii joint piinieipiitioii in llie tnide ot tlluse e(iniinfiri;ii eenlret. Tlie eli.itiieter (>[' their siilpliis pindiict -;, (■((iitiLMions tciiitoiy, nnl)i»»|\eii cliiiins nl" iniern.il citnimniiieation, snei.d aliinitie.s, .'iiid ;i eoninion l:in<_Mi;iu<'« iill combined to slicnutlieii tins feeling. Willi ns on onr side the line, in llie coiiipaiiitive cilni \\ liieli has suci'eeded llie exeiliiitr e\tnts of the i;ist li'W yt'iil's, lilt' [>nl)lif att<'nlion in Miiions |),irts ol" the eoimtry h.is heeii iiroiised and at>;;tin directed to this as one ol' the; most important, (jncstions alleetinu; Amer- ican commerce. It is helieved that the |)(»j)nlation npon (»nr northern and easteiri frontiers, and in our .threat, cities directly inlere>le(l in the s( tlleiiieni of this (|nestion, Ljicativ exceeds the whole po|iiilation of the c«»loiiics. At the lirst session of the present Compress, petitions, nriiini: the eslah- lishment of recij)rocity in trade, wen.' received from most of the lari,'o cities and tow ns ol the noiLliern frontier. The sentimenl w Inch exists in onr L'real commercial cities may he known liv the resolution a(loj)tcd l»y the lioard ol (Commerce ol jNew ^OrU, which is as Hillows: *'■ Ut>i)/rr(l, 'J'hat the (.'liamher of C/omnierce of the cilv of iNcw York reconnncnd to the favorable consideration of Conuros a recipiot al arrani:ement with the lirilish iVorlh American jirovinces t()r the lre<' ii'iterchano;e of the nalnral prodnctioiis of their respective countries, <'mbra pnblication>, made in dillerent and di>tant (|nariersof the conntry, are not oidy indices of public opinion, biU exhibit a careful examination of ihis subj<'cl by political economists and men tif huLM' {)ractical experi- ence. As a further indication of American sentiment, it may be men- tioned that an arrangement of reciprocal trade with (.'anada, npon a nnich broader basis than is contemplated bv the committe<', was rec- ommended by Mr. Walker, the Secretary of the 'I'rcasnry inidi r Mr. J'olk's administration, and that a bill [)i'ovi(linnd In lln' fitiiclli dcyrcc of norlli Iwliliiilf, alKMindiiiLj ill lliresls ot" tlic lincsi timlirr, iiiid niincruls of tjicM viiIik", Jilid with ;i soil lilted to ;iHi»i(l exliaiisilrss >u|)|>lies of ti)od for iniin — n country, iin»reover, Messed with ;i he.-ilihfuj ;ind invi;',or;ilinu <"li- rnilc, fiivored with nnp.'Miilh'led ficilifies for sc;i, river, ;ind l.ike n.iv- igiitioii, wutcred tliroiiyhoiii hy t*tre;ini,'. which furnish an uiiliniited nnioiint of w;iler-|>ower, ?ind ;ire stocked with the most \aliiiil»le de- scri[)lioii offish; hordered by u scaconst indented with hays and adini- ruhlc harhors, which arc open to lln' most valuahlc sea lishcries in llio "world ; — jHisscssing such superahundanf resources, and sustained and stimulated hy an cncriijv of eharacfer, wlii<-li fln-y have inhiTited with us from acoiiiinon sourc(\ these colonists arc de>iined to heeome a L'leat and llonrishini,' people, and to exercise no mc an inllucncc on the inlei- ests of our northern continent." IiOokin<5 at the several provinces in their relation to the Tnltc'd Slates, we find the j)rincipal exports of ('anada to this c«>iintiv are tin)l)er, lumber, ashes, u'rain, animals. Hour, ami wool. 'Vhe value tA' liinii)er received tliroiiu;li the lakes is not less than a million of dollars anmialty. The markets on llic Hudson derive from this sr)urcc from one-third to one-half of their siipj)ly. The trade in Canadian agricultural produc- tions, with the (\xception, perhaps, of wheat, Hour, and lumber, is con- linctl j)rincipally to localities near the frontiers, l(»rminu; llie basis of ;i convenient and profitable <'xcliaiiire. The total exjM)rts of ('anada 1«> the I'nitcd States exceed six millions of dollars annually, and are ^vholIy paid for by our productions and mamifiictures, and oiii imj)orls of" l()reiti;n i^oods r(M'\j)ortes, cii^'ars, dried fruits, iiides, and smears, were f()rmcrly obiaiiu'd by Cyanada ihroiiL'h Creat Britain, but sinee 1S4() have, to a great extent, be(>ii proeuretl through the American markets. Th(^ exports of New Jirunswick and \ova Scotia are cbielly lumber, coal, gypsum, and iish. They imjiort in return from this country a large [)ortion of their consiimjition of manufactured and li)reign goods, and the principal part of their breadstufls. In the article of ilour they have been among the best customers of the United States. N(;ill nf our W linlr i\|)iill> ((('".'(kmIs; wlirlr.i^ llic t'lMTiiyc V.illic nl oiil' r\|)(»|ls to tlic colidiic^ tiir nu || ol llic Vr.iis 1>'J7, 1^-J!», .-md I^;{(), \v;is ..iil\ "S-'M :.'•*), ■')77. Tims, ilin.iiuli llir iiilliiciKv of lilt' ir|;i\;ilin|is of jiuilHT rc>lli(t ions, \\ liicli WC li;i\(' hcliilc ildvcrli'd lo, lilt' lr;idr li.is l)tiii iicii ly i|ii;i(liii|tlfd in ;i |)cii(»d ol" Iwi'iitv-lwo yi'.irs. W'li.il \vt' li;i\ f L'.iiiKd liiis liti n wtm tVoiiioiir urt'iil <"iil;iiii. 'I'lic li>t;il t\|itiils lo llif (•iiloiiifs litmi (Iii;it iirii.iiii ill I^lo, were Sl.'5,:{sr,,)(;(; ; j,, |s,j!), si l,:;i(i,:{:M. Tlif f..|oiiisis How (•tiii^iiiin' our doiiH'siic cxpoiis ;ii ilic y;\\c 1)1" iiiiiri' tliiiii ^:i (H litr (';i('li iliili\ itiii.'il of tlit'ir |)o|>iil;ilit)!i, 'I'lif v;i|i|f of (-ojolii.il pidilllil.s <'t nisi II lied l>v lis is oiilv l\s t III v-llirt'c ct iiis |i»|- c.icli person ol our popii- 1. 1 1 it III. 1 1 is estitiKileil ill; 1 1 llie popiiliil it»n of ilic eoloiiii s doiili|e> evtry sixteen i>r sevenleell Ve.'irs : ill llie elitl of lli.it peiiod. il" llie s.iiiie riilc of eoiisuiiiplitiM is reliilnid, we sli;ill expttrt iinniiiillv more lliaii .-eveii- teeii millittiis ill viiliie It) llie eoltmies. |>ul. under :i lilier.il eoiiimereiiil sy.-lelil w nil lliis eomilry, llie eoloilisls w ill each year eolisiiliie less of Jiiilisli and other llireiun exports, and iiKtre ofom' own; so tliii we may salelv predict thai in sixteen years oiinloiiieslic ex'jiorts lo the colonies will he Irom tweiily-live It) ihirlv iiiilli(»ns, and ifrealer than our presenl exports to any coiiiitiv in the ssorld except (Ireal liritain. The ipies- lioli lo he determined is, wliellie|- the whole ciiri'eiil ot ctiliimercial iiilercoiirse now seilin;,' in our favor shall receiM' a Iresh impulse in this direcijon, or wheiher ii shall he checked, and perhaps wholly diverted from our shores. ( it'oLU'aphical j)t)sitioii, and dailv-inereasiiiif social sympathies, are St It'll L!t Ik 'Mini: the honds o' oui- commercial alliance. These colonies are the natural outlets of American piodiictioiis, and of the oMiilowiiiu; relurns of our exieiidcil commerce, ( leoLiraphicallv separatiil from all other conntries, ihev are commei'ci.illv uniteil to this couiiiry ; separate and conllictinLj eoiiimereial svsTems, in the jiosiiion of our conilneiit, seem to he in violation of the physical ada|)tatioiis of its sinface |i»r a commercial union of" the people inhahiiiiiii it. T'm' i^raiid hii:hways of oceans, hays, lakes, and rixcis, which ll)i'm our northern Irtditier, would seem to set at deliaiice tlit' harriers raised uijaiiisl illcL'tl tiallic. Nature lliu.> sli'eiiuthcns the common sentiment on httlh sith s of the IVoiitier. Jt would seem lo he almost a waste of words to iirL'c the advantatres to us ol" a reciprocal []'('(' trade wlih a people posse.-siiiii; ><> many com- mon resources and aHinities with ouiselves ; speaking;, in the mam, lli(.> same laiiguaiie; haviiiL> the same necessities and social and dome-tic liahits; and so situated that the natural products of the one, and lh(3 manufactures of the otlu r, are alike necessary lo htith. The ureal ex- ample of" tlu; hlessiuLjs of" reciprocal fice trade which wchaN'c in llu; freedom of" intercourse het ween the sepaiate sovereignties of" tun I nit)n is alone sullicient lo settle the (|ii(,'stion. To secure this hroad hasis ot eoiiimereial rec/iproeity amonu: the Slates was one t)f the prime ohjeeis altaincvl l)v iht; adt)piion of" our constiiiition. It is to this fri idom : their sever ,1 sovereiirnlies, more than to an\ other stniree, that the I'nited State- owe llieii- unexampled commercial prosj)erity. All the ('(jnimereial arguments which have been presented in favor of 10 H. Rep. 4. th(; anncxntion of any Stato or 'rciritory will apply to the connexion wliieli tr(jipi()(al trade willi llir jiritisli .Ndrtli American provinces will effect, williont, any of llie evils of [xdilical alliance. A\'e niiulit as well consent to siifU'r the largest State in the L'nion to he snrronnded with u conhni ol" cusloni-hoiiscs, as reliise to hreak down the walls whieh se])ar;:le '.is (loni nearlv three millions of people. Vet there are s(uiii> who, lia\ ing t;iUen a partial view of this snhjeet, are ti'arlul of colonial conip<.tition, or who, timid and aj)prehensi\e of evil from any ehan<«;e in the existinLi; oi'der of ihini^s, are doiihttul it any lienellts will lollow to this coinilry Ironi colonial reciprocity. The connnittee, therefore, propose to discns.s the elil'cts which reci- procity, with its kindled measures, will have upon several of the leading inteiesis of the country, to wit: The ti'ade of our great commercial cities. The inland navigation mid transit trade of the Slates bordering on British j)ro\'inces. The agri( ultural interests. 'I'hc manuliicturing interests. The interest of tht! lidce trad(^ ai.d the Northwi-st, as connected with the ti-ce navigation of the river St. Lawrence. 'I'he fisheries. The revemi(\ Jt is now well imderstood that the jJi'ospiMity of our great commer- cial cities is intimately coniK ;'ted with the settlianent and growing wealth of the remotest W^'st. 'I'he lireat pri/e for which they are all contending is the vast trade which is flowini'' eastwardlv towards the st\i,aiid disehariring at various outlets. The trade of the remotest settlements is drawn to \]\c few great centres ot" distribution by a. t()rce as j)owerful and sure as that of gravitation. The same necessity ap])lies to the colonial tradt'. The mark(^ts of our great cities afi()rd to cok)nial merchants such advantatres l()r buying and selling, that we have only to remove the present restrictions, and we shall enlarge the trade to nearly the whole extent of colonial means for [)aying i\)r their purchases. Mot only our own productions, but the returns of oiu" transatlantic trade?, which have been ])urchased with tlio produce of American labor, will flow through our great marts into the colonies. The reason f()r this is obvious, when we reflect upon the causes which have changed the course of trade fiom many of our smaller towns which fitrmerly transacted a considerable importing l)usiness. It is well known that thirt\- or forty years since, most of our maritime towns — with good harbors — carried on a direct trade with Croat IJritain, F" ranee, Russia, and the West India, islands. The mvv- chaiits obtained their goods by orders, and were exposed to long delay bef()re they W(>re ansvverc.-d. They were obliged, therefiire, to have heavy stocks, which remained a long time upon their hands, and were often unsaleable. Tliese inconveniences led gradually to an abandon- ment of the importing business by the smalliT towns. This whole business now centres in our ft'w great conunercial cities. The mer- chant now purchases in the great markets, which he visits himself. lie there finds large assortments, and, selecting his goods, by inspection, It H. Rep. 4. 11 to suit his cnstomors, in a few d;iys liiis tlicrii for S!il(> on liis own sli(lv(\s. He is tnahlcd to do business on ;i sin;ill ciipii;!!, iltr by this system he. in;il<('s tic(ju(.'iit. purchases, and keeps on hautl a small st.(jck. lie makes (juiik sales, with certain ])rofits. These are iIk; advantages which the colonial merchant needs. He also can purehastj better by insj)ecting lariie assortments than by ordering his uoods tiom Fwii;lan of trade is direct exchange; lie will purchase where lie si'lls. The Aovu ^co- tian who carries wo(»d and gvpsum to Boston will not only barter his cargo for articl(>s of American manufaclure, but w ill often j)ureliaso there British goods, notwithstanding our higher duties, liy the oj)era- tion of" this barter trade, it is said that the lower colonies are largely supplied with goods from the L'niled Slates, notwillistandiug similar goods imported trom England can be furnished in the colonies at much lower [)rices. Tlu^ city of Boston will derive great advantages from the incr(\'ised trade with the lower colonies. This trade is already of paramount im|)ortance to that eity. 'I'lie total ti^reiirn tonnage entered at the port of l>ostoii in ^^•5-J was l,9-")-5 \(>ssels, whose tonnage in the; aggregate amounted to "JdOtToS tons: otthis, 1,049 V(\'*sels, with a tounagi? in tlu^ aguregate of l')9,'Jl)4, were entered from the British iVorth American colonics. Thus it will \)C seen that the clearances of provincial vijssels represent a very large pro])oriion (tf the revenue, labor, truckage, wharllige, and storage in- cident to the commerce of that city. The completion of the Portsmouth and Concord railroad, and olthc Atlantic and St. Lawrence railroad, will (Uiable l\)itsmouth and Port- land, the connnercial ejipitals of New Hampshire and Maine, to share laigely in the profits of this trade. 'I'lie city of iVew York will secure a large share of the trade of the rich country of Canada. Through this jiort large suppliers (jt" western Hour have been carried to the lower colonies. The value of wheat and flour tiom Canada received at New York in boiul, in IsoO, ex- cc^cded a million and a half dollars. The value of the same articles « exported bv sea to the colonies was a little short of a million of dol- lars, (S!J")7,94:}.) It cannot b(> long bel()re direct lines of railroad com- njunication will connec.-t the cities of" Philadelphia and Baltimore with the great kikes, and a portion of the Canada trade will thus seek these cities. In our great commercial cities there can be but one sentiment a*; t(j the bent fits of reciprocity. IXLAND NAVIGATION AND TRANSIT TRADE. Intimately connected with the ])rosperity of our commercial cities, is that of the lines of transportation through which the vast tide of wealth ebbs and Hows between the cities and the interior. No less 12 IT. Rep. 4. tli.'iii five l)n)M(I cliaiiiicls lnv(> hccn ojx iicd for tlio Irniisit oi tlio pro- ducts of (';ni;i(l;i towards flic sc;ic(»;ihtiitreal lailroad, the shortest route iVoui (laiiad I to the oee;iri — an eiiteiprise l<)r which iccipiocal tiade with the liritish pfoviiices is ahiio^l iiidispeusahle, and aided hy which, this road will iidvaiici; the ciiv ol l*oitlaiid into ihc lirst runk of our coni- nicicial cities. 'J'o these iiia V he added, now in [)r()cess of construction, the Suiihiiry and Mrie railroad, in I'ennsvKania, which, when com- pleted, will unite with the KeadiriLi: railroad, thus l()ruiinn- an uiihrokim line oC i-aihoad couiniiuiicaliou hetweeii rhihidclphia and the city ' IJaltiuiore will ;ilso be connected with Jiake Krie at the same point. In this way, both lMiila(k'l])hia and Bal- timore will be enabled to share in the ('auadian trade. The total valiK! of our exports and iui[)oits to and Irom Canada, ibr tlieycar eudin.ir the :3()th of-Junc, 18-5:i, was i«!l l,:U)7,():2i). The .ureater ])art of this trade passed inland through the Tuitcd Staters, and a largo portion of" the merchandise wdii( h this value re[)resents paid ti'ibuto to the canals, railroads, and steamboats of our interior, '.riierc can be but little doubt that reciprocitv would soon double the rcNcnue which our inland loiites of lrans])()itation now doriv(.> (rom Canadian trade. This increased t rade, toL'^et her with the rapidly swellinn' stream from the iN'orthwesl, would oxciMow the j)r(\sent channels, and render ])racti- cahl" at least one project, \\ liich, in the urandness of its conception and luliii-c results, is second to H'W only of our great woiks of internal iuipi()\(Mueiit. The coimiiiitec lefer to the project of uniting, bv a ship (MiiiL the waters oi" the St. Lawrence and the Hudson, it is evident ill it this work cannot be sall'lv coumienced until we shall secure the ful lire eiiiovmeut ol the pri\ileges o!' the Canadian canals on the St. Iiawi-ence, nor until we shall be relieved from the apprehension that discriminating duties will be imposed by Canada uj)o!i American pro- ductions. Th(>S(^ (|iiestions will be settled by the adoption of the pro- posed measure of recij)roiaty. and an incri'asi' ot' trade secured, which will demand the completion of this reutt*. It has betMi proposed to con^truc1 a canal. nt\ar >rontreal. of sufli- iiici\i si/e 1,1 t|o;n ;i \('ssel ot' tluct^ hundred tens, to unite th(> waters of the St. Lawrence with Lake Ch:imj)l;iin. and toenlarui- the Champhiin canal, its t-iitirc lenL:lh t.) the heail ot' navio.-nion ,„, tln> Hudson, to the same si/e. so that vessels ot' the above-named dimensions, from anv wcsl(M-ii lake piU'l. can. without breaking cargo, di.-eharue ;i[ die ])ort ot New > ork. or at any other port on the Atlantic coast, an I thence load w iih mei-chandise t'or the West. P,y mi\m«: of thi^ ship canal, the coal ol I'enusybania will lu' horiit^ to ilu- iiuwhau^ih'c iron mines on Lak(- Champhiin, whose tiMC-l combustibh^ is uearlv consumed ; ;md, by opcnaiL; a dii-eci comumnication wiiji iln^ we>it rn States, and the f the city oi'Ncw York would gam by a ilirect shi}) communicati.ni widi thc"::reat Mediterranean H. Rep. 4. pirns of llio Noilliwest, and ])nrfi('nl,ir]y by obtaiiiiriG: c-licap liiiiiixT jroiii Canada, sIk; Nvould Ix; conipcllcd to .sliaic \vi IMiiladc'^liia, Baltimore, and otlirr i-.-istorn cities, the advani; cnl('rj)ris('. \\'liil<^ Pliiladdpliia and liallinioii! would he i water eonnnunieation from J^ake Clianiplain, the railroads In wliieli reach lliis lake afhir crossinsj; \ Ci'niont, nnisl divert a ble j)ortion of the trade, and will Li'ain troni tlic; coniplct canal a most important acccssicjn to th( ir revenues. 13 SUj )[)li(>s of th lio: "ton. lire sol 'this eac he( 1 l.y )m r>oston, consi( era- ion of this An RICULTUUA L I N'TI:: 15ESTS. Apprehensions have Ix-en felt that the j)roposcd measure of recipro- city will iniuriouslv afii'ct some of tlie leadini: branches of our ast(>rn wheat-growers, at present, have to comjx'ie with the Canadians ujion disadvantageous terms. The lower cokmies. Nova 8cotia, New Brunswick, I'rincc Edward Island, and Newt()undlan(l, have been among tht^ best customers of American brcadstulls. Th(! market which they have aliijrded is e(]ual to that of Brazil. Our exports of bri>adstufls to these cok)nies in 185:2, amount(Ml to $1,6-59,285, and to Bra^zil $1,655,558. The value of our exports to these colonies for the year 1852 was nearly e(iual to the whol(! value imported from Canada. The value of the imports in 1852 of breadstuffs from Canada was $1,677,530. The value of breadstufls exported to the lower colonies was, as above stated, $1,659,285. In those provinces there arc revenue duties on American Hour of from 25 to 75 cents per barrel, In the year 1850 a reciprocal fn^e trade in natural products was establlshecl between Canada and three of these provinces. The effect has been that Cana- dian Hour, being sid>jected to no duty, obtained the preference over our Hour. The protection in favor of Canadian flour, when sent by the St. Lawrence to Halifax, St. John, and other ports, has already diverted a portion of the trade of these provinces from New York and Boston to Montreal and Quebec. The vessels which take Hour carry back sugar, molasses, rmd other foreign commodities, wliich of l;ite years have been purchased in New York, and which, l)ut t{)r commer- cial restrictions, might be more advantageously purchased in that and our other Atlantic cities. Wiiile the farmei's of the West would be l>enehted by the free in- troduction of wheat into the lower colonies, they would gain equally by the effect which the proposed arrangement would have in increas- ing the consumption and export of another of their most important staples. The principal food of the lumbermen and Hshermen, next to f i H. Rop. 4. 15 f m tlio ,'iL iciilturisl?, tlic most numerous cliisscs of l;il)orrrs in Ciinnda ruid \\]o lower piovinc'cs, is pork. 'J'liis slriplc run he prodnrcd in till' wcslci'n StiiU's, where Indian corn is clieap, at less cost tlian in anv oilier part ol'tlie world. The imj)efiis which would be uiven hv this m(\asure to the (i>lieri<^s of th(; St. Jiawrcnee and the lumlx'i- trade of Canada \\ould largely increase the consumj)tion of this article. The value of the lumber trade of Canada in iS4G was estiuialcd at SC), 000, ()()(). She must, lhereti)re, already have a large army to su])port in her fiDrcsls. The duty charged in Canada on pork swells the price of hiiuber sent to our eastern markets; so that, actually, the eastern consumer })ays th(^ greater j)rnt of the revemie (ollected then' ou this artich^ while, to ii ccrt.ain extent, its produciloii in the provinces is encouraged by the contimiance of the dutv. It is not improbable that some local and tem])orary incom'eniences ay liillow irom tin; free competition of provincial ])roducts. This is particularly true in respect to the coarser grains. But to comprehend the cllects of a great commercial measure like this, we must look beyond the lines of a town or country, and the tem- porary derangement incident to any change in the existing order of things. It is n, part of the jiresent AmcM'ican system to invite the freest com- petition upon ec|ual terms. The New Vork farmer does not fi'ar the eomjx'tition of the great West, althouuh it is rapidly filling up by emi- gration; and by this means the surplus agricultural products, j)articu- larly of the States of llliuois, Judiana, \\'iscousin, Jowa, and Michigan, have been immi.nisely iucrcased within th(> last few years. MANUIWrTURTXCr INTEREST?^. The rise and progress ol' the arts and manufactures of the United Stat(\s constitute rm interesting and instructive chapter in oui- history. There we sec most cleaily d(dineated tlu^ narrow and S(>lfisli policy of tlu^ mother countrv; discouraging the arts and ])r(>venting the irrowih of manufactures in her colonies, [or the purpose of retaining the monop- oly of their commerce, and of perpetuating their state of colonial vas- salage. So ruinous was this policy to the colonists, and so keenly did tliey feel its oppression, that the thirteen North American colonies which, in 177G, declart^d their indcpendcMici^ proceeded at once, in the first Congress convened under our constitution, to protect, by legislation, our infant manufactures; and the preamble of the first revenue law passed declared it to 1)(> ncH'Cssary, ruTiong other things, "for the en- couragement and ])rotcclion of manufactures." This policy, thus early commenced, has been conlimied, with vai'ious changes in its applica- tion, down to the present time. L'nder its f()st(a-ing influence^ our man- uflieturing interests have attainr'd their ])resent position, in which they are successfully competing with the world. It is not extraordinary that a system of protective duties, so necessary in the infancy of our countrj^ to the development of its resources and the support of its manufactures against the competition of older, more wealthy, and populous States, should, after an uninterrupted continu- 16 H. Rep. 4. ;ui('(' ofniorc lliaii sixtv yciirs, he iftiiirdcd as indispcu.-aljlc to iiali(jiial prosperity. Many olniir cilizciis liavr Itcfii so niiicli acciistoiucd locoiisidcr pro- trctivr duties as the oiilv aid wliidi Irnislalioii can impart to industry, that ilicy scciu to liasc o\cilookcd sonic more practical and ci|iiilly (•(licieiit remedies which can beapphed without \iolalin policy of protection l)y \\'\'j.]\ (hities as one based n|)on ab- stra( I principh's, insteati of beiuii; a simple business matter, rest inn uj)oti facts and common sense. The circumstances of a naiion mav so change, that l"r(X' trade itself niav bcconK! the highest nieasiu'c o( j)roieclion. The English nation has i()uiid that the policv which nourislx'd her inanutiietiM'es in their intimcv would have been ruinous to them in their maturity. It was ti-om no sentiment of philanlhropy for her starving poj)ulation that (ireat J^rilain re{)ealed her coiii-laws, but that, by es- tablishing free trade with her most important consumers, she might enlarge the markets i()r her productions. When her manufacturers could succes>liillv defy the world, she adopted a policy which would enable ihiMu to counnand the markets of the world. Som(> of Our nio>t intelligent manufiieturers, and particularlv those of coarse cottons, ac- knowledge that their diUlculty is ovei-production, and that littl(> relief will l)e alf()r(led by an increase ofdutv, which would stimulate produc- tion and overstock a, market ah^eadv glutted. They perceive that the most ellicient relief will be to adopt, whene\-er practicable, the system of (Ireat Britain, enlarge the outlets f()r our maiudiu'tnres, and secure a more complete occupancy of markets already opened. it is in this point of view that the (|uestion of free trude with the British j)ro\inces becomes one of the highest interest. The population of tlies(> provinces, as stati^d in their census relui'ns in l^ol, is :J,47(),-3J:S. Nearlv three millions of j)eoj)le, who are as lar^e consumers of manufactured ^ootls as any in the world, are at our very side. The (/hinese or l^razilians can use only a limited number of our nianufictured articles, because the circumstances of climate, habits, and domcsiit: necessities, in their countiies, diffi-r so nnich fiom our own. Here is a p^'opl(> similaily situated in almost every res[)ect as onr own. They need similar articles of cloihing, use the like tools and imph.Mnents flir agricultural or mechanical labor, reipiire similar articles of domestic comf()it, and c-ven luxurv. TIk; manufiictui'cs of the United States adapted to the j)eculiar ciicumstances of climate and soil of this northern continent, are much better litt(-d to supply the wants oi tlje colonists than those even of Great Britain. Tli(^ colonists manufacture almost nothing; f«)r the policy of (M'(\at Britain has been to keep her colonies entirely dependent upon Ik i-self for manufactured commodities. It nui^t l)e many years, cnch undi r the more liberal regime that now pr(;vails, bel<)re the industrial habits of the people can be changed, (\specially as a s])arse population and want of sur[)lus capital will be untiivorable to the growth of manufac- tures among them. On the other h.md, mannlactining industry is now firmly establi.-hed upon our soil. Our fiibrics and wares rival the clioic(\ abolition of difliM'ential iluties in tlu^ provinces, our manufiictures are now admitted ou the same terms as those of our chief competitor, and are, tlieret()re, now relatively i'rcc. We have several important advantages over the mother country, which must always give our mainifactures the preference. Our goods are better suited to the colonial wants; our markets greatly diminish the cost of transportation, enable the colouial merchants to select their goods by personal inspection, and our merchants to ada])t their exports to the condition and necessiti(!S of a market with which they can have instant communication. Although it might be desirable to have a com- 18 II. R( p. 4. iTi(Tri;il union witli tlir roloiiici^, ;is [x'tfi-ct ;is lli;it Ix'fwern tlic P(n'or;i] {>tiil('s, it iiiu.sl !)<• rfiiictnbcrcd tliiil lliis would he t(»t;illy inci)iiij)at.il)lc \\i\\\ tlic scpnratc [)()lilical cxislcncc ol'tlic coldniiil niovcniiiinits. 'V\h'. principal exjX'nscs of tlicir uoviiniiK-nls arc puid Ijy tlicir niodcrale duties on imports. A projxtsition to intludo all our niarni- liictiucs, or even those only wliicli ((Misiiulc tlic cliior consumption of tlic colonies, in tlic reci[)rocity arrauLrcmenl, W(»idd so materially imp;iir the colonial revenue, that, in the opinion of the committee, it would be inevitably rejected; for a. resort to direct, taxation could never bo expected of yovi'mmonts comj)aratively poor, and who have just pro- jected magnilicent and (Wjx'usi'c systems of internal improvement, demandinii; increased instead of liminished revenues. It is proper to retc-r more mii utely to the returns, which show the great, and increasing consumption oi' our manufactures by the coloni(\s. The value of the whole export of domestic UKunifactured articles to ('anada, in the y(y,\v 1840, bel()re the abolition ot"discrimin;iting duties, did not amount to $100,000. Of firming implements and mechanics' tools the value was about $13,000, and of cotton mamifactun^s not S;3,000. So eagerly did the Canadians avail themselves of our imple- ments, peculiarly suited, as they are, to their wants, that in lS4o, only two years after the restrictions against us were reiuoved, they imported farming implements and mechanics' tools to an amount exceeding 8500,000. Our exports of leather and its manufactures were increased tentbld. The value of the whole export of manufactures to Canada exceeded $1,700,000. The increase in colonial consumption of our manufactures during tli(^ twelve years succeeding 1840 is wholly unparalleled. In that year, the total value of exports of our domestic manntiictures was $1 2,704,840 ; of which only $777,731 were sent to the colonies. By an analysis of the tabh^s of commerce and navigation ot" the United Stales for the year ending June 30, 1851, it appcnrs that the vahw^ of our entire exj)ort of domestic manufactures was S19,13G,9G7. The value of our exports of domestic manntiictures to all the British North American colonies was 85,437,775. For the year ending June 30, 1852, the whole amount of our domestic manutactures exported was §21,047,248; of which $3,812,878 were sent to these colonies. It appears by these returns that the colonies consume more of our miiuufactures, and, w4iat is equally important, a greater variety, than any other country. This will appear from the f()llowing results taken from the olficiid returns of our commerce and navigation iJir the j^ear ending .June 30, 1852 : Our total exports of manufiictures of cotton are stated at $7,072,151. The value of our exports of the same to the colonies, is $597,234 ; nearly one-twelfth of the whole export. The value of tlie total exjxjrt of iron and manufactures of iron is $2,41 8,1 30. The value of the same exported to the colonies is $452,150; nearly one-fifth of the whole export. When it is considered that the competition of British iron bears so heavily upon our rnanufiicture of this article, the large export to the provinces forcibly illustrates the peculiar advantages we have for competing with Great Britain in the supply of manufactures f()r her colonies. The valu(> of our total export of siuiff and manufactured tobacco is $1,310,622. The value of the export of these articles to H. Rep. 4 19 r;il )lc II- of iir I)C ■()- It, i\v colonios is $'10<=i,.'5^r) ; ncnrly oiK^-tliinl of tho whole export. 'JMio Viiricly of iIh; jirticlcs sent to tlic provinces, sliovving, ;is it docs, that the hciidits of the triide How auioiiir ;i|| classes of our j)ro(iii('ers, is illustrated hy the fact that in ISoti th(; total vahieot' nianufictiires not enumerated expoited was $2, S77, ()•'>!). The value of liie same articles sent to tiie eoloui<'s was .* I ,:{!(), ^:}7 ; more than one-hall' of the whole ('X|)ort. They aic, thereli)re, tiie larirest ftreign consumers ol'this very im])orlant class of eastern maiiuliietur<'s. .\o one can deny that tho colonial market has hecome almost in, IS-OI, nnnarks: "Jt is assum(>d — and, as {)erha])S it may turn j)ut, unt(>rtunately assumed — by the opponents of the reciprocity bill, that in the event of the bill being rejt.'cted by the American Congress, Canada will maintain her [)re6ent conun(>rcial policy, and conliime to l()ster the iniportant trade I'rom the United {•States. It is very desirabU? that you should be fully aware of" the state of public o[)inion in Canada on this (piestion. Having myself been a strong advocate for free commercial intercourse with the United States, and having had, in my position as Finance Alinister, to resist in Parlia- ment the advocates of a restrictive policy, 1 am thoroughly ac(juaint(>d with the views of all parties. I have no hesitation in stating that the advocates of a retaliatory policy are rapidly gaining ground. Whether all or any of the plans suggested will be carried out, it is, of course, impossible for me to say. liut it is certainly highly desirable that, in arriving at a very imj)ortant decision, you should be fully aware of the probable conse(|uences. The re-imposition of the difll'rential duties against the United [States manufictures, has been strongly urged. Such a measure would be most acceptable to the commercial interests of Montreal and Quel)ec, whose trade was seriously injured by their repeal. " At the close of the last session of our Parliament, an influential mem- ber of the opposition — a gentleman who held, under a former adminis- tration, the office which I have now the honor to fill — rave notice of his intention to introduce a bill during the next session to re-impose these duties. Leading organs of the opposition have strongly advocated such a measure; and no doubt can be entertained that it will engage the con- sideration of our Parliament at an early day. Should it be adopted, the United States would have no just cause of complaint. They never in- vited Canada to r(>peal the differential duties; and their rejection of the reciprocity bill would, of course, be looked upon as a deliberate rejection of the Canada trade. In England, the re-imposition of diflerential du- 20 H. Rep. 4. llc."^ Ity Cannda, would 1)0 rrccivcd most favorably; and llioro ran l)0 no doiil)! that llie cllrct would he, to stiiiiulaU; the ed'orts ul'liiosc who arc scfUiuu: 1<> ohtaiu souic nuxhiication ot" lli alarming increase in the prieeg of wood and lumber. A well-inli»rmed writer remarks upon this subject: "A per- son who has not had his attention expressly (lirectetl to the subject, can liardly be aware of the bearing of a free lumber trade on almost every description of manuliictures, and esju'cially on that of cheap goods." The outlay of ca[)ital t()r timber employed in building is a heavy charge upon the manufacturers; dear lumber also adds to the pric^- ot manutiicturing labor by increasing the house-rent of the operative. Indeed, cheap lumber in this country may be said to be like bread — almost a necessity of life. Forming, us it does, the almost exclusive material of construction for cheaj) tenements, its dearncss is directly felt by every citizen who builds him a house or erects a fence about his homestead, and by none more severely than the meehanic and the operative in our I'actories. The value of the luanufactures of wood for the year 1S37, in a single State, (Massachusetts,) whose forests are fast disappearing, was estimated at $l,sSl,5^9. We must look to the colonies lor the f!U])ply of an extremely valuable kind of tind)er lor ship-building, which has now become one of our most important branches of manutiicture. The larch, or hackmatac, whiclf is })referred belbre all other woods for the knees, beams, and top-timbers of ships, is found most al)un(lantly in New Brunswick. From the abundance of this timber, considered at Lloyd's but little if any inferior W eld English oak, it is asserted that ships can be built at St. John, Mew Brunswick, wholly of hackmatac, (|uile ctjual to New York ships, at a cost not exceetling thrce-lburths of the cost of the price of the latter. With the increasing demand l()r wood and lumber, we cannot shut our eyes to the rapid diminution of our resources. Mr. Emerson, lu his atlmirable re])ort upon the l()rest trees of Massachusetts, made to^ the legislature of that State in 1S46, says: "The ellects of the wasteful destruction of the forest trees are al- read}' visible. A V(>ry large portion of the materials li^- ship-building, house-building, and manufactures in the towns along the coast, is now brought from the States. Every year we are more and more depend- ent on Maine and New York, and some of the southern States, not only lor sljip-timber and lumber for house-building, but for materials for tanning and dyeing, ti)r carriag(>-making, basket-making, plane-making, last-making, mid lor furniture, and the implements of husbandry. "Even these forei<>n resources are fast tiiiliuij: us. Within the last quarter ol a c-cntury the t()rests of Maine and New "^'ork, from which we draw our largest su})plics, have disapp(>ared more rapidly than those ol Massachusetts ever did. In a (juarter of a centur}- more, at this rate, the supply in many places will be entirely cut otf. In many parts of both those States, which recently furnished' the most abundant supplies, agriculture is already taking the place of the lumber trade, II. Rep. 4. 21 and flio (lisforostpd region, now cliiiiiLriiii^' in'o bonutiful liirins, will never bo :ill()\v('(l to rosiime its orijj^iiiul vvildiicss." f^|)('id\i>i«j of tlii> wliitt; pine, .'iiid its imiii''roM>! niid init>orl!':it \is(\«», lie coiitimies: "III coiiseijiieiice of lliese num. rolls uses, it is evcrv year Ixromiu;; more seiiree. The exportnlion, Irotii llie lm-ovv1Ii o'.'llii.s Sinte, li:is ;dmost cejised, iitid Irotn New Hiimpsliire ;md llie soutlirrn f;ir)s o|" Miiiiie it li;is mueli diminished, and the lumber h;is hecoinr of iriflrlor (juidiiy. From the I'enohscot nnd oilier gre;it rivers in the norllxru [Kirts of the Slntc; the <'xporfiitioii is still immense, 1)ut the lumhernieii h;j,ve to fft every ye.ir to ii ;ire;iter dislimee from the ^Mciit \v;i1er-courses, nnd to ;iseend smidler streiims ;ind more remote l;d<(\s. The same thing is happeninij; in New York, ami the day is evidently not {;ir distant when the inhabitants of New Kni^dand <"ven will have to depend on Canada Ibr tiiis wood." It is evident that the jiroduct;. of our forests are so raj)idlv diminisliinL«:, that not only New JMiuiand, but other largo distriets along the Atlantie seaboard, must hereafter look lor the prineipal supply to those vast northern wilds through which ])oi'- ihe magnificent waters of the- Ottawa, Saguenav, and St. J(/hn. 'J'Lv> products of the iinmensi> forests of pine timber which now line the Ottawa, as well as the other rivers which How into the St. Lawrence, will !)(• borne with comparative chea])ncss to New "i'ork and other Atlantic cities, either coastwise or through the water communications of the Interior. In this connexion it iiaist \)c noticed thai the State of IMaine will derive an important, il' not lull ecinivalent for the cllects of free co!np(>tition of provincial lumber, by a measure which is included in lb(> ))roposetl arrangement. Some of the most valuable timber lands belonging to Maine and .Massachusetts arc upon the river St. John, thiough whos(> waters timber may be floated more than lour hundred miles. The free navigation of this river, which it is intended to secure by this nieasure, will be an important [ulvantago to the citi/ens of Maine. To meet the changes of the nianagem<'nt of the jniblic lands, New l^)r\inswiclc has imposed an export duty upon all lumber shipped from British as well as American waters, down the St. John; lor, by the terms of the treaty of Washington, American lumber floated to the ocean through waters under Britisli juristliction was to be "dealt with US if it were the produce of" said j)rovince. To avoid the payment of tliis export duty, the lumbermen of Maine have constructed dams at great expense on the n[)per waters of the St. John, so that lumber which would have run through the latter riv(!r is actually floated up the stream into lakes connected bv artificial canals with the waters of the Penobscot. Numerous petitions have been presented to Congress from Maine for the rixlress of this grievance, which will be effected if the jjioposed commercial arrangements are adopted. Another very inij)ortant advantage to our lumber-producing districts is proposed to be attained by reciprocal trade in lumber. At present a highly dis- criminating dutv is charged in the ports of Great Britain upon Ameri- can as well as all f()reign timber and lumber in favor of the provincial trade. This bears heavily upon our exports of deals and other valua- ble lumber. A just and fair reciprocity in this important branch of trade demands, that while we open to the provincial lumber a market of vast extent, rapidly expanding, and easy of access, our trade in this 22 II. Rop. 4. nrticlc slioiiM not lu' snltjccfcd to iMirdr'iisonio rr>;lri(fions in tlir liomo ijiiiikrt (if (Irc.'ii lliii.iiii. It is coiilidt iilly hclicvcd tliiit ;i condili**!! of tlu' [)n)jioscd jcci|)i(»c;d ;irr;in^'i'm(iit — so just in itself, ;iii(l alli'rtiiii.' ;in jirticlc of (■(»nsiiiii|)ti()ii nf ilir very lirst necessity in every eivili/ed eonntiy — Nviil l>o re.-idily ;i((e|)t<'d 1)V !i ^o^t'rnnieiif wliieli liiis ;id()[)ted the wise pdlicv (tl" clie;! peninL' lli<' l<><»d <»l her (»|)er;ilives, ;irid the lHw inuleriid ot" nianiiliieliiiu, l>y Tree tiiulc. I'UEE NAVKIATIO.N or THK ST. LAWKKNei;. Bv <'i ref'erenee to the rorrespondenee of Mr. ('i;iyfoii ;iFid Sir Henry Tj. Hidwcr, \shieh is .'innexed to this report, it will he seen thiil her M.'ijesty's representiitive w;is iuithorized to jissure onr goveriniK-nt that, in tlie event that a hill providiiiL' litr reeipiov-al free trade helweeu Canada and the I'niled States slionid heeonie a law, tho lUitish government wonld at once consent to open the naxiuatiof) of the St. Lawrence, and of the canals connected I herewith, to the shipping and citizens of tho United States. The coininittee do not ileem if necessary to erdarqo upon the valno of the free navi,L'ali"n of the St. liawreiiee, as this snhject has heen fidly discussed in an able rejiort lioin the Coniiniltee on Forei,<,'ii AllJiirs, presented by Hon. A. W. l\\\c\ to the last (.'onsress. The coinniitleo referred to recoininonded the adoption of the following resolution: '■^linolral hij tli< S(/iafr and Hoitsr of Jfrprfscnta/il'rs nf thv. United States lu Co>/urposes demands tlu^ earnest attention of the Americaji goverinnent, and that it is liighly desirable that it ho socun^d to Ainerican commerce at an early dny." This concession, or right, as our ablest statesmen luivo inainlaiued, has been earnestly desired since the American Revolution. In iM^O it was the subject of an animated diplomatic correspondence between the United States and Great Britain. It is a privilege in which eight States of this Union have a direct interest. It seems the natural oulh^t to the principal portion of the great wheat-jModucing region of tho United States. TIk^'c can be but little doubt, I'rom the numerous petitions jnvsented to Congress from citizens of States adjacent t(^ tho northern chain of Lakes, praying that measures may 1)0 taken to j)ro- curc for our citizens the right to the free navigation of tho St. Lawrence, that this concession would be regarded l)y the wheat-producing ])opu- lation of the Northwest as a full e(juivalent for all the supj)osed disad- vantages of Canadian competition. At present, no American vessels can pass Montreal without permission. Repeated applications have been made to the Canadian government by parties in Bulliilo, Cleve- land, and Chicago, tor permission to pass vessels through tlu; St. Law- rence, which it has been constrained, undtM- existing circumstanc(^s, to refuse. The Canadians can at any luonunit exclude our vessels from the ship-canals constructed around the falls of Niagara, and the rapids above Montreal, which are now so extensively usetl l)y our commerce, and through wliich vessels of three hundred tons burden, carrying three thousand barrels of flour, can pass to the ocean. The free navigation ot this river, which is, in fact, but an extension of the great lakes, H. R< 23 n would viitii;illy convrrt thrrr tlioiisiiifl fuller of l.ike-const iiilo sr;i(o;ist. WrstjiM whral coiihl compclc in llif iJiilisli mmkct villi lli.ii liorii the I{|;i(k sc;i, li»r Cleveland is ;i tlioiisiinil miles ririiicr t(» Iii\tl|i(io| tli;m ()ilcss;i. It is rstiiii.-itrd iji, 1 iiciirlv ciulil iiiillions of doli.irs' woiili ot slii|)|»iii^r, owned l»y our ciiiZi M<, is now idl(! upon llic wesit rn l.dvrs tlirou^di tlic winter nionllis, when ihe navigable waters are last closed l)y ice. Mr li.tvinir tliis outlt ,', a lar;^* j)art of tla.' sliipj)in^ miiilil he prolilahly eni|>loycd duiiDf; the v. inter nioiillis in the coasting trade, or in cariyinu; Hour and oiiKT prochiK' to the West Indies, for w hich they are well Titled. They could al-o participate in furni>liinu su|»plies lor the ^reat depots of the lishe- tweeii its (cnnini.^^ THE FISIIEKIES. The measure under eonsideralion contemplates the action of the treaty-making power in securing to iIh; United Slates, anterior to any reeiprocal free trade, certain concessions on the part of (Jreat liritain, which ar(! of the utmost imj)ortanee lo our citizens engaged in the sea fisheries. It is b(dieved that no leading branch of national industry has ma(l(! so little comparative progress as our sea fisheries, lietljre iIk; revolutionary war, twenty thousand tons of shi])ping belonging to Mas- sachusetts and other New England States were employed in the fhli- eries. The increase of shipping employed in the fisheries in the last twenty years has been only about eighty thousand tons. The tonnage of vessels employed in our sea fisheries on the JiOtli of June, lbo:J, was as follows: Enrolled vessels emploj'ed in the cod fishery 102,Ct59 tons. Enrolled vessels empk)ye(l in the m;ickerel flsheiy 72, -340 " Licensed vessels under 20 tons emploved in the cod fishery ' 7,903 " The importance of the fisheries as a nursery for seamen, so evid(>nt during our last war with Great Britain, has caused this branch of the 24 H. Rep. 4. mrrcrintilo marine to rrccivc the pcculifir fostcriiif^ cnrc of modorn coinmeiciiil niitions. Tlic taking of" lish on the bankjj, says Fisher Ames, in the First Congress, "is a momcntons eoncern : it H)rms a nur- sery f!)r seamen, and lliis will b(! the souree from which we are to derive maritim vessels were tlu-n almost inva- riably laid up. P'requently the; whole amount due them was advanced upon their fires, so that they mkI their tiimilies were often exposed to severe want in the inclement season. Through the enterprise, if not the benevolence, of the caj)ita lists engaged in the business, a schcnne was devised i'or cmj)loying the itlle hands. The unem})loyed tish(M-meii were gradually induced to enter, during the winter, into the prosecution of some of the various branches of mechanical industry which W'Cre easily acquired, returning in tl:e summer months to the fishing grounds. The su])erior attractions of the new and less precarious employments, in many cases, have finally caused (he total abantlonment of the fishing business, both by the capitalists and the operatives. In 5ome towns — Beverly, fiw instance — which sent ibrtli annually a large licet to the banks, there is not a singles registered vessel in the cod-fishery, although the mackerel fish(>ry is still prosecuted. There appears to be less de- cline in the fishinij business in the districts whtn'e these branches of manufacture have made but little progress, and where the material fi)r ship-building is cheaper. The tonnage of the State of Maine employed in the cod-fishery is nearly equal to the whole tonnage of all other States employed in that fishery. A second cause of the decline of the American fisheries is the com- petition of colonial fish in our own and foreign markets, in consequence of the legislation of 1S46 — a legislation which conferred a laro;e benefit upon the colonial fisheries, without an ade(iuate e(juivalent to our own. The reduction of duti(;s from specific rates to a unit()rm ad valorem rato of twent}' per cent, on the foreign cost of imported fish, has caused a large importation of colonial fish l()r our own consumption. The whole amount imported from the colonies f()r the year 1852 was $002,507. Previous to 1S4G, the importations were too trilling to be noticed. At that time, no drawback was allowed on foreign dried or pickl(>d fish; but by the warehousing act of IJiat year, f()reign fish was admitted to be imported, entered in bond, and exported from American ports, with- out the payment of any duly. From the statement of ^^r. Wi^llman, deputy collector of Boston, in relation to the fisheries of Massachusetts, made to the Secretary of the Treasury, it appears that in lS4;i no f()reign dried fish were exported fi'om any port in the Fnitcd States, and only one hundred and three bar- rels of pickled fish. In 1847, 85,000 (juintals of dried, and 14,000 bar- rels of pickled fish, were exported. From 1S47 to 1S51, there were ex- H. Rep. 4. 25 n T o n ported from tlic port of Boston alone, 10,810 (juintals, and 92,524 bar- rels ot' jtickled lisli, wbicli were catered under the provisions of the winchdiisinii; law, and paid no duties. The vaku^ of the whole; ex- })()rt of foreign Hsh — nearly all supposed to be colonial — for tlie year lS-3;.>, was $307,348. Tb(3 value of the whole export of American fish Cov the same year was 8453,010. Th(> decHne appears extraordinary wlicn it is remem- bered that the value of dried and pickled lish exported in 1S06 exceeded 82,400,000. The views l)cl()re presented as to the cHect of the vvarelKMisinLT law in encouragin*^ the competition of Canadian wheat, apply to colonial fish. }]y that law rvcry advantage has been given to the colonial fish fjr C(jmpeting with our own in the t()reign niiirket, which regulates the price; so that it may be sftid that American fish virtunll}' have no protection und(T the present system. The conmiittee have high authoritv f()r asserting th;it those interested hi th(^ Am(>rican fisheries would be willing that the duty on fi.^li should be wholly al)olish«>d if they could obtain etpial privileges with British subjects on the fishing grounds. The third and principal cause of the decline of tlie American fish- cri(^s is, lluit, in consecjuence of treaty sti[)ul;itions with Great Britain, Americans are excludetl from the best fishiag grounds, and dc^pfived of other piivileges and conveniences essential to the successfiil prosecu- tion of ;iny branch of the fishing business — advantages which they enjoyed in the jxiiod of their greatest prosperity. By the thirtl article of tlie trciity of peace between the United States and Great Britain in 17s3, it was provitled as follows: " Th;»t the people of the United States shall continue to enjoy un- mr)lested th(> righi to take fish of any kind on the Grand Bank, and on all oth(^r bnnks of Newfoundland; also, in the (Julf of St. Lawrence, and at all other pliices in the sea where t\\v inhabitants of both coun- tries u-ed at any time to fish. That the inhabitants of the United States shall hav(^ liberty to take fish of anv kind on such part of the coast of Newf()un(iland as the British shall us(>, (but not to cure and dry them on the island;) and ;dso on the coasts, bays, and cre(>ks of all other of his Jiritannic Majesty's dominions in America. And that the American fishermen shall liavp lii)erty to dry and cure fish in any of the unsettled bays, harbors, .and creeks of Nova Scotia, Magdalen islands, and Lid^rador, so long as the same shall remain unsettled ; but so soon as the same, or either of them, shall be scuttled, it shall not be lawfid for the said fishermen to dry or cure fish at such settlements without a previous agreement for that purpose with the inhabitants, proprietors, or possessors of the ground." It will be seen that, by the provisions of this treaty, the Americans secured the important privileges of tlu; shore-fishing. It was while we enjoyed these ])rivileges that our fisheries attained their highest pros- perity. The British government regarded these privil(\o:es as forfi'ited by iiio war of 1812. By the convention of 1818 it was agreed "that the inhabitants of the United States shall have f()rever, in common with the subjects of his liritannic Majesty, liberty to tak(> fish of every kind on that part of the southern coast of iVewfbundland which extends from Cape Ray to the liameau islands, on the western and northern coast 26 H, Rep. 4, of Ncwfuuiidlnnd, from the said Cape Ray to the Qulrpon island?^, on the shores of the Matijdalen islands; and also on the coasts, bays, har- bors, and creeks from Mount Joly, on the southern coast of Labrador, to and through the Straits of Hcllislc, and thence nortliwardly indefinitely along the coast, without prejudice, however, to any of the exclusive rights of the Hudson Jiay C'ompany; and that liie American fishermen shall also have the liberty forcNcr to dry and cure fish in any of the unsettled bays, harbors, and creeks ot the southern })art of the coast of N(nvtbundland, hereabove described, and of the coast of Lal)rad()r. But so soon as the same, or any portion thereof, shall be settled, it shall not be lawlul for the said fishermen to dry or cure fish at such portion so settled without previous agreement for such purpose with the inhab- itants, proprietors, or possessors of the ground. And the United States herchij rcnoi/ncc forever any liberty heretofore enjoyed or claimed by the in- habitants thereof to take, dry, or ctire fish on or within three marine miles of any of the coasts, bays, creeks, or harbors of his Britannic Majesty'' s domin- ions in America not included loithin the above-tncntioned limits: provided, however, that the American fishermen shall be admitted to enter such bays or harbors for the purpose of shelter and repairing damages therein, ot" purchasing wood, and of obtaining water, and for no other })urpose whatever. But they shall be under such restrictions as may be necessary to prevent their taking, drying, or curing fish therein, or in any other manner whatever abusing the privileges hereby Reserved to them." The construction lately given to this treaty by the law oflficers of the crown is, that these three miles are to be measured from the headlands or extreme points of land of the coast, and not from the interior of the bays or iiuhuits of the coast. It is not necessary here for the committee to enter into any discussion to show upon what slight and narrow ground this conclusion is attempted to be justified, it is sullicieut for the present purpose that the British government has preferred this claim of right. By this treat}'', and especially by such a construction of its provisions, our V(\ssels are excluded from the best fishing-grounds, particularly in the (Julf of St. Lawrence, wh(?re the greater number of our vessels resort. They are also shut out from the early spring and late fall fisheries — precisely those of trie gi-eatest value, and most easily prosecuted. Early in the spring the ice leaves the coasts and bays of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and passes out towards the Atlantic. This, together w^iUi the ice coming down from the straits, forms a barrier which the vessels from the United States cannot pass until late in the spring. Within the ice, upon the coast, the waters swarm with herring, which resort to the shores to d(^posiie their spawn. The herring are pur- sued close to the sliores by the cod, and thus the colonial fishermen are enabled to prosecute a, nitjst profitable fishery in open boats from the shore. After the American vessels have returned in the fiill, the most valuable mackerel lishery of the season is prosecuted within the bays and upon the coasts. While the Americans, confined to the deep-sea fishery, are compelled to have expensive vessels, with at least nine men on board, the colonial fishermen can prosecute the fishing from the shore, upon the best grounds, in open boats. As the boats return at night, the fish are cured as fiist as they are caught, and so thoroughly H. Rep. 4. 27 o y e n cured nnd dried, that tliey cnn be exp^-rtcd in hulk. The Americnns, on l\\c oilier hand, are eoinpclled to salt llicir fish on board iheir vessels in 1ki11\. Thev remain a lonir lime, until the ciid ot the vovaue, before .. 1,7' ♦/ ^. , ' they are dried. The iish, theret()re, are never perti-ctly eured. It is for this reason, principally, lliat our tltrei^n export of Iish is raj)idly declining, and we lose entirely tlu; best foreign m;ukets — tin,' Nea[)()litan, fitr instance — which are wh<»lly sup[)lied with the perli'cily cured colo- nial iish. If the proposed arrangement should be clH-cted, tlx-re might be an entire (;hange in the manner of conducting the lishcMies. The Americans could have large establishments upon tlie shores, where they could leave boats and men tor prosecuting the early spring and late fall fisheries. Thus the}' would ha\'e profitable employment for seven or eight months, instead of three, as at present. The mackerel fisher- men, by having depots on shore, might obtain live or six fans during ti season, instead of two. When mackerel are abundant, the vessels are often loaded in live or six days, and the vessel must then return to the United States. By having de])ots on sIkmx; the lisliing could be Erosecuted during the whole season, and the iish could be carried ome in freighting-vessels. The mackerel iishernien would gain a great advantage from being allowed to Iish within three miles of the shore, as the largest schools arc generally f()und within those limits. These great beneiils to our fishermen won d liir outweigh any disad- vantages from colonial competition in the fish trade in our markets, while the whole country would feel the benefit of the incn^iscd produc- tion, consumption, and improved (juality of the fish. 'J'he South would thus obtain an increased and cheap supply ot herring — a most imj)ortaiit article of ibod tor her laborers. Through the fre(^ navigation f)f the St. Ijawrence, the shipping of the lakes would supply the great iishing depots in the gulf with pork and flour, and carry back the products ot" our maritime harvest for the suj>- ply of the interior. The market which the great West will iurnish through this channel for sweet and well-cured fish, now almost \m- known, will create a demand which the free competition of American and colonial fisheries will hardly sup])ly. In consid(Ming reciprocity, and its kindred measures, the committee have deemed it proper to conllne themselves solely to the commercial aspect of the questions under discussion. They feel compelled, how- ever, to notice certain recent movements coniux-ted AA'ith the subject, wdiich may have a most serious effix-t not only upon the fishing interests, but the welfare of the whole nation. Recent events place it be3'ond doubt tliat the British and colonial authorities are determined to enforce the exclusive rights to the fishing grounds claimed to have been secured to them by the ('onvention of ISIS. During the last year, armed vessels were furnished b}' each of the colonies, and several ships despatched by the home government, under instructions to remove, by force, if necessary, all American vessels trespassing upon the fishing grounds widiin the prescribed three miles. The c-ffect of this procedure has been highly injurious to our fall fislu'ry of the last year; and, if per- sisted in, this fishery cannot be prosecuted by our citizens with profit. The American fishermen once held the right to fish on these grounds; and they have ever claimed this privilege by a sort of prescriptive 28 H. Rep. 4. riirbt. Tt rnnnot he supposed that our fUhcrmon will priliontly suhmit to a iiinnhlc ciicroarliincnt u{)on their siippos^cd rii^hts. Collisions iiiny take place; and sueh an evcMit would iust;intly render possihle conse- qucnees most deplorahle. These evils Congress can avert by prompt and liheral legislation. OF THE REVENUE. If the conclusions to which the committee have arrived as to the cfli'ct of reciprociil trnde with the British North American provinces upon the industrial interests and trade of the country are correct, it seems to l()llow, as a necessary conseipieiice, that our revenue will be increased by it. Tlie ])rincipal part of the rcTcnue is derived from duties upon imports. V/ith any given rate of duty, the amount col- lected will depend upon the extrnt of our importations of dutinblo goods. Any system of international triide, therefore, the tendency of which is to increase the demand for these goods at the marts of com- merce, must inevitably operate to enhance the revenue. A more satis- factory illustrati(m, if any were needed, of the truth of this plain prop- osition, cannot be found thnn is pres(>nted in the operation of our present tariff. Thnt measure innovated largtdy upon veteran prece- dents and long-ch(>rished systems. It sought to ret()rm errors, nnd cor- rect abuses, and, above all, bv establishing a fixed rate of duty, to secure our domestic industry ngainst those lluctuations which had so often proved destrnctivf! of the very objects intt^nded to be subserved. Its opponents confidentlv predicted, and many of its friends feared, its fiiilure to suj)ply the treasury. But the experience of six years has abundantly demonstrated its efficiency for all revenue purposes. That the degree of protection given by it to domestic industr}^ has changed with the ever-varying demand and su})ply of the market, is attributable to those laws of trade which leii;islation cannot control. Doul)tless we should class among the causes contributing largely to increase our un- portations, since the tariff of 1S4G, the unusually large accessions to our population, the rapid development of our resources, and the in- exhaustible supj)lies of tfie precious metals drawn from our own territory. The official returns of commerce and navigation exhibit the astonishing progress of our tra.de. Our total exports and imports, exclusive of specie and bullion, f<)r the year ending .Tune 30, 1S4G, while the tariff of lS42was in force, amounted to S23i,079,730; of which S96,924,{)58 were dutiable imports, yiekling a revenue of $30, -378, 699. For the last 3'ear the aggregate of our exports and imports, exclusive of specie and buUion, was S36S,G74,3S4; of which 8201,706,194 were dutiable imj)orts, yielding a revenue of 847,339,326 : thus showing at the ex- piration of the brief period of six years of a healthy trade an excess of receipts from customs during the last yenr of $16,960,027 over the amount received from that source in the last fiscal year under the former tariff. The result is an excess of revenue oyer the ordinary annual expenditure of the gov(>rnment of $14,632,136. This large surplus, nearl}'' equal tf) one-half the entire annual revenue from cus- toms six years since, shows tliat, even if it were conceded that the pro- posed measure of reciprocity would for a short time diminish our receipts from that source, no embarrassment need be apprehended from it. H. Rep. 4. 29 Our trade with the Britisli North American colonies lia?, since 1S43, even under the j)resent restrictions, heen conthuially increasmu:. As early as 1S45, that accoinplislicd statesman and ahle linanclal (dliccr who was at the head ot" the Treasury De[)arlnient dining the admin- istration of President l*olk, speaking of the act allowing a drawhack on ioreign imports exported from certain of ovn' ports to the ihitish North American ])rovinccs, said it was "begiiniing to })roduce tin; most happy results, es[)ecially in an augmented trade In the supply of ioreign exports to Canada from our own ports. Indeed, this law must soon gi\e ns the whole of this valuable trade during the long period when the St. Lawrence is closed by ice, and a, large proportion of it at all seasons. The r<\sult would be still more beneficial if Canada were allowed to carry all her exports to foreign nations in transitu through our own railroatls, rivers, and canals, to be shipped from our own j)orts. Such a system, while it would secure to us this valuable trade, would greatly enlarge the business on our rivers, lakes, railroads, and canals, as \\(.'ll as augment our commerce; and W(juld soon lead to the purchase by Canada, not only of our tbreign exj)orts, but also, in many cases, ot" our domestic prf)ducts and fabrics, to complete an assortment. In this man- ner our commercial rclatioiis with Canada would become more intiujate, and more and more of her tratle every year woukl be secured to our people." These glowing anticipations from the effects of the law referred to, have been fully realized by subse(pient experience. The trade of the United States with the British \orth American provinces, In 1S4G, was stated, in the agu:r(>ga1e, at S9,-J44,]()() of ex[iorts and imports. In 185:2, the same; trade had risen to 810,019,315, and tlu; revenue I'rom the same had also largely increased. The establishment of free trade in the staple productions of these ])rovinces, liy largely Increasing their sale in our marts of connnerce, will draw to those points an augmented trade, stImulat(Hl by cheapness of transportation on our roads and i-ainds, and the facilities l)y which all its operations can bc^ conducted. The provincial merchant or agriculturist, t()llowing one of the unchanging laws of trade, will buy In the market where! he sells, and thus become a consumer of our l()reign imports as well as of our domestic produc- tions. The merchant of Toronto who has purchased wheat, rye, and oats of the neighboring farmers, when he has sold these collected pro- ducts in Boston or New York, will [)urcliase there, with the proceeds, th(3 supplies necessary to complete his stock of goods. The lumlx^r- dealer of St. .lohn will convert his lumber at Boston not only into bread- stulls, but also into goods imported from al)road. The iishernian of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, wherever along our whole coast, from Boston to New Orleans, he shall sell his lisli, will there purchase those articles of forelfjn growth nec(\- j)revi- ously adjusted between the governments of (JreatJiritain and the United States, by the action of the treaty-making power. They confidently present this measure as a system of broad and comprehensive inter- national trade, mutually b(>nelicial to the conunercial interests of both coimtries. They recommend it as a peaceful nu'thod of" gathering up and putting at rest for(>ver many vexed ruieslions and possible future C'aus(>s of contention between CJreat Britain and ourselves; while the colonies, bound to us by a commercial ;dliance which removes all causes for changing their present political jjosition, "as the pulsations of a com- mon social and mercantile vitality beat through our joint body politic, become hostages to insure our permanent peace with Great Britain, and through her with the whole European world." Memorandum of paim's appended to the foregoing report. A letter of the Register of the Treasury, enclosing tables of com- merce between the United States imd the British North American provinces, fi)r the year 1852, marked A. Statement of exports of domestic protluce and manufactures to Can- ada and the British North American provinces, during the year ending the 30th of June. 1852, marked B. Statement exhibiting the (]uantity and value of foreign merchandise cxpf)rted to Canada during the year ending on the 30th of June, 1852, marked C. Statement of foreign mercliandise exported from the United States to British colonies in America, in American and foreign vessels, for the year ending June 30, 1852, marked D. Statement of merchandise imported into the United States from Canada, also the duties which accrued on the same, during the year ending June 30, 1852, marked E. Statement of merchandise imported into the United States from the British American colonies, also the duties which accrued on th. n.une, during the year ending June 30, 1852, marked F. Extract from the report of I. D. x\ndrews, esq., to the Secretary of the Treasury, dated August 19, 1852, relative to the navigation of" the river St. John, and its lumber-trade, marked G. Message of President Taylor, and accompanying corres[)ondence, relative to reciprocal trade between the United States and Canada, marked H. Report of Hon. Alexander W. Buel, on the free navigation of the river St. Law'rence, marked I. c H. Rep. 4. 31 A. Treasury Departmevt, nrg}stcr\s Ofirc, Fthrunrrj 9, 1S53. Sir: Your letter of yestcrdiiy, acldresscd to tli(> Secreliiry of the Treasiirv, having l)(>rn relerred to this biirenu, I have the honor to conniuniicat^ to you statements, in conipUance with your re(iurst, "showing tlie commerce between the United States and the British North American provinces, for the year ending June 30, 1S52." I have the lienor to hv, your most obedient servant, N. SARGENT, Rrghtcr. Hon. David Ti. Seymour, Chairman of the Committee on Commerce, IIo. of Rejis. ) i] 32 II. Rep. 4. B. Statement of the exports of domestic jtrodiice 3 I'm 1,140 1 KiO 451 077 113 051,07;$ 24,707 :{5 11, OHO 171,720 1,27!) 14,!»r<7 57, 707 5 184 88 49, i)77 300,405 ;{8, 888 98, H{)S 3, 309 019 334 5, 221 824 1,079 14, 133 Value. 120, 312 17, 798 80 034 3,702 • 1,731 3, 850 302 1,048 53, 378 4, 402 10, 597 } 98,104 11,702 28, 14G 9,371 200 12,027 23f^, 808 127,008 38, 081 7, 507 1,117 2,181 144 7, 903 18,042 910 To tBe llritish North American colonies. Quantity. 1,204 814 11,295 1(10 10, 507 145 8 138 52 132 2,030 8, 008 4, 8.54 11 4, 281 835, 583 2, 040 1 142, 037 50, 170 17,043 24,793 52, 782 189, 072 100,117 141, 185 30, 153 11,908 10, 970 417 330 4,213 1,101 2.449 Value. $1,043 0, 840 22 2, 894 340 46 14,475 J 1,786 347 OHO 30, 378 I 22, 773 1,217 4,570 } 90, 317 ] 22, 3G0 248, 825 450 105, 100 08H, 9.50 8(). 221 9(), 283 41,435 3, 921 36, 200 178 9, 385 25, 049 270 H. Rep. 4. B — Continuctl. 33 ArticlcH. Tiiliacco lilidn.. , }|flllp cwt. .. IJrow II sii^ar ixiiiiidr* llll|)8 (lit.. Wax do.. Ht'fiiii'd siisiar do. . C'hocolaic do (iraiii s|)irif(» ^alloiiH. . Molasses, spirits from d(» Midassrs Vinegar IJlmt, all', jtortcr, ntid cidt-r gallons . . Do do dozt'ii. .. liinst'cd oil gallons. . Spirits of tiirpontiiio do Ilousoliold turnirure Coiu'liL's and other carriageM Huts To Ciiiiiula. Quantity, i Valiit- 4.-. 2, 1 4H !», :t()7 1,41.') ao,t.'-j4 J4I) 4,74!> 2.7()» ]'^,4i:! Saddlery Tallow candles poinids . . Soap do.... SnnlV do Tobaeoo manufactured do Lciitiier do Boots Hnl.!»ir. 1, (•)(;.'), !)(;:! :U7,'J74 K>, (i(>7 J, (17-^ 4,!>7r) i,4()7,;nr. i-i, ;w;j '.) r.() 71,401) «».•>, 4H0 i:»,-!i7 'i, :{:u ')() (i, 477 4".> H,4:5i ].->:{ !)47 2,7(;-i r),(U(; 40, UHO i',',.^jt) ;{7,7(iH J.ltlH (i, 7M '27(>, H!)-) 14.">, ()()() 10, H.->t; 7'>>0 8'.), 174 OO'J > 4,01)1 H(), 2f)0 2t)l,r)tit) 4,005 40, HX^) 114,'20;{ lH!),71(i iiOjHH 55,501 711 1,1-28 i->, :!.')(; 5,518 41) 2()5 1 , ()!)7 •226 10, 545 4,802 45, 22(3 To the Mritish Xorlh American colonies. quantity. I Value. 245 1 511 I :»:{,!)()•.{ I!),!)27 42,502 :?,K-)1 25, (;54 •JO, i)8() !»24,5.-)7 2, (■.()!» i,r)!ii 4,1)81 4,54!) I ) 15 ] 585 H(),r.oi (50, 5H!) 4, :J52 !H14,07!) :{15, i4:j 10!), 474 417 2, :m) 100 1,250 8 107, 100 :?, 174 5:51 ; 12,(io:5 41,84!) •M-2 2, 887 1,040 27r. :{,027 25, 4-^!) 5,417 15, 145 408 11,782 1:51,041 127,477 4,80!) :{5i 40 70 3, 801 :]4,009 «)2, 403 :5, 423 11,808 50, 372 142, 077 330 23, 1)47 1,018 2, 244 11,244 481 39 1 294 2, 073 3,31)4 34 II. Rep. 4. ]\ — Contimiod. Articles. ]{(i()kH mill mii|»H I'lipi'i" tiiiil still ioiHTy riiiiiis II ill I viii'iiisli Miimiriiriiirrs (if^iliiss Miiniitiicliiics id' till MiiiMiriiciiirt's of prwicr find Icml Miiiiiiriiriiiri's of iii!irlp!i' ami stuiii- IMiiiiiil'iii-liMTs of yolil iind silver iiiitl >,'"1(1 li'iif. (Jolil iind si Kit coin Arriliciiii tlouers iiiul Jrwelry 'j'niiiks lirick iiiiil iiiiii' Cml Ice , foils. . To ('iiiiiiilii. Qiiiintiry. i Value !?(i'-', in, r..|, I 1^, ■M\ IH', '.•la Tt;:? ii.')") S,S|4 Articles not cminicriiicil — Miiinifactiired Iviiw produce Total. There was in American Acssels... Tlii're was in foreii,'n vessels it To llir Hriiisli Xorlli American cidonies. Qiiantii y. I, l>^ J, -,•,':{ .},(t(i4,!M;:{ Total. ;*-,>,()S:{,!)|H I, •••i 1,04,-) 4,(»()4,!if):5 ^,-2117 N'aliii !?ll, > •jt;4 I H:!'i s ■\{>:\ .1 \->r liiA •J.") 07.") •.',(;.■■)() 1:54 - !5i(;()4 4r,4 ■J, 04.") (iMO •J,(mO 1154 J- I Treasuhy Dkivvutmknt, l)ri;ititcr's Office, Fehruanj 9, 1653. N. SAKGKNT, litirisUr. H. Ilip. 4. c. 35 *'l sftiti lix'iif r.rltihilnnj^ f/it: (lumtt itij , !!»,-> il-xjiort- Valiie. 'I'oial \alni' 7,ii()0 1 i:;, til lit HTil. 71"^ (ill, ."^(iS !?!, 104,. ".I'J 7l,4-j.". r.',:)r.ii 4,'.»:i4 r.-j, 4:!ii :wi i:!, 111(1 i-j:i 1,047 l(Cf,7li (!~!» •1 \-> i:!,'.i;ti 7,-J7!» 1.'), (i-s 7l,4 4.'), '.^47 •J!>1 4, 4h:5 10i> tl, K")l) •ill 14,.')7:{ 1 4, >^:>i) !l,!»77 i,:,\2 2.-', 9or. 4;J8 ...... ...■■- ' 47 1 l.OU'J 36 II. Rep. 4. C — Continued Spt'cicH of iiirrchuiuliHo. K.x ports. MiitiiifiicHir»'« of iron iiml ott'cl — ('lltltTJ Mjiniiriicfiii'i'K iiof N|M'(-ilif(l ' Win-, N 1»> A, No. 14 ihmiiuIh.. Nniln do j Uni/ifi'M' ro(lH, from 3-10 to l(>-l(Mliaiiicffr, llm.i ]Ioo|) iron |)oiiii<1h..| Slii'ct iron 4, liar, and old IJraHM, iiiaiiiiractiirt'n of" ' Till— [ III |iiuM and liarH Ill |iiatf.s and HbtM-tH Gold and silver — I .Jewelry, and iinitatii>ns of ' Mamitiictiire«, not npecilied I Watclies, and jiarts of Pinn, in packs and or!ler\vi*^t^ Untton*, iiiftal I all other uionldrt j GlasK — ' Silvered, in frames ! J'aiiiiiii>,'s on tjlass, porcelain, S:c Alaiintiictures, uot specilied ' (i lass ware, cut j Bottles, not above 2 qiiartH....^ gross. .| Paper — | Medium, cap, demy, and other Hank and liaiik note paper Tapier innclie, and manufactures of ' I'aper liani;int;H Manufact ures, not specified Blank Ixxdis ! Hooks, printed, magazines, &c., in English j Leutlier — ! Skins tanned and dressed dozen.. Hoots and bootees ti>r men and women, pairs.. Hoots and bootees for children do Gloves for men, women, and children, dozen..! Wares — i China, porcelain, «S:c * | Plated and gilt ' Furs— _ I Undressed on the skhi I )ressed on the skin 1 lats, ca|)s, miitfs, and tippets "Wood, niamifactures of — Cedar, inalio<;aiiy, Ac Wood, unnianufactured — > Cedar, niahogany, &c ' Dye-wood in stick I 21,900 9,000 32,4HO 1,0H(( irr.ooo 22 i:ff 'J«> 7 398 105 293 1,930 Cork Brushes and brooms Hides and skins, raw Shoes aud slippers, silk or satin paii's . 1, 125 Value. Total value. fI,33H 19,HS(( (^70 313 7!>7 JM) 1,4!M» 40, 959 1,044 30 202 50 10, 533 9, 002 2,20H 22, 040 5«;2 7, 373 2, 833 1, 1H9 00) C, 578 473 38 121 274 1,«)44 1 , 439 805 99 14,710 G,401 513 732 7,449 340 5, 978 1,355 3.57 1..598 70 25 953 224 50 43,531 939 II. Rop. 4. C — Conl'miR'd. 37 SjH'cii'i of mt'rt'himiliHt'. } (iiitiny litiL'-i riiilir.'ll..- ..f xilk Wiiwl, iiiiui.iiiut'acriirfd iiimukIm. Wines — M;Mlfini >.'iilliiiiH. SlH-rry and St. Liiciir do... I'oit d(»... (Mnrt't (Id... ( >r Aiistriiiiind otlicr piirrK (if(j!cnnany .do... It'i'd uiiit's Hot •■iiiinicratrd do W'liitt'. . . .do do du. . . Cliaiiiiiauni', in IximN-h do/rn. . I'orf do do... Clnret do do... All other do do... SpiritH — IJrandy gallons. From t'rain do... I'Yoni oilier niaforiula do... Cordials ,>2(l4 4,7:{() L7()(» 5i<;,7-ji 10, 4f''J 2, 90-2 l,r)(l!> 27, r)(;o 28, 74f^ 1<>,7()H 4, 49-2 10, 140 :}0,440 1, 942 04:j 300 100 1,411 570 1i,9h:{ 17, 942 VullK!. fOO H,H|<> I, la:. 7o:{ 2, 59:$ :{,oi7 94 61 924 :J,4I4 4, 32 1 44 74H 240 3, >'2H 4r.!» 201 40 1,911 00 2!»2 2, 403 2, 270 12'), 010 21,H90 1,431 7,479 137 300 102 28, 203 1,232 Mf^O ]()7 1,042 2, 329 1,990 210 212 l,r)22 1,901 17 10 273 13, 583 11 719 2, 153' Total value i <• 38 II. Rep. 4. C — CoiiliiiiKd. Species of iiKTcbimilise, Exports, (^iKditity. Viilue. I Tdtiil value. Fisli— I Siiliium hiiiTt'lH.. 10 ! IfcrriiiL's iiiid shad do iVi j Artieles at •> {n-r criit i J()..., 427 :?02,404 J 4:?, 122 1,2:'.-^ 2.712,01)7 ^ Tkkasl'Rv Dti'ARTMi.NT, lie<^istir's office, rdiruiirij 9, ISoo. N, S.UIOENT. Uri'htir. H. Rep. 4. D. Stiitiiiiiiit of f(irr/(rii. mrrchd/iillsc r.ijior/rd j)y))i> ilir Umtnl S/fif's/n Auk r'lraii m/o/iirs in Aiutrica/i dud jhrtlgii lu.ssclsjor (lie ijcor :\{)t/i .hnir, J^.J2. 39 Ihithh C/lih/inr S|i('('i(', u((i( Cdtl'r. ►^lii'iirliiiii: iiicral Oakum Maiiuraciurcs uf wtm] — Cldilis ami cassimtTcs . McriiKi shawls. lInsiiM-y and articles on tVaiin'.s. ^Vll^sIl'(l stutr ijiinils. .Mamitiurtin'Sot', not speciliod. Slaniit'acriircs of fortoii — rriiireil, stained, or colored AVliire or uncolored - Cords, uinijis, and Lralloons 1 losiery and articles made on frames 'I'wist.yarn and thread Mannfactnres of, not specilied Silk, and mannfactnres of — I'iece uoods lIosier\ and articles on frames Mannfactnres, not specilied Mamitiicfnres of tlax — 1 jtiens. I)leached or nnbleiiclied ^faiinfactnres, not specilied Manufactures of hemp — Sail duck — l\'ussia, pieces KaveiLS, pieces C'lothinir, r(>ady-nnule Laces — cotton insortinns, hmes, Ao Maftiiiir, Chinese and other, of llaj,'s,&c Hats, tVc., of leuliorii, straw, chip, grass, A:e Manufactures ot iron iind steel — Needles Cinlery, not specified Other manutactnres, not speciiie(l Iron and steel wire — not above No. 14 pouiuls.. above No. J4 do Chain cables do Anchors, and parts thereof do Anvils, and parts thereof do Sheet iron do ( )ld and scrap cwt. . . Har nnimifactnred by rolling do Steel, cast, sln'ar, and German do . . . Mannfacinres of tsojiper, not specilied Tin, and mannfactnres of — In pii;s so lf^,5o:? 70 10 '2:?, '204 •22, us r)74 H!)(J ],!)(il 2, 2'm 2, '^TS (>7 7, 4i>() 97 180 158 1,7!).') ]r)0 2,-2-i7 55 1,101 2, 10«) 950 900 17:$ 1,249 201 877 ()() 20 G8 89 90 322 259 40 H. Rep. 4. D — Continued. Merchamlisc. Quant iry. Value. Watclies, and parts of Huttdiis, UK'tal (Jlass, |i(ilisli('(l plat I' • (ilass, iiiaiinfactiiri's of, not Hpeciiiod Manntiictiii'cs of f;lass — Window 1,'lass nor above ]0 by V2 inches nquare feet. .. Paper, an 2, 33-i 2, 300 llC) 11,404 5>40 17,004 177, 5^4 495 1,272 531 12,043 470, Rr)3 222, 90'J 10,240 92, 190 21, 153 350 255,071 72, 405 100 14,782 3, H90 4,211 30, 940 ?2.50 1,370 40 700 404 733 1,095 740 fc52 lei 875 08 2, 170 <■)') 1,000 73 52 29, 90!) 21 297 897 1,403 398 1,356 871 11,273 300 0, 244 35, 489 359 278 034 95 550 21,500 15,881 1,221 5, 292 1,3.50 29 15, 798 3,728 80 851 351 752 1,474 f) > H. D- R -Cc ep. 4. )ntiiuic(l. 41 Men iiidiso. Quantity. V alue. CaiuUefi — Sreariiie Stareli . . . . - . . . ...pounds do 875 1,300 2, 557 135,000 (1, 113 213 lit; 17,400 1,000 758 315,4.58 8,010 502 It), 480 150 ],r)H) 23tt, (J32 $218 25(i liutter do 320 IJet'C and |i(irk ..... do 5, 400 Hams and (itlii'r baeoi hristles do ..... do (ill 155 Indijfd .....4I0...... 141 Sixla asli, (»r barilla... Tobaceo — I'nniainifactnred. Ciirjips • ■•• «>•>>>- • • > > • • " • ■ do do M 310 100 8, Gil 23, 51)0 ()4 303 (i, 531 — 2,202 108 87i), (M5 2()2, 737 Total ' 141,^22 Free. , Paying duty. Toral value. Exported in American vessels Exjtorted in forei^u vessels 10,24!) 78,748 • $88, 9!)7 2.52,488 ; 800,337 1,052,^25 Total 202,737 87t), 085 ' 1,141,822 Treasukv Dki'artmknt, Jirgittcr's Office, February 9, 1853. N. SARGENT, Rnnstrr. li 11 i 1 » if ill 42 H. Rep. 4. E. Sldtcmoit of tiirrrh(it/(J/sr hiijiorlcd hito the J^n'ttid Sfaffs from (^niddd^ (tlso tilt i/i/firs irliicli accnnd on thr sonic, dining tin: ijcor ending June oO, 1SC)'2. Mcrcliaiidise. KKKK. Animals t(ir liri'cd •Specie, i^dlii silver Apjiiirel (if emiuranis (iai'ileli seeds, Ac I'mdiice orriiited States linuii;!!! Iiack. Other a rt ides (^•Maiility. A'aliie DUTIAliI.E. _ t Manufactiires (if wdd] — Cldllis and cassi meres , jNIeriiKi sliaw Is iif \V(i(il ]>laid\efs llusiery, iVc Wdrsted stuir{,'d(ids AN'ddlleii and worsted _\ arn Arti(des emhi'didered or tandiorod i\Iannf,i,'tijre.s nor specified Flanmds yards . Venetian carpetini; do. . Carpetini; iidt specified Cottdii, manufactnres al' — I'rinted, stained iir cidored ^^'hite (ir nncdldred Hosiery, iVc \ Twist, yarn, and thread ^Mannfactnres not specilled Silk, iiiaimfacrnres of — Piece !,'dods Articdes tauilmred or enihroidered IMannfactiircH not specified 15oltiiii; (dotiis Silk and worsted floods Fhix nianiifacHnvs — Linens, IdiNudied or ind)leaclied Mamifiicfures not specified Ileuip, niamd'actures of — Not specified Sail duck, ravens jiieces . . Russia do Ready-mado clorhinj,^ Oil chit lis yards.. Huts of Lei;h()ni, strtiw, Ac Iron and steel, niannfactnres of — Fire-arms not specified Scythes Cutlery Manufactures not specified ^Vire, not above No. 14 poimds.. Nails do Ciiain caldes do Mill, cross-cut, and pit saws No S:n, 17;*. . ^:5', 17.') :j4(;, 7S| S7, ()17 fiO, ,>^H() 7, h;7 7.') 7()l, .■>71 1(17 10 3 10 41H 3S4 12 3 997 8 T) 37 90.') 2 10 733 27 r.o 45 907 10 2 7 113 • 97 20 40 2 20 35 85 ir. 48 GO 238 15 9,84G 189 r. 13 l,7.-.3 31 17 1 7 Rati I'lrrt. 3.0 3,0 20 30 25 :!o .30 30 25 30 30 25 25 20 25 30 25 25 25 20 20 20 20 20 30 3) 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 Duties, $299 10 2 40 1 20 11 10 22f; 25 GO 3 00 219 90 G 75 15 00 13 50 22G 75 2 50 40 1 75 28 25 24 25 G 00 10 00 50 5 00 7 00 17 00 3 20 9 GO 12 00 71 40 4 50 2, 953 80 5G 70 1 80 3 90 525 90 9 30 5 10 30 2 10 • H. Rep. 4. E — Coiiliiiiicd. 43 MorcliHiiilisc. (JiiiiDriry. , V:ilii K'iit. DiitifM. Iron and stcfl, niaiiiitacninM of-— Aiiclinrs, and pai'ts uf. jxiiiiids.. Siniflis' liaiiiiiitTS, iVc do Castings, vessels of do Ciistiiiifs, otliiT do Iron — ]?and or scroll do I[oo|) •>. do Slifi't do I'iii cwt.... ()\d and scrap do liar, nianutiicinri'd liy rollini,' do IJar, inainit'actnrcd orlicrui.sc do Stct'l — cast, slicar, and (icrnian do Copper, in pifjs, liars, ami old Tin, in jijatcs and sheers Tin, nianni'aclures of Lead, )iii;, liar, sheet, and old pounds.. G(dd and si\er, maniifacttires of Metal linrrons (Jldss ware, cnr liorrles, not ahove two ipn j^ross.. Window ylass, nor tihove 8 j 10 si[. fr.. I'aper, niedinm, caj), Ac raper, bank and hank note Clocks 7,001) '■><) 'JdO 10, f).-):} 1()0 .^).-), :{():{ OH H'lH ',',!)07 4;»o,7.')H H I'aper haiiiiin^'s ]?ooks printed in lOiiHlish Periodicals, Ac Leather, jind niiuuifactnres of — Skins, tanned and dressed dozen .. Tanned iicnd tind sole [loiinds.. I'anm'd and dressed upper do I5oots and shoes for men and wonieii, pair. Gloves for men, women, tind ciiildrtMi, doz. JIannfactiires not .specitied Wares- China, porcelain, stone, &c Plated or {jilt .) ajianiied Saddlery— Connnon tinned or japitinn'd I'lated brass or polished steel Furs, mainifaetiires of — I'ndressed on the skin Dn\ssed on the skin I lilts, caps, Haiti's, A:e Mannfactiires not specitied Wood, nmnnfact tired — Cabinet furniture, Ac Cedar, j;''''"iidilla, Ac Manufactures not specified Wood, unmanufactured — Cedar, jirenadilla, Ac I'ire-wood niid other not specitied Dye-wood, in stick Raw hides and skins Fliixsecd or linseed biishids.. Wool pouiuls.. :]l)0 30(1 01 34.-) 7, ()3!) 457,710 I Prni. ,*-j.'.o 3(1 !?75 00 3 30 90 11 30 i 3 30 34'.) 30 104 70 (; :?() 1 .■"•() 30 2 70 1, I4-,> 30 ! 312 (iO 14,43-i 30 ! 4,331 40 l,!tll!» 30 .572 70 (;i5, ]•.)■> 30 H4,.5.')7 00 2-> 30 1 (iO h; 20 i 17 20 44,4'.t(; i> 2,224 fO 4 15 1 00 3 30 1 90 4 20 80 33 30 9 90 3 25 75 4 40 1 00 24 30 7 20 12 20 2 40 (5 30 1 H) 12 30 3 (30 3 30 !)0 10 2(» 2 00 403 10 40 30 HO 10 8 (JO 800 20 100 00 37 20 7 40 25 20 5 00 5H 30 17 40 4 30 1 20 718 30 215 40 703 30 210 90 6 30 1 H) 3 30 90 83 20 10 00 2 30 00 9, 350 10 935 00 ' 1,471 20 2!>4 20 1 100 30 30 00 1 G2 30 18 00 13 30 3 90 ' 54 40 21 00 1 9, 479 30 2, 843 70 4, 392 20 878 10 179, 3(10 30 53, 809 80 571 5 28 55 1.5,M'.>1 5 791 05 5, S20 10 5^2 00 6H, 5G1 30 20,508 3 44 H. Rep. 4. E — Continued. Merchandise. Wine, in caskfi — Jladt'ini giilloiiH.. Skerry Hnd St. Luear do l*(Mt do Wine, in bottles — Claret dozen.. C'lianipagno do Slierry do Port do TJrandy ..gallons.. Spirits from grain do Spirits troMi oilier materials do Cordials ..do I3eer, ale, and porter — In casks do In liottles do Vineirar do Wliaie and other fish oil do Tens from places other than of prodnetion, lbs. Sugar, brown itonnds.. Sugar, loaf and other refilled do Caudles, wa.v and spermaceti Slates of all kinds Candles, tallow pounds,. Cheese do S0 70 250 127 20 25 40 2 20 40 7-,'.\ 57 30 17 10 240 15 30 4 50 80 12 20 2 40 1,178 93 25 20 294 50 tl'JO 18 CO 2r,i 13 30 3 90 2'j;5 15 30 4 50 Go:] 25 10 2 50 ()8 17 20 3 40 894,019 71,297 20 14,259 40 24,071 1,451 20 290 20 0:51,918 31,198 20 0, 239 00 lUO, 095 5,840 20 1,109 20 10 2 20 40 270 3 20 00 1,013 25 30 7 50 28 10 40 4 00 1 5 40 2 00 53 8 20 1 00 240 28 25 7 00 488, 095 10,110 5 505 80 GO, 944 0, 400 20 1,293 20 470 655 30 190 50 800, 858 557, 170 20 111,435 20 74,2J0 33, 242 20 0,048 40 25,011 9, 544 20 1,908 80 317, 739 03, 009 20 12,721 80 517, 7!M) 1,010,218 20 202, 043 00 1,909 3,741 20 74^ 20 10, 807 2, 505 30 751 5U 70 173 20 34 CO 080 5, 287 20 1,057 40 2, 072 9,414 20 1,882 80 103 298 20 59 GO 4, 422 10, 024 20 2, 124 80 II. Rop. 4. E — Continued. 45 CO uo -0 Merohiiiuliso. Qiinntity. Mert'luiiulist' not cniiinfratt'd above — At r> p(;r cfiit At 10 per ct'iit ^ . At I ') jK'l- t't'llt At 120 \K'v ct'iit At "25 piT rt'iit At ;}0 per ct'iit At 40 i»er c».'Ut Viiliu'. $•2, 390 5, :!tJ(; 948, ;599 39, 40t) 4.-I 3, f28, 398 Rate. Diitit's. Pirrl. ^ 1110 50 10 532 (iO ir, 1 17 45 i»(t 1^9,079 80 yr> •23H 25 30 11,S21 80 40 l!» 20 849,321 95 RECAPITULATION. Fr«o of (liitv $701,571 raying duties 3,82h,398 1,5H9,!}(59 In American vessels 2, 27H, f)03 In Ibreigu vessels 2, Jill, 3(U; 4,589,9(;9 Treasj-ky Departmknt, licgistcfs Office, February 9, 1853. N. SARGE^'T, Register. 46 II. Rop. 4. F. Stall jiviit (if iiu rrluniihsc iiiiportcd nifo tin' T^iiitid S/atis frnm Jiritlsh ^[iniricdii ciloiin s, (tiso the (h/ttrs tr/nr/i iircnnd mi the sitiiii , (/iiniia^ t/ic ijt iir < iidiiiij; .It/lie '30, lSo:i. Free infrcliMiidisc. Qii.'intiiy. Aiiiiiiiils for lii't'cd ' Speck' — (ii)lil Silver Cntfoil, llllliliiMilt;icnire() r>, (11 1 (•.4 •Jls,7JS II. R( p. 4. 47 F — Continued. iMitiiilili' im'rcliaiiili,i(<. Qiiiiiirify. VflllK K'ai. ItiiiicH. Miitiiifiicfiircs iif wool — jN'iit siiccilicd Hliiiikcrs JIdsiciv, iVc Cotton, iiiiiimriicliirf's of — j M'liiti' or iiiicolorci! ' 'I'liinlioi'i.'d oi- niilH'oiilcrt'd Miiiiidlicnin's mot s|M'cilit.'(l I'liix, iiiaiiiit'aciiircs of — , i.iiit'iis, lilfiiclii'il or iinlilcaclicil Mailllf'aclni'cs not sprcilird Sail (liicli, Holland idt'ci's.. ■ Cldtliinii, I'cady mado Ai'ii(d('s of wi'iir ' Martin;:. CliiMcsi', iVc llafH, caps, Ac. lA' li'i;liorM. straw, Ac Iron ami strcl, nianiiraeiiirt's of — j Not siK'cilicd Spiki's poinids.J Chain cahlrs Anchors and ]iarts of Casiinas other than vessels Iron, pii: cur. .. ] )o. .old and scrap l>o..liar, inaiHiCacnircd l)\' r(dlini,' . .. Copper, in piiis, liars, and (dd ]{rass do do Mannt'aclnres nor specilii'd ]i( ad, piiis, liars, sheet, and old. .. pounds.. Glass, nianuliietnres of Iiotrjes, nor ali(i\e two ([narts..i;ro!ss.. Books printed in Ijiyland Leather, ami nianiifacriires ol' — 'J'amied, liend, and sole jioinids.. 'J'aniicd and dressed tipper Skins, tainied and dressed dozen.. Skins, tanned and not dressed Ware, china, porcelain, Ac I'^nrs, undressed on the skin AVood, nianut'acriires of Wood, ninnanufacrured — Cedar, yrenadilia, Ac Firewood and otlier nor speciHed ])yewood in stick Slarble, tiinnainifacrured Brushes and hroonis Eaw hides and skins (iunny liafi;s Flaxseed or linseed bushels.. Wool pounds.. Wine in casks — I'oi't gallons-. ]\ed, not ennnierated Wine in borrles, not specified dozens.. Brandy gallons . . Spirits from frrain from or her materials Beer, ale, and jiorter (in bottles), .gallons. . Vinegar Molasses Wlialf and otiior lisli oil V> :w, r.jH jr),(i(ii ;{, ()!M 2, T.'iO 22, 2!):{ :5:5 7,101 4 o;? ;ii 20, 153 51 1 G'JO 1 G20 20 l.'> !)2 14, 4:51 2,047 1 rr.rt. ij2r.7 i 30 $77 10 :w 1 20 1 i; 10 2:57 j 30 1 1 71 10 42^^ 25 J07 00 517 30 155 10 47 25 11 75 i:{5 20 27 00 15 ; 20 :; 00 ^^l) 20 1 17 H) H4 30 25 20 2:{ 30 III) 11 25 2 75 f5:5 30 255 00 81 H 30 215 40 !t4 30 2-^ 20 H25 30 247 50 555 30 100 ,50 i:{ 30 3 !)0 l,70rt 30 512 40 4,710 30 1,414 80 l,.-'07 30 5t;ii II) ,57 ti i) 28 H) J 07 ,5 8 35 30 1 80 444 20 8s .-^0 () :io 1 H) 57 :;o 17 10 100 10 10 00 551 20 110 20 2() 20 5 20 :!;} 20 00 2il() 20 50 20 101 .30 30 30 1 , [m 10 103 ilO 4,402 30 1,338 ()0 i,:5oi) 20 201 80 80, 5;i:5 30 24,150 00 458 5 22 1)0 041 20 228 20 17 30 5 10 i:!,4;5o 071 50 28 20 5 00 •M 10 3 10 4,731 30 1,410 30 578 40 231 20 400 40 102 40 5 40 2 00 033 100 033 00 102 lOtI 102 00 10 100 10 00 14 30 4 20 If^ 30 5 40 2,011 30 003 30 •JOO 20 IdO 00 48 II. U( p. 4. F — Ci)iitinu('(l. Dlltilll)l*t IIDM'olllUlllist' Diilii'ri. Wlialclioiit' ihiiiikIh.. Oil, iifiii'M-t'oor Mini otiirr jiuiinid . .l'uIIihis.. Tt'iis, tViiiii [iliKTH tiiliiT than of iiriiiliir- (illll |K (I III. Is.. Cflr.' do .1...... Cofoii Siiniir, liriiwn Fruit n — raisins ypict'H — lllltllK'HH piiiit'iitd Soap, not pcrt'iiiii('(l UlllttT Laid IScff and Mork Soda ash, n* Itarilla Siilpliati' id' I'aryit's Mamitacfnrfs oi' tidiacci) Ka;,'s of all kinds Walt huslitds ('oal tons Bri'adstiilis — Jiarlcy biislirls Oats Wheat Hour cut Oatmeal Potatoes liiishels Ush, dried, smoked, or piekled — dried or smoked ewt salumii barrels Fish, dried, smoked, Ac. — Maekerrd barrels.... ] lerrinj,' and shad All other M»(r( haiidlse not enumera»^ed above — At f) per eent JO per cent 1') per cent 20 per cent 25 per cent [V) per cent 40 per cent 1-*, II) 1 22.'), O'.Mi 10 18!) 2(J7, 200 40, 127 7, 207 70, 202 2:{,H(;!> 15,21d Total. H,70:{ r>(), i:io ;5o 400 H7, [ilS r>4, 000 U 1,2^1) 318, l!)i) r)it,(ir)8 53,015 37, f)2!» 10,370 1,78(5 181,038 117 15,018 23 1,311), 012 /;> 307 4 1,204 0(17 20 50 20 3 10 04 00 30 00 IHI) 05 2, 336 HO 30 48, 330 00 20 1,75H 00 2(1 10,020 (10 20 00 20 80 00 30 2(), 303 40 20 10,020 00 20 18,247 80 20 f)3, 030 80 20 11,031 00 20 1(»,(;(I3 00 5 1,881 45 10 1,037 00 15 2()7 00 20 30,327 (iO 25 20 25 30 4, 085 40 40 20 288, 534 00 RECAPITULATION. Free of duty. Paying duties. $218,718 1,301,012 Total 1,520,330 In American vessels, lu foreign vessels . . . 184,534 ],3:{r),70G Total 1,520,330 Treasury Department, Jiegister's Office, February 0, 1653. N. SARGENT, litLrister. II. Rep. 4, 49 Extract I'finn tfir rtfmrt of 1. V. Andnin^, Esij,, to thr Srmtiin/ nf the. Trinsuii/, (l(i(t(l Ain^iist 10, Iboii, n/iilivc /<> (hf navitration of tin: river St. Jiiltii (111(1 i/s lundxr trade, 'I'lit' (V<'c ii;ivio;iiti()n of tin' St. Joliii, IVdiii ils moiitli, ;il tlic harbor of St. Joliii, ill llic liay of l''im(ly, to ils source, at the Mctjarmclfc port- Jiirc, ill llic liiL'lilainls wliicli separate Maine and C'aiiada, the leiimlli of th(! river is four huiKhcd and fifiy iiiihs. From ihe sea to ihe (Iraiid Falls, the distance, as hel()re nientif)ne(l, is ahoul two hiiiKh-ed and t\\ cnly-riNc miles; up lo that point the river runs exchisivi ly wiihin Jjritish terrilorv. About lliree miles above tin; falls, the due north line Irom the moniimeiit at the source of the St. Croix strikes the river St. John. l*'roiii thence the boundary betwecMi Maine and New IbunswieU is foiiud in the middle chaniiel, or deepest water ofilie rl\('r, up to llu.' St. Francis, a distance of seventy-five miles. In this distance the riu;ht bank of the St. John is within the Slate of iMaine, and the l(!ft bank in the j)ro\ iiice of New lirunswick. From the mouth of the St. Francis to a poiut on the southwest br.'meh ot the St. .bihn, where the line run luidtr thr treaty ol Washington in- lerseets thai bi-anch, the distance is one liuiidrcd and twelve miles; nnd li)r that entire distance the rivc" St .hihu is wholly within the State of Maine. J'roiii ihe [)oiiit just mentioned to the monument at the sr»urc(! of the rivci on the .Meljannette [xnMaije, th<' .!I>taiicc is about ihirtv-tu^ht miles. The rii;h; bank of the river only is in Maine, tlu' left bank i)eing within the province of Canada. It is therel'ire ajjparent that iieailv one-half of llu: e\ten descriptions. Afier the settlement of the boundary by the treaty of Washiniiton, in 1'^4'J, it was (iivid(Ml in neiu'ly equal pro[)ortii;ns betw(>en the Stat(!S of IMaine and Massachusetts, each oi" which has since sold a innuber of townships t()i lumbering purposes, and granted pcriuits Ibr the like object to a large extent. The whole of the timber and lumber cut \\ithln this distiict (with the cxce])tion of a small (piantity whi h is iloated down the Fenob- scot) finds its way to the seaport of St. John. On being shipped from thence, it has been subject to an export duty since the 1st May, 1844, at the ibiluwing rates: on every forty cubic feet of while-piiic timber, 50 H. Rep. 4. twciify t'oiifs ; on rvory forty cubic frci of spruce titiibrr, fiftc(Mi cents; and the snnie on every f(»rtv eultic feet of li;iekin;it;ie, liiird-wood tim- ber, musts, or spjirs ; imd the .sum of twenty cents on every llioiisaiid 8uj)erfiei;d f('<'t of siiw-lo^s, sawed lumber, or senntlin^f. Tliis export (bity is paid by all timber and lumln-r alike in New Brunswick, and in evhn, was expressly excepted from its operation. lint, upon the opinion of the law oHic<'rs of the Crown in Mn^land, this act did not receive the royal assent, because it was held that such an ex<'eption was contrary to tlie leller and the spirit of tbo trejity of Washington, whicii exi)ressly provitles by its JJd article '• that all the produce of the forest, in loyance;" '''tlmt u-licn u-ithiii the piorincr (>/' Sew Ihiumnclc, t/ir said inoducc shall he (halt with an if it were t/i<: prodacc of said yrorince.^'' The reliisal of tbe Crown to assent to the colonial act was based U[)on the princi])le, that neither the legislature of New Brunswick nor the imjxrial govcM'ument had either the right or the power to make any dis- tinction between the producer of tin; I'nited Stat(;s floated down ihc river St. John and tlu^ produce of New Bnmswick. If it were once conc(>ded that a distindion could be drawn, sucli distinction could be carried out so as to operate very disad\antageously upon American produce. Th(^ J3ritish government, in such case, miglit maintain that such timber and other articles of the United States floated tlown the St. John were subject to foreign duly on importation into Kngland, while similar articles from New Brunswick were admitted at a noiuinal duty only. After this construction of the principle of the treaty, the legislature of N ol dollais. In any agre<'in( iil H)r tlie t"i»'e iiavi;;atioii of tlie S(. .lolai l>v citizens of the I'liiteil States, it sli<»uld l)e stipulated tli;it their luniher cut witliiti Aniciicati territory, and floated down the St. .lohn, should not l)e sui»ject to ex[)ort duty if shipped from thence to the I iiited Slates. Such a stipulation would oidy he just and fair, and would relieve our citizens Iroin the payment into the treasury of New l>runs\vick of tho larye sums they now conlrihute antuiidl^' towards the support ol" llic goN'cr, uncut of that colony. All the timhcr which (loats down the St. ,)ohn is collected in one boom. Kach [licce is clearly and distinctly marked, and can be inune- tliatciy recognised by its owikt : if not so marked, it is forli'ited to the Boom (Company. Crown oHicers are appointed to examine th(3 whoU; of iIh! timber which comes down tlu; St. .John, and that which is cut within the limits of the I'nited States is readily i-ccouniscd bv them. There could, th(Tcfore, Ix; no dillicully in idetitityintr such timber and lumber when shipjx'd, and in relicvlntf it liom e\[)ort duty, if an agree- ment to that elli'ct should be entered into Ijetween the respective gov- ernments. 'I'he St. .Tolm is navigable by large steamers and by sea-going ves- sels, of 1120 tons, np to Fredericlon, which is ciLdity miles Irom the Bay ol' Fundy. In ISIS Fredericton was cicated a port of entry, and in ls-31 two vessels entered there from ]io United States and Canada, free of duty, into the territories of both cinmtries. It will be seen, by the accompanying documents, that the late Secretary of the Treasury recommended, in his correspondence 52 H. Rep. 4. with tlio Comniittco on Commerce in the House of Ropresenttitives, reciprocal free Irnde in the natural products of the United States and Canada ; that, in March and June, 1849, a correspondence was opened between tlie British char<2;e d'altair(;s then residing in Washington and the Secretary of State, upon the subject of a connnercial convention or treaty to carry out the views of \wr Majesty's government in relation thereto, and that the proposition for sucli a convention or treaty was declined on the part of tlie American government f()r reasons which are fully set forth in the note of the Secretary of State to Mr. Cramp- ton of the 2Gth of June last. During the negotiations connected with this correspondence, not considering the markets of Canada as an ecpiiv- alent for those of the United States, I directed the Secretary of State to inquire what other benefits of trade and conmierce would be yielded by the British authorities in (Annexion with such a measure ; and, par- ticularly, whether the free navigation of the St. Lawrence would be conceded to us. That subject has accordingly been presented to the British government, and the result was communicated by her Majes- ty's minister in Washington on the 27th of March last, in reply to a note from the Secretary of State of the 2Gth of that month. From these papers it will be perceived that the navigation of the St. Law- rence, and of the canals connecting it with the western lakes, will be opened to the citizens of the United States, in the event that the bill referred to in the correspondence, providing for the admission of their natural products, siiould become a law. The whole subject is now submitted to the consideration of Congress, and especially whether the concession ])roposed by Great Britain is an equivalent for the recipro- city desired by her. Z. TAYLOR. Washington, May 7, 1850. List of accomjnmyivg j)aj)crs. My. Crampton to Mr. Clayton, dated March 22, 1849. Memorandum by Mr. Crampton. Mr. Crampton to Mr. Clayton, (tour enclosures,) dated June 25, 1849. Mr. Clayton to Mr. Crampton, dated June 26, 1849. Mr. McLane to Mr. Clayton, (one enclosure,) dated March 15, 1850, Mr. Clayt(.n to Sir II. L. Bulwer, dated March 20, 1850. Sir H. L. Bulwer to Mr. Clayton, dated March 27, 1850. Mr. Clayton to Mr. McLune, dated April 1, 1850. H. Rep. 4. Mr. Cramjiton to Mr. Clayfon. 53 Washingtox, March 22, 1S49. Sir: On tlio 12th of M;iy, 1S40, an address was voted bv the Cana- dian I'arhament to her Majesty the Queen, praying that, in the event of a change being made in the law regulating the admission of foreign grain into the British markets, due regard should be had to the inter- ests of Canada; and, as a measure which would be greatly conducive to this object, her Majesty was respectfully requested to cause the necessary steps to be taken for opening a, negotiation with the govern- ment of the United States for the admission of the products of Canada into their ports on the same terms that theirs arc admitted into the ports of (Jr(\'it Britain and that colony. To this rcfjuest her Majesty was pleased to accede, and the gov- ernor-general of Canada was accordingly instructed by her Majesty's principal secretary of stal(^ for the coloni(>s, in a despatch dated June 3, 1846, to assure the legislative assembly that her Majesty woukl reachly cause directions to be given to hcv Alajesty's minister at Wash- ington to avail himself of the earliest suitable opportunity to ])ress tlie important subject of the establishment of an esty the most sincere satisfaction if any connnunication which might here- after be held for this ])urpose should have the efiijct which is desucd bv her fiithful commons of Canada." An instruction to this eflect was, in consequence, immediately ad- dressed l)y iier Majesty^'s government to Mr. I'akenham, her Majesty's minister at Washinti-ton, direct inn; him to briurial government (by the act of the British Parliament called the "British possessions act") to regulate duties on the products both of foreign nations and of the mother coun- try, the duties on Americnn manufactures wen; lowered from 12^ to 7^ per cent., while those on British manufactures were raised from 5 to 7^ per cent., thus placing the United States entirely upon a par with the mother country in this important particular. That the feeling of disappohitment to which I have alluded, and the impression that there is now no hope of placing their commercial rela- tions with the United States on a more satisfactory and mutually ad- vantngeous footing, should have the effect of causing the Ccinadian legislature to retrace their steps in the liberal course which they evi- dently wish to pursue with regard to the commercial relations of the province with the United States, would assuredly be a subject of great H. Rep. 4. 55 De ■ill ed in- of lie la regret to licr Mnjcsty's gov(M-nmcnt. It could not, therefore, but be satistlictory for them to leiirn th;it the fiivorable eonsidenition of the goveriimeiit of the United Stntes will now be given to this subject, with a view to the negotiation of sucli a treaty as would secure tlie proposed objects, should that appear to be a course likely to insure their speedy attaiinnent. 1 atn the more desirous at the present moment of ascertaining the disposition of the United States government witli regard to this matter, from having lately received an instruction from her ^lajesty's govern- ment directing me, with the concurrence of the lieutenant governor of New Brunswick, to negotiate; with the government of the United States a convention, upon the principle of reciprocity, cjxtending to tliat prov- ince also advantages simika- to tliose proposed by tlie contemplated measure as regards Canada; and I am, consequently, already in com- municalion with his excellency Sir Edirmnd Head upon this subject. It is, of course, on grounds of the interest ol Canada and iNew Bruns- wick that her Majesty's government urge this measure. It is both the duty of her Majesty's government to look to those interests in the first plac(>, and it would also be absurd to pretend tiiat that consideration is not their governing motive. But there can be little doubt that the measure of relaxation desired by the British North American colonies on their own account would be almost, if not (juite, ecjually advan- ^airsous to the United States, as cstablishinLi: a free and unrestricted in- •■ >ursc between them and the countries in question, and thereby . ' (ling a much more extended demand for United States produce tna.n the Canadas or New Brunswick, in their present restricted power of nmlual exchange, are enabled to sustain. I am unwiUing, on the present occasion, to enter into unnecssary de- tail; but I think that I can confidently appeal to the custom-house re- ports, both of the United States and Canada, to show that the exj)orts from the United States to Canada already much exceed the imports from that province, leaving a heavy balance of trade against the latter — a state of things which, if not remedied, must clearly tend to diminish, and not to increase, the profitable commercnal transactions between the two countries. That a more extended use of the canals of the United States by the Canadian dealer in grain would take place on the removal of the present inconvenient custom-house f()rmalities, cannot, I believe, be doubted. That the present state of the respective tariffs is one which raises very vexatious and harassing impediments to the local trade in agricultural produce along a very extended frontier, and en- courages the demoralizing practice of smuggling, is not to be denied; and that the removal of such restrictions would tend to promote a friendly feeling between the inhabitants of the repective frontiers — and this is an object, it is not doubted, very desirable to both governments — cannot reasonably be ({U(\stioned. Without, therefore, adverting to other measures of great impor<^nnce to the trade and navigation of both countries, which, should the pres- ent proposition meet with th(; concurrence of the United States govern- ment, it is confidently expected may be brought to bear, I venture to 56 H. Rep. 4. I I li 1 ■ w. i ! \ submit the nhovc statement to the just and favorable consideration of the government of the United States. I avail myself of tills opporlunity to renew to you, sir, llie assurance of my highest eonsldcratlon. JOHN F. CRAMPTON. Memorandum bij Mr. Crampon. Tt has been objected that, if certain agricultural articles, (more par- ticularly wheat,) the productions of Canada, were to be admitted free of duty into the United States, under a convention with the British gov- crnnuMit ior a recij)rocal free trade iietween that province and the United States in such productions, tlie like productions of other nations having " reciprocily treaties" of connnerce with the United Slat(3S must be admitted on the same terms. To this it may be re})lied, that no other nation could claim ibr itself an advantage, under a convention Ix^tween (b'cat ]3rilain and tlu^ United States, which Great Britain herself had not obtaincHl un(hn' that con- vention. Had any other nation a colony similarly situat(Ml, sIk? might then be borne out in claiming that such colony should be cijually favored; otherwise not. A precedent has already been established which involves this prin- ciple, and makes a distinction between an inland colony and an inde- pendent state. An act passed in the British Parliament in 1825 (the 6th George IV, chapter 114, clause 82) enacts that the same tonnage duties shall be paid on American vessels importing goods into (nther province of Canada, by the inland waters, as are, or may be i()r the time being, payable in the United States on British vessels. In the year 1831, the government of the Unit<'d States passed an act, entitled "An act to r(>o;ulate foreign trade on tlie northeast and northwest bound- ary," (chapter 98, March, 1831,) remitting all fees on British vessels entering their ports on that boundary; consequently, up to the present moment, no fees are exacted there on either side, where;is they still exist in the Atlantic ports on all fnreign vessels. Mr. Cra?nj)ton to Mr. Clayton. Washington, June 25, 1849. Sir: In the official note which I had the honor of addnvssing to you on the 22d of March last, I alluded to the feeling of anxiety which existed on the part of the governments and the peo})l<^ of Canada and New Brunswick with r(>gardto the disposition of the American govern- ment to enter into such an arrangement with her Majesty's gov(>rnment as would insure a fair reciprocity of trade in the natural productions of those provinces with tlie United States. Circumstances, both local and regarding the still further changes now mminent in the ctimmercial policy of the mother country, have since of H. Rop. 4. 57 that timo trndrd very much to incroaso that anxiely. The govern- ments oi" those colonies are, indeed, now cjillcd upon to determine upon the a(h)[)iion of one or t\u' otlier ot'tlie only two courses which arc open to them lor pliiciii": the eonimerci;d intcrc^sls of the provinces intrusted to tlieir ciiiirge, and wiiich are ulrendy in ii (l(>[)resse(l slate, upon such a looting ;is may en;d)le them to nrrest the dowiward progress of their trade, and to recover for it that fair position, with regard to th(^ mar- kets both of the mother country and of the rest of the world, from which peculiar circumstmices seem, for the present, to have exclu- ded it. The solution of this fjuestion in the manner most consonant with the spirit of fre(! intercourse, but governed in its ap[)lication by the princi- ple! of a just and liberal reciprocity, will, it is confidently believed, essentially depend u|)on the determination taken by the United States government (Jii the present ipiestion. It is under tiiis conviction that the governor general of Canada has now recpicsted on(> of tiie chief ollicers of" the provincial executive to repair to Washington, for the S()l(> purpose of" asc(n"taining tlieir decis- ion; .-md it is with ;i view of removing every motive which an iirper- fect knowledge of the fiets bearing upon the case might suggest for doubt or for delay in regard to it, that the gentleman in question, the Hon. William Hamilton Merritt, has drawn up the detailed "memoran- dum" which I have the honor to enclose herewith. Tlu! reasoning contained in this "memorandum," with respect to Canada, docH not ;ipply less tbrcibly to the })osition of New Bruns- wick; and the important increase oi' commercial a,ctivity in the deal- ings between the people of the Jiritish North American colonies and of the United States, which Mr. Merritt contends nuist result from the measure now })roposed, as w'ell as f"i'om those which the passage of the British aa\igation act, now believed to Ix^ assured, will enable those colonies to carry into efli'ct in their commercial relations with their American neiijhbors, will not, I feel fullv assured, be rcfrarded tin; k-ss l"avorably by the pres(>nt enlightened gov(>rnment of the United States, from the tact, which I take to he indubitable, that such an hicrease of muluallv profitable transactions umst necessarily be accompanied by a corresjjonding development of the most friendly feelings between the inhabitants on both sides of our borders. I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to you, sir, the assurance of my highest consideration. JOHN F. CRAMPTON. }[cmoran(Jum. Mr. INferritt was requested by his excellency the governor general of Canada to urge Mr. Crampton, her Majesty's charge d'afliiires, to bring under the consideration of the cabinet of the United States the j)resent state of th(> commercial relations between Canada, and the United States, with the view of obtaining a statement of their views upon the subject. 58 H. Rep. 4. 1 'i! At an interview with the United States Secretary of State, he sug- gested that a nieinoranchmi, entering tally into detail, should he drawn Uj), to which an immediate reply would he made. Conse(|ucntIy, Mr. ISIerritt has prepared uhriet" narrative of the proceedings heretofore had, a statement of the present })osiiion of the question, and of" the mutuiJ advantages which u sati.stiictory solution of it would confer. Formerly, the pro(hictions of Canada were admitted into the markets of Great Britain under a diflJjrential duty against the fc)reign article. The manufu'tures of (Ireat Britain were admitted into the markets of Canada under similar duties in favor of the British manufacturer. In 1S45, the government of Great Britain changed their colonial com- mercial policy; and in 1849, all discriminating duties on hreadstufis Were remov^ed. In 1846, th(^ provincial legislature of Canada addressed the govern- ment of Great Britain, moving them to negotiate with th(^ government of the United States to admit the productions of Canada into their mar- kets on c(\un\ terms. As the ])rogress of that negotiation was fully re- counted in Mr. Cramptou's ofhcial note to the United States Secretary of State, dated the 22d March last, it is unnecessary to refer to it here. TIk; present position of the commercial relations hetween the United States and Canada remains unaltered. Legislation in the United States has filled to produce any result; and the feeling produced in C;mada by such failure may be bett(^r understood by referring to an address to the Queen, of which the honorable William Robinson gave notice in the provinc'ial Parliament in May last, and to the amendment th(>reto. The first })rays for a, return to protection; the amendment, to obtain reci- procity from \\\v. United States. This is the point, and the only one, upon which a discussion can be useful; it is therefore desirable that it should be fully understood. The enclosed co})ies of Mr. Grinnell's letter of the 2SUi of April, 1848, (1,) and the reply thereto of the honorable R. J. Walker, of the 1st of Ma\^ of the same year, (2,) will place the present cabinet in possession of the views entertained by their pred(^cessors; and the reciprocity bill (3) passed during last session by the Canadian Parliament, being an exact counterpart of the bill then bc^f^n^ the Senate of the United States, will afl()rd the strongest assurance that the provincial legislature has adopted every measure to carry out this principle in good faith. Per- haps in no country have greater chang(>s or greater concessions been made. In 1847, the legislature increased the duties on the manufac- tures of llie mother country in the manner stated in Mr. Crampton's above-mentioned note — that is to say, full fifty per cent. — and at the same time reduced the duties on American manufactures double that amount; and in order to remove all apprehension from the mind of the most rigid protectionist, not a single article enumeratx.'d in the above bill can be brought into competition with the manufacturing or any other existing interest in the United States. It has been sugg(!sted that the same principle should be extended to the manufactures of the United Stales and Canada. To this Canada could have no objection: on the contrary, we feel persuachxl it would be to our advantage; but it was considered unwise even to propose it, because American manufacturers would feel apprehensive that British H. Rep. 4. 59 fabrics might bo inlrfuhiccd by tliis iuc;ins llirougb Ciinada into the United States, at duties considerably lower tlian those imposed by the present American tariHl This was tlie only r(>ason t()r nol proposing that <'xtcnsion; if" desirable, it can be obtained at any t'ulure time. Tile only objection urged against the practical operation of this bill, was on the ground that Canadian wheat would come into competition with that grown in the middle or Altantic Slates of the Union, and con- sccjuently lessen its value. As both \]ic United States and Canada grow a surplus of grain tor exj)ortation, which ap})cars to be sti.-adily utlvancing, whether th(> prices are high or low, (sec the returns f()r the prescMit year,) it is difHcult to conceive how prices can, under such cir- cumstances, l)e governed by any other rule than the value (jf the article in the fi)reign market where consumed. Th(> imports from Canada since 1S47 have in no instance affected the market in \(;w York. The consum(>r does not obtain a reduction of prices; lli(> duty is paid by the grower, as shown by the com[)arativc prices on each side of the boundary, which have averaged in proportion to the amount of the duty exacted. It appears, however, from the official returns, (see the speech of Mr. Dix in the United States Senate, on the 23d of January last, No. 4,) that the grain exported from tlie United States into Canada, exceeds in quantity that imported l)y the United States from that province. The geographical position of that country would indeed warrant that infer- ence, without a reli-rencc to statistic reports. There is not a siilhcient (|uantity of winter wheat grown north of Lake Ontario to su})ply the consumption of the colony. The peninsu- las of Niagara and Erie are the only good producing portions of the province, and, from their limited extent, it is improbable that Canada can ever export any considerable quantity even of wheat. The mutual advantages both countries would derive fiom these ex- changes may be readily understood hi one single sentence. Assuming the St. Lawrence to be the cheapest route from the great western country to Europe for their exports, during a certain portion of the season, by whatever amount the cost of transportation is reduced on a single bushel of wheat, such an amount will be put into t\m pocket of the grower. This extends to every farmer within its inlluence in the same proportion, and draws so much wheat from competition with the farmer of the middle Atlantic States; therefore if that competition had, as som3 erroneously su])pose, a tendency to lessen prices, it would ben- efit the farmer there also. During other portions of the year, the Erie and OswTgo canals and various railroads will be the best and only routers to those Atlantic citi(\s where stocks can be held with safety to supply a foreign demand through the winter season; during this time, the grower in Canada will be ben- efited. In a word, it would insure to farmers on both sides of the boundary all the natural advantages both routes possess, and at all times, and for everything tli(>y grow, the highest pricies, whether in Europe or America. Our farmers cannot comprehend upon what principle their produc- tions are charg^ul with a duty of twenty per cent, when admitted into the markets of the United States, while similar productions, the growth 60 H. Rep. 4. u. •.]; it ^1 If of tlic Tliiitcd Sl.ifcs, nro .'Kliniltcd inio (Irc.'it Britain /V^e. Tho one counfiy lias ilius all tlic advaulaijics of firn nuirhts — the owv in Kurope and the other in America — while tlie other is eonlined to th(^ onr. This, as n natural and inevitahle con.sc(juonce, produces ineciuality of prices, and cannot bo continued. The (•liani!;e,«i adopted 1)V rir(\at Britain in a lon'j:-estal)lishe(l policy }iave already produced the greatest adva.itai^es to th(! coininerce of the United Stales, without having produced any similar advantiigc to that of her own colonial suhjects, although tlu^sc lire placed in a position in all respects so similar to the l()rmer. This resnlt, so unexpected and so injurious to their interests, will he i()un(l to arise entirc.'ly from the niairitenance by the United Slates ol'a duly u|)on the wheat of Canada of one-fifth of its value, when consumed in the Amfn'ican market. The government and die people of Canada have relied with confidence! on the removal of this duty hy the government of the United States; and they are, up to tlu^ picsent moment, at a loss to understand what has prevented the application in this inslance of a [)rinciple just in itself, and which numerous instances have taught them to believe^ to be the guiding maxim of the commercial policy of the United States, viz: a just reci{)roeity. (Jreat Britain, in throwing open her market to the breadsliiHs of the United States, stipulated lor no ('(juivalent fi)r this great step in the establishment of commercial ii'eedom, the advantages of which to the American iiroducer it would be dilKcult to over-esti- mate. But would not rjivat Britain have been fully justified in expecting to be met by the United States, not by an e(piivalenl, (t()r the conces- sion now sought lor must, from the great disj)i()[)ortion otthe producing power of Canada to that of the United Slates, fall far short of" an ecjuiv- aU-nt,) but, at th(^ least, by a corresponding stej), taken in the spirit of a fair reciprocity, by the admission of her Canadian subjects to the grain markels of the United States on equal terms? Could sIk; now do less, wer(> this fairly represented to her by her Canadian subjects, than to adjust the inequality under which they now labor in those mar- kets, by granting to tlumi a preference in her own, as an e(|uivalent for the r(H'iprocity withheld by the United Stales V* It is, indeed, difhcult to conceive on what just piinciple she could resist sucb an appeal on the part of Canada — tlu^ more so, that it can admit of little doubt that the British consumer would in no way be a loser by the arrangement. Its only effect would be to force the breadstuHs of the United States through the commercial chatinels of Canada, in preference to her own. American breadstufis would, it is true, still find their way to (jireat Britain free of duty; but it would be by the St. Lawrence, and not by the canals and railroads of the United Stales. This change would place the corn-grower in the United States in precisely the same situa- tion as the corn-grower now in C'anada : if he ships corn to (Jreat Britain, the duty will be paid by tlii^ producer. This advantage con- ferred on Canada, by a re-(»nactment of a discriminating duty in f ivor of her grain in markets of the molher country, would naturally lead to the re-enactment of a, discriminating duty in favor of the manufactures of the latter in the markets of the colony, which could only be efTected H. Rep, 4. 61 by fi ro(!i]rrriico to tlio foiiiKT liiuh duties on tin; mannnictuics of the United Stiit(% in tliiit niiirkct. 'J'lic j)rovinciid <;t)V(TnnR'iit iirc also williim to extend tlie j)rinci|)le of rei-iproeity to American vessels williin llieir i)onndaries, as well as to tiieir tiatiiral prodnetions. 'J'liis would open the iiec us(; ol" the St. Lawrence, as well as the interior eo;; '\i\d States and Canada ; also, to convey a, cargo from any inland port or ports south of forty-live degrees to any se;,j)()rt on the Atlantic, but not to coast from one Atkuitic port to another Atlantic port. The advantages of this chrmge may be betti-r understood l)y con- trasting the practical operation of the existing restrictions with their removal. At present, if an American vess(4 were passing through the Welland canal, and re(juir(;d ])art of a cargo to lill up or trim the ves- sel, and could alliu-d to take Hour at a prolit to the vessel at oiie-halt the price to Kingston or Montreal, it cannot be done; the tk)ur must be detained i()r a British vessel, and pay full prices. The time thus lost and the additional pric(,' ])aid are deducted from the producer, without any coricsponding atlvantage to any existing int(M-est ; whereas the proposed change \\ ill allow the grain merchant or miller to ship in any vessel lirst olll-ring, at the low(>st price, and to any port he jdeases. Every vessel-owner engaged in forwarding i hat 1 have met in the United States heartily concurs in the measure, as well as the j)roducer. It will be ol)serve(l that Great Britain does not receive a correspond- ing (,u|uivalent l()r the concessions thus proposed, inasmuch as the St. Lawrence is not open to American vessels. Undi-r this airangijment, no direct equivalent is sought for, although, when the subject is exam- ined, and the extent of the trade south of forty-five degrees understood, the opening of it wdth Atlantic ports to Americ;an vessels is a boon ot great magnitude. Few can estimate the extent of trade which will grow out of it. 62 II. Rep. 4. 11 Anjnin: tlif^ ronstlnc; triidc between Quebec nnd F,n,i?l;m(l from one AlI.'iMtie port. If) jiriollier is opened to AiMeri( nn vesselsf nltlion^li no sinnl.'ir < o.istinir tnide between ono Athntic [)ort iind {mother within the jurisdiction of the riiited Stiites is opened to British vessels. This is ;i concession on th<' pjirt of the British gov(>rnnient, when tho rn;ig- iiilude of the timber (riirle is considered, of no ordin;irv advanlMU'e to the Tnited States; it is not yet understood, and iherctbre not jipprcci- aled. Tlie crinstlng trade in the interior, and opening; the Canadian canals;, are alluded to, to brinu; under the view of the Aineiicnn goveriunent a comprehensive system, all bearing on their inlernal trade, and all show ing the tiicilities Miid advant;iges olli'red. It is unnecessary to point out the extent and ])ro(it of this tr;ide, which are referred to in the able rem.irks of Mr. Walker and Mr. I)ix, lu'rewith enclosed. The value of extending the trade of the United States on this princi- pl(> e;irly engaged the attention of her statesmen. The expenses of the government ot" ev(>ry new t(>rritory are sustained by the general goverimient until they become States, witliout any other consideralion or e(|uivalenl than the benefit of the trade they create. This benefit, embracing tin; trade of C;inada, extending many hundred mileson your inunediate borders, the British and provincial governments ;ire willing to confer without ;iny expense on the [)art of the I'nited Slates. Cauiixla will su[)ply her own government, and exact no other eontlition than re- ciprocity in the exchange of her nntural productions. An objection was at ;in early stage of this negotiation started respect- ing its operntion on the existing treaty stipulations with other powers. In a letter dated the 27th April, 1S41, 1 had the honor to call the at- tention of th(! Hon. Ifobert J. Walker to this subject thus: "A marked distinction has been dr;iwn by your predecessors between ;ai inland colony and an indepcmdent State — between wninhind tradeow your own inunediate bordcu', izi which this country alone is interested, and a foreign trade which may affect all nations. The precedent to which your attention is directed is the :}'-id chiusc of the (3th (jeorge IV, chap. 114, })assed in 1825, which en;icts th;it \\\v same t()nn;i((e duties shall be paid on Ainerican vessels importing goods into either province of Canada as are, or may be, f()r tla; time being, payable on British ves- sels in the United Stntes. During the session of" Congress of 1831, the American ":overnment passed an act to ref»:ul;ite fbreiujn trade on the northeast and northwest boundary, under which all fees and customs charges were removed between the two countries. The change effected by this prompt act of reciprocity on the })art of the United Slates may be interred from an extract of a letter from the collector of Oswego, complaining that the steamer 'United States' was charged in Kingston, Canada, two dollars for a permit to land a box, the freight on which amount(xl to twenty-five cents. This freedum from charges is confined to that border; yet no complaint was ever made by any other govern- ment. Unnecessary restrictions still exist on the trade of those very borders, the removal of which is now sought. It can affect no other government or interest except the United Slates and Canada." Having set forth, in a spirit which, it is hoped, cannot fail to win the confidence of the Ainerican government, the mutual advantages which II. Rep. 4. G3 the rrclprncnl cxcliruiiiT' (»| iIk; iiatiiriil proiliiffion^! ol'llic I'liltc 1 St.-itcs and ('jiiiadii would roiili r/m huili coiitiliics, ;iiid ilic (•;irii('sl dcsiii which h;i.s at idl tiiix's aiiiiualrd ihc provincial ifov<'niiiiciit to attain it, it would Ik; nnjnst to withhold or conceal l!ic policy which that govcrnnimt will be conipcllcd to adopt in case ihcy arc not met with a, similar disposi- tion on the part of the ifoveriunent of the I'liited States. A Iarii;e {»arty in Kngland are in liivor of rcturninu l<> the protective policy, also in (.anada, inider any circinnstances, altlionuh the latter Would rest satisfied with reciprocity in the markets of the I nit( d States. The provincial <;ov(>rninenl will he com|)cllcd to move the govern- ment of ( Jreal Britain to obtain lor the colony reci|)rocily, or an e(|uiva- lent llieret()r, to rais(! the price of products in Canada to at least an C(piality with the prices which similar articles command in the I'nited Stales. The only method in their power is to place the same duty on the procbicts of the United Slates sliip[)ed tiom an Atlantic port direct to Britain as the government of the I 'hited States impose on those of their colony when admitted into their markets. The objections to this policy are not overlooked; they liave \)cvu well considered by the proviiu ial goveinment : and, although it would, if adas a matter of iKicessity, and on no other ground than a reiiisal oil the part of tlu; United States government to extend to Canida, ad- vantages similar to those which the Cnili^-d States have obtained from (ireat Britain. Many reasons could Ix; adduced in suj)port of tli(> pro- posed nu^asure, but it is not imaginc^d that any disposition can be enter- tained to withhold it. If the American government will adopt the principle of reciprocity of trade in natural ])roductioiis with Canada, by the conclusion of a convention wdth llu' jirilish government embracing the ])rovisions of tli(3 abovci-mentioned bill, althou<>h such convention could not (X)me into practical operation until the assent of the Senate of the United States should he obtained, nevertheless, the sanction which could thus be given to the principle of i\\c arrangement by the executive jx3wer would set the matter at rest, and the provincial government would rest satisJied that no further action will be rc(iuircd. No. 1. House of Reps., Committee ox Commerce, Ap-il 28, 1S4S. Sir : I have the honor to hand you herewith two memorials, numer- ously signed by highly respectable citizens of New York, and a resolu- 64 11. lUp. 4. tion oftlir IIouso, |)r()|)f).sin«,' to iillow iirtidcs tlic t^'iowlli or prodiidion ot'CiiMiul:! lo l)c ailmillt'd into tlic I'liitcd Stiilcs ric<' of duly, upon llio condilion lliat siinihr iiiticlcs, llic .yrowtli or*|»ioduction of iIk; Unitt;J Suites, sli;dl hr. iidinittcd into ('iMuidji Ircc ofdnty. The committee liiivo Imd this snl)ieet under consideralion, and vIi'W tlio proposition liivorably, Itelievini; that, if carried into elleet, it will provct mntnally advantaV'f'ons. 'I'liey liave instructed me to ask y(>nr views on the matter, anil particularly w liellier any dillicnltii's tuay arise with any nations Irom our treati<'S if we adopt hy law this proposition. I enciose a hill which I have draughted li)r this purpose, and will thank you to su,<,'gcst any amendments that you may think proper. With i>reat respect, &c., your ohedit'Ut servant, J(JS. GiaNNKLL. Hon. U. J. Walicku, Sccrdanj of the Trcasunj. No. 2. TUEASUIIY Dl-:i'ARTMENT, Mu]) 1, 1S48. Sir: Your communication of the iiSth ultimo, to,u:cther witli the accompanyin«j[ hill, has heen received; and, in compliance with your rcipiest, this departmeut will give its views uj)on the very interesting and im})ortant suhjcct involv(!tl in your in(piiries. • The hill ])roi)oses ahsolute and reci{)ro(;al free trade between the Canadas and the United States in the jollovving arti(des of the nalm'al production of either country, namely: "CJrain and hreadstulls of all kinds, animals, hid(!S, wool, tallow, horns, salted and fresh meats, ores of all kinds of mdals, timher, wood, and lianber of all kinds." 'This dcj)artment has heretotbri^ expressed its opinion in favor of ahsolute and reciprocal free traih^ between the Canadas and the United States in all articles ot the growth, produce, or manufacture of either country. The articles, however, named in the bill, embrace the j)rincij)al products, and great advantages would accrue to Canada and the I'nited States from the adoption of this measure. The proposed free trade with the Canadas in these articles does not involve^ the disputed (piestion of pro- tection, if indeed that may srn Penn- sylvania, and the New England States, and to Jersey City, New York- Brooklyn, and Boston, as well as the States ol" the northwc^st, and all others that ship any of their products from any of the ports on the lakes, whether brought into those j)orts by wagons, railroads, rivers, or canals. The tolls of our railroads and canals would be increased, and the business of our lake and other ports augmented, and especially in the ports of Boston, New York, Brooklyn, and Jersey City. The trade with the Canadas would be greatly increased. Indeed nearly all the articles specified in the bill exported liom the greater part of Canada to foreign countries would be brought through our ports, and the ini- ;:* I H. Rep 4. 65 tlio Tl ports to Ciinrul.'i from all tlic Wf)rl(l wodld soon ni'iirly nil lif cnrrH'd (liroiiuili (li(! snijjc cliiiiiiK!!; whilst (tiir own iiiiiiiitiictiircs, to «'()iiij)l(>i(> (•;irm»('s ;iii(l !issort!ii('iits, would ortcii Ix' piircli.iscd iov i(iiisniii|ili()ii in Cimiidii to it jiir printer cxtciit tliiin utidcr tlic iircsrnt system. Indeed, under sneli ;i synteni, as the pnxliiets dl Ciniida iniylit ineri'asc i'roni time lo time, nearly the'whole surphis exported :d»road would be car- ried U[)on onr rivers, railrojids, and e;uiaU — upon oin* ears, hoats, and vc'ssels — stored, and sold, and shij)pe(l troin onr eities — ^Mcatly im- proving onr eonnneree and navlL|;afion, inereasijig onr tonnage, luid mvii:;oratin,i^ nearly every branch of'Anieiiean industry. As regards that branch of your iti(|nirv ri'lating to tr(Vities with i()rei!j:n po\V(^rs, theic uvc none sneli as would niterpose any obstach; to the a(ioj)lion of the bill submitted by yon tiir my consideration. Were it conceded that tlie adoption of this measure in regard to Canada, // rohniif of (trait l*i>f'i>^i^ by reeiproeal lei^islation, wouM render it neces- sary that, we .should grant lh(> saiue pivileocs on the sjunc terms to several other nations, or to tlieir colojii. s, duiing tl'c jxriods embraced in certain treaties with them, the advantages of s-uh rcci[)roeaI intro- duction ol' these arti<:les lice of diUy, by similar i ciprocal (Uiaetmcnts with such countries or colonies, would iii allsii,;i case proM highly ;id\antageons to the Tnited States; and indeed the '. v, in similar phraseology, might b(> salily and advantageously ext(;ifL'd, il'tlii" com- mittee thought ))roj)er, so as. to embiaee in s : "' ir leciproc: enact- uicnts, as to all these articles, on the s;une tei us, dl the nations of tla^ world. With (Ireat liritain or any of liei- oijn i eolnnies there could o " <'onrs(! be no dillieulty, inasmuch as the bill now pro[)osed and limited would go into operation with the consent of the Ivriiish goveruuKMit. In conclusion, this de[)artment would ben Icuvc, most respectfully, to recommend the immediate adoption of lli<' mea i.'c, as jjroposcd by the committee, so as to enable our merchants, traders, and navigators, and other industrious citizens, ;is well as States and companies, interested in our railroads and canals, to avail themselves of the many benefits that would be derived from the practical operation of this measure during the present se;ison of navigation, and so as to embrace a large porti(»n otthe spring trade. The Secretary of the Treasury concurs in these views, Willi great respect, I have the honor to be vour obedient servant, MrC. YOUNCJ, Acting Srcntdnj af tlir Treasury. Hon. Joseph Grinxell, Committer ov Commirrr., House of U'jiresetitatvcs. P. S. — The papers transmitted with your communication are here with returned. 66 H. Rep. 4. AT O INo. o. AN ACT to provide fitr tlw Tivo adinissidn of oortniii nrticlos of the cfrowth or proiliiotion of tW rriitcd States of Aiiiciica into Caiinda, ulifiievcr similar articles ilie (growth and pro- duction of Canadii hIiuU be admitted without duty into the said States. Wlicrciis a bill lins been introduced into iho Congress oi' the United States of Auieiie;i liaving ii)r its object the reniovid of the duties now l(3vicd on the nrticlcs cnumcr;ited in the schedule to this act annexed, being of the giowtli nntl production of Canada, ulicnever and so long as similar articles, being of the growth and jwoduefion of" the United States, shall be admitted into Canada iree ol' duty; and wlu-rcas it is desirable to iiit^et this proposition on the part ol" the United States by a corresponding action on the part of this province: Be it (hcnforc enacted, ^'c, That whenever, under any law of the United States of America., lierctot()re jxissed or hereafter to be ])assed, the articles enumerated in the schedule to this act annexed, beint' the growth or production t^t this province, shall l)e admitted free of duty into the said United States of America, then similar articles, being the growth or production of the said United States, shall be admitted into tliis province free of duty, when imported direct from the said United States. Sec. 2. And be it enacted, That this act shall come into full force and effect upon, from, and after, and not befon-, such day as shall be appointed lor that pur])osc in any ])r(Klamation, to bt^ issued by the governor in council, proclaiming her .Majesty's assent to this act, by and with the advice of her })rivy council, and a])poInting the dtiy upon, from, and after which this act shall come into full lljrce and ellect. I 5 ' ! Schedule. Clrain and lireadstuffs of all kinds, vegetables, fruits, seeds, animals, hides, wool, butter, cheese, tallow, horns, salted and fn^sh meats, ores of all kinds of metals, ashes, timber, staves, wood, and lumber of all kinds. Departmext of State, Washington, June 26, 1840. Siii : T ha,ve the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of yesterday, accompanied by the " memorandum," therewith eiick)sed, of the Hon. William Hamilton Merritt, one of tlu' chief officers of the provincial executive of Canada, and agent of the governor-general of that province, tlie avowed objects of whicli are to as. ertain the dis- {)osition of the American government to tmter into such an arrangement with her Majesty's government as would insure a fair reciprocity of trade in the natural ])i-oductions of the provinces of Canada and New JJrunswick with the United States. The arrangement })roposed by her Majesty's government in the note and mcinoranduni referred to, can only be carried out on the part of H. Rep. 4. 67 the United States by one of two modes, viz: first, by a law enactecl by the Congress of" the United States; or, seeondly, by a treaty or conmKMeial eonvenlion made by the l-'xeentive, l)y and witli lh(; adviec and eonsent ol" two-lhirds of" tlj(> members of tlie Senate of the United States. To the first of these modes ther(^ is, and ean be, no eonstitutional objeelion, if the Conur(>ss of the Unitcnl Sl;ites sh;ill be of the opinion that "grain and l)readstnfis of all kinds, V(\se, tallow, horns, salted and fiesli meats, ores of all kinds of metals, ashes, timber, staNcs, wood, imd lumber of all kinds," being tlu^ artieles emuneratcd in th<' sehedulc of the bill which passed the Canadian Parliament, sliall be admitt(Ml free of duty h\U) the United States, on eoncHlion that similar articles should be atlmitted into Canada duty fi-ee, when iniported direct from the United States. Ft is nf)t my purpose for the pr(>scnt to enter int(j any discussion of the expediency of such a law. The President has insirucled me to say that this measuri^ involves one of tliose questions ofdcjmestic ])olicy which are properh" referable to the decision of Con- gress, in which all legislative j)ower is expressly vesti^d by the consti- tution. To that tribunal the President w ill cheerfidly submit the note and memorandum, the receipt of which 1 have acknowledged, and he will abide the decision it may render upon all the propositions contained in them. lint the princi])al question to which the President's attention has hccn invited by these propositions is as to the propriety of settling them by treaty or eonunercial convention. When Mr. iiancroft, our mini>ter in iMigland, proposed to the liritish ministry to proceed to negotiate on the subjects of tvndv and navigation betwc(ni the two countries by a convention, they agreed to it only with the express, understanding "that \hc negotiation with the United States sliould go> forward, stej) by step, with the progress of the British navigation bill in Parliament." In the note of Lord Palmerston to Mr. .Hancroft of the i/th of" Xovend)(n', 1817, his lordship, in behalf" of" her Majesty's ministers, uses the followino; lann;ua do not, however," says his k)rdship, "think that we should be justified in advisiui; the Crown to enter into enf>:an;em(Uits which would he at vari- anee with some of the most important priuci})les of the existing navi- gation law, v/f/ioi/t the previous siinct'wn of Parli'imcnt ; but it is our int(MUion to propose to Parliament, without unnecessary delay, measures which woukl enable us to place our eonunercial intercourse, in regard to the matters to which your note refers, on the most lil)eral and com- prehensive basis with respect to all countries which shall be ^villing to act in a corresponding sj)irit towards us." I think it will be readily acknowdedized bv th(> intellii2:(>ut and al)le representative of her ^raiestv near this miviMument, that the AmcM-ican Kxecutive mav well nnitate the wisdom and caution of Lord Palmerston and his associates of the British ministry, on this important subject. The Litter hav(^ the power to introduce a bill into Parliament, and to participate in the national. 68 H. Rep. 4. i ! :i legisliitlon : not so witli the American Execiilivc, to whicli no portion of tli(i legislative power is confided. The President can and will liiith- fnliy carry out the views of Congress when lie has had an oj)portnnity of ascertaining them; but on a (juestion deeply affecting I lie whole revenue system of the United States, he cannot undertake to prc^scribe, though he may reconnnend, the policy which the re[;resentatives of the people, as well as those of the States, should pursue. An}' mi a sure affecting the revenue of the United States should be considered by the representatives of the people in Congn ss assembled. A tariff made by a treaty, requiring only the consent of" tlie Presitlent and Senate, would be liable to objections arising out of the provisions of the federal constitution which no American statesman could safely disregard. A treaty re})ealing our whole tariff system, so far as regards the articles enumerated in the schedule, though confined in its operation to the British North American possessions, would be not less obnoxious to the same objections. Viewing the question without reference to the efK'cts of" the proposed measure on the interests of the agriculturists of the United States and tluMr own home market, and confniing himself lor the present solely to the (juestion, how the measur(\< proposed by the British government, if desirable by us, could b(^ best retained, the President has no hesitation in deciding that any att(3mpt to carry it out by his intervention, through the medium of a treaty, would be utterly impracticable. The l)ill to which you have referred as having been in- troduced into tlK> last Congi ess, the oi)j( ct of which was identical with the measure now proposed, f tiled in the Senate of the Uui.ed States, after considerable del)ate upon its merits; and many of those who have usuall}' advocated the relaxation of our protective system wei'c found.. for special reasons, among the opponents of tliis measure. It is hardly necessary to observe tliat a treaty having in vi(>w the very n iniported direc:t f"t()m the said United States." It is to be obser\'ed, then, that the measure now proposed originated in a l(\gislative actofCanada, inviting a corr(!spond- ing legislative act of the United States. Tla; preamble oi' the bill re- citc,> the reason for its pa-sagv", viz: that a bill of the same character had been introduced into the Congress of the United States, and that it was "desirable to meet this proposition on the part of the United States by a corresponding action on the part of the province^." It is palpable, lh Ilonse of H(>presentatlv(\s in its t()rniation; nor did the Canaxhan Parfianient at that time entertain the idea that sueli an arrangement could be pet'!' -'^ed by the means of a, eommereial (.-onvention. If, as is now snirgesf'd. .)v the Hon. Mr. Merritt, lerjislative action of the United States has f liled to carry ont the measure, that very fact is held, in tiic judgment of the President, to be asulKcient objection to his attempting to press it on the country by a, treaty. 1 again take the occasion to repeat that these and all otlier proposi- tions of a similar character, emanalinq from the British government or any of its colonies, will be respectfully submitted by the Presid(ait to Congress. I avail myself of this oj)portunity to renew to you the assurance of my distinguished consideration. JOHN M. CLAYTON. John F. Cramttox, Esq., Charge cV AjJ'dlrcs of Great Britain. • House of Representatives, JVashington^ March \o, 18-30. Sir: On the 29th of .January, lS-50, a hill was reported to the House of Representatives, from the Committee on Commerce, "to admit cer- tain articles of the growth and production ot" Canada into the United States free of duty, upon the condition that the like articles of the growth or protluclion of tlu; United States are admitted into Canada free of duty." This bill has been recommitted to the Commiltee on Commerce;, with a view to provide therein for the free navigation of the river St. Lawrence, and to assimilate the same to the bill now pending before the Senate of the like character. The committee are not dis- posed, however, to introduce into the hill any condition whatever in regard to the free navigation of the river, if it ca,n be secured hy the treaty-power of the government ; and they are led to believe that it is in your power to obtain a full and satisfactory assurance to this effect at this time. With this view, I am instructed by the connnittee to make known to you their impressions. If it is in your power to conununicate to th(> committee assuranc(3S satislactorv to you that tlu; free naviu:,uion of tlie St. Lawrcmce would be tendered to the citizens of the United States, upon terms satisfietory to the government of the United States, upon the passage of the bill in (juestion, (a copy of which is herewith enclosed,) the committee would feel it more expedient to recommend the passage of the bill in its present shajx;, rather than to connect with it any condition whatever. I have the honor to be, with high respect, your obedi<>nt servant, ROBERT M. INIcLANE, Chairman Commitfcc on Commerce. Hon. John M. Clayton, ^'c, &^c., ^x. 70 H. Rep. 4. A BILL providing for the free navigation of tlio St. Lawronre river, and for reciprocal trado with (Janadu. Be it cnnctcd bij the Senate and House of If eprcsen fat/res of the United States of America In Congress assembled., 'IMuit whenever llie ,L;(>vern- merit ot Cnnucla, Ixmiilj thereto duly .-nithorized by iho jjioverninent of Great liritain, shall confer upon the citizens of the United States, in American bottoms, and with boats and vesstds of ev(^ry description under the xVmerican Hag, th(^ privilege of using and navigating the river St. Lawrcnc(^, together with all waters, inciutling the canals, (•onnect- ing the upper lakes with the Atlantic ocean through said river, on an equal looting, and in accordance with the regulations which now (wist, or shall hereafter be prescril)ed, for tiu* use and navigation of the same by the inliabitants of Canada and subjects of (in\at Britain; and when- ever the President of the United States shall issue his proclamation declaring the articles hereinafter enumcnated, being of the growth or production of the United States, to be admitt<'d into the province of Canada, by law, free of duty — then, on and after that day, until other- wise directed by Congress, the like articles, being the growth or pro- duction of said province of Canada, shall Ix; admitted in' the United States free of duty, wdien imported direct trom saitl jjn vince, so long as the said enumerated articles are admitted into said provinces of Canada from the United States free of duty, to wit: grains an<(P)i-ead- stufis of all kinds, vegetables, fruits, seeds, animals, liid(>s, wool, but- ter, cheese^ eggs, tallow, horns, salted and fresh meats, ores of all kinds of metals, stouv^ and marble, ashes, timber, staves, hemp, wood and lumber of all kinds, masts and spars, gypsum, either ground or rou2;h. ! K Department of State, IVashlngton, March 2G, 1S50. Sir: I have received from the Hon. Robert M. McLane, chairman of the Committee on Commerce in the House of Rc^presentatives of the United States, a connnunication (a, copy of wdncLi a.ccompanic^s this note) relating to a subjf^ct upon which wc, have lieretot()re conversed, and in reference to whicdi there was much conversation betwtH'u Mr. Cram])ton ;nid myself during th(> last sunnner: I refer t(j thr;ijest.y\s government might (Milertiiin towards granting to the ship[)ing and citi- zens of the Cnited States the free transit on that river, in the event of the Canada reciprocity bill now betijre Congress being [)assed by the American legislatiire, and the general connnercial relations between the United States and the Cmiadas being thus placed on a footing more satisfactory to both parties. 1 i'v.vA myself authorized to stale, in reply to von, that her Majesty's government, entertaining a coi'dial desire to promote a good undersuind- ing with this country, and to ficilitate every measure which can tend to est;d)lish the most amicable intercourse between it and the various portions of her Majesty's (;mpire, takes a sincere interest in tlu^ success of that measure, which has already been conditionally ap[)roved of by the legislature of the Canadas, and which, 1 may respectfully remark, seems to me the natural consequence of those measures by which the markt^ts of Great Britain have aln^idy been o[)ened to tlie agricultural produce of this country. The desire thus described would, as you may imagine, be still hirther increased on finding that it was responded to here; whilst the cours(3 which the Connnittee on Commerce have suggested, and which you have complied with, by addressing j'ourself to her Maj'esiv's representative on a sui)je('t which cannot but be one of imperial as well as colonial interest, will also, I feel certiiin, be con- sidered as a proof of that friendly spirit towards the govennnent of England wiiicdi exists throughout her Majesty's dominions ts warrant me, under such circum- stances, in assuring you that, should a bill corresponding to that which has received the sanction of the legislature in Canada be passed l)y the legislature of the United States, and receive the sanction of the President of the Unitr:d States, her iNrajesty's government will be ready to respond to ;uiy application which the United States government may then address to it on the subj(M;t concerning which you have now ap- j)lied to me, by at once consenting to open the navigation of the river St. Lawrence, and of i\w canals thereto adjoining, (and which would ])e duly specified,) to the shipping and citizens of the Unit.ed States. I need not observe to you that her INLajesty's gov(M'nment would oi course, in such cnse, n^serve to itself the full right of withdrawing the aforesaid concession, upon giving due noti(;e of such intention, when- ever it might deem proper so to tlo, as in f ict the government and legis- lature of the United States can likewise alter, whenever- it may so deem proper, whatever regulations or laws tluw may now sanction. It gi\es me great pleasure to luive it thus in my power to satisfy yourself and the committee of the House of Representatives with re- spect to the (piestion contained in your note and its enclosure; and i 72 H. Rep. 4. avail invsclf of this opportunity to renew to you tlie assurance of my highest cousiderati(jn. II. L. BULWER. Hon. J. M. Clayton, ^'c, t^r., ^'c. !i Depautaikxt of State, IFuithhigfon, April 1, 1850. Sir: I herewitli trnnsrnit, for the information of the CouMiiittee on Commerce of tlie House of l(ej)r('sentatives, a copy of a correspond- ence with the British minister, the Right Honorahle Sir H(;nry Lylton Bulwer, relative to the navigation of the St. Lawrence, which contuins the inf()rmation asked tor in your letter of the 15th ultimo. During the last summer, her Majesty's charge d'affiiires, J. F. Cramp- ton, es(j., in connexion with the Hon. WilHam Hamilton Merritt, a,>4 agent f()r Lord Elgin, proposed negotiations witli this department rela- tive to tlie bill referred to in your letter, otiering the reciprocal exchange of natural products between this country and the Canadasfrce of duty. It was then apparent that the free navigation of the St. Lawrence and the Welland canal would ho. ottered us, on the terms now stat(Hl in the note of Sir Henry Lytton Bulwer. The President decliiKxl to make a treaty on the subject of duties on imports, which would exclude the House of Representatives from a decision on tiiat subject. It was con- sidered to i)e the ])eculiar ])roviiice of Congress to decide upon the ex- pediency of repealing or increasing duties. I am, sir, very respectfull}^ vour obedient servant, JOHi\ M. CLAYTON. Hon. RoBT. M. jVIcLane, Chairiruin Committee on Commerce, House of Represtntutives United States. I. Free navigation of the St. Lawrence. Mr. BiJel, from the Committee on Foreign Affairs, made the following report, (May 2, 1850:) The Committee on Foreign jijj'airs, to whom were referred sundry petitions of citizens (f the United States residing in States adjacent to the northern chain of la/as, and. the memorial (f the legislature of the State of JVis- consi?)., praying Congress to adopt measures for securing to American com- merce the right had the subject under consideration, and they recom- mend the adoption of" the f()llowing resolution: II. Rep. 4. 73 ;om- Rrsolnd hi/ the Senate and ILn/sr of U< prrscnlat'ivn^ of the U/itfffl States of America in Congress assenih/nl, Tliiit llic iVcr tKtvIq.itioii of the St. L;iwrciu'c river, tor coinnicrcial purposes, (Iciniiii'ls the earnest iittcn- tioii of the Anierieaii ^()V(Mninent, and that it is hi^lily desirable thai it be secured to Anierieaii eoinineree at an early day. Mr. BuEL, irom tlie Committee on Foreign Afliiirs, presented the fol- lowing views of a. portion of the committee: The undersigned, memhers of the Committee on Furdgv /i[j'iiirs, to \rliom were referred, sundnj petitions tf citizens of the Vnitid States residing in States adjacent to the northern chain of lakes, and the memorial of the legislature ef the State of Wisconsin, praying Cirngress to adopt measnres for securing to Aimrican commerce the right of freehj navigating the St. Lawrence, and also joint resolutions of the leg'slafnre if the State of Michigan relatire to the same subject, assenting to tlie resolution reported by the committee, also report their reasons: The fre(^ navigation of the St. Lawrence, from its connexion with the chain of lakes to the ocean, presents a ([uestion sonxnvhat new in the history of the government. In its early agitation its importance was more prospective than present; and hence, after various unsuccessiul attempts to settle it by lu^goliation with Co'cat liritain, it was allowed to slumber until a mon^ urfrent occasion should c;dl fir its decision. The future, which then seemed distant, has suddenly become a present reality, and the wonderful growth of our inland eommcrcM; of the lak(;s has revived th(> (|uestion and given to it fresh intet(>st. The government is now called upon to adopt nu^isures llir securing a com- mercial privilege of great local and national im[)ortance. Final action u])on the subject will«determine whether the export pioductions of the Northwest and the States adjacent to the lakes may. in part, find their way to the markets of the world, through the ocean-outlet ot" natur(3, or be disadvantag(M)usly forced through the internnited, contracted, and circuitous channels of art. It will in fiict determine whether the mil- lions who dwell and are to dwell in the vallev of the lakes shall 1)(^ permitted to S( ek intercourse with remote countries by a. gentle and easy descent to the ocean, thus appropriating th'^ St. Lawrence as a natural highway to the purposes f()r which it was designed by Provi- dence, or whethei' they must divert streams from their native IxmIs, tell forests, fill up valleys, bridge chasms, and ev(>n climb or penetrate mountains, in order to maintain such intercourse. Whoever will look at this (juestion in its l(Migth and breadln vvill not wonchn- that it now presses itself upon th(^ attention of the country as a gre;it pi'actical cpu^stion. The laws of natui(^ the wants of the people, the commercial interests of the country, and even the necessities ot the case, c()ns})ire to present the (juestion as one which must en^ long be decided, cither by legislation or negotiation, or by that great currcnit ot events which overrides human eflbrt, and acc(jmplishes ends in spite of all resistance. i hA} !l 74 II. Rep. 4. Nor is tlie qiu^stlDii one of nicro Idcil iinj)oiI;inr(\ Tlir St. L.'iw- roncc l()rins piiil of ilic lout:; cli.iiii of Wiitcrs wliicli lies upon our northern Ijonndiiry, ;is did once the Missis.sij)|)i upon our western; imd tlie (in(\ritain, and the discussion terminated witliout its settlement. The claim of riyht is believed to stand now as it did then, save that new events have given it new strength. The subject, there- fore, presents itself in a twofold aspect — 1. As a, ri'dit, to be claimed bv the t>overnni(nit. 2. As a privilege, to be secured by treaty or some reciprocal legis- lation. Wc do not propose to discuss at great length the natural right of the TJnited States io a free passage to the ocean through the waters of the St. Lawrence. Whilst but few^ argumcnits can Ix.' added to those which wen- urged nearly a generation since in its support, it is yet worthy of notice that the exj^crience of the present day has so clearly i)roved their iustice and validitv. The wants and necessities of tlu^ extensive region of the lakes, which were then so plainlv shadowed ibrth m the future, have now come to (>xist and conhrni the Justice of our claim. It is therefore deemed well to revixc, if not to [)ress, this view of the subject, so that, if tlu.' government shall at last conee'.ve itself com- pelled to purchase as a privil(>ge that which justly belonged to it as a right, its action may appc^ar, what it really will be, a, measure of neces- sity, resulting from the; unwiUinnness of England to acknowledge the justice of our claim. In such an event, it will be but just that the transaction should stand t()rtli in its tiue charact||i' in the history of her intercourse with us; whilst, however, the unconditional acknowledg- ment of our rig'ht by (Ireat Britain would 1)(> received by th(^ p(X)ple of this ccjuntry with the liveli<'st satistiuiion, and could not tiiil to have a powerful inlluence in convincing them of her disj)osition to treat us with iustice and liberalitv, and in eonfirmini; the ufood understanding which now ha})})ily p'T'vails between the two countries. Althouuh the rii>liL of the I'nited States treely to navio'atc the St. Lawrence to the ocean may have existed from the deiinitive acknowl- edgment of our independence by (!reat Britain in 1783, and even from the treaty of Paris in 17G3, which secured to her the Canadas, and of course to her, in conunon with her adjacent cijloaii^s, the use and con- trol of that river throughout its wlK)ie extent, yei, as a qiicsfian, it is modern in its origin. So long as tliere was no occasion for exercising the right, therc^ was none for asserting or disputing it. It is true, under the supposition that the sources of the Mississippi were within the British boundaries as established by the treaty of 178-'3, that instru- ment contained a stipulation that "the navigation of the riv(>r Missis- sippi, y/o??i its soi/rcc to the ocain, shall tl^rever remain free and open to the subjects of Great Britain and th(^ citizens of the United States," whilst it was silent upon the subject of navigating the St. Lawrence. H. Rep. 4. 75 under in the nstru- \rissis- Tlif ciisos wvrr undoiihlcdlv analoL^ous ;is n^tr-'irds tlir vafi/ni/ v\'j]\\ of n.-ivifj.'ifinp; similar outlets to the ocean, hut in sonic respects they were widely diHerent. We cannot liiil to pcrccivi; that, l)y tliis stipulation, the two countries claimed the tree navin;iition cjI" the Mississijipi iVoni its source to the ocean on the txitiinil rii^hl alone, yo/* ihat cldiiii icdfi t/ais yut Jorlli. in the Inafij, ir'ilhoiit tnnj lu-fdn^fcmdii icUh Spain, /»j ir/ioni the month of that rircr mis then hr/iL iJut this tcaturc in tlu^ case deserves more particular notit-e in an(ttli(U" cnnni-xion. It must also he ohscrved that the cases \ver(^ widely dillerent in re- spect to the supposed relative im[)ortanec oC the two rivers. Tlie situa- tion of the mouth of the .Mississippi in reference to the (li.'if of Mexico and the W(>st. Indies, the continuance of iiavii,'ation for more than ii thousand miles ahovc; iis mouth at all seasons ot'tlie year, and its cliiir- ncter as an extensive national houndary, well indicated the future im- portance of the river, and the wisdom ol' securing, if j)ossihle, the ri,i;hl of freely navigating its wafers. Jiut the future value of the St. Law- rence was then estimated hy ditli'rent circumstances. It was ice-hound i()r one-half of the year. It was contiguous to hut one of the States, (New York,) and t<)r hut a small j)art of its northern houndary; and even here the; hahitalion of the white man was seldom, if e\'er, to ho found. We had no commerce, no })roperty, alloat u[)on this river, unless in the hark canoe, and emanating from the small trading posts among the Indians upon the upper lakes. Even this trade was carriixl on with Afoutreal, and was essentiallv (Canadian in its character. The g(M)graphy of all this region was htU lilth; understood in our own coun- try, much less in Kurope; and some of its natural euri(jsities were there known verv much as wonderful traditions or lahles. Detnnt existed onlv as a tradiug post ; whilst Bulliilo, (which now rivals even the an- cient capital of i\ew Voi'k,) Cleveland, Chicago, ;md Milwaukie, were then unknown. The great valley of the lakes was without peo})le, without commerce. Whilst they were viewed as a waste of waters, their shores were skirted for thousands of miles hy one continuous wil- derness. Besichv'^, canals were at this time unknown in our country. It was gravely |)uhlisli(Hl in I^ondon ahout the middle of iIk^ last century, in an extensive geographical and historical \\'ork, that the Falls of Niagara are six hundred tJ'cl In luMght, and, at the ])eriod of the acknowledg- ment of our IndepiMidence hy Great Britain, they were douhtless re- aurded as an insurmountahlc! harrl(>r ai>iiinst all comiexion hv navlga- tion of the u])[)(m- lakes with the waters of the St. Lawrence. Jn fact, no human wisdom could f()resee that what then seem(>d to he the work of centuries was destined to he accomplished in one or two generations. Still l(>ss could human wisdom foresee that these lakes would so soon teem with a connnerce that should demand the use of tha: highway to the ocean which was provided for it hy nature. Had the wonderful realities of the; present heen thought or dreametl of, and our natural right under such circumstances (questioned, at the period of the treaty of 'S:3, can any one douht that we should have demanded n as readily arranged as that for the free navigation of the Mississippi? 76 H. Rep. 4. I If" If ■ \ I We li.ivc siil)iiiitfi'(l the prcci'diiiif obsrrvMtions for lli<' purpose of slio\viti<; tli;it fill' (|U('>li(»ii ot oiii' rii,'lit to tin* n.ivii^atioii of flic Si. L;i\v- r.ncc could not liiivc existed ;is ;i, {w;ictic;d (|iicstioii ill lln; period of tlie tre.ily <>t '"^-i, l)iit is one ot" sul)se(]iient ;nid modern oriu;in. Wi* have desired to sliow that it could not exist as a practical ([iiesiiou until tli(! country of the lakes came to he inhahiled and civili/ed, and to teem with a commerce seekinii; its natural chiiuiel in this ocean-outlet. That |)(M"iod has now come, and with a ra[)idity far beyond the (lonrep- tions ot" our ancestors. Tlu; spirit of eiitei prise and adventuic, which at an early day in oiw history sent the American pioneer to the li)ot. of the Allei,dianies, has carried his descendants liu' over and beyond this barrier, and planted their habitations on the shores of those i^ncat lakes upon whose wat<'rs they now ask to be borne in their downward pass- age to the ocean. Having thus brielly noticed the origin and history of our claim, we come next to a consideration of the arguments upon which it rests. Nature |)hiinly points to the ocean as a field of cnterj)rise for the whole world, and international law recognises it as property to hv en- joyed in common by all nations. While nature has thus jirovided the world with a connnon highway, she has been lavish in also providing for inland nations lesser highways or means of access to it, such as inlets and rivers. The right of all nations jointly to navigati; the ocean may well b(^ d(>duced from the IJicl that it is tlu; common reservoir formed by a union of the less(^r highways or riv(>rs, which, to a. cer- tain degree, art; recognised as the property of the contiguous nations through whose territories they pass, to the extent of their contiguity. This property is Jnstly (jualilied by the claim of upper and inland na- tions to the I'ight of passagt; to and from the ocean; and this right of ingress and egress assents but little mor(;than the national right of using and following a national (jualified pro})erty until it rea,ches tht; ocean or common reservoir, where ail stand U[)on ('(jual t()oting. A nation may well assert control owv a, river llowiug in its wliole length through its own t(>rritories. So, Voo, by analogy, may a nation assert control over thti sources or uf)per parts of a river, so fa,r as they lie within its boundaries. Such right inierferes with the interests of no nation below in stH'king passage to and from its mouth, and prose- cuting its trade and commei'ce upon the (x^ean. IJut is it not a very diflerent case, when a nation, by discovery, settlement, or con(pu!St, takes possession of the mouth of a gi'eat ocean-outlet, which, it may be, extends inland for th(jusands of miles, \vashes and fertilizes \\\v soil of various climates and countries, and is the only natural highway of many n;itions equally sovereign with that which may chance to own the soil contiguous to its mouth? WInt process of r(!asoning, or what plea of convenience^ or necessity, in such case, can conc(nitrate in the low(>r nation a sovereignty which overrid(>s and absorbs all sovei (ugnties above, or give to the lower sovereigiitv a greater right of navigation than that which belongs to the upper'/ The lannuagc^ of the protocol I'clernul to in the letter of Mr. Rush, when minister to England, to Mr. Adams, the Ameriean Seeretary of State, dated x\ugust 12, 1S23. well contirms the preceding view: "It has sometimes been said that the possession by one nation of we tho IKl- hl of isillg 111 or 'hole itioti they ts of rosc- \-('ry UC:liieiorv yronnds the assnmp- tion hy the nation helow of exchisive inris(helion ovci a riNcr thus sitiiat( (I can he placed. Thi! coninion i i<:;ht to na\iuate it is, on tlin other hand, a ri^ht of iiaHiic. 'J'his is a prineiph' which, il is con- ceived, will he found to have the sancli(tn of the most rcNcri'd •.aithori- ties of ancient and modern limes; and if there have heen lenij:orary occasions when it has heen (|Uestioned, it is not known that the reasons npon which it rests, as (leN( loped in the most appiosed works upon public law, have ever heen impuyned. "'riiereis no sentinii'iit more deepiv and universallv fell than that the ocean is tree to all men, and the waters that How into it to those whose lionit is n|)on their shores. In nearly every j)art of the world we find this natural riiiht aekuow ledtjed, hy laying naviu:ahle ii\crs open to all the inhabitants ol" their hanks ; and where\<'r the stream, entering the limits of another society or nation, has been iiiteidicted to the upper inhahitants, it has been an act of /o/w by a stioug( r against a weaker parly, and condemned by the judgment of nrmkiiid. 'The right of iIk iipp i- inh.diitants to the full use of the stream resis npon the same imperious want as that olthe lower — npon the same intrinsic iicctssity of j)aiticipaling in the heiieiits of this llowing element." Let US now iiKpiire into the nature of this riiiht of sovereignly over navigable rivers passing ihrouiih ditli'rent count lies. 'J'lie i.af/ini/ law cleaii\- points lo them as highwavs common lo the nations w hicli dwell upon l!i( u" hanks. TIk^ I iw of nations likens them lo liluhwavs, and such, it 's believed, thev are de lined to he by the statute law oi'nearly all ( ivili/ed comitries. Ibit the control of oidinarv highwavs is hv no meaii- ahsolute in the iiilInL; >o\ i reiunU-. Thev are a])pro])riated by human as well as nalural laws to certain sp(>cilic purposes, which arc incoMsisteut with the mKiualilied right of any jxiwer to disiiose of ihein at wi 11. T )C indivKlual, sulijccl or citizen, the /m fiinil iiidii, |)o-scsses ill rinlils lieic wliiclj even ilie sovci'cigntv cannot justlv annul or lake ti'oi liiai willioul rendering compensation. 'I'lie instruclions ot Mr. Adams to Mr. Iiiish in lb'2'-i upon this snl.jeet, are so pcriiu'iit to ilils \iew, that they (l(\serve to be (jnoteel: "The right of navigating the ii\'ei' is a right of nature, precediny it in point of time, aiul which the soxcreign right of on;> nation cannot annlliilale, a.-^ belonging to the pcoi)le of an- olli ■!■." L [)oii this point, Mr. b'usli pre-sed our claim on the Ui-ilisli u;()veriimcnt in the \'erv terms o! his iiist ructions. The priiici[)le I'elied on [)oiu;s to, ami s[)riiigs from, iIk- natural riulit of every human crea'ure to the enjovment of life, bherty, and happi- ness, and lo the u>eof all those ju.-t means which are necessary to give elU'ci to that riiiht. The cNistiiig soNcrcignt v mav )rv of a highway, but it has no right, in ordinary cas(\s, to close or destroy it ■^ucli avenues are lltr the use )sses. Mit'liout compensating indixidual h of the puhlic — of the indi\idiials composing the ruling stale. The right to a liigliway is th(^ right to use it, t ) travel m it, to ])ass and re[)ass. It is created, whellier aitifieial or natural, not so much f )r the ac(,'om- modation ot nations! in their sove.-reigii capacaty, as oi tlie individuals who dwell near them, and who, without them, could not prosinaite the 78 11. Rq). 4. 11 (irdiii.'iry pursuits and or-ciipations ofcivlli/.c*! life. Is if not cMdi'iil, linn, lli.il til*! s(>V(>r('il<' rivers. Tliey ar<' iield to he iiinliways hy llie eourls of KiiLfiaud and of this country, and the ri^dit of usin"! tlieni is likened to that ot' usinij; a liluhway. The l'aiu;nsli and American law trealis's and decisions are full of authority to this elli'ct, and it is nnneeessaiy to eile iheni. It is) worthy of renjark that ('onuress, as early as I7s('), allirnied this view in respect to the naviu;:d)h; waters leading' into the Mississip[)i and St. Jiawrence. This was doui' l»y a resolution adopted in that year; and the sain(> vi(nv was afterwards reallirined in the ordinance of 17^7, which, in the very lan'jfnaife of the resohition ciled, declares the said waters and the carryiny-plaees hctweeii the same "to he conunon hi ot" local position can thus operate to diminish or enlarge a^ natural right which exists and belongs to man independently ot'all human government? To such views as these may be .added the authority of Mr. Clay, who, when he was Secretary of State, in his instructions of .June 19, 1S2G, to Mr. Ciallalin, our minister at London, used the tbllowing lan- guage: "It is inconc(aval)le upon what just grounds a nation below can oppose the right of that above to pass through a great natural high- way into the sea, that it mav^ trade or hold intercourse with other na- tions by their consent. From the very nature of such a river, it must, in respect to its navigable uses, be considered as common to all the nations high- II. Ucp. 4. 79 \vli(» iiili;il)it lis Ij.inks, fi.s ji froogiH llowiiii; from llio hoiiiifv orilcivcn, iiilciidt'd |!)|- ;il| whose lots iirc ('.'isl upon its l)or(|i'i>.. ' Ami in liis iii- slrutlioiis of tile stii of Aii'^iist, in tlic ^iwnr year, to Mr. (i.ill.itin, lit; S!i}s, ( (»ncciMinu llic riy;lit of n;iviuiitin,, whilst it pi'ovided for tli(> free navigation of many of the rivers of JMiro[)e, did not omit also to j)rovide that "the reguhiiions estahlislied with reganl to the yoZ/Vv of this navigation" should be respected — thus plainly recognising a right of jurisdiction as distinct from that of navigation. We hav(> now reached that })oint in iIh; argumeut upon the na- ture of national sovercMgnty over navigable rivers emptying into the ocean, ^vhere we are prepared to assert it is seldom, \{' cwv, (ihsa/ute ;uid tinq/ia/i/lrd. [t does not exist in the case of a navigable stream situate entirely within the territory of a single nation; i'or It is subject to the prior natural right of those who have planted their homers upon its banks, and must be exercised consistently with that jight. It does not exist in the easeof aniition dwelling u})()n any })art above its mouth, or, it may bi', occupying exclusively its sources; li)r, in that case, such nation, exercising its absolute sovei-eignty, could divert the stream, and thus destroy the navigation of nations occiij)yiiig below. Ijastly, it does not exist in tlie case of a nation holding lli(^ mouth ; tor il, as we have just seen, a nation occupying above caiuiot p()ssi\ss it, by what principle of justice can it be shown that a nation occu})ying btdow can possess it, thus estabhshing, in respect to sovereignty over a navigable 80 II. Rep. 4. I river, an iinoqnal rule ()f"rii;lit aiiion'jf^t tlioso who have chosen to settle upon ils borders, and who, ilioiiuli Iron) neeessify they must occupy (hllerent [)osilions in regard to its nioiitli, ;ind dwell at difli^'ent dis- tances lioin the sea, yet all settled upon ils holders i()r the .sanie purpose ot" usiiiLT it, of rnviiratini,' it, ot"lra(hn<; with remote nations, of passing and repassiuLT at will between their homes and duMJcean? Further, ifCJreat J'iritain contends ll)r an absolute nationrd sover- ciirnty ()\cv the mouths of navigable rivers whieh may 1)0 in her pos- session, is sh{> [):-epare(l to subnjit to the conse(iuences which naturally How from it, and seem (juite as reasonable as the doctrine itsell'? The doctrine, it is true, does not uo (|uite so tar as to imply absolute prop- erty in the contiuuoiis water, as in land or movabh- ai tides; f"or the wa- ter, by necessity, would (■ease to bi-come such when it passes from one territorial dominion into another. It is continuous in its nature; and the sam(> water l()rms the navij^alde river both above and Ixdow the dividiuu; boiuidar}- line, "^'eslerdav it was in one doiriinion, to-da\ it is in ariolher, and "to-morrow will be in that ocean to which the pre- sumptuous sway of no one hns as yet been lawfully (\\tend(Ml." Whilst the doctrine does not ss it. Such control is asjust and c-onsistent with th(> principles ofi'ight in one case as in the other. Apply this cons( (|ueiice ofllu^ doctiint^ claimed to the case of the St. l>,a\\ rence, and what f()liows? Its chief sources are the great lakes, one of which lies entirehj within American territory. It has been be- li(n''Ml that the waters of Lake Erie can be made to flovv' into the Ohio. This idea is not altogether new; tor such a connexion, in tlu^. t'orm ot a canal, was the sid)jecf ol' correspondence; between Washington and Jetlerson at an earlv day in the historv ot" the coiuitry. It was then supj)osed that it miuht be the mean- of biinging thetrade of the western country to ^ irginia. Whatever might be tlu^efli'cts of such a measure at the present day, by wav of diverting ti-ade, if tl-asible, it might Ix^ so execaited as to create a new and lar^e navigible river witliin our bor- ders, wliich, whilst it wdiild l()rm a great highway tiir inland conunerce, would at the same time swell the waters of t!ie Ohio so as to be navi- gable by steaml)oats at all sea-ons of the vear for a niui'h greater dis- tance above its mouth, lint would I'higlaud ac in such a nieas- ure, w hen she shoidd suddenly tind the wateis of the St. Lawrence partially drierl up, aiid its na\igation from Lake Ontario to (Quebec per- haj)s destroyed by s/uxt/s, n>c/>s, and nipids / Y'e< this ea-e, extreuic as it may seem, would be the natural result of the dodrin(> t()r which Kngiand contends. It could work but little injury to us, except so fii' as the St. Lawrtaice may be contiguous to IS'ew York. Tiake Ontario is ofgreal depth, and, although its outlet would Ixx.'ome greatly diminished, vet ils surt;u-<> would be but littk^ aflected, and its naviirat ion would coutimie as bet'ore. The >ipper lakes would remrnn the same, as their surplus waters would still accumulate in, and be discharged fioin, Lake Lrie. But this objection- would be Vvithout forc(% siix'c our dr i :age of its surplus waters would not injure its naviiration. H. Rep. 4. 81 h(> St. hikes, 11 !)('- Ohio, of a tirid then stern I sure )c so 1 )or- lercc, niivi- r (lis- iicn=^- cnee • per- rsuk i'ttlc )US tQ )iitlet: little hik(>s uihitc 11(1 be injure Yielding, however, to this objection, let us pass upward for ; thou- sand miles, and we come to the extremity of Lake Michigan, which lies endrchj within our borders. It cannot be denied that the United States have as sovereign control over the waters of this lake as any nation can have over those of anaviijable river. But will England admit such con- trol to be absolute and un(|ualilit'd, and allow us to drain its waters into the Ohio or Mississip[)i? In this case, as in the other, she might behold her navigation of the St. Lawrence obstructed by new shoals, rocks, and rapids. Michigim, too, might be a little mterested in this state of things; and rdl the States of the Northwest, whose commerce passes over the lakes, might find their ancient right of navigation interrupted by impassable shoals, if not in the St. Clair and Detroit rivers, certainly in Lake St. Clair, the depth of wh(5se navigable chaimels is now bar(dy sufficient for the passage of our largest vessels. Here is one of the strongest cases to be put for asserting the doctrine of absolute sover- eignty over navigable waters connecting with the ocean. It is not the case of a riv(^r, but a large inland sea, 340 iniles long, and averaging 5S miles in width, and lying entirely within our own country. The UniU'd States have not yet claimed the right thus to drain its waters and destroy or impair the navigation of the St. Lawrence; but it im- plies no greater sovereignty on our part than that wliicli (Ireat Britain claims over that river; and one case has been supposed to illustrate the other, and to show that there can be no such right as that oi' (ihsolulc con- trol over the mouth of a navigable river emptying into the ocean, as against a nation occupying the same river above. Another argument may be adduces! in favor of the claim of the United States, based upon the joint aapdsh'nm of th(^ St. Lawrence by Great Britain and her American colonies, as the result of the war with France, followed by the treaty of 17G3, which gave the Canatlas to England. In that war many of the colonies, now States of this Union, " well bore their part," and contributed not a little in accomplishing its results. From that time to the Revolution they enjoyed freel}' its navigation, and none can (piestion their right during this j)erio(l. But they claimed it tlien nsco/o?ucs ; and should they, by revolutionizing and erecting them- selves into independent States and sovereignties, possess less right of navigation than l)ef()r(>"!' Would it not be more reasonable to su[)[)os(i that their transition from a state of colonial vassalage to oik; of national sovereignty would enlarge, if possible, or at least not diminish, Lind even destrov, their lormer right t We are now brought to a consideration of the last, and p(»rhaps the strongest, argument in favor of the American claini — that o'l commcrrhd vccrssttij. 'LMiis argument has its origin in no temporary or artilicial c;mses, which it is in our power to remove, but springs from thai ditli'r- ence of geographical position to which, from the rwiture ot" things, na- " us nuist forever lie subject. " The unerring counsels of nature" have •. \ our peo])le io the shores of the great lakes, and })oiuted them out as s>)urces and parts of a great navigal)le highway to the oceaii. Circum- stances connected with the recent and wonderful growl !i of our country, and especially of that section which borders upon this highway, now point to its use, not merely as a convenience, but necessity. This urguuient presents us with a view of the trade and commerce which G 82 H. Rep. 4. i now seek access to the markets of the world through this channel, and invites us to estimate them, if possible, for the future. It pictures to us the Vfdley of the lakes as it is, and is to be. This valley contains a lake coast of about 5,000 miles, of which nearly three thousand belong to the United States. Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron. Michigan, and Superior, not including the straits and chan- nels by which they are connected, form a continuous body of water 1,450 miles in length, and averaging Gl miles in width. But few coun- tries can — none but our own docs — contain such a field for inland com- merce. Its commercial importance is best exhibited by the wonderful development of population and wealth which have so suddenly accu- mulated upon its shores. History has never before recorded a more wonderful story in the settlement of the world than that which tells of the birth and growth of this northwestern valley. The general settle- ment of our country has surpassed the most sanguine expectations ; but that has been the work of centuries, whilst the settlement of this valley has been the work of a generation — of a day. There are those who saw the Northwest when it did not contain 5,000 inhabitants, and are now living to see it teeming with a population of five millions, or almost double our entire population when we declared our independence of Great liritain. Its commerce has been equally sudden in growth and wonderful in extent. Who will not be startled on being told that the commerce of Michi- gan has become nearly equal to that of all Canada? Yet, incredible as it may seem, it is true. But Michigan is the child of one genera- tion ; and in our own day her population has risen from five to nearly five hundred thousand ; whilst the population of Canada is more than three times that of this youthful State, and, having the experience of two centuries, she even now languishes as with premature decline. The following is a comparative view of the commerce of Canada and Michigan, in respect to certain leading exports, for the year 1847 : ill J !,! P' Articles. Flour, barrels , Wheat, bushels Lumber, in feet Shingles Aggregate exports for 1847 Canada exported. 928,061 925,012 7G,i)13,735 ? 4,744,000 (unknown.) Michigan exported. 933,179 601,688 73,842,000 26,633,000 $7,119,832 We have not the means for determining, in figures, the aggregate ex- Eorts of Canada for the year 1847, but, from such information as we ave been able to obtain, they are believed to have been much less than those of Michigan ; but the imports of the former for tlu^ same year are known to have been greater than those of the latter. Further- more, the trade of Canada has been, of late years, steadily dcclitnng, and lias reached a point of great depression ; whilst that of Michigan, as of all the northwestern States, has been steadily hicrcasing. and H. Rep. 4. 83 Thore aro now eight States immediately connected with the naviga- tion of the lakes whose commerce, to some extent, might, if permitted, seek an outlet to the ocenn tlirough the St. Lawrence — Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. They were estimvted to contain in 1846 a population of 8,877,450, or nearly half that of the whole Union, of which 2,928,925 depended upon the lakes for reaching a market. Much information upon this suhject is contained in the very valuahle report to the Secretary of War fn^m the Topographical Bureau, of Deccmher 10, 1847, which presents a view of the lake commerce up to the year 1846. We have drawn upon this source for a few important statistics, and do not doubt that they may be relied on as mainly correct, since they are based upon detailed reports from tlie various collection ports and districts, which exhibit the kinds and quantities of which the commerce consists. We have been also kindly furnished by Colonel Abcrt, of the Topographical Bureau, with some facts and figures touching the commerce of the lakes at a much later period ; and, as they are believed not yet to have been })ub- lished, they are presented l)elow, in a consolidated form, in connexion with those for a former year : Lake tonnage for 1846 was, steam 6 ,825 Do do do sailing 46,011 Total for 1840 106,836 The upper lake tonnage for 1849, with that of Lake Ontario for 1848, exhibits a total tonnage of (that of Lake Cham- plain not included) 198,295 Increase is nearly 100 per cent., being 91,459 Mariners employed on the lakes in 1846 were 6,972 The following table exhibits the total exports and imports of certain leading ports and districts: Buffldo (port) 1846 $48,989,116 Cleveland. . . do 12,559,1 10 Detroit do 8,706,348 Oswego do 9,502,980 Erie. '. do 6,373,246 Whitehall . . .do 6,327,489 Monroe (district) and Toledo, 1S46 9,519,067 Sandusky (district) 1846 5,943,127 Burlington do 3,777,726 Chicago (port) 1848 11,903,000 Milwaukie . . .do 5,927,000 The aggregate exports and imports of the lake ports for 1S46 were reported at $123,829,821. This sum, however, represents a duplicate commerce, since the ex- ports of one place are to some extent the imports of another, and the net value was estimated to be one-half, or $01,914,910. I :i P:"l\ m\ 5Hi V i h 84 H. Rep. 4. This view, for 1846, flills much short of the whole truth, since it is known .nat those estimates inchide nothing for the commerce of eighteen important places, from which there were no returns I'or that year. If we now look at the lake commerce for the year 184S, we find that its increase is nearly commensurate with that of the tonnage, as ahove stated. The aggregate exports and imports fjr that year of the difler- ent lakes were estimated as follows, in round numbers: Lake Michigan, exports and imports, 1848 $24,320,000 Lake Huron do do do 848,000 Lake St. Clair do do do 030,000 Lake Erie . do do do 115,785,000 Lake Superior do do do (unknown.) Total for 1848, in round numbers 141,589,000 Lake Ontario, for 1848 28,141,000 Lake Charnplain . . .do (unknown.) 169,730,000 Consolidated returns in exact numbers : Lakes above the falls $141,593,567 Lake Ontario 28,140,927 Lake Charnplain, (1846) 11,266,059 Lake Superior (unknown.) 181,000,553 This estimate gives the sum of $181,000,553 as the aggregat(> value of the lake exports and imports for the year 1848, of which. u[)on the principle before mentioned, one-half may be set down as the net value lor that year— $90,500,276. Such are some few of the many facts from which some estimate may be formed of the immense commerce of the lakes. The great increase of the articles of flour and wheat, as received for a series of years prior to 1848, at Buffalo, the principal receiving depot of the lake commerce, on its way to the eastern markets, furnishes something like an index of its general increase in other productions. Reduced tc an equivalent in wheat, they rose from 2,780,000 bushels in 1841 to 10,688,564 bushels in 1847 ; and, adopting 17 per cent, as an approved rate of annual in- crease of the aggregate lake commerce, in ten years, or in 1857, its net value will be $170,545,257. The above facts and figures enable us to form some idea of the present commercial condition of the lake valley. But who can meas- ure its prospects in the future? The experience of the i'cw past years teaches that its growth has surpassed all prior calculations, and past estimates have seldom kept pact; with existing realities. It has bt'come (juite impossible to proportion, in advance, the increase of tliis region in population, wealth, and commerce, to the increase of its facilities for communicating with the eastern markets. The iuture refuses to be governed by rules of past experience. If tlie commerce of this valley H. Rep. 4. 85 Ibr be lley is to increase from sixty-tliroe millions in 1S47 to one huxdued axd SEVENTY MILLIONS in 1857, wlio will niidortakc to moasure it ;it the expiration of another quarter or half of a centuryV And if it now crowds our channels of connnunication almost to stoppage, and, eon- se(jnently, finds its way disadvantaizeoiisly throuL>li thcin to m;irket, what will he the condition of tliin^^s in lifiy, twenty-live, or even ten years hence, unless some portion of it can find its way to the ocean through the channel of the iSt. Lawrence, which nature has constructed for it with so liberal a hand? Further, we cannot overlook the very important fact that the free navigation of the St. Lawrence would, in elfect, for commercial j)ur- poses, add three thousand miles to our ocean-coast. It w^ould convert the lakes into great ocean-inlets or bays, and their ports into ocean- harbors. Whitehall, Burlington, Oswego, Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, JNIilwaukie, Chicago, and all our lake towns and cities, would be sub- stantially upon the ocean. They coul Northwest, not by way of diverting it seriously from its accustomed channels, Init by opening new fields of enterprise, stimulating new industry, and giving new em[)loyment to labor. No apprehension need bu entertained that existing artificial channels would not continue to be taxed tor transportation, as now, to the extent of their capacity for public use and advantage. We have alread}' shown the probable future increase of our l;tke commerce; and all apprehiMision 'ike that suggested should be dis})elle(l, when it is also considered th;'.t the populaiini of the Northwest alone, estimating by approved pri>.iclples of in'Mo;i>c as applic;;oie to that parli( ilar and grovMig region, will, in the lapse o " half a century, be not f;ir from th!: ^ millions, or several rniihons greaier than the present population of the entire Union. There are also some other facts which must be noticed for the pur- pose of showing that the free navigation of ti;e St. Lawrence would be revolutionary in som(> of its resuhs, noi by ii)terl(:'ring with present com- mercial interests, but by stimulating new industry and calling for new labor. We had in 1847, as before seen, a lake tonnage of neavly 200,000 tons; ano mis, with its subsequent increase, is employed in short voy- ages, varying in time from one to a few days. But open the St. Law- rence, and these voyages maVj instc^ad of days or weeks, recjuire months and even years. ()ne single ocean vo3'age may become ecjual to all the voj^agcs of a vessel which {)lies during every week of the navigable season between Bufli'i(* and Chicago. For every vessel engaged in j)resent commerce that ]:asses out upon the ocean, another must sooner or later tak3 its place. All this would require more tonnage and more hands. Can it be doubted that, undj^ji the stimulus of this measure, our kdvc tonnage would be suddenly and vastly increased, imd even quadrupled, at an 86 H. Rep. 4. III PI I*! li enrly day? In this estimate we do not include the vessels which would be constructed f()r sale in a forci^ni market. Such an increase of ton- nage would bring witli it an increase of hnnds, •nid raise the amount of the latter from seven to twenty-eight tliousand. Tliese results would tend to produce competition, whilst competition would tend to cheapen the transportation of our commerce. To this must be added tlie advan- tages of a continuous voyage — one which would be subject to little or no delays at intermediate ports, and to no expenses for transhipment. A large portion of the expense of transportation is incurred at the places of shipment and discharge, and hence the cost of the voyage is not determined by its length. All the ports upon the lakes below Lake Superior are said to be nearer Liverpool than Odessa, the principal wheat mart on the Black scr Cleveland is said to be more than a thousand miles nearer; so that there is little room tor doubt that the lake valley, having the advantages of a continuous voyage via the St. Lawrence^ can send i*s whoat as cheaply to the English markets as the country of the Black oc, and thus maintain a successful competition. We .sh' uid fail to do justice to the subject if we om!< tod to notice anothei irnfufc in the commercial condition of the lak( valley: ihat for "r ', St -ivr. months in every year its navigable waters are bound up ". ii'i t )S]> ud snows of a northern whiter. In 1S4G, the capital in- V ^uci '? :ic lake tonnage was estimated at six, and now cannot be fiir fr m ten i iiion^;; but during the long peri;\l of winter this vast capital is idle, Wiii.si, the ships are decaying at iheir moorings, amidst snow and ice. For this loss, it is well known, the public is obliged to pay, by a necessary and consequent increase of prices charged l()r the transpor- tation of persons and property. From this cause alone are the people of the lake valley (>very year taxed hundreds of thousands of dollars; but it is a tax which, to some extent at least, the free navigation of the St. Lawrence would remove. Winter upon the lakes now suddenly turns thousands out of employ for nearly half a year; and, being gen- erally unfitted, bj^ the habits of a seafaring life, to engage in ordinary occupations upon land, t j many of them but h.tle is left save to congre- gate in the cities, and there viciously squander their earnings of the summer. Make free the St. Lawrence, and many of our ships, with their crews, engag' d during the summer in inland commerce, at least such as are fitte(^ for ocean navigation, would flee from the icy lakes during winter, and seek other f..i:d njno genial fiekls of commercial enterprise. We have now presented a brief sketch of the principal arguments upon which our claim to a free navigation of the St. Lawrence is based. It must, however, be remembered, that this exhibition of the commerce of the lakes has been confined entirely to that which is American in its character. There is also upon the lakes a large British commerce, which would be greatly increased by that reciproc.d stimulus of trade which would spring from a joint and equal navigation of the river by the people of both countries. But little, theref(M-e, now remains, save to inquire what objections, if any, < an be urged against the justice of the American claim? That it would benefit us, there is no doubt; and that it woulci work no injury to Britsh commercial interests, seems equally clear. So fu' from that is H. Rep. 4. 87 mts |ca. Irce its rce, ide Iby ,if It it to is the truth, that it would operate ns a fresli stimuhis of British enterprise in Ciinacla. By what principle, tlien, of" n;ilurul ri^^ht jind justice, or of inlcrn;ition;d law, can Kn-^land witljhold ironi us a ri,£;lit of so much national importance, and one the concession of vhich could work no injury to her own right of navigation, or invoho any sacrifice of her honor? Where a right claimed by one nation 'gainst another is an innorciit right, and its enjoyment is essential for the public interests of the nation claiming, it is believed that tlie law of nations has airiply provided for its recognition. " Property cannot deprive nations of the general right of travelling over the earth, in order to have a communi- cation with each other, Jor carrying on trade, and other just reasons. The master of a country may only refuse^ the passage on particular occa- sions, where he finds it is prejudicial or dangerous." (N'attel, book 2, ch. 10, sec. 132.) The same author (in cli. 10 of same book, sec. 1.34) says: "A passage ought also to be granted tor mcrcliaudisc; and as this may in common be done without inconvenience, to refuse it without just reason is injuring a nation, and ens ? Here it is to be r'Muarked, that the concession of in'ic rights must not be confounded with the recc/gnition of aid ones. Treaties sometimes create rights, and soinetimes mereb' acknowleduc those alreadv exisliiifr, whicli, ■""■11 though questioned to some extent, are, upon examination, found to have 88 II. Rep. 4. III! i ■;t. a \\iM oxistonco in nnliirc, nnd uulcpnulciitly of trrnfl(>s. They aro, llH'r('f()r(', t()iiii,illy nsscitcd hy one pnily, iiiid iickiiowli'tltit'd hy tlic^ other, so ;m elU'cMiidly lo remove mII grounds tor lulnre (juestion or dit- ierenee. Thus the lliirteenth nrtiele of the trenty of ytreeht, (I71;J,) by whieli Fnniec' eeded to Kngl;u»d Newfound liind, eonlinued to the puhjects of Krinice the use of eertinn fislieries upon the eoiists of that isLiiid. 'This s;iine ri^ht to the fisheries \v;is reeo<,niised !is belonging to l''riuiee l)y the fifth iirtiele of the treaty of Pnris, (170IJ,) whieh re- newed iind eoufirnu'd so nuieh of the thirteenth article of" the treiily of Utrecht iis rehites to this subject. At the treuly of Versailles (17^:}) these Usheries were iiu;iiin tiie subject of iietzotiiitiou, nnd (Jreiit Hritiiin nnd Frances rciidjusted the terms upon wiiich they siiould be enjoyed by the res])eclive [);irties. Tiie French right ot fishery w;is ;ii>;iin th(! subject of ndjustment between tlie pnrties at th(3 trenly of Paris in 1814. From this series of negotiutions it may well be argued, that the treaty of Ttrecht did not create the right ot" hshery i()r France, but re- cognis(xl it as one already existing, and the subseciuent treaty stipula- tions upon the subject concerned chielly the principles antl limitations by which it shoidd l)e exercised. The thii'd ;u-ti(l(' of our treaty of 17S3 with I'lngland may also be cited as in [loint, as it stipulated t()r the cnnt'innr.d right on our j)a.rt to enjoy the fisheries in the (Jult" ot" St. Ijawrencc and on the coast and banks ot" j\ewf()undland, "and at all other j)lac(\< in the sea where the; inhabitants ot" l)oth countries used at any time heretotbre to fish." Was it not obviously the intention ot the parties to this stipulation not to riKilc, but to ackium-lrilgc, ['or and as agiiinst each other, rights already existing and which had existed and been (Mijoyed in common at least since the ac(iuisition ot" CanatlaV These rights to the fisheries Were thus admitted to belong to the United States, notwithstanding their separation from the mother country. The language of tlu^ arti- cle is "that th(> people ot"the United States shall rontuntc to ('njoy" the fisheries, and thus continues without creating a right. This continuance was (!vi(lenlly basetl, not upon an idea of concession on the part of England, but U[)on principles of natural justice and right, having their origin in the fact, that it was partly American enterj)rise that had dis- covered, explored, and occupied thest^ fish(n'ies. The United Stales contended l()r such principles as tbes(! in settling the terms of the convention of ISIS. England sought to maintain that the \var of 1SI::2 had abrogated the American right to the fisheries, whilst Mr. Itush, who conducted the negotiations on our part, insisted upon that right as IxMiig permanent or per{)e),ual in its nature, as old at least as the treaty of 17.^;i; and he shapec! the terms ot the conven- tion n])on this subject with an express design on his part of excluding "the implication ot" tli(> fisheries securcMl to us being a new grant." The cas(^ is conceived to be analogous, and it would be dilfuailt to show that th(3 natural right of the United Sta'.es to transport their coni- merc-e upon the St. Jjawrence to and t"rom tho ocean is much less than tliat which they enjoy to the northeastern fisheries. The (juestion of the fi'ce navigation of the Mississippi also well illus- trates the view now submitted. At the treaty of 17S3 with Great Biitain, iis mouth was held bv Spain. It liirmed our wcstein bound :ry, H. Rep. 4. 89 lllng that niid its sniirc(>s worn supposod to lie within British territory. Eacli piirty stipui.'itcd in (his treaty for tlio free and juint uavi<,Nition of iJic river, lint did either p:irty coiucJe to or rrnilc in tiie other any sup- posed new right? Did this stipuhition amount to anythinii; more than a recognition or (h'el;u;ition ol" right ns agninst each other, and a claim or assumption of it as against tSpain v Jt \v;is in fact an acknowledg- ment of supposed pre-existing right — a right freely to use and navigate the river, as a great 1 'gliway to the ocean, which nature had created for the accommodation of the nations who might dwell u[)on its banks. The sources of the river were, however, sul)se(iuently ascertained to be entirely withir> our own boundaries, and we were lei't alune to assert our right against Spain. Our representatives at Madrid were instruited to press upon her attention not the privilege merely, but the right of freely navigating the Mississippi to its mouth; and so anxious were the American people upon this subject, and so well satisfied of the right, that the ([uestion threatened at some future time to involve us in a war with that country; but the far-seeing policy of Mr. Jeflerson, which looked to the ac(|uisition of Louisiana, scuttled it by the treaty o'' ces- sion in 1S03. It may, then, well be asked, can England now justly deny to us a principle, in reft.'r(mce to the mouth of the St. Lawrence, which she has already asserted against Spain, in reference t(j that of the Mississippi? Nor, it is beli(n'ed, can any objection to the American claim, as being against the practice or law of nations, be derived from treaties anjongst the nations of Euro[)e, which relat(> to the use of navigable rivers. They are believed to have proceeded in part upon the idea not of creat- ing, but of rdhrming rights ; not of conceding privileges, but of recog- nising rights which had a prior existence under the natural law. There are in Europe many rivers which are not by nature navigable, but are made so by clearing out their channels and by other artificial means, such as the Elbe, Maese, Weser, and Oder. h\ such cases, both reason and internationrd law justify the exaction of tolls, to meet the ex])ense of putting and keeping them in navigable condition ; but this exaction should be limited to such special and necessary purposes. ]^y the treaty of Paris (1814) between England and France, the navigation of the Rhine, from the point where it becomes navigable unto the sea, was declared to be free. At this time a congress of European nations had already been proposed, and, in anticipation of its sitting, this same treaty ])rovided that such congress should " ex;nnine and determine in what manner the above provisions can be extended to other rivers, which, in their navigable course, separate or tra%erse different States." The congress of Vienna seems manifestly to have proceeded upon the principle of recognising the right of nations freely to navigate to its mouth die same river, which separates or crosses their territories as a jire-existing right, founded in nature and confirmed in national conve- nience and necessity. By the general treaty, (June 9, 1815,) all those " pt)weis, whose States are sci)arated or crossed by the same naviga- ble river," stipulated that their navigation, " along their whole course, from the point where each of \\\vm becomes navigable to its mouth, shall be cntirt^ly free, and shall not, in respect to cvmmcrcc, be prohibited 7 90 H. Rep. 4. 'li s to nny one." (Sro arts. lOS nnd 109, ILmzIcI's Commcr'/inl Troatlrs, vol. 1.) Article 90 of tlir same treaty provided specially that its priii- ei[)I 's concerning tli(3 navigation of rivers slionid he .•ippli(;al)le to the J*(). To this treaty wvrc JipfXMided cert;iin iirticles intended t(» oper;ile as a unilorni system of police for rigiiliitin*i;\\\v'\v navigation; also, u S(>t of iirticles providing specially for the free navigation of the Rhine, and another set providing for tluif of tlu; Neckar, Mayne, Moselle, Mouse, and Scheldt from the point where ench of them becomes n;tvigablo to their mouths." We have thus the voice of nearly all Europe sanctioning the principle contended for; f()r ne; rly i\\\ Europe was p;irty to this tre;ily. In re- spect to the navigation of rivers, the trejity acts in pjuL upon rights alr(>;idy supposed to exist. It asserts find regulates, without crcafing them. As the statute often merely affirms the common law, so this treaty afiirms the interniitionid antl natural law; and the action of the Vienna congress upon this subject had its origin not so much in a denial of the right of nations to freely navigate rivers which separate or cross their t(M'ritories, as in the necessity of agreeing uj)on some uniform regu- lations l()r using it, and freeing it iVom those embarrassments wliic-h miglit otherwise flow from the various and conflicting regulations of dif- ferent State?. Whatever may have been the ancient doctrine; respect- ing national sovereignty over the mouths of navigable rivers emj)tying into the ocean, the ]3ritish claim to an absolute control over the month of the St. Lawrence; should now be considered as inconsistent with a liberal and enlightened application of the natural law, and with the principles recognised by the general treaty of Vienna, to which England was fi, prominent party. Jfthe American TnLsn had never been finiTied, or if each of its States were now to becouK^ sudtlen'y invested with full natioual sovereignty, a case would exist very analogous to that, which mad(^ the navigable rivers of Europe an important and even necessary subject fi)r adjust- ment by the congress of \'j(>nna. In either of such events, what Stat-; would p'"esume to assert against another absolute control over the waters of a navig.able river which should separate or traverse the tcn'ritories of both? Who «hall close the mouth of the Coiniecticut? Wijo shut up the Delaware, and drive the ships of I'hiladelphia from its waters? Wh;u single State shall barricade the Missi.-sippi against th(; comnuM'ce of" St. L(Hiis, Cincinnati, and all the great States and Territori(>s situate u])on its banks, or those of" its vast tributaries, which stretch fiom the Allciihanies to the ]{()cky mountains ? To these (juestions there can be but one answer — "jVon(\" The eternal principles of justice — thv laws of nature — answer, "None." But, ill either of the supposed cases, our navigable rivers would become the theatres of vaiious contending interests, and necessarily subject to a variety of local jurisdictions. To avoid all differences and conflicts which might naturally flow from such variety of interest and jurisdic- tion, a congress of Slates, like that of Vienna, might well assemble; f()r the pur})os(^ of affirming, by treaty, tor and against each other, the right of freely navigating those river by which they might be separated or crossed, and of regulating its !xercise by [)iinciplcs of fairness and uniformity. TIjc case has been supposed fur illus' ii; and is it not H. Rep. 4. 91 8l.atr3 Ijust- Stiito alers ics of ut up Iters ? KM'ce til a to I the Tho lone." eomc n;t to licts sdic- \e for Iriglit ,'d or and It not evident tlint such a treaty would not mate the ri«ht of navication, hut sunply ajfirm and rrrojtriusf ii as one; i)re-<t. Lawn^ieo ns tlie suhjeet of a claim on the part of our govermn(>nt nnder the law of nature and of nations. Wc have done this that tho (piestion may ho view<'d in its whole extent, and that, should tlie views and arguiufuls suhnfitted in lavorof the American claim as one ol" right not he regard- ed as ronc/itsirr, they may at least aj)j)ear as rcj^^ous why the Ihitish govermncnt should now generously concede to us i privilege, in siipjjoit of which so nnich cai^ be urged, and to which tinu; has added value and importance. ]t it cannot he secured as a riglit,then it is to be e( ; - sidered as a privil(>ge, to be ac(|uire(l either by treaty or by somi? recip- rocal legislation, based upon the i(l';i of rendering a just e(juivabMit. If Knglarid will not acUnowh Ik; right, as conlirrcd uptm us by the hand of nature, she should a* .siiowledge it by treaty. Sli» should, according to Ikm' vi(>\v, crnilc it, and couIIt it upon us with hvv own hand. She shoidd do it, too, with the generosity of iialur(>, without mofiey and without price. She siiould do it with a, magnanimity which so well becomes her ])osition. To her it can work no injury, whilst to us it is a nKNisure of great advantage. Why should she not grant to us, in respect to the moutli of the St. Lawrence, what she asserted against Spain in 17S;J, in respect to that ot" the Mississipj)i ? ^^ hy not yield to us what, in JS14, she demanded from France in relation to the IMiine ? Why not i'ollow now her own enlightencMl example at \'ienna, when sh(> demanded of Europe th(> free navigation oi the Po, the Scheldt, and other rivers, which did not wash a ti)o1 (»f Jirltish soil? But if Knuland will neither acUiiowleduc the riuht as alieady exist- ing, nor confer it upon us as a gratuity, then it can only be ac(]un-ed by purchase, on the renflition of some just cipiivalent. We have alr(\'idy, under another view of the subject, presentiMl tlios<; considerations which now conspire to rcMider the Iree navigation of the St. Lawrence a (]ues- tion of {)rescnt and practical importance. It" the /-'"g/// be denied, they yet weigh in favor of ac(|uiring the yr'irib (rr, and it is unnecessary to repeat them. If it is to be purchased by treaty, then it presses itself upon the attention of the treaty-making power, as a (juestion which, il not soon settl(Ml by negotiation, must en; long be settled by the irresist- ible course of human events. But ii" it is to be purchased by means of reciprocal legislation, then it vu'ges itself upon the attention of Congress, and calls f )r the adoption of legiMative measiu'cs, with a view to its accjuisition. Whatever dillerence of opinion may (>xist as to the mode by which it should b(^ accjuired, it seems very certain that th(> qut^stion in regiifd to the St. Lawrence, which so earnestly engaged the attention of tin; administrations of Monroe and the younger Adams, and which Mr. Adams and Mr. Clay, as they successively stood at the head of the State Dei)artment, pressed upon the attention of the liritish govern- ment with so much ability and patriotism, is now r(>vived with incn\'ised magnitude. Nor is the tjict to be disguised, that the sudden growth of the lake valley, its increased and increasing connnerce, its convenience, its wants, its dean st interests, the petitions of its peopl;-, :;nd ciicum- ^. A %. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // ^ r ^/ ,. V ^> a^ \ ri.^ # >> 92 H. Rep. 4. st.'incos connrrtcd with llio pcograj)liical relations of the two countries, and llieir future peace and harmony, are all conspiring to present the (|uestion as on(> wliose early settlement is suggested by the soundest dictates of justice, prudence, and wisdom. ALRX. W. BUEL. JOHN A. McCLElfNAND.* E. G. SrAULDLNC. [*Mr. McClernand signs the foregoing report, meaning thereby to aflirm the following principles, which are understood by him to be sub- stantially affirmed by the report, viz : 1st. That by natural law, tlu; right of navigating ri stream or river is the ('(jual and common right of idl tlu; inhabfiants upon its borders. 2d. That by the law of society, upon the establishment of a local juris- dictit)n over a part of the river, the pre-existing natural right of navi- gating that part becomes subject to modification by the local sovereign. yd. That the right thus remaining still liolds good for the purpose of innocent exercise or use, and is denominated an imperfect right; but is, nevertheless, an essential and real right. 4th. That the obstruction or refusal of tliis right, when not calletl f()r by the peace or safety of the local sovereign, and to the injury of the inhabitants above, is a wrong, which may authorize a demand tor redress.]