Of course I have not yet broached the subject of the "Sound dues," but I shall seek an early opportunity to do so; and I respectfully desire to be instructed whether I may be allowed to offer anything, either in the form of some additional commercial privilege, or other matter as an equivalent for those dues, in case the Danish government shall consent to abandon them, so far as our vessels are concerned. If I remember correctly, in a despatch of Mr. Buchanan's to one of my predecessors, something of that sort is authorized to be done; and I respectfully request that I may be particularly instructed upon this point at as early a day as possible.

[No. 3.]

Secretary of State.

HENRY BEDINGER.

Mr. Marcy to Mr. Bedinger.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, November 8, 1853. SIR: Your despatch of the 13th ultimo was received at the Department on the 5th instant, and I am directed by the President to inform you, in reply to your question respecting an equivalent to Denmark for the abolition of the "Sound dues," that he declines authorizing you to offer to that power any compensation for the removal of that as a favor which we have demanded as a right.

I am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant,
W. L. MARCY.

HENRY BEDINGER, Esq., &c., &c.,

[No. 2.]

SIR:

Copenhagen.

Mr. Bedinger to Mr. Marcy.
[Extract.]

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,

COPENHAGEN, December 3, 1853.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs has beeen suffering with an attack of the gout for several weeks past, and, in consequence, I was not able to procure an interview with him.

upon the subject of the "dues" until the 1st instant. On that day I spoke to him on the subject. I stated, briefly, the principal objections to the continuance of that burthen upon our commerce, and respectfully informed him, that it was absolutely necessary that the matter should, at once, be pressed to a conclusion, &c., &c.

He replied, at some length, that it was a matter of very great importance; that the right to levy the "dues" had been exercised by Denmark since "time immemorial;" that all other nations had tacitly assented to her right to levy them; that our trade in the Baltic was much less than that of other nations, and, consequently, we had the less cause of complaint; that Denmark could not exempt one nation from the payment of the tolls without exempting all others, which would cause a ruinous reduction in the revenue of the State, &c.

I combatted, to the best of my ability, the positions which he had taken, and which I had fully anticipated; and he then said, if I would address him in writing upon the subject, he would lay the matter before His Majesty's government in council, and inform me of the determination to which they should come in regard to it. But I understood him to say, distinctly, that in his own opinion Denmark would never voluntarily consent to remit the tolls. The next day I addressed a note to him, in which I quoted the principal objections to the imposition of the "dues"-as set forth in my instructions, and asked that the subject might be brought to the notice of the Danish government, with a request on the part of the United States to have the tolls remitted in future.

Mr. Bedinger to Mr. Marcy.

[Extract.]

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,

COPENHAGEN, February 26, 1854.

SIR: I have the honor to inform you that I have received your communication of the 2d instant, informing me that my despatches, Nos. 2 and 3, had been received, and enclosing the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 30th of December, 1853, upon the subject of the "Sound dues."

A few days before I received this communication, I had called again upon the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to inquire whether he had received the note I had addressed him upon the subject, and when I might hope to receive his reply. He apologized for having been compelled so long to delay his

answer, and begged me to attribute it, not to any disposition upon his part to retard the action upon the application of the United States, but simply to the fact of the great increase of business in his department in consequence of the pending crisis in European politics, and to the condition of his own health, which had been but feeble. He stated, however, that he was then preparing a statement in reply to my note, which would embrace the whole subject of the "Sound dues," together with certain facts, statistics, &c., which he deemed important, and certain propositions, also, which it was designed to make to our government upon the subject; that I should receive this statement as soon as he could possibly complete it; and that a copy of the same would likewise be transmitted to our government through the Danish chargé d'affaires in the United States.

I do not know whether I ought to express any further opinion upon this subject, until after I shall have received the statement referred to. But I cannot help thinking that there is no intention upon the part of this government to abandon that unjustifiable source of revenue, until induced to do so by measures more to be regarded than mere diplomatic conversations and verbal objections; for, if I am correctly informed, Denmark is at present upheld by Russia in the imposition of those burdens upon the commerce of other nations. From such information as I have been able to gather upon the subject, it appears that Russia, while she does not attempt actually to compel submission to those exactions, sanctions them nevertheless, by requiring her ports to refuse to receive the cargo of any vessel which has not paid them, thus lending very effectual assistance to the impositions of Denmark. Mr. Raynal, our consul at Elsinore, tells me that he has prepared a very full statement of the amount of these tolls paid to Denmark within the last two or three years; the amount paid by different nations, the burdens imposed upon the several most important articles of commerce, &c., with a copy of which he will furnish me in a short time, and will also forward a copy to your department.

Mr. Bedinger to Mr. Marcy.

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,
COPENHAGEN, April 1, 1854.

SIR: I have the honor to inform you that, since the date of my last despatch, I have had another interview with his excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs upon the subject

of the "Sound dues." It was not much more satisfactory, however, than the others; but I deem it proper to state, that upon this occasion his excellency, after having again apologized for not having replied to my note, said that he had written to the Danish chargé d'affaires to the United States, instructing him respectfully to urge our government to defer pressing this question until the political horizon in Europe shall assume a more tranquil aspect.

He assured me that, so soon as it could possibly be done, it was the intention of the Danish government to enter into certain arrangements with the other nations interested in the subject, by which the right of collecting the "tolls" would be abandoned by Denmark, upon receiving from the other powers a certain compensation, which he did not distinctly explain, in lieu thereof. He said he hoped I would perceive how utterly impossible it would be to effect any thing of that sort during the present state of public affairs; but he reiterated the assurance that negotiations upon the subject should be commenced at the very earliest period that would afford hopes of their successful termination, &c.

I thought it proper to inform him, lest he should argue from my silence that the United States would consent to the 'compensation" of which he had spoken, that it would not be proper to reckon upon any thing of the sort.

66

He replied, that he had strong reasons for belieying that we would assent to the arrangement which he hoped to be able to make; that, in the mean time, he would complete his reply to my note, and transmit the same to Washington.

The difficulties which have recently arisen between the Danish Diet and the ministry, growing out of certain efforts on the part of the latter to frame a constitution suitable to the whole monarchy, have given rise to some excitement, and tended considerably to retard the execution of public business.

The Diet, however, has now adjourned; the present ministry is to be retained, I believe; and affairs will probably assume again their wonted tranquillity.

AFFAIRS IN CENTRAL AMERICA.

[The difficulties between the Nicaragua Transit Company and the Settlement at the mouth of the San Juan, and the occurrences referred to in the President's Message, (page 10) are fully set forth in the following documents, communicated to the Senate in compliance with a call for information in regard to the transactions between Captain Hollins, of the U. S. Ship Cyane and the authorities at San Juan de Nicaragua. 33d Con. 1st Sess. Senate Doc. Ex. No. 8.]

POLITICAL ORGANIZATION OF GREYTOWN.

City Council of Greytown to the Secretary of State of the United States.

COUNCIL CHAMBER,

Greytown, or San Juan del Norte, Feb. 19, 1853.

The legislative council of the city of Greytown, or San Juan del Norte, respectfully beg leave to represent to you, and through you to the President of the United States, the following statement in relation to the condition of affairs as they now exist in this city.

In March last, the Mosquito authorities, then governing at this place, called on the people by a proclamation, issued by James Green, Esq., her Britannic Majesty's acting agent and consul general to Mosquito, to form a constitution, elect officers, and enact such laws as they might deem necessary for the future welfare of the city and its inhabitants.

In accordance with this proclamation, the people met in convention on the 29th day of March, 1852, and appointed a committee to draft a constitution; the result was the present constitution, which was adopted unanimously at a general meeting of the citizens, held in the said city of Greytown, or San Juan del Norte, on the 5th day of April, A. D. 1852. A copy of the constitution, together with a copy of the proclamation of James Green, Esq., her Britannic Majesty's agent, &c., was transmitted to the office of the Secretary of State of the United States by Commander Green, of the United States vessel-of-war Decatur, then lying in this harbor.

In compliance with the constitution, an election was held on the 15th day of April last, and resulted in the choice of a mayor, five members for a legislative council, three supreme judges, and subordinate officers.