F. POINT ARENAS, July 14, 1854. SIR: In view of the existing state of affairs at San Juan del Norte, the place of my late official residence, I have the honor to inform you that my further presence at that port is no longer expedient or possible, and would respectfully ask of you permission to remove the archives of my consulate to your ship for safe keeping, and conveyance for myself, my official and personal effects to the United States, that I may co-operate the more fully with yourself in placing our government at Washington in possession of the details of the recent proceedings in this vicinity. I am, sir, with great respect, your very obedient servant, GEO. N. HOLLINS, Esq., Commander U. S. Ship Cyane, Harbor of San Juan del Norte, Nicaragua. SPAIN. MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT. To the Senate of the United States: I hasten to respond briefly to the resolution of the Senate of this date, "requesting the President to inform the Senate, if in his opinion it be not incompatible with the public interest, whether any thing has arisen since the date of his message to the House of Representatives, of the fifteenth of March last, concerning our relations with the government of Spain, which, in his opinion, may dispense with the suggestions therein contained touching the propriety of 'provisional measures' by Congress to meet any exigency that may arise in the recess of Congress affecting those relations." In the message to the House of Representatives referred to, I availed myself of the occasion to present the following reflections and suggestions: "In view of the position of the Island of Cuba, its proximity to our coast, the relations which it must ever bear to our commercial and other interests, it is vain to expect that a series of unfriendly acts infringing our commercial rights, and the adoption of a policy threatening the honor and security of these States, can long consist with peaceful relations. In case the measures taken for amicable adjustment of our difficulties with Spain should unfortunately fail, I shall not hesitate to use the authority and means which Congress may grant to insure the observance of our just rights, to obtain redress for injuries received, and to vindicate the honor of our flag. In anticipation of that contingency, which I earnestly hope may not arise, I suggest to Congress the propriety of adopting such provisional measures as the exigency may seem to demand." The two houses of Congress may have anticipated that the hope then expressed would be realized before the period of its adjournment, and that our relations with Spain would have assumed a satisfactory condition, so as to remove past causes of complaint, and afford better security for tranquillity and justice in the future. But I am constrained to say that such is not the fact. The formal demand for immediate reparation in the case of the "Black Warrior," instead of having been met on the part of Spain by prompt satisfaction, has only served to call forth a justification of the local authorities of Cuba, and thus to transfer the responsibility for their acts to the Spanish government itself. Meanwhile, information, not only reliable in its nature, but of an official character, was received, to the effect that preparation was making within the limits of the United States, by private individuals, under military organization, for a descent upon the island of Cuba, with a view to wrest that colony from the dominion of Spain. International comity, the obligations of treaties and the express provisions of law, alike required, in my judgment, that all the constitutional power of the Executive should be exerted to prevent the consummation of such a violation of positive law and of that good faith on which mainly the amicable relations of neighboring nations must depend. In conformity with these convictions of public duty, a proclamation was issued, to warn all persons not to participate in the contemplated enterprize, and to invoke the interposition in this behalf of the proper officers of the government. No provocation whatever can justify private expeditions of hostility against a country at peace with the United States. The power to declare war is vested by the Constitution in Congress, and the experience of our past history leaves no room to doubt that the wisdom of this arrangement of constitutional power will continue to be verified whenever the national interest and honor shall demand a resort to ultimate measures of redress. Pending negotiations by the Executive, and before the action of Congress, individuals could not be permitted to embarrass the operations of the one and usurp the powers of the other of these depositaries of the functions of government. I have only to add that nothing has arisen since the date of my former message to "dispense with the suggestions therein contained touching the propriety of provisional measures by Congress." FRANKLIN PIERCE. WASHINGTON, August 1, 1854. RUSSIA. TREATY BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR OF RUSSIA. Signed at Washington 22d July, 1854. The United States of America and his Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, equally animated with a desire to maintain, and to preserve from all harm, the relations of good understanding which have at all times so happily subsisted between themselves, as also be tween the inhabitants of their respective States, have mutually agreed to perpetuate, by means of a formal convention, the principles of the right of neutrals at sea, which they recognise as indispensable conditions of all freedom of navigation and maritime trade. For this purpose, the President of the United States has conferred full powers on William L. Marcy, Secretary of State of the United States; and his Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias has conferred like powers on Mr. Edward de Stoeckl, Counsellor of State, knight of the orders of Ste. Anne, of the 2d class, of St. Stanislas, of the 4th class, and of the Iron Crown of Austria, of the 3d class, his Majesty's chargé d'affaires near the Government of the United States of America and said plenipotentiaries after having exchanged their full powers, found in good and due form, have concluded and signed the following articles : ARTICLE L The two high contracting parties recognise as permanent and immutable the following principles, to wit: 1st. That free ships make free goodsthat is to say, that the effects or goods belonging to subjects or citizens of a Power or State at war are free from capture and confiscation when found on board of neutral vessels, with the exception of articles contraband of war. 2d. That the property of neutrals on board an enemy's vessel is not subject to confiscation, unless the same be contraband of war. They engage to apply these principles to the commerce and navigation of all such Powers and States as shall consent to adopt them on their part as permanent and immutable. Les Etats-Unis d'Amérique et sa Majesté l'Empereur de toutes les Russies animés d'un égal desir de maintenir et de préserver de toute atteinte les rapports de bonne intelligence qui ont de tout temps si heureusement subsisté entre eux-mêmes, comme entres les habitans de leurs Etats respectifs, ont résolú d'un commun accord de consacrer, par une convention formelle, les principes du droit des neutres sur mer qu'ils reconnaissent pour conditions indispensables de toute liberté de navigation et de commerce maritime. A cet effet, le Président des Etats-Unis a muni de ses pleins pouvoirs le Sr. William L. Marcy Secretaire d'Etat des Etats-Unis; et sa Majesté l'Empereur de toutes les Russies a muni des mêmes pouvoirs le Sr. Edward de Stoeckl, Counseiller d'Etat, chevalier des orders de Ste. Anne de la 2me classe, de St. Stanislas de la 4me classe, et de la Couronne de fer d'Autriche de la 3me classe, chargé d'affaires de sa Majesté près du gouvernement des Etats-Unis d'Amérique: lesquels plenipotentiaries, après avoir échangé leurs pleins pouvoirs, trouvés en bonne et due forme, ont arrêté et signé les articles suivans: ARTICLE I. Les deux hautes parties contractantes reconnaissent comme permanent et immuable le principe qui suit, savoir: 1°. Que le pavillon convre la marchandise, (that free ships make free goods,) c'est à dire, que les effets ou marchandises, qui sont la propriété des sujets ou citoyens d'une Puissance ou Etat en guerre, sont exempts de capture ou confiscation sur les vaisseaux neutres, á l'exception des objets contrabande de guerre. 2° Que la propriété neutre, á bord d'un navire ennemi, n'est pas sujette à confiscation, à moins qu'elles ne soit contrabande de guerre. Elles s'engagent à appliquer ces principes au commerce et à la navigation de toute Puissances et Etats qui voudront les adopter de leur côté comme permanantes et immuables. The present convention shall be approved and ratified by the President of the United States of America, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate of said States, and by his Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, and the ratifications of the same shall be exchanged at Washington within the period of ten months, counting from this day, or sooner, if possible. In faith whereof, the respective plenipotentiaries have signed the present convention, in duplicate, and thereto affixed the seal of their arms. Done at Washington the twenty-second day of July, the year of Grace ARTICLE III. Il est convenu entre les haute parties contractantes que toutes les nations qui voudraient consentir à acceder aux régles contenues dans l'article 1 de cette convention par une declaration formelle stipulante qu'elles s'engagent à les observer, jouiront des droits résultant de cette accession comme les deux Puissances signataires de cette convention jouiront de ces droits et les observeront. Elles se communiqueront réciproquement le résultat des demarches qui seront faites à ce sujet. ARTICLE IV. La présente convention será approuvée et ratifiée par le Président des ÉtatsUnis d'Amérique, par et avec l'avis et le consentment du Sénat des dits Etats, et par sa Majesté l'Empereur de toutes les Russies, et les ratifications, en seront echangées à Washington dans l'espace de dix mois, à compter de ce jour, ou plus tôt, si faire se peut. En foi de quoi les plenipotentiaries respectifs ont signé la presente convention, en duplicata, et y ont apposé le cachet de leurs armes. Fait à Washington, le vingt-deuxième de Juillet, l'an de Grace 1854. W. L. MARCY, EDWARD STOECKL. [L. 8. |