7. A stranger, who, during five years shall hold constantly twenty shares, and has resided the lawful period in the country, shall obtain the right of citizenship.

8. The bank shall have fifteen directors, of whom the third part at least shall be the natural born subjects of Chili, and elected by the government.

9. A certain number of shares shall be reserved by the Chilian capitalists.

10. This bank alone shall bear the title of National Bank of Chili. 11. The government of Chili will ratify in a short time this stipulation entered into between the minister plenipotentiary of Chili and M. S. M. Samuel, in the name of the bank association. Delay must be prejudicial to the negotiations which are being

entered into.

them.

The government is free to ratify or disapprove of

UNITED STATES.

OF THE UNITED STATES,

MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT

COMMUNICATED TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRECOMMENCEMENT OF THE FIRST SENTATIVES, AT THE

SESSION OF THE NINETEENTH CONGRESS.

Fellow citizens of the senate and house of representatives,—In taking a general survey of the concerns of our beloved country, with reference to subjects interesting to the common welfare, the first sentiment which impresses itself upon the mind is, of gratitude to the Omnipotent Dispenser of Good, for the continuance of the blessings of his providence, and especially for that health which, to an unusual extent, has prevailed within our border, and for that abundance which, in the vicissitudes of the seasons, has been scattered with profusion over our land. Nor ought we less to ascribe to him the glory, that we are permitted to enjoy the bounties of his hand in peace and tranquillity; in peace with all the other nations of the earth, in tranquillity among ourselves.

There has, indeed, rarely been a period in the history of civilized man, in which the general condition of the Christian nations has been marked so extensively by peace and prosperity. Europe, with a few partial and unhappy exceptions, has enjoyed ten years of peace, during which all her governments, whatever the theory of their constitutions may have been, are successively taught to feel that the end of their institution is the happiness of the people, and that the exercise of power among men can be justified only by the blessings it confers upon those over whom it is extended.

During the same period, our intercourse with all those nations has been pacific and friendly-it so continues. Since the close of your

last session, no material variation has occurred in our relations with any of them. In the commercial and navigation system of Great Britain, important changes of municipal regulation have recently been sanctioned by acts of parliament, the effect of which, upon the interests of other nations, and particularly upon ours, has not yet been fully developed. In the recent renewal of the diplomatic missions on both sides, between the two governments, assurances have been given of the continuance and increase of the mutual confidence and cordiality by which the adjustment of many points of difference had already been effected, and which afford the surest pledge for the ultimate satisfactory adjustment of those which still remain open, or may hereafter arise.

The policy of the United States, in their commercial intercourse with other nations, has always been of the most liberal character. In the mutual exchange of their respective productions, they have abstained altogether from prohibitions; they have interdicted themselves the power of laying taxes upon exports, and whenever they have favoured their own shipping, by special preference, or exclusive privileges in their own ports, it has been only with a view to countervail similar favours and exclusions granted by the nations with whom we have been engaged in traffic, to their own people or shipping, and to the disadvantage of ours. Immediately after the close of the last war, a proposal was fairly made by the act of congress of the 3d of March, 1815, to all the maritime

nations, to lay aside the system of retaliating restrictions and exclusions, and to place the shipping of both parties to the common trade, on a footing of equality, in respect to the duties of tonnage and impost. This offer was partially and successively accepted by Great Britain, Sweden, the Netherlands, the Hanseatic cities, Prussia, Sardinia, the Duke of Oldenburg, and Russia. It was also adopted, under certain modifications, in our late commercial convention with France. And, by the act of congress of the 8th of January, 1824, it has received a new confirmation, with all the nations who had acceded to it, and has been offered again to all those who are, or may hereafter be willing to abide in reciprocity by it. But all these regulations, whether established by treaty or municipal enactments, are still subject to one important restriction. The removal of discriminating duties of tonnage and impost is limited to articles of the growth, produce, or manufacture of the country to which the vessel belongs, or to such articles as are most usually first shipped from her ports. It will deserve the serious. consideration of congress, whether even this remnant of restriction may not be safely abandoned, and whether the general tender of equal competition, made in the act of the 8th of January, 1824, may not be extended to include all articles of merchandize not prohibited, of what country soever they may be the produce or manufacture. Propositions to this effect have already been made to us by more than one European government, and it is probable that if once established by legislation or compact with any distinguished maritime state, it would recommend itself by the experience of its advantages to the general accession of all.

The convention of commerce and navigation between the United States and France, concluded on the 24th of June, 1822, was, in the understanding and intent of both parties, as appears upon its face, only a temporary arrangement of the points of difference between them, of the most immediate and pressing urgency. It was limited, in the first instance, to two years, from the 1st of October, 1822, but with a proviso, that it should farther continue in force till the conclusion of a general and definitive treaty of

commerce, unless by a notice of six months in advance, of either of the parties to the other. Its operations, so far as it extended, have been mutually advantageous, and it still continues in force by common consent. But if left unadjusted several objects of great interest to the citizens and subjects of both countries, and particularly a mass of claims, to a considerable amount, of citizens of the United States upon the government of France, of indemnity for property taken or destroyed under circumstances of the most aggravated and outrageous character. In the long period, during which continual and earnest appeals have been made to the equity and magnanimity of France, in behalf of those claims, their justice has not been, as it could not be denied. It was hoped that the accession of a new sovereign to the throne would have afforded a favourable opportunity for presenting them to the consideration of his government. They have been presented and urged, hitherto without effect.

The repeated and earnest representations of our minister at the !court of France, remain as yet even without an answer. Were the demands of nations upon the justice of each other susceptible of adjudication by the sentence of an impartial tribunal, those to which I now refer would long since have been settled, and adequate indemnity would have been obtained. There are large amounts of similar claims upon the Netherlands, Naples, and Denmark. For those upon Spain, prior to 1819, indemnity was, after many years of patient forbearance, obtained; and those upon Sweden have been lately compromised by a private settlement, in which the claimants themselves have acquiesced. The government of Denmark and of Naples have been recently reminded of those yet existing against them, nor will any of them be forgotten while a hope may be indulged of obtaining justice, by the means within the constitutional power of the executive, and without resorting to those measures of self-redress, which, as well as the time, circumstances, and occasion, which may require them, are within the exclusive competency of the legislature.

It is with great satisfaction that I am enabled to bear witness to

the liberal spirit with which the republic of Colombia has made satisfaction for well-established claims of a similar character; and among the documents now communicated to congress, will be distinguished a treaty of commerce and navigation with that republic, the ratifications of which have been exchanged since the last recess of the legislature. The negotiation of similar treaties with all the independent South American states has been contemplated, and may yet be accomplished. The basis of them all, as proposed by the United States, has been laid in two principles; the one of entire and unqualified reciprocity; the other the mutual obligation of the parties to place each other permanently upon the footing of the most favoured nations. These principles are, indeed, indispensible to the effectual emancipation of the American hemisphere from the thraldom of colonizing monopolies and exclusions; an event rapidly realizing in the progress of human affairs, and which the resistance still opposed in certain parts of Europe to the acknowledgment of Southern American republics as independent states, will, it is believed, contribute more effectually to accomplish. The time has been, and that not remote, when some of those states might, in their anxious desire to obtain a nominal recognition, have accepted of a nominal independence, clogged with burdensome conditions, and exclusive commercial privileges granted to the nation from which they have separated, to the disadvantage of all others. They are now well aware that such concessions to any European nation would be incompatible with that independence which they have declared and maintained.

Among the measures which have been suggested to them by the new relations with one another, resulting from the recent changes of their condition, is that of assembling at the Isthmus of Panama, a congress at which each of them should be represented, to deliberate upon objects important to the welfare of all. The 'republics

of Colombia, of Mexico, and of Central America, have already deputed plenipotentiaries to such a meeting, and they have invited the United States to be also represented there by their ministers. VOL. II. No. 6.

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