2d Session. CORRESPONDENCE-DANISH MINISTER AND SECRETARY OF STATE. MARCH 2, 1831. Read, and laid upon the table. Mr. CAMBRELENG, from the Committee on Commerce, to whom the subject had been referred, made the following REPORT: The Committee on Commerce, to whom was referred the correspondence between the Danish Minister and the Secretary of State, concerning the commerce of the United States with the island of St. Croix, make the following report: The Danish Minister represents that the produce and manufactures of the United States have been uniformly admitted into the island of St. Croix without duty, or at very moderate rates, and that, though the vessels of other countries have been excluded, the navigation of the United States has been permitted by Denmark to enjoy the almost entire monopoly of her colonial commerce. While that Government has extended to us these advantages, the Danish Minister complains that we have augmented our duties upon the produce of the island of St. Croix so much as to render it impossible for the planter to pay for his supplies, and that, unless some change should be made, the commerce of that island must of necessity be driven into some other channel. The committee have also before them a memorial of American citizens interested directly and indirectly in the plantations of St. Croix, sustaining the representations of the Danish Minister. To revive this branch of commerce, the Minister proposed certain commercial arrangements, which were declined by the President, as they were founded upon "concessions of an exclusive character." At the request of the Minister the correspondence was referred to Congress. The following proposals were offered by Denmark: 1. That, in the intercourse of the island of St. Croix with foreign countries beyond the West Indian seas, no foreign ships but those of the United States shall be admitted to an entry at the custom-houses of the island, nor suffered to export produce thence. (The whole trade of the island will thus be reserved to the Danish and American flag.) 2. That Indian corn and Indian corn meal, imported into the island of St. Croix from the United States, shall be subject to no duty whatever. (This article amounts to nearly 20,000 puncheons annually;) and 3. That all other articles, without any limitation whatever, shall be allowed to be imported into the island of St. Croix from the United States, subject to such duties only as by this arrangement shall be agreed upon, and which shall not exceed five per cent. ad valorem on certain articles considered necessaries, or of general use and consumption, as flour, salted provi sions of any kind, butter, cheese, tallow, candles, fish oil, oil of turpentine, live stock and horses, staves, hoops, headings, shingles, boards and deals of all descriptions, and all sorts of manufactured goods of the coarser kind, whether made from wood, metals, wool, or cotton, and not exceeding ten per cent. ad valorem on all other articles, coming more properly under the denomination of luxuries, as furnitures, carriages, gigs, &c. The concessions were, however, proposed only upon condition that the United States would also concede exclusive advantages to the commerce and navigation of St. Croix, including a provision that the produce of that island should be admitted into this country at lower rates of duty than might be levied upon similar productions of other countries. The friendly policy of Denmark, and the recent manifestation of her justice towards this country, should recommend any proposition of hers to our most favorable consideration. But, with every disposition to receive these proposals in a spirit of mutual liberality, the committee discover too many and substantial objections to any arrangement of the character proposed. It has always been our wise policy to offer equal commercial advantages to all nations, and to entangle ourselves with no embarrassing arrangements with any country, granting privileges denied to other countries, and establishing discriminating duties in favor of the productions of particular nations which are not offered to all. The committee deem it impolitic to enter into any exclusive arrangements, even were they not restrained from recommending any such measure by our obligations to other nations. Our duties on the productions of St. Croix are undoubtedly too high to admit of a mutually profitable exchange in our commerce with that island. We may, however, indulge the hope that some modification of our imposts may follow the redemption of our public debt, which will be more favorable to the productions of an island which, from its vicinity to our continent, may be almost considered a commercial appendage of the United States. But whatever measure we may adopt should be of a general character, operating with a just equality on our commerce with all nations. The committee, therefore, ask to be discharged from the further consideration of the correspondence, 2d Session. CONTINGENT EXPENSES-POST OFFICE DEPT. MARCH 3, 1831. Read, and laid upon the table. Mr. YANCEY, from the Committee on Expenditures in the Post Office Department, made the following REPORT: The Committee on Expenditures in the Post Office Department make the following report: There are two kinds of expenditures of this Department-the one embraces the whole Department, in all its branches, and in all their operations throughout the Union, such as the expenses of post offices, of compensation to postmasters, of transporting the mail, and procuring apparatus and all other articles incident to the operations of the Department; the other has reference to the General Post Office proper, such as the expenses of fuel, stationary, office furniture, &c. The first of these classes is provided for by the law which establishes the Department, and is defrayed by the collections of postage at the several post offices, which constitutes the revenue of the Department; the second is provided for by the annual appropriation of Congress. The expenditures of the first class are comprehended under three heads: 1. Compensation to postmasters, including the contingent expenses of their offices; 2. Transportation of the mail; and 3. Incidental expenses of the Department. The expenditures of the Department, under these three heads, for the year ending 1st July, 1830, were, 1. Compensation to postmasters, including the con- 3. Incidental expenses of the Department, for the purchase of mail portmanteaus, locks and keys for the mails, advertising mail routes, wrapping paper and twine for all the post offices in the United States, to use in making up mails, printed blanks for accounts of mails sent and received, accounts current, newspaper accounts, and post bills, prosecutions of offences against the post office laws, and agencies for detecting depredators, and ascertaining and reporting faults in contractors and post masters Making together the sum of $595,234 93 1,274,009 98 63,463 04 $1,932,707 95 The expenditures of the second class, in the General Post Office proper,. are exhibited in the following statement, received from the Postmaster General. GENERAL POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, 25th February, 1831. SIR: In obedience to the call of the committee, I have the honor t transmit a statement exhibiting the amount paid, and specifying the several items of expenditure, and the names of the persons to whom the payments have been made, for the contingent expenses of this Department, from October 1, 1829, to December 31, 1830. Hon. JOEL YANCEY, I have the honor to be, Your obedient servant, W. T. BARRY. Chairman Comm. on Exp. P. O. Dept. STATEMENT of contingent expenses of the General Post Office, showing the sum paid for each particular bill, from October 1, 1829, to December 31, 1830. 66 3 William Young, for covering a desk with leather 600 12 40 51 00 William Jackson, for keeping the horse 19 Robert Storey, for hauling wood 66 21 Henry Gray, for laboring in cellar Walter Humphries, for sawing and piling wood 23 Henry Ault, for tin and sheet iron work 24 Bushey & Deal, for carpenter's work M. M. Cole, for two copies of map of Hudson Charles Durden, laborer 28 William Young, for saddlery 4 Thomas Levering, for 1,000 quills 7 $61 53% 47 88 4.00 10 00 52 11 9 064 4 50 35 00 47 24 20 111 1 50 20 00 2 25 25 00 11 75 10 00 9 00 20 00 53 00 10 62 2 25 20 00 12 00 51 00 51 00 1 68 Richard Herbert, for scouring rooms, washing windows, &c. 16 William Jackson, for keeping the horse 66 24 23 William Young, for making leather wood-carriers Henry Gray, for laboring, cleaning the yard, &c. 8 Joseph Borrows, for cash paid for washing tow- 13 N. B. Van Zandt, for Encyclopedia Americana 66 S. C. Roszel & Co., for a case for desk 15 Wm. Jackson, for keeping and shoeing the horse 19 21 Gales & Seaton, for subscription and advertising, Walter Humphries, for sawing and piling wood B. Homans, for the Columbian Gazette Robert Wilson, for furniture, chairs, tables, book |