article became known, was followed by a correspondent increase of revenue drawn from its increased consumption in Germany. The success of this experiment encourages the belief that a like course in respect to other important staples would be followed by similar results.

The tobacco duties, however, serving as they do the twofold purpose of raising revenue and of protecting the culture of the tobacco of native growth in Germany, still find formidable obstacles in the way of their removal or modification. The state of the negotiations on this subject up to the session of 1839 and 1840, is sufficiently explained in the correspondence transmitted to the House of Representatives with the President's Message of the 14th of April, 1840.

Several of the states of the Germanic Association have no natural outlet to the sea. Their commerce, therefore, is carried on through rivers, the mouths of which open to the ocean in the territories of other powers. This shows the importance of the union to all the states composing it; but as the union itself is not a government, commercial stipulations and conventions must be made with the states of the Union in their political capacities. By a paper annexed, marked A, it will appear that, in March last, Great Britain entered into a convention of commerce and navigation with Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, Würtemberg, Baden, the Electorate of Hesse, the Grand Duchy of Hesse, the states forming the customs and commercial union of Thuringia, Nassau, and Frankfort; and similar arrangements with these states might probably be accomplished by the government of the United States.

Such being the general nature of the association, and such our commercial intercourse with it, it becomes matter of interest to consider how far our relations with its several members might be beneficially extended; and if it be thought advisable to enter into commercial treaties with them or any of them, it will remain to be determined whether powers for such a purpose should be conferred upon the minister of the United States at Berlin, or some other diplomatic agency adopted; the general object being to seek the means of enlarging the consumption of the staples of the United States in Germany, and of securing all practicable benefit to their navigation.

There is another part of the subject of our connection with Germany, which, though of less consequence than those that have been pointed out, is, nevertheless, one which deeply concerns the numerous German emigrants who are constantly selling their property to proceed to the United States, as well as our naturalized citizens, natives of Germany, inheriting property in that country. Throughout Germany the droit d'aubaine and the droit de detraction exist in the shape of a tax, payable

on the withdrawal from the country of personal property which has been inherited by will or succession, or which forms the proceeds of real property inherited in the same manner. the United States, as all know, no such tax exists.

In

It is probable that an exemption from this tax might be obtained on the ground of reciprocity. Some of the states have intimated their willingness to enter into arrangements for that purpose. If there should be thought to be no other reason for a formal convention, this particular object might be effected by a simple official declaration, signed by the Secretary of State, under the seal of the department, certifying that the subjects and citizens of Germany enjoy this immunity in the United States; upon which there is reason to believe that an alteration in their own laws would be made by the states, or some of them, so as to make the right reciprocal. The form of a declaration, such as is stated above, has been adopted by the English government, as may be seen by a paper hereunto annexed, marked B.

All which is respectfully submitted.

To the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

DANIEL WEBSTER.

[A.]

COMMERCE AND NAVIGATION.

Convention of Commerce and Navigation between Great Britain on the one part, and Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, Würtemberg, Baden the Electorate of Hesse, the Grand Duchy of Hesse, the States forming the Customs and Commercial Union of Thuringia, Nassau, and Frankfort, on the other part.

Art. 1. In consideration of the circumstance that British vessels are admitted, together with their cargoes, to enter into the ports of Prussia, and of the other states of the afore-named union of customs, when coming from the ports of all countries, and in consideration of the concessions stipulated in this present convention for British trade with all the states of this union of customs; in consideration, also, of the facility which the application of steam power to inland navigation affords for the conveyance of produce and merchandise of all kinds up and down rivers; and in consideration of the new opening which may by these means be given to the trade and navigation between the United Kingdom and the British possessions abroad, on the one hand, and the states now composing the union of customs on the other; some of which states use, as the natural

outlet of their commerce, ports not within their own dominions; it is agreed that, from and after the date of the exchange of the ratifications of this present convention, Prussian vessels, and the vessels of the other states forming the said union of customs, together with their cargoes, consisting of all such goods as can be legally imported into the United Kingdom. and the British possessions abroad, by the said vessels, from the ports of the countries to which they respectively belong, shall, when coming from the mouths of the Meuse, of the Ems, of the Weser, and of the Elbe, or from the mouths of any navigable river lying between the Elbe and the Meuse, and forming the means of communication between the sea and the territory of any of the German states which are parties to this treaty, be admitted into the ports of the United Kingdom, and of the British possessions abroad, in as full and ample a manner as if the ports from which such vessels may have come, as aforesaid, were within the dominions of Prussia, or of any other of the states aforesaid; and such vessels shall be permitted to import the goods above mentioned upon the same terms on which the said goods might be imported if coming from the national ports of such vessels; and also that, in like manner, such vessels proceeding from Great Britain and her colonial possessions abroad to the ports or places thus referred to, shall be treated as if returning to a Prussian Baltic port, it being understood that these privileges are to extend to the vessels of Prussia and of the states aforesaid, and to their cargoes, only in respect to each of the said ports in which British vessels and their cargoes shall, upon their arrival thereat, and departure therefrom, continue to be placed on the same footing as the vessels of Prussia and of the other states of the Union.

Art. 2. His majesty the King of Prussia, in his own name, and in the name of the states aforesaid, agrees to place, always and in every way, the trade and navigation of the subjects of her Britannic majesty, in respect to the importation of sugar and rice, upon the same footing as that of the most favored nation.

Art. 3. In the event of other German states joining the Germanic Union of Customs, it is hereby agreed that such other states shall be included in all the stipulations of the present convention.

Art. 4. The present convention shall be in force until the 1st of January, 1842, and further for the term of six years, provided neither of the high contracting parties shall have given to the other six months' previous notice that the same shall cease to be in force on the said 1st of January, 1842; and if neither party shall have given to the other six months' previous notice that the present convention shall cease on the 1st day of

January, 1848, then the present convention shall further remain in force until the 1st day of January, 1854, and further, until the end of twelve months after either of the high contracting parties shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the same, each of the high contracting parties reserving to itself the right of giving such notice to the other ; and it is hereby agreed between them, that at the expiration of twelve months after such notice shall have been received by either party from the other, this convention and all the provisions thereof shall altogether cease and determine.

Art. 5. The present convention shall be ratified, and the ratifications thereof shall be exchanged at London, at the expiration of two months, or sooner, if possible.

In witness whereof, the respective plenipotentiaries have signed the same, and have affixed thereunto the seals of their

arms.

Done at London the second day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-one.

Declarations relative to the Duties payable on the Withdrawal of the Property of Foreigners from Great Britain and Bavaria, April, 1836.

BAVARIAN DECLARATION.

Sa Majesté le Roi de Bavière, Comte Palatin du Rhin, Duc de Bavière, de Franconie et en Souabe, ayant eu connaissance que d'après les lois en vigueur dans le Royaume Unis de la Grande Bretagne et d'Irlande, il ne se perçoit aucun droit quelconque à raison de l'exportation et du transport des héritages et autres propriétés appartenant à des sujets Bavarois, le soussigné, Ministre d'Etat ayant le Département de la Maison du Roi et des Affaires Etrangères, declare par ces présentes, au nom du gouvernement de sa majesté, qu'aucune retenue ne sera désormais exercée sous le titre de droits d'aubaine ou de détraction sur les héritages et autres biens échus en Bavière à des sujets de sa majesté Britannique, et que l'abolition de ces droits en faveur de ceux-ci aura son plein et entier effet, non seulement dans touts les cas à venir, tant que les lois ne seront pas changées à cet égard dans le Royaume de la Grande Bretagne; mais encore dans touts ceux ou jusqu'au jour de la signature du présent acte, les droits ainsi abolis n'auront pas effectivement et définitivement été perçus.

En foi de quoi, cette déclaration, destinée à être échangée contre une déclaration semblable de la part du gouvernement de sa majesté Britannique, assurant une parfaite réciprocité aux sujets Bavarois, a été délivrée par le Ministre d'Etat soussigné, et munie du sceau de ses armes.

Fait à Munic, ce 10me jour du mois d'Avril, en l'an de grace LE BARON DE GISE.

1836.

[L. S.]

BRITISH DECLARATION.

The undersigned, his Britannic majesty's principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, certifies by these presents, that the subjects of his majesty the King of Bavaria are at liberty to withdraw their property from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, without being called upon to pay any duty, as aliens, on the withdrawal of it, and without paying any other duty than such as the subjects of his Britannic majesty are equally liable to pay.

In witness whereof, the undersigned has signed the present declaration, and has affixed thereto the seal of his arms. Done at London the 30th day of April, in the year of our Lord 1836.

[L. S.]

PALMERSTON.

THE END.