unfairness in the calculation of duties of this description, his Majesty suggested, upon the occasion, to fix a valuation at once, as the basis upon which to compute the duties upon non-enumerated articles, agreeably to the wording of the 3d section of his Majesty's treaty with the Netherlands of the 15th of June, 1701, to which, as well as to the treaty of 1645, reference has been had in all subsequent treaties upon that subject with other powers. This having been agreed upon, a tariff of duties on articles not enumerated in the tariff of Christianople was accordingly drawn up, and, after due consideration, adopted, for the space of ten years to come, commencing from the 15th day of June last, and further until the end of twelve months after due notice being given. Although this arrangement has been concluded, and the question of duties thereby definitively settled, in the first instance, with Great Britain, it is evident that there is nothing exclusive in the arrangement itself, nor is it based upon any discrimination of goods, produce, or merchandise, to favor particular interests or particular countries. On the contrary, its entire scope and object has been to carry out a general principle in the conversion of an ad valorem duty on non-enumerated articles, according to the literal rule laid down in the 3d section of the treaty of 1701, into a specific duty, by the means of a fixed valuation as its basis, thereby removing, at the same time, all complaints in future of arbitrary power in its calculation and exaction. The arrangement is, therefore, general, and impartial in its character throughout towards all nations having treaties with Denmark, and, moreover, well calculated, in other respects, to meet their approval and acceptance. From the concessions made by his Majesty, upon this occasion, in the spirit of conciliation and good will, while an immemorial usage was entirely in his favor, the result has been a considerable, and, to his Majesty's finances, most sensible, reduction in the duties throughout upon said articles, as hitherto computed, which will become more apparent by a careful examination of the two columns in the tariff agreed upon, exhibiting the result of the old and new computations in opposition. It is, however, a satisfaction to his Majesty, by the sacrifices thus made, to have relieved himself, at the same time, from the embarrassments of ad valorem duties, and from the consequent semblance of an exercise of arbitrary power in their computation and exaction, which was the only question and modification of the tariff, as a vested right from time immemorial, upon which his Majesty could ever think of entering, in justice to himself and to his people. Beyond the subject of the tariff, some other questions of minor importance have been agitated, relating to the despatch of vessels with the least possible delay at the Sound, and the regulation of other charges payable there independently of the Sound dues. It has been agreed to settle these questions upon general principles, by an investigation of commissioners on the spot; and as the interest of Great Britain, in this respect, as in the other, is not different, except in its greater extent, from that of all other nations connected with the Baltic trade, it is hoped that the result will prove equally satisfactory to all. In thus meeting the wishes of all nations concerned in this matter, his Majesty feels particularly gratified by anticipating a just appreciation of these proceedings at the hands of the government of the United States, whose friendly relations with his Majesty's dominions his Majesty is happy to acknowledge, and, therefore, most anxious still further to cultivate and improve. The undersigned avails himself of this occasion to renew and tender to the Secretary of State of the United States the assurance of his high and distinguished consideration. Hon. DANIEL WEBSTER, Secretary of State of the United States. STEEN BILLE. DECLARATION. The undersigned, his Danish Majesty's envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at the Court of St. James, and her Britannic Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, having examined the tariff of duties on articles not enumerated in the tariff of Christianople of the year 1645, which has been drawn up, on the part of Denmark, by MM. C. G. Wessel and H. H. Olrik, translator and comptroller of the royal Danish custom-house at the Oeresound, and on the part of Great Britain by Mr. Macgregor, her Britannic Majesty's consul at Elsinore, have, in the name and on the behalf of their respective governments, agreed that the rates of duty specified in that tariff should be adopted for the space of ten years to come, commencing from the 15th day of the present month, and further until the end of twelve months after either of the respective governments shall have given notice to the other of its intention no longer to abide by this agreement. In witness whereof, the undersigned have signed the present declaration, and have affixed thereto the seals of their arms. Done at London the fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-one. ADOLPH BLOME. [L. S.] L. S. [Translation.] Tariff of Sound dues on the following articles-the duties of which, corresponding in amount to one per cent. ad valorem on the prices quoted below, have been fixed by agreement between the undersigned, C. G. Wessel, counsellor and second translator of the custom-house at Oeresound, and H. H. Olrik, comptroller in the translating office of the same custom-house, both officers in the service of his Majesty the King of Denmark, on the one side, and Francis Macgregor, consul of her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain at the Oeresound, on the other side, in such manner, viz: that these duties are to be received and paid at the Oeresound in specie dollars, equal to two rigsbank dollars in paper, for the space of 10 (say in letters ten) years, to be computed from the 1st of June, 1841, (eighteen hundred and forty-one) provided this arrangement be approved by the respective governments. It is to be observed that the Sound dues, light-money, fees and other charges in the Sound, are calculated and paid in specie dollars, 94 of which (say in letters nine and a quarter) specie dollars make, and shall in future be equal to, one mark five colu-weight. One specie dollar is divided into 48 (say in letters forty-eight) stivers. It is a matter of course that the duties given below are equally applicable to the passage through the Belts: Pimento. Oranges, lemons, &c.... Arsenic... Orpiment 9 stivers. 100 pounds... 10 specie dollars 4 stivers. 1.....do. Cocoa.. Coffee... Camel's hair............. Canella alba.... Coneywood. Cardemums Cassia fistula. Cassia lignea Cement. Cubebs Juniper berries. Yarn, viz: Cotton-yarn, or twist Embroidery cotton-yarn .... 124. 36...do.. 100....do.... 12.....do...... 6.....do. 35.....do..... 36...do.. 100....do.... 25.....do.. 18....do. 12....do. 9.....do. 12....do. Mohair-yarn.... 15....do. 30...do.. 50.....do.... 30. 15....do. 30...do.. 50............. .do.... 37. .do..... 18....do. 9....do.. 100....do.... 4......do...... 2.....do. 30...do.. 1,000..do.... 15.....do...... 8 stivers a 1,000 pounds. 30...do.. 1,000..do.... 15.....do...... 8 stivers a 1,000 pounds. 30...do.. 1,000..do.... 15.....do...... 8 stivers a 1,000 pounds. 30...do.. 1,000..do.... 15.....do...... 8 stivers a 1,000 pounds. 36...do.. 1,000..do.... 15.....do...... 8 stivers a 1,000 pounds. 8 stivers. 8.....do. 8.....do. 8.....do. 12....do. 12 stivers a 1,000 pounds. H. H. OLRIK, [L. S.] Counsellor and Second Translator of the Custom-house of Oeresound. Comptroller of Translations in the Custom-house of Oeresound. Her Britannic Majesty's Consul for Denmark and the Oeresound. This is to certify that the foregoing is a true translation of a copy in the Danish language, submitted by the undersigned to the government of the United States, as transmitted to him by his government. PHILADELPHIA, August 1, 1841. STEEN BILLE. Mr. Bille to Mr. Webster. PHILADELPHIA, June 20, 1842. On the first of August last year, the undersigned, his Danish Majesty's chargé d'affaires near the government of the United States, had the honor, by order of his government, to communicate to the honorable Daniel Webster, Secretary of State of the United States, the nature and result of the discussions which for some time past had been carried on in London, relative to the calculation of Sound dues on articles not enumerated in the tariff of Christianople of the year 1645. He stated at the same time that it was found convenient and expedient to settle some other questions of minor importance relating to the despatch of vessels at the Sound, and the fees and other charges payable there independently of the Sound dues, by an investigation of commissioners on the spot. These labors have since been brought to a close; and the whole tariff of Sound and Belt dues, both specific and ad valorem-the former as fixed by the tariff of Christianople, and the latter as now settled upon the principle of the treaty of 1701-with all the rules and regulations connected with the subject, have accordingly been embodied in a digest for the general information of all concerned, two printed copies of which, the one in the Danish and the other in the German language, the undersigned has now the honor, by direction of his government, to enclose to Mr. Webster, to be laid before the President. His Majesty flatters himself that the common interest of all nations connected with the Baltic trade has been duly and impartially attended to in this investigation, so as to secure an unqualified concurrence and approval at their hands. Though not the work of a regular congress of nations, which would have been impracticable, if not altogether inapplicable to the case, there has been no secrecy in the matter; on the contrary, all suggestions made by other nations, either through their diplomatic agents at Copenhagen, or by their consuls residing at Elsinore, have been cheerfully received and duly considered. The entire scope and object of the discussions in London were, as stated by the undersigned in his note above alluded to, to carry out a general principle in the conversion of an ad valorem duty on non-enumerated articles, according to the literal rule laid down in the third section of the treaty of 1701, into a specific duty, by the means of a fixed valuation as its basis, thereby removing at the same time all complaints in future of arbitrary power in its calculation and exaction. His Majesty having waived all claims to any increase of duty as hitherto computed, to which said principle might lead in its general application, the whole question turned, as a natural consequence, upon reduction alone; and this reduction being the result of a general principle in its application to all non-enumerated articles' without exception, all discrimination to favor particular interests or particular countries was of course entirely out of the question, while it was the sincere and anxious desire of his Majesty that equal justice should be done to all. It is, however, peculiarly gratifying to his Majesty that most of the articles specially enumerated by Mr. Webster as those in which the interests of the United States were particularly involved, and which in |