missioners of the New York State Reservation at Niagara and the Secretary of State, and between the governor of the State of New York and the Secretary of State, that by reason of the diversion of the waters of the lakes through the Welland Canal, and the proposed diversion of waters in great volume, to be taken under grants for the construction of the Chicago Drainage Canal, the proposed canal from Georgian Lake to the Ottawa River, and other projected waterways, together with like diversions of waters in very considerable quantities from the Niagara River above the Falls of Niagara for the generation of mechanical power, under grants from the State of New York and the Province of Ontario, the water levels of the several lakes forming a portion of the boundary between the United States and Canada are reduced, and will be in future under like grants greatly diminished, so as to constitute a serious menace to navigation on these waters; and by reason of the diminution in the volume of the water of the Niagara River contributing to the destruction of the natural grandeur of the Falls of Niagara. It further appears to your committee that the question of diversion of waters forming a boundary between nations is a proper subject for joint consideration by representatives of the nations having riparian rights therein. It further appears to your committee that the sum of $20,000, proposed to be appropriated by the resolution under consideration, is a reasonable sum for the expenses of the commissioners for the United States in the prosecution of the proposed investigation. In view of the foregoing your committee approve of the spirit and purpose of the resolution (S. R. 71) and recommend that the same do pass. TRADE AND COMMERCE WITH FOREIGN NATIONS. FIRST CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION. August 5, 1789. With reference to arranging and bringing forward a system to regulate the trade and intercourse between the United States and the territory of other powers in North America and the West Indies, Mr. Butler reported as follows: That it will be expedient to pass a law for imposing an increased duty of tonnage, for a limited time, on all foreign ships and other vessels that shall load in the United States, with the produce of the same, to any port or place in America whereto the vessels of the United Stated are not permitted to carry their own produce; but such a law being of the nature of a revenue law, your committee conceive that the originating a bill for that purpose is by the Constitution exclusively placed in the House of Representative. Your committee beg leave further to report as their opinion that it will be expedient to direct a bill to be brought in for imposing similar restraints upon the trade of the European settlements in America with the United States that are imposed on the trade of the United States with those settlements. FIRST CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION. May 25, 1790. On providing the means of intercourse between the United States and foreign nations, Mr. Strong reported an amended bill, which became a law by the approval of the President on July 1, 1790. It is as follows: SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States shall be, and he hereby is, authorized to draw from the Treasury of the United States a sum not exceeding forty thousand dollars annually, to be paid out of the monies arising from the duties on imports and tonnage, for the support of such persons as he shall commission to serve the United States in foreign parts, and for the expense incident to the business in which they may be employed: Provided, That, exclusive of an outfit, which shall in no case exceed the amount of one year's full salary to the minister plenipotentiary or chargé des affaires to whom the same may be allowed, the President shall not allow to any minister plenipotentiary a greater sum than at the rate of nine thousand dollars per annum, as a compensation for all his personal services and other expenses; 507 nor a greater sum for the same than four thousand five hundred do lars per annum to a chargé des affaires; nor a greater sum for the same than one thousand three hundred and fifty dollars per annum to the secretary of any minister plenipotentiary; And provided also, That the President shall account specially for all such expenditures of the said money as in his judgment may be made public, and also for the amount of such expenditures as he may think it advisable not to specify, and cause a regular statement and account thereof to be laid before Congress annually, and also lodged in the proper office of the Treasury Department. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this act shall continue and be in force for the space of two years, and from thence until the end of the next session of Congress thereafter, and no longer. (Stat. L., Vol. I, p. 128; Leg. Jour., Vol. I, p. 173.) FIRST CONGRESS, THIRD SESSION. January 26, 1791. Concerning consuls and vice-consuls of the United States in foreign parts, Mr. Ellsworth reported as follows: A BILL for carrying into full effect the convention between the King of the French and the United States of America, entered into for the purpose of defin ing and establishing the functions and privileges of their respective consuls and vice-consuls. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatires of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That where in the seventh article of the said convention it is agreed that when there shall be no consul or vice-consul of the King of the French to attend to the saving of the wreck of any French vessels stranded on the coasts of the United States, or that the residence of the said consul or vice-consul (he not being at the place of the wreck) shall be more distant from the said place than that of the competent judge of the country, the latter shall immediately proceed to perform the office therein prescribed; the district judge of the United States of the district in which the wreck shall happen shall proceed therein, according to the tenor of said article. And in such cases it shall be the duty of the officers of the customs within whose districts such wrecks shall happen to give notice thereof as soon as may be to the said judge, and to aid and to assist him to perform the duties hereby assigned to him. The district judges of the United States shall also within their respective districts be the competent judges for the purposes expressed in the ninth article of the said convention, and it shall be incumbent on them to give aid to the consuls and vice-consuls of the King of the French in arresting and securing deserters from the vessels of the French nation, according to the tenor of the said article. And where by any article of the said convention the consuls and vice-consuls of the King of the French are entitled to the aid of the competent executive officers of the country in the execution of any precept, the marshals of the United States and their deputies shall within their respective districts be the competent officers, and shall give their aid according to the tenor of the stipulations. And whenever commitments to the jails of the country shall become necessary in pursuance of any stipulation of the said convention, they |