The Sun.
London, England, 1839-03-26 00:00:00

• •• ij • N 116, i •sea.
13. - •
d'OrlOr 1N;13 d
After a few words from Admiral ADAM,
Mr. HUME contended that no reason had been as-
signed for giving up a line of batt7e ship for the use of
her Majesty the Queen Dowager. There was another
point to which le wished to refer. He saw under the
head of Packet Service, a sum of 99,9761., and it ap-
Peared the Post-office Authorities had no means of
furnishing a detailed estimate of the expenses ireturred
under this head. Then in another page, 44, there was
under the same head of Packet Service a sum of
54,455/.—at page 29 there was a sum of 1,2921. under
the same peach—at page 23 a sum of 9,2001.—at page
11, 9501.—at page 36,6,00(M—end at page 41, 1,7501.
—making in all a sum of 172,6231. He thought all
these expenses of the packet service should be in-
cluded in a separate estimate, and he hoped the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer would see the necessity of
doing so for the future.
Mr. CHARLES WOOD said that in the docu-
ments before the House, the expenses of the packet
ships were distinguished from the other expenses of the
Navy.
Sir EDWARD CODRINGTON thought that the
items ought to be put under one total, in order that all
parties might see what the real sum was.
Mr. HUME had no doubt, if the Admiralty gave
orders, the estimates would be properly set out.
After a few observations from Captain Peehell, Mr.
W. Attwood, Sir George Clerk, Mr. Warburton, Mr.
Hume, and Admiral Adams, the vote was agreed to.
. The next vote was 2,5501. for the salaries of the
officers of the Registry of Merchant Seamen.
Capt. PECHELL inquired whether any steps heel
been taken with respect to restoring the pensions to
seamen on their re-entering the service.
Mr. C. WOOD said the question was one of con-
siderable importance. The present regulation had long
been in force, and it applied to ail branches of the
Public service, that persons should not receive together
Pay and pensions. At present it was not intended to
introduce any measure on the subject. The matter,
however, was under consideration.
The vote was agreed to.
26,597/. was then proposed for the salaries of the
civil scientific department of the Navy.
Sir CHARLES STYLE complained that there
were no harbours of refuge on the east coast ; thew
were none but tidal harbours, and he hoped the Admi-
ralty would carry out the recommendation of the Com-
mittee of 1836 on that subject.
Sir E. CODRINGTON was one of the Committee
of 1836, and he could assure the House.that herhours
of refuge were absolutely necessary.
Mr. C. WOOD said it was aot the duty of the
Admiralty to provide such harbours, that was a matter
for the consideration of the general Government.
The vote was then agreed to.
121,319/. was voted for defraying the expences of her
Majesty's Naval Officers and Establishments at home.
119,694/. was voted for defra)ing the salaries of
Officers, and the expence of her Mejesty's Naval
Establishments- abroad.
On the vote of 468,000/. being proposed, for defray-
ing the expenses of wages in her Majesty's Dock-yards,
Mr. WOLVERLEY ATTWOOD rose to call
the attention of the House to the present inadequate
rate of wages allowed to shipwrights. It was of as
great importance that the workmen employed in sliiis-
building should be of the first class as it was that the
materials used should be of the best desctiption.
In her :Majesty's Dock-yards there were two classes of
man—three out of fifteen were appointed to the first
class, and received 4s. 6d. a day, the remainder of the
fifteen received 4s. a day. The wages paid in merchants'
Yards on the River Thames, as he had been informed
"Pon inquiry, was Gs. a day, and in addition to that the
shipwrights were allowed to take away chips, a privilege
atone time enjoyed by the workmen in the Government
yard, but which was discontinued, and a compensation
of 6d. a day granted. That compensation, however, was
withdrawn, and the worst class of' men in the merchants'
yards earned as much as the first class men in her Ma-
Jesty's dock-yards. The shipwrights, also had to purchase
their own tools out of the wages they earned, bile their
Pensions had been abolished. No one who considered '
the principles by which workmen were commonly regu-
lated could imagine that it was possible, while paying an
inadequate rate of wages, to obtain the hest class of
workmen. And as to those shipwrights who were re-
tained in the public service by the fear of forfeiting the
Pension, which was only to .be acquired by a certain
period of service, it. was unjust towards them to oblige
them to work at a scale of wages which afforded them
ao fair remuneration for their talents or their experience,
and so much below what they could obtain in private
dockyards. He (Mr. W. Attwood) was prepared to
state that numbers of skilful workmen had left the pub-
lie dockyards, in consequence of their being able to find
more profitable employment elsewhere. In Chatham
twenty men, of high character, had lately left her Ma-
jesty's dockyard ; several; at Woolwich ; and thirteen
bad left at Sheerness. • And these men could not be re-
Placed with men of equal skill and ability, without in-
creasing the rate of wages.—(Hear, hear.) An inter-
view had taken place between the men who had left
Chatham dockyard and the Captain-Superintendent ;
74 when they were asked their reasons for leaving the
in°,l--Yard, they stated that it was entirely owing to the
siii,c(lnacy of the pay which they had received. To
, „Jul workmen it was exceedingly disagreeable to be
raul
it at alower rate than the ordinary scale of wages ;
Placed them in an unfair position, and
indisposedorally th them to exert themselves with
;at zeal which they would otherwise display. It
-48 the interest of the country that the dockyard men
seer old be paid liberally, in order to secure for the public
me, the best class of workmen. And if the ship-
wrights in the public dockyards were paid at a lower
rate than those employed in the private yards, the
Public service must necessarily be performed by an in-
ferior class of workmen.—(Hear, hear.) In bringing
this case forward, he (Mr. W. Attwood) did not wish
to throw censure on any Government. He attacked the
system ; and whether it was a Whig Government or a
Tory Government against the system were his remarks
directed. He hoped the subject would receive the atten
Lion of the Admiralty ; for one more important
had never been brought forward among all the
questions which had been discussed relative to the Navy.
The CII ANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
he was not surprised that the Hon. Member should have
brought this subject forward. It had not escaped the
attention of the Admiralty, by whom a representation
had been made to the Treasury, which was still under
consideration. Formerly there was a superannuated
lillowance not only for skilful workmen, but for ordinary
labourers. That system was altered. But it was another
question, whether the superannuated allowance should be
altogether done away with. It- was a totally distinct
441 a very important question, whether it would not be
I.:°_,Per to give a superannuated allowance to the skilled
el'" experienced workmen, in order to secure a suffi-
ieLllt
ue Trea suppsuly o y
were f such
notem in the
recommend that a
c dockyards.
rindisposed to
• ailst provision should be made by superannuated allow-
ees, for those skilled and experienced workmen. It
would be a very false economy if, by neglecting to make
roper provision for such workmen, the public
(tyke should be deprived of their assistance.—
that
At the same time it should be recollected
itl4t the benefit of the superannuation system was, that
isWoUld be an additional inducement to such workmen
t
: remain in the public employment, and they could not
si-Pect the advantage both of security from the fluctua-
iona of wages in the private dock-yards, and the super-
annuated allowance. And it should also be considered
that men had many inducements to remain in the
Public dockyards, from the pleasure which was natu-
rally felt in her Majesty's service, and he did not think
there would be any difficulty in procuring able workmen
for
the public dock-yards.
Mr. BARNARD was glad to hear that a super-
annuated allowance would be granted to able workmen
'll
the public docicyeds—but he did not think this
bone Would do.—(Hear, hear.) He entirely concurred
to what had fallen from his Hon. Friend (Mr. W.
Attwood). He considered that job work was the life and
ts3ul of every business ; and he hoped that system would
e adopted in the public dockyards.
er, Sir E. CODRINGTON said that the able state.
.ent of the Hon. Member (Mr. Attwood) had saved
44 the trouble of making any lengthened
4Peech. He might, however, say, that when the dock-
Yardshipwrights were discontented with their remune-
j;e"°n, they were told by the Admiralty that they might
I,ave if they liked, thus adding insult to injury. By
b
system of classification at present adopted—by lot
:ft,attil° apprentice was often put over his master. Was
a proper arrangement 2—(Hear, hear.) He was
ha,,PPy find that the Chancellor of the Exchequer
removing that
his willingness to do something towards
er-eln,"ine that discontent which at present existed, and
""Lell would leave the dockyards, perhaps,. deserted
Just at the crisis when able workmen were most re-
quired.--(Hear, bear.)
Sir G. CLERK thought the House and the countryre
we
vt7 under great obligations to the Hon. Member (Mr.
• Attwood) for bringing this subject before them ;
antit
must be gratifying to find that measures were
to be taken for removing the. evils of the present
-sCtercs---(Hear, hear.) It should. be recollected that
,weights were artificers who could not be had on a
Euddon
—they required considerable experience to -ren-
t: them competent—and it was highly desirable that
le should be always kept a number of able hands in our
docltyarde. The work vvitich ship: rights had to
Perform was very laborious. And it was worthy of con-
sideration whether a workman would labour with so
licit zeal and industry,
when' paid itiferior wages, as
when he was conscious that he would be paid just in
Proportion to the work which be performed. The system
of
classification now adopted was most injudicious.
At the time of the peace the workmen had the option of
4eeepting reduced wages or going away, but, owing to
the depressed state of the merchant shipping, the
greater part preferred remaining ; the difference then was
n." +o great between the merchants' pay and the dock-
rand Pay as it was now, and therefore it was desirable, by
restoring to the shipwright his chance of pension, andcreasing his wages, to induce him to remain in tne

docky,,rd, He simuld recommend tilt rn to do away with
the classification, and pay the men by the job.
Mr. WOOD said there was no question had puzzled
the Admiralty more than this. The Right Hon. the
Member for Pembroke, who bad introduced the sys-
' tem, could give a more satisfactory reason than he could,
but it would be unjust to hina if he did not state that
the subject had been well considered at the time, and
inquiries made as to the wages of workmen in the prin-
cipal ship-building ports of the kingdom, and the rates
of wages for the dockyards had been fixed rather higher
than the average earnings. One great advantage to the
public service was, that the men had constant em-
ployment without the fear of dismissal, and that
when they were hurt they had medical assistance, and
half-pay during their cure. In 1837 the Admiralty had
made the same inquiries as to the rate of wages, and
found that. the dockyard wages, were still about the
same as those of private yards. The statement made
by the Hoe. Gentleman gave the amount of wages on
the river, which was always higher than in the other
parts of the kingdom. With regard to the classification
the fault was in• the carrying out of the system, and not
in the system itself—the Superintendent selected the
three best men who bad a higher rate of wages than
the others. It was intended that he should select them
fairly, and if in any instance he had chosen them by lot
it was agrees neglect on the part of the Superintendent, and
he believed that the objections made by the shipwright,
although nominal), to the gla.ssification were, in point
of fact, to the point of wages; and as the system of .day
pay had been so recently established, he did not
think it right to interfere with it. He agreed that the
system of job-work enabled them to bet
tity of work done, and materially benefited the good
workman in comparison with the indifferent one, but
still many of the shipwrights preferred the system of
day pay. He thought •it might be wise to revert to
the system of superannuation for those workmen who
were most valuable in the yards, but he did not think it
was necessary in the case of ordinary labourers.
Colonel SIBTHORP remarked that the Ministers
were always pulled out of their difficulties by the Hon.
Gentlemen at this side of the House. lie thought
that assistance very unprofitable. Whenever the Minis-
ters were asked why did not they do something that
ought to be done, or whenever an important suggestion
was made; they said, " Oh, we intended to do it."—
(Laughter.) He thought the higher officers were too
well paid, and that working men of ability were not
sufficiently encouraged, The Hon. Secretary to the
Admiralty might be a very clever man, but what could

he kno,v of the naval service?—(Laughter, and bear,

hear.) To be sure he was a very clever manc and
might perhaps know the difference between the stern
and the bowsprit of a ship—(Laughter)—but it
was bard to Zxpk-ct that he should.—(Renewed
laughter.) It was not fair to the s,:lcvice that
the Hon. Gentleman, who was a person of large fortune,
but who knew nothing of the sea, should fill his present
office while so many competent officers were idle.
Mr. M. ArIIWOOD was glad that the question had
come before the Howie, as he hoped it would induce the
Right Hon. the Chancellor of the- Exchequer to
agree to a superannuation fund. The shipwrights
were annoyed by Cie feeling that the pay of
the officers prevented them from getting what they were
entitled to. lie thought the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer was unjust and cruel in stating that because the
shipwrights were to have pensions their wages might
be reduced to a very low point. Their wages were now too
low ; they ought to have ss. a day, regularly in general,
rather than have to endure the invidious distinction:of
perhaps three men out of 15 having ss. 6d a day, and
the rest receiving only 55., on the assumed ground of
their being inferior workmen. With ss. a day certain
the shipwrights in the Government yards would be still
not nearly so well off as the men is private yards, who
frequently earned from ss. to Bs. a day.
Mr. HOBHOUSE was gratified to find that the at-
tention of the Government had been called to this sub-
ject, and that superannuation pensions were about to
granted to the deserving class of :persons to whom the
Hon. Member had alluded.

The vote for 27,430/. for wages of artificers em-
ployed in her Maj,,sty's naval establishment abroad was
then agreed to.

On the question that 856,737/. be granted for naval
atoms,

Mr. HUME called the attention of the Committee
to the decay of naval stores, and the necessity of some
reform in that department. Much complaint had
been made of the inattention to the interests of the
seamen, but in order to look after them they must
reduce the large amount hitherto thrown away upon the
officers.—(Hear, hear.)
After a few observations from Mr. C. WoOD and
Sir E. CoDRINGTON, the vote was agreed to.
159,0001. was granted to defray the expense of new
works in Dock-yards, after a few words from Mr.
HUME and Sir G. CLERK.
18;309/. was granted for medicine stores.

50,970/. was granted for miscellaneous stores.

On the motion that 282,230/. should be granted for
half-pay to the officers of the Navy and Royal Marines,
Mr. HUME objected to the vote.
Sir ED WARD CODRINGTON complained of
the enormous patronage enjoyed by the First Lord of
the Admiralty, and of the manner in which the pro-
motions took place.
Admiral ADAM said, there never was a man who
took more pains to investigate the merits of officers than
the First Lord of the Admiralty, and he ought to have
the power of promoting his friends.

Mr. HUME said, that Lord Minto took office to
serve his country and not his friends.—( Hear, hear.)
The Queen could not grant a pension of fifty pounds
Without the leave of this House, but the First Lord of
the Admiralty could grant fifty without any such
consent. He should like to know the number of
officers promoted during the last year. There ought
not to have been a man promoted who did
not deserve it, for some distinguished service. The Lords
of the Admiralty serving their friends was a nuisance
which ought to be put down. Every man who served
his friend did not serve his country, but burdened his
country with an expense which be ought not do.
After a few remarks from Mr. C. WOOD, the vote
was agreed to.
It was then proposed that a sum of 20,548/. be
granted for defraying widow's pensions and allowances.
Sir E. CODRINGTON wished to call the atten-
tion of the Admira'ty to the great difference that ob-
tained in ,the treatment of military and naval
officers. TheLieutenant-Governor of Chelsea hospital.
was allowed to receive his half•pay, to keep his Regi-
ment and other emoluments, while the Lieutenant-
Governor of Greenwich Hospital was obliged to give up
his half-pay on accepting the situation.
Mr. C. WOOD said the appointments had not been
made by the present Government. He was not aware of
the circumstances_ but would "make inquiry into them.

Capt. PECHELL did-not see liow- the Lords of
the Admiralty should receive their half-pay while in
office, and the Lieutenant-Governor of Greenwich
Hospital should be deprived of it.
Captain GORDON asked whether the widows of
warrant officers were entitled to pension?
Mr. C. WOOD said that before the present Go-
vernment came into office a regulation was made by
which pensions were withdrawn from the widows of
warrant officers who might enter the service subsequent
to the year 1830, and that regulation was still acted on.
The vote was then agreed to.

On the sum of 42,4431. being proposed for pensions
to Civil Officers,

Mr. HUME complained of the retirine, pensions
given to some Clerks, which were nearly as largeb as the
pensions granted to Admirals.

Mr. C. WOOD said, thai no pensions were
granted, but what were strictly in accordance with the
regulations.

The vote wls then agreed to.
The next vote was 150,9544 for ships and transports
for the Army and Ordnance.

Alderman THOMPSON protested against the prac-
tice of fitting up old men-of-war as transports instead
of employing merchantmen.
Mr. CHARLES WOOD said the health of the
troops, which was the most important object,
was best secured by fitting out troop ships, and not by
engaging merchant transports.
Captain BOLDERO pressed upon the Government
the importance of looking to the safety of the vessels
employed in the transport of troops.
Lord HOWICK said there had prevailed a very
old regulation at the Admiralty as to the tonnage to be
allowed for a certain number of troops, which was ex-
ceedingly disproportionate, and which he had endea-
voured to amend. He considered that it tvzs much for
the safety of the troops that men-of-war should be em-
ployed for such purposes, and not transports.
Alderman THOMPSON recommended the employ-
ment of transports instead of troop ships.
SirT. TRO WBRIDGE defended the conduct of the
Government.

The vote was then agreed to.
Mr. C. WOOD moved for a vote of 66,234/. for
the expense of convicts in New South Wales and Van
Diemen's Land.—Agreed to.

The House then resumed, the Report was
brought up, and resolutions read and agreed to.
Captain PECHELL moved for certain papers rela-
tive to the payment of additional Slave Bounties, pur-
suant to the Act of 1 and 2 Vic., c. 4.—Agreed to.
Mr. 'M ACKINNON moved for a Select Committee
for the purpose of ascertaining how far the formation of
railroads. may affect the interests of turnpike trusts, and
the creditors of such trusts :—Mr. Mackinnon, Sir
Henry Parnell, Mr. Vernon, Mr. Mildmay,. Mr.
Greene, Mr. George Wilbraham, Mr. Ormsby Gore,
Mr. Dunbar, Mr. Henry Thomas Hope, Mr. Ains-
worth, Mr. Henry Baring, Colonel Rushbrooke, Lord
Viscount Clive, Mr. Shaw Lefevre, and Mr. Parrott,
were appointed such Committe.

Mr..HORSM A N postponed the motion of which he
had given notice, relative to the impressment service.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER laid
upon the table certain returns relative to the issuing of
Exchequer Bils.
After a few words from Mr. HUMS,
The House adjourned at a Quarter to One o'Clock.

LATE AND IMPORTANT NEWS

FROM THE UNITED STATES.

NORTH-EASTERN BOUNDARY.
The following is the report presented to the House of
Representatives on the 28th of February by Mr. Howard,
' Chairman of the Committee of Foreign Affairs :
" The Committee on Foreign Affairs, to which have
been referred two messages from the President of the
United States, enclosing sundry papers relating to the
disturbances upon the Aroostook River, in the State of
Maine, report—
" That they have examined the papers submitted to them
by the House with great care, and will offer such reflec-
tions upon them as the limited time for the preparation of
this report will admit. The very near approach of the ter-
mination of the present Congress, and the desire of the
Committee that as much time as pcssible should be af-
forded to the House for the examination of the Bill here-
with reported, are considerations of such a powerful nature,
that some incidental matters connected with the subject
cannot be fully investigated. The main points, however,
of the controversy are not numerous, and upon them the
opinion of the Committee is clear and decided. The po-
sition assumed by the President in his message is correct,
and ought to be sustained, if necessary, by the legislative
powers of Congress.
" It is well known that an informal arrangement or un-
derstanding has existed for many years past between the
United States and Great Britain, relating to the territory
in dispute between them, and having for its object the
avoidance of clashing authorities, calculated to endanger
the peace of the two nations. The Committee have not
time to give a detailed and historical statement of the origin
and progress of this arrangement, the examination of which
might elucidate the cause of the strange error into which
the British Government is represented by its agents in this
country to have fallen with respect to its provisions. Suf-
flee it to say, that it never appears to have gone further in
its greatest extent than to adopt the basis of.' uti possi.
delis,' leaving each party to the continued exercise of the
jurisdiction which it had previously maintained in practice.
" The idea, occasionally suggested in some of the British
documents, that prior to the peace of 1783 the Government
of Great Britain was in possession of the whole country,
and that this constructive possession must be considered
as continuing until site is divested of it with her owa
consent, is one which the United States can never
sanction, or even listen to, without strong repugnance. It
implies that the people of the United States hold their
country by a grant from the British Crown, made in the
Treaty of 1783—a doctrine which was successfully re-
sisted by the Ministers of the United States, even when
it was advanced by remote implication, prior to the signs.
ture of the Treaty, by their refusing to treat with the Bri-
tish Ministers until their credentials were changed.
" At a subsequent period of our history tle same doc-
trine was advanced in argument ; and at that period also
was, as it must ever be, met with instant contradiction. '
The people of the United States hold their country by
virtue of the declaration of the 4th of July, 1776; and the
Treaty of 1783 did nothing more than arrange the boun-
dary lines hetvreen the two nations, independent of each
ether in fact and in right. So far, therefore, as the claim
of Great Britain to the jurisdiction over the unsettled parts
of Maine is founded upon the twice exploded theory that
she is the rightful Sovereign of all that she has not granted
away, it cannot be submitted to without sacrifice of ho- •
nour, which the American nation never will make.
46 When the discussion became active between the two •
Governments as to their respective rights to the territory
now in dispute, the greater part of it was, and indeed still
. .

remains, uninhabited by permarent settlers. Here and
there a small settlement could be found, consisting in some
cases of a single house, and in others of more than one,
placed near each other fur the convenience of the inhabi-
tants. The extent of the arrangement between the two Go-
vernments does not appear, as construed by the American
Government, to have gone further than the recognition of the
jurisdiction of each over the people and the lands then ope-
rated upon by it. If these inhabitants had taken out the
titles of their lands from either one Government or t he ether,
and were in the habit of resorting to its judicial authority for
the preservation of order, then they were to continue so to
do until the question of ultimate ownership should be finally
decided in some mode satisfactory to both Governments.
The propriety of this arrangement will not be questioned by
the Committee. If it is left to the British Government, the

jurisdiction over the inhabitants along the military road
which leads from Halifax to Quebec, and thereby furnished
it with a motive for procrastinating the controversy, inas-
much as it continued in the enjoyment of nearly all that
rendered the country valuable as a British possession, it
also furnished a strong proof of the desire of the American
Government to deal fairly and liberally with its antagonist
in the argument. Demonstrating ita this conclusive man.
ner that it was not influenced by a captious spirit of dis-
content, the Government of the United States derived
from this state of the case a right to appeal to the British
Government to expedite the final adjustment of the con-
troversy, and to claim in the meantime the full benefit on

. -
its' part of an arrangement which, perhaps, gave to its ad-
versary more than an equal share of advantages. But the
arrangement has been entirely misunderstood or miscon-
strued, if the Lieutenant• Governor of New Brunswick be
correct in his exposition of the orders under which he is
acting. The United States never did, and never can, con-
sent that the exclusive jurisdiction of the whole territory in
dispute shall be consigned to the care of any officer of the
British Government.

" The pretension now advanced is as unreasonable in
itself as it is unsustained by any agreement between the
two Governments. Suppcsing that the parties to the con-
troversy stand upon an equal footing as to their rights
(and there is none other in the case, except the inadmis-
sible one formerly alluded to), the United States have as
much reason to expect that Great Britain will yield to
them the exclusive jurisdiction of the whole of the contested
territory, together with the care and custody of the timber
and other public property, as she has to require from us
such an extravagant concession. On the part of the
United States it has never been claimed or asked, as far as
the Commissioners are informed ; and the true position of
the President now is, that lie resists the application of a
principle which no executive of this country over adopted
as his guide. It has not been asked of Great Britain, nor
can it be submitted to from her. What the United States
ask from others they are always willing to grant, nor can
they grant what it would be deemed unreasonable to ask.
" That portion of the territory in which the recent and
present disturbances exist has been for a number of years
past subject to the laws of Maine ; and, before the sepa-
ration of Maine from Massachusetts, was under the con-
trol of the latter. In December, 1807, Massachusetts
conveyed one township, lying on both sides of the Aroos-
took, and near the meridian line from the source of the
St. Croix, according to a selection, survey, and plan made
under a resolve pissed in March, 1806. In January, 1808,
she conveyed 10,000 acres, lying west of the aforesaid
township, and on both sides of the Aroostook, pursuant to
a survey and plan made under the same resolve.
" This jurisdiction has been continued througia the
medium ef land agents, ever since that time; and the set-
tlers, who have been there for a number of years past (cer-
tainly since 1822), have always, in practice, held their
property under grants from Massachusetts and Maine.
The part rernair ing unsettled has been applied to no other
useful purpose than to use the timber, of which it is very
productive ; and the state of Massuchetts has been in the
practice of granting licenses to her people to cut timber
from the public domain. * The exercise of jurisdiction was
as perfect as the nature of the country would permit.
" The mere fact of granting licenses to cut timber to
certain individuals shows that the preservation of the tim-
ber was held to be an object of great consequence, and
drew after it the incidental right of refusing to permit the
timber to be cut down whenever it was thought proper to
do so, or of taking measures for its preservation by driving
off trespassers, or punishing them by civic process. This
right Maine derived from Massachusetts. Every State
Government in the Union has a right to regulate the
landed interest, whether public or private,within its limits ;
and Maine stands upon the same footing, unless as to such
parts of it as ere decided not to be under its jurisdiction by
the Constitutional powers of the Federal Government.
" If the Committee are right in the view which they
have taken of the arrangement between the United States
and Great Britain, there is nothing in it to impair, but, on

the contrary, every thing to ratify the jurisdiction of Maine
over that part of her territory, where it had long been fa-
miliar, and the interference of the Lieutenant-Governor of
New Brunswick is a violation of the existing understand-
ing. In the first proceeding of Maine, the force sent to
arrest or drive off the numerous and armed band of tres-
passers who were depredating upon the public property,
appears to have been in the nature of a civil process in exe-
cution of the law of the land. The power of a ministe-
rial officer, such as sheriff, for example, to compel obe-
dience to the law, and to summon to his aid a sufficient
portion of the power of the county to subdue opposition is
well known to American and British jurisprudence, and is
sanctioned by early laws in the History of England.
"The pretension of the Lieutenant-Governor of New
Brunswick excludes the civil as well as the military power
of Maine and the United States from intejfering to pre-
serve order in this seat of the ancient jurisdiction of Mas-
sachusetts, and would compel the United States and
Maine to rely upon the justice, the vigilance, or the gene-
rosity of the British authorities for the maintenance of
good order and the enforcement of the laws in a country
where nothing but a naked claim can be said to exist upon
the part of the British Government. It demands of Maine
that she should divest herself of a jurisdiction prac-
tier Ily established and ascertained, and transfers it to Great
Britain. It demands of the United States that an arrange-
ment alleged to have been made between the two Govern-
ments, of the existence of which the United States are un-
conscious, should be summarily carried out, according to the
construction which one of the parties is said to have placed
upon it, and without giving to the other party an oppor,
tunity to contest such construction. It is difficult, in the
opinion of the Committee, to believe that the Government
of Great Britain maintains such an interpretation of that
arrangement, and thus converts what was intended for the
preservation of friendly feelings into a source of great and
instant discord.
But the assertion of the Lieutenant-Governor of New
Brunswick has been twice officially, deliberately, and pub-
licly made, that he is acting under the instructions of his
Government—a fact of which he and his Government can
be the only judges. The execution of these orders is in-
compatible with the honour of the Uoited States.
" The Committee r: fer with much pleasure to the efforts
which have been made by the British Minister at Wash-
ington, evidenced by the memorandum of a conference be-
tween him and the Secretary of State, to avert the events
which seem to be approaching. If the Lieutenant- Go-
vernor of New Brunswick shall desist from any attempt to
take or hold military possession of the whole of the dis-
puted territory, it will be easy to restore things to their
former conditton. If he ,shall determine to suspend
further movements until the decision of the British Go-
vernmvat be known, it will be for that Government to say
what shall be the political relations between the United
States and Great Britain ; whether the friendship which
now so happily prevails between the two nations, for the
preservation of which the essential interests of both loudly
call, shall be suddenly and rudely broken by assuming a
principle as a ground of action to which the United States
canno submit.

The Conimittee cannot but entertain the hope that the
precipitate counsels on the part of the Lieutenant-Go-