Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-03-29
PSEITICAE.
UNITED STATES ENATE-MARcHl
speech OF Mr.. BENTON, the Bill to establish a
fost at the mouth of the Columbia river


CONCLUDED.
faFlng disposed o the gu, stions of title Mr.
d. look up the next point of inquiry, that of
possession.
On this point he took four positions:
l: That the United States had the right of pos
session.
That Great Britain had the actual possession
DE- mat she reSiSts the possession of the United
States.
a. That, after the year 1928 the par,v in posses
SION Will have the right OF possession until the oues
ton OF title shall be decided by or negotiations
/. On the first point, the right of possession
on the part OF the United States Mr. b. should
not nave thought 1t necessary to say any thing
TO an American Senate, had it not been for the
extraordinary position assumed by the Senator
from New Jersey, (Nr. Dickersen.) That gen
te'uan MAINTAINS that the United States have no
r'gh' to the possession of this country, and has
quoted the third article of the London conven-
ton OF 1878, TO sustain that idea On the com
trary, | maintain that we have a right tn tho
possession, first, as the true owners OF the coun
try; secondly, as entitled TO restitution un Ter the
INST article OF The Client treaty; Hirdfy as hay-
ing a mutual night OF entry with the British for
ten years, under the London convention above
quoted. The third article Of this convention
stiPulates that any country claimed by either
party TO the west OF the Rocky Mountains shall
be 'Jree and open to the c,t'zcns md subjecisn of
the wv" powers, for the period of ten years from
It's signature. Yet by strange process of rea-
Soning, the Senator from New Jersey CONSUMES
tins mutual right of entry, expressly secured 70
the ''citzens" and '.subiectsn OF the stwon no,Sl
ers as an exclusive privilege granted 10 one and
tilat one not ms OWL country, but the subiect,n
OF his Britannia majesty. But viii confront
that gentleman with authority upon this subject:
the authority of British minister. which viii
prooahiY nave more weight with him than the
argument of AN American Senator. LORD Gas
tlereagh himself, at the time OF negotiating that
treaty, admitted our right TO the possession. MIR
hush, IN his letter TO Mr. Adams, of Feb. 1878.
says; cit IS proper, al this stage 20 s;.v. hat
Lord Castlereagh admitted. in the mos, ample
extent, our right TO be reinstated ana 10 be ne
party en- possession toiiie treating Of Ghe fiifeo
:. That Great Britain !lop has the possession.
is fact Of historical notorietv The settlement
ot Astoria, founded by American citizens. and
named after an American Las been retained
ever since the war, converted into a military
posi-, and IT'S name changed into the royal British
appellatIon OF Fort George. There British
cannon are mounted the British flag flies. and
the medals o. George the Fourth are distributed
| to the chiefs ect warrior Of the s.rron,,,,,o.
tribes. Five otler posts ere Established N no
per distances between the sea and the ;unln-
tails, so as to form complete chain, from sea 20
sea, along the course CT tie Columbia, TO Sas
katchwihe and the 81. Lawrence. 4 c,,-.,og
| OF posts three thousand miles in length, IS
stretched along our flank. for purposa which
every citizen and every Inaian os the west.
W. III understands, and to counteract which M
effort is made by the American gov srnment.-
! The Columbia river is suffered 10 be cccupied
N 1t whole extent, b. British arms. The mock
I ceremony of delivering Astoria TO Mr.. Provost.
IN 1913, deceives nobody. The facts are. tliat
British soop of war touched at Lima. in the
! Fall of 1915, took up Mr.. Provost, carried him
To astoria Fort George on the lst dav OF Oct.
| an&gbrought him away On tAe 9th. w ,ile
there, Mr.. Provost, under the authority Of the
american government signed receipt for
the delivery OF Fort George, and accepted re-
monstrance from the British against the deli
very ''u'@t tae yjthat decision n tie right of
/ sovereignty bet,0een The ttCO governments. y The
possession of the fort was not changed nor in
tended TO be changed, by any act done by Mr.
| Provost. He could not man the fort himself
ana had neither soldier nor sailor TO do IL for him.
| ne ceremony OF lowering the British FLAG and
! Of hosting the American, was a piece of form
| arranged before hand, for the purpuse of satisfy
ing the words of the Client treaty bv nominal
restitution, while the post itself remained With
| the English, I'D the same manner as if Mr.. Pre-
vost had remained at Lima No atter,rt has
to realize tue possession, and Fort GEORGE. with
the whole country drained BY the Columbia. re-
mans to this day In the hands of the British
| The mouth OF that river has become freCuenfed
post in their hands. All the goods for the re-
zion west OF the Rocky Mountains, ave i,nnorted
there. tree OF duty, and all the furs taken in that
extensive country, including the Rocky Nom
tans, are thence exported 20 the great IN. mar
kets of China and Japan
! 3. That Great Britain resisis tie possession
! OF the United States, is fact OF which our " b.
lie documents furnish the proof.
As early as July, 1915, the government Of
Tie United states turned IFS attention TO The re-
occupation of the Columbia. Claiming its res
titution under the first article orthe Client trea-
ty, the Secretary of State, Mr. Monroe. con
forming TO the usagcs of civilized nations 70.
quested from the British charge des af,}ire, a.
W ashington, MIR. Baker, letter of In 5irpctions
for the delivery. Mr. Baker declined to rive
the letter. UPON the ground ibat he had no orders
from his government to do so. In 1917. the
British ambassador, MIR. BaeOt, made it a sub
Ject OF complaint and remembrance t;,at The go
vernmeUt of the United States should prooose
to re-cccupy that country, and treated the pro.
position as an invasion of The rights and interests
OF his Britannia majesty. lie denied our RIGHT
to be restored under the terms OF the Client
treaty, taking distinction. where there existed
no difference, between the case OF a pest clt,
urea ny superior force, and Of DOst eUacur-
ted by an inferior force, al Ihe approach of a
superior one. The latter of these cases he al
legged TO be that Of Astoria
In l82l,when The occupation Of the Columbia
was first presented 10 the consideration of Con-
gress, the British minister al Washington, Nh
canning, t'otce called upon the Secretary of
state, MT. Adams. with a view to arrest tho