Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1838-10-11
TIE OREGON TERRITORY AND
THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.

THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.
We have never seen the report made
10 Congress by DR.. Lynn, senator from
Missouri, from which the follow ing facts
have been collected. aud our attention
has not. therefore, been drawn to them.
A writer in the St. Louis Gazette ad.
dresses them to TIE serious consideration
OF the people Of the United States, aud
IT they be as stated, his invocation de-
serves attention. From the report ap
pears that the English have taken pos
session OF Oregon territory. aud have es>
tsoiished trading posts throug hout the
country and erected forts at various
points. They have a village at Fort
vancouver, containing about 800 iuhab-
ltants. with picket forming ali area of
$50 by $50 feet, enclosing thirty. four
buildings. including officers dwelling
houses, workshops for carpenters. wheel.
wrights, cooperS. tuners. SC; they have
saw mill erected on never failing
stream, falling into the Columbia, which
cuts z, 600 ieet Of lumber daily, employ
ing % men the depth of " ster at the
mill being ~ feet, were the Company's
vessels eau take in their cargoes for the
Sandwich Islands market. They have
a farm at Vancouver, containing 9. 900
acres fenced and under cultivation, on
which are employed about 100 hands
a large ship arrives annually from Lon
don aud discharges at Vancouver-in-
Producing into our country millions Of
dollars worth Of English goods, free of
duty. which are placed in competition,
in the Indian market, with the goods of
the American fur dealer, OH which he
has paid heavy duty to government.
The Company's ships which remain on
the coast are the Nereide, the Lama,
and the Cadborough. with the steamboat
Beaver, OF $50 tons, built in London last
year. These vessels are all well armed
and manned. An express. as it is calls
ed, goes out annually, in March, aud as
cends the Columbia 900 miles, in bat
teaux-generally under the command oil
a chief trader, who meets the assemblage
OF American trappers aud hunters, 45U
or 500 in number. in the mountains, and
is enabled TO under-sell the American
trader. who purchases his goods at ST.
Louis. subject to the government duty
the English trader thus having an ad
vantage over the American trader on
american ground, of twenty five or thir,
ty per cent. In reference to the soil,
climate, and productions of the country,
it is assured that several districts have
been discovered of bouodless fertility
along the coast as we'll as inland, and il
can now be said, without fear of contra
diction, that il will prove the finest gra-
zing country i'll the world-that the eli
mate OF Oregon is far miider than that OF
the United States. resembling more tina,
Of France-that there are three large
rivers falling into the Pacific Ocean SOU ia
OIL the Columbia within our own terrific
ry, which are not laid down on any map.
and 1t is believed that the vallies Of these
rivers contain at least IA .00O. 600 acres OF
land Of the first quality, equal to the best
lands in Missouri or Illinois. Last wear
the Cadborough entered one of these RVS
ers with eight feet water and found a
good harbor, far better than can be OBJ
tanned at the mouth OF the Columbia.
This territory is part and parcel of the
possessions of the United States and the
British government have no more RICH,
10 plant a colony for themselves ia it,
than they have to do the same thing on
one of the tributaries of the Cbesape ak e;
and, with as much show of reason, nigh,
: they establish port of entry at the
mouth of the Susquehanna, and enjoy eli
the privileges of free trade, as to do i,
at the mouth Of the Oregon. This sub.
Ject. taken in connection with other acts
of the British government, deserves the
deliberate consideration of the people oil
the United States. The embrace of a
lady is generally very acceptable, but. as
the St.Louis writer observes, Queen Vic
toria or her government are altogether
too familiar. Danger to the peace and
prosperity Of this government, from the
fleets and armies of the Queen, in Hon.
duras, Jamaica. Bermuda, Nova Scotia
New Brunswick. the Cauadas. or Van
conver, all in, or in the vicinity of, our
territory. may not be so palpable a, pre-.
sent, but it must be confessed, that il is
not altogether an agreeable reflection for
girl OF nineteen to be getting her arms
around us in this kind OF style.
Baltimore Sun.