The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1839-03-06

right of fiurisdisdiction, and the fact OF
1 the ae,ua exercise Of il IN difiereLt por.
: ttions thereof. Always aiming at an ami
/ cable adjustment oi the dispute, both
3 parties have entertained and repeatedly
3 urged upon each other desire, that
: each should exercise its rights, whatever
e il considered them to be, in such manner
}. las TO avoid collision, and allay, to the
. greatest practicable extent. the excite
ment likely to grow out of tho con,ro
{ versy.
II was in pursuance Of such an under.
standing that Maine and Massachusetts
upon tho. remonstrance Of Great Britain
desisted from making sales of lands, and
the general Government from the con.
struction OF projected military road in
a porti,n ofibe territory of which they
claimed to have enjoyed the exclusive
possession and that Great Britain, on
! her part, ia Difference to a similar renon-
STRANGE from the United States, suspended
the issue ofhcenses to cut timber in the
territory controversy, and also the
sutyey Indication Of a railroad through
a section ofcountry over which she also
clai ned to- have exercised exclusive
jurisdiction. r.
J. The state Of Maine had right TO ar.
rest the dcpredations complained OF =; it
belonged TO her TO Judge of the exigency
Of the occasion calling for her utter.
ference and it is presumed that had the
Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick
been correctly advised Of the nature OF
he proceedings of the state Of Maine, he
would not have regarded the transaction
as requiring. on his part, any resort to
force. Each party claiming right to
the territory, aud hence to The exclusive
j Jurisdiction over ii, it is manifest that,
trcspasser s, acting against tho authority
Of both, and Ut the same time avoid torci-
bic collision between the contiguous
governments during the pendency OF ne
goiiaiions concerning the title, resort
must be had TO the mutual exercise of
jurisdiction in such extreme cssos, OF to
an amicablc aud temporary arrangement
as to the limits within which il should be
exerci sed Dy each party.
The understanding supposed to exist
between the United States and Great
Britain has been found heretofore suf-
ficicnt for that purpose, and l believe viii
prove 50 hereafter, if the parties on the
frontier, directly interested in the ques-
ton, arc respectively governed by just
spirit of Cancellation and .orbearance. lfl
i, shall be found, as there is now reason
to apprchend, that there is, in the modes
of construiag that understanding by the
two Governments, difference lot To be
reconciled, lsshall not hesitate to propose I
10 her Britannia Majesty Government
a distinct urrangement for the temporary
andsmuiuh exercise OF jurisdiction, by
means OF which similar difficulties may
in future be prevented. .............. ID.
| But between an eGort on the part OF
Maine,to preserve the property III dispute
from destruction by intruders, ana
military occupation by that State OF tie
territory, with a view 10 hold II by force.
while the settlement is subject Of ne
gotiation betwcen the two governments,
there is an essential difference, as well
in respect TO tie position of the State, as
TO the duties of General Government
In a letter addressed by the Secretary OF
State to the Governor of Maine, on the
first of March last, giving detailed state
ment of the steps which had been taken |
by the Federal Government to bring the |
controversy to u termination, and design.
ed to apprisc the Governor of that State
of the views of the Federal Executive,
in respect to the future, it was stated.
that while the obligations of the Federal
Government 10 do all in its power to el-
feet the settlement of the boundary ques-
tion were fully recognised, it had, III the
event ofbeing unable to do so specifically |
by mutual Consent, no other means to ac-
complish that object amicaby, than by |
another urbilralion, or by a commission |
with an umpire in the nature OF an arbi-
tration 4; aud that in the event Of all other
measures failing, the President would
feel IT his duty to submit anothe. propo.
sition to the Government Of Great Britain
TO refer the decision of the question to u
third power
| ihCSc atS sun my views upon ine suo-
Iject, and until this step shall have beon
taken, cannot think 1t proper 10 lnvcke
the attention of Congress to other than
amicab.e means for the settlement of the
controversy, or to cause the military
power Of the federal government to be
brought in aid of the state of Name, in
any at,empl 10 eject that object by re.
sort 10 force. ..
On the hand, ifihc authorities of New
Brunswick should attempt to enforce the
claim ofeNclssive jurisdiction set up by
them, by means ofs military occupation
on their part uf the disputed territory, |
shall feel myself bound to consider the
contingency provided by the constitution
as having occurred, on the happening of
which a state has the right to call for the
aid oiihe federal government TO rcpel in.
vasion.
have expressed to the British Mnis.
ter near this Government confident ex.
pectation that the agents ofthe State of
Name, who have boen arrested under an