Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-02-01

HIM @
nossession in relation to complaint preeffta ~
80 Eror Extraordinary and Minister ilenipoeh''a
- Of Gent Britain in note dated the "a ut.lno' :"
alleged cncroaci .ments on inc part VI 'l' -,
Maine upon the territory IN dispute on '..I - =. ,
an f,ont;er OF the Un,cd States, IS enabled, .!
, onmnrication from the Governor oil me "'ae'
"a I,y bc,or, Mr.. Fox for the information VI M
ycrn:nept the following statements ana oose' H.
With reference to the first ground OF co'p'.,'Ir nd
arsn1 is informed that, early last spring. inc iaiu
nont NJ Maine despatched small force, CONSISTING 81
,bom twenty five men, 10 Fish rlverr,or the ~
Distressing a band of tTespasScrs u'ue - g L;ch
been operating at that place, IN coiise - ,h.n,
ia tr.snassers camps were broken up, some ~ w"
driven If and few, with their teams brought 10 'he
,,,ncnt ON the Aroostook, but subsequently
that the land agent, in further ~, w. can
deemed his duty, again sent parry q aDou' Wv
- If mon TO the mouth of Fish river, 10 eNtehu
NUMBER =. ny :, !, order to prevent the timber which
Ia hen on, nv the trespassers, from oeihg urfen ou'
MO the ST Johns and TO hinder inlnel o
-, 80. rbe object of the expedition had ocen &c.
complished, and the party remained va ~,
ia d,,c of The Governor communication
G. ~, ,.,d.rsnnaa is unable 10 perceive 'Nal any
90 81 h.en done BY the people of Maine, in any way
cn,I,rcnno the spirit Of the agreement entered mo
with Mr. Fox or that OF the arrangement ipr;,; IS
Co,i Scott and subscribed to by the auhof't'es %
- Sn,y Brunswick. la the first place, the Ter
So, con,;guous the mouth OF the fisi r''ef' On 81
,hnr eide of the ST Johns, can, in no proper sens
con.:dered as included in the MadawasNa Se'ue,'en
| n - l..t,
| %,s mr., no, connected by any continuous occu-
natnns ar settlements of the country. hnt even
,he min, referred to formed part OF the mIo"MasN
| sot,ement the agreement OF the >'th VI w
.;,,d That in the event of necessity Tor uiSPeFs-
ng notorious trespassers, or protecting puphc pope
~ from depreddtion by armed force, lnc oP.i"'"'
would be conducted jointly or separately, aceofo'he ~
| arraonents between the Governments OF la''c anu
New Brunswick Under such an agreement, hesot -
,d ,Lropgh the agency Of Gen. Scott, Inc Governor
fNJ,re was 10 maintain within the disputed territory,
do land aren't small civil posse, armed or nharm
cd TO protect the timber recently cur, anu y
fnr,har depredatons, without any Limitation as TO inc
nhnre of s operation within the bounds OF inc olsPu
pa orrorv To the attainment of those ends the &C
,on of the parties detached BY the Maine land agent
appears SO far as the undersigned is informed 10 nave
been strictly cSnHnsg ..nocd by the parties ON
the Restook and Fish rivers it appears that those des'
Matched to the last mentioned points, composed, as
stated, each Of about twenty-five men, neither militia
nor soldiers but hired laborers, were 1t true armed
: with muskets and had extended boom across lhe
river and erected block house for its protection and
their own against the bands OF awless men
crown desperate BY being deprived OF their accustomed
rlunder and over whom her Majesty $ authorities aP
pear to have exercised but little control Such inca
sures Of precauon cannot but be regarded as dictated
by prudential motives if not by the necessity OF inc
case and the fitness and extent of the PREPARATION ap
: pear to the undersigned questions which could not un
dcrstandngv be discussed away from the scene OF &C
r tion and which, Of necessity, can ony ne proper!
y decided by those persons whose safely was !" VI
r. secured.
= Upon the troosook, which has been the pivot OF h'
, operations of the land agent posse, larger numbe
e Of has been employed They nave also cxtenae'
"A n boom the river, ana erected near u 'orte'
:, ton of h,wn timber and few other more temporary
:, buildings The twenty-five or thiriy men stationed
! there are Likewise armed with iuskes, and, It IS be
lieyed have also two small pieces OF artillery IN
u remainder about hundred and twcnty-hve, nave
g, ,ba bpru enu
"a summer as well as for winter cornrnunIcati"ns am
4 in preparing facilities for supplying the posse An.
- preparations short Of these, would, II Is stated, nav
been insufficient protect The public property; and tn
- authorities of Maine cannot repress sentiment o
- sunrise that these should now be made SUBJECT
n complaint whcn but short time since, the es'ahisE
i mcnt was assaulted by party OF some fifty men, sulta
. ply cospped commanded by Captain OF Militia, an
ii. bearing the Queen arms III the repus'h OF whcn IN
, occunants displayed spirit Of iorbearnace and modera
- ton sufficiently in harmony with the avowed and sol
~ object of their occupation OF the territory; and tina
no surpl Sc is il way diminished BY the tact that IN
n agents of the British Government have Just conpe
cd extensive and permanent barracks on the same lei
10 rtory north Of the ST Johns and are in the habit
(. transporting troops and munitions Of war over ii q
no their convenience. .
f The construction Of the road leading into the vale
of the Aroosook would not, il is unprecedented, hay
heen deemed al this time, Just of complain
b had Mr. Fox sdvcrted 20 the fact that the work wa
60 commenced long ago as lo20, under an apPropr'
I'm ton by the Legislature oil The state OF Name an
- that from that time IL has steadily advanced, SO thu
~ another year will probably see il completed froi
H. near Mattawamkcag Point in the county of Pcnol
ba scot TO the Aroostook river, and thence to III
nd mouth of Fish river, the St. Johns 1t IS, there
I'M fore no new project conflicting with any exstng
of ranpemegt, nossT bottom the territory in dsput,
y Of and which ii has had possession and ur:
s dcton To say nothing Of other advantages antic
A. pated from the completion of the road, it will afor
great facilities for preventing respasses upon the put
lie lands and, indeed, it considered that trcspassn
d upon the streams empying high up upon the ST. Johns
lie cannot be prevented without such road.
J. The Governor of Maine considers that, in carryin
ID the work referred TO, the State has done no NOR
tina. is inconsistent with the respective rights Of tn
parties than have the authorities Of her Majesty pro
j. vince, in constructing AID, recently il is understood
n in thoroughly repairing permanent mail road over
large portion Of the territory North of the ST John
% The las, allegation in Mr. Foys note, forming cause
h Of complaint against the State of Maine relates 20 he
i, management Of the lands upon the Aroostook In TIM
particular, the undersigned is enabled observe tina
d the proceedings complained of differ, in way, from
those which Maine, since her para ton from ATassa
chusets, and the last named State previously TO it
n have ever pursued in regard to the public lands Fo
the last thirty years the State has been occasional,
surveying ard ottng those lands granting them fo
literary charitable, and religious purposes and selling
them IN small lots 10 actual settlers. OF this right 81
long exercised, Maine alleges that she os done no
thing 10 dvest herself and that tic discussions and ne
gotiations upon the Maine question of boundary could
not have had the effect Of weakening her title to rights
she had 50 long been in the habit OF enjoying
1t IS with no little surprise that in the face of the
complaints, which form the subject Of Mr.. Fox's note
the President has received Intelligence from her Ma.
jcstys colonial authorities having recently stationed
regiment of regular troops part at the north aud part
at the south end of the Lake Temiscouata and of her
Nlajestys forces having commenced building barracks
on both sides of the St Johns, at its confluence with
E the Madawaska Such proceedings the part of the
agents with the British Government would, if true,
constitute such fragrant conraventon the existing
understanding between the parties that the President
cannot but hope that the report which has reached him
Of the occupation referred to, founded upon ncor.
4 rect information.
The undersigned requests that Mr.. Fox will commu.
ncate 10 him such information, if any, as he NAV
have ~ hIs possession in relation to the subject and
that he viii, ~ such representations the circun-
stances, # founded III fact, will obviously suggest i'm
press her Maestys colonial authorities with sense OF
the inexpedicncy and mprudence of such proceedings