Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-07-03

! January last, the copy off letter just received from MIR.
Fox. announcing the determination OF the BRITISH Co
yernlnen, to consent TO the principles OF our last pro-
position for the settlement OF the question OF inc North
eastern boundary, with n copy OF the answer made TO II
bv the Secretary of State. | cannot doubt that with
the sincere disposition which actuates both Govern
ments TO prevent any other than an amIcable termina-
lion of the controversy, il will be found practicable so
10 arrange the details ola conventional agreement on
the principles alluded TO, as to effect that object.
The British commissioners, in their report communI-
Gated BY MI. Fox, express an opinion that the true line
of the treaty of 1853 is materially different from that so
long commended for by Great Britain. The report is al
together er parte in its character, and has not yet, as far
as we are informed, been adopted by the British Go
yernment. Ii has, however, assumed q form sufficiently
authentic and important TO justify the belief, That 1t Is to
be used hereafter by the British Government IN the dis
cussion of the question of boundary, and as 1t differs
essentially from the line claimed by the U. S., an i'm
mediate preparatory exploration and survey on our part,
by commissioners appointed for that purpose, of the
portions Of the territory therein more particularly
brought into view, would, IN my OPINION, De proper.
If Congress concur with me in this view of the subject,
a provision by them TO enable the Executive TO carry ii
into effect, will be necessary. NJ. VAN BUREN,.
WAsHISGToS, 9th June, lo4O.
Mr.. For 10 Mr.. Forsyth.
WAsuIHGToS, June %, 1910.
The undersigned, her Britannia Majesty's Envoy
Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentIary, has the
honor TO transmit to the Secretary OF State OF the U.
S, by order Of his Government, the accompanying
printed copies of a report and map which hage%been
presented to her Majesty's Government by Golonel
Nudge and MI. Featherstonhaugh the commissioners
employed during the last season to survey the disputed
territory.
course have become the duty of her Majesty's Govern
ment to lay the said report and map before Parliament;
but her Majesty's Government have been DESTROYS, as
a mark of courtesy and consideration towards the CO.
vernment of the U. s., that ocument bearing upon Il
question of so much interest and Importance 10 the two
countries, should, in the first instance, be communi-
Gated to the President. The documents had been Off
cially placed in the hands of her Majesty's Government,
only a few days previously TO the date of the instruction
addressed to the undersigned.
Her Maiesty's Government feel an undated desire 10
bring the long pending questions connected with the
boundary between the u. States and the British pos
sessions in North America, to a. final and satisfactory
settlement; being well aware, that questions OF this ma
ture, as long as they remain open between the TWO
countries, must be the source of frequent irritation on
both sides, and are liable at any moment to lead TO events
that may endanger the existence of friendly relations.
1t is obvious that the questions at issue between
Great Britain and the L. S., must be bcset with various
and really existing difficulties; or else those questions
would not have remained open ever since the year l'e3,
Notwithstanding The frequent and earnest cndeavors
made by each Government to bring them 10 an ADJUST
ment. But her NIaesty's Governmental not relinGuish
the hope that the sincere desire which IS felt by both
parties to arrive 1T an amicable settlement VIII al length
be attended with success.
The best clue 10 guide the two Governments in their
future proceedings, may perhaps be obtained by an e&'
animation fthe causes Q. past failure: and the most
prominent amongst these causes has certainly been 4
want Of correct information as 10 the Typographical
features and physical character of the district n DIS
puie.
This want of adequate information may be traced as
one of the difficulties which embarrassed the Neither
lands Government in its endeavors to decide the points
submitted 10 its arbitration, in 1880. The sarie has
been felt BY the Government in England: it has been
felt and admitted by the Government of the T.. States,
and even by the local Government of the contiguous
State of Maine.
The British Government and the Government CT
the u. $. agreed, therefore, two years ago, tina a sur
vey of the disputed territory, by a joint commission,
would be the measure best calculated to clucitlte and
solve the questions at issue. The President proposed
such a commission, and her Majestys Government
consented to it and ii was believed by her Majesty 5
Government that the general principles up"n which
the commission was 10 be guided, IN ITS local opera
tons, had been settled by mutual agreement, srrrved at
by means of a CORE s%pondence which took 1iace be-
tween the two Governments in 1887 and ISIS.
Her Majesty's Government accordingly transmitted,
in April of last year, for the consideration o. the Pre-
sident, the draft Of a convention to regulate the pro-
ceedings of the proposed commission. The preamble
of that draft rccitcd textually the agreement that had
been come TO by means of notes which had been ex-
changed between the two Governments, end the artt-
ICleS Vi ~ tldl IIIIfu az ItI .IhJ'ohl = ~
vcrnment considered, in strict conformity with that
agreement.
But the Government of the L. S. did not think pro-.
per TO assent TO the convention So proposed.
The United States Government did not indeed al
lcue that the proposed convention was at variance with
the result of the previous correspondence between the
two Governments; but it thought that the convention
would establish . commission of "mcre exploration and
s <%Iy nsx, &, and Be i tafea Pi Gy $ ihs two was G] OF an'm'sn ,i s9h1oauffdd
be to contract stipnlations bearing upon the face OF
them the promise of a final settlement, under some form
or other, and within a reasonable time.
The United States Government accordingly trans.
mitted to the undersigned, for communication 10 her
maiesty's Government, in the month of July last, a
counter draft Of a convention, varying considerably IN
some parts, as the Secretary of State OF the United
States admitted in his letter TO the undersigned OF the
Doth of July last, from the Graft proposed by Great BrI.
tain. But the Secretary of State added, that the United
States Government did not deem it necessary to com.
ment upon the alterations so made, rs The text itself
Of the counter draft would be found sufficiently perspl-
cuous.
Her Maiesty's Government might certainly well
have expected that some reasons would have been
given to explain why the United States Government
declined to confirm an arrangement Hhich was found
I'd upon propositions made by that Government itself,
nd upon notifications TO which that Government had
agreed; or that if the American Government thought
the draft Of convention thus proposed was not IN con-
formity with the previous agreement, it wonid have
pointed out IN what respect the two were considered 10
differ.
Her Majesty's Government, considering the present
state of the boundary question, concur with Inc 20
vernment of the United States in thinking that 1t IS
oil every account exprdieut that the next measure to
be adopted by the two Governments should contain
arrangements which will necessarily lead to 4 final set
Element; and they think that the convention which
they proposed last year to the President, instead OF being
framed 50 as 10 constitute a mere commission OF explo-
ration and survey, did, on the contrary, contain certain
stipulations calculated to lead to the final asccrtaInnent
of the boundary between the two countries.
There was, however, undoubtedly, one essential df-
ference between the British draft and the American
counter draft. The British draft contained no provision
embodying the principle of arbitration; the American
counter draft did contain such n provision.
The British draft contained no provision for arbitra.
ton, because the principle of arbitration had not been
proposed on either side during the negotiations upon
which that draft was founded; and because, moreover,
i was understood at that time that the principle OF ar
bitration you'd be decidedly objected to by the Us.
But rs the L.. S. Government have now expressed a
tI4 mo