Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1843-11-11


ing of the coast beyond lat. IS and Oregon
Territory commences at 1921
In the next place, let US examine the discov.
cries Of Captain Cook, under which Great
Britain claims Oregon. In i776. two years
after the Spaniards had discovered Noo,ka
Sound, ami after the news Of tina, discovery
had actually reached England, Capt. Cook
was sent TO discover northwest passage
fron the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans. He
has positive instructions not TO lose time in
search Of new lands. nor to stop at any fallen
in with. except to wood and water, until he
had reached lat. 65 Q and not to take posses.
sion Of any countries already discovered or WIS.,
tied by any European power. He "louched"
says the British historian. Bisset, at Noo,ka
Sound. He did not, at the time, pretend 10
be the discoversr-he was aware of the prior
discovery of Perez and Martinez. and f'und
among the natives articles Of European man.
ufacture. This place might never have been
again visited by an Englishman, but for a.
accidental circumstance. Some of Cookies
crew purchased some furs of the natives, which
were sold to advantage in China. Captain
King. who wrote the history Of Cookies voy
age. mentioned this circumsa nce. and recon-
nended il TO his coun,rymen as a lucrative
Governor General of India, acting uuder in.
siruc,ions from the British Cabinet. fitted out
two small vessels, and sent few adventures
to Noo,ka Sound in 1888. In 1879 about sew
enty Chinese were transported thi,her Mears,
who had the command. bull, house and for
tilted it. In 1889. Martinez, a Spanish cap.
tain, discovered these murders. took possess
sion of their building and ship, sent the crews
IN Nnantsh I'D. tho y nttIsh epl-
ors and raised the Spanish in their place.
From the English account of this transaction,
as recorded in Bisset,'s continuation of Homes
History of England. | vol. p. 264. the follow
ing differences may fairly be drawn.
LIST. That no prior or conflicting discovery
to ,ha, of the Spaniards, Of the Oregon terri
any other Englishman for. LIST. the Spanish
nation. says this English historian, claimed
exclusive sovereignty. navigation. and com
merce ia those territories. coasts and seas.
This claim was made. in London. by the
Spanish ambassador. under full conviction
Of the right of his nation. The BRUSH KIng
George iii, immediately demanded what
Restoration TO him Of the invaded territory,
his sovereignty Of which had been made in
dispu,able by prior discovery No, al all. He
uals injured. and for the insult offered to the
nation through the subject. Now, i, is inquir
ed whether. according TO the rule Of erpressio
unius est crciusio 0herius. by the enumeraiing
Of these grievances. George iii did no, admit
that there were none others to redressed. and
that therefore. the British had no title TO the
sovereignty of Oregon Teuitoryf
But. secondly the King complained to Par
liament-and what was the gravamen Of that
complaint The message Of the King, says
the English historian, stated, the injury, i. e..
the injury before stated, for had there been any
new one II would have been mentioned, the
insult. the satisfaction demanded. and the re-
ply" The King. then, io his formal paper,
again admitted that the British nation had no
title to the sovereis ny OF Oregon. Then came
Mr.. Pitts speech. Now, if the King. in his
message. had omitted TO state fact 90 impor-
tant a. his right Of sovereignty, or TO refer to
an even, so striking. had il occurred so recent
ly. as their prior discovery Of Noo,ka Sound,
which would have been a conclusive answer
TO the exclusive claim Of the Spaniards. now
was the time to supply that deficiency. aud
Mr.. Pitt the ft,est person for that purpose.
But he said that The British subjects had
been forcibly interrupted in traffic." not the
King, in right of sovereignty. He asserted
that his country men had fright to trade. not
to tho soil, 10 places to which no country could
claim an exclusive right Of commerce and
navigation" not Of sovereignty. Here. then,
we find this acute minister admitting, fofis rer'
ibus. that Great Britain had no title TO the SOW
ereign,y Of Oregon but. admitting the ,i,le
20 the sovereignty thereto TO be in Spain. he
set up RICH, Of trade and traffic" 10 his
counirymen.
Mr.. Fox followed Mr.. Pitt, and agreed with
him 10 these views. Not member Of either
honse Of Parliament made the slightest sug.
ges,ion TO the contrary. and an address. cores
ponding with the message, passed without
dissenting voice. From these proceedings II
10 inferred that the British Parliament confess
sed that Spain had an exclusive title TO the
sovereignty Of Oregon.
A million Of pounds sterling were voted TO
carry into execution war-like preparations 10
support this trade.
In the mean time the British minister sent
Mr.. tizherbert to Madrid. to browbsat the
Spaniards Bot still no claim Of title TO the
sovereignty of Oregon was asserted. tn an
swer 10 that of the Spaniards TO The exclusive
right By virtue Of their prior discovery. The
claim Of a right TO land and build houses for
the purposes Of trade, at Nootka Sound,
part Of Oregon Territory, (unfounded az we
shall presently show that TO be. 10 an acknowl-
edpment Of the want Of a lille TO the sovef-
eighty Of the whole. II they had title TO the
sovereignty Of the whole territory, why was u
not disclosed, as il wo8ld have been suffi-
cieni warrant for occupying partl No reason
can be assigned. except the consciousness
that none then existed and yet England has
the effroniery now 20 assert ute sv virlUe OF
a discovery prior TO tina, discussion. in point