Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1845-05-02
1o,nar.a1 Parliament.

Imoerial Parliament.
In the House of Commons, Lord }. Russeil
on readino the order of the day for going into
committee of supply, called the attention OF
the house to that part of the message OF the
President of the United States winch related
TO the territory Of Oregon. 1t was not MS III
;ention, he said, to enter at all INTO the ques-
ton of the foreign policy OF Her Ma]estys
Government, or even of their policy on this
very subject Of the Oregon, neither was 1t his
wish by any observations which he might then
make to embarrass their proceedings. But
the inaugural address of President Polk had
taken this question out of the ordinary course
of diplomatic arrangement, and required some
notice on the part ofthe members of that house.
| That DISTINGUISHED fnnctlonary had adopted
course entirely new, which, II 1t were not met
with something unusual on their pats, wonld
/ let questions of great national importance be
decided hereafter by popular addresses from
the head of the government, and by The poPu"
lar action resulting therefIom. The President,
| in his message, had alluded TO the annexation
of Texas to the y. States, an aiuson which
he only noticed for the purpose OF showing
that the present policy of the executive gov
enrnent of the United States tended TO terri
itorial ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. In his next sentence,
the President declared his intention 10 assert
right of The United States to that part of their
territory which was situate beyond the Rocky
Mountains. sOur title" said he, "to the
country Of Oregon is clear and unquestiona-
Bile, and already are our people preparing to
perfect that title by occupying it with their
wives and children" In consequence of this
declaration, he (Lord J. Russel) felt compel
led to call the attention of the house and the
country to this question, in order that they
might see how far the President was justified
in saying that his title to the country Of the
Oregon was clear and unquestlonable, and in
declaring his intention 10 take II into his pos
session without any regard to those treaties,
which were generally the bonds Of peace be-
tween independent nations. There were three
; modes by which a title might be acquired to
, country like the Oregon: the first was by an
: cient discovery; the second, by treaty; and
the third, by discovery, ancient or modern,
followed up by occupation and settlement.
He then entered into a statement, for the pur-
pose of showing, that if the title to the Oregon
: rested on ancient discovery, England could
put in claim far superior to tina: of the l. ni-
ted States; and if it rested on treaty, we had a
claim that was undenabe, whilst that of the
United States had no ground whatever 10 stand
on, and that if it rested on modern discovery,
the discovery of Columbia, made, carried on
n and authorised by regular officers of the Bril-
fish Government. and The subsequent settle
4 ment OF the territory surrounding 1t by British
n subjects, gave Us title which the American
r Government could not displace. Captain Van
. couvre had discovered the river Columbia; his
:. lieutenant had sailed 80 miles up its stream,
and BRUSH subjects from Canada had erected
!. Is forts on its banks, and had long been IT.
b rying on a favorable trade there. He then
n gave history OF the negotiations between
+ Great Britain and the United States respec-
ing this country, and traced them from their
commencement to the period when the exis.
ting convention was formed in 1927, between
4 MIR. Rush on the one side, and Mr.. Huskisson
on the other.
A new circumstance had now risen up. The
President of The United States had made a
perenptory claim to all this territory, and had
e called upon the citizens OF the United States
Il 10 90 forth with their wives and children to
take possession of it. Now, Columbia was
become OF more Importance each succeeding
y year. The Government ought, therefore, to
l. insist on speedy solution OF this question
e. for there was danger lest the citizens of the
United States should disturb Brislish subjects
in the enjoyment of their property on the Ore.
yon, and should thus produce collision be.
tween the two Governments. Hewas not pre-
pared TO Say that Great Britain should abate
any Of her just pretentions, nor where we
9 should draw the line between the Americans
IS and ourselves. He thought, however. that we
. could not accede to proposal less than thai
=, made by MIR. Canning, in 1927, with any re-
= gard to our own interests. He had heard il
said that the value of this territory was mat
ter Of Indifference to us; but it was not "a mat.
ter OF indifference to us whether We should
Is ivIp Of tn hot h.,
re must be permitted to Call a clustering an.
nouncement. 1t Was not a matter of indiffe.
renee to us, that the means of communication
between Columbia on the one hand, and oul
{ possess IONS in India and China on the other
d should be surrendered TO foreign power. i
r. was not matter of indifference to us that the
tone and character of Eng land should be low.
!, Iered In any transaction which we carried or
u between the United States. He should have
5 abstdined from entering into this question IT Il
: had been left as diplomatic transaction be-
tween the Earl of Aberdeen and Mr.. Buchanan
as the agents of the British and American
:. Governments; but as it had been taken ont OIL
y their hands, he could do what the Minister Of
g the Crown was precluded by his position from
= dolng,-he could state to the people of Eng.
: land what were their rights. Having made
O that statement, he should leave the whole
matter In the hands of the Governments and
) he had no doubt that they would consult the
l. interests OF the country and the honor of the
# Crown.
e Sir r. Peel could not be surprised, and could
not feel regret, that the noble lord had taker
~ the course which he had pursued. He was
IS OF opinion, that, whilst these matters were
b pending in negotiations between the two Gov
e ernments, it was polite to abstain from exer
q eslng the right Of discussion on subjects cal
~ culated to excite popular feeling, unless ther,