Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1845-12-11
the money to the United States"

ne uhsettIed state OF our relations WIFI
Mexico has involved this subject IN much
mystery. The first information. in AN au
thentic form, from the agent of the Uniied
States appointed under the adm,ni.tra
ton of my predecessor, was received at
The state Department on the ninth day OF
No, ember last This is contained IN
letter, dated the seventeenth Of October,
addressed by him to one OF our citizens
then in Mexico, with the view Of having
it communicated to that department.
From this II appears that the agent, on
the twentieth of September, 1914, gave
receipt to the treasury of Mexico for the
amount of the April and July in=talmehts
of the indemnity. In the same commu-
nication, however, he asserts that he had
not received a single dollar In cash but
that he holds such securities as warranted
him at the time in giving the receipt, and
entertains no doubt but that he will even
tualy obtain the money. As these install
menis appear never 10 have been sctuali.
paid by the goyornment of Mexico to the
agent, and as that government has not
| therefore been released so as 10 discharge
the claim, do not feel myself warranted
in directing payment to be made to the
claimants out of the treasury, without fur
ther legisla ton. Their case is, undoubt
edly, one of much hardship; aud it re
mains for Congress to decide whetherany,
and what, relief ought 10 be granted to
them. Our minister 10 .uexico has been
instructed 10 ascertain The facts of the
case from the Mexican government, in an
authentic and official form, and repor. the
result with as little delay as possible.
My attention was earl y directed to the
negotiation, which, on the fourth of March
last, | found pending at Washington b,.-
tween the United States and Great Britain,
on the subject of the Oregon territory
Three several attempts had been previously
made to settle the questions in dispute be-
tween the two countries, by negotiation,
upon the principle of compromise; but each
had proved unsuccessful
These negotiations took place at London,
in the years 1918, 1924, and 1926 the two
first under the administration of MIR. Mon
roe, and the last under that OF Mr. Adams
The negotiation of 1918 having failed TO
accomplish its object, resulted in the con-
vention of the twentieth of October of that
wear. By the third article of that conven-
lion, it was "agrce.i that any country that
NAV be claimed by either party on the
north west coast of America, westward of
the Stony mountains, shall, together with
It's harbors, bays and creeks, and the navi-
cation of all rivers within the same, be free
| anopen for the term of zen years from the
date of the signature of the present conven-
ton, TO the vessels, citizens, and subjects of
the two Powers; it being well understood
that this agreement is not TO be construed
to the prejudice of any claim which either
of the two high contracting parties may
have to any part of said country; the only
object of the high contracting parties in
that respect being, to prevent disputes and
differences among themselves"
The negotiation Of 1924 was productive
of no result, and the convention of 1918
was left unchanged.
The negotiation of 1926, having also
failed to effectan adjustment by compromise,
resulted in the convention of August the
9th, 1927, by which it was agreed TO con-
: tinue in force, for an indefinite period, the
provisions Of the third article of the con-
vention of the Goth of October, 1918; anu
[ it was further provided. that 'lt shall be
competent, however, to either of the con-
. .tracting parties, in case either should think
fit, at any time after the Goth OF October,
1888, on giving due notice of IL months 10
the other contracting party, to annul and
abyogate this convention and 1t shall IN
such case be accordingly entirely annulled
and abrogated after the expiration of the
said term of notice." In these attempts to
adjust the controversy, the parallel Of the
forty-ninlh degree of north latitude had
e been offered by the United States 10 Great
Britain, and IN those Of 1873 and 1876.
, with a further coucesslon OF the free navi-
CATION of the Columbia river south of that
latitude The parallel of the forly-ninth
degree from the Rocky Mountains to its in
, tersection withthe northwestern most branch
of the Columbia, and thence down the chan
mel of that river TO the sea, had been offered
: by Great Britain, with an addition OF a
small detached territory north OF the Col-
umbia. Each of these p opositions had
been rejected by the parties respectively.
In October lSi3 the Envoy Extraordi.
: nary and Minister Plenipotentlary of the
| United States in London, was authorised
! 10 make a similar offer TO those made in
, 1918 and 1896 Thus stood the question