Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1845-05-07
RICHMOND, WAYNE COUNTY, INDIANA. MAY !, 1916.

sequence Of this doca ration, he (Lord J. Rus
sell felt compelled to call the attention Of the
house and the country to this question, in order
that they might how far the President was
justified IN saying that his title to the country OF
the Oregon was clear and unquestionabe, and in
declaring his intention to take it into his posses
sion without any regard to those treaties, which
wore generally the bonds of poaco between indie
pendent nations.
be acquired to country like the Orcgon:-tho
first was by that ancient discovery; the second
by treaty; and the third by discovery ancient or
modern, followed up by occupation and settle
mcnt he then entered into statement Of consid-
cradle length, for tho purpose Of showing that II
the title to the Oregon rested on ancient discov-
cry, England could put in claim far superior to
that of the United States.
That If it rested on treaty, had claim
that is undeniablc, whilst that of the United
States had no ground whatever to stand on: and
that if it rested on modern discovery, the Disco
very Of the Columbia made, carried on, and au-
thorized by regular officers of tho British Govern
ment, and the subsequent settlement Of the terri
tory surrounding it by British subjects, gave us
tito which the American Government could
not dsplace. Captain Vancouver had discover
ed the Columbia river; his lieutenant had sailed
~ miles up its stream and British sub Gets from
Canada had erected Is forts Oh its banks, and
had long carried favorable trade there.
Ito then gove a history of the negotiations be-
tween Great Britain and the United States, res
pecting this country, and traced them from tho
commencement to tho period when tho existing
convention was formed, in 1927 between Mr..
Rush the sido, and Mr.. Huskisson on the
other. now circumstance had risen up.
The President Of tho United States had made
percmptory claim to all this territory, and had
e 60 tor, With :6cr wives and chidrcn 10 take
possession Of it. Now, Columbia was becoming
of moro Importance each succeeding year.
The government ought, the reforc, to insist on
speedy solution Of this question; for thcro was
danger lest the citizens of the United States
should disturb British subjects In tho enjoyment
Of thoir property on tho Oregon, and should thus
produce collision between the two govern
ments. He was not prepared to say that great
Britain should abato any of her ust PROHIBITIONS,
nor whero we should draw the limo between tho
America ans and ourselves.
He 1ho't, however, that could not accede TO
a proposal less than that made by Mr.. Canning
in 1927, with any regard to own interests
He had heard it said that tho value of this terri
tory was a matter of indifference to whether
what he mGse ' 50 "PNr n0SPn 10 Of a b}fseydg
1t was not matter OF lndlffer-
ence to us, that tho means Of communication be-
tween Columbia on the one hand. and our pos
sessions in India and China on the other, should
be surrendered to foreign power. 1t was not a
mattor of Indifference to us, that the tone and
character Of England should be lowered in any
which wo carried with tho United
States.
He should have abstancd from entering into
this question if it had been left as diplomatic
question between the Earl Of Aberdeen and Mr..
Buchanan, as the agents of the British and A
morican governments; but as il had been taken
out of their hands, no could do what the Minis |
ter Of tho Crown was precluded by his position
from doing-ho could state to the people of Eng
land what were their rights. Having made that
should ioove tha whole r''"ss0' ia 'h
hands of the Government, and he had no doubt
that they would consul, the interests Of the coun-
try and the honor of the Crown.
Sir r. Peel could not be surprised, and should
feel regret, that tho noble lord had takon the
course which he had pursued. He was of opn-
ion that whilst these matters wero pending in no
polite to abstain from exercising the right of dis
cussion on subjects calculated to excite popular
feeling. unless there wero cogent reasons to Inc
If tho noble lord had thought it right
to depart from that course on the present occa-
sion. he ought not to be held responsible for tho
for it appeared that this question
had been Withdrawn from tho congnizance of i
those to whom it had been entrusted, and that
popular appeal had been mado to the passions of
The people of the United States by those who
ought to have discountenanced such All appeal
The noble Lord had said, that Minister of the
Crown spoke such question as the present
under responsibility to which he Iord }. Rus
sell was not liable.
That was undoubtedly true, land he should there
fore abstain from following the noble Lord thro'
his statements, as he could wish to do with
out implying opinions from the expression Of
which no ought to abstain. He felt however, that
t was open to him to inform the house of the ge
1eral state of our negotiations with the United
States on this question. in tho year 1918 the
Northern boundary Of the possessions of tho U.
States and Great Britain, westward of the Rocky
Mountains, was defined. No agreement was made
IS to the country beyond the Rocky Mountains
,ut convention signed between the two Govern
nentS in 1918. which was to continue for ten :