Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1845-12-11


to the agent and as that government has not
therefore been released SO as to discharge
the claim, did not feel myself warranted in
directing payment to be made to the claim
ants out of the treasury, without further lee.is
lation Their case is, undoubtedly, one of
much hardship. ard it remains for Congress
| to decide whether any. and what, relief ought
to be grated to them. Our minister to Mex
leo has been instructed to ascertain the facts
of this case from the Mexican government in
an authentic and official form, and report the
result with as little delay as possible.
My attention was early directed to the neco-
ton, which, on the fourth Of March last, !
found pending at Washington between the
United States and Great Britain, on the sub
ject of the Oregon Territory. Three several
attempts had been previously made to settle
the questions in dispute between the two
countries, by negotiation, upon the principle
of compromise; but each had proved unsuc
cessful.
! These negotiations took place at London. in
the years 1918, 1894, and 1926; the two first
under the administration Of Mr.. Monroe. and
the last under that of Mr. Adams. The ne.
! gotiation of 1918 having failed 10 accomplish
its object, resulted IT. the convention of the
twentieth OF October Of that year BY the
third article of that conyention,it was "agreed
| that any country that may be claimed by eli
Their party on the northwest coast of Ameri,
ca westward OF the Stony mountains shall,
| together with its harbors, bays, and creeks.
and the navigation of all rivers within the
same, be free and open for the term Of ten
years from the date of the sig nature of the
present convention, to the vessels, citizens.
and subjec 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 NAV
have to any part the said country, nor shall
it be taken to affect the claims of any other
power or State to any part of the said coun-
try, the only object of the high.contrac:ing
parties in that respect being, to prevent dis
putes and differences among themselves
The negotiation of 1924 was productive of
no result, and the convention of 1918 was left
unchanged.
The negotiation of 1895. having also failed
to effect an adjustment by compromise, result
,ed in the convention of August the sixth,
1927, by which it was agreed to continue in
force, for an indefinite period, the provisions
ofthe third article of the convention of the
twentieth of Octobe-, 1918; and it was further
provided that sit shall be competent, howev-
er, to either of the contracting parties, in
case either should think fit, at any time after
the twentieth of October, 1928, on giving
due notice of twelve months to the other con
tracing party, to annul and abrogate this con
vention; and it shall, in such case, be accor-
dinghy entirely annulled and abrogated after
| the expiration Of the said tenn of notice. -
I In these attempts to adjust the controversy
the parallel of the forty ninth degree of north
latitude had been offered by the United
! States to Great Britain, and in those of 1918
and 1926; with further concession of the
free navigation of the Columbia river south
of that latitude. The parallel Of the forty
ninth degree, from the Rocky mountains to
its intersection with the northeasternmost
branch of the Columbia, and thence down
the channel of that river to the sea, had been
offered by Great Britain, with an addition of
small detached territory north of the Colum-
| bia. Each of these propositions had been re-
jected by the parties respectively.
| In October, l843, the Envoy Extraordinary
and Minister Plenipotentiary of the United
| States in London was authorized to make a
similar offer to those made in 1918 and 1896.
| Thus stood the question. when the negotiation
| was shortly afterwards transferred to Wash
| ington; and, on the twenty third of August,
1874, was formally opened, under the direc-
| ton of my immediate predecessor. Like all
| the previous negotiations, it was based upon
principles of compromise" and the avowed
purpose OF the parties was, ''to treat of the
respective claims of the two countries to the
Oregon territory, with the view to establish Il
! permanent boundary between them westward
ofthe Rocky mountains to the Pacific ocean,"
Accordingly, on the twenty sixth Of August
1874, the British plenipotentiarv offered to
divide the Oregon territory by the forty ninth
parallel of north latitude, from the Rocky
mountains to the point OF its intersection with
the northeastermost branch of the Columbia
| river, and thence down that river to the sea,
| leaving the free navigation to the river to be
enjoyed in common by both parties-the
country south of this line tobelong to the u
| nited States, and that north of it to Great
Britain. AT the same time, he proposed, in
addition, to yield to the United States de.
tached territory, north Of the Columbia, ex
tending along the Pacific and the Straits of
! Fuca, from Buiinch's harbor to Hoods canal,
and to make free to the United States any
port or ports south of latitude forty-nine de
grees, which they might desire, either on the
main land or on Quadra and Vancouver's is
! land. With the exception of the free ports,
this was the same offer which had been made
| by the British, and rejected by the American
government in the negotiation OF 1926. This
proposition was properly rejected by the A
mercan plenipotentiary on the day it was
submitted This was the only proposition OF
compromise offered by the British plenipoten-
tiary. The proposition the part of Great
Britain having been rejected,the British plen.
ipotentiary requested that proposal should
be made by the United States, for can equita-
BILE adjustment Of the question"
When | came into Office, / found
this tc be the state of the negotiation.
Though entertaining the settled con-
viction, that the British pretentions Of
title could not be maintained to any
portion Of the Oregon territory upon
any principle of public law recognised
by nations, yet, in difference to what
had been done by my predecessors, and
especially in consideration that propo-
sitions Of compromise had been thrice
made by two preceding administrations,
to adjust the question on the parallel Of
forty-nine degrees, and in two of them
yielding to Great Britain the free nav
igation of the Columbia, and that the