The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-11-14

In $50 81, north latitude, thence enthusiastically
TO the Lake Mistlssin; thence farther southwest TO
the latitude Of 400 norh from the equator, aud along
that line indefinitely
..Mr. Monroe does not give his authority Tor the
assertion respecting the adoption Of this line by the
commissaries; lie, however, most probably derived
his information from the map Of America, attached
10 Possethwuyt's Dictionary Of Commerce, publisi-
ed in ISL which be aludes IN other parts OF ms
correspondence, and in which line appears nearly
as described by him, with note the map say
ing, sThe line that paris French Canada from British
Canada ,cas settled by conssa,iss after the peace OF
Utrechi making curve from Darss inlet, IA the 1T
aniic sea- doun 10 ago, through Lake .f5iiibis 10 me
aosil,cesi ocsa.' In the dictionary to which this
map is attached the limits Of these territories are
expressly declared 10 be undetermined! The map OF
North America by Palairet and Delaroche, publish
ed at London in l765, also gives the same line with
out any note as to the manner in which II was
adopted In the map Of the British possessions
in America, published by Bowen and Gibson IN
IT'S, and in one or Two other inferior maps, the
49rh parallel is given as the southern Iml OF ine
Hudsons Bay Company TERRITORIES, from the vicin-
ity Of Lake Superior, westward 10 Red river, down
which the boundary is continued TO Lake Winn'-
peg. These are the only authorities an yet dis
covered for the belief thai the 49'h parallel was
adopted as boundary by commlssares appoint
ed according TO the treaty of Utrecht.
"On the other hand, Mitchel's great map OF Amer
lea, published in 1855, at London, under the patron
age of the co onial department. presents line
drawn around Hutlson's Bay, at the distance OF
about one hundred and fifty miles from its shore,
as the bounds Of H.dsons Bay BY the treaty q
Utrecht and the line appears ON the map OF
America, accompanying Smollet's History OF
England, published in 1885, on that OF Bennett, pub
shed in ITO; on that Of Faden, in Hit; and on
some other maps Of that period.
'sNo line Of separation whatsoever between the
Hudson's Bay territories and the French posses.
-. t., md he Ia n
beautiful map Of America by Henry Popple, pub
lshed in 1885, also under the patronage of the Co
lonal department, and bearing the stamp of the APP
probation Of DIR. HALEY, which is particularly
minute in all that relates to the territories IN ques-
tion; or on any of the maps in the atlas of Max
we'll and Senex, published in 1871; or in any Of
those attached to the volume of Boyer's Political
State for 1921; to the History Of Hudson's Bay,
by Dobbs; to the American Traveller, by Cluny;
to the History of the British Empire IN America,
by Wynne to Alcedos Dictionary Of America; or
on many other maps Of inferior merit which might
he named. eNfH -
"These discrepancies should not excite surprise;
| for maps and books of geography, which are most
frequently consulted in relation boundaries are,
or rather have been, the very worst authorities on
such subjects; they are ordinarily made by per-
sons wholly unacquainted with political AFFAIRS
OF this, numerous examples may be cited from
works of authors the most highly esteemed as
geographers even at the present day.
"No allusion whatsoever to the settlement Of any
boundary line between the Hudson's Bay terri
| tories and the French dominions, by commissa-
res appointed agreeably to the treaty Of Utrecht,
is to be found in any of the following works,
which have been carefully examined with refer
ence to this question, viz: Aces, Memories,
&c, concernant la Paix d'Utrecht-a volu-
minous work, published in l7l6; Actes, Nego-
tiations, &C., depuis la Paix d'Utrecht, l745; the
collections of treaties and state papers by Du-
mont, Boyer, Martens, Jenknson, and Iierstlet;
Collection des Edits Ordonnances, &C., concernant le
Canada; the Histories Of and Memoirs on, LOUISE
ana, by Dumont, Lie Page Dupratz, Vergennes,
Marbois, and others; Memories des Commissaires
Francas ct Anglais, sur les possessions, &C., des
deux Couronnes en- Amtrique, l754; the works Of
Swift and Of Bolingbroke; the Parliamentary History
of England, and the Histories of England by Tin
da, Smolet, Belsham, Mahon, or Wade
"This is strong negative evidence. Anderson in his
elaborate History Of Commerce, (vo ii, p 267, thus
pointedly denies that any such settlement Of limits
effected agreeably to the provisions of the treaty
Of Utrecht; Though the French King yielded to
the Queen Of Great Britain to be possessed by her
in full right forever the bay and straits of Hudson,
and all parts thereof, and within the same then pos
sessed by France, yet leaving the boundaries be-
tween Hudson's bay and the north parts Of Canada
belonging to France to be determined by commits.
saries within year, was, IN effect, the same thing
as giving up the point altogether; it being well
known to all Europe, that France never permits her
"
unless it can be done with great advantage TO
her. Those boundaries, therefore, have never yet
been settled though the British and French subjec.s
are, by that article, expressly deharred from passing
over the same thereby to go to each other by sea
or land. These commissaries were likewise TO
settle the boundaries between the other British and
French colonies on that continent; which, likewise,
was never DONE The same denial is transferred
by Macpherson TO his Annals Of Commerce.
"The only evidence of the appointment Of COM
mssaries for the settlement Of limits according 10
the treaty Of Utrecht, which has been discovered,
is contained in passage in Charlevoixs Historic de
la AourAe France Of which the following is a
translation France took no part in this dispute,
(between the British and the Indians Of Nova Scotia
in 1924 in order to avoid giving the slightest pre-
text for interrupting the good understanding be-
tween the two nations, which had been restored
with much difficulty. Eren The negotiations be-
i,oeen the i,co courts for the settlement Of boundaries
ceased although comissares had been appointed on both
sides for thai object since l7l9.'"