Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1845-05-17
FOREIGN NEWS.

oy winch the correspondent oil tne ~. 10TH
Courier, writing from London, gives the
following account Of proceedings on The
Oregon question in the House Of Commons,
April 5th:
On the order Of the day being called, for
going into committee Of supply, lord John
Russell being called upon, rose, pursuant
to notice, and stated his desire to call the
attention OF the House and Of the govern.
ment to certain observations in the inaugu.
ra address Of the new president Of the U.
States. Whatever might be his opinions
on the general territorial question al issue,
he had felt it to be his duty, and he consid.
cred it 10 be the duty Of every public man,
to abstain from advancing those opinions,
while their subject formed the basis Of the
negotiation between the government Of the
two countries. But thus Oregon question
had been, in a manner, taken out Of the
sphere Of diplomatic negotiations, by me-
thod at once new and Objectionable, and
which threatened to overbear, BY an appeal
to popular feeling, the ordinary thods Of
proceeding between two nations.
The speech also alluded, he said, (altho'
he introduced this matter parenthetcallv.)
to an increase Of the territory OF the union
"a very large increase--an increase whose
limits and extent were by no means contin.
ed for Texas was annexed without any
specified boundaries, and the territory thus
acquired might be found to extend to the
Pacific. M". Webster hat erpreSSed an OPT
MIN. that the DUTY, as WeH as policy Of the
union. lC0S against an increase of terrrOry;
md that her proper am ,CaS the Improve
naent and development Of her east ertSting re.
sources. But thus policy had been openly
departed from, and the accession OF terrific
~ almost declared to form part of the poll
cy Of the U. States.
His lordship then returned to the avowed
subject Of his remarks, and read passage
Of Mr.. Folks address, in which that gentle
man asserts that sour title to Oregon is
clear and indisputabe," and recommends
the American people 10 carry out the right
dren," &c.
He felt himself compelled to call atten.
ton to the state Of the question, and to in.
quire how far Mr.. Polk was justified under
erlStang circumstances, and while negotia-
tons were in progress, in asserting the
right Of the U. States to be "clear and in
dispulable,' and in declaring his intentions
respecting the assertion Of that right with
nut reference 10 treaties.
He then enumerated the usual methods o.
acquiring claim to territory: first, by an
Gent discovery; second, by treaty; third
By recent discovery and actual occupation
and inquired by which of these methods the
U. States had acquired title TO the terrific
D nv now in dispute.
His lordship then proceeded to review ant
compare the English and American claims
which he did in very fair tone and spirit
though, of course, with an undsgulsed per
: suason Of the justice Of the English claim
. and the comparative groundlessness OF tn
:, American; and summed up thus: On tn
u first ground of rght-ancient discovery
y The English title was the best; on the Sc
:. cond basis of title-treaty-th U. State
had no ground TO rest upon, except tor tn
k right of joint occupancy; and, thirdly,
: to modern discovery and setlIement-th
u English title acquired by the discovery {
g Vancouvre, and perfected by the eXtensiv
y settlement of the Hudson's Bay company
lie was far superior to any similar title whic
er the United States could alIedge.
: He then referred to the negotiation b.
tween Messrs. Rush and Husklsson, and
the fact that they never were brought
anv satisfactory result. The two coul
tries had never gone further than to agrt
upon Joint occupancy without any RICH
Of exclusive sovereignty.
But now a new circumstance had occur
ed; a new and most important event hi
been brought to bear upon the question.
President Polk had made peremptol
claim 10 the whole territory, and IN an u
usual and unwarrantable manner, called u
on the American people to establish the
claim by occupying it with their families
After this event, it was impossible that t
British government should fail to ask spe
DIV solution of the whole questions; Impos
- bic that this unsettled state of things Shot
> be allowed to continue. The carry ing q
Of Mr.. Folks suggestions must produ
ct, hostile collision between English and An
ne ricans on the territory itself; and The &C
,d sequence of such collision needed no p
re pheuc comment.
ns He was not prepared to say how mu
the English government should concede
10 the sake of peace. He was not prcpal
to say that they ought to yield any TIM
He was here interrupted b. vehem'
do, cheerlng.) He thinks no proposal more
vorabe than the one made by Mr.. Canni
can possibly be made. Some persons TIL
il is not much matter which way a gu
ats; zion is decided, affecting only certain
tent Of barren country-but 1t does matt
1t was not TO he thought of, that terrific
es' TO which England conscientiously asser