Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1845-07-23


both extremes, aswell as along the coas,
and islands, The entire command Of tn
fur Trade Of No.tl, America might be oh
ained from latitude AZ degrees north, I
The pole, except thai portion of it-whic
the Russians have in the Pacific. To thi
may be added the frshery in hotb seas
and the markets OF the four quarters y
he. globe. Such would be the field 70
commercial enlerprise2i and incalculabl
would be the produce of it, when, support
ed by the operations of tina, credit ant
capital which Great Britain so pre- emf
nenlly possesses. ~ Ttuvels, vol. 2.
To which the same writer adds, tha
the effect OF the developemont Of those
plans would;be the complete exclusion o.
Americans from lhe country, aud The ,mos
important political as well as commercial
advantages Of the Uuued hpgdom. !,
lne Committee will have occasion to
submit 10 The House additional inlurlna.
ton on these puints, when they dispose ol
that part Of their Instructions which re-
irrs 10 the statistical condition aud polili.
cal value Of the country. of Oregon. II is
sufficient for the immediate purpose 10
have demonstrated that the plan of The
British 10 put all end 10 American enter
prise in the valley of the Columbia has
succeeded. -,
Still, this object has been accomplished
under the shelter of convention, which
provides ,thallh The country of Oregon, to.
sether with its harbors, bays, creeks, and
The navigation of all rivers within the
same, shall Tor the time being be free and
open 70 the vessels, citizens, and subjects
OF he.two Powtrs; and which thus pro
iesses To give equal present advantages 10
The pcupls of each nation, and 10 pre-
Judge The ultimate rights Of neither. But
The practical. effect Of lie convention is
the reverse, in thai nearly all :he adyan
tages are enjoyed oy England, and the
ultimate rights OF lhe .niled States are
seriously endangered. -
This arises from the peculiar organiza-
lion Of the Hudson's Bay Company,
which now III fact rules over, the whole
country, aud has exclusive, possession Of
It's trade, ust as completely as The East
India Company i Hiudoslan at The peri
cd OF Its early conquesls there, when i,
was close corporation, and independent
OF the Hugs ministers. Individual ira
ders, aud Ordinary commercial companies,
cannot. stand against il. They cannol
compete III resources with this great EN-
pife corporation. Besides which, pow
erIul incorporated company like this,
having exclusive privileges of lrad by
charl'r, aud those privileges conveying
territory as appurlenant to trade,-a
nIousler aud al anomaly in IT'S nature as
II Is,-sueh company is in lIsell, to all
rnleGIs aud purposes, a territorial gov.
ernmeut. 1t las ali the civil and all'the
military machinery ol government. Nay,
more. he acl OF Parliament already
referred u, gives to the courts of Upper
Canada The same civil Jurisdiction, IN all
respects, within tn parts Oi hnicFlea moi
within the limit, oi Lower oI Upper Can
ada, u"r oi any civil government oil the
United SMles, as they have within The
limits ul Upp'r Canada. England may
appoint Justices OF peace, or constitute
other inferior courts ~ those paris
There is no prOvIslun in the aci 10 excerpt
crIzeus ul the United STATES, or country
claimed by the United States, FROM this
Jurisdictions. And these provisions are
precisely applicable to the country beyond
the Rocky Mountains, and tn that only;
aud there is no other part of America 10
which they do apply This, indeed. is
well understood by American citizens in
Oregon 10 Ue the fact; as Inc COMMITTEE
have been expressly informed" So that
the Iludson's Bay Company not only mo-
nopoIIzes the trade Of Oregon, but may
control the inhabitants, aud even send
them 10 Upper Canada to be tried for
imputed offences.
The privileges of the Hudsou's Bay
Company operate njuriously in another
respect. Experience has shown the ne
cessity Of military posts among the In
dians. The Company accordingly has
its grra, post, and its lesser forts, all OF
them British military posts in fact bu,
with the pecuIiarily, its flag not being
tie Queens flag, The Government is ena-
blei 10 pursue The disiugenuous course Of
claiming rights and territory in virtue OF
acls performed by it, while in the same
breath disavowing all Governmen. res
possibility for those acls. But the United
Slate has no military post there. 1t has
no gigantic company, like tha, Of the
Hudson's Bay, to be put forward 10 act
the ambiguous and insldious part OF
government, or of private individuals, as
the policy OF slate may render most con:
venienl. If il establishes post, il must
do do openly and above.board, in its own
name. But this Great Britain objects to,
so that still The monopoly OF trade and oI
civil and military power, shall be held by
her indirectly, through The means OF the
Hudson's Bay Company.
The Committee are of opinion tina
this ground of distinction ought to be M
longer admitted by the United States
So,loug as Great Britain takes 10 hersel
the fruits of The operations of these EN-
pire corporations, and The millions OF sub
jecls they conquer, and the vast realm
they subdue. are governed and held to