Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1845-12-06


ment OF Mexico to the agent, and as that govern.
ment has not therefore been released so as TO
discharge the claim, | do not feel myself war
ranted in directing payment to be made the
claimants out Of the treasury, without further
Legislation. Their case, is, undoubtIy, one OF
much hardship; and 1t remains for Congress TO
decide whether any, and what relief ought to
be granted 10 them. Our minister to Mexico
has been instructed to ascertain the facts OF the
case from the NJ, xican government, in en- au-
thsntc and official form, and report the result
with as little delay as possible.
My attention wns early directed Ia tho ncgo-
,iaton, Which. on the fourth Of March last,
found pending at Washington between the Uni.
ted States and Great Britain, on the subject Of
the Oregon Territory. Three several attempts
had be prev,ousLy made To settle the questions
In dispute between the two ccun,les. nv ncgo-
ta'ion, anon the principle Of compromise; bu,
cnch had proved unsuccessful.
These negotiations took place at londor, IN
the years Isis, ASIA, and le26; the two first
under the administration OF Mr.. Monroe, and the
lust under that Mr. Adams The negotiation
Of 1913 having failed to accomplish lis object,
resulted in the convention ofihc twentieth Of
October OF that year. BY third article ofihat
convention, it was "egreed. that any country
that mny be claimed by either parry on the
northwest c0n3' of America, westward of the
Stony mountains. shall, together with ils lar
tors, bDys. and cree H.. and the navigation Of ell
vers within the snne TIC free and opG" Tor the
term OF ten years from the date of the sigua-
ture of the present convention, TO the vessels,
citizens, and subjects Of the two Powers it
being well understood that this agreement s
not to he construed 10 The prejudice OF any
claim which either Of the two high contracting
parties may have 10 any par, OF the said county,
nor shall 1t he taken TO affect the claims Of any
other Power or State TO any pnrt of the said
country the only object Of the high contract
irg parties IN that respect being, to prevent
disputes and differences among themselves
TIE negotiation Of 1924 was productive OF
no rosn'', and The convention of isis was left
unchanged
The negotiation of 1870, having slso failed 10
effect an adjustment by compromise resulted III
die convention of August the sixth, 1877, By
whlch il was agreed 10 continue OF the *ArH at
';cle Of the conrention of tie 20lh of Oc'Dlcr.
l-le ;ond It vas further provided. that At shall
BE- competent. however, to either Of tie con.
tracing parties, in case either should think fl,
at my time after the goth oi Octobrr, l~2S on
giving due notice OF II months TO the other con.
tracing party, to annn and abfogasn this con.
ventcn ard it shall, in such case. he accord.
inglv entirely annulcd and Gbroputed after the
expiration OF the said term of notice"
nthese attempts to adjdst the controversy
the parallel Of the 49ih degree of north Iati
tnde had been offered hy tie United STATES e
Great Britain, nrd in those of l-is and lS26
with further concession OF the free nsv cation
, Of the Columbia river south OF that latitude.
The parallel o. the iGh to gree. frcmthe Rccky
moun'alrs 'o It's intersection with the nnr'hna ;.
trrnmcs, tranch Il the Columbia. ond thence
/ down the Channel Of the river Ia the sea. had
/ been offered by Great Britain, with an odd tiot
Of a small d'tachcd territory north Of the Co
] lumhia. Each OF these propositions had been re
lected by The paroles respectively.
! IN Ocioter, ls43, tie Envoy Extraordinary ont
Minister Pl,npoienticry Of he United States il
! Lonfon wa, suihcrz Il 70 mske q simil.r fir Il
! those made in 1878 rn1 1896. Thus stood la
que iior, wi en- the M 'cocia'cn was shortly airr
wa ds iIsnsfeuei TO washington ard, on III 23,
Of August, 1874, was formally opened under IT.
direcr,n Of my imm' djnie predecessor. Like a
Z the previous negociq'icns, il was based upon prir
ciplrs OF "compru mise; ard The avowed purpos Sc u
the pmti,s Ia treat Of the respective claims q
the Two countries 10 the Oregon territory with h
views 10 establish Termancni boundary teiw ceI
them westward of the Rocky mouna ms TO the 7 =
cifc occar."
Acco dinely, on II c6lh Of August, 1914, H.
British plenil lo'cntiary offered To- dvi the Oregon
territory hv the 49h parallel of norh Ia i,ude
from The Rocky uuinirs 10 the point Of is intar
stcr u with tie norttea t,Inmcsl branch ofthe c.
lunhi, river, ard thence down that rv,r to IL
sa; leaving Tie free n ,icston of the rv, Z To y
j",'j in con mon hy both rories-ls counrr
south Of this lie 10 telnnp To- the United State
ard HAT north OF i, 10 Great Britain. Al the sam
Tine lie proyosed, in addition, To We'd 10 the tIH
ed States detached territory, north Of the ca
/, mha, cHtt ndi along the Pacific AMI b
Straits OF Fucs. from Buiinch's hartor inclusiv,
to Hoods canal, and TO make free 10 the Uritc
States any rou or ports su'h u latitude 10 dC
er,es, which they might de,i'e, eh'r on The maj
land, OF Quadra or Vancouvcr's island,
With the exc, pion Of the free ports. this wa
the same cher which had been made BY the Brisl
aud rticct,d hy tie American g,v,rnm, Mt in tn
ntc, iqucn rf 1876. This roposltion was pc
p'rly recc,,d hv the American plenpnicntia,y o
The .iay It was suhm;ii,d This was the ouly PIC
position Oi rsmpromlse offered by BI tlsh jeniic
teniar. Tie proposition on the pat nj Ores
ID Itan having teen elected, the BTiti-h p'epip0
ten,iary requested that proposal should he. med
hy the United States for IAN equitable dlustmer
Of the qu inn."
w! IN came into oilice. found this 10 b, u
state oi tho neg 'taion. Though cniertainln
the settled nvc,lon that the BRUSH p-etrnsior
ol tile could not be ina ntsiuCd to any portion c
the oreg II l'rrlorv upon any principle of publ
law Hc'g"iI d ty natIors yet in defcrcncc To wha
had been done by my redccessors, and especially
Consideration lhs, propositions al comprise ha
been thrice made ty two preceding administration
{" 5dju,t the question IN the parallel Of 40 degree
, and in two ut thrm yielding to GIrat Eri'a'n Il
ir,c navigation Of the c,unhle, and IN a, the PEI
ciug nreuha'on had teen { mmtnced on the H
,s cf compromise, df,m,d ii 10 t. my duy n
abruptly 10 break II OK,
In considerations iuo. that under the convel