Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-03-05

lIZGn OF the United States all the time, IN
the same territory, was amenabe to our
laws. In addition to this, how has England
interpreted her own rights in this matter!
| hold n my hand an act Of Parliament,
passed I'd July, 1921, entitled San act for
regulating the fur trade, and establishing
d criminal and civil jurisdiction within GER
tain. parts OF North America By this
enactment, courts are established, suits can
be instituted, criminals can be arrested,
and process car issue and be served,
= within the said Indian territories, and
other parts of America not within the IL
mits of either of the provinces of Lower
or Upper Canada, or Of any ciDI goucr1l-
1hent of the United States" BY this, 1t
would appear those English Courts have
Jurisdiction over all that vast territory
which lies west of Arkansas, Missouri,
and Iowa, being " within no civil govern
ment of the United States"
TMr. VINToN, of Ohio, said, what does it
say about lands?]
Mr.. II. continued. / am glad the gen.
tIeman has reminded me Of that. ltenacts
tina. "alI suits and actions relating to lands,
or to any claim in respect TO land, not be-
ing within the province of Upper Canada,
shall be decided according to the laws OF
that part of the United Kingdom called
England" This evidently extends all
the principles of the common law in re-
gard to land to this very country now
claimed by the United States. The only
clause excepting the citizens of the United
States from the operation of this law, so
far as can ascertain, is found in the fourth
section--Yiz: shat nothing in this act con-
tanned shall be deemed or construed to au-
thorize any body corporate, &c. to claim
or exercise any such exclusive trade with.
in the limits specified in said article IRE.
ferring to the convention of 1879 to the
prejudice or exclusion of any citizen of the
United States of America who may be en-
gagged in said trade"
Here is a practical Interpretation of the
provisions of this treaty given to it by one
of the contracting parties. Under this
law our citizens may be arrested for impu-
TED offences, and carried more than thou
sand miles TO stand a vexatious trial before
a hostile court and a foreign jury. A
troublesome trader may be forced to desist
from lawful traffic by threats and me-
naces of an unprincipled and unscrupu-
lous company, backed by the posse of the
country, and the power of the courts. -
For nearly quarter of century we have
submitted to this interpretation of the trea-
ty, and this exercise of jurisdiction, with
out protest-withoute 81 murmur. This |
government, therefore, has acquiesced in |
this construction of that convention. But
to remove all difficulty with gentlemen on
this subject, hope the friends of this bill
will consent to the insertion of proyiso
securing to British subjects in the Oregon
Territory all the rights and privileges
which-they may claim by virtue of exist
ing stipulations. And for the purpose OF
being clearly right, would consent to a
further proviso that, in the event British
subject was arrested on a charge of any
crime or felony, he should be delivered up
10 the British authorities, TO be tried by
British court and jury. The bill only pro-
misses that provision shall hereafter be made
for grants of land to such citizens as be-
come actual settlers in Oregon; and
would consent that still further proviso
be inserted, restricting the location OF
such settlementrights to such lands as
may be ultimately exclusively vested in the
United States. The bill, thus cautiously
guarded, would leave no just ground of
complaint, either at homo or abroad. On
the contrary, it seems 10 me difficult for
patriotic minds 20 differ as to the line of
duty for this Congress 10 pursue. When
the American citizen leaves his own coun.
try and becomes a stranger in a strange
land, he presses forward, fearing no evil,
because he knows that an insult or injury
done or offered to him is an indignity to-
his government, and that her protecting
shield will ward off danger, and her strong
arm will ayenge his wrongs. Destroythis
faith, this confidence of the citizen in the
protecting care and consideration of his
government, and you strike from his bosom
all love of country, all national pride; you
beget IN him feeling of unwillingness
to make sacrifices to promote her interest,
and he becomes a coward and cringing
knaye
On this principle of determined guar
6anship, our flag flies at the masthead of
our vessels in the remotest seas of the
earth; and our scamen are safe in person
and property. They point to the stars and
stripes as the emblem of their country's
power and greatness, and their hearts
swell with emotions of patriotic pride and
devotion. No one would impair the force
of SO noble an impulse, and least of all,
member of an American Congress. Then
you must pass this bill; enact laws for The
government of our people; check, restrain,
and punish vice, immortality and crime;
sustain virtue, and strengthen the industri-
GUS and the good. IL this can he done