Mobile register and journal., 1845-12-12

Ky the lhlrd artlcle hl that conventnn t was agreed lhal any country hai may be claimed by either par fY nn the northwest coast Uf America, westward pf
 the Stony mountains, shall. together wlth it's hll- borg, bays and creeks and the navigation oI all ri- within llhe same, be free aud open for the 'erin oi len years from the date of the signature of the present convention. 10 the vessels, cjIzens and sub
 rcts of the two powers; il being well undersi cod
 that this agreement is moi to be construsd Co the pre- prejudice of anr claim which either of the two high contracting parties may have any part Oi tue said country, nor shall il be taken To affect the claims ol any other power or State 10 any part Of the said counlrv lhe only object of lle hlghcontraCting par
 lies in that respect being, to prevent disputes and 1 differences am0ng ibemseles.
 Tine negotiation ot 1924 was productive of no re- suit. and lhe convention of 1878 was left unchanged.
 The negotiation of 1926 having also failed To ef- 1 eCi an adjustment by compromise, resulted m the , convention of August 9th, 1927, by which t was a- greed 10 continue in .0rce for indefinite period. he provisions of the third article of the convention of the 20h October, 1918, and il was further proS- drd, that it shall be competent, however, io either ol tfe contracting parties, m case either should lhink Gt Ill any time alier tue 20th October, lSzS, giv- 1 ing due notice of twelve moRtbs to the other cons raclng parry, annul and abrugale tis convention, and il shall, in such case, be accordingly entirely l annued and abrrgaied aiier the expiration of Ihe said term of notice" In these attempts to adjust fle controversy, te parallel of the forty ninth de- gree of north latitude had been offered by the United States 10 Great Britain, and ln those oi lSlS and 1926, with Il further concession of the free naviga- lion of inc Columbia river south of that latliude.
 The part of the forty ninth degree, from the Rocky mountains to IIs intersection with the northedsteru- most branch of the Coumba, and thence down the channel of that river to ihe sea- had been offered by Great Britain, wiih addition of small detached territory north of the Columbia. Each of these pro- positions had been rejected by the parties respec- l tWely. f'
 In October I843 the Envoy Extraordinary and 1 Minister Penipoten,ary of lhe tiui,ed States in | London, was authorised to make similar offer to | those made in ISIS and 1926 Thus stood the qIes- | tion when the negotiation was shortly afterwards 1 transferred 10 Washingon and on the 23d August l ISi4 was formally opened under the direction of l my immediate predecessor. Like all the previous negotiations, Ii was based upon principles of ''com- 1 promise,' and the avowed purpose oi the parties | was "to treat of the respective claims of the two | countries to ihe Oregon territory, with the view to 1 establish permanent boundary between them west ward of the Rocky mountains To the Pacific ocean 1 Accordingly, on the 26th August, lS4l the British plenipoentiary offered divide the Oregon tor,io- T, by the forty ninth parallel of north latitude from the Rocky "untans the point Of it's mlerst ctio | with the nnrlheasiernmOst braGCh of the Couuhil river, and thence down that liver 10 the sea; leav- ing the free ayigation of the river Co be enjoyed m common by both palties-ihe country south ol this line belong to the United States. and the north o | il 10 Great Britain At the same timP, he proposed in addition, 10 ied to the uned States detached | territory, north of the Columbia, extending along the Pacific and the Straits of Fuca, from Bulhnch' $ harbur inc lusve, Hoods canal, and 10 make free to lie United States any port ar ports south of lat
 Jude orty-nine degrees, which they might desire, ei ther on ihe main land Qutdia and Nancou yer's islAnd. With the exception Ol the free ports this was the same offer which had been made by the British. and rejected by the American govern ment in the negotiation of 1926. This proposition was properly rejected by the American plenipoten | tarv ou the day il was submitted. This the | nnI. AI nnlIS, nt ish pien potenliary. The proposition on the part o Great Britain having been rejected, the Britrh plen ipotentiary requested that proposal should be made by the United States for ''an equitable adjusinien l Of the question:"
 When came into ofice I found this be tht state of the negotiation, Tn ugh entertaining the settled onvction, that the British pretensions of u
 tie could be maintained to any polrion of the Or egon territory upon any principle Of public law re cognlsed by naiIous, yet, m deierence 10 what hat been done hy my predeces sors, and especially n consideration that propositions of compromise had been thrice made by two preceding admnisiiaiiSns 10 adjust the question the parallel 0 forty mine degrees, and in two of thetn yielding 10 Grea, Brl | tam the free navigation of the Columbia, and Ina the pending negotiation had been commenced on th, basis of compromise, deemed it to be my duly no abruptly to break it of. In consideration, too, tha under the conventions of 1878 aud 1S27 the citizen, and subjects l9ihe two Powers held joint occu pancy oi the country, l was induced to make anothe l spii it of moderation which had given birth to tho renewed discussion. A proposition was accordingh made, which rejected by the British plenpolen tisry. who, without submitting any other proposition suffered the negotiation on his part to drop. ex pressing his trust that the United States would of fer " hat he saw fit 10 call "some further proposa for the settlement of the Oregon question. more sstent with fairness and equity, and with the sonable expectations of the Bri,Ish government.'- Tine proposition thus offered and rejected repeated d. .f. .l latitude, which had been made by two preceding ad mnstratIons but without proposin! 10 surrender tG Great Britain, they had done the free navigation of the Columbia river. The right of any foreign | power to the free navigation of any of our rivers through the hearI of our country, one winch | was unwilling 10 concede. It also embraced pro- vision to make free to Great Britain any port or ports the cape of Quadra and Vancouver's island | south of this parallel. Had this been a new Ques tion, coming under discussion for the first time, this proposition would not have been made. The extra | ordinary and wholly inadmissible demands of the British government and the rejection of the propos
 iIon made in delerence alone to what had been done by my predecessors, and the implied obligation which their acts seemed to impose, afford satisfactory evi dence that compromise which the United States ought 10 accept, can be efecied With this convic- | ton, the proposition of compromise which had been made and rejected, was, by my direction, subse. queny withdrawn, and our title to the whole Ore gon territory asserted, and, as is believed, manain- I ed by irrefragible acts and arguments.
 The cvilised world will see in these proceedings spirit of liberal concession the part of the Uni ted States; and this government will be relieved from all responsibility which may follow the failure | to settle the Controversy.
 All attempts al compromise having failed, it be- comes the duty of Congress to consider what mea- it may be proper adopt for the security and protection of our citizens now inhabting, who may hereafter iDhablt Oregon, and for the maiue- nance oi our just title 10 that territory. In adopting measures for this purpose, Care should be taken that nothing be done To violate the slipuatons of the convention of 1927, which IS still in fo, ce. The faith of trealies m iheir letter and spirit, has ever been, and trust will be. scrupulousy observed | by the United States. Under that convention, d years notice is required to be given by either party 10 the other, before the joint occupancy shall termin- ate, and before either rightlulIy assert else exclusive jurisdiction any portion of the territory. This notice it would, in my judgment, bs p,oper to glve; and recommend that provision be made by law for giving il accordingly, and ter minating in this manner the convention of the 9th August, 1927.
 | It will become proper for Congress to determine what legislation they can, in the iime, adopt | without violating this convention. Beyond all ques- lion, ihe protection of laws and jurisdiction. civil and criminal, ought to be immediately extended o,er citizens in Oregon. They have had just cause to complain of our long neglect in this partIc- uar. and have, m consequence, been compelled for their security and protection establish pro- yisional government for themselves. Strong in their allegiance aad ardeet m their attachment to the U- ned States. they have been thus cast upoa their own resources. They are anxious that our laws should be extended them, and recommend that this be done by Congress with little delay as pos sible in the full extent which the British Parlia- men have proceeded in regard to British subiecs in I Il