The New York herald., 1845-12-10


France, should assert the claim, and take mea
Immediately after to explore it, with view to
occupation and settlement But since then have |
strengthened cur title by adding to our own proper
claims and those of France the claims also of SPAIN by
the Treaty of Florida as has been stated
The claims which we have acquired from her between
the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific her priori-
ty ofdiscovery Numerous voyages of discovery com
mencng with that OF Maldonado I52S and ending it'll
thar under Galano and Valdes 1892 undertaken
by her authority along the northwestern coast of North
America That they discovered and explored not only
the entire coast of what is now called the Oregon Terri
tory but still further north is a well established
to be conroverted at this day The voyages which they
without being particularly alluded to- with the exception
lumba river has been already referred II made
on the 10th OF August 1873 anterior to the
voyages Of Meares and Vancouver, and was prior to
Cooks who did not reach the northwestern coast until
ITS Tho claims gave to Spain of priority ofdscovery
were transferred to u.s. with all others belonging her,
by the treaty Fiorida whch added to the discoveries
OF Captain Gray places right to the discovery Of the
mouth and entrance into the inlet and river beyond all
controversy.
II has been objected that we claim under various and
conflicting titles, which mutually destroy each other
Such might indeed be the fact while they held by
different parties; but since have rghtfuly acquired
both those of Spain and France and concentrated the
whole in our hands they mutually blend with each 9th
er, and form strong and chain OF title
against the opposing claims of all others including Great
Britain.
In order to present fully and perfectly the
grounds which claims to the region in question
when Astoria restored us, under the of
the treaty Of Ghent and to trace what has
red between the countries reference the
tory and quire whether their respective claims have
been affected by the settlements since made in the terri
tory by Great Britain or the which have
since taken place.
The restoration of Astoria took place, under the pro-
visions Of the treaty Of Ghen the 9th day of October
1918 The effect of which put Mr. Provost. the
agent authorized by government to receive it, in
possession of the establishment, with the right at all
times to be reinstated and considered the party in pos
session. explicitly admitted by Lord Castlereagh
in the first negotiation between the two governments in
reference TO the treaty. The words OF Mr. Rush. our
plenlp0tentaTy letter
Adams then Secretary OF State of the 4h of February
1918, reporting what passed between him and his lord
ship are, that Lord Castlereagh admitted in the
ample extent right 10 be e.instated, and TO be the
party in possession while treating Of the titlen
That negotiation terminated in the conve ntion of the
goth OF October lSlshe third article Of which is in
the following words;
BY either party the northwest coast of America west
Mard OF the stony mountains shall together with its
within the same be free and open for the of ten
years from the date Of the signature Of s present
two pow it being well understood that this agree
De e o iS sh
may have 70 my part Of the said country nor shall it
be taken q Aec claims of any other power
Stat TO art aid country the only object of
the high larties, in that respect being to
prevent Iul differences amongst themselves" "
The two acts the restoration of possession and the
signature of the convention, nearly conempora
neousthe latter taking place but fourteen days sbse
quently to the former We were them as admitted by
Lord Castleresgh entitled to be considered the party
in possessions and the convention which stipulated that
years from the date of its signature. the vessels cit
zens and subjects Of the two countries, without preu
part sans. preserved and perpetuated our claims
to the territory including the acknowledged right be
the period of its continuance they the day the
convention was signed. OF this there be doubt
After an abcrive attempt TO adjust the claims of the
two parties to the territory in 1894 another negotiation
was commenced, in lS26which terminated III renewing
yenon Of 1875 prior to its expiration 1t provided for
the indefinite extension Of all the provisions OF the third
might nina It al any time might G think @ BY g
ing one years notice, after the 20th of October, 1923 1t
took however, the precaution Of providing expressly
article of the convention Of the Goth October 1878 here
by continued in force shall be construed to impair or in
tracing parties may have to any part Of the country
westward ofthe Stony or Rocky Mountains" That CON
venon is in force, and has continued to be since
the expiration of that of 1878 BY the joint operation of
M the be s S s
on preserved in as full vigor they were at the
date Of s restoration in 1915 without being affected or
impaired by the settlements since made by the subjects
Of Great Britain.
Time, indeed so far from impairing our claims has
greatly strengthened them since that PERIOD io since
then, the treaty of Florida transferred to all the
tights claims and pretensions OF Spain to the whole
territory as has been stated In consequence OF this,
our claims TO the portion drained by the Columbia river
the point now the subject of been
much strengthened by giving the incontestbe claim
to the discovery of the mouth of the river by Hecea
above stated Blu, is in this particular only that
has operated in our favor Our well founded claim,
grounded on continuity has greatly strengthened dur
ing the PERIOD by the rapid advance OF popua
lion towards the territorys great increase especially
in the valley of the Misssipp-as well the greatly
facility of passing to the territory by more ac
cessibe routes and the far stronger and rapidly swelling
into it.
When the first convention was concluded in sls our
whole population did not exceed nine millions Of people
The portion off nhabtng the States in the great valley
hundred thousand-of which not more than hundred
thousand were on the west side of the river Now our
population may be safely estimated at not less than nine
mllllOnS-Ot
the States and Territories in the valley Of the Mssissp
p and of which upwards of one million are in States
and Territories west of that river This portion of
population increasing far rapidly than ever,
its western bank.
To this great increase of population especially in the
vaey ofthe Mississippi may be added the increased ia
cy OF reaching the Oregon territory, in consequence
Of discovery of the remarkable pass in the Rocky
mountains at the ad ofthe La Platte. The depression
now travel with facility from Missouri to the navigable
waters of the Columbia river These joint causes have
wards the territory and an emigration estimated at
less than one thousand during the last and fifteen hun
dred the present year has flowed into it. The current
thus commenced will doubt continue to flow with in
creased volume hereafter There then he no doubt
ed population westward from the shores OF the At
iantic across the Allegheny to the vsey of the Miss
sippi will lmpel them onward with accumulatng force
the Rocky mountains into the valley of the Co
umba and that the whole region drained by 1t is destn
ed to be peopled by us.
Such are our claims to that portion of the territory
and the grounds on which they rest The undersigned
believes them to be well founded and trusts that the Br
| why ne should decline his proposal
The undersigned penpotentiary sbstains for the pre-
sent from presenting the claims which the United States
may have TO other portions of the territory.
The undersigned avsils himself Of this occasion to
new to the British penipotentary of his high
consideration j. C. CALHOUN.
H. PAKESHAM Esq, &c, SC, sc.
(D)
SEPTEMBER IL, 1874
The undersigned, British penir irotsntiary, has studied,
HttentOu. statement
Az presented by the American plenpotentary setting
forth the grounds which he declines the proposal Of
iered By the British plenipotenary compromise OF
the difficulties OF the Oregon question The arrange
ment contemplated by that proposal would in the est