American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-12-03

make had no such negotiation been instituted.
Congress appropriated, al the last session,
the sum of two hundred AID seventy five
thousand dollars for the payment of the April
and July instruments of the Mexican indem-
mites for the year 1874: Provided it shall be
ascertained to the salts faction of the Ameri-
can government that laid instruments have
been paid by the Mexican government to The
agent appointed by the United States to re
ceive the same, IN such manner as to dis
charge all claim on the Mexican government,
and said agent TO be delinquent in rtmtting
The money 10 the United States
The unsettled state of our relations with
Mexico has involved this subject in much
mystery. The first information, in all au,hcn-
tic form, from the agent of the United States
appointed under the administration of my pre-.
d,cessor, was received at tho State Depart
ment on the ninth of November last. THIS is
contained in a letter, dated the seventeenth Of
October, addressed by him to one Of our citl-
zens hen IN Mexico, with the view of having
It communicated 10 that department. From
this II appears that the agent, on the twentieth
of September, 1914, gave receipt TO the
treasury of Mexico for The amount Of the
April and July lnsta lments Of the indemnity.
In the same communication, however, he as
serts that he had not received single dollar
in cash; but that he holds such securities as
warranted hun at the time in giving the re-
CeIpt and entcrtlins no doubt but that he viii
eventually obtain the money. As these install.
ments appear never 10 have been actually paid
By the governments of Mexico to the agen,
and as that government has not therefore b, en-
released 90 as to discharge the claim, do not
feel myself warranted in directing payment
10 be made to the claimants out of the trea-
sury, witllou. iu Their legislation Their case
is, undoubtedly, one Of much hardship; and il
r,moins for Congress 10 decide wine her any,
and what, relet ought to be granted to them.
Our minister TO Mexico has been instructed to
asc rtain the facts Of the case from the Mex
lean government in an authentic and oiilc al
form. and report the result with as little DC.
lay as possible.
My attention was early directed TO the ne
collation., which, on the fourth Of March last,
found pending at W Washington between the
United States and Great Britain, on he sub
ject Of the Oregon territory. Three several
attempts had been previously made 10 settle
the questions in dispute bowen the two
countries, by negotiation, upon the principle
of compromis but each had proved unsuc.
cessful.
These negotiations took place at London, in
the years 1918, 1924, and 1926; the two first
under the administration of MIR. Monroe, and
the last under that of Mr.. Adams. The ne.
gotiation Of 1918 having failed 10 accomplish
its object, resulted in the convention of the
twentieth of October Of that year By the
third article of that convention, 1t was "sgreed
that any country that may be claimed by eth
er party on the northwest coast of America,
westward of the Stony mountains, shall, to-
gether with SIS harbors, BAYS, and creeks, and
the navigation of all rivers within the same,
be free and open for the term Of ten years
from the date of the signature Of the present
convention, to the vessels, citizens, and sub.
iects Of the two Powers; it beiGg we'll under.
stood that this agreement is not TO bo con-
strued TO the prejudice of any claim which
either Of the TWO high contracting parties may
have TO any part of the sad country, nor shall
it be taken TO affect the claims of any other
Power or State to any part of the said coun-
try; the only object of the high contracting
parties in that respect being, to prevent dis
putes and differences among themselves "
The negotiation Of 1924 was productive Of
no result, and the convention of 1918 was left
unchanged.
The negotiation Of 1926, having also failed
to effect an adjustment by compromise, re-
suited in the convention Of August the sixth,
1927, by which it was agreed to continue in
force, for an indefinite period, the provisions
of the third article of the convention of the
twentieth of October, 1918; and it was fur.
Their provided, that 80 shall be competent
however, to either of the contracting parties,
in case either should think fit, at any time af-
ter the twentieth of October, 1928 on giving
due notice oftweye months TO the other con.
tracing party, to annul and abrogate this con-
ventlon; and it shall in such case, be accord
ingly entirely annu!ed and abrogated after the
expiration Of the said term of notice" In
these attempts to adjust the controversy, the
parallel OF the forty ninth degree of north lati-
tude had been Ufered by the United States to
Great Britain, and in those Of 1918 and 1926,
with further concession Of the free naviga-
ton OF the Columbia river south OF that lati-
tude. The parallel of the forty ninth degree,
from the Rocky mountains TO lis intersection
with the northernmost branch Of the Colum
bla, and thence down the channel of that RI
yer to the sea, had been offered by Great Bri
tain, with an addition of a small detached ter.
ritory north Of the Columbia. Zach Of these
propositions had been rejected by the parties
respectively.
In Octooer, lofo, the Envoy Ettraordinry
and Minister PlenlpoIentiary of the United
States in London was authorized to make
similar otter to those made in 1918 and 1926. |
Thus stood the question, when the negutia.
ton was shortly afterwards transferred TO
Washlnaton; and, on the twenty third of Au-
gust 1874, was formally opened, Under the
direction of my immediate predecessor.
Like all the previous negotiations, It was bas-
ed upon principles of compromise" and the
aoowed pun ose Of the parties was, Ito treat
Of the respective claims Of the two countries
10 Oregon territory, with the view 10 establish
a permanent boundary between Them west
ward of The Rocky mountains to the Pacific
ocean " Accordingly, on the twen'y-sixth Of
August, 1874. the British plenpotentiary Of
fereI todclde the Oregon territory by the
forty-ninth parallel of north latitude, from the |
Rocky mountains to the point of its inlersec.
ton with the NOTWITHSTANDING branch of the