Mobile register and journal., 1845-12-05

ol all the of Europe, the controversy s nar rowed down to de conflicting rretentions of Great Brliain and the United States.
 The United States claim title to the whole oiOre- gou, considered as the valley of the river Columbia.
 l. By our own discovery. IL is conceded ihaI Captsln Gray o Boston, m the ship Culnmba, Er il oi all Christian men, discovered and entered, and nhnnd the riter Columbia; and IS enc Of the points ol the rght of discovery, that the discoveIer of a river, holds the river vaey the dscoVsrtr of bay the lands the bay: which principle France held the Mississippi country called Louisiana, Eng 1 land (under France) the St. Lawance country called Canada, and Eng land the northern interior of ibe continent from Iludson's Bay to lhe Rocky moun. tans. IL Is also conceded that Ncssis Lews and 1 Clark, in the service of the United States, first ex- l poi ed the Columbia valley on the land side from l tie head waters of ihe Columbia II Is also ded that Mir. John icob Aslor, citizen of the Un ted States made ihe frat settlement on the main waters oi the Columbia. The American government points those facts, constituting rtght by dis covery, complete and exclusive, unless it be doubt 1 lul on the side of Spain.
 2. We claim title in right of Spain. It is conce ded that Spanish navgalOrs from the west coast of Mexico first of all explored the coast of California to Cape Mendocino. named after the vceroy Men doza It is conceded that Spanish nay gators first of all explored and entered the bay into which the Columbia flows. II K conceded that Spanlsh nayI- gators first of all explored Nootka Island and the Suaits of Fuca It is conceded that Spain, first of all l n fort on Nooka Sound. We say that these facts might give Spain prelentons ts dispute titles with he United States; and that her prelentions, what ever they may be, being vested m the United States, give additional force to our own proper ground of l title.
 3. We claim lue in right of France, especially as against Great Britain. We received Louisiana with limits underlined 10 the north and west, and of course with rights of extension by contiguity until the bounds of some other power should be reached. And whatever rights in limitation of Louisiana Spain might have the west, Great Britain could have none because by the treaty cf Paris. which gave the Canadas to ngand, the latter agreed that he wes- | tern limit ot Brn.h Americd proper should be fixed rrevocaby at lhe Mississippi
 Finally, on the suppostion, eff indeed there be any foundation for the suppositon) that Oregon is unoccupied savage territory, to which no other Amercantpower has d better title. claim itle by extension of conlignity from lhe United States. The British government came forward after the conclusion o the last war (and not before0 and l claimed te m Oregon
 l. In virtue of the voyage of Drake Tn l5S0. We replied, list, that Drake was mere pIraIe sand could not convey title; 2d, that Spanish navi gators had gone over all the winch Drake did, forty years before him and Sd, Ina, Eng land had made no set l clement under Drake Whereupon, the British gov "rnnon gave up this ground of title, and proceeded l to aege
 ? Cooks voyage to Noo,ka in ITS. We show ed that sundry Spanish navigalors had been there before Cook, in l774, l775 and 1776; and the Brl- fish government then gave up this ground, and had | recourse 10
 5. Nancouyers voyage (by his lieutenan) up the Columbia. 1hereupon showed that Gray entered the ryer Columbia before Vancouver Cor Broughton,) who indeed himself states that he proceeded upon iIi formation furnished by Gray, and Great Britain was driven from all grounds o maritime title, and | proceeded to allege
 | 4. MackenLe's journey across the continent m l192. Bu We proved from Nackenzie's journal that was the head waters of the Tacoutchee Tessc, not ihe Cohlmhia, that he struck on his way the Pa ciic whereupon the British government said Well, il InusI be confessed haze title whatever in Oregon, either by discovery. settlement or other wise; we dsClaim all titie, and we set up clam as l follows:
 ''Greal Britain claims exclusive sovereignty over any portion of that territory. Her present claim, not m respect To any part, but the whole, IS | limited 10 right ot joiul occupancy. m common with ohel states, leaving the right of exclusive do- n,Inion m abeyance "
 Such lhe precise words of the final official claim of the British government after all pretence of title on the part of Britain had been thoroughly reiuied and exploded by us, and given up by herself Dr. IS lhe same point is siatedby the American min ister in hs official correspondence,
 "Greal Britain considered the whole of the unoc- cupied parts of America being open to her future settlements, as heretofore. They included within these parts, well that portion of the northwest coast lying between the 42d and 5lst degree oi at tude as any other parts The principle Of colonlza- ton that coast elsew here, any portion ol those continents not yet occupied Great Britain was not prepared to reinqush."
 Now all these facts are notorious, and accessible to whatsoever persons choose to seek lhem; and yet ill the face of the official disclaimers of the British government, ihere are many persons m the United States, who, msled, apparently, by the British For eIgn Quarterly Review. and the British EdiRburgh Review, and the British London Times, and the Br- tIsh Lord John Russell, honestly suppose, it would seem, that Great Britain has probable, nay, good and sound title 10 the whole great part of Ore gon. No, she does not claim or pretend any title whatever to Oregon, but only the general right to culonize, now, al this day, Tn North America. To be sure, the Edinburgh Review. admitting, as the writer is constrained do, or he had read the documents) that Great Britain has no title whatever
 in Oregon, either by discovery, settlement, treaty, conquest or prescriptions. yet alleges that Great Britain has shadow of title north of ihe 18th paral- lel, by reason of contguity, inasnach as she now holds the country north of that parallel s sidd of
 the mountains. To this reply, ihat the British gov ernment advances such claim; prevented, per haps, by the consideration lhal if this ground of clam gives to her the shadow of right north of 49, il deprves her of even the shadow of right south of 49; and she is not content with s, which would be an almost equal division of Oregon. Besides which, the British territory on this side o the noun tains is incapable of extension by contguity, for it belongs 10 the iludson's Bay Company, which Com pany is limited by it's charter 10 "the lands on the coasts and confines of the seas, lakes and rivers within the Hudson's Stralls;" and II would be ri- dicuous, nay, imprudent, past all endurance, for Great Britain pretend that the coasts of Hudsons Straits cover he shores of the Pdcifc Ocean which is necessary in order to caiy the jurisdiction of the Il Hudson's Bay into Oregon
 II Fro BE CONCLUDED DTO.MoRRow.l