Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1845-12-04

6O'S't'hche udb ROt tUCJCiorC OcCn released so
as to discharge the claim, do not feel myself
warranted III DIRECTING payment TO be made to
DC insdc to claimants out of the treasury with
out further iegisIs.ion. Their casc is. UNI
doubtedly, Que OF much hardship; andit ~
MAIDS Tor CongT.ss to decide whether amy,
and what. relief ought TO be granted to them.
Our minis,ss to MeAaro has b,.ep instructed To
ascertain the facts Of the cas- from the Mex
government, III an suhcn IL and official
form. end rcpon.thc RESALE with as little de-
lay O. possible. :; -
My attention. was cariu directed to the ne.
COLLATION.. which. on the 4lh OF March Last,
found pending ~ Washington, between the L
States and Great Britsiti, -on The subject OF the
Oregon territory. Three several attempts had
been previously made TO settle the question in
dispute between thc.twS> countries by nrpo,i
alton. upon the printipte Of compromise. but
eatli had proved unsuccessful.
These negotiations took place at London.
in tho years 1918. 1924, and 1925; the two
firs, under the administration OF Mr. Monroe
and the las, niidcr thar>of MIR Adams The
| iesotlation of 1918 having failcd TO accou,:
| plish its object. resulted ip the convention OF
the twentieth OF October Of that year BY the
third article Of that convention, il was ..aereed
| HAT any country that may be claimed by ei.
Their party on the north west coast Of America
westward OF tho Stony Mountains, shall, to.
gcther with its harbors. bays; and creeks. and
| the navigation OF all rivers within the same
! he Tree and open Tor the term of ten years from
| the date oil the signature of the present con.
vention, to the vessels. citizens. and subjects
OF the TWO Powers; it being well un lcrstood
that tins agre, mtnt Is not to b. construed Ia
the prejudice OF any claim which either OF the
two high contracting parties may have 10 any
part oil the said county, nor shlil il be taken
TO affect the claims of anv other Power OF
State to any part u the said country; the only
object OF the high contracting parties in tha,
respect being. To prev, tdisputcs and differ
ences among themselves"
The negotiation of le2@ was productive OF
no result, and the convention oi 1918 was left
unchanged , ..,.
The negotiation oflS26, having also failed
To effect an adjustment by compromise, re-
suite in the convention OF August the sixth
1877. by which II was agreed 10 continue in
force, for an indefinite period the provisions
oil The t!Iird article of The convention of the
twentieth of October. 1918, and il was iurth-
er provided, that sii shalt be- competent. how.
cAer, tn either Of the contracting parties. i'm
Case either should think fit, at any time after
the twentieth of October 1928, on giving due
mott e OF twelve months to til. other contrac-
ting party, to anuul and abrogatc this convcn-
ton: and il shall in such cas-, he accordingly
entir-.ly annnll"d and abrogatcd after the ex-
piraion OF the oiit crm OF npitce." IN these
attempts TO adjust the controversy. the paral-
lei OF the forty ninth degree of north latitude
had been Offered b. the Unit States tn Great
Britain. an in those, of 1915, anl 1876, with
a further concession OF the fee nayiga ion of
the Columbia river south Of that latitude. -
The parallel ofthe iortynin'h d gre, from
the Rocky Mountains to- It's intersection with
TIE norihcdsternmosi branch oi the Columbia.
and thence down the channel ot that river 10
the sea- had been oil.r'd by Great Britain,
Wi h an addition OF small d"lachcd territory
north OF the Columbia. Each of III sc propo-
sltiois had been rejected by the parties resp
lively.
In October, lSi3,th Elvoy Extriorlinary
ant Minister Pleuipoiantisry oil tn. U, States
in London was authorized TO make a similar
offer TO those made in 1915 and 1896. Thus
stood tn. qncsiion.;wh n the II 'gotittion was
shortly ait rwarls transferred u Washington
and on ib, 23l August, 1914, was form lily
opened, under the direction OF nus INN diate
predecessor Like all the previous ncgolia-
tons, II was based on principles OF ''eomprn-
mise, ant the avowed patpess of the pal. irs
was, ''io tr AT OF the respective claims oil the
two counties to -thc Oregon territory, with a
view To establish 4 p rmlpent boundcry b.
tween them westward Of tn, Rock, noun
Tins 10 the Pacific OCEAN" Accordingly, on
the 26th August, 1874. thu British Plcni 20.
tcniidry offered 10 divide the Oregon terrific
ry by the 46ih parallel Of north latitude from
the Rocky mountains to the point OF its inter
section with tn northeastcTnn,ost branch of
the Columbia river, and thence down that
nver 20 the sea- leaving the free navigation OF
that river 10 BE- enjoyed in common by both
peoplc--the country south at that line To b.
long 10 the U. States, and that north ut it 10
Great Britain. At the same TIM, he propo
sed, IN addition, TO yield to thu u States a
pciached territory, north OF the Columbia, ex.
tending along The Pacific and the Straits OF
Fuca, from BuliiLch's Harbour inclusive 10
Hoods canal, and To make free 10 the United
States any port or ports south of the Latitude
~ degrees, which they might d,sire, either
Oh tn main land or OIL q Isndra and Vance.
vcrs island. With the exception of IN free
ports, this was the sam, OFF, which hhd he n
mad; BY the British. ard rejected ~ the a.
IN rican gov 'rIm mt III III: equation OF
1876. This proposition wsaprop,riy rejected
b. the American plchipot ;niiary ON the day il
was submitted. This was the only PROPOSE
non OF compromise offered b. the British
pienipolentiary. The proposition on the part
oi GIcdt Britain hHing been rejected, tn"
British plcnipOtcntidry requested that a pro.
posal should b. made by the Uuitcd State,
Tor AN amicablc adjuslm"n of the question.
When cana intooiiice, found this to b
the state oi the negotiation. Though enter
tanning tin. settled cUnvi:tion that the Bri Isl
pre:onsion, OF tile could not be maintain d
To an, portion oi tis Oregon territory OH AN,
principle OF puolic law REQ nis:l Oy htiiDns
yet, IN Difference tO what had been done by
my predecessors, and especially in considers
ton That propositions OF compromise had
been thrice made b. two preceding admins.
irniors To- adjust the question ON the parallel
OF 10 degrccs, and in two oi them Welding "a
Great Britain the ir navigation of the Col
umbia, and that the pendini negotiation had
b 'cD cOinm need on tn basis Ol comfIomisc
lccInrd IL my duty not abruptly tn break i
oil. la considt rdlioi, too, TIM unl.r th,
cohv .nton> OF 1918 ail 1877 the citiz ms an.
subJecs oi the two pOwcts held Joint occji.
Pancy Of the csnntY; was induced to max,