Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-06-14


within leagues from any part of the coast already &C
| cupied by Spain.
BY article FIVE in all places the north Of the already
occupied by Span wherever the subjects Of either nation shall
hereafter make settlements the subjects Of the other shall have
i free
The northenmost point then occupied by Spain Port
San Francisco, in latitude 49, Next year Capt Vancouver
sent by the English Government with instructions to
ceye the surrender Of Nooka Sound and explore the north
west coast On his way out Vancouver committed OF
the most remarkable pieces of maritime diplomacy record
He took exclusive possession in the Of the King of Eng
land Of the whole territory from latitude 80 20 the straits
San Juan de Fuca in 49, That is say the treaty having
stipulated that the whole coast north of the Spanish posses
should be open the settlement Of the subjects of both
nations he quietly seized in the Of the King OF England
more than twohirds of the habtable part Of it, 1t does
appear that any attempt made to act this absurd
assumption Of sovereignty. large portion OF the territory
comprehended by itthat between 80 20 and 42s
der the undsurbed sovereignty Of Mexico In 1900 Spain
restored Louisiana France and in 1903 France coded
the United States This gave, for the first time, the Uni
ted States claim by contguy the portion Of the Oregon
territory which lies the west of Louisiana subject however
to the Spanish claim to advance north in respect to California,
and TO the Russian claim proceed SOUTH and also subject
the provisions of the Nootka Sound convention.
In 1905 1906 the Rocky Mountains were, have
already stated first crossed by the of the Hudson Bay
Company the NORTH and by Lewis and Clarke the south
The Hudson Bay Company afterwards established
some hunting posts the west OF those mountains The
Americans made little Of this field until 1911, when
Asor founded the small settlement which he gave the
Of 1872 Astoria taken by England In pursuance of the
first article of the treaty of 1914 restored persons sent
by the American Government to receive IT, The English flag
was struck and the American flag hoisted
now became necessary to make Arrangements be-
tween America and England As neither party had any
elusive claim against Russia Span perhaps the best plan
was that which adopted namely, copy the Nootka
Sound convention, and agree that any country which may
be claimed by either party westward of the Rocky Mountains
shall for ten be open the citizens and subjects of both
Powers this not to prejudice the claim Of either
party of any other State This the convention OF
1875 In 1919, by the Florida treaty, the 42d parallel
admitted by the United States be the Spanish frontier and
Spain ceded 10 the United States all her rights Claims ana
prefenstoas 10 any territory north Of that hnc From that
time the United States had three titles First, their by
contguy secondly that of Spain by contiguity and
thirdly, that of Spain by discoyerythe Spanish titles
being however, subject the Nooka Sound convention In
1924 Russia put in her claim By imperial ukase she de-
cared the whole northwest coast Of America above the 5
parallel to be part Of the Russian territory Against this
England and the United States protested and, after fruit
less attempt joint negotiations each treated separately with
Russia By the American treaty of the 18th of April 1924
was stipulated that the United States should form settle
ment north OF "a 49, and Russia south of that line
by the English treaty of the 2sth Of February, 1926 line
beginning in 81 49, and then running in northwestern and
northern direction declared to be the boundary between
the Russian and British possessions
The claimants of the territory between the Russian and the
Spanish boundary reduced to two, England andhc
United States and in 1885, the convention of 1918
near Its expiration, an attempt made to effect final par
start at the 49h parallel but England required that
the line struck the norheasternmost branch of tho Coum
bia that should form the boundary America required
that the 49th parallel should continue the boundary Eng
land afterwards agreed surrender the peninsula north Of
Columbia, formed by the Admiralty inlet This refused
and the negotiation ended by indefinite proongaton of the
convention Of 1918, each party being liberty to annu
years notice.
We are now come to the last source of te-seiilemet
America in this respect has done little The settlement al
Astoria was abandoned after il restored and
occupied post by the Hudson Bay Company From one
thousand to fifteen hundred Americans said to be now
settled the Wilame of the southern tributaries OF
the Columbia and this believe is all. Nor has England
done much more. The exclusive right Of trading with the
Indians in the country has been granted by the Crown the
Hudson Bay Company but the grant contains power
acquire, and still less to give, title to lands II contains
provso that nothing therein contained shall prevent the
Crown from establishing colony annexing any part of
territory TO any of North American colonies But nothing
of the kind has been done, and it does appear
any British subject has title foot Of land within the ter
rtory The Hudson Bay Company have, indeed, posts
many parts of it, few 10 the south and many the north Of
the Columbia but under their charter they have rgh
these posts TO the adjoining lands except that of temporary
occupation for the purpose OF their trade The whole
Der of whites under the English allegiance does not be-
eve, exceed five hundred, about individual every
seven hundred miles BY act passed in 1921 they
subject to the British laws.
The Americans propose colonizc the territory and
this succeeding the rights of Spain under the Nooa
Sound convention, they entitled do II millions of
Americans choose settle in part of the territory they
may do and may millions Of Engishmen. That this
would be very nconvenent both parties obvious and
luckily the country miserable that there chance
Of its occurring But il few thousands of the people off
each nation proceed hter and dot themselves over
the best Valleys much dsageeae perhaps mchevous quar-
reng might ensue 1t clear that this ought to be prevent
ed as soon possible by partition And to
the question as TO the mode and terms of partition.
The maximum claim of England and the minimum of Anne
rica is the Columbia the maximum of America and the
minimum Of England is the 49h parallel If each were mad
enough TO insist on its maximum, collision must
The best mode Of arrangement would be that which has
been offered by England and though accepted def
ney rejected by Amerca-arbitration. The dispute, after
all, is question Of national prde and the pride of
Their nation could be offended by submission award M
that award to the whole country down to the Mex
can frontier to England America would suffer loss She
would only be prevented from wasting her and vo
ing her CONSTITUTIONAL the acquisition and defence of what
IN effect be distant colony If the award to give the
whole territory TO America, the value Of the monopoly enjoy
ed by the Hudson Bay Company would be little diminished
But as that monopoly injurious TO the English people,
should not bitterly geve event which would reduce the
value oil the company's stock one per cent
arbitration be unattainabe the only mode Of
daton Is mutual concession and the which suggest
for that mutual concession those which, if ab
traitors should award, namely, that the boundary should
be the 49h parallel until the Pacific and then the
sea- Our only claim rests contiguiiy, and this would
give than conguity entities to. This would
give US the whole Of vancouvers island and would give
us an abundance of good habos 1t would also give the
country which Is best for the purposes for which it
the fur trade The urs to the north Of the 49h parallel
better and abundant than those the SOUTH All ba
anclng however, OF the positive advantages be obtained
by The one nation by the other PARTITION Is
chidishnes The interruption Of confidence for single
week costs than the whole country worth.
r.oI ky