Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1845-04-19
OREGON--ENGLAND-THE UNI
TED STATES.

the British press are beginning TO agitate
the Oregon question. The passage of
bill by the House of Representatives during
the last session of Congress, for the arm
ing and occupation of that Territory, called
forth the British press. We make the fol.
lowing extract from the Lond1IS Times
which is supposed to speak the sentiments
of the Government.
"a bill OF a most extraordinary kind has
passed the House Of Representatives by major.
lily OF l40 to sd. 1t was introduced into the
Senate on the following day, read twice and re-
leTred 10 special committee. We are. there.
fore, not combating mere phantom in directing
public attention to this fragrant encroachment on
the rights and territories OF the Crown Of Eng
land which, il i. do actually receive the sane
ton Of the Congress, violates the conventions
existing between US and the United States with
reference to the Oregon territory, puts an end to
negotiation by assuming direct sovereignty over
the whole tract lying between the az deg. and 50
degree 40 min. Of latitude, and binds the United
States Government to plunge at the expiration
Of twelve month into all the hazards OF an
open contest with Great Britain for the possession
Of an unappropriated region on the shores OF the
Pacific. We have no hesitation in expressing
our opinion that the claim OF Great British 10 The
whole territory in dispute is just substantial, and
historically as well as geographically complete.
If any blame can be attached TO the past negotia
tons on the subject in 1918 and 1927, it is that
English Ministers have not insisted enough on the
extent and integrity Of our rights, and that the
Americans have been allowed 10 convert the very
slight doubt they endeavored 10 throw over part
OF the case into an admitted right Of Joint occu
patton. Subsequent investigation has removed
that doubt, and convinced US OF the validity OF
our whole claim; but it is too late to put our
case as high as it originally stood, and still stands
on its own merits We have acknowledged the
principle OF a Joint occupation with view 10
the ultimate partition Of the land, and we must
abide by it,"
The ultimate partition Of the land" is the
result then to which the British journal
looks; the British Government looks to the
same result. The moderation" of its Ian
guage is urged by the Times as proof of
its readiness to accept an amicable and
equitable adjustment Of disputable rights
to waste territories" it will yield nothing,
however, "to menace, illegal assumption or
violence"
"The disputed rights of the two States
to the Oregon territory quote from
the London journal, -"are precisely case
for such an adjustment; and probably the
bes, method of arriving at this result would
be by referring the matter to the arbitration
ofa third state, provided the powers of the
arbiter were sufficiently extended, and both
parties were vigorously bound to abide by
the award. This expedient has been re-
peatedly but Intellectually urged upon the
Cabinet Of Washington by Mr.. Packenham
in the course O The negotiation. But in the
United States measures of Cancellation and
prudence are not to the taste of the reign
ing populace."
The following summary of the claims
of England TO this Territory may not be
uninteresting to our readers. We quote
from London paper
1.-THE claim to prior discovery on the part Of
the American Captain Gray falls to The ground,
since it is proved that he only discovered and
barely entered the mouth of the river Columbia,
and that Captain Vancouver was the first officer
who explored that stream and its banks. On the
4th Of June, 1892, Captain Vancouver, at Pos.
session Sound, took possession, with the usual
lormaIilies, of all the coast OF New Albion las it
had first been called by Sir Francis Drake)
from latitude 80 degrees 20 m. to the inlet OF the
strait OF ST. Juan de Fuca. The settlement sub.
sequently made by Mr.. Asor at the mouth of
the river was the unauthorized act OF private
individual, and established no national rights
whatever.
By the treaty OF 1878, which recognised the
independence OF the United States, the frontier
Of the Republic was defined with as much accu.
racy as the stale Of geographical knowledge ad.
mtted OF; and it did not extend westward beyond
the source OF the Mississippi. Nor did the sub
sequent acquisition OF Louisiana by purchase
from France extend the rights OF The United
States beyond The rocky mountains The north
ern and north western tract never formed part of
the Government Of Louisiana at all, but of that
OF Canada; and that tract was ceded 10 Great
Britain by the treaty OF 1863, when France sur
rendered The province to which it belonged. She
still retained Louisiana, bnt she did not retain or
ever after assert any claim whatever TO those terri
torial rights extending 10 the Pacific, which she
had possessed as long as she was mistress of
Canada.
The Florida treaty, made in 1919, between
the United States and Spain cedes to the former
all the rights OF the latter Power north Of the
AID parallel of latitude. Those Spanish rights
were very questionable; but such as they were,
they had been admitted by the Convention OF
Escural signed in 1890, 10 confer a power of