Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1845-12-04


pe.,aon u.s psoPeriy rejected 81 tke American
~ - MAY On De ~ Z uls submitted
olIered by Ne Blush 1'e1;.ossnsisr5 m.
proposition On he uarf 81 CD RS;,-s3, 49,.
been rejected de Britisk r'eniDoss-,;.-. =
guested thar proposal sko~|i IS r.s5s =, :, -
Tie question: = =
When came into of;ce. 7 ARM, 49,. I.
.he SAFE OF me negoti1tion. Though enter
.1lhng the settled conviction, that the Brit:sl
pIetensionsoi title could not Be maintained I,
any portion OF the Oregon terriiory upon An,
PnnciPie o. public law recognized By nations
yer IN Difference towhat had been done 3,
ny predecessors, and especially il eonsiders
i.oa that propositions fccompromise had beer
Inrlce made By two preceding administrations
g adjust The question On the parallel Of forty
nme degrees, and In two oil them yieldins
2 Great Britain the free navigation Of ths
Columbia, and that the pending negotiation
had been commenced on the basis Of compro
miss. deemed ito be my duty not abruptly L
1reak itoft In consideration, too, that undei
me conventions Of 1918 and 1897, theaciti
gems and subjectsof the two Powers held.
lclnt occupancy Of the country, was inducel
70 make another effort to settle this long pend.
ing controversy in the spirit Of moderation
winch had given birth to the renewed discus.
SION. a proposition was accordingly made
which was rejected by the British plenipeten
uary, who, without submitting any other pro
position, suffered the negotiation on his par
% drop, expressing his trust that the Unites
States would offer what he. saw 1T to cal
some further proposal for the settlement Of thu
oregon question, moro consistent with fair
ness and equity, and with the reasonable ex
Pectations of the British government.
The prcposieidu fhus offered and rejected
repeated the offer OF the parallel of forty-nine
degrees Of north latitude, which had been mad,
by two preceding administrations, but withou
proposing 10 surrender TO Great Britain, as the,
had done, the free navigation of the Columbia
liver.-The right. Of any foreign Power to th,
free navigation Of any Of our rivers, through thu
heart OF our country, was one which was un
willing 10 concede 1t also embraced a pro
vision to make freq to Great Britain any por
lor ports on the cap of Quadra and Vancouver
island, south Of this parallel. Had this Teen
new question, coming under discussion for tht
hrst time, this proposition would not have beer
made. The extraordinary ~ wholly inadmis
sible demands Of the BID government, anC
the rejection OF the ptoI d made in defer
ence alone to what had Be- one by my prede
cessors, and the implied Obligation which thei
acts seemed to impose, affard salts actory evi
dence that no compounds which the Unite,
States iought to accept, can be effected. Wltl
this conviction, the proposition of com. roInis'
which had been made and rejected, was, b.
my direction, subseq emily withdrawn, and GU
title to the wao'e Oregon territory set d
and, as Is beliesel, maintained BY irreiragibl
facts and arguments.
The civilized world will see in these pro
ceedingS spirit OF liberal concession on tn
part OF the United States and this govern
ment will be relieved from all responsibility
which may follow the failure to settle the con
troversy.
All attempts at compromise having failed
Iii becomes the duty Of Congress to conside
what measures IT, may be proper to adopt 70
the security and protection of our citizen
now inbabitng, orwho may hereafter inhabi
Oregon, and for the main enance ofour justiitl
to that territory. In. adopting measures 70
this purpose, care should be taken that nothing
be done to violate the stipulations Of the con
lvention Of 1927, which is still in force. TIL
faith Of treaties, in their letter and spirit, ha
ever been, and, trust viii ever be, scrupu
lousy observed BY the United States. Unde
that convention, years notice is required t
be given BY either party to the other, before tn
ljoint occupancy shall terminate, and before 81
Their can rightfully assert or exercise exclnsiv
Jurisdiction over any portion Of the territory
This notice it would, in my judgment, be pre-
per to give and recommend that provisio
be made by Law for giving il accordingly, an
terminating. his nesner, the CONVENTION {
the sixth August, 1927.
1t will become proper for Congress to deter
mine what legislation they can, in the mean
time, adopt without violating this convention
Beyond all ques,ion, the protection of our law
and our jurisdiction, civil and criminal, ougf
tojbe Immediately extended over our citizen
in Oregon. They have had Just cause to com
plain Of our long neglect in this particular, an
have in consequence, been compelled, for thei
own security and protection, to establish pre-
visional government for themselves Stron
in their allegiance and ardent in their attach
ment to the United States, they have been thu
cast upon their own resources. They are anx
ious that our laws should be extended owe
them, and / recommend that this be done b
Congress with as little delay as possible, il
the full extent to which the British Parlia
ment have proceeded in regard to British sub
jects in that territory, by their act Of July tn
second, 1921, "fer regulating the fur-trade AN
Establishing a crimin.l and civil jurisdiction
within certain parts u North America" B.
this act Great Britain extended her laws an
jurisdiction, civil and criminal over her sub
lects engaged in the fur-trade in that territory
By it, the courts of the province of Uppe
Canada were empowered to take cognizanc
OF causes civil and criminal. Justices Of tn
peace and other Judicial officers were author
lied to be appointed in Oregon, with power t
execute all process issuing from the courts Q
that province, and to "sit and hold courts of re
corridor the trial OF criminal offences and mis-
demeanors," not made the subject Of capita
punishment, and also of civil cases, where tn
cause Of action shall not Hexcecd in value tn.
amount or sum of two hundred pounds"
Subsequent to the date of this act Of Parlia
ment, a grant was made from the s.BritisI
Crown to the Hndson's Bay Company, of th,
exclusive trade with-ths Indian tribes in tn,
Oregon territory, subject to a reservation tina
il shall not operate to the exclusion ssof III,
subjects of any foreign States who, under o
By force OF any convention for the time being
between Us and such foreign States, respec
lively, may be entitled to, and shall be engages
in, the said i,ede."
It is myh regretted, that, while unde
this act , Lbiecis have enjoyed.ho pro
.ectiol lcf laws and British judicial tri
b':nais thu hoat the whole of Oregon, A
msr1cat citizens, ~ the same territory, haFs
leH;oycd no snch protection from their govern
ment. At the same time, the result illustrate.
the character Of our peorls and their irstitu
g Al -. IL a