The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-29

I'm 1900 and 1911 respectively the Northwest COMPANY
established posts the THcoutche Tesse and the Colum
ba.
In the year 1911 Thompson the astronomer ofthe North
west Company discovered the northern head waters OF tn
Columbia and following its till joined by the river
previously discovered By Lewis and Clark he CONTINUES
his journey TO the Pacific.
From that time till the year 1915 when the arrangemen
for the Joint occupancy Of the territory concluded III
Northwest Company continued TO extend their operation
throughout the Oregon territory and to oeonpyI i MAJ
be said as far as occupation can be effected In regions
inaccessible and destitute Of resources"
These facts are not disputed on our par; nor are tn
following upon the same subject made by our nego
| tatoT;
Establishment formed by American citizens oil
the Columbia early 1909 and 1910 In the latter year
company formed in New York at the hssd OF which
John Jacob Aston wealthy merchant OF that city thu
object Of which TO form regular chsn Of establish
the Columbia river and the contiguous coasts
the Pacific Tor commercial purPSes Early N the spring
OF the yer few miles above Point George, where thej
were visited in July following by Mr. Thompson, sur
party They had been sent out by that company fore
stall the American company In occupying the mouth Of thu
yer but found themselves defeated In their object IN
meats higher up the river; one at the confluence Of tn
oksnegsn with the Dorth branch OF the Columbia abou
hundred miles above its mouth, and the other thu
sPokan stream falling into the north branch, some my
miles above These posts passed into the possession
year. butt provided by the first article Of the treaty
Client which terminated IT, that all territories places
Ting ns gar OF wGisG may s. taken s;r he SsHns Of H.
treaty cropping the islands hSrsair sH"nSd Ia ne Soy o
Fly) shall BE- rsEorsd Without dsigy Under this proyi
sion which embraces all the establishments Of the America
Company on the Columbia Astoria was formally restored
the 9th OF October 1915 by agents duly authorized
the part Of the British to restore the posses
sion and an agent duly authorized on the part Of the gov
our where was before passed into the hand
OF British subjects"
All settlements made sin ce, are under the conven.
ton Of 1918, which will be hereafter referred to
and do not at oil affect the question oftitle.
H.
say that east Of the Rocky mountains, the 49th de.
gree Of north latitude is the boundary between the
United States and Great Britain; and that the only
practicable pass in those mountains is the South OF
Fremont's, which is exceedingly easy one. This
is within our territory.
In immediate connection with this head, is the
use and advantage which the country in dispute
may become to the respective parties. For reasons
which shall hereafter give, England never can colo
nze IT. IL il is TO be settled and cultivated IL mus
be by own citizens II never can be of any grea
use TO England in a commercial point Of view, as il
does not lie in the track Of her commerce. To ouI
| commercial intercourse with the countries OF the
Pacific, it is Of much consequence.
| will next, Mr.. Chairman, proceed to consider
the treaties affecting Oregon. In the first place, by
treaty with Russis, entered into by ourselves, and
by similar one made by her with England, $40 40'
which is far south Of the point Of discoveries made
by Spain, by ourselves, and by England, is fixed a,
her southern boundary. | will next refer 10 those
treaties upon which we rely. And first, the treaty
by which we acquired louisiana And here, permit
to remark that il is upon this treaty, as under
stand him, that Mr. BENTON, well informed upon
all subjects Of this sort, principally relies for ouI
title 20 Oregon.
BY the treaty Of February 10, 1853, between
Great Britain, France, and Spain England was con.
frmed in her possession Of French provinces on the
ST. Lawrence, and in her claim to the territory be-
tween the Allegheny mountains and the Mississippi
Ia .baI ~.
beyond it. And here was a triumph of title by con-
tiguity over title by discovery and settlement.
France had unquestonably first discovered and set
tied the Mississippi and its waters; but England
had included all the country from the Atlantic 10 the
Pacific in her colonial charters. A dispute arose as
to the extent of their respective rights and they
were settled as | have stated
Spain acquired Louisiana from France, and held
it until October 1, l600 she then retroceded, in
the language Of the treaty, to France, 'the same in
extent it now is in the hands Of SPAIN as il was
when France formerly possessed it, and as it should
be according to the treaties subsequently made be-
tween Spain and other nations"
In April 1S03 Bonaparte ceded Louisiana to the
United States, with all its rights and appur;enances
as fully and in the same manner as it had been nc.
quired from Spain in 1900"
Mr. Benton insists that these treaties made US
party to the treaty Of Utrecht, the 10th article Of
which provided for the appointment of commission
ers to mark and define their possessions; which
commissioners, he says, did their work. and fixed
the 49th degree of north latitude as the boundary
between France and Great Britain from the Lake o
the Woods to the Pacific. Upon this subject, in Q
speech made in the Senate on the 18th of January
| l843, he says:
MIR said he would not restae the American title to thi
country; it had been well done by others who had prece
ed him in debate He would only give little mo de
former with France, by which acquired louisiana thu
other with Spain by which we acquired all her rights OF
OF Ilv he first q
these treaties we became party to the 10th article Of thu
treaty Of Utrecht between France and Engaadthe treat!
Of peace Of IVA which terminated the of Queen Ann
and Louis XIV and settled all their differences of even
kind in Europe and America and undertook to prevent tn
recurrence OF future differences between them The l0
article of this treaty applied to their settlements and terri
tories in North America and directed commissares to b.
appointed to mark and define their possessions Thes
commssares did their work They drew line from
to to separate the French and British domnons
to prevent future collisions and Entertainments This lin
began the coast of Labrador, and followed n cSurs
slightly south of west to the centre of North America
leaving the British settlements of Hudson's bay thu
north and the French Canadian to the south
This line took for landmark the Lake of the Woods
the Mississippi and from that point 49h parallel
north latitude indefinitely to the The language tn
line indefnabi and this established the northern boun
dairy Of Louisiana, and .rsctsd paH beyond phich tu
French settlements could not 10 the north, British
purchasers of louisiana the treaty of 1903 made us
party to the 10th article of the treaty of Utrecht and mad
been 10 tie French and the British. became pai ,ohe
neither could pass, far as depended upon that line"
| know, Mr.. Chairman, that it is denied that thu
commissioners provided for in the treaty already no
ferred to ever run the line between the British ant
French possessions. Mr. Greenhow, in his yer,
able and admirable book first denied il. The proof
which he adduces go far to sustain him. But
must be remembered it is negative--such, for in
stance, as that numerous authors had been consult
ed, most Of whom make no mention of the fact
} One states that commissioners were appointed; an
others, that they were not; that on some maps pub
lished in the middle Of the last century line draw
on the 49th parallel Of latitude does appear as tn
t boundary between the possessions Of France AM
England; on Others different line is laid down; an
on still others, none at all appears. The uncertaint
on this point is easily to be accounted for At the
mote time alluded to, this vast continent was almos
entirely unsettled, and very little interest was felt
mere boundary line, in trackless wilderness, i
which, in ages to come, it was not anticipated Their
4 would be any settlements. But it must be borne i
/ mind that some maps published at the time, as ur
important az it was for any purpose for which map
are usually made did lay down the line, which wouI
hardly have been done fit had not actually been rur
II IL more probable that many maps would omit
line actually run, than that one would lay down on
), which had not been And il must also be born
Y n idal