The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-08-09

The Oregon Treaty and the Navigation OF
the Columbia.
Our readers will recoilect that in the settlement
nj the Northeastern boundary question a few years
since, the British cabinet said TO be guilty Of
q piece of trckery and infamy, in conceallng
map in the possession of the government which
defined the true boundary between the British
possessions and the territory of the United States.
This map substantiated the pretensons set
up in the dispute about title, but carefully
concealed until after the Ashburton treaty had
been formed and ratified. 1t was permitted to
see the light when this country had agreed, for
the sake of settling vexatious question, to give
up part of her claim which was founded on
doubted right and justice. We very much suspect
that trick equally dishonorable has been prac-
Used upon us in the settlement of the Oregon
question.
The convention proposed by Great Britain for
the final settlement of the Oregon question, con-
tanned section settling the question of the navi
CATION of the Columbia River. This question, be
it remembered, has ever been the impeachment in
arriving at I compromise The section was in
these words -
ARricLr From the point at which the 4sth parallel
of north latitude shall be found to intersect the great
northern branch of the Columbia River the navigation
OF the said branch shall be free and open to the Hudsons
Bay Company and TO all British subjects trading with
the the point where the said branch meets the
main stream of the Columbia and thence down the said
main stream to the ocean with free access into and
through said river or rivers it being understood
that all the usual portages along the line thus described
the sa with
and produce, shall be treated the footing citi
a9ns q s S nit being S
as preventing or intended to prevent the government OF
the United States from making any regulations re-
he nflnn IF I'm aid rtua rIVQr
not inconsistent with the present treaty"
This section is worded in very obscure way,
and the only hesitation about advising the Presi-
dent to accept it and make it the basis of the
treaty by the Senate, was, because the members
OF that body could not decide whether the per-
petual right to navigate this stream was intended,
or merely the right TO navigate for limited time
for the time then unexpired of the ant to that
company, which it was supposed would expire in
1858. -
y 1t was understood by the Senate, at the time of
the formation ofth treaty, that the right free
vigation of the Columbia would cease with that
grant--and so understanding it, that body acted
as 1t did, by recommending it to the President to
adopt. 1t was in this spirit that the treaty was
formed and ratified
We now understand that the British Minister
and the British Cabinet, put different construc-
ton this section, and insist that the free nav-
CATION of the Columbia is vested in the Hudson's
Bay Company in perpetuity. They insist that the
charter of that company being perpetual, the
right TO navigate that river s also perpetual, and
with such view the article was proposed. They
in fact hold that they entitled construe the
section strictly, and strict construction of the
article favors the perpetual right, they intend to
hold on TO IT. without regard 10 the general I'M
Outstanding on which the treaty was signed
although, it was at the suggestion of the British
Minister himself it is said, that no reservation for
time was inserted.
The flaming of this article in the way it was
put forth by the British Cabinet, coupled with
the explanations Of the British Minister at Wash
ington, and the way in which it is nov construed
by the British, in insisting that il intended to
reserve the perpetual navigation of the Columbia,
is piece of choanery and trckery, altogether
unworthy of the enlightened British government;
and can be looked upon in no other light than an
attempt to overreach us by pretending to make a
concession, and after the difficulty is settled in
sisting upon their full rights, as they under
stand them 1t is what we call "diploma-
TIC swindle 1t is on par with the sys-
TEN OF watch stuftng practised extensively
IN this city. The British government held out the
real gold watch, and by making Peter Funk Of
itself, succeeded in palming of comparatively
worthless trinket on the Senate of the United
States
There is one consolation, however, and that is
this Peter Funk operation will not do them as
much good as their trick in the settlement of the
Northeastern Boundary question did. In that
case the evil could not be remedied, but in this it
can, inasmuch as long before the period for which
the navigation was in good faith granted will ex-
pire, the Hudsons' Bay Company will be at an
end. The star of empire is westward and the
tide of emigration which win soon flow into that
territory, will drive before it the beasts and ami
mails, for whose furs and skins the company have
carried on operations. Let the animals become
scarce, and the company falls to the ground
This, however, is nothing to do with the dipo-
matte trick that has been practised on by the
heterogeneous conduct of Great Britain
We are sorry that the treaty is ratified; for dis
posed as we are, and always have been for peace
we would prefer war of ten years continuance
before would suffer the country to be over
reached by any one. We have reason to believe
that both Mr. Polk and Mr.. Buchanan were dis.
satisfied with the Interpretation placed on this
section Of the convention, and would have
promptly releoted the whole treaty, and in
sisted upon boundary at the 54th degree
north, If they had been sustained by the Senate.
That body, however, withdrew their support, and
left them no alternative but the one thus recon-
nended and adopted The censure therefore.
must be placed where it belongs on the Senate.
who, in their haste to settle the question. allowed
it TO impose treaty on the country by which the
right to navigate the Columbia was tricked out of
them.
After all this, it may be asked what estimate
we should put on England. There can be but
one answer. She is the Peter Funk of nations
While with one hand she takes the Columbis
from US, she holds out the other and offers to be-