Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1846-03-07

no, then as much in favor of that mode
of settling dispute as now, refused all
arbitration and fastened her military pre-
parations; equipping, by incredible exer-
lions and at cost Of fifteen million dol
lars, seventy ships Of the line in five
months. Spain, in this emergency. appIl-
ed for aid TO the National Assembly of
France; and Mirabeau reported in her ia
vor. The language Of his report might
almost be supposed 10 have supplied alext
for use in our own day.
"ShaIl we do so much injustice (satd hel
10 the character of two enlightened ma
lions, as to suppose they would lavish
their blood and treasure for the acquisition
Of so distant, so barren spot of ground?"
With many high compliments 10 Eng
land the report concludes, that Spain must
not be deserted, at u moment oil danger;
and, accordingly, the Assembly voted an
augmentation Of the naval force. But
the reluctance of France TO engage IN
war with England soon became so appa-
rent, that Spain, finding herself pressed,
with naughty urgency, Tor a categorical
answer, and considering that Great Britain
had augmented her navy to a hundred
and fifty-eght sail OF the line, while her
own numbered but seventy line ships, fl
nalIy, in October of the same year, sub.
mitted to necessity, and signed, at the
. Escurial, the celebrated CONVENTION AT
! NooTKA; the same since claimed by Eng
land as the basis Of all her territorial
j rights on the northwestw est coast.
1t behooves us to examine, with strIc!
care. the provisions oil that Convention.
!, Its frsl and second articles declare, that
''lhe buildings and tracts OF land OF which
the subj ects of his Britanlc Majesty were
!, dispossessedn in 1899, shall be restored
and that Just reparaton shall be made FOR
all acts of violence and forclbIe seizure OF
:. property, on the north coast.
II Its third article secures 10 both nations
: the navigation and fishery OF the Pacific
aud South Seas, "subect, nevertheless, to
@ the provisions and restrictions specified
!, in he three following articles" that is
10 say, the 4th, 9Th, and 9th.
+ The fourth article prohibits British sub
!, jects from navigating or fishing within
n ten sea leagues of any Spanish settlement
J. And the fifth article, the most lmpor.
/ tant of the whole, lying at the very basis
t. of The present dispute, reads thus:
y CART. s. 1t is agreed, that, as we'll in
j. the places which are 10 be restored to the
, British subjects by virtue of the first ar
?, ucle, as in all other parts Of the north
A western coasts Of North America, or OF
T the islands ad jacent, situated to the north
Y OF The coast already occupied by Spain,
wherever the sub ects Of the two powers
= shall have made settlements since the
q month Of April 1889, or shall hereafter
i make any, subjects of the other shall have
!. free access, and shall carry on their trade,
h without any disturbance or molestation."
(The 9th article refers 10 South American
is Observe, pray you, the wording of
e this article. The species OF Joint oc-
IS cupaion thereby established is 10 BE-, as
=. well at Nootka, if land be there restored
n to British subjects, as IN other parts OF
u the northwest coast, "SHaaIed The north Of
n Tie partS ALREADY OCCUPIED by Spatn."
!. "Occupied"s the word, not even legally
| posse ssed; and ''already occupie d. that
is. at the date OF the conventions, to wit
+. on the 28th October, 1890 That Nootka,
at that date, was "already occupied by
4 SPAIN no one pretends 10 deny. 1t is
Il fact established, indeed by Mears' memo
h rial itself, that it had been settled by the
Spaniards eighteen months before. And
II liz remained Spanish settlement, as we
). shall see, for more than four years after
: wards.
e But the latitude Of Nootka is lItle
i north of forty nine and half. 1t follows,
. that by that very Convention TO which
D the British commissioners appea in
a which they profess 10 discover the sole
r authentic source Of all territorial rights
!. on the Northwest Coast, England has not
). a shadoac ofa claim south Of .torty-nine and
a half, and 5Wta joint right Of settlement
e north Of that ldtttude
' Is Ibis a new view OF the object? a new
Interpretation Of that Convention and the
+ reel procal rights II confrms9 1t may be-
|. new to many members of this House. 1t
. may be new, even, among the arguments
!. called forth by the negotiations on this
subject; for our negotIators, not admitting
d that the Nootka convention is still in force,
may not have deemed it necessary scru-
pulousIy to test the bearing Of its provi-
sions. 1t is not new to England, no mat
ter with what skillul ingenuity she has
hitherto kept it out Of sight. To the
British Cabinet it is nearly as old as the
Convention itself. 1t is established by
that commentary on the Convention, of
all others the mos: authentic, namely, the
j debates in Parliament occurring but a
few weeks after its signature, and grow
u ing out Of the usual mot ion for an ad-
dress Of thanks 10 the King, on the occa.
sion.