Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1846-02-12

Britain should have listened to all these thus
publicly put forth, in the National Legislature, by
member hardly second TO himself in talent and in
standing knowing, too, that, the next morning, the
thousand tongues Of the press TO declare these
aloud to England, 10 Spain, TO the civilized world
is it. ask, within the bounds of possibility, that such
minister should have suffered all this, without pro-
test or contradiction if any protest could reach if
any contradiction could disprove 1t! 1t is not cred
ible, not conceivable, not possible. No man, who
stands his reputation for common sense, will argue
or believe it.
The conclusion is irresistible, that, let England's
pretensons the northwest coast be- at the present
day. what they WILL they extended, in 1870. no fur
Their than JOINT right of settlement, north Of latitude
forty-nine and half shared with her equally by the
Acknowledgment of existing rights which Mr..
Pakenham declares, ''cannot be revoked at the plea
sure of either party"
I might rest here, without another word, the
whole case But it is useful as well curious, to
pursue the matter little further, and trace the growth
of these pretensions of England, from their modest
shape in $780, to their overgrown form, at the present
day.
The first opportunity on which England, in accord
ance with policy which has gradually secured 10 her
the dominion of large portion Of the world fl
to push onward her territorial claims In northwestern
America, was the appointment of commissioners to
carry the first article Of the Nootka Convention
The celebrated navigator Vancouver appoint
ed on behalf of England, and Senior Quadra, on the
part of Spain. They met at Nooika, in August,
1892; and the account Of their negotiation given
to us by Vancouver, in the narrative Of his voyage.
Their respective views to the lands to be restored
were soon found to differ very widely.
Quadra maintained, that Meares never bad actually
purchased any land at Nooka that he had never even
had possession of any, except single spot, forming
nearly equilateral triangle, not extending hun
dred yards any side, bounded IN front by the
sea, and on the other two sides by high craggy
rocks :" on which isolated spot. Mr.. Meares had
erected his temporary residence. He adduced, in
proof of his assertions. the testimony of two Amerl
can captains, Gray and Ingraham who had been pre-
sent at Nootka in 17SS, and during the whole pro-
ceedings in 1883. These gentlemen depose, that
though they remained there nine months and could
converse perfectly with the natives, they heard
of any purchase of land by Meares. .
In regard to buildings and in proof that even the
above spot of ground abandoned by Meares,
when his last vessel the Iphegenia, commanded by a
aptain Douglas, left the Sound III the autumn of
1888, they add:
"On the arrival Of the Columbia, in the year l7SS.
there house, rather har, consisting of rough
posts covered with boards made by the indians but this
Captain Douglas pulled TO pieces pnor TO his sailing for
the Sandwich sIands, the same year. The boards he
took board the lpheghenia and the roof he gave
Captain Kendrck, which cut up and used as fire.
wood board the Columbia; that, the arrival Of
Don Martinez, there was no vesige of any house re-
naming. Proofs and Illustrations, p. 4l5.
ally concluded that Meares had been dispossessed of
neither lands nor buildings and, consequently, that
there was nothing to deliver up" He observed,
at the same time, $50 Van Couver informs us:)
"That Nootka ought to be the last nOrtLlcardy
Spanish settlement; that there the di0ding point should be
fired and that from thence to the norhward should be
free for and both parties
formally with the fifth article of the Convention that
establishments should not be formed without permission
of the respective and that the English should not
pass the South Of FEca VdH COu1er'S POydge, VoL 2
p. 342.
/ In word, the Spanish Commissioner put upon the
provisions of the Convention the very same nterpre-
tation which had been put upon them, publicly and
uncontradcted by Fox and others in the British Par
! lament two years before.
Subsequently, Senior Inadra offered TO leave Van
Couver in possession of the spot Mr. Meares had
cupied, and place at his command the houses,
gardens and Offices then occupied by the Spaniards,
whilst himself retired but % toittou prejudice to the
! legitimate right of Spain. "
! To this Van Couver declared, that he was not au-
thorized to agree. He contcnded, that the words
buildings and tracts of lands" employed in the first
article of the Convention could possibly be
strued to mean merely triangular spot hardly
tanning one of ground, and
"That least the whole part Of Nootka, of which his
Maesys subjects had been orcblv dspossessed and
which themselves, their vessels and cargoes had beer
captured must have been the proposed object of resu
ton "-VOyage, Vol .. p. 375
He also put forward the British claim then for the
first time asserted to equal settlement with Spain,
South TO latitude hirty-eigh; declaring, that he
Conceived port St. Francisco 10 be the northernmos
settlement occupied by the subjects of His Catholic
Majesty, in April 1889. "-Voydge, Vol. ?. p. $50.
This by the way, was not, in any sense, the ques-
ton the words " already occupied clearly referring
to the date of the Convention, to-wit October 1890
and not by any possible construction, Van Couver
would have them refer, TO the date of the alleged
capture.
Asian offset to the evidence;of Captains Gray and
Ingraham, and, far it appers, as the sole war
rant beyond the words of the Convention, for his de-
mand of the whole settlement of Nootka. Van Couver
brings forward the deposition of certain Robert
Dufin, supercargo under Meares, and who was with
him at Nootka in 17S5. Van Couver gives in his
voyage but the substance of this mans evidence; Of
which the material part according to his version, is
as follows:
"Mr Meares attended by himself QDufin) and Mr.
Robert Funier on the I7h Or 18Th of May I7s8 went
shore and bought of the TWO chiefs, MaqUia and CAL
icum, the ,chOe of the land that forms The Friendly Core
NOOtka Sound, in his Maiesiys name, for eight ten
sheets IF copper, and some tifug articles; That the
lives were perfectly satisfied and with the chiefs, did
homage Mr. Mears their Sovereign according the
custom of the country, &c. '-POt. 2. p 370-37l.
This statement of Duffns is an utter falSehood
whether suborned for the occasion not, may
not now determine Great Brtain's principal
witness shall disprove it the reputed sovereign the
very man, who is said to have made this important
purchase and who published, the next year, the mar
rative of his voyage and his claims and bis wrongs
even Mr.. Meares himself Here he Is, in very
spectacle quarto form. And what is his testimony
what says his daily Journal of the proceedings al
Nootka Under date the 10th May l7SS Duffin has
it the 18th or lSth) Meares says that he had visit
from the two Nootka chiefs. He adds:
"a present. consisting of copper, iron and other graft
tying articles, made TO Maqulla and CALHOUN whe
on receiving IT, took off their Sea-oter garments threw