Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1846-02-27
From the National Intelligencer.
THE OREGON QUESTIoN.-No. ~.
NEw YoRK, January p, 1896.

as Great Britain, aud are equally bound,
10 protect their citizens residing in the Or.
egon territory in the exercise of all the
rights secured to them by the convention.
It has been fully admitted that these rights
embrace the right TO settle in and over a.
ny part Of the territory, and that to bc, in
oil cases whatever, umenable to the iuris-
diction Of their own country. The sub
jecls Of Great Britain { who are not in the
employ Of the Hudson Bay Company, are
forbidden to trade with the motives; and the
company does in fact control and govern
oil the british subjects residing in the ter
ritoTy. This gives a strong guaranty a.
gainst the violation, by rash individuals,
Of the rights Of the citizens of the United
States. Should any Of them however, be
disturbed in the exercise of their legili-
mate rights, and the company should be
unable or unwilling to relieve and ;ndeu-
Nifty them, the United States would he
justly entitled to appeal to the British Gov
ernment for the redress of violation of
rights secured 10y the convention: for the
British Government has preserved con.
troll OVer the Hudson Bay Company, and
does in fact, through It, govern the British
subjects who reside in the territory,
The United States are placed, in that
respect, in a very different situation, Its
not believed that the General Government
is authorized to incorporate as political
body, commercial company, with such
powers as would give it an efficient con-
troll over the private citizens residing in the
territory. Such delegation of powers, Ell
ther by any of the States or by Congress,
is wholly inconsistent with our institutions.
The United States may indeed give to
their citizens in Oregon a regular and com
plete judiciary system; and they may also
extend to them, as the British Government
has done on its part, the laws of an ada
cent territory. But an executive local
power is wanted in this case, as it is every
where else under any form Of Govern
ment whatever, to cause the laws to be ex-
ecuted, and to have that general control
which is now exercised through the Hud-
son Bay Company, by the British Govern
! e
public though local nature, such as open
ing roads, making bridges, erecting block
houses fnr protection against the natives,
providing for the destitute, &C., all which
are performed by the Hudson Bay Compa-
ny, and cannot be accomplished by insula-
ted individuals, bound by holegal associa-
ton or government.
Whether any measures may be devised,
other than a territorial government. that
will be sufficient for the purpose intended;
whether all the. American Citizens residing
in Oregon might not be incorporated and
made body polite, with powers equvo-
lent to those vested in the Hudson Bay
Company, and with the reservation by the
General Government of q check or control
analogous to that reserved by the Govern
ment Of Great Britain, are questions wor-
thy Of serious consideration. But Great
Britain has the same interest as thc United
States to prevent collision during the con-
tinuancp of the convention; and it is be-
lieved that, if negotiations should he re-
newed, with an equal and sincere desire
on both sides to preserve friendly re-,
latons, there would be no difficulty at this
time in coming % an understanding on
this subject It wonld seem sufficient that
this should be accompanied with provisions
preventing the possibility of the powers
exercised by the United States being ever
applied to British subjects, and with an
explicit declaration that these powers new
er should be construed as an admission by
Great Britain OF any claim Of the United
States to exclusive sovereignty.
There is another mportantsubject which
has not, it 81 believed, ever been discussed
by the two Powers. This is the claim to
the ownership of the places settled and
improved under the convention. 1t seems
to me that, on the principles of both natu-
raj and international law, those rights, to
a defined extent, should be respected by
each Power respectively, whose sover-
eignty over the portion of the territory in
which such improved settlements may be
situated win ultimately be recognised. 1t
appears also that the United States may.
in conformity with the convention, and
without affecting in any shape the claims
advanced by Great Britain, pass law de-
rlaring that thew abandon or GRAN; without