The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-02


nation Of that convention of free commerce and
! trade, which is not permitted between one nation
and the territory OF another. IL is not CON
vention or treaty Of joint occupation; il is treaty
authorizing the exercise Of commercial right---of
The right of nayigation-of the right of treaty slip
uatlon with the Indians either side; and treaty
i which precludes permanent and exclusive oceupa-
ton by either party. IL is precisely the exclusive
occupation which cannot be assumed by either of
the parties without this notice is given twelve months
beforehand. In my estimation, in advance of all
these other measures, IL appears TO me that the no.
tice must be given When this notice is given,
twelve months afier the right will accrue to this
country OF occupying any part which they think
proper In the progress Of the bill which passed
this House al the last session Of Congress myself
moved first section of that bill; and il was that
this notice should be given. The House did not
think proper TO agree 10 IL. The House, | believe,
passed bill without including the notice in H.
/ The gentleman from Illinois can say whether this
| is correct.
| Mr.. DOUGLASS explained that at a subsequent
day the gentleman from Massachusetts, offered the
amendment for the notice, and il was adopted.
| Mr. G. J. lNGERSoLL. And at the very last
moment, too. ....D.
| Mr. ADAMS. However that was il was adopt
ed at the close Of the action the bib but the bill
| did not pass the Senate. / was the member who
proposed it as the first section Of the BILL and | then
declared myself ready To give the notice to Great
|
am ready now; and ! hope this aud the other
House Of Congress will do IT, the very first meas
ure, which Is TO be followed afterwards by the real
occupation of the whole territory!
! Applause and elappng of hands upon the floor
and IN The galleries, which was Immediately repress-
ed by the Speaker -
| But deem il indispensable CONTINUED Mr.. A, J
that the notice shall be given for it, and what the
gentleman from Illinois said is some what in coinc-
denee with my own imPressions-that there is a
game playing, | know nothing about ii; but ! am
| somewhat surprised to hear, at this day. that the
Committee on Foreign Affairs would report this
| notice.
Mr. C. INGERSoLL interpreted, remarking
that that had been said by member Of the CON-
mittee. .......
Mr.. ADAMS. heard it from none of the COM
miltee; but the report is extremely current.
| Mr.. DOUGLASS explained, lest Mr. ADAMS
might have misunderstood him, that he had made
no such declaration.
Mr.. C. J. INGERsoLL,' Certainly, no person
| il authorized to say so.
Mr. ADAMS. Bot | have heard il from great
variety Of quarters; and if it is delayed much longer,
shall believe II. should deeply regret IL, II ma
iority Of this COMMITTEES were prepared to give
this notice; and for the that, in my esima-
nation IL Is the first Of all the be taken
and all the rest depend upon it; and, while we
talking OF regiments OF infantry, and forhcaons Of
stockade forts, and sappers and miners, Great Brit
ain IL arming her seamen and her ships Of the line
and frigaes and is sending her troops here TO be
ready for anything that may happen in consequence
Of this difference Of opinion. | am very DESTROYS
that this notice should be given Immediately, with
out delay; and would vote for il il 1t were brought
! forward to-day. ..... ....H
the rules be suspended, in order to introduce the no
| tice.
The SPEAKER reminded the gentleman that the
gentleman from Massachusetts, had not yielded the
| Aoor ........ ..
Mr.. ADAMS proceeded further 10 say that he
scarcely felt himself authorized, with any prospect
of success, TO make any motion to this House. II
IL had not been he should the very first day OF
the session have moved that this notice be given
because he had so profound of the duty OF
adherence TO treaties, that he was opposed to any
measure Of hostility, or showing disposition for
hostility, under this step first taken. So long
as the convention existed, long the notice is
not given, long he could vote for no increase
Of the army or navy, for all these other measures
| depended on this notice. Now if this bill was to
be made the special order of the day for Tuesday
next, he hoped it would be arranged by those
who managed the affairs of this House, that this
question Of the notice to be given to Great Britain
should also be the special order Of that day. and be
taken up FIRST before anything else Let it lie made
the special order of the day; for in his opinion they
were wasting time in legisating talking anything
about the increase of the defences Of the country
/ iii we give this notice. '.... ... a.... : &.
1t did not follow that there would be war; it did
not even follow necessarily that should take pos
session of the country. We would only say to
Great Britain, after negotiating twenty-odd years
under that convention, made and repeated, we do
not choose to negotiate any longer in this way. We
choose to take possession Of our own. IL we have
to settle what is our own, or whether any portion
belongs to you, we may negotiate. We might ne
gotiate after taking possession. That was the mill
tary way Of doing business. .rrt
/ 1t was the way, in which Frederick ii Of Prussia
had negotiated with the emperor of Austria for s.
lesia. Mr.. A. gave an account Of the interview Of
Frederick the Great with the Austrian minister and
of the fact Of Frederick having sent his troops to
take possession of that province the very day that
he had sent his minister to Vienna to negotiate
| for it, '.g.a,.
He said he hoped the first step taken would be to
give, in the most solemn manner, notice to Great
| Britain. Then should have our elbows clear,
and could do as we pleased 1t did not follow as a
necessary consequence that should then take
| possession, but he hoped it would follow as con-
sequence, and very immediate one. But whether
we give the notice not, it did not necessarily
draw after II hostility or war. If Great Britain
chose to take it an indication of hostility, and
then to commence hostilities, why, we had been
told that there would be but heart in this
try; and God Almighty grant that il might be so e
But if this should be so, we should hear no more
of these extraordinary terrors Of on the part Of
the gentleman from South Carolina, whose course
on the Texas question had been con,rased with his
position on this question How gallant the gentle
man was at the time that Texas was in question,
was not for him to say. He did not wish to draw
any comparison between the disposition of mem
bers Of this House for the acquisition of Texas,
and ,he--not acquisition, but--taking our own, Of
Oregon He said if this war came--which God for
bid and Of which, by the way, he had no APP
prehension whatever--he hoped the whole country
would go into it with one heart and one mighty hand;
and if that were done, he presumed the question
between us and Great Britain would not last long
neither Oregon nor any country north Of this la-
tude would long remain to Great Britain "
Strong as was his moral aversion to modern
and military establishments, then, il he should
have the breath Of life at the time when the war
commences, he hoped he should be able and willing
to go far in any sacrifices necessary to make The
war successful as any member Of this II ,use. He
could say no more. ...
He now said, and he repeated, that until the no
tice was given to Great Britain, he not prepar-