The daily union., 1846-05-04
THE OREGON BILL,

For ourselves, feel the less hesitation in urging
such legslaye action, because from the very outset
OF our Oregon discussion, while as yet we forbore
20 urge the question Of the notice, we insisted upon
the aeeessty of such measures Of protection TO our
eitrsns and territory as are now recommended in
the Presidents message, and substantially embodied
in tho Oregon bill as adopted by the House. The
necessity Of such legislation, then, being generally
conceded, the practical question before the Senate is,
are the provisions Of the Oregon bill as now pre-
senisd TO that body open to substantial objeetioni
Il is remarkable, that the opposition to the ball in
the House rallied mainly upon two points wholly in
contradiction with each other It was urged in the
first place that the bill should not pass, because IL
was 30 framed as to violate the sipulations Of the
convention Of 1877. Il urged in the second
place with at least equal earnestness and animation
that the b "should be restricted in its operation to
the period Of The srsnes efths convention because its
provisions though entirely suitable under the
ton, became dangerous and inadmssble, in view OF
the claims Of England, 80 soon as the convention
should expire. These two positions assumed by lead
ng opponents Of the bill in the House, are mani
fesLy in direct contradiction with each other Ger.
unly il is not our province, believing we do that
both these objections are unfounded, to attempt to
reconcile them. We may say, however, that before
the close Of the debate in the House, the first Of
these positions seemed to have been substantially
Withdrawn; and the House was urged to limit the
operation OF the bill to the period ofth existence Of
the convention, on the express ground that by
so doing, its friends would secure a vote in
its favor almost if not altogether unanimous
Considering indeed that the very first section of the
bill provides that the act 'shall not be construed or
executed to deprive the subjects Of Great Britain Of
any of the rights and privileges secured" by the
conventions Of 1918 1897; considering, too, that
The third section provides "that any subject Of
Great Britain who shall be arrested under the prov-
.ons of this act for crime alleged to have been
med within the territory of the United States west
of the Rocky mountains, while the same remains
free and open the vessels, citizens, and subjects Of
the United States and of Great Britain, pursuant to
nipulaons between the two powers, shall be deliv-
cred up for trial. proof Of his being such British
subject to the nearest and most convenient authori-
ties having cognizance Of such offence by the laws
Of Great Britain" considering, moreover, that the
lh section Of the act in relation to grants Of land
only provides for such future grants Congress
may rightfully make; and considering lastly, that
the provisions of the establish far less sweeping
Jurisdiction than that established by the British ACT
of 1921, which is Of course to DO regarded as the
British legislative construction OF the rights of both
parties under the convention; in view Of these con-
lderaiions, we say, it is by no means wonderful
that all objection against the bill drawn from its sup
posed tendency violate the convention should have
been at an early period of the debate in the House. de-
hn,ively abandoned But fanything further is want.
ed to conclude all objection against the provisions Of
the bill on this point, it may be found in the follow
ing extract from despatch of Mr.. Galatin, in 1927
while engaged in negotiating for the continuance O.
the convention. The subject of territorial govern
ment for Oregon then came up, and Mr. Gallatin
states the views then entertained by the British gov
erument upon this point as follows; r .... a. ..
"Thc establshment Of distinct territorial gov
ernment on the west side Of the Stony mountains
would also be objected TO attempt to exercise
exclusive sovereignty. l observed that, although
the Northwest company might, from its being incor
porated, from the habits of the men they employed,
and from having a monopoly with respect to trade,
so far as British subjects concerned, carry
species Of government without the assistance OF
that of Great Britain, it was otherwise with US
Our population there would consist Of several in
dependent companies and individuals. We had al
ways been in the habit, in our most remote settle
mens of carrying laws, courts, and justices of the
reace along with US. There was an absolute neccs-
sty on our part, to have some species Of govern.
ment Without il, the kind Of sovereignty, or rather
jurisdiction, which it was intended to admit, could
not be exercised on our part was suggested, and
Vsed 10 be acq,,iesced In, that the difficulty might be
of n
confined exclusively TO the territory west Of the
tains ha should Be defined embracing all the pos
sessions of ne United STATES ,oed Of line that should
be at some dista,ce from and east Of the Stony noun
iains.n ..
II would seem, as il the present bill Extending the
laws of Iowa" over the Oregon territory of the Uni
ted States had been framed exactly in view Of such
legislation as is here declared by the British penipo
,en,iaries to be- in the view of the British government
admissible and proper under the convention
In fact, there is nothing in the present bill which
does not stand justified either by the legislation Of
Great Britain herself, or by the strong propriety
and necessity of the case In respect Of the juris
dction we but follow the footsteps Of Great Britain
and even stop short Of the provisions of her law.
She has attached the jurisdiction of the whole Of Orc
gon ito that of Canada. We attach the jurisdiction OF
our Oregon territory to that Of Iowa. Perhaps the
judiciary feature ofthc bill may be improved; but this
may be safely left to the wisdom of the Senate
Again. there are the provisions of the bill for the
encouragement and protection of cmgraton--the
block. houses and the stockade forts. Who, that
ever believed that emigration should be encouraged,
can object to these provisions Who, that desires
correct Information as to the state Of things in the
Oregon territory object to the proposed exten'
sion Of our mail system to that country Who, that
regards the safety or the welfare of citizens in
that region can object to the establishment of an
Indian agency for Oregon, by which the Indian
tribes may be at once concated and restrained But
upon these and other similar considerations call
ing for the passage Of the bill we may touch
hereafter. Before we leave this branch Of the
subject however--we mean the establishment
Of suitable regulations for Oregon during the con-
unuanee of the convenuon--we remark only that
system Of ths description should be adopted with