Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-05-30
TWENTy-N NINTH CONGRESS.
MONDAY, MAY 25, 1916.
IN SENATE.
FIRST SESSION.


s
IN SENATE.
The Senate having proceeded the consideration Of the spe
cial ode the motion pending being that of Mr. WEsTcorr
to postpone further consideration of the bill to establish
jurisdiction the territory OF Oregon until the first Monday
in December next
Mr. BENTON rose and addressed the Senate follows
In resumng my speech this subject, wish to say, Mr.
President that the bill before the Senate not the
recommended by the President of the United States He
commended that the sovereignty and jurisdiction Of the United
States be extended Oregon territory to the extent
that Great Britain had extended her sovereignty and usdc
ton to the country In this recommendation fully
concur and say that if such bill brought
m pass the Senate eaving out unnecessary speeches
in little time it would require to read three times by
its title But the bill before the Senate is not Of that charac
ter goes far beyond the Presidents recommendation 1t
proposes many things not found in the British act of 1921
things implying exclusive jurisdiction and sovereignty in us
and that underlined extent of country and under crcum
which Immediately produce hostile collisions be-
tween agents and the British agents the other side OF
the Rocky Mountains. opposed to all this but / am
not in favor of the indefinite postponement ofthe bill wish
amended and made comfortable TO the Presidents
commentator If gentlemen who have the conduct of the
here will bring such amendment and put it on
its passage without speeches. will stop my speech until it IS
passed.
will now proceed to show, well as can, the degree
and Of Just claims beyond the Rocky Mountains
To understand what say, is necessary TO reco
ect the geography of the country in question: and
sentng as it does three distinct geographical divisions
each of which different claim and different degree OF claim
attaches and which be COMPOUNDED under any
neral view, without general myscaion and total confusion
Of the whole subject The Columbia and Its valley
one Of these divisions the islands along the another
Frazers and valley (caed by the British New Gale
dona) is the third Under these three divisions now pro-
pose speak Of the country Under these divisions nave
always spoken of il and what have said OF one part had no
application another When spoke Of the great river Of
The West and its valley either by its American Of Co
umbia its Indian Of Oregon never intended Fra
zers river and its valley Vancouvers Island or the u
Of Georgia. Desolaon Sound, Broughtons Arch When
speak of the and the islands, do not mean the CONT
and the mountains and when speak OF Frazer river
or New Caledonia, do the Columbia river re-
pudae all such loose and sovcny verbage and desiring TO
be understood according my words to speak OF the
country beyond the Rocky Mountains under the three great
geographical divisions into which Nature has formed it. and to
which political events have naturally adapted themselves
begin with the islands.
From the Straits of Fuca lin fact from Puges Sound) TO
the peninsula Of Alaska distance of thousand miles
there is a network Of isandsan neutrality-suspicious. large
SMALL checquered in together and covering the coast to
the extent of two, and even three hundred miles IN on
of the continent They most OF them OF volcanic impress
son and separated from each other and the continent by
deep bays gu and straits and by long deep chasms to
which navgaors have given the of canals This long
chequer board of islands, and the waters which contain hem
have been the theatre of maritime discovery TO many naons
and especially Spanish British, and Russians but except the
Russians, nation made permanent settlements on any oil
these islands and they only low down latitude 55
Island after the Nooka Sound controversy and from that
had settlement of any kind the coast, islands
north Of Cape Mendocino, latitude Al and the British had
any where In this state Of the the question came
between Russia Great Britain, and the United States, in
which the distinction between the islands and the continent
acknowledged by oil the Powers, and Russia excluded
from the continent and confined TO the islands, because her
discoveries and settlements not continental but insuar
The conventions with Russia British and Amercan) OF
ls24-25 were framed upon that principles and pro-
coed read the instructions from Government under
which this distinction between the islands and the continent
was asserted and maintained. read from Mr. Adamss
despatch to Mr.. Middleton, July I'D, 1928:
cit never has been admitted by the various European
which have formed settlements in this hemisphere that
occupation Of island gave any claim whatever to terrific
rial on the continent which adjoining
The principle has rather been the by
the law OF nature rather be considered appur
tenant continents, than continents to islands"
And again. Mr. MiddIctons communications to the Rus
sian Government
The Russians have establishment upon the island Of
Stka in latitude 81 degrees 80 minutes This fort built m
1899 was DESTROYED three after by the natives of the
country and reesabished in 1904 by Mr. Lisank, who
called Il New Arcange Russia cannot, however, avail her
self Of the circumstance OF that possession to form foundation
for rights the continent the OF nations never having
established that the occupation OF island could give rights
upon neghborng The principle Is, rather, that
the islands ought be considered appendant TO the con
neru, than the inverse Of the proposition"
These were the instructions Minister under which
treated with Russia in 1924 and upon which the conven-
tons Of that period formed They establish the fact that
these islands in front Of the northwest coast were considered
separate geographical division Of the country, governed by
natonalaw applicable islands and that discoveries among
tha even perfected by settlement claims upon the
This the way the two Powers settled with Rus
sra Applying the principle to themselves, and no dis
ccvcy Of Vancouyes Island any Of the thousand ISL
ands along that coast give any territorial claims on
the continent have considered il cardinal error in all
the recent discussions Oregon bottom continental claims
upon these insuar discoveries. The spanards, well
shown in the speech Of the Senator from New York. Mr
Dx) the predecessors Of the British in these dcove-
rics but did understand him claiming the continent
to the Rocky Mountains and up $40 40 by virtue
these maritime discoveries; and very that limited
my own sanction Of his views the Of the ships which
the discoveries consider Spanish discoveries along
that coast as dominant the British both for priority Of
date and for the spirit Of ownership which they
The Spanards explored masters Of the country looking
ter their own extended and contiguous possessions and
which no limit had been placed the British explored in
the character Of advenurer seeking lands in dstan,
son Neither made permanent settlements both abandoned
and now, nothing either in the value the title Of