The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-08-10

first proposition TO which you refer should be mad
by the British government, the President would no
object the terms Of his offer ofthe 18th July last
Il ito make free TO Great Britain any port port
on Vancouyer's island, south of this parallel, whici
the British government may desire" IL the cap o
this island should, however, be surrendered Il
Great Britain, as would be the case under the sec
n ond proposition, then he would consider the ques
ton IN regard to free ports terminated.
4 need not enlarge 10 you npon the Inconvenience
\ not TO say impossbility under our system Of gov
eminent, after one or more States shall have beer
established in Oregon, Gan event not far dstanl)-
of making any Of their ports free to Great Britain
or any other nation. Besides, our system Of draw
backs secures 10 other nations the material adyan-
tages Of free ports, without their Inconvenience.
There is one point which il is necessary to guard
whether the first or the second proposition should be
\ submitted by the British government. The strait
Of Fuca Is an arm OF the sea, and under the public
law, all nations would possess the same right to
navigate Il throughout its whole extent as they now
have 10 the navigation of the British channel Still
TO prevent future difficulties this ought TO be clear
| ly and distinctly understood II is rendered the
more necessary when we recollect that the Russian
government not many years ago asserted a claim to
the exclusive navigation ofhe northern Pacific
between It's Asalie and American territories the
principle that il was "a close sea"
From what have said, you viii perceive that the
third proposition 10 which you refer will MOI meet
the appreciation of the President, even the extent
of submitting il TO the Senate. ..
Thus have presented frank and unreserved exs
position of the views OF the President on this i'm
portnnt subject To what extent you should COM
munieate them to Lord Aberdeen, is left entirely to
your own discretion. The President relies with i'm
pllcr confidence on your sound judgment, prudence,
and patriotism. .0. .r. "
"a. I an, sir, respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
.-. JAMES BUCHANAN.
LOUIS McLAsk, esq, &c, &c, &c.
Mr.. buchanan 10 Mr.. .MeLans.
mo. 26.l DEPARTMENT or STATE,
..r Washington, March %, 1886.
SIR: Your despatch No. IS, dated on the Sd, was
received the 2lst inst f., ..l -.....,...
My despatch No. %, of the Goth February last,
was so full and explicit in relation 10 the Oregon
question as 10 leave nothing for me to say upon
that subject, except merely to answer some OF the
inquiries contained in your No, IS, which had not
been anticipated. r.... sr...r ..,. r. ~
You understand Lord Aberdeen to have stated
thai il no sufficient encouragement TO renew the ne
gotiaiion on the basis Of compromise should be
held out by my answer to the last proposition OF
the British government for arbitration, in such case
one Of the alternatives left him might be to offer
proposition through yourself to this government
Should the contingency occur, his lordship may
adopt this course, If he think proper, You are au-
thorized to receive and transmit TO this department
any proposition made by him; but in no event will
the President consent to transfer the negotiation TO
London. The reasons against this are, 10 his opn-
ion, conclusive, and will readily occur to your own
| mind I5.r.lf. ,..
We have but little information TO be relied upon
in regard to the navigabeness of the Columbia river
and It's branches north of the parallel Of 40 degrees
but there is no TO doubt that they are Dav-
gable for boats and batteaux Of few tons burden.
We understand that it is by this mode that the
Hudson's Bay Company convey furs and other arti-
cles from several of their remote stations to their
general depot at Fort Vancouver, and receive their
supplies from thence, ., - . ........ .'.
Forinformaon upon this subject, refer you to Sem
ate document Ne. 80 of the I'd session of the 2lst
Congress, and especially to the report of Joshua
Pitcher Ia highly respectable mani to the Secretary
OF War, (volume l, January 25, 1871 You will
doubtless find this volume in the library ofyour le
gations but lest might not be there, shall tram
scribea few sentences from that report, He says
page 10 81 set out from Fort Colyille the 2lst Of
September, 1899 IN company with SIX men OF the
post, carrying the annual express or packet across
the continent. Our route was up the main river
Columbia; our conveyance batteau Of four or five
tons. In this batteau we assembled the river about
three hundred miles, where the river divides into
three forks the main one being still navigable to its
head, which issues from a lake in the Rocky noun
tains At the three forks, which ia called the Boat
Encampment because it is the place where the boats
are left, and the portage the mountains COM
menced, we began overland journey. We ar
rived at the Boat Encampment on the 4th October,
and remained there until the ID November waiting
for the arrival of party from Hudson's bay" &c,
&c. "On the 4th we set out. We were still six
in company, Ave besides myself, all on horseback;
zoe taking the horses of the party just arsived and
they taking the batteau in which we had assembled
the river. The weather Yves still mild, no appear
ancc of ice and the river reported by all the compa
ny to remain open the winter through" &c, &c.
In the second volume Of Cox's Columbia River,
chapter viii, page l62, you will find that there are
number Of Portages around its rapids
JAMES BUCHANAN.
| p s. A copy of the Senate document from which
the above quotations made having been procured,
| it is herewith transmitted. sd. 81.
Mr.. Buchanan to Mr.. McLane. '''
mo. 271 gHn DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
| Washington, April %, 1916.
Sir: Your dispatches to No. SO, inclusive, have
been duly received. as.....--
/ herewith transmit notice for the abrogaton of
| the convention of the 9th August, 1927, between
Great Britain and the United States, in accordance
with the terms prescribed in its second article This
| paper you will deliver to her Britannia Majesty in
person, or to her Majestys principal secretary OF
state for foreign affairs, after you shall have ascer-
WnlCn OF WeSe IiOuts VI prosecuting win bc
most in accordance with her Majestys wishes. A
duplicate of the is transmitted, to be placed on
file in the archives of your legation.
As the abrogation of this convention is an act Of
an important and solemn character the delivery Of
the notice ought to be attested with all due formai-
| ty. The mode is left entirely to your own dscre-
i tom but would suggest that il might be made the
u subject Of protocol in triplicate--one copy oil
\ which should remain with the British government
another with the legation in London, and the third
i be transmitted to this department.
i In the remarks which you may have occasion
to make on the delivery of the notice, the Language
Of the preamble to the "joint resolution concerning
the Oregon Territory must necessarily be your guide
Il is true that the President would have preferred
naked resolution, authorizing him to give the no.
tice; and he believes that if such resolution had
been adopted by Congress, during the month Of
December last, the controversy might have beer
adjusted both more speedily and upon better ternt
for the United States. He was content, neverthe
less, with the resolution as il originally passed the
House of Representatives; and, in the form finally
adopted he considers il preferable TO failure Of thu