The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-05-22

designing TO trespass on the Time OF the senator ron
Missouri, Mr.. BEsTos,l who had Intlmated his IN
tenton of addressing the Senate at length upon III,
question At present there was public law Of III,
land by which the American citizens beyond III,
Rocky mountains were 70 some extent protected
That public law was the subsisting treaty conven
ton between the United States and Great Britain
About the fifteenth day Of May, one thousand eigh
hundred and forty-seyen, that law would expire
would cease TO exist. When that event seoul,l hay,
taken place, If there were no other law provided by
Congress to take the place Of that law thus expired
the whole OF their citizens west Of the Rocky noun
tains would be subject to British law alone. Tha
would be the case whether a new treaty were form
ed between the United States and Great Britain OF
not--whother the country were divided or not, tn,
same state OF the case would exist. There would
be no municipal law-no law to protect the indiyid
ua citizens Of the country to be in force beyond tn,
Rocky mountains, except the law PASSED by
Great Britain. He desired, therefore, simply "a
submit this question to the Senate and especially 70
the intelligent committee charged with this partieu'
lar subject, whether il was their design that this
Congress should adjourn and leave the whole Amer
lean people between the Rocky mountains and the
Pacific ocean subject to British law and no other
That was the question which he desired TO sub
init.
Mr.. wEsTCoTT did not intend to make .
speech in reply to the inquiry OF the senator from
Ohio. II was not designed to leave the American
| DcyOuu suulcCl W
British law. The committee did not imagine such
a thing. The people Of Oregon had established q
local government for themselves. They have APP
pointed a governor and a Judge, who administer
the law between the American settlers there, and
that authority would continue in force until the next
session Of Congress. II was supposed, perhaps not
mprobaby, that before the beginning ofthe next
sion the relations Of the United States and Great
Britain with respect TO Oregon might be arranged on
permanent basis; and then with street propriey the
Congress Of the United States might proceed to def.
mite legislation with regard to that territory. Ia the
meantime, il was apprehended that no difficulty
would arise from allowing the people to 20 on with
their own local government which was fully com
petent for the preservation Of their rights and the
maintenance Of good order.
Mr. ALLEN desired TO ask one question
whether IL was not the design OF the committee, at
whose head was the senator from Florida, to adopt,
by any legislation OF this Congress- the present local
authority in the territory Of Oregon
Mr.. WESTCOTT replied, that when he first ad.
dressed the chair, he had stated that as an ndiyid
ual member OF the committee, it had been his de-
sire to adopt temporarily that form of local govern
rnent but other members did not agree with him;
and that was one Of the subjects, regarding which,
was stated IN the report, difference Of opinion
existed amongst the members Of the committee.
He thought that till the time arrived when il
would be proper TO organize permanent govern
ment in Oregon, II would be most expedient to adopt
the local government which the people had formed
for themselves.
Mr.. ALLEN expressed the satisfaction with
which he had heard the frank answers Of the chair
man Of the committee, mr.. WEsroorr,l and init.
mated his intention ofexamining the subject more
fully, with view to its discussion hereafter.
The committee, on motion, were then discharged
from the further consideration Of the subject and
the question was about to be put on the motion to
postpone, when
Mr.. BENTON rose, and thus addressed the
Senator
Mr.. President: The bill before the Senate pro-
poses TO extend the sovereignty and Jurisdiction Of
the United States all territories west Of the
Rocky mountains, without saying what is the ex.
tent and what the limits of this territory This
is wrong, in my opinion. We ought to define the
limits within which our agents are to do such acts
as this bill contemplates, otherwise we commit to
them the solution Of questions which we find too
hard for ourselves. This indefinite extension OF
authority, in a which requires the utmost pre-
csion, forces me to speak, and to give my opinion
If the true extent Of our territories beyond the
Rocky mountains. | have delayed doing this dur
ing the whole session, not from any desire TO con-
ceal my opinions, (Which, in fact, were told to all
that asked for them,) but because thought il the
business Of negotiation, not of legislation 70 settle
these boundaries. waited for negotiation: but ne
collation. lags while events go forward; and now we
in the process of acting upon measures upon the
either Of negotiation or of legislation IN control the
events to which they may give rise The bill before
is without definition Of the territory to be occu-
pied. And why this vagueness in a case requiring
the utmost precision Why not define the bounda-
res Of these territories Precisely because we do
not know them! And this presents case which re-
quires me to wait no longer for negotiation, but to
come forward with my own opinions, and TO do
what can to prevent the evils of vague and ndef-
mite legislation My object will be to show, if
can, the true extent and nature of our territorial
claims beyond the Rocky mountains with view to
ust and wise decisions; and, in doing So shall en-
deavor to act upon the great maxim, Ask nothing
but what is rlght-submt to nothing that is wrong
1t Is my ungraclous task in attempting to act
upon this raxlm, to commence by exposing error
at home, and endeavoring to clear up some great mis-
takes under which the public mind has labored.
1t has been assumed for two years. and the as
sumption has been made the cause of all the Oregon
excitement in the country, that we have dividing
line with Russia made so by the convention OF
1924, along the parallel Of fy-four degrees forty
minutes, from the sea to the Rocky mountains, up
to which our title is good This is great mistake
No such line was ever established; and, so far as
proposed and discussed, it was proposed and dis
cussed as northern British and not as a northern
American line. The public treaties will prove there
Is no such line; documents will prove that so far as
hhy-four forty, from the sea to the mountains, was
ever proposed as northern boundary for any pow
er, 1t was proposed by us for the British, and not
for ourselves.
To make myself intelligible in what shall saw on
this point necessary to go back to the epoch of
the Russian convention Of 1924, and to recall the
recollection of the circumstances out Of which that
convention grew. The circumstances were these:
In the year 1921 the Emperor Alexander, acting
upon leading idea Of Russian policy Tin relation
to the north Pacific ocean) from the time of Peter
the Great, undertook to treat that ocean as close
sea, and to exercise municipal authority over great
extent Of ito shores and waters. In September of
that year, the emperor issued a decree, bottomed
upon this pretension, assuming exclusive sovereign
ty and jurisdiction both shores Of the north Pa
c6c ocean, and over the high SEAS in front Of each
coast, to the extent Of one hundred Italian miles
from Behring's Straits down to latitude ffty-one
on the American coast, and to forty-fve on the
Asiatic; and denouncing the penalties Of confscaton
upon all ships, Of whatsoever nation, that should
approach the coasts within the nerdicted dis
tances. This was very startling decree. Coming
from feeble nation it would have been smiled at
coming from Russia, it gave uneasiness to all ma
tons.
Great Britain and the United States, as having