The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-29

ed the offer made in 1918 Of the 49h parallel, wit
the additional provision that if the said line shout
cross any Of the branches fthe Columbia at point
from which they nayigable by boats to the maiI
stream, the navigation Of such branches and tn,
main stream shall be perpetually free and common
TO the people Of both nations, The British refused
TO accede 10 this offer; but at the time express
ed their Willingness TO yield TO the United States il
addition TO what they had at first offered, dstaehsC
territory, comprising the peninsula between the Pa
chic and the strait Of Fuca from Bufnch's harbol
TO Hoods canal and TO stpulate that no works
should at any time be erected at the mouth or on
the banks of the Columbia calculated TO obstruc
the free navigation OF that river by either party
This offer the United States refused 10 accept
In 1927, after another Intellectual attempt at per-
mlanent settlement, convention was concluded
which provided for the indefinite extension of all
the provisions Of the third article of that convention
and also that either party might terminate il any
time might think it, by giving one years notice
after the 20th Of October, 1923. Il took, however
the precaution Of providing expressly that nothing
contained Ia this contention, or ir s ird aiieis d
the convention efs goth Of October 1873 hereby con-
tinued ia force shall be construed 10 impair or IN any
manner effect The claims whieh either Of the contracting
parties may hap' 10 any part Of the country iesstioad d
the Stony OF Rocky mountains"
In the late negotiation, the British minister in
addition To what had already been offered ON the part
Of Great Britain, offered to undertake make free TO
the United States any port ports which they might
DESIRE either the main land or on Vaneouvers isl
and south oflattude 49o or to refer the whole mat
ter to arbitration. Both Of these propositions were
declined by our government. And in turn we Of
fered again the 49th parallel to the Pacific and at
the same time 10 make free to Great Britain any port
or ports on Vancsuver's island, south Of this para-
lei, which the British government might desire.
This offer was declined, Withdrawn by our secreta-
ry, and the negotiation ended. Now, sir, insist
that all OF these negotiations proceeded upon the
idea that England had rights in Oregon
On the point that in all our negotiations we have
admitted that Great Britain had rights in Oregon,
which we are precluded by those negotiations from
now denying, as 1t Is very important one, desire
to add word. think this is shown by the char
acter OF the negotiations and the treaties themselves
but that there may be no doubt about it, refer to
the understanding OF the gentleman Mr.. ADAMsl
who was more prominently connected with them
than any other man-6rst, as Secretary of State in
1918 and 1924 and President OF the United States
in 1927. Upon this subject at the last session Of
Congress, he said: 1--WE had agreed 10 suspend a
final decision on this subject by the convention
Of 1918, twenty-seyen years ago. Why had we
come to that conclusion AT that time' Because ice
did think there pas some Substance Ia the claim Of The
British government and that fair and honorable
proposition TO her 10 eOmprOnse-tO give up claim
as far as the 49o, rather than fight for tn
| maintain, Mr. Chairman, that by our treaty
with Russia, and by our laying claim to a part Of
Oregon before we acquired the Spanish title we are
estopped from asserting that Spain had good title
For if she had, claim before we acquired it, was
u pretence title, which nation with honor could
not assert; and after we had acquired it, il good we
could not have surrendered TO Russia more than 60
of the territory without dishonor. | admit, that
prop to title, the Spanish title is Of some avail
but by itself it is Of none.
We have thus seen, (said Mr.. b. the character
Of the country in dispute; that under the law of
nations discovery, unless followed up in a reason
shle tinne ~ aeftlemeDt M title
and that when thus perfected, it does give title
to an unlimited extent Of country, but only to 30
much az may be necessary and proper for settle
ment, in national point Of view; and that from
considerations Of obvious convenience and property
the discovery and settlement of river gives title to
all the country drained by it. And in this connex-
ion we have seen that Spain first discovered the
northwest coast Of America, as high up as the Go
more than six degrees within the Russian domin.
ions, ascertained in a treaty with us, made since
we acquired the Spanish title, and also with Great
Britain; that she did perfect her title by perma-
nent settlement within a reasonable time, and that
she conveyed such title as she had to us in 1919;
that the United States extended the discovery Of
the Columbia river, before made by Spain, on the
sea- and discovered, for the first time, its sources
and navgated it to the ocean; thar their citizens
made settlements upon it, which were taken from
them during the late by the British, and re-
stored after the peace. We have seen, further that
England first discovered overland Frazier's river;
made settlements upon il; and on the coast, fol-
lowed in the track of Spanish and American ma
vigators, extensively surveying. But it does not
appear that she made any new discoveries, or
made any settlements any where prior to similar
settlements by Americans, unless Meares, at Moot
ka sound, may be considered such; and that all of
the settlements made prior to 1918, either by the
English or the Americans, were mere trading posts.
Under the head of coniiguity, we have seen that
hold the territory adjoining Oregon from the 42o
to the ago, and Great Britain north of AGO. and that
we hold the only practicable pass across the noun
tains. And in this connexion, that Oregon is i'm
portant to US in commercial point of view, and not
at all so to England; and, above all, that we must
settle it, and that England cannot
By treaty, we have seen that the United States
quired from France, in 1903, certainly all the terri
tory west of the Mississippi and east of the Rocky
mountains above the Spanish possessions, and prob
ably all west; and that this last depends upon the
fact, which is doubtful, whether the line provided
for in the 10th article of the treaty of Utrecht
ever rum and, also that by the treaty of 1877, we
acquired all the Spanish title, such as it was. We
have further that we have agreed upon bound
airy line with Russia since we acquired the Spanish
title more than six degrees south of the point to
which Spanish discoveries extended. We have
also seen that, by the Nootka Sound convention,
Spain made concessions Of rights to England; and
that it is in dispute whether that convention still
survives. That the United States laid claim to the
country before we acquired the Spanish title, and
negotiated with England about our respective claims
And above all, that in our various negotiations with
England relative to Oregon, both before and since,
acquired the Spanish title, we have admitted, by
the very character of tho treaties themselves, that
she had rights there, in reference to which both
tons have made offers Of compromise.
From all this, consider it perfectly manifest that
the subject which we have been discussing is fit
one for negotiation. approve of the Presidents
attempting a settlement in that way. approve of
his course in offering tho 49th parallel; and think
it will be happy termination of the controversy if it
can be settled on that basis.
If this il subject for negotiation, the question
Immediately presents itself, whether that mode Of
settlement has been exhausted Do gentlemen con-
tend that it hasi Sir will not believe it. | will
not believe that in this peaceful age, two such ma
tons as Great Britain and The United States cannot
settle such question as this by negotiation. will
not believe that two such nations, both Of whom
have 80 much gain by peace, and so much to lose
by war; will fall into hostilities upon such ques-
ton. II would be crime for them to do so; and
it would be regarded by the wise and the good of
Chrstendom. Sir, there is nothing in the corre-
spondence between the two governments to show
that this mode Of settlement has been exhausted.
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