The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-09

It professed 10 be part of the instructions TO Lewis
| and Clarke, and certainly Il went 10 repudIate any
idea Of their being ssnt there with the view alleged
In some quarters. Now, while all these questions
We're open, II did seem TO him premature 10 assert
mat our right was valid beyond all doubt. HE
hoped that, before they decided on a step bold,
whieh was TO lead TO such important results,
they would at least attempt to settle these ques-
tons In 1904 We obtained Louisiana There had
been good deal of doubt about its boundaries.
| The great question was, what were these boun
daTiesl There We're strong arguments not vet
used by their dlplomatIsts. One was that Great
Britain relinquished all west of the Missssppi
river. But still that was open for investiea-
ton and inquiry. lie did not think, though
! il was the best claim that the claim under
the Louisiana treaty clear and so well es-
tablshed that they ought TO 60 TO war on il. Then
came in the utle most relied upon by those
who claimed up TO $40 40-that is the Florida
title. That represented as being perfectly
clear that they ought fly at once TO arms to main
tain 1t. What was the ute' IL seemed 10 him that
many Of the most eminent Of the country had
been false to that country THAT title clear
II was represented. Three four times the parallel
of 49o had been offered Was il, then, possible
| that they who made that offer were false TO their
trusts and offered up to Great Britain portion Of
our undoubted rights-ay, offered IN tho language
| OF some TO "dsmembeT the Unlonp A most I'M
deserved imputstion thus cast on the character
and memory Of these illustrious men. What was
that title Of Spain north Of 1907 In settling the For-
da question, REIMBURSEMENT was made by Spain
Of all its rights claims, and pTetensions' to any
portion Of the territory the northwest coast Of the
Pacific ocean north Of ago What, then, did that
amount to- REIMBURSEMENT Of rights, claims,
and pretensons" They took upon themselves to
make out that Spain had an undoubted title. Now
they had TO GO hack and discuss all the questions
\ about priority OF dscoyery-had 10 stand on the
general principle that the diseoyerer Of a country
| under all clrcumstsDces--they admitted no qusll6-
catons-was entitled to the whole territory that
the title could be thus maintained against any other
ground of claim. That was indeed assuming a
| great deal Was II settled that discovery, without
| being followed up by possession and occupancy,
| gives valid title in all after timei He submitted
that that was yet to be settled. In all the discus
sion he had heard there had been avoidance OF
matter that ought to have been presented. Rights
not asserted by Great Britain, but imputed TO her,
had been dlsproyed, and then il was supposed that
| the United States title established. Great Brit
ain had never, from the earliest period Of time,
claimed exclusive jurisdiction and sovereignty
there but has always denied 1t TO other ma
tons, asserting that that coast was open to all
nations Of the world That had always been
her position. The senator from New York did
| not make such great discovery the other day as
he supposed when he made out that Great Britain
had only claimed certain rights for her subjects
| there. Her claim that il open to all the
world He was not surprised TO find the senator
q
deny Great Britain any right at all, because Van
couyer said he not there TO make discoveries
for the exclusive benefit Of Great Britain. But on
| that the senator founded his argument that Great
Britain had rights there at all. That he Mr.
E. thought was not fair and proper course Of
| argument. Because Great Britain did not present
extensive a claim the United States, it did not
follow that she had no rights there. Ii seemed to
him that the proper question had never been asked
Of Great Britain, "what your rights" IL appear
H.. Il. 49,. L. A
| she claimed. The matter to be deliberated on was
what really were the rights claimed by Great
Britain. She claims the right Of her subjects TO
settle and trade there. Had she ever relied
| upon her discoveries as giving title Never, but
! as a set-of against our argument that the
| Spanish title was superior. Her claim was
| to make settlements in any part, and trade in any
| part of il, where prior occupancy did not exist
But it said that she received this right from the
terms ofthe Nootka Sound convention, which was;
| 1t was alleged, abrogated by the war. He did not
believe that Great Britain rested her claim on that
ground. She claimed long before that convention
and that convention grew out of the prior claim.
The senator from Illinois said that il was very diff
fcult to misunderstood the Nootka Sound conven.
ton. With great respect, he (Mr. E) thought that
that gentleman had not got the meaning OF that con-
vention at all. Mr.. EVANS then went on to give his
views of the events and negotiations between Spain
and England growing out of the seizure of the Eng
lish vessels by Spain. Several English vessels were
| at Nootka sound. Spain captured them, and COM
planned to England. England demands reparation
not for the vessels merely, but for the invasion of
her rights on the northwest coast; and out of
this grew the convention, the principle Of which is
clearly set forth in the preamble )" which had no,
| been quoted or printed-even Greenhow hadn't it,
The preamble set forth
Their Britannia and Catholic Maesties being DESTROYS
Of terminating by speedy and solid agreement the diff
erences which lately between the two
have adudged that the best way Of attaining this sautary
setting aside all retrospective discussion rights and
Pretensions of the two parties should fix their respective
interests well as to the mutual desire with which their
said maestes animated of establishing with each other
in thing and in all places the perfect friendship
harmony, and good correspondence
That showed clearly that exclusive sovereignty
was not claimed by either party; that was the prin-
ciple involved and could not be abrogated by war
Was it, them so clear and indisputable that Spain
had valid title to $40 40, and that they obtained
~ Before that could be said he wished gentlemen
to argue that portion of the rights of England ad.
mitted by the Nootka Sound convention. She said
that she obtained recognition Of her right to xplore
and settle and trade there He wanted that settled that
she had not that rght-that the recognition of bv
Spain was revoked-and that at any cost or hazard
the United States was to maintain their alleged title
to $40 40. That was no new idea of the principle
established by the Nootka Sound convention. Ii
had been invoked before. In the negotiation with
Russia the United States repealed her claim on the
ground tha principle she established by the Nootka
Sound convention was, that this territory was omen
for settlement to all nations. Stress had been laid
on some sparse settlements. Well, in the neeotia-
ton with Russia assumed as an ncontrovertible
fact that till after the last voyage Of Cook, no Eu.
ropean nation had made settlement north of 400
In 1919 when we got the title of Spain, we attached
no consequences at all to the claims act up by Spain
We then again asserted the sef-same principle tina,
the shore of the northwest coast is open to all ma
tons, and that being So relative rights were to be
adjusted amongst ourselves. And then il was agreed
that we should not settle on her side of the line
found on $40 4V, on condition that she would not
settle side We'll them let us 60 on and perfect
our title by settlement. Great Britain did not dis
pute that. But it was necessary that arrangements
should be made similar to those with Russia relative
to that settlement He wished it shown that
the title beyond 40 degrees was quite clear
he wanted to hear an argument, whether, BY
the treaty with Spain, they had right to go beyond
that line. He had taken up more time than he had
intended but they were told that by the express