The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-13

Russia has minated 10 US that she will make no
settlements south Of that line.
| Sir, there are perhaps the larger portion Of my
own eonstituents-ceTtalnly large proportion OF
the people of this country who would not 90 with
me In this conviction, and who are already blaming
for having assumed at this session. that that was
the line TO which we are enttled.
SIR, Il Is no novel opinion in me. This hand was
the hrst that drew the line Of the boundaries OF this
country 70 the southern sea, in what called the
Florida treaty. That line was first drawn from ati-
tude 42o north, including all the possessions held
by Spain, and then by subsequent supulations with
Russia, II was limited so far as orr settlement was
concerned to the line of $40 4O And beg leave
say WIN respect TO these boundaries, and TO the
boundaries OF treaty which Great Britain within
one year after ours, made with Russia for the first
time ackno wledging on her part the line of Russia
At $40 40, that Great Britain made the same stipu-
latlons with Russia, which we had already made,
and recognised the right of Russia to make settle
ments north Of $40 40, and stipulated with Russia
that she would make no such settlements north Of
that line
| Now, strand this | say certainly not boastne-
ly my part, but matter of fact-by the treaty
with Spain the line Of 400 Of latitude from certain
position on the Arkansas river to the South sea was
first drawn by me with a stipulation on the part OF
Spain that from that parallel Of latitude north, all
her rights were coded 10 the United States. Sir,
think IL was in the year l643
Mr.. FARAN rose and said before the gentleman
from Mass lef this part Of the subject, he wished to
ask him whether II was not great consideration in
the settlement OF that treaty with Spain that that
portion ofterritory called Texas coded TO Spain
in order that we might sequre perfect title through
her 10 the Oregon territory Whether that was not
a great consideration al the timer
| Mr.. ADAMS. IL was no consideration at all
Texas was nota question at the time Of the negotia-
ton Of that treaty, or until years aflerwards-that
Spain should Telinqush all her claim TO Oregon in
consideration Of our giving up Tex9s. II such q
| compact was made at the Baltimore convention, OF
anywhere else, Il was not binding on him (Mr A.
His position was, that the right Of the United
States TO the line Of $40 40' founded on no such
agreement, and he resudiated il in all It's parts.
| Mr.. FARAN (Mr. A. again yielding) explained
that he had not intended 70 say that the tte Of the
United States to Oregon was founded on anything
Of the kind BIT he had simply wished to inquire
whether in the negotiation respecting that treaty il
was not one consideration with our government that
could get the Spanish title TO the northwest coast
and whether, on that account, we did not cede that
portion Of the country now called Texas He ask.
ed merely for information, as the gentleman from
Massachusetts was concerned in the negotiation Of
that treaty.
Mr.. ADAMS, resuming, said he had no recollec-
tion of any cession relating TO Texas in that negot
alton at all. That negotiation was for the purpose
Of Florida; and as to the boundaries Of Louisiana
they had been considered as settled long before
There article in the treaty that had any ref
erence to that at all. The question Of the treaty
was on the northern boundary of Louisiana-hoW
far that was to extend; and in many preceding no
gOtations that had been proposed 10 be referred tc
commissioners TO settle. This point was proposed
again during the negotiation, and then | proposed
myself, without any appointment OF commissioners
that we should take a degree of latitude and &c
upon that line to the South sea. Previous to that
in 1903, when the negotiation carried on il
England, Messrs. Monroe and Pinckney had beer
inatructed not n nrOnose anythinQ like n line
South sea, for fear OF giving offence TO Spain; AM
he believed II not intended by our government
to assert anything from the Louisiana treaty Of
claim, on part, TO the South sea-a claim, by tn
way, which would have been absurd when our do
minions were bounded by the Mississippi. Ant
Great Britain had reuounced, twenty years before
when drawing her boundary in 1862, all pretension
TO the territory west of the Mississippi
Mr.. A. observed that, what he said on this subjec
was entirely desultory and without preparation
But to prove to this committee that all pretensions
any territory west Of the Mississippi to the Sout
sea, had been renounced by Great Britain, he ha
here before him the first volume Of the laws Of tn
. United States, in which there was the commissio
given by George III to governor Wright Of Georgis
of the Goth January, 1854. He asked the clerk I
, read the lst section of that commission, and h
begged gentlemen to be particular to notice its date
, Doth January, 1854.
The clerk read as follows:
srsat Britaa France and Ireland King defender Of III
faith and forth to trusty and well beloved Jane
Whereas did, by letter, patent, under gret
seal Of Great Britain bearing date at Westminster the Ct
Of May in the first year Of reign constitute and
point you the said james Wright esquire to be CAPITA
general and governor in-chief in and colony
Georgia in America lying from the northern
Of river there commonly called Savannah all along III
to the southwark unto the southern
other great water river called Altamaha
westward from the heads Of the said rivers respectively
direct lines to the South and Of all that space crcu
precinct of lands lying within the said boundaries
the islands In the sea lying opposite to the eastern coast
during pleasure by the said rec,ed letters patent
ation being hereunto had may fully and at large
pear: Now know you, that we have revoked and dete
mined and by these revoke and
part and Of the said rected letters patent and
clause article and thing therein contained which doth
way relate concern the limits bounds of
province, before descrbed and further know you th
reposing especial trust and confidence the
courage and loyalty OF you the said James Wright of
especial grace, certain knowledge and motion hav
thought ut tic constitute and appoint and by these presen
do constitute and appoint you the said James Wright to
captain general and governorn-chie in and
colony OF Georgia. in America bounded the north by til
northern stream Of river there commonly called
vannah far the head of said river and from theme
westward as far us our territories extend"
Mr.. A. stopped the reading at the words, Ewes
ward as far as our territories ertend " and requisite
the House please to observe the difference betwee
the two commissions. The first commission, give
only three years before-in l76l-provided that th
commission was revoked, and the line was draw
westward, as far their territories extended. VIII
was it revoked Why did the king of Engan
withdraw that boundary Why, in the interval, h
{ had made peace with France and SpaiD and re
nounced all pretensions to any title west of tn
Mississippi. He, therefore, leaves the boundary
IA state Of obscurity; he revokes the commission
giving the line westward to the South sea, and give
it Gas far our territories extend" which, by tn
: treaty with France and Spain, was at the Missis
sippi.
Now after that he asked what claim Great Britai
I had to the territory on the South sea' And the
twenty years afterwards when we came to max
= peace with Great Britain at the conclusion Of tn
war of the revolution the boundary of the terror
t coded by Great Britain to the United States was a
the line of the Mississippi and there it rested
neither Great Britain the United States havin
= any claim to the territory to the South sea, unit
our territory extended by subsequent treate
with France and Spain.
Sir Continued Mr.. Az say that Great Britai
had no claim whatever from the time of her treat
= OF peace with France and Spain, by which sh
II i r