The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-02-27


California 20 ne Jo,iyntnih dssIes Of north latitude. Her
the prior tile 10 that Of England both BY discovery sn
/ by setilementh
"Very sighting accounts OF these voyages be oun,
the English hooks, which so mnutey describe that
Cook who. hs tird and last In ll7s explored
the Of America from Nooks sound to Behring's ssit
but being possor the Spanish naygaior Perez Hece
confer any rights Of discovery Great Britain More
over Cocks explorations II will be remembered
from NootkA sound horhwsd ard do not touch the country
ofosgOn"
"Gy voy ages intimately connected with The title
the United sstes 10 the possesson Of Oregon and there
fore deserve to he mors distinctly recounied.
Elm the lesT 1881 Joseph BsITen distinguished msr
chant Of Boston In the State Of Massachusetts, projected
ySTose of commerce and discovery The northwest coast
Of America; pnd samuel Brown Charles Bilhnch. John
Derby Crows Hatch and John a. ha,srd citizens Of
prise. Two yesEeb the ship Columbia, commanded by
John Ksndrek and the slooP, Warrington, BY Robert
for tIsc with the natives and set sail iron Boston IN Dc
obsr I7G7 This expedition regarded with much In.
ei,cnmnsyigie the globe Tbs Columbia arrived al Moot
ka sound the 10th OF September 1888 and the Washington
while on fr coast Captain Gray ia the Washington,
tered into and sailed some way up ths Of
Juan 30 Fucs, which Martinez in lT7t, hsd seen bril- not
entered Captain Gray then transferred 10 the Ga,
umbis and proceeded in her 10 Canton with the s co!
Csptain KchdIck remaining on the coast In the Lady
Washington Thus fsr ths enteTrise had not proved .
gainf one to the parties two OF cssr' Derby and
Pnts disposed OF their shares to Messrs Barrll and
nrvWni who, with their remaining associates, decided
nevertheless 20 dcspotch the Columht once again With
apisn Grey. to the northwest coast He accordingly
rorecdcd iher aud, the 7th Of May. l9a came in
sight Of land in latitude 20 degrees % minutes, aud
choTed In what he named Bnlhrchs hatb1r now called
Grsys hathoT On the nth Of May he entered large
rivers and the ith sailed up the same about Hiles
md remained the river until the 2lS OF May. To this
river he gave tie ofhs shp, and the north side Of
the entIacc he called rspe Hancock the t0uth side Point
Adams This the E-t cntrance and exploration Of the
riyer Colunra the ulr or bay Of which however had
been Ayaa Gn ecea. aud called by them Entrs
ds jp eCs "a Nc have before stated; and so far .. hc
pNp,OthtiOn this the
clas Of sovereignty thOse claims. therefore
belong 10 he Inied stgtes both in her own right and IN
right SAa, AMI although the voyage Improbable
~ cuirrprsng Projectors, II was highly important 10 the
United states Is well by giving rights Of discovery as he
opened the 10 most valuable and productive
commerce which was afterwards pursued BY other citizens
OF the United states"
,nl caafity with the frsnkness natural 10 brave sailor
that be derived the knowledge OF the existence Of Columbia
nomsA H. and who spoke Vancouver and communicated to
him the fart On the 2elh Of April 1904. Vancouver
a he spoke the shp Columbia Of Boston Captain Robert
Gray; that Gray gave information OF river in 40 degree
10 minutes and he then proceeds to mention previous
the strait Of Juan de Fuca-(toyass roL - Afterwards
when Vancouver sent Broughton Of his officers TO
HI, guidance thus far up The inlet chart by GT Gray who
had commanded the American ship Columbia In the
place he uses the Of Point Adams applied by
Cray "-tJOL H. p. So
Mr.. Buchanan, in his letter Of the goth Of August
last to the British minister, mir. Pakenhsm,) and
at the close Of his able and unanswerube argument
in favor Of our title to the whole of Oregon, says
"Uron the whole: From the careful and ample ex.
animation which the undersigned has been able 10 beSow
upon the subject he satsed that the spanish American
title held by thr United states embracing the whole
crrory between the parallels OF ~ degrees and 81 degrees
and that the claim of Great Britain to any portion Of has
sufficient foundation Even British geogrnphers have
not doubted our title to the territory in dispute. There "a
large and splendid globe in the Department Of State
recently received from London and published by haby
o. manufacturers and publishers to the Society for the
Diffusion Of Useful Knowirdge which assigns this terrific
~ TO the United States"
Having said thus much, Mr.. Chairman, in sup
port OF our title the whole Of Oregon shall take
occasion call the attention Of the committee to the
opinions of many distinguished senators at the third
session rthe 9th Congress, on the bill introduced
by one Of the then distinguished senators from Mis-
souri-now no morc-[Dr. Linn "to authorize the
adoption ofmeasures for the occupation and settlement
Of the territory OF Oregon, for extending certain
portions Of the laws of the United States over the
same, and for other purposes" The occupation
and settlement Of the Oregon territory by our gov
eminent a favortc measure Of the able and tai
ented Senator Linn; and he labored during his
brilliant senatorial career with zeal and an ardor
deserving more favorable results than he lived TO
see accomplished. But his name will long live in
the grateful remembrance Of every patriotic Amer-
can for the bold and noble course he pursued the
Oregon question. The bill Of DR.. Linn met the
same objections we find urged against the prop
osition under consideration-that it inexpedien
10 leglsIate-that IL wOuu excite the Indignation OF
Great Britain-and that war would result; whilst,
if we would only cease TO legislate and go on set
thing the country quietly, it would fall into
hands. Mr.. BENTON, in answer TO some of the OBJ
jections urged against the BILL and in defence Of our
title, said:
"on point there is unanmity this floor; and that
is to the title to the country in question All agree that
the title in the United States On another point there
division; and that the point OF giving offence to Eng
land by granting the land 20 settlers which the bill
poses: this point we divide Some think will offend
her; some think it will not For my part think she will
take offence, do what we may in relation to this territory
She wants herself and means to quarrel for it, il she does
not fight for 4 think she will take offence at our BILL and
even at our discussion oft"
Mr.. BENTON further said:
maintain that the passage of this BILL and these grants
to the settlers give no just ground Of offence to Great
Brtain and this opinion the regular deduction from the
unanimous opinion Of this chamber that the title to the ter
rtory is in the United States"
In conclusion, Mr.. BENTON remarked:
~ 80 FOR vinaicating rights the Columbia
and the first step towards It, passing this bill and max
these grants of land which win place thirty or forty
thousand rhes.beyond the Rocky mountains which will be
our effective negotators.'
England will find fault with us, do what we
may-merely for calling in question the British right
to the territory; but for one am not be deter
red by any such considerations. do not know
but may have to fight for our rights; but no
dread Of such contest shall operate to deter
me from bold assertion of our title. | am in favor
Of the passage Of bill at this session. with pre-.
0nDie, fitle tD DC III lNe DHIen
That title will be defended and maintained. | am
ready to give pre-empton rights of land to settlers
| in Oregon. Do this, and hardy and enterprising
settlers will speedily emgrate to the territory, and
| will prove themselves our best negotiaors. | am
against negotiation in toto: that is field in which
Great Britain has always beaten u.s. and a'ways
will.
will also give the committee an extract from the
speech on the bill Of the present distinguished
Secretary of the Treasury, (Mr Walkcr) lie
sad
The question now was, really whether to asscr
rights In relation to this territory to abandon them
whether we will maintain our title, or by our own ne
glect suffer II to be placed in doubt Now he full
prepared TO say that Lc disposed abandon
inch Of the territory claimed by this country the north
west coast from the lad to the oath degree northern
ude 10 the whole Of this territory he considered the m
az the United states indelensibe and should not
ION our lain inch OF H. He not prepared Il
abandon title TO inch of the territory the groun
that our assertion Of II would lead to war, any ohe
round because he considered that title insputnbl hut
nAefeasible lie believed II 10 he the !uy Of Con
gress TO assert uur titles declare the world that will
maintain our rights and will not abandon them. II Grea
Britain is TO take offence at declaration that will
| maintain rghth claim, her doing so would be or
gument TO him that WE ought TO yield"