The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-12
CONGRESS
REMARKS OF MR.. HANNEGA!
OF INDIANA,

OF INDIANA,
IN he Senate, February l6 l646-0n the resolution
OF notice OF the COMMITTEES on Foreign Relations
md on the resolutions relative TO Oregon, which HI
had previously submitted, and the amendmen
thereto as 4 substitute, proposed by Mr.. CAL
HoUs
All o'clock the Senate proceeded to the discus
son Of the special order, being the joint resolution
Of the Committee on Foreign Relations, proposing
10 give notice 10 Great Britain Of the intention oil
ms government IN annu the treaty for the joint oc-
supaion ofhe Oregon territory and the resolutions OF
Messrs. HAsSEGAN. CALHOUN, and CRlrrESDES
having relation TO the same subject. The question
immediately pending was the amendment OF Mr.
XCEnrEspES, which being announced
Mr.. HANNEGAN then rose and addressed the
Senate as follows: Mr.. Presiden, there are various
propositions relating to the subject OF Oregon no"
oefore the Senate for its consideration which prop.
ostions have been already fully and clearly stated
bp the presiding officer Of this body; to any one Of
which, OF all OF them, II | correctly understand the
Jules OF the Senate il will be in order to speak As
ar as the resolution for giving notice Of the ermna
ION Of the joint occupancy Of Oregon is concerned
is matter Of very little consequence whether the
resolution reported frUnl the Committee on Foreign
Relations or the resolution offered by the senator
rom Kentucky, Mr.. CRrTEsDss, shall prevail.
Either one or the other will satisfy me. But con-
aier the giving OF the notice the present session OF
Congressa matter Of the utmost importance in many
points OF view. IL will be entirely unnecessary,
however, TO discuss those various points, and, IN
deed, II would not be consistent with the course
which have marked out for myself | desire u
speak more particularly upon some other branches
Of the subject, and especially in reference TO the
resolutions which ! had the honor to submit, and
The amendment 70 those resolutions, or substitute
or them, proposed by the honorable senator from
South Carolina, Mr. CALHOUN. ] prefer this course
| E,rt he he
submitted bring the whole question of Oregon
directly before the Senate. My first resolution de-
sares our title to the whole Of the territory ex-
ending them from the Rocky mountains to the Pa
s6c ocean, and lying south Of $40 4O north lut-
ade, TO be valid and unques,onaolej in the second
| resolution | declare that this government has no
power ALLEVIATE Its SOIL transfer the allegiance
Of its citizens, to any foreign prince power; and
by the third resolution II is declared to be in direct
violation Of the honor and best interests OF the
try to surrender that which is clearly ours In
amendment to these resolutions, the senator from
South Carolina has submitted the following:
R,otd That the President Of the United States ha, pow.
u by and with the advice and Of the Senate to
make treaties provided wohirs OF the senator's present
concur"
Rs,op,d That the power making treaties embraces that
settling and fixing boundaries between the territories and
sessons OF the United States and those Of other powers
Of conflicting claims between them in reference to
he same. -.
Reached That however clear their claims may be- in
heir opinion to he country included within the parallels
a. deg and ~ deg 30 min north hude, and extending
,m the Roc ky the Picifs ocean knswn
The territory OF Oregon" there exists and have long
existed conflicting claims to the possession of the be-
tween them and Great Britain the adjustment of which
has frequently the snect ofnegouation between the
respective governments
And also Mr.. CALHouNs fifth resolution, rs fol-
ows
Rs,opsd That the President Of the United States in
wing the offer in the spirit Of peace and compromise
tabh the 18th degree OF north latitude line
the the said territory did abandon the
honor the character the best interests Of the American
people or exceed the power vested in him by the consu.
ton to make treaties.
To this last resolution have no answer to make.
| shall not attempt to consider it in any way. To
the first resolution have no earthly objection. All
that is substantial in il is in accordance with the let
ter and spirit of the constitution.
The second resolution Of the senator from South
Carolina contains some undoubted truth, but it is
not applicable at all to the subject Of Oregon. de-
sire the Senate to observe that the senator from
South Carolina, not only in this resolution, but else.
where in his resolutions, uses the word sclaims a;
applicable to the pretensions of both countries.
use the word title when speaking oflhe United States
| think his second resolution utterly inapplicablt
here, from the fact that his entire series does no
present The question in its true altitude. We set uI
caimwe assert title the freehold, the sovereign
w. 1t is England alone that rests upon a naked
claim. ~s.t -. ~ ..,
even "a colorado title" to one single foot; whils
upon the other hand hold that our negotators ouI
executive department, both branches of Congress
hundreds Of our fellow-ctzens all over she Union
have at various intervals, ami in RAPID succession
made out and exhibited to the word as clear case
of title to the country between the parallels of 42
and $40 4U on the Pacific, with the adjacent islands
az was ever made out to the soil and freehold of any
country on edrth--ss clear can be made out by
any member of this body TO the plantation which
stands his habitation.
Wi.hou. losing any time by PREDATORY remarks
will 60 at once into the evidence OF the title
which has already been presented on several occa,
sions.
To avoid stepping in the course of my remarks &c
name authorities, may now simply state in ad
vance, that the sources from whence my Informal
ton is chiefly derived are the works of Matte Brun
and Humboldt the writings of several heads of tn,
State Department, the speeches delivered in thi,
body, and the other branch by various distinguish
ed men, for the last twenty-five years, and from the
work Of and conversations with, the commander OIL
the exploring squadron, Captain Charles Wilkes
and also from the personal communications of Com
modores Jones and Aulick, both Of whom have Wis
tied portion Of the coast in question.
Humboldt. informs us that in the year 1882
Francisco Cali, in his voyage from Macao to AGA
pulco, discovered the northwest coast Of America AZ
high as $40 3O. In the language Of this author
"Gai admired, like all those who since his tim,
have visited New Cornwall, the beauty of those CO
lossal mountains Of which the summit is covere,
with perpetual snow, while their bottom is
with the most beautiful vegetation"
New Cornwall, as it called long after, if
recollect right, by Vancouver, extends from tn,
54th degree TO the 57th. This discovery by Gal
was ten years anterior to the voyage of Juan d,
Fuca, who discovered the strait separating tn,
southern point Of Vancouver's island from the mar
land. Whilst giving implicit credence to the dis
coveries Of Cali, Humboldt, for reasons | canno
discover, Is inclined TO treat the voyage of Juan d.
Fuca as apocryphal. The examinations Of moderl
times have united concurrent support of d.
Fuea's statements, and with one accord the strai
he discovered perpetuates his name. This voyag
OF de Fuca was in 1892 Subsequent to that time
and upto the period Of INA, Spain continued OF
various occasions to send mariners into those seal
as high north as the parallels Of $50 and SIC
Throughout the whole period she was, by the com
mon consent Of Christendorn, regarded as the SOW
ersgn and possessor, not only to the lastna par
ale but still further to the north.
In the year l774, however, occurred the voyag
Of Juan Perez under the authority Of the SpanisI
government, to point between the parallels Of So
and SEQ. ...... ...
He landed on the north coast Of Washington isl