Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1846-02-12
On Saturday the President, in conformity

with resolution of the House of the Sd
instant, submitted to Congress an impor-
tant diplomatic correspondence, relative to
the Oregon question, between the Secretary
of State and our Minister at the Court of
St. James, and also between the Govern
ment of Great Britain and that of the Uni
ted States. This correspondence has oc-
Cured since the Presidents annual mes
sage to Congress, and will be read with
much interest Our limits will not allow
us more than brief synopsis of each let
ter. The first is a letter from Mr.. Buchanan
to the President, submitting the others.
The second is letter from the same to
Mr.. McLane, our Minister to England, dated
December 18th, instructing him to make
inquiry touching the meaning of the war
like preparations making in that country.
The third is a letter, dated January Sd,
from MIR. McLane to Mr. Buchanan, inform
ing him that he had had an interview with
Lord Aberdeen, who assured him that the
war preparations of Engla had no refer
Ience to American affairs; believes Lord
Aberdeen sincere-still thinks it possible
that hostilties may come-in which Eng
land would be prepared to deal powerful
blows against the United States, and would
be likely to do so at the commencement
In the fourth, dated December 9th, from
Mr.. Pakenham to Mr.. Buchanan, the form
er, instructed by his Government, proposes
to refer the Oregon question to some friend
ly sovereign or power, for arbitration, with
view to an equitable division of the terri
tory and the preservation of peace between
the two countries.
The fifth, dated January Sd, is from Mr.
Buchanan to Mr.. Pakenham, declining arbi-
tratlon. The British proposition assumes
. that England has title to portion of Ore
gon, and thus takes for granted the very
question in dispute; and to accept it would
preclude the United States from pressing
her claim to the whole before the arbitrator
This, even, if there were no others, would
be sufficient reason for declining; besides,
he thinks that auy attempt to refer the ques-
ton to third power, would only involve
it in new difficulties; and cherishes the hope
that the controversy may be amicably set
tied
The sixth is from Mr.. .Pakenham to Mr.
Buchanan, dated January Ord, stating that
he will send the answer of Mr.. Polk, trans
mitted above by Mr.. Buchanan, to the British
Minister in London.
The seventh is from the same to the same
dated January 18th, in which he argues the
question of arbitration, and controverting
the Presidents objection to arbitration
declaring that England has rights in Oregon
incompatible with the exclusive claim of
the United States. He asks, whether the
United States government is willing to sub
NIT to arbitration their claim of title to the
achoIe territory of Oregon, on condition that
if neither should be found to have a com
plete title to the whole the arbitrator should
make just division of the territory between
the two powers, in accordance with the
value of their respective claims He also
mentions mixed commission, and board
of civilians and jursts, as other modes by
which the question might be settled.
E The eighth and last is a letter from Mr.
Buchanan TO Mr.. Pakenham, dated February
4th, declining the last proposition for arbi-
tration. Its acceptance might, and probably
would, be construed into an intimation, il
: not direct invitation to the arbitrator to
divide the territory. If he submitted to ar
bitration at all, the title alone is all the Pre-
sident could submit; he does not believe
the territorial rights of this country to be a
proper subject of arbitration, though under
peculiar circumstances there might be an
exception,a case in which there might be
no insuperable objection. Mr.. B. will not
reopen the discussion of the title; the Pre-
sident still believes that the United States
holds the best title in existence to the whole
territory; and he thinks the two nations
ought to be willing to do each other Justice,
without the interposition of any arbitrator.
The following are the particulars imme-
diately following the duel between Mr.,