Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1846-06-04
Mr.. BentOn's Speech on the Oregon
OCCUPATION Bill,

Last Saturday Mr. Benton delivered a speech in
the U. S. Senate of about two hours in length on
the Oregon Occupation Bill, which was very severe
upon the 81 40 men, and was regarded as very
important, and listened to with deep interest
A correspondent of the Boston Courier says -
"The propositions demonstrated are
That neither the United States with Russia, nor
England with Russia, made any treaty dividing
the Oregon territory upon the parallel OF fy-four
forty that the treaty between the United States
and Russia in 1924, aud about the same time be.
tween England and Russia, was a treaty having
reference TO III coast aud only ten miles from the
coast leaving all the country between this and the
Rocky Mountains unsettled and open for negoiia-
tion that there is no land even upon our treaty
line Of "a 49, and that they who are ready to fight
for just that line ofierrItory and fighting die for it,
will not ever be able to find any such treaty line al
all that the map of Mr. Greenhow (of whom Mr.
Benton said, "The Lord deliver US from the hum.
bug when he undertakes to enlighen US about trea-
ties, marks out this treaty line, while his book
argues against it;-that the Senate have ordered
the printing Of ten thousand copies of map draw
ing the line of54 40 from the Pacific ocean 10 the
Rocky Mountains, as il a treaty line, when no such
line Das erer run or agreed upon by ns;-thaf ftiy
four forty Was first proposed BY as the northern
boundary of England. and Jorfynine as the south
ern boundary Of England that the treaty of
Utrecht did establish the line Of 40 from the Lake
Of the Woods 10 the Rocky Mountains that COM
missioners were appointed and met, aud the line
agreed TO that we claimed under this treaty until
1918 that we dispossessed England of her claim
to the Mississippi and Louisiana under this treaty,
and that we accomplished more under il in extend
ing our boundaries that did under our own i'm
mediate treaties after the revolution with Great
Britain that Jefferson, Pickering, Pitkin, Hutch
he tha of /
the time, the English traders headed by the Earl
Of Selkirk, complained 10 Lords Holland, Auckland
and others of their election from Louisiana under
this old Utrecht treaty, but that the English govern
ment acquiesced in il, and refused to take any
heed whatever to the remonstrance.
The collateral aud concurrent testimony estab-
fishing these points are clear as light. The Lon.
don Times, observe sneers at this Uirech, treaty
as having no sanction Of authority, even in time
past, but i gives no argument to give dignity TO the
sneer Mr. Benton maintains only that the line
was run to the Rocky Mountains; but he adds, that
il would have been the part of profound wisdom
TO have extended the line from The Rocky Noun
tains to the Pacihc and II would. in his judgment,
be good policy TO do this now. This two hours
speech sustained by unqnestioned authority, Span
ish and French English and American, Mr. Ben.
ton says is but the prelude to his main argument
II certainly gives promise Of a demonstration Of
our proprieiy Of negotiating the Oregon question
upon the line Of forty-nine IL we may do so-and
Il Is hoped we may. Indeed. an influential aud Of
fetal friend ofthe Administration assures me that
England will consent to negotiate the line of parli.
ton here, notwithstanding all the buster we have
heard TO the contrary. In the mean time believe
the steamer brings out nothing Of importance upon
this question, nor do see how any thing can be
heard before the steamer Of the LIST Of June as the
notice could not have been laid before Lord Aber-