Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-09-27
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
THE MEXICAN BOUNDARY COMMISSION,

Having observed in the public papers various
reports in reference 10 this Commission, alleging
dssensions among its members and difficulties in
the prosecution of its object, we have compiled
and suboin from official materials a succinct but
authentic account of the origin of the Commission,
its constitution, and far as heard from through
official reports, its operations.
In The Treaty of Peace, concluded at Guadalupe
Hidago, il It's stipulated and agreed by The two con-
tracing Powers that the future boundary between
the Republics of the United States and Mexico
shall consist of certain described line, the terrific
ry on the north and east of which shall be that Of
the United States, and on the south and west The
Territory of Mexico.
This line starts from point in the Gulf of Mexi-
CO, three leagues from land, opposite the mouth Of
the Rio Grande, or opposite the mouth Of its Deep
est branch, if it should have more than one empty
ing into the sea, and following the middle thereof
to the southern boundary of New Mexico; thence,
along line between the boundaries OF New Mexi-
CO. as determined by certain map published by J..
Disurnell. 10 the middle OF the Rio Gla or to the
middle of the first branch of that river which may
ntersect the said boundaries thence down the mid
die Of the said branch and Of the said river until il
empties into the Rio Colorado thence across the
Rio Colorado, following the division line between
Upper and Lower California, to the Pacific Ocean.
A portion Of this line is hence imaginary; that is
TO say, is subject to the Join, determination of the
contracting parties. through their appointed agents
the other is natural, being made up Of portions Of
the Rivers Del Norte and Gila. II is provided in
the treaty that this boundary line shall be and
marked in its whole course from the one terminus
in the Gulf of Mexico to the other in the Pacific
Ocean.
The sixth article OF the treaty provides that, in
case il should on examination appear practicable
and desirable construct road, canal, railway,
running in whole or in part on the River Gila, or
upon its right or left bank, within the space of one
marine league from either margin of the river, the
Governments of both Republics will form an agree
ment regarding its construction, in order tina, it
might serve equally for the use and advantage Of
both countries.
The sections of the boundary line which are not
naturally marked, and which therefore require sci
entfc determination, mainly t,Co, viz: one from
the point in the Rio Grande del Norte at its inter-
section with the southern boundary of New Mexi-
CO according TO Disturnells map, to point in the
same parallel three degrees of longitude west there
Of and thence due north TO the Rio Gila; the other
from the point Of junction of the Rivers Gila and
Colorado to point on the Pacific Ocean near the
port of San Diego. The lengths of these sec
tons unitedly will not probably exceed three hum
dred miles, but they traverse country uninhabited
and uninhabitable, destitute Of wood and water, and
over considerable areas but scantily supplied with
grass. The western section, lying between the
junc,ion-pont OF the Colorado and ella and the
Pacific, has been already completely determined,
and its line art6cialy marked and fixed upon the
ground.
What remains, therefore, 10 be done, is to run
and mark the imaginary line between the point of
intersection of the Gia with the meridian of longi-
tude three degrees west of the I" initial point
in the Del Norte, where the parallel of the south
ern boundary of New Mexico crosses that river.
The practical execution of this work was con-
6ded by the two Governments to Joint Commits
sion, TO the head of which was appointed, on the
American side, Mr.. JOHN R. BARTLETT, and on
The Mexican, General PEDRO GARCIA CoNDE. I'm.
der eacn oI tucsr commissions their respective
Governments placed corps of astronomers and sur.
veyors, with the assistants, mechanics, laborers,
&c. necessary TO work of the kind, and to opera
tions in country for the most part in state OF
nature, and unusually sterile and unproductive.
On the American. side the chief conduct of the as
Economical and typographical operations was first
confided to Brevet Lieut.. Col. John Mcclellan, Of
the typographical engineers, ably assisted by Lieut.
A. w. Whipple, of the same corps. Similarly
the Mexican Government made Senor Jose Salazar
lis chief astronomer. Subsequently,, in the autumn
of 1850, COL j. D. Graham, of the Typographical
engineers, was directed to supersede Lieut. Col
Mcclellan, who thereupon returned to the United
States from the Preside de San EIizario, where
he had arrived. In pursuance of this change, Col
Graham arrived out at Ell Paso on the oath of June
last having left San Antonio on the 10Th of May
but has himself been recently substituted in this
particular service by Major w. H. Emory, under
whose direction as astronomer the western section
of the line between the junction of the Gila with
the Colorado and the Pacific was run and marked.
As chief surveyor, an appointment was origi
nally made Of Andrew B. Gray, Esq, who has
already ably accomplished that portion of the labor
committed TO him which had 10 be performed on
the western or Pacific section of the line, and who
had returned to the United States preparatory to
assuming the second branch of his duty between the
initial point" and the mouth of the Gila Willis,
here, however, he was taken ill, and had not re-
covered earlier than to be able to present himself
a, FL Paso al the latter part of June. In his alb
sence, the American Commissioner, with the con-
sent Of Gen. Conde, in order TO 90 on with the
work, was compelled to appoint Lieut.. Whipple
as acting chief surveyor, who continued to act in
that capacity until the arrival of Mr.. Gray.
The American branch of the Commission set out
from New York in the steamer Galveston, in Au-
gust, 1850, arriving at Indianola in the latter part
OF the same month. By direction of the Commis-
soner, Mr. Bartlett, survey Of the route, from
lndianola TO FL Paso, was undertaken to be con-
duced as the Commission passed along, and its
accomplishment was conided to Lieut.. Whipple,
with the surveyors and assistants under him This