Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1858-07-17
More abOut Frazer River.

advantages, emoluments, dignities, and uncertain
ty OF the English ancellorship.-F0rney'S Press.
More about Frazer River.
By reference to good map, it will be seen that
Frazer river rises in the Rocky Mountains and
empties itself into the Gulf of Georgia. 1t is
about 1000 miles in length rises In latitude So,
and it approaches the Gulf, nears the 49th par
allel, in a line with which it runs the balance of
the way to the sea. The upper part of the river
is entirely navigable but the lower part is full of
dangerous rapids, and navigated with very great
difficulty. This river having been discovered some
years before by British explorer named McKen-
ze, was taken possession of in 1906, by the North
west Company, afterwards merged into the Hud--
son Bay Company,) and its banks soon after Occu-
pied from mouth to head, by English trading set
Elements and military posts-which occupancy has
remained uninterrupted until the present time.
1t will be noticed that this already iar-renOwned
and Jlden stream runs directly through for al
most its entire length, that very strip of country
about which we came SO near being involved in
war with Great Britain, during the administration
of James h. Polk. Our Government had claimed
"a 9 40' as the northern boundary of Oregon, and
President Polk had declared the title of the Unit
ed States up to that limit to be clear and unques-
tionable; but England positively refused to give
up her occupancy Of that region, and insisted upon
the 49th parallel the proper boundary of Oregon
in the north. 1t was evident that unless the
United States Government rehnquished her claim
to the territory lying abOge the 49th parallel, there
would be war between the two countries The
history of discovery, occupancy and such other
things give title did not sufficiently sustain the
claim set forth by the United States, to justify u
war with England, and the vast expenditure of
blood and treasure that such war would have oc-
casioned. At any rate, SO thought some of the
master minds of the country. Lewis Cass, in the
Senate was for '' 54 40 or none," and so were
majority of the Democratic Senators and Repre-
sentatiVes in Congress. Thomas II. Benton, then
an intimate friend and adviser of Mr.. Polk, but
differing with him upon this question, was OppOs-
ed to bringing the country to any such extreme
measure upon what he conceived to be so small
ground, and poured food of light upon the sub
ject The President thought it prudent, it being
involving peace or war, to ask the advice OF
the Senate as to whether ''54 40'' should be insist
ed upon or not at all hazards, and the Senate de-
cided that it would be advisable to accept the offer
of England proposing to establish the 49th paral-
lei as the northern boundary. Thus the question
was settled, and this immensely wealthy region-a
new Ell Dorado on the Pacifc-forever lost to the
United States.
The whole of this region is now under the almost
absolute control of the Hudson Bay Company,
whose last grant of privileges under their charter
expires in 1859, and may may not be renewed.
1t seems that they have instituted very arbitrary
measures with regard to foreign vessels, traders
and miners, forbidding any vessel to proceed up
Frazer river with any other goods on board except
such as belong to the Hudson Bay Company, and
requiring every miner to obtain license from the
Governor of Vancouver Island. As to the license
it is well enough that should be required, but
until England establishes Colony in the terrific
ry and prescrbes its mining rules and regulations,
in the case of Australia, there is no legal au-
thority in that region which can exact a mining
D.. opAt
the action of the Company in monopolizing all
trade of the territory This they have no legal
right to do, for their grant only gives them the
elusive right to trade with the Indians. 1t says
nothing about the traffic between themselves and
the whites whether their eountrymen or foreign
ers, and gives them no power to regulate any trade
that may spring up, other than that with the In
dians. This arbitrary power however, will no
doubt be speedily taken away from the Company,
and a Colonial Government established which will
regulate affairs on very nearly the same principle
as that which prevails in the Australian gold re-
gions The power once taken away from the Hud-
son Bay Company, or limited, other goods and
merchandise than that which belongs to the pres
ent monopoly will be admitted, under the same
regulations that govern the ports of entry IN the
various British Colonial possessions, and which
are peculiarly liberal to American vessels, on
count of the commercial treaties which have lat
terly been made between the two countries. The
sooner this state of things is brought about the
better, for the trade between San Francisco and
the new mining districts will be one of immense
benefit to this State, as ahording market for all
the staple agricultural and other products OF the
country But with all that trade shut off, we shall
only have our State drained of its working popu-
latiOn without receiving any benefit in return. 1t
is true, that the demand for labor, oecasloned by
the exodus, will bring in time the needed supply
of laborers, by immigration, from the Atlantic
States. but in the meantime, our business interests
would be to a considerable degree Frustrated. The
with REGARD to this subject will be looked for with
great interest -MarusriHe Express.