, 1859-07-15
Letter from Washington.
WASHINGTON Cry, d. c.,
June 4. 1859.

June 4, loOS.
FRIEND FURsTE:-The past fortnight has
been eventful. Let me briefly confer with
your readers, now, during a moment Of
leisure, to relate some things that have
transpired, which doubt not will crafty
them.
The election in Virginia has terminated
with John Letcher as Governor, man in
whom the country has unlimited conf
dence; and in omitting from the councils of
the nation Charles j. Faulkner, whose
treatment Of the Oregon and Washington
war debt makes his fate merited one.
| The Catholic Mission claim at Vancou-
Pver has been settled to the satisfaction of
Archbishop Blanchet and Rev. NJ. Broul-
let, who are both here. From a reading
of the decision, as announced, it does not
seem to yield all that they claimed but
they are gratfed with the result, which
comedies all the substantial points.
+ OF more Importance, however, and in
tfact Of general Importance to the whole
Territory, is the final determination of the
long pending and vexatious question Of
the Hudson Bay and Puget Sound COM
panies rights which, l doubt not, will be
received with shouts aud hurrahs. Their
trading license has expired, and the Secre-
tary of State (Gen. Cass) has declared
that ALL their rights in Oregon and Wash
ingten expired at the same moment The
lands claimed by them as companies are
ALL pronounced "publc domain" and on
yesterday the State Department was pre-
pairing its communication on the subject
to be addressed to the Department Of lnte-
rior, upon which the said lands are to be
taken possession Of by the United States
and their survey ordered. 1t is complete
forfeiture, and the most latitudinal con-
structiou now can leave them nothing
more than their improvements, which they
can sell to anybody. 1t does not appear
that the government intends to be pur-
chaser of these, but regards its duty as
having been performed, aud the case is
closed. The testimony of Sir George
Simpson, Governor of the Hudson Bay
Company, before the select committee of
the British House Of Commons in 1851,
| was most unfortunate for them. He said
he "had been Governor of tue Company
for thirty-seVen years and principal repre-
sentative. They had possessory rights in
Oregon. Oregon had been given up to
the United States by treaty but by that
same treaty those possessory rights were
retained Those rights were as British
subjects prior to the treaty. They had
possession Of land, pasture grounds, hunt
ing grounds-very large possessory rights
and various establishments. They had
also the free Dayigation of the river. Pos
session of land was acquired under their
license to trade, They understood their
license to'trade to give them the posses
sion Of land. They interpreted the words,
"a right to trade, 10 give them right to
the land. He Would not say that it was
in fee simple or under what tenure but
merely that it gave them the right to the
land. Did not believe that charter from
the Grown, comforting monopoly of trade
in certain portions Of the territory, ceded
the whole Of that territory to them but
only that which they brought into cultiva-
ton. Brought say 5000 acres into culti-
walton, (this is apparently a rough guess)
The Puget Sound Company is an offshoot
from the Hudson Bay Company. Do not
consider that we have any right to sell
land under our license to trade. A spe-
cial provision was made in the treaty un-
der which we consider ourselves justified
in selling land in the Oregon country-our
posSessory rights This property the COM
pany actually created. We were proprie-
tors as well as occupants. There is diff
Guilty as to the Interpretation Of possessory
rights different lawyers give different
opinions. Daniel Webster said we had
possessory rights wherever we had trap
ped, hewed timber, and our focks and
herds ranged. We had the same license
to trade west as east of the mountains.
Our licence TO trade will expire in 1859.
We have the power to prevent an English
p man or American trading there; but think
! the American would not be prevented"
- The Rt. Hon. L. b. Lytton, in official
dispatches to Gov Douglas of British Co,
lumbia, 10th Of July, 1858, and subse.
quently, warns him against using his pow.
ers as Governor in the maintenance of the
interests of the Hudson Bay Company, and
informs him that the Company have the
exclusive trade with Indians, and no other
rights or privilege whatever The legal
tgnts OF the company on the continent
terminates 10 May, 1859, at all erents by