, 1859-07-22

| lhe Pioneer ana democrat OF last Week
publishes letter from Washington city
dated June 4th, containing intelligence
which, if correct, is Of much interest to the
people of this county, as also the people Of
Clark county and other localities. The
writer signs himself as. p. NJ" After de.
failing some matters of minor import, he
says:-
OF more Importance, however, and in
fact Of general Importance to the whole Ter.
ritory, is the final determination Of the long
pending and vexatious question of the llud-
son Bay and Puget Sound companies rights ;
which, doubt not, will be received with
shouts and hurrahs. Their trading license
has expired, and the Secretary Of State
(Gen. Cass) has declared that ALL their rights
in Oregon and Washington expired at the
same moment. The lands claimed by them
as companies are ALL pronounced "public
domain" and on yesterday the State De-
partment was preparing its communication
on the subjrct, to be addressed to the De.
partment Of Interior, upon which the said
lands are to be taken possession Of by the
| uuu tuCtI SURVEY OIuClCus ~
is complete forfeiture, and the most lati.
tudinal construction 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 purchaser of these, but regards its duty
as having been performed, and the case is
closed. The testimony Of Sir George Simp.
son, Governor of tho Hudson Bay Company,
before the select committee Of the British
House of Commons in 1857, was most un-
fortunate for them. He said he I" had been
Governor of the Company for thirty-seven
years, and principal representative. They
had possessory rights in Oregon. Oregon
had been given up to the United States by
treaty; but by that same treaty those pos
sessory rights were as British subjects prior
to the treaty. They had possession of land,
pasture grounds, hunting grounds very
large possessOry rights and various estab-
lishments. They had also the free naviga.
ton Of the river. Possession Of land was
acquired under their license to trade. They
understood their license to trade to give
them the possession Of land. They inter-
preted the words, q right to trade, !" to give
them right to the land. He would not say
that 10 was in fee simple or under what ten.
ure; but merely that it gave them the right
TO the land. Did not believe that charter
from the Crown, conferring o monopoly Of
trade In certain PORTIONS Of the territory,
ceded the whole Of that Territory to them !;
but only that which they brought into culti-
Walton. Brought say 5000 acres into cult.
walton, (this Is apparently rough gucss).
The Puget Sound Company Is an off hoot
from the Hudson Bay Company. Do not
consider that we have any right to sell land
under our license 70 trade. A special pro-
vision was made in the treaty, under which
we consider ourselves justified in selling land
in the Oregon countFy--our pOssessOry
rights This property the company actually
created. We we're proprietofs as well as
occupants. There is difficulty as to the in
depreciation Of possessory rights diiferent
lawyers give different opinions. Daniel
Webster said We had possessory rights
wherever we had trapped, hewed timber, and
our 6ocks and herds ranged. We had the
same license 70 trade west as east Of the
mountains. We have the power to prevent
an Englishman or American trading there /;
but think the American would not be pre-
vented
The writer assufesus that this intelligence
is reliable; his extracts having been taken
ffom official documents in the State Depart.
ment He also states that the Land Office
awaits the rec ipt Of orders from the secre-
sary Of the Interior, and hopes to get them